Entire galaxies feel the heat from newborn stars: Bursts of star birth can curtail future galaxy growth

Apr. 25, 2013 ? When galaxies form new stars, they sometimes do so in frantic episodes of activity known as starbursts. These events were commonplace in the early Universe, but are rarer in nearby galaxies.

During these bursts, hundreds of millions of stars are born, and their combined effect can drive a powerful wind that travels out of the galaxy. These winds were known to affect their host galaxy -- but this new research now shows that they have a significantly greater effect than previously thought.

An international team of astronomers observed 20 nearby galaxies, some of which were known to be undergoing a starburst. They found that the winds accompanying these star formation processes were capable of ionising [1] gas up to 650 000 light-years from the galactic centre -- around twenty times further out than the visible size of the galaxy. This is the first direct observational evidence of local starbursts impacting the bulk of the gas around their host galaxy, and has important consequences for how that galaxy continues to evolve and form stars.

"The extended material around galaxies is hard to study, as it's so faint," says team member Vivienne Wild of the University of St. Andrews. "But it's important -- these envelopes of cool gas hold vital clues about how galaxies grow, process mass and energy, and finally die. We're exploring a new frontier in galaxy evolution!"

The team used the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) instrument [2] on the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to analyse light from a mixed sample of starburst and control galaxies. They were able to probe these faint envelopes by exploiting even more distant objects -- quasars, the intensely luminous centres of distant galaxies powered by huge black holes. By analysing the light from these quasars after it passed through the foreground galaxies, the team could probe the galaxies themselves.

"Hubble is the only observatory that can carry out the observations necessary for a study like this," says lead author Sanchayeeta Borthakur, of Johns Hopkins University. "We needed a space-based telescope to probe the hot gas, and the only instrument capable of measuring the extended envelopes of galaxies is COS."

The starburst galaxies within the sample were seen to have large amounts of highly ionised gas in their halos -- but the galaxies that were not undergoing a starburst did not. The team found that this ionisation was caused by the energetic winds created alongside newly forming stars.

This has consequences for the future of the galaxies hosting the starbursts. Galaxies grow by accreting gas from the space surrounding them, and converting this gas into stars. As these winds ionise the future fuel reservoir of gas in the galaxy's envelope, the availability of cool gas falls -- regulating any future star formation.

"Starbursts are important phenomena -- they not only dictate the future evolution of a single galaxy, but also influence the cycle of matter and energy in the Universe as a whole," says team member Timothy Heckman, of Johns Hopkins University. "The envelopes of galaxies are the interface between galaxies and the rest of the Universe -- and we're just beginning to fully explore the processes at work within them."

The team's results will appear in the 1 May 2013 issue of The Astrophysical Journal.

Notes

[1] A gas is said to be ionised when its atoms have lost one or more electrons -- in this case by energetic winds exciting galactic gas and knocking electrons out of the atoms within.

[2] Spectrographs are instruments that break light into its constituent colours and measure the intensity of each colour, revealing information about the object emitting the light -- such as its chemical composition, temperature, density, or velocity.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by ESA/Hubble Information Centre.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Sanchayeeta Borthakur, Timothy Heckman, David Strickland, Vivienne Wild, David Schiminovich. THE IMPACT OF STARBURSTS ON THE CIRCUMGALACTIC MEDIUM. The Astrophysical Journal, 2013; 768 (1): 18 DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/768/1/18

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/3ypRbNu_Qzk/130425103312.htm

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Google Adds Dropdown Menu to Search Results, Hides Cached Pages Inside

Google recently updated their search results format, again moving the link for cached page access somewhere else. Now it hides in a convenient menu next to the page's URL. Just click it and you can select the cache page, share the link, and find similar results.

For a demo, watch the video above.

New Drop-Down Menu for Google Search Results | Google Operating System

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/b0HpG4GlPXU/google-adds-dropdown-menu-to-search-results-hides-cach-479850507

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STC Atlanta Summit Party & Tours | STC Atlanta - Society for ...

As most of you know, the STC Summit is coming to Atlanta in May ? and we want to be sure that the Atlanta Chapter is well represented! As part of our role as host chapter, we want to show all STC attendees a little Southern hospitality. We invite you to join in on the activities we have planned as a chapter for the 2013 STC Summit

You are welcome to attend the tours or the party whether or not you are registered for the Summit, so sign-up now. Hurry! Registration closes Friday, May 3.

Register now!

Oakland Cemetery Tour

To experience a uniquely beautiful look at Atlanta history, join us for a walking tour of Oakland Cemetery, one of Atlanta?s oldest green spaces. Opened in 1850, the garden cemetery features winding paths, large shade trees, flowers and shrubs, and appealing vistas. The cemetery was created for the living as well as the departed.

You will hear the stories of some of Oakland?s ?residents,? including some of the most famous figures from Georgia history: author Margaret Mitchell, golfer Bobby Jones, and Mayor Maynard Jackson.

Wear comfortable shoes. Tour will be held rain or shine, except if there are thunderstorms or other severe weather conditions.

Sunday, 5 May Meet in Hyatt Regency Atlanta lobby (concierge desk) at 12:45 PM for a 1:00 PM departure, return to the hotel at approximately 3:30PM.

Cost: $24 includes tour and transportation

Atlanta Ghost Tour

If you dare, join us for a step into the dark side of this gracious southern city. History and entertainment come together on this walking tour that takes you up Peachtree Street into the past.? Your guide will share the stories of lonely spirits who wander the streets, lost soldiers, haunted schools and theaters, and the deadly hotel fire where doomed souls linger.

Be sure to wear comfortable walking (or running away) shoes. Tour will be held unless there are severe weather conditions.

Tuesday, 7 May Meet in Hyatt Regency Atlanta lobby (concierge desk) at 8:00 PM for an 8:15 PM departure, return to hotel approximately 10:00 PM Cost: $20

Note: This tour is scheduled at the same time as the Honors Banquet

Summit 60th Birthday Party

As part of the 60th Anniversary celebration, the 60th Anniversary Task Force and the STC Atlanta Chapter are proud to host the 60th Anniversary Celebration Party on Monday night following the Communities Reception.

Join in for a night of live music, karaoke, dancing, singing, and fun. All interested members are invited to sign up to sing or play a live song with STC?s ?unofficial official? band, The Rough Drafts (Rich Maggiani, Viqui Dill, Robert Hershenow, and Steven Adler), or to sing one of your favorites during the karaoke times. Together, we will have a blast and dance all night long while we celebrate the 60th anniversary!

Source: http://stcatlanta.org/2013/04/stc-atlanta-summit-party-tours/

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Health News - PROSPER prevention programs dramatically cut ...

AMES, Iowa ? Prevention is often the best medicine, and that is not only true when it comes to physical health, but also public health. Case in point ? young adults reduce their overall prescription drug misuse up to 65 percent if they are part of a community-based prevention effort while still in middle school, according to researchers at Iowa State University.

The reduced substance use is significant considering the dramatic increase in prescription drug abuse, said Richard Spoth, director of the Partnerships in Prevention Science Institute at Iowa State. The study, published in the March-April 2013 issue of Preventive Medicine, also found significant reduction rates for methamphetamine, marijuana, alcohol, cigarette and inhalant use. Additionally, teens and young adults had better relationships with parents, improved life skills and few problem behaviors in general.

The research is part of a partnership between Iowa State and Penn State known as PROSPER, which stands for Promoting School-Community-University Partnerships to Enhance Resilience. PROSPER administers scientifically proven prevention programs in a community-based setting with the help of the Extension system in land grant universities.?

The results are based on follow-up surveys Spoth and his colleagues conducted with families and teens for six years after completing PROSPER. Researchers developed the prevention programs in the 1980s and 1990s to target specific age groups. Spoth said understanding when and why adolescents experiment with drugs is a key to PROSPER?s success.

?We think the programs work well because they reduce behaviors that place youth at higher risk for substance misuse and conduct problems,? Spoth said. ?We time the implementation of these interventions so they?re developmentally appropriate. That?s not too early, not too late; about the time when they?re beginning to try out these new risky behaviors that ultimately can get them in trouble.?

PROSPER administers a combination of family-focused and school-based programs. The study involved 28 communities, evenly split between Iowa and Pennsylvania. The programs start with students in the sixth grade. The goal is to teach parents and children the skills they need to build better relationships and limit exposure to substance use.

?One of the skills students are taught through the school-based program is assertiveness, so that they feel comfortable refusing to do something that might lead to them getting in trouble,? Spoth said. ?We try to help parents be more attuned to what their children are doing, who they?re with, where they?re going, effectively monitoring, supervising and communicating with their children.?

Parents say the program works

Michelle Woodruff will admit that being a parent is hard work.

?Absolutely, underline and capital letters ? it is hard,? said Woodruff, a mother of four sons who range in age from 13-21 years old. But the lessons learned through the PROSPER program, she believes, made her and her husband better parents and also brought out the best in their children.

?It was a lot of little things that made us re-evaluate how we parented,? Woodruff said. ?I think it makes children more responsible not only to themselves, but their parents and the community. They want to represent their families well, their schools well, their churches; I think it just makes them want to be a better person.?

Woodruff is now a member of the PROSPER team in Fort Dodge, where she encourages and supports other parents who participate in the program. Facilitators of the family-focused program use games and role-playing to help parents and children improve communication and set expectations for behavior. Woodruff would like to see more families take advantage of the opportunity.

?Do it, not only for the one-on-one time with your child, but also to meet other like-minded parents,? Woodruff said. ?We?re just trying to come together as a community to raise the best kids that we can possibly raise so that they?re successful members of society as adults.?

Community benefits

The ongoing community partnerships are evidence of the PROSPER program?s sustainability, Spoth said. The results extend beyond a reduction in prescription drug or marijuana use. Researchers know that substance abuse often leads to other problem behaviors, so prevention can have a ripple effect and cut down on problems in school and violent behaviors in general. The benefits are measured in economic terms as well as the overall health and outlook of the community. ?

?There are things that can only happen over time if you have sustained programming, because more and more parents are exposed to programs that help them address all of the challenges in parenting,? Spoth said. ?As a result, people feel like they?re making connections, their community is a better place to live, and they are positive about the leadership in their community.?

Source: http://www.healthcanal.com/substance-abuse/38001-prosper-prevention-programs-dramatically-cut-substance-abuse-among-teens.html

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Battling with bugs to prevent antibiotic resistance

Apr. 23, 2013 ? New scientific research published today in the journal PLoS Biology shows that bacteria can evolve resistance more quickly when stronger antibiotics are used.

Researchers from the University of Exeter and Kiel University in Germany treated E. coli with different combinations of antibiotics in laboratory experiments.

Unexpectedly they found that the rate of evolution of antibiotic resistance speeds up when potent treatments are given because resistant bacterial cells flourish most during the most aggressive therapies.

This happens because too potent a treatment eliminates the non-resistant cells, creating a lack of competition that allows resistant bacteria to multiply quickly. Those cells go on to create copies of resistance genes that help them rapidly reduce the effectiveness of the drugs. In tests this effect could even cause E.coli to grow fastest in the most aggressive antibiotic treatments.

In addition to evolution experiments, the results of this Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Medical Research Council (MRC) funded research were confirmed using mathematical models and whole-genome sequencing of resistant and non-resistant E. coli.

Professor Robert Beardmore, EPSRC Research Fellow from the University of Exeter said: "We were surprised by how quickly the bacteria evolved resistance. We nearly stopped the experiments because we didn't think some of the treatments should be losing potency that fast, sometimes within a day. But we now know that the bacteria remaining after the initial treatment have duplicated specific areas of their genome containing large numbers of resistance genes. These gene copies appear more quickly when the antibiotics are combined, resulting in the rapid evolution of very resistant bacteria.

"Designing new treatments to prevent antibiotic resistance is not easy, as this research shows, and governments may need to increase their funding for antibiotics research if scientists are to be able to keep pace with the rapid evolution of bacterial pathogens that cause disease."

Dr Rafael Pena-Miller from Biosciences at the University of Exeter said: "The evidence that combining antibiotics to make a more potent therapy can lead to the creation of more copies of the genes the bacteria needs to be resistant is of real concern."

Professor Hinrich Schulenberg from Kiel University in Germany said: "The interesting thing is that the bacteria don't just make copies of the genes they need. Just in case, they copy other genes as well, increasing resistance to antibiotics the cells weren't even treated with."

About 440 000 new cases of drug-resistant tuberculosis emerge annually, causing around 150 000 deaths. Statistics like this recently lead the Department of Health to state that antibiotic resistance poses one of the greatest threats to human health.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Exeter, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/genes/~3/zprA_T5Qf9w/130423172704.htm

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An introductory guide to the early WWE Champions

All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. ? 2013 WWE, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This website is based in the United States. By submitting personal information to this website you consent to your information being maintained in the U.S., subject to applicable U.S. laws. U.S. law may be different than the law of your home country. WrestleMania XXIX (NY/NJ) logo TM & ? 2013 WWE. All Rights Reserved. The Empire State Building design is a registered trademark and used with permission by ESBC.

Source: http://www.wwe.com/classics/an-introductory-guide-to-the-early-wwe-champions

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'Big cat' was on loose in UK in 1903

24 April 2013 Last updated at 21:13 ET By Rebecca Morelle Science reporter, BBC World Service

A "big cat" was on the loose in the English countryside at the turn of the last century, scientists say.

They believe a Canadian lynx was prowling around the fields of the South West in 1903 before being shot after attacking two dogs in Devon.

Tests on the animal revealed it had probably spent some time in captivity before escaping or being set free.

The animal had been donated to Bristol Museum at the time of its death and kept in its stores for decades.

The scientists' findings are published in the journal Historical Biology.

Dr Ross Barnett, a molecular biologist from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Durham, said: "I've seen one of these cats in the wild.

"They are pretty impressive cats - they are a reasonable size, and they have lots of fluffy fur which makes them look even bigger. They have sharp claws, teeth and strong muscles."

Beast of Bodmin

From blurry photos of the Beast of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, to reports of a lion on the loose in Essex in 2012, the UK has a long tradition of spotting big cats.

Most of these claims are dismissed as misidentifications, hoaxes or even hallucinations, but not in this case.

In 1903, the unusual cat was donated to the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. The museum's records state that it had been shot after attacking and killing two dogs close to Newton Abbot in Devon.

Unsure of exactly what it was, the exotic beast was stuffed, its skeleton preserved, and then the remains were tucked away in the museum's stores.

More than a century later, the cat was unearthed by a scientist who thought the find might be significant.

An analysis of the skeleton and mounted skin revealed that the animal was a Canadian lynx, which is about the size of a dog and usually found in Canada and the northern states of the US.

The researchers found that the animal's teeth were badly decayed.

Dr Barnett said: "We think it had probably been in captivity at some point in its life.

"It had lost all of its incisors, which would have been a pretty debilitating injury for a wild cat, but not a problem for one in captivity.

"It also had massive amounts of plaque on its molars, which are indication of it not having a wild diet - something with lots of wet cat food, essentially ready-processed meat like steaks."

The researchers believe that the lynx had been in captivity for some time, but they were unable to find any records of the cat's owner.

"Was it someone's pet? Was it part of a small menagerie that was travelling through the area? There aren't really any zoos nearby where it could have escaped from," Dr Barnett said.

The team is also unsure how long the animal had been at large in Devon before it was killed.

Its decayed teeth would have limited its chances in the wild, but the lynx is an adaptable animal, and may have been able to survive by preying on small mammals.

Felicity the Puma

While many big cat sightings remain unverified, sometimes the rumours do turn out to be true, and the team believes that the Canadian lynx is the earliest recorded example of an exotic cat on the loose in the UK.

Another case relates to a live puma that was captured in Inverness-shire in 1980 and had been living in the wild for a long period of time. It was called Felicity, and placed in a zoo.

But Dr Barnett said that these cases were few and far between.

He said: "It's all very good saying you saw a lion in Essex or a tiger in Shropshire, or wherever. But it is very difficult to estimate size of a species from a distance - especially if you are unfamiliar with them.

"So I would argue for continued scepticism, unless you have a body or specimen you can analyse."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22263874#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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