In 1997, scientists at the Center for Neurodynamics at the University of Missouri - St. Louis demonstrated that special sensors covering the elongated snout of paddlefish are electroreceptors that help the fish detect prey by responding to the weak voltage gradients that swimming zooplankton create in the surrounding water. Now some of the same researchers have found that the electroreceptors contain oscillators, which generate rhythmical firing of electrosensory neurons. The oscillators allow the electroreceptors to create a dynamical code to most effectively respond to electrical signals emitted naturally by zooplankton. The results are presented in a paper appearing in the AIP's journal Chaos.
To test the response of paddlefish electroreceptors to different stimuli, the researchers recorded signals from electrosensory neurons of live fish, while applying weak electric fields to the water in the form of computer-generated artificial stimuli or signals obtained previously from swimming zooplankton. The team then analyzed the power contained in different frequency ranges for the noisy input signals and the corresponding electroreceptor responses, and compared the two. In addition to finding that the paddlefish sensors best encode the signals emitted by zooplankton, the team also found that as the strength of the input signal was raised, the firing of the fish's sensory neurons transitioned from a steady beat to a noisy pattern of intermittent bursts. This bursting pattern became synchronized across different groups of electroreceptors, increasing the likelihood of the signal reaching higher-order neurons. This provides a plausible mechanism to explain how reliable information about the nearness of prey is transferred to the fish's brain, the researchers write.
###
Article: "Sensory Coding in Oscillatory Electroreceptors of Paddlefish" is published in Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science.
American Institute of Physics: http://www.aip.org
Thanks to American Institute of Physics for this article.
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Chinese herbal medicine may provide novel treatment for alcohol abusePublic release date: 5-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Rachel Champeau rchampeau@mednet.ucla.edu 310-794-2270 University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences
FINDINGS:
UCLA researchers have identified how a component of an ancient Chinese herbal anti-hangover medicine called dihydromyricetin, isolated from the plant Hovenia, counteracts acute alcohol intoxication and withdrawal symptoms.
The research team found that dihydromyricetin blocks the action of alcohol on the brain and neurons and also reduces voluntary alcohol consumption, with no major side effects, in an early study with rats. Specifically, dihydromyricetin inhibited alcohol's effect on the brain's GABAA receptors, specific sites targeted by chemicals from brain cells. Alcohol normally enhances the GABAA receptors' influence in slowing brain cell activity, reducing the ability to communicate and increasing sleepiness common symptoms of drunkenness.
The next stage of the research will involve human clinical trials, the researchers said.
IMPACT:
The research team determined that dihydromyricetin may provide a molecular target and cellular mechanism to counteract alcohol intoxication and dependence, leading to new therapeutic treatments all based on an ancient "folk medicine" treatment that has been used by humans for at least 500 years.
Alcohol use disorders are the most common form of substance abuse, affecting more than 76 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Only an estimated 13 percent of people identified as having an alcohol use disorder receive medical treatment, partly due to a lack of effective medications without major side effects. Although alcohol impacts most organ systems, its effect on the brain in developing intoxicating, sedative and addictive properties is critical.
###
AUTHORS:
Associate Professor Jing Liang, M.D., Ph.D., and Professor Richard W. Olsen, Ph.D., both from the department of molecular and medical pharmacology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, are available for interviews.
FUNDING:
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.
JOURNAL:
The research appears in the Jan. 4 online edition of the Journal of Neuroscience: http://www.jneurosci.org/content/32/1/390. A copy of the full study is also available.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Chinese herbal medicine may provide novel treatment for alcohol abusePublic release date: 5-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Rachel Champeau rchampeau@mednet.ucla.edu 310-794-2270 University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences
FINDINGS:
UCLA researchers have identified how a component of an ancient Chinese herbal anti-hangover medicine called dihydromyricetin, isolated from the plant Hovenia, counteracts acute alcohol intoxication and withdrawal symptoms.
The research team found that dihydromyricetin blocks the action of alcohol on the brain and neurons and also reduces voluntary alcohol consumption, with no major side effects, in an early study with rats. Specifically, dihydromyricetin inhibited alcohol's effect on the brain's GABAA receptors, specific sites targeted by chemicals from brain cells. Alcohol normally enhances the GABAA receptors' influence in slowing brain cell activity, reducing the ability to communicate and increasing sleepiness common symptoms of drunkenness.
The next stage of the research will involve human clinical trials, the researchers said.
IMPACT:
The research team determined that dihydromyricetin may provide a molecular target and cellular mechanism to counteract alcohol intoxication and dependence, leading to new therapeutic treatments all based on an ancient "folk medicine" treatment that has been used by humans for at least 500 years.
Alcohol use disorders are the most common form of substance abuse, affecting more than 76 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Only an estimated 13 percent of people identified as having an alcohol use disorder receive medical treatment, partly due to a lack of effective medications without major side effects. Although alcohol impacts most organ systems, its effect on the brain in developing intoxicating, sedative and addictive properties is critical.
###
AUTHORS:
Associate Professor Jing Liang, M.D., Ph.D., and Professor Richard W. Olsen, Ph.D., both from the department of molecular and medical pharmacology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, are available for interviews.
FUNDING:
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.
JOURNAL:
The research appears in the Jan. 4 online edition of the Journal of Neuroscience: http://www.jneurosci.org/content/32/1/390. A copy of the full study is also available.
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?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
FILE - In this Dec. 12, 2011 file photo, people talk with a recruiter, center, at a job fair sponsored by National Career Fairs, in New York. The average number of people seeking unemployment benefits in the past month fell to the lowest level in three and a half years, a positive sign for hiring one day ahead of Friday?s December employment report. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
FILE - In this Dec. 12, 2011 file photo, people talk with a recruiter, center, at a job fair sponsored by National Career Fairs, in New York. The average number of people seeking unemployment benefits in the past month fell to the lowest level in three and a half years, a positive sign for hiring one day ahead of Friday?s December employment report. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
FILE - In this Dec. 12, 2011 file photo, Stephen Rutkowski, a chiropractor from Greenwich, Conn., waits in line to attend a job fair sponsored by National Career Fairs, in New York. The average number of people seeking unemployment benefits in the past month fell to the lowest level in three and a half years, a positive sign for hiring one day ahead of Friday?s December employment report. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
In this photo of Dec. 29, 2011, construction workers lift a steel bar for the foundation of the World Trade Center Transportation Hub in New York. The average number of people seeking unemployment benefits in the past month fell to the lowest level in three and a half years, a positive sign for hiring one day ahead of Friday?s December employment report. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
In this Dec. 14, 2011 photo, line worker Wayne Peterson assembles a 2012 Ford Focus brake system at the Ford Michigan Assembly plant in Wayne, Mich. The average number of people seeking unemployment benefits in the past month fell to the lowest level in three and a half years, a positive sign for hiring one day ahead of Friday?s December employment report. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The job market is looking a little brighter at the start of the new year.
Weekly unemployment benefit applications have fallen to levels last seen more than three years ago. Holiday sales were solid. Service companies grew a little faster in December. And many small businesses say they plan to add jobs over the next three months.
The mix of private and government data released Thursday sketched a picture of an economy that is slowly strengthening, stoking optimism one day ahead of the government's important read on December job growth.
"Businesses have increased hiring to meet the underlying pick-up in (consumer) demand," said Neil Dutta, an economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
The encouraging reports on the U.S. economy gave Wall Street a late-day lift, offsetting renewed concerns over Europe's debt crisis. The Dow Jones industrial average, which had fallen by as much as 134 points at one point in the day, closed down just 3 points. Broader indexes posted modest gains.
Weekly applications for unemployment benefits dropped to a seasonally adjusted 372,000 last week, the Labor Department said Thursday. That's 11 percent lower than the same time last year.
Almost the entire descent occurred this fall. Applications had fluctuated sharply over the first nine months of 2011, falling as low as 375,000 and rising as high as 478,000. By early September, they were at 432,000 ? only 5,000 below where they began the year.
Since then, applications have declined steadily. That has pushed the four-week average, which smooths fluctuations, to 373,250 ? the lowest level since June 2008.
When applications drop below 375,000 ? consistently ? they generally signal that hiring is strong enough to reduce the unemployment rate.
U.S. service firms, which employ roughly 90 percent of the work force, grew a little faster in December, according to the Institute for Supply Management.
The trade group of purchasing managers said its index of non-manufacturing activity rose to 52.6. That's slightly above November's reading of 52 ? the lowest in nearly two years ? but well below last year's high of 59.7 recorded in February.
Any reading above 50 indicates expansion.
An increase in new orders and stronger imports drove last month's modest expansion. But a gauge of hiring showed many service firms were hesitant to add workers.
Retailers, meanwhile, reported solid but not spectacular sales gains last month. And much of the increase stemmed from heavy discounting that will likely cut into profits.
Sales rose 3.5 percent in December for a group of 25 retail chains tracked by the International Council of Shopping Centers. Holiday sales, which cover the last two months of the year, rose 3.3 percent, a decent rise but less than last year's gain.
Small businesses remain encouraged about their plans to hire over the next three months. The National Federation of Independent Business says the proportion of those firms that expect to add workers is slightly off from the three-year high hit last month.
Economists are predicting that overall hiring increased in December and will strengthen this year.
John Ryding, an economist at RDQ Economics, forecasts that employers added 180,000 jobs last month, a big jump from November's 120,000 net jobs.
Economists surveyed by the Associated Press project that the economy will generate an average of 175,000 jobs per month this year. That would be a step up from average monthly gains of 130,000 last year and 78,000 in 2010.
In November, the unemployment rate fell to 8.6 percent from 9 percent. Still, about half that decline occurred because many of the unemployed gave up looking for work. When people stop looking for a job, they're no longer counted as unemployed.
The pickup in hiring reflects some modest improvement in the economy. Growth will likely top 3 percent at an annual rate in the final three months of this year, economists expect. That would be a sharp improvement over the 1.8 percent growth in the July-September quarter.
Even so, many economists forecast that growth could slow to roughly 2 percent this year. Europe is almost certain to fall into recession because of its financial troubles. And without more jobs and higher incomes, consumers may have to cut back on spending. That could drag on growth in 2012.
___
AP Economics Writer Martin Crutsinger contributed to this report.
___
Follow Christopher S. Rugaber on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/ChrisRugaber.
U-M study shows updated rotavirus vaccine not linked to increase in bowel obstructionPublic release date: 4-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Lauren McLeod lemcleod@med.umich.edu 734-764-2220 University of Michigan Health System
Original vaccine pulled from marketplace in 1999 after association with bowel obstruction
The rotovirus vaccine was pulled from the marketplace in 1999 after being associated with painful gastrointestinal complications, however, the updated rotavirus vaccines do not appear to increase the occurrence of these potentially fatal side effects, according to a new study by child health experts at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.
The two updated versions of the vaccine,re-introduced in 2006 and 2008, prevent infection by rotavirus, which causes vomiting, abdominal pain, severe diarrhea and frequently requires hospitalization for young infants and children. Rotavirus was once the leading cause of gastrointestinal illness among children in the U.S.
The new study, published in this week's Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine, shows the re-introduction of the vaccine has not caused an increase in a severe bowel obstruction called intussusception, the side effect that led to the original vaccine's withdrawal.
"We always need to carefully weigh the risks and benefits of childhood vaccines. Fortunately, our results suggest that rotavirus vaccines have not increased the rate of intussusception in the U.S.," says pediatrician Joe Zickafoose, M.D., M.S., a research fellow with the Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit.
Recent international studies have shown that, among vaccinated infants, the two latest rotavirus vaccines may be associated with a small increase in cases of intussusception.
However, the re-introduction of rotavirus vaccines in the United States did not appear to increase the rate of hospitalizations for intussusception.
More than 70 percent of infants in the U.S. have been vaccinated against rotavirus. The re-introduction of rotavirus vaccines is credited with reducing the number of diarrhea-related outpatient visits, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations among children.
Data used in the study came from the Healthcare Cost and Utlization Project's Kids' Inpatient Database, which is a sample of 80 percent of national pediatric discharges. The study focused on children younger than 1-year-old based on previous data which showed the most cases on intussusception occur within weeks of the vaccine being administered at ages 2-months, 4-months and 6-months old.
The investigators examined data trends from the decade prior to vaccine re-introduction, 1997-2006, and then made comparisons to data after vaccine re-introduction.
When comparing data, investigators expected to see 36 intussusception-related hospitalizations per 100,000 children under 1-year-old by 2009.
Despite the re-introduction of the vaccines, there were only 33.3 hospitalizations per 100,000 children in 2009, making it very unlikely that the vaccines led to additional cases.
The latest versions of the rotavirus vaccine were licensed following studies in over 70,000 children, which showed no increased risk for intussusception among those vaccinated. However, there has been lingering concern that a small amount of risk may have been missed in these studies.
"We hope that our study provides information that will continue to reassure parents that the benefits of rotavirus vaccine outweigh the risks," says Zickafoose, lead author of the study.
###
Additional authors: Brian D. Benneyworth, M.D., M.S., Meredith P. Riebschleger, M.D., Claudia Espinosa M.D., Mattew Davis, M.D., M.A.P.P
Disclosures: None
Citation: Zickafoose JS, Benneyworth BD, Riebschleger MP, Espinosa CM, Davis MM. Intussusception hospitalizations before and after the reintroduction of rotavirus vaccine in the United States. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. Epub Jan. 2, 2012.
About the Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit (CHEAR):
Founded in 1998, U-M's CHEAR Unit is a national leader in the analysis of the American health care system and the organization and financing of care for children. Since its inception, the CHEAR Unit has been awarded over $40 million in research grants from federal, state, and foundation sources. The CHEAR Unit comprises core faculty from the Schools of Medicine, Social Work, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Public Health, Business and Law. Multidisciplinary teams provide the structure for research of community, state and national child health policies, practices, and programs. There are more than 30 faculty affiliated with CHEAR.
About C.S. Mott Children's Hospital:
The University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital is consistently ranked as one of the best hospitals in the country. It was nationally ranked in all ten pediatric specialties in the U.S. News Media Group's 2011 edition of "America's Best Children's Hospitals" including third in the country for heart and heart surgery. In November, the hospital moves to a new 1.1 million square feet, $754 million state-of-the-art facility that will be home to cutting-edge specialty services for newborns, children and women.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
U-M study shows updated rotavirus vaccine not linked to increase in bowel obstructionPublic release date: 4-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Lauren McLeod lemcleod@med.umich.edu 734-764-2220 University of Michigan Health System
Original vaccine pulled from marketplace in 1999 after association with bowel obstruction
The rotovirus vaccine was pulled from the marketplace in 1999 after being associated with painful gastrointestinal complications, however, the updated rotavirus vaccines do not appear to increase the occurrence of these potentially fatal side effects, according to a new study by child health experts at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.
The two updated versions of the vaccine,re-introduced in 2006 and 2008, prevent infection by rotavirus, which causes vomiting, abdominal pain, severe diarrhea and frequently requires hospitalization for young infants and children. Rotavirus was once the leading cause of gastrointestinal illness among children in the U.S.
The new study, published in this week's Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine, shows the re-introduction of the vaccine has not caused an increase in a severe bowel obstruction called intussusception, the side effect that led to the original vaccine's withdrawal.
"We always need to carefully weigh the risks and benefits of childhood vaccines. Fortunately, our results suggest that rotavirus vaccines have not increased the rate of intussusception in the U.S.," says pediatrician Joe Zickafoose, M.D., M.S., a research fellow with the Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit.
Recent international studies have shown that, among vaccinated infants, the two latest rotavirus vaccines may be associated with a small increase in cases of intussusception.
However, the re-introduction of rotavirus vaccines in the United States did not appear to increase the rate of hospitalizations for intussusception.
More than 70 percent of infants in the U.S. have been vaccinated against rotavirus. The re-introduction of rotavirus vaccines is credited with reducing the number of diarrhea-related outpatient visits, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations among children.
Data used in the study came from the Healthcare Cost and Utlization Project's Kids' Inpatient Database, which is a sample of 80 percent of national pediatric discharges. The study focused on children younger than 1-year-old based on previous data which showed the most cases on intussusception occur within weeks of the vaccine being administered at ages 2-months, 4-months and 6-months old.
The investigators examined data trends from the decade prior to vaccine re-introduction, 1997-2006, and then made comparisons to data after vaccine re-introduction.
When comparing data, investigators expected to see 36 intussusception-related hospitalizations per 100,000 children under 1-year-old by 2009.
Despite the re-introduction of the vaccines, there were only 33.3 hospitalizations per 100,000 children in 2009, making it very unlikely that the vaccines led to additional cases.
The latest versions of the rotavirus vaccine were licensed following studies in over 70,000 children, which showed no increased risk for intussusception among those vaccinated. However, there has been lingering concern that a small amount of risk may have been missed in these studies.
"We hope that our study provides information that will continue to reassure parents that the benefits of rotavirus vaccine outweigh the risks," says Zickafoose, lead author of the study.
###
Additional authors: Brian D. Benneyworth, M.D., M.S., Meredith P. Riebschleger, M.D., Claudia Espinosa M.D., Mattew Davis, M.D., M.A.P.P
Disclosures: None
Citation: Zickafoose JS, Benneyworth BD, Riebschleger MP, Espinosa CM, Davis MM. Intussusception hospitalizations before and after the reintroduction of rotavirus vaccine in the United States. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. Epub Jan. 2, 2012.
About the Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit (CHEAR):
Founded in 1998, U-M's CHEAR Unit is a national leader in the analysis of the American health care system and the organization and financing of care for children. Since its inception, the CHEAR Unit has been awarded over $40 million in research grants from federal, state, and foundation sources. The CHEAR Unit comprises core faculty from the Schools of Medicine, Social Work, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Public Health, Business and Law. Multidisciplinary teams provide the structure for research of community, state and national child health policies, practices, and programs. There are more than 30 faculty affiliated with CHEAR.
About C.S. Mott Children's Hospital:
The University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital is consistently ranked as one of the best hospitals in the country. It was nationally ranked in all ten pediatric specialties in the U.S. News Media Group's 2011 edition of "America's Best Children's Hospitals" including third in the country for heart and heart surgery. In November, the hospital moves to a new 1.1 million square feet, $754 million state-of-the-art facility that will be home to cutting-edge specialty services for newborns, children and women.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
It's in the iPhone and iPad -- though Apple doesn't officially acknowledge its existence. Indeed, it's in an increasing number of smartphone screens and tablets; at last count, more than 500 million devices carried it worldwide. You likely look at it all the time without noticing it. What is it? Gorilla Glass, a super-strong, lightweight 21st-century glass made by Pyrex manufacturer Corning. Now the company is preparing to unveil a brand new version of the material, Gorilla Glass 2, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
[More from Mashable: Instagram Photos Now Show Up Full Size on Facebook]
"Handset and tablet device manufacturers are clearly driving toward higher functionality from thinner designs," says Corning Specialty Materials General Manager James Steiner in a statement. "Corning?s latest innovation in Gorilla Glass technology is very well positioned to meet these challenges and enable broader touch technology penetration.?
The company is staying tight-lipped about exactly how much lighter or stronger the new glass is; we'll find out more at CES 2012 starting on Monday. But chances are you'll have to work a lot harder to shatter a smartphone screen made with Gorilla Glass 2.
[More from Mashable: Google Chrome Beta Released, Now Even Faster and More Secure]
SEE ALSO: How Super-Strong Glass Keeps Your Smartphone Screen From Breaking
Gorilla Glass 2 isn't just for small devices. The company is bringing an impressive 82-inch touchscreen to the show, along with a Gorilla Glass-covered video wall, flanked by Gorilla Glass-fabricated speakers.
The lightweight glass technology was long-rumored to be used in the iPhone. This was confirmed last year in Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs, which features the Apple CEO paying a visit to Corning's factory -- and brokering a deal to get the as-yet-untested glass into the first iPhone within six months.
Have you ever shattered a Gorilla Glass smartphone? Would a lighter, thinner screen make you look twice at a new model? Let us know in the comments.
JACKSON, Miss. ? A Mississippi judge has thrown out a $322 million lawsuit verdict that had been hailed as the largest asbestos award for a single plaintiff in U.S. history.
The case began to unravel last year after defense lawyers asked the Mississippi Supreme Court to remove the presiding judge because he allegedly neglected to disclose that his parents had been involved in similar asbestos litigation against one of the same companies. A specially appointed judge, William Coleman, issued an order vacating the verdict and award on Dec. 27.
The case from Smith County, Miss., involved a lawsuit filed by Thomas Brown, who claimed he had inhaled asbestos dust while mixing drilling mud sold and manufactured by Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. and Union Carbide Corporation.
Union Carbide spokesman Scot Wheeler said in an email to The Associated Press that the company was pleased with the verdict because it "was outrageous and completely unsupported by the facts and applicable law."
"Union Carbide will continue to vigorously defend all asbestos cases brought against the company," he said.
Wheeler said a retrial has been set for April but the venue for the trial has not been determined.
Brown, who was 48 at the time of the award in May, said he was diagnosed with asbestosis and required to take oxygen 24-hours a day. The jury awarded Brown $300 million in punitive damages and $22 million in actual damages. Brown's lawyer, Allen Hossley, said it was the biggest asbestos award ever to a single plaintiff.
Hossley, a Dallas attorney, didn't immediately respond Tuesday to a message requesting comment.
Union Carbide first asked Circuit Judge Eddie Bowen to toss out verdict not long after the record award was handed down. They also asked Bowen to step down from the case. When Bowen didn't respond, Union Carbide went to the Supreme Court and asked the justices to remove him.
Union Carbide claimed Bowen was a practicing attorney when his father and mother sued Union Carbide, seeking $1 million for emotional distress. The company said that after the trial, it "learned that Judge Bowen's father had filed two asbestos lawsuits, one of which remains pending; and that both Judge Bowen's father and mother had settled asbestos claims with UCC and other defendants based on a diagnosis of asbestosis ? which is the same disease claimed in this case."
The earliest lawsuit involving the judge's father dated back to 1989 and was filed in Jackson County on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Union Carbide said in its motion that Bowen's bias and prejudice against Union Carbide and Chevron Phillips were clear from his rulings, comments in front of the jury, and his coaching of Brown's attorneys in questioning witnesses.
The Mississippi Supreme Court granted Union Carbide's request to remove Bowen in October.
Coleman, who was appointed to take over, said in his order that he was vacating "the judgment, the underlying jury verdict, and all rulings and orders of the former trial judge."
The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, according to its website, with over 2,400 employees. Its corporate center is in Houston and it has other locations in Texas, New Jersey, Louisiana and West Virginia.
Chevron Phillips Chemical Company is based in The Woodlands, Texas.
TORONTO ? PetroChina, Asia's largest oil and gas company, is buying the 40 percent interest it didn't own in the MacKay River oil sands project in Canada for US$673 million.
The deal with Athabasca Oil Sands Corp., announced Tuesday, gives PetroChina full ownership in one of the newest of northern Alberta's oil sands developments. Athabasca had sold PetroChina a 60 percent stake in the project last year.
China's state-owned oil companies have invested billions of dollars in exploration or production ventures in Canada, Africa, Latin America and elsewhere.
Industry officials estimate Alberta could yield as much as 175 billion barrels of oil, which would make Canada third only to Saudi Arabia and Venezuela in crude oil reserves.
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Public release date: 5-Jan-2012
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