ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Thursday, February 2, 2012

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Thursday, February 2, 2012

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NASA mission returns first video from moon's far side (February 1, 2012) -- A camera aboard one of NASA's twin Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) lunar spacecraft has returned its first unique view of the far side of the moon. MoonKAM, or Moon Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students, will be used by students nationwide to select lunar images for study. ... > full story

Facebook is not such a good thing for those with low self-esteem, study finds (February 1, 2012) -- In theory, the social networking website Facebook could be great for people with low self-esteem. Sharing is important for improving friendships. But in practice, people with low self-esteem seem to behave counterproductively, bombarding their friends with negative tidbits about their lives and making themselves less likeable, according to a new study. ... > full story

NASA's GCPEx mission: What we don't know about snow (February 1, 2012) -- NASA's GCPEx science team is collecting as much data as they can to improve understanding of snow dynamics inside clouds, because they relate to how snow moves through Earth's water and climate cycles. ... > full story

Building a better light bulb: Energy efficient organic LEDs (February 1, 2012) -- Incandescent light bulbs are energy hogs, but many people prefer them for the cozy quality of light they emit. Scientists in Germany have set out to build energy efficient organic LED (OLED) lights that could rival incandescent bulbs in white-light color quality. ... > full story

Here is what real commitment to your marriage means (February 1, 2012) -- What does being committed to your marriage really mean? A psychology professors answer this question in a new study based on their analysis of 172 married couples over the first 11 years of marriage. ... > full story

Precision time: A matter of atoms, clocks, and statistics (February 1, 2012) -- The ability to accurately measure a second in time is at the heart of many essential technologies; the most recognizable may be the Global Positioning System (GPS). A new paper addresses how achieving a stable and coordinated global measure of time requires more than just the world's most accurate timepieces; it also requires approximately 400 atomic clocks working as an ensemble. ... > full story

Powering pacemakers with heartbeat vibrations (February 1, 2012) -- Aerospace engineers have developed a prototype device that could power a pacemaker using a source that is surprisingly close to the heart of the matter: vibrations in the chest cavity that are due mainly to heartbeats. ... > full story

Global experts question claims about jellyfish populations (February 1, 2012) -- Blooms, or proliferation, of jellyfish have shown a substantial, visible impact on coastal populations -- clogged nets for fishermen, stinging waters for tourists, even choked intake lines for power plants -- and recent media reports have created a perception that the world's oceans are experiencing increases in jellyfish due to human activities such as global warming and overharvesting of fish. Now, a new study questions claims that jellyfish are increasing worldwide and suggests claims are not supported with any hard evidence or scientific analyses to date. ... > full story

Yellow-cedar are dying in Alaska: Scientists now know why (February 1, 2012) -- Yellow-cedar, a culturally and economically valuable tree in southeastern Alaska and adjacent parts of British Columbia, has been dying off across large expanses of these areas for the past 100 years. But no one could say why -- until now. ... > full story

Self-assembling nanorods: Researchers obtain 1-, 2- and 3-D nanorod arrays and networks (February 1, 2012) -- Researchers have developed a relatively fast, easy and inexpensive technique for inducing nanorods to self-assemble into aligned and ordered macroscopic structures. This technique should enable more effective use of nanorods in solar cells, magnetic storage devices and sensors, and boost the electrical and mechanical properties of nanorod-polymer composites. ... > full story

Sun delivered curveball of powerful radiation at Earth (February 1, 2012) -- A potent follow-up solar flare, which occurred Jan. 17, 2012, just days after the Sun launched the biggest coronal mass ejection seen in nearly a decade, delivered a powerful radiation punch to Earth's magnetic field despite the fact that it was aimed away from our planet. ... > full story

Nano-oils keep the electronic devices really cool (February 1, 2012) -- Scientists have created a nano-infused oil that could greatly enhance the ability of devices as large as electrical transformers and as small as microelectronic components to shed excess heat. ... > full story

Scientists help define structure of exoplanets (February 1, 2012) -- Using models similar to those used in weapons research, scientists may soon know more about exoplanets, those objects beyond the realm of our solar system. Astronomers have come up with new methods for deriving and testing the equation of state of matter in exoplanets and figured out the mass-radius and mass-pressure relations for materials relevant to planetary interiors. ... > full story

'Life and activity monitor' provides portable, constant recording of vital signs (February 1, 2012) -- Researchers have developed a type of wearable, non-invasive electronic device that can monitor vital signs such as heart rate and respiration at the same time it records a person's activity level, opening new opportunities for biomedical research, diagnostics and patient care. ... > full story

Scientists confirm first 'frequency comb' to probe ultraviolet wavelengths (February 1, 2012) -- Physicists have created the first "frequency comb" in the extreme ultraviolet band of the spectrum, high-energy light less than 100 nanometers in wavelength. Laser-generated frequency combs are the most accurate method available for precisely measuring frequencies, or colors, of light. The new tool can aid in the development of "nuclear clocks" based on ticks in the nuclei of atoms, and measurements of previously unexplored behavior in atoms and molecules. ... > full story

Spider web's strength lies in more than its silk (February 1, 2012) -- A study that combines experimental observations of spider webs with complex computer simulations has shown that web durability depends not only on silk strength, but on how overall web design compensates for damage and the response of individual strands to continuously varying stresses. ... > full story

Bacterial plasmids -- the freeloading and the heavy-lifters -- balance the high price of disease (February 1, 2012) -- Studying self-replicating genetic units, called plasmids, found in one of the world's widest-ranging pathogenic soil bacteria -- the crown-gall-disease-causing microorganism Agrobacterium tumefaciens -- biologists are showing how freeloading, mutant derivatives of these plasmids benefit while the virulent, disease-causing plasmids do the heavy-lifting of initiating infection in plant hosts. The research confirms that the ability of bacteria to cause disease comes at a significant cost that is only counterbalanced by the benefits they experience from infected host organisms. ... > full story

New technology shows molecules and cells in action (February 1, 2012) -- A new affinity capture device provides a platform for viewing cancer cells and other macromolecules in dynamic, life-sustaining liquid environments. ... > full story

Sleep deprivation tied to increased nighttime urination in preadolescence (February 1, 2012) -- A new study sheds light on why some children may need to urinate more often during the rest cycle. Researchers found sleep deprivation caused healthy children, ages 8-12, to urinate significantly more frequently, excrete more sodium in urine, have altered regulation of the hormones important for excretion. ... > full story

Societal control of sugar essential to ease public health burden, experts urge (February 1, 2012) -- Sugar should be controlled like alcohol and tobacco to protect public health, according to a team of researchers, who maintain in a new report that sugar is fueling a global obesity pandemic, contributing to 35 million deaths annually worldwide from non-communicable diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. ... > full story

Chaos in the cell's command center (February 1, 2012) -- Researchers have determined the critical role one enzyme, lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1), plays as mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) differentiate. This research may provide targets for developing drugs to push cells with dysfunctional gene expression programs back to a more normal, healthier state. ... > full story

Road runoff spurring spotted salamander evolution (February 1, 2012) -- Spotted salamanders exposed to contaminated roadside ponds are adapting to their toxic environments, according to new research. The study provides the first documented evidence that a vertebrate has adapted to the negative effects of roads apparently by evolving rapidly. ... > full story

Tropical cyclones to cause greater damage, researchers predict (February 1, 2012) -- Tropical cyclones will cause 9 billion in damages by 2100, according to researchers in a new paper. That figure represents an increased vulnerability from population and especially economic growth, as well as the effects of climate change. Greater vulnerability to cyclones is expected to increase global tropical damage to billion by 2100 -- double the current damage -- from the current rate of billion per year if the present climate remains stable. ... > full story

Less summer Arctic sea ice cover means colder, snowier winters in Central Europe (February 1, 2012) -- Even if the current weather situation may seem to go against it, the probability of cold winters with a lot of snow in Central Europe rises when the Arctic is covered by less sea ice in summer. ... > full story

Why the brain is more reluctant to function as we age (February 1, 2012) -- New findings reveal a novel mechanism through which the brain may become more reluctant to function as we grow older. ... > full story

Available information on the free release of genetically modified insects into the wild is highly restricted (February 1, 2012) -- Scientists analyzing the release of genetically modified insects into the environment have found that access to accurate scientific information can be misleading. ... > full story

Encouraging results with stem cell transplant for brain injury (February 1, 2012) -- Experiments in brain-injured rats show that stem cells injected via the carotid artery travel directly to the brain, where they greatly enhance functional recovery. ... > full story

Artificial intelligence: Getting better at the age guessing game (February 1, 2012) -- The active learning algorithm is faster and more accurate in guessing the age of an individual than conventional algorithms. ... > full story

Data storage: Magnetic memories (February 1, 2012) -- Magnetic random-access memory based on new spin transfer technology achieves higher storage density by packing multiple bits of data into each memory cell. ... > full story

New tool determines value of solar photovoltaic power systems (February 1, 2012) -- Consistent appraisals of real estate outfitted with photovoltaic installations are a challenge for the nation's real estate industry, but a new tool addresses that issue. ... > full story

First plants caused ice ages, new research reveals (February 1, 2012) -- New research reveals how the arrival of the first plants 470 million years ago triggered a series of ice ages. The research reveals the effects that the first land plants had on the climate during the Ordovician Period, which ended 444 million years ago. During this period the climate gradually cooled, leading to a series of 'ice ages.' This global cooling was caused by a dramatic reduction in atmospheric carbon, which this research now suggests was triggered by the arrival of plants. ... > full story

Stellar nursery: A pocket of star formation (February 1, 2012) -- A new view shows a stellar nursery called NGC 3324. It was taken using the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. The intense ultraviolet radiation from several of NGC 3324's hot young stars causes the gas cloud to glow with rich colors and has carved out a cavity in the surrounding gas and dust. ... > full story

Sleep apnea linked to silent strokes, small lesions in brain (February 1, 2012) -- People with severe sleep apnea may have an increased risk of silent strokes and small lesions in the brain, according to a small study. ... > full story

Clot-busting drugs appear safe for treating 'wake-up' stroke patients (February 1, 2012) -- Clot-busting drugs may be safe for patients who wake up experiencing stroke symptoms, according to preliminary research. ... > full story

Experimental drug reduces 'second stroke' after aneurysm rupture (February 1, 2012) -- An experimental drug, clazosentan, reduced the risk of blood vessel spasm in patients with a brain aneurysm, according to new research. ... > full story

Infections in childhood linked to high risk of ischemic stroke (February 1, 2012) -- Common infections in children pose a high risk of ischemic stroke, according to new research. In a review of 2.5 million children, the researchers identified 126 childhood ischemic stroke cases and then randomly selected 378 age-matched controls from the remaining children without stroke. They discovered that 29 percent of those who suffered a stroke had a medical encounter for infection in the two days preceding the stroke versus one percent of controls during the same dates. ... > full story

Severe, rapid memory loss linked to future, fatal strokes (February 1, 2012) -- Severe, rapid memory loss may be linked to -- and could predict -- a future deadly stroke, according to new research. ... > full story

Re-blockage rates low in both stented and surgically-opened arteries, study finds (February 1, 2012) -- In a large, head-to-head comparison of two procedures that clear blocked neck arteries, outcomes were similar. The study found that 94 percent of the arteries remained open two years after using surgery or a metal stent. ... > full story

Genetic information migrates from plant to plant (February 1, 2012) -- To generate phylogenetic trees and investigate relationships between organisms, scientists usually look for similarities and differences in the DNA. Plant scientists were confounded by the fact that the DNA extracted from the plants’ green chloroplasts sometimes showed the greatest similarities when related species grew in the same area. Scientists have now discovered that a transfer of entire chloroplasts, or at least their genomes, can occur in contact zones between plants. Inter-species crossing is not necessary. The new chloroplast genome can even be handed down to the next generation and, thereby, give a plant with new traits. These findings are of great importance to the understanding of evolution as well as the breeding of new plant varieties. ... > full story

Men more likely to have an accurate memory of unpleasant experiences (February 1, 2012) -- Researchers reveal how pleasantness and emotional intensity affects memories. A woman's memory of an experience is less likely to be accurate than a man's if it was unpleasant and emotionally provocative, new research suggests. ... > full story

Testosterone makes us less cooperative and more egocentric (January 31, 2012) -- Testosterone makes us overvalue our own opinions at the expense of cooperation, new research has found. Higher levels of testosterone were associated with individuals behaving egocentrically. ... > full story

Honey could be effective at treating and preventing wound infections (January 31, 2012) -- Manuka honey could help clear chronic wound infections and even prevent them from developing in the first place, according to a new study. The findings provide further evidence for the clinical use of manuka honey to treat bacterial infections in the face of growing antibiotic resistance. ... > full story

Pairing masks and hand washing could drastically slow spread of a pandemic flu (January 31, 2012) -- Masks and hand hygiene could cut the spread of flu-like symptoms up to 75 percent, a new study found. ... > full story

Scientists prove plausibility of new pathway to life's chemical building blocks (January 31, 2012) -- Scientists have demonstrated an alternative pathway to life-essential sugars called the glyoxylate scenario, which may push the field of pre-life chemistry past the formose reaction hurdle. ... > full story

Gene mutation in autism found to cause hyperconnectivity in brain's hearing center (January 31, 2012) -- New research might help explain how a gene mutation found in some autistic individuals leads to difficulties in processing auditory cues and paying spatial attention to sound. ... > full story

New species of ancient crocodile discovered; 'Sheildcroc' was ancestor of today's species (January 31, 2012) -- A new species of prehistoric crocodile has been discovered. The extinct creature, nicknamed "Shieldcroc" due to a thick-skinned shield on its head, is an ancestor of today's crocodiles. ... > full story

Scientists decode brain waves to eavesdrop on what we hear (January 31, 2012) -- Neuroscientists and surgeons have recorded electrical activity in the temporal lobe -- the seat of the auditory system -- to discover how the brain encodes sound. Their model allows them to predict what a person heard based solely on temporal lobe activity. If, as studies suggest, internal "imagined" conversations activate similar areas of the temporal lobe, it may be possible to hear the internal verbalizations of people who cannot talk because of paralysis or stroke. ... > full story

Botany: Moonlighting enzyme works double shift 24/7 (January 31, 2012) -- A team of researchers has discovered an overachieving plant enzyme that works both the day and night shifts. The discovery shows that plants evolved a new function for this enzyme by changing merely one of its protein building blocks. ... > full story