Copyright -- a conceptual battle in a digital age |  |
- Copyright -- a conceptual battle in a digital age
- UT study: Climate change affects ants and biodiversity
- Dirt prevents allergy
- Watch out for sexually transmitted 'superbug': Expert
- First bilateral hand transplant performed at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
- Berkeley lab to build cost model for fuel cells
- Technology makes storing radioactive waste safer
- WA high-tech business helps astronomers discover the universe
- Psychological traumas experienced over lifetime linked to adult irritable bowel syndrome
- Celiac patients face potential hazard as information on cosmetic ingredients difficult to find
| Copyright -- a conceptual battle in a digital age Posted: 03 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Our language is made up of metaphors, even in our legal texts. Stefan Larsson has studied what consequences this has when digital phenomena, such as file sharing and downloading, are limited by descriptions intended for an analogue world. When legal arguments equate file sharing with theft of physical objects, it sometimes becomes problematic, says Stefan Larsson, who doesn't think it is possible to equate an illegal download with theft of a physical object, as has been done in the case against The Pirate Bay. Using the compensation model employed in the case against The Pirate Bay, the total value of such a site could be calculated at over SEK 600 billion. This is almost as much as Sweden's national budget, says Stefan Larsson. The prosecutor in the Pirate Bay case chose to pursue a smaller number of downloads and the sum of the fines therefore never reached these proportions. In Stefan Larsson's view, the word 'copies' is a hidden legal metaphor that causes problematic ideas in the digital society. For example, copyright does not take into account that a download does not result in the owner losing his or her own copy. Neither is it possible to equate number of downloads with lost income for the copyright holder, since it is likely that people download a lot more than they would purchase in a shop. Other metaphors that are used for downloading are infringement, theft and piracy. The problem is that these metaphors make us equate copyright with ownership of physical property, says Stefan Larsson. Moreover, there are underlying mindsets which guide the whole of copyright, according to Stefan Larsson. One such mindset is the idea that creation is a process undertaken by sole geniuses and not so much in a cultural context. In Stefan Larsson's view, this has the unfortunate consequence of making stronger copyright protection with longer duration and a higher degree of legal enforcement appear reasonable. The problem is that it... http://www.rxpgnews.com    |
| UT study: Climate change affects ants and biodiversity Posted: 02 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Some people may consider them pests, but ants are key to many plants' survival. In the eastern US, ants are integral to plant biodiversity because they help disperse seeds. But ants' ability to perform this vital function, and others, may be jeopardized by climate change, according to Nate Sanders, Associate Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Sanders and his collaborators have received a grant for nearly $2 million from the National Science Foundation to examine the cascading effects of climate change on ant communities and the ecosystem functions they provide. Ants are critically important to most ecosystems, Sanders said. They eat other insects, circulate nutrients, increase turnover in the soil, and move seeds around. Sanders and his colleagues are testing the effects of climate change on ants by heating up patches of forest and tracking how the ants respond. Inside Duke Forest in North Carolina and Harvard Forest in Massachusetts lie 12 five-meter wide, open-top chambers. Air temperature is incrementally increased by half a degree Celsius in each chamber for a total of a six-degree changes and ant behavior observed. The researchers, led by Katie Stuble from UT and Shannon Pelini at Harvard Forest, noticed dramatic changes in the ants' daily activity in each chamber. If the temperature increases by just a half a degree Celsius, the most important seed-dispersing ants basically shut down, said Sanders. They do not go out and forage and do the things they normally do. Stuble observed that, on average, the ants foraged for about 10 hours a day at normal temperatures. When temperatures were raised just a half a degree, the ants stayed in their nests underground and foraged just an hour. The absence of ants' seed dispersal and nutrient cycling could have profound influence on biodiversity. For instance, it is believed that more than half of the plants in the forest... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Oversensitivity diseases, or allergies, now affect 25 per cent of the population of Denmark. The figure has been on the increase in recent decades and now researchers at the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood (COPSAC), University of Copenhagen, are at last able to partly explain the reasons. In our study of over 400 children we observed a direct link between the number of different bacteria in their rectums and the risk of development of allergic disease later in life, says Professor Hans Bisgaard, consultant at Gentofte Hospital, head of the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood, and professor of children's diseases at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen. Reduced diversity of the intestinal microbiota during infancy was associated with increased risk of allergic disease at school age, he continues. But if there was considerable diversity, the risk was reduced, and the greater the variation, the lower the risk. So it makes a difference if the baby is born vaginally, encountering the first bacteria from its mother's rectum, or by caesarean section, which exposes the new-born baby to a completely different, reduced variety of bacteria. This may be why far more children born by caesarean section develop allergies. In the womb and during the first six months of life, the mother's immune defences protect the infant. Bacteria flora in infants are therefore probably affected by any antibiotics the mother has taken and any artificial substances she has been exposed to. I must emphasise that there is not one single allergy bacteria, Professor Bisgaard points out. We have studied staphylococci and coli bacteria thoroughly, and there is no relation. What matters is to encounter a large number of different bacteria early in life when the immune system is developing and 'learning'. The window during which the infant is immunologically immature and can be influenced by bacteria... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Watch out for sexually transmitted 'superbug': Expert Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:53 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Nov 1 - While the controversy over a 'superbug' in Delhi hospitals has not died down yet, an expert here Tuesday popped a warning against a sexually transmitted microbe which is resistant to antibiotics. 'Last year, a case at Safdarjung Hospital - was found where we saw that the patient suffered from gonorrhea - and the microbe neisseria gonorrhea had reduced sensitivity to all antibiotics that were used in the treatment,' said Somesh Gupta, assistant professor at the department of dermatology and venereology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences -. 'Surveillance of the anti-microbial resistance - in gonorrhea is currently being researched and India needs to be cautious about this as well,' Gupta said. 'The problem is that if the infection of the microbe with high AMR spreads, then it could be difficult to fight the disease with any medicines or antibiotics,' he added. Another case of AMR in gonorrhea was reported from Japan early this year, Gupta said. S.D. Khaparde, deputy director general of the National AIDS Control Organisation -, said hospitals across the country will be issued guidelines for treating sexually transmitted infections -. 'All railway clinics, private hospitals and ESI hospitals in the country will be given a standardised course for treating STIs,' he said. http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| First bilateral hand transplant performed at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) PHILADELPHIA, PA - For the first time in the Delaware Valley Region, a patient has undergone a complex and intricate bilateral hand transplant that could significantly enhance the quality-of-life for persons with multiple limb loss. The procedure was performed by Penn's Hand Transplant Program which operates under the leadership of the Penn Transplant Institute and in collaboration with Gift of Life Donor Program, the nonprofit organ and tissue donor program which serves the eastern half of Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware. The highly-trained team's first bilateral hand transplant was performed in September. At this time, the patient is progressing well and both the patient and donor family wish to remain anonymous. Working closely with their partners at Gift of Life Donor Program, a team of 30 members - 12 surgeons, three anesthesiologists and 15 nurses - performed the 11-and-one-half hour procedure which is Penn's first venture into the emerging field of Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (VCA). The team included experts in solid organ transplantation, orthopaedic surgery, plastic surgery, reconstructive microsurgery, and anesthesia. At Penn, we have the level of surgical and academic expertise required to not only offer complicated VCA procedures, but also the capabilities to help establish the standards for this emerging field, said L. Scott Levin, MD, FACS, director of the Penn Hand Transplant Program, chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the Paul. B. Magnuson Professor of Bone and Joint Surgery, Professor of Surgery (Division of Plastic Surgery). As a top academic medical center, we have the range of expertise required to perform these complex procedures involving multiple, interacting structures and systems in the body, added Benjamin Chang, MD, co-director of Penn's Hand Transplant Program, program director and associate chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery and associate professor... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Berkeley lab to build cost model for fuel cells Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Fuel cells seem like an ideal energy source -- they're clean, efficient, silent and don't require transmission lines. The hitch? They can be costly. Now scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) hope to change that equation by building a sophisticated cost model that will take into account the total cost of ownership. With a $2-million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, a team of scientists led by Eric Masanet will perform a detailed assessment of fuel cell design and manufacturing that takes into account both intrinsic and external benefits. The aim is to quantify not only traditional manufacturing costs but also benefits that may previously have been overlooked and may ultimately bring down the cost of fuel cells. There are, for example, human health benefits associated with fuel cells replacing fossil fuels, but they are traditionally not accounted for, especially not by the company making the fuel cells, said Masanet of the Lab's Environmental Energy Technologies Division. But they are a benefit that society enjoys. So we will be using modeling techniques we've developed to see if there are optimal design and manufacturing strategies for different markets. The result will be not just a static cost analysis but a powerful public tool that can be used by designers, manufacturers and building owners as they make decisions around producing and implementing fuel cells. The tool will be based on a software platform called Analytica that Masanet likens to a visual spreadsheet. Because it is modular it will allow the user to easily change inputs, such as design and manufacturing costs and energy sources, and replace parts of the process. Something like this will have a shelf life, he said. We'll deliver a tool that can be updated over time with new processes, new designs, new cost data. The project will cover two types of fuel cells -- solid oxide and proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells -- in systems... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Technology makes storing radioactive waste safer Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Queensland University of Technology (QUT) researchers have developed new technology capable of removing radioactive material from contaminated water and aiding clean-up efforts following nuclear disasters. The innovation could also solve the problem of how to clean up millions of tonnes of water contaminated by dangerous radioactive material and safely store the concentrated waste. Professor Huai-Yong Zhu from QUT Chemistry said the world-first intelligent absorbent, which uses titanate nanofibre and nanotube technology, differed from current clean-up methods, such as layered clays and zeolites, because it could efficiently lock in deadly radioactive material from contaminated water. The used absorbents can then be safely disposed without the risk of leakage, even if the material became wet. One gram of the nanofibres can effectively purify at least one tonne of polluted water, Professor Zhu said. This saves large amounts of dangerous water needing to be stored somewhere and also prevents the risk of contaminated products leaking into the soil. The technology, which was developed in collaboration with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) and Pennsylvania State University in America, works by running the contaminated water through the fine nanotubes and fibres, which trap the radioactive Cesium (Cs+) ions through a structural change. Every year we hear of at least one nuclear accident. Not only is there a risk of contamination where human error is concerned, but there is also a risk from natural disasters such as what we saw in Japan this year, he said. Professor Zhu and his research team believed the technology would also benefit industries as diverse as mining and medicine. By adding silver oxide nanocrystals to the outer surface, the nanostructures are able to capture and immobilise radioactive iodine (I-) ions used in treatments for thyroid cancer, in probes and markers for medical... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| WA high-tech business helps astronomers discover the universe Posted: 31 Oct 2011 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) A quest to study the earliest stars and galaxies in the Universe is underway, with local industry building the first major pieces of a revolutionary new radio telescope in Western Australia, as part of the Murchison Wide-field . A quest to study the earliest stars and galaxies in the Universe is underway, with local industry building the first major pieces of a revolutionary new radio telescope in Western Australia, as part of the Murchison Wide-field .Murchison Wide-field (MWA) industry partner and Fremantle-based high-technology company, Poseidon Scientific Instruments (PSI), has been awarded a $1.3m contract by Curtin University to build 16 packages of sensitive electronics, using a smart design suited to the environmental and radio-quiet conditions of outback WA. The MWA is being built by an Australian consortium led by The International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), a joint venture between Curtin University and The University of Western Australia, in close collaboration with US, Indian and New Zealand partners. ICRAR Deputy Director, Professor Steven Tingay, said PSI was a world-class technology company and working with its local expertise to design and develop components for the international project was an enormous advantage. PSI will build 16 electronics packages for the MWA, the culmination of more than two years of collaboration in which PSI have been deeply involved in the design cycle. They are a valued collaborator, not just another cog in the supply chain, Professor Tingay said. Professor Tingay said the innovative package would also prevent the electronics from interfering with other equipment on the site, preserving the uniquely radio-quiet environment of the Murchison. The combination of the MWA and the radio-quiet environment of the Murchison will allow us to search for the incredibly weak signals that come from the early stages in the evolution of the Universe, some 13 billion years ago, he... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Psychological traumas experienced over lifetime linked to adult irritable bowel syndrome Posted: 31 Oct 2011 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Washington, DC -- The psychological and emotional traumas experienced over a lifetime -- such as the death of a loved one, divorce, natural disaster, house fire or car accident, physical or mental abuse -- may contribute to adult irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to the results of a study unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 76th Annual Scientific meeting in Washington, DC. In, A Case-Control Study of Childhood and Adult Trauma in the Development of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, found that childhood and adult traumas are more common among adults with IBS, but to a lesser degree among affected and unaffected case relatives. In addition, general life traumas were more commonly reported than physical, emotional or sexual abuse. Of the 2623 study participants, patients reported more traumas over a lifetime than controls with traumas common before age 18 as well as after age 18. While stress has been linked to IBS, and childhood abuse has been reported to be present in up to 50 percent of patients with IBS, at a prevalence twice that of patients without IBS, most studies of abuse have focused on sexual abuse with sparse detail and also have not looked at other forms of psychological trauma, said Yuri Saito-Loftus, MD, who presented the findings. This is the first study that looks at multiple forms of trauma, the timing of those traumas, and traumas in a family setting. IBS is a chronic functional gastrointestinal disorder which for many sufferers is marked by abdominal discomfort, bloating, constipation and/or diarrhea and can be categorized based on these symptoms: IBS-D is accompanied by diarrhea, IBS-C is accompanied by constipation and IBS-M includes both diarrhea and constipation. Research suggests that IBS is caused by changes in the nerves and muscles that control sensation and motility of the bowel. IBS is 1.5 times more common in women... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Celiac patients face potential hazard as information on cosmetic ingredients difficult to find Posted: 31 Oct 2011 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Washington, DC -- The lack of readily available information about cosmetic ingredients may cause patients with celiac disease who use lip, facial or body products to unknowingly expose themselves to gluten -- an ingredient they need to avoid, according to the results of a new study unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 76th Annual Scientific meeting in Washington, DC. The study, Information About Cosmetic Ingredients is Difficult to Obtain: A Potential Hazard for Celiac Patients, focused on the top 10 cosmetic companies in the United States in order to evaluate the availability of information about cosmetic ingredients and the accessibility of gluten-free products. While information on the ingredients of food products has become increasingly available, recent reports have revealed that the use of some cosmetics, including products used on the lips and face, can result in unexpected exposure to gluten, said researchers Marie L. Borum, MD, EdD, MPH and Pia Prakash, MD, of George Washington University. Dr. Borum said this study was prompted in part by one of her patient cases, Body Lotion Causing A Celiac Exacerbation and Dermatitis Herpetiformis: Natural is Not Always Healthy, where a 28-year old woman experienced exacerbation of her celiac symptoms, including gastrointestinal complications and a recurring skin rash after using a body lotion advertised as natural. It was difficult to determine whether gluten was contained in the product she was using, said Dr. Prakash. But once she stopped using the body lotion her symptoms resolved. This case highlights the fact that celiac patients face a huge challenge in trying to determine whether cosmetic products contain gluten -- and a risk of unknowingly exposing themselves to gluten. The lack of readily available information about cosmetic ingredients that Dr. Borum experienced first-hand with her patient led researchers to identify the top cosmetic... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
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