ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Friday, February 10, 2012

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Friday, February 10, 2012

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Deconstructing a mystery: What caused Snowmaggedon? (February 9, 2012) -- Scientists are using computer models to help unravel the mystery of a record-setting snowfall in the Washington, DC area in early 2010. ... > full story

Most lethal known species of prion protein identified (February 9, 2012) -- Scientists have identified a single prion protein that causes neuronal death similar to that seen in "mad cow" disease, but is at least 10 times more lethal than larger prion species. ... > full story

Hydrogen from acidic water: Potential low cost alternative to platinum for splitting water (February 9, 2012) -- A technique for creating a new molecule that structurally and chemically replicates the active part of the molybdenite catalyst paves the way for developing catalytic materials that can serve as effective low-cost alternatives to platinum for generating hydrogen gas from water. ... > full story

To perform with less effort, practice beyond perfection (February 9, 2012) -- Whether you are an athlete, a musician or a stroke patient learning to walk again, practice can make perfect, but more practice may make you more efficient, according to a surprising new study. ... > full story

Ocean microbe communities changing, but long-term environmental impact is unclear (February 9, 2012) -- As oceans warm due to climate change, water layers will mix less and affect the microbes and plankton that pump carbon out of the atmosphere – but researchers say it's still unclear whether these processes will further increase global warming or decrease it. It could be either, they say. ... > full story

Chemists harvest light to create 'green' tool for pharmaceuticals (February 9, 2012) -- Researchers have created a new, “green” method for developing medicines. The researchers used energy from a light bulb to create an organic molecule that may be useful in the treatment of Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases. ... > full story

Gene therapy boosts brain repair for demyelinating diseases (February 9, 2012) -- Our bodies are full of tiny superheroes -- antibodies that fight foreign invaders, cells that regenerate, and structures that ensure our systems run smoothly. One such structure is myelin, a material that forms a protective cape around the axons of our nerve cells so that they can send signals quickly and efficiently. But myelin becomes damaged in demyelinating diseases like multiple sclerosis, leaving neurons without their sheaths. Researchers now believe they have found a way to help the brain replace damaged myelin. ... > full story

Ocean warming causes elephant seals to dive deeper (February 9, 2012) -- Global warming is having an effect on the dive behavior and search for food of southern elephant seals. Researchers have discovered that the seals dive deeper for food when in warmer water. The scientists attribute this behavior to the migration of prey to greater depths and now wish to check this theory using a new sensor which registers the feeding of the animals below water. ... > full story

Seismic resistance: Model analyzes shape-memory alloys for use in earthquake-resistant structures (February 9, 2012) -- Recent earthquake damage has exposed the vulnerability of existing structures to strong ground movement. Researchers are now analyzing shape-memory alloys for their potential use in constructing seismic-resistant structures. ... > full story

Baby knows best: Baby-led weaning promotes healthy food preferences (February 9, 2012) -- A new study has shown that babies who are weaned using solid finger food are more likely to develop healthier food preferences and are less likely to become overweight as children than those who are spoon-fed pureed food. ... > full story

New battery could lead to cheaper, more efficient solar energy (February 9, 2012) -- Scientists have found that a new type of battery has the potential to improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of solar power. ... > full story

Secrets of immune response illuminated in new study (February 9, 2012) -- When disease-causing invaders like bacteria infect a human host, cells of various types swing into action, coordinating their activities to address the threat. Scientists have now investigated the coordination of a particular type of immune response, involving the release of of IFN-λ -- a cell-signaling protein molecule known as a cytokine. ... > full story

Nanotube therapy takes aim at breast cancer stem cells (February 9, 2012) -- Researchers have again shown that injecting multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into tumors and heating them with a quick, 30-second laser treatment can kill them. ... > full story

Right hand or left? How the brain solves a perceptual puzzle (February 9, 2012) -- When you see a picture of a hand, how do you know whether it's a right or left hand? This "hand laterality" problem may seem obscure, but it reveals a lot about how the brain sorts out confusing perceptions. Now, a new study challenges the long-held consensus about how we solve this problem. ... > full story

What kind of chocolate is best? The last you taste, says a new study (February 9, 2012) -- Like to save the best for last? Here's good news: If it's the last, you'll like it the best. ... > full story

How the zebra got its stripes (February 9, 2012) -- Horseflies are unpleasant insects that deliver powerful bites and now it seems that zebras evolved their stripes to avoid attracting the unpleasant pests. New research show that zebras have the least attractive hides for horseflies. ... > full story

Amazing skin gives sharks a push (February 9, 2012) -- Shark skin has long been known to improve the fish's swimming performance by reducing drag, but now a new study show that in addition, the skin generates thrust, giving the fish an extra boost. The duo also discovered that Speedo's shark skin-inspired Fastskin® FS II fabric surface does not improve swimming speed, although they point out that the figure hugging costumes probably enhance performance in other ways. ... > full story

Mobile launcher tests confirm designs, NASA analysis concludes (February 9, 2012) -- The 355-foot-tall mobile launcher, or ML, behaved as expected during its move to Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in November 2011, an analysis of multiple sensors showed. The top of the tower swayed less than an inch each way. ... > full story

NASA small explorer mission celebrates 10 years and 40,000 X-ray flares (February 9, 2012) -- On February 5, 2002, NASA launched what was then called the High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (HESSI) into orbit. Renamed within months as the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) after Reuven Ramaty, a deceased NASA scientist who had long championed the mission, the spacecraft's job was to observe giant explosions on the sun called solar flares. Ten years since its launch, RHESSI has observed more than 40,000 X-ray flares, helped craft and refine a model of how solar eruptions form, and fueled additional serendipitous science papers on such things as the shape of the sun and thunder-storm-produced gamma ray flashes. ... > full story

Mars-bound NASA rover carries coin for camera checkup (February 9, 2012) -- The camera at the end of the robotic arm on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has its own calibration target, a smartphone-size plaque that looks like an eye chart supplemented with color chips and an attached penny. When Curiosity lands on Mars in August, researchers will use this calibration target to test performance of the rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager, or MAHLI. MAHLI's close-up inspections of Martian rocks and soil will show details so tiny, the calibration target includes reference lines finer than a human hair. This camera is not limited to close-ups, though. It can focus on any target from about a finger's-width away to the horizon. ... > full story

NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer in standby mode (February 9, 2012) -- NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer, or Galex, was placed in standby mode Feb. 7, 2012 as engineers prepare to end mission operations, nearly nine years after the telescope's launch. The spacecraft is scheduled to be decommissioned -- taken out of service -- later this year. The mission extensively mapped large portions of the sky with sharp ultraviolet vision, cataloguing millions of galaxies spanning 10 billion years of cosmic time. ... > full story

Global sea level rise: NASA mission takes stock of Earth's melting land ice (February 9, 2012) -- In the first comprehensive satellite study of its kind, researchers have used NASA data to calculate how much Earth's melting land ice is adding to global sea level rise. Using satellite measurements from the NASA/German Aerospace Center Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), the researchers measured ice loss in all of Earth's land ice between 2003 and 2010, with particular emphasis on glaciers and ice caps outside of Greenland and Antarctica. The total global ice mass lost from Greenland, Antarctica and Earth's glaciers and ice caps during the study period was about 4.3 trillion tons (1,000 cubic miles), adding about 0.5 inches (12 millimeters) to global sea level. That's enough ice to cover the United States 1.5 feet (0.5 meters) deep. ... > full story

New views show old NASA Mars landers (February 9, 2012) -- The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter recorded a scene on Jan. 29, 2012, that includes the first color image from orbit showing the three-petal lander of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit mission. Spirit drove off that lander platform in January 2004 and spent most of its six-year working life in a range of hills about two miles to the east. ... > full story

Presdisposition to common heart disease 'passed on from father to son' (February 8, 2012) -- A common heart disease which kills thousands each year may be passed genetically from father to son, according to a new study. ... > full story

Tiny primate is ultrasonic communicator (February 8, 2012) -- Tarsiers' ultrasonic calls -- among the most extreme in the animal kingdom -- give them a "private channel" of communication, says an anthropologist. ... > full story

Financial burden of prescription drugs is dropping, U.S. study finds (February 8, 2012) -- The financial challenge Americans face paying out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs has declined, but the costs remain a burden to many families, according to a new study. Despite the improvement, more than 8 million non-elderly Americans live in families with a high drug-cost burden. ... > full story

Memory strengthened by stimulating key site in brain (February 8, 2012) -- Ever gone to the movies and forgotten where you parked the car? New research may one day help you improve your memory. Neuroscientists have demonstrated that they can strengthen memory in human patients by stimulating a critical junction in the brain. ... > full story

January 2012 fourth warmest for contiguous United States, but Alaska extremely cold (February 8, 2012) -- During January, warmer-than-average conditions enveloped most of the contiguous United States, with widespread below-average precipitation. The overall weather pattern for the month was reflected in the lack of snow for much of the Northern Plains, Midwest, and Northeast. This scenario was in stark contrast to Alaska where several towns had their coldest January on record. ... > full story

DNA sequencing helps identify cancer cells for immune system attack (February 8, 2012) -- DNA sequences from tumor cells can be used to direct the immune system to attack cancer, according to scientists. The immune system relies on an intricate network of alarm bells, targets and safety brakes to determine when and what to attack. The new results suggest that scientists may now be able to combine DNA sequencing data with their knowledge of the triggers and targets that set off immune alarms to more precisely develop vaccines and other immunotherapies for cancer. ... > full story

Transformational fruit fly genome catalog completed (February 8, 2012) -- Scientists searching for the genomics version of the holy grail – more insight into predicting how an animal’s genes affect physical or behavioral traits – now have a reference manual that should speed gene discoveries in everything from pest control to personalized medicine. ... > full story

Fasting weakens cancer in mice (February 8, 2012) -- New study finds that short fasting cycles can work as well as chemotherapy, and the two combined greatly improve survival. ... > full story

Gene therapy for inherited blindness succeeds in patients' other eye (February 8, 2012) -- Gene therapy for congenital blindness took another step forward, as researchers further improved vision in three adult patients previously treated in one eye. The patients were better able to see in dim light, with no adverse effects. ... > full story

Some formerly cohabiting couples with children keep romantic relationship (February 8, 2012) -- When low-income cohabiting couples with children decide to no longer live together, that doesn’t necessarily mean the end of their romantic relationship, a new study suggests. ... > full story

Sound rather than sight can activate 'seeing' for the blind, say researchers (February 8, 2012) -- Scientists have tapped onto the visual cortex of the congenitally blind by using sensory substitution devices (SSDs), enabling the blind in effect to "see" and even describe objects. SSDs are non-invasive sensory aids that provide visual information to the blind via their existing senses. For example, using a visual-to-auditory SSD in a clinical or everyday setting, users wear a miniature video camera connected to a small computer (or smart phone) and stereo headphones. The images are converted into "soundscapes," using a predictable algorithm, allowing the user to listen to and then interpret the visual information coming from the camera. ... > full story

New image captures 'stealth merger' of dwarf galaxies (February 8, 2012) -- New images of a nearby dwarf galaxy have revealed a dense stream of stars in its outer regions, the remains of an even smaller companion galaxy in the process of merging with its host. The host galaxy, known as NGC 4449, is the smallest primary galaxy in which a stellar stream from an ongoing merger has been identified and studied in detail. ... > full story

Milky Way's black hole found grazing on asteroids (February 8, 2012) -- The giant black hole at the center of the Milky Way may be vaporizing and devouring asteroids, which could explain the frequent flares observed, according to astronomers. ... > full story

Study to determine whether fish oil can help prevent psychiatric disorders (February 8, 2012) -- A new study was designed to test whether Omega-3 fatty acids improve clinical symptoms, and help adolescents and young adults (ages 12 to 25) who are at elevated risk for severe psychiatric disorders function better in school, work and other social environments. ... > full story

After-school program can reduce alcohol use among middle school students, study finds (February 8, 2012) -- A voluntary substance prevention program held after school and presented by trained facilitators can help reduce alcohol use among young adolescents, according to a new study. ... > full story

Report on Texas fire urges firefighters to consider wind effects (February 8, 2012) -- Wind conditions at a fire scene can make a critical difference on the behavior of the blaze and the safety of firefighters, even indoors, according to a new report. ... > full story

New 'cell assay on a chip:' Solid results from simple means (February 8, 2012) -- A research engineer combined a glass slide, plastic sheets and double-sided tape to build a "diffusion-based gradient generator", a tool to rapidly assess how changing concentrations of specific chemicals affect living cells. ... > full story

Octagonal window of opportunity for carbon capture (February 8, 2012) -- Scientists have gathered new insight into the performance of a material called a zeolite that may filter carbon dioxide far more efficiently than current industrial "scrubbers" do. ... > full story

Charter service: Encasing the Magna Carta (February 8, 2012) -- You often hear about the Framers of the Constitution, but not so much the framers of the Magna Carta. They work for the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Not the authors, of course; they've been dead 700 years. But a NIST engineering team, at the behest of the National Archives, designed and built a state-of-the-art encasement and transport cart to protect the Archive's prized copy of the 1297 Magna Carta. ... > full story

Timing capability added to living cell sensors (February 8, 2012) -- Individual cells modified to act as sensors using fluorescence are already useful tools in biochemistry, but now they can add good timing to their resume. ... > full story

Flipping a light switch in the cell: Quantum dots used for targeted neural activation (February 8, 2012) -- By harnessing quantum dots, researchers have developed a new and vastly more targeted way to stimulate neurons in the brain. Being able to switch neurons on and off and monitor how they communicate with one another is crucial for understanding -- and, ultimately, treating -- a host of brain disorders. ... > full story

Unusual 'collapsing' iron superconductor sets record for its class (February 8, 2012) -- Scientists have found an iron-based superconductor that operates at the highest known temperature for a material in its class. The discovery inches iron-based superconductors closer to being useful in many practical applications. ... > full story

Heart disease may be a risk factor for prostate cancer (February 8, 2012) -- In a large analysis of men participating in a prostate drug trial, researchers found a significant correlation between coronary artery disease and prostate cancer, suggesting the two conditions may have shared causes. ... > full story

Arsenic criticality poses concern for modern technology (February 8, 2012) -- Risks related to the critical nature of arsenic -- used to make high-speed computer chips that contain gallium arsenide -- outstrip those of other substances in a group of critical materials needed to sustain modern technology, a new study has found. Scientists evaluated the relative criticality of arsenic and five related metals. ... > full story

'Shish kebab' structure provides improved form of 'buckypaper' (February 8, 2012) -- Scientists are reporting development of a new form of buckypaper, which eliminates a major drawback of these sheets of carbon nanotubes -- 50,000 times thinner than a human hair, 10 times lighter than steel, but up to 250 times stronger -- with potential uses ranging from body armor to next-generation batteries. ... > full story