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Mouse vaccine raises prospect of cancer prevention
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60 SECONDS
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Avoiding cancer MOBSBKQFLKfpqebdl^ilcjlpq s^``fkbp+Klqpls^``fkbp^d^fkpq `^k`bo)tef`eo^iivqebfjjrkb pvpqbjqlcfdeq^kbufpqfkd afpb^pb+Qe^q^mmol^`ejfdeq `e^kdbkltqe^q^molqbfke^p _bbkclrkaqe^qpqlmpjf`b absbilmfkd_ob^pq`^k`bo+ Sfk`bkqQrlevlcqeb@ibsbi^ka @ifkf`fkLefl^ka`liib^drbpqllh ^molqbfkj^ab_v`^k`bolrp) _ob^pq`biip)^kafkgb`qbafqfkql jf`bbkdfkbbobaqlabsbilm_ob^pq `^k`bo+Qefpmofjbaqebfofjjrkb pvpqbjpql^qq^`hqrjlro`biip^ka mobsbkqba`^k`bo%K^qrob
Jbaf`fkb)ALF7.-+.-05,kj+/.3.&+ >pqebmolqbfkfpj^ab_veb^iqev i^`q^qfkd`biip)qll)pr`e^s^``fkb jfdeqlkba^vmobsbkq`^k`bofk klk*i^`q^qfkdtljbk+ Qe^qtlria_b^cfopq+Molpq^qb `^k`bos^``fkbMolsbkdbbuqbkap
“A protein made by cancerous breast cells prevented cancer in engineered mice” ifcb_rqe^pkÑqvbqpqlmmba`^k`bo ^ofpfkd)tefib`bosf`^i`^k`bo s^``fkbpmofjbqebfjjrkb pvpqbj^d^fkpq^`^k`bo*`^rpfkd sforp)klq`^k`bofqpbic+
Chameleon particle
BP’s three-pronged oil attack
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YET another attempt is under way to control the flow of oil from the damaged Deepwater Horizon oil well. As New Scientist went to press, BP was taking a three-pronged approach to the situation. Last week’s efforts to plug the leaking well head with mud failed over the weekend. BP now hopes to exploit the same pipes and equipment but in reverse, to carry oil to the surface. The company hopes to have this up and running in the next two weeks. In addition, it is also seeking to place a cap on the well head. The well head is topped with a now infamous “blowout preventer” (BOP) that is allowing oil to flow into the sea through a section of pipe that once
led to the surface and now lies damaged on the seabed (see diagram). As New Scientist went to press, BP was preparing to saw this pipe off where it meets the BOP. This will clear the way for a cap that will sit over the BOP and channel escaping gas and oil through another pipe to the surface. Finally, BP is drilling two relief bores into the leaking well, which should channel some of the flow away. The resulting reduction in pressure at the main outpouring should allow engineers to fit an additional BOP on top of the first to finally staunch the flow – an operation BP hopes to complete by early August. Despite previous setbacks, BP is confident it will succeed.
BP’s latest plan 1. The fallen surface pipe is cut just above the blowout preventer (BOP) and removed
CAP
2 to pump mud into the well are used to carry oil and gas to the surface
1 BOP
3 4. Relief bores are
1500 metres below sea level below sea level
FALLEN PIPE FALLEN PIPE
Drug control procedures in the UK came under fire this week after a toxicology report on two teenagers said to have died from mephedrone – cases instrumental in the imposition of an emergency ban on the drug – showed neither had actually taken it.
Quake alert The US Pacific Northwest should brace itself for a major earthquake. In a US Geological Survey report, Chris Goldfinger at Oregon State University surveyed undersea landslides to gauge how many quakes above magnitude 8 have struck in the past 10,000 years. Their frequency suggests a 37 per cent chance that there will be one within 50 years.
That light smells great Who’d confuse blue light with the aroma of rotting fruit? By adding a light-sensitive protein to neurons triggered by the smell, researchers made fruit fly larvae do just that, and the larvae crawled towards a bright blue light (Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, DOI: 10.3389/ fnbeh.2010.00027)
Drunken teen monkeys Binge-drinking monkeys are offering clues to the toll that drinking takes on the teen brain. Adolescent rhesus macaques fed alcoholic drinks for an hour a day for 11 months had fewer stem cells in their hippocampuses, the area responsible for memory and spatial awareness (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0912810107).
Stormy weather 3. The pipes formerly used
2. A cap is placed over the top of the BOP to carry oil and gas to the surface
UK’s haste on drug ban
drilled into the leaking well and a second BOP is placed over the first
The north Atlantic will be unusually stormy this summer, according to the US government agency in charge of seasonal hurricane forecasts. It predicts that 2010 could be among the most active years on record, with three to seven major hurricanes of category 3 to 5. In 2005, the region was hit by seven major hurricanes, including Katrina. The Pacific is expected to be quieter than average.
5 June 2010 | NewScientist | 5
60 SECONDS
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Avoiding cancer MOBSBKQFLKfpqebdl^ilcjlpq s^``fkbp+Klqpls^``fkbp^d^fkpq `^k`bo)tef`eo^iivqebfjjrkb pvpqbjqlcfdeq^kbufpqfkd afpb^pb+Qe^q^mmol^`ejfdeq `e^kdbkltqe^q^molqbfke^p _bbkclrkaqe^qpqlmpjf`b absbilmfkd_ob^pq`^k`bo+ Sfk`bkqQrlevlcqeb@ibsbi^ka @ifkf`fkLefl^ka`liib^drbpqllh ^molqbfkj^ab_v`^k`bolrp) _ob^pq`biip)^kafkgb`qbafqfkql jf`bbkdfkbbobaqlabsbilm_ob^pq `^k`bo+Qefpmofjbaqebfofjjrkb pvpqbjpql^qq^`hqrjlro`biip^ka mobsbkqba`^k`bo%K^qrob
Jbaf`fkb)ALF7.-+.-05,kj+/.3.&+ >pqebmolqbfkfpj^ab_veb^iqev i^`q^qfkd`biip)qll)pr`e^s^``fkb jfdeqlkba^vmobsbkq`^k`bofk klk*i^`q^qfkdtljbk+ Qe^qtlria_b^cfopq+Molpq^qb `^k`bos^``fkbMolsbkdbbuqbkap
“A protein made by cancerous breast cells prevented cancer in engineered mice” ifcb_rqe^pkÑqvbqpqlmmba`^k`bo ^ofpfkd)tefib`bosf`^i`^k`bo s^``fkbpmofjbqebfjjrkb pvpqbj^d^fkpq^`^k`bo*`^rpfkd sforp)klq`^k`bofqpbic+
Chameleon particle
BP’s three-pronged oil attack
FQFPqeb`e^jbiblklcqeb pr_^qljf`tloia)_rq^cqboj^kv vb^oplcpb^o`efkd)afob`qbsfabk`b lc^kbrqofkl`e^kdfkdcoljlkb qvmbfkql^klqeboe^p_bbkclrka+ Kbrqofklp^obqelrdeqql Îlp`fii^qbÏ_bqtbbkqeobbqvmbp7 bib`qolk)q^r^kajrlk+?rq kl_lave^ppbbklkb^cqbofq e^pqo^kpclojba+ Cloqeobbvb^op)^plro`b^q @BOKfkPtfqwboi^kae^p_bbk cfofkdjrlkkbrqofklpqlt^oap qebLMBO>bumbofjbkq_bkb^qe qebDo^kP^ppljlrkq^fkfkFq^iv+ Kltmevpf`fpqp^qLMBO>p^vqebv ^ob65mbo`bkq`lkcfabkqqe^qqebv e^sbabqb`qba^q^rkbrqofklfkqeb _b^j+Qefp`lkcfojppboflrp`o^`hp fkqebpq^ka^oajlabilcm^oqf`ib mevpf`p)tef`ep^vpkbrqofklp ^obj^ppibpp+Kbrqofklp`^k lkivlp`fii^qbfcqebve^sbj^pp+ Mobsflrpbsfabk`bclolp`fii^qflk t^pfkafob`q+Fk.665)mevpf`fpqp clrkaqe^qpljbjrlk^ka bib`qolkkbrqofklpmolar`bafk qeb^qjlpmebob^kaqebprke^a afp^mmb^obabkolrqbqlqebPrmbo* H^jflh^kababqb`qlofkG^m^k+?rq lqeboibppifhbivbumi^k^qflkp)pr`e ^pab`^v)`lriaklq_boribalrq+ LMBO>Ñp>kqlkflBobafq^qlao^tp^ m^o^iibilsbopr`eafp^mmb^o^k`bp7 ÎFqÑpifhb^jroabo+Vlre^sbqeb jroabop`bkb)_rqklttbe^sb clrkaqebcfopqm^oqlcqeb_lav+Ï
YET another attempt is under way to control the flow of oil from the damaged Deepwater Horizon oil well. As New Scientist went to press, BP was taking a three-pronged approach to the situation. Last week’s efforts to plug the leaking well head with mud failed over the weekend. BP now hopes to exploit the same pipes and equipment but in reverse, to carry oil to the surface. The company hopes to have this up and running in the next two weeks. In addition, it is also seeking to place a cap on the well head. The well head is topped with a now infamous “blowout preventer” (BOP) that is allowing oil to flow into the sea through a section of pipe that once
led to the surface and now lies damaged on the seabed (see diagram). As New Scientist went to press, BP was preparing to saw this pipe off where it meets the BOP. This will clear the way for a cap that will sit over the BOP and channel escaping gas and oil through another pipe to the surface. Finally, BP is drilling two relief bores into the leaking well, which should channel some of the flow away. The resulting reduction in pressure at the main outpouring should allow engineers to fit an additional BOP on top of the first to finally staunch the flow – an operation BP hopes to complete by early August. Despite previous setbacks, BP is confident it will succeed.
BP’s latest plan 1. The fallen surface pipe is cut just above the blowout preventer (BOP) and removed
CAP
2 to pump mud into the well are used to carry oil and gas to the surface
1 BOP
3 4. Relief bores are
1500 metres below sea level below sea level
FALLEN PIPE FALLEN PIPE
Drug control procedures in the UK came under fire this week after a toxicology report on two teenagers said to have died from mephedrone – cases instrumental in the imposition of an emergency ban on the drug – showed neither had actually taken it.
Quake alert The US Pacific Northwest should brace itself for a major earthquake. In a US Geological Survey report, Chris Goldfinger at Oregon State University surveyed undersea landslides to gauge how many quakes above magnitude 8 have struck in the past 10,000 years. Their frequency suggests a 37 per cent chance that there will be one within 50 years.
That light smells great Who’d confuse blue light with the aroma of rotting fruit? By adding a light-sensitive protein to neurons triggered by the smell, researchers made fruit fly larvae do just that, and the larvae crawled towards a bright blue light (Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, DOI: 10.3389/ fnbeh.2010.00027)
Drunken teen monkeys Binge-drinking monkeys are offering clues to the toll that drinking takes on the teen brain. Adolescent rhesus macaques fed alcoholic drinks for an hour a day for 11 months had fewer stem cells in their hippocampuses, the area responsible for memory and spatial awareness (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0912810107).
Stormy weather 3. The pipes formerly used
2. A cap is placed over the top of the BOP to carry oil and gas to the surface
UK’s haste on drug ban
drilled into the leaking well and a second BOP is placed over the first
The north Atlantic will be unusually stormy this summer, according to the US government agency in charge of seasonal hurricane forecasts. It predicts that 2010 could be among the most active years on record, with three to seven major hurricanes of category 3 to 5. In 2005, the region was hit by seven major hurricanes, including Katrina. The Pacific is expected to be quieter than average.
5 June 2010 | NewScientist | 5