ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Monday, February 20, 2012

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Monday, February 20, 2012

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Single-atom transistor is end of Moore's Law; may be beginning of quantum computing (February 19, 2012) -- The smallest transistor ever built -- in fact, the smallest transistor that can be built -- has been created using a single phosphorus atom by an international team of researchers. ... > full story

NuSTAR Mated to its Rocket (February 19, 2012) -- NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) was mated, or attached, to its Pegasus XL rocket Feb. 17, 2012 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in central California. The mission's launch is now scheduled for no earlier than March 21 to allow the launch vehicle team an additional week to complete necessary engineering reviews. NuSTAR will probe the hottest, densest and most energetic objects in space, including black holes and the remnants of exploded stars. It will be the first space telescope to capture sharp images in high-energy X-rays, giving astronomers a new tool for understanding the extreme side of our universe. ... > full story

X-rays illuminate the interior of the Moon (February 19, 2012) -- Unlike Earth, the moon has no active volcanoes. This is surprising as liquid magma is believed to exist deep inside the Moon. Scientists have now found that this hot, molten rock could actually be so dense that it is too heavy to rise to the surface. For this experiment, microscopic reproductions of moon rock were put at the extremely high pressures and temperatures found inside the moon and their densities measured with powerful X-rays. ... > full story

Yosemite's alpine chipmunks take genetic hit from climate change (February 19, 2012) -- Global warming has driven Yosemite's alpine chipmunks to higher ground, prompting a startling decline in the species' genetic diversity, according to a new study. The genetic erosion occurred in the relatively short span of 90 years, highlighting the rapid threat changing climate can pose to a species. ... > full story

Faulty fat sensor implicated in obesity and liver disease (February 19, 2012) -- Defects in a protein that functions as a dietary fat sensor may be a cause of obesity and liver disease, according to a new study. The findings highlight a promising target for new drugs to treat obesity and metabolic disorders. ... > full story

Surprising molecular switch: Lipids help control the development of cell polarity (February 19, 2012) -- In a standard biology textbook, cells tend to look more or less the same from all sides. But in real life cells have fronts and backs, tops and bottoms, and they orient many of their structures according to this polarity explaining, for example, why yeast cells bud at one end and not the other. ... > full story

Substituting with smokeless tobacco saves lives, research suggests (February 19, 2012) -- Substituting smokeless tobacco products can save smokers' lives, and there is a scientific foundation that proves it, according to one researcher whose work shows that smokers can greatly reduce their risk of disease and death by replacing smoking products with e-cigarettes or modern, spit-free smokeless tobacco. ... > full story

Babies know what's fair (February 18, 2012) -- "That's not fair!" It's a common playground complaint. But how early do children acquire this sense of fairness? Before they're 2, says a new study. "We found that 19- and 21-month-old infants have a general expectation of fairness, and they can apply it appropriately to different situations," says a psychology graduate student. ... > full story

Pregnancy-related complications predict CVD in middle age (February 18, 2012) -- Women who developed pregnancy-related hypertension (preeclampsia) or diabetes were at increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) later in life. Preeclampsia was associated with a wider range of CVD risk factors and may be a better predictor of CVD in middle age than other pregnancy-related complications. Pregnancy may provide an opportunity to identify women at increased risk of CVD when they're relatively young -- allowing them to make lifestyle changes and get medical intervention earlier in life. ... > full story

Nasty 'superbug' emerging? Strikes otherwise healthy, young patients (February 17, 2012) -- Researchers are expressing concern about a new, under-recognized, much more potent variant of a common bacterium that has surfaced in the U.S. It's virulent, potentially drug-resistant, and strikes otherwise healthy, young patients. ... > full story

Staghorn coral transplanted to threatened reef (February 17, 2012) -- In a delicate operation at sea, healthy staghorn coral were transplanted to a threatened reef off Florida's Broward County coast. ... > full story

Preemies: Novel feeding device may decrease risk of failure to thrive (February 17, 2012) -- A novel feeding device developed may decrease the risk of failure to thrive (FTT), which currently affects half of all newborns with congenital heart defects even after their surgical lesions are corrected. ... > full story

Discovery that migrating cells 'turn right' has implications for engineering tissues, organs (February 17, 2012) -- What if we could engineer a liver or kidney from a patient's own stem cells? How about helping regenerate tissue damaged by diseases such as osteoporosis and arthritis? A new study bring scientists a little closer to these possibilities by providing a better understanding how tissue is formed and organized in the body. ... > full story

NASA map sees Earth's trees in a new light (February 17, 2012) -- A NASA-led science team has created an accurate, high-resolution map of the height of Earth's forests. The map will help scientists better understand the role forests play in climate change and how their heights influence wildlife habitats within them, while also helping them quantify the carbon stored in Earth's vegetation. ... > full story

Linking human evolution and climate change (February 17, 2012) -- It's not a take on climate change we often hear about. But a professor of archaeology, will talk about how climate change impacts human evolution at the world’s largest science fair. ... > full story

Human-made photosynthesis to revolutionize food and energy production (February 17, 2012) -- Improving natural photosynthesis to make new fuels and boost crop production is the focus of new research. It could see us one step closer to bottling the sun's energy or turbocharging plants to produce bumper crops. ... > full story

Who goes there? Verifying identity online (February 17, 2012) -- We are all used to logging into networks where we have a unique identity, verified by the network server and associated with our account for other members of the network to see. Such an identity-based network system is useful because it is relatively simple. However, there are three major drawbacks including loss of anonymity of communicating users, misplaced trust and identity theft. ... > full story

Researchers develop better control for DNA-based computations (February 17, 2012) -- A chemist has found a way to give DNA-based computing better control over logic operations. His work could lead to interfacing DNA-based computing with traditional silicon-based computing. ... > full story

No kids in public school? You still benefit (February 17, 2012) -- Quality public schools benefit everyone – including those without school-aged children – and therefore everyone should play a role in maintaining them, according to a new study. ... > full story

A single protein helps the body keep watch over the Epstein-Barr virus (February 17, 2012) -- Some 90 percent of people are exposed to the Epstein Barr virus at some point in their life. Even though it is quickly cleared from the body, the virus can linger silently for years in small numbers of infected B cells. According to researchers, the immune system subdues the virus by watching for a single viral protein called LMP1. ... > full story

Live from the thymus: T-cells on the move (February 17, 2012) -- For the first time, scientists follow the development of individual immune cells in a living zebrafish embryo. T-cells are the immune system's security force. They seek out pathogens and rogue cells in the body and put them out of action. Their precursors are formed in the bone marrow and migrate from there into the thymus. Here, they mature and differentiate to perform a variety of tasks. Scientists have now succeeded for the first time in observing the maturation of immune cells in live zebrafish embryos. ... > full story

New braille-like texting app lets you text without looking (February 17, 2012) -- Researchers have designed a texting solution that could become a modern substitute for passing notes under the table. BrailleTouch is a prototype texting app that requires only finger gestures to key in letters on touch screen devices – no sight required. ... > full story

Models underestimate future temperature variability: Food security at risk (February 17, 2012) -- Climate warming caused by greenhouse gases is very likely to increase summer temperature variability around the world by the end of this century, new research shows. The findings have major implications for food production. ... > full story

How mitochondrial DNA defects cause inherited deafness (February 17, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered the molecular pathway by which maternally inherited deafness appears to occur: Mitochondrial DNA mutations trigger a signaling cascade, resulting in programmed cell death. ... > full story

Deepwater Horizon disaster could have billion dollar impact (February 17, 2012) -- The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010 will have a large economic impact on the US Gulf fisheries. A new study says that over seven years this oil spill could have a $US8.7 billion impact on the economy of the Gulf of Mexico. This includes losses in revenue, profit, and wages, and close to 22,000 jobs could be lost. ... > full story

Revealed in accurate detail, the underground world of plants (February 17, 2012) -- Plant and computer scientists can now study the underground world of plants with more accuracy and clarity. The revolutionary technique will improve our chances of breeding better crop varieties and increasing yields. ... > full story

A robot sketches portraits (February 17, 2012) -- An industrial robot as artist? A painter made of metal really can sketch faces. Its artistic genius only emerges if someone takes a seat on the model’s stool positioned in front of the robot: first, its camera records an image of its model; then it whips out its pencil and traces a portrait of the individual on its easel. After around ten minutes have passed, it grabs the work and proudly presents it to its public. ... > full story

Meet plants' and algae's common ancestor: Primitive organisms not always so simple, researcher says (February 17, 2012) -- A biologist has created a sketch of what the first common ancestor of plants and algae may have looked like. ... > full story

Military service, even without combat, can change personality and make vets less agreeable, research suggests (February 17, 2012) -- It's no secret that battlefield trauma can leave veterans with deep emotional scars that impact their ability to function in civilian life. But new research suggests that military service, even without combat, has a subtle lingering effect on a man's personality, making it potentially more difficult for veterans to get along with friends, family and co-workers. ... > full story

3-D microscopy to aid in cell analysis (February 17, 2012) -- The understanding of diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's is set to take a step forward following groundbreaking technology which will enable cell analysis using automated 3D microscopy. ... > full story

Nano-technology uses virus' coats to fool cancer cell (February 17, 2012) -- While there have been major advances in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of tumors within the brain, brain cancer continues to have a very low survival rate in part to high levels of resistance to treatment. New research has used Sendai virus to transport Quantum Dots (Qdots) into brain cancer cells and to specifically bind Qdots to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) which is often over-expressed and up-regulated in tumors. ... > full story

How the quarter horse won the rodeo (February 17, 2012) -- American Quarter Horses are renowned for their speed, agility, and calm disposition. Consequently over four million Quarter Horses are used as working horses on ranches, as show horses or at rodeos. New research used 'next-generation' sequencing to map variation in the genome of a Quarter Horse mare. Analysis of genetic variants associated with specific traits showed that compared to a thoroughbred the Quarter Horse's genome was enriched for variants in genes involved in sensory perception, signal transduction and the immune system. ... > full story

More than one in four elderly patients was given potentially hazardous medication during 2007, German study finds (February 17, 2012) -- More than one in four elderly patients was given potentially hazardous medication during 2007, according to a new study from Germany. ... > full story

Origin of photosynthesis revealed by a 'living fossil' (February 17, 2012) -- Recently, the complete genome of a glaucophyte alga (Cyanophora paradoxa) has been unraveled by an international consortium. ... > full story

Norwegian success in creating an artificial child's voice (February 17, 2012) -- “Synthesized speech has grown more and more similar to human speech. Yet children communicating via a speech device are still forced to use a synthetic adult voice,” explains a researcher developing tools to assist disabled persons. ... > full story

Geoscientists use numerical model to better forecast forces behind earthquakes (February 17, 2012) -- Researchers have devised a numerical model to help explain the linkage between earthquakes and the powerful forces that cause them. Their findings hold implications for long-term forecasting of earthquakes. ... > full story

Heat energy used to fix odd heart beat (February 17, 2012) -- Some hospitals are now offering patients with atrial fibrillation the breakthrough benefits of heat energy, or radio frequency waves, to irreversibly alter heart tissue that triggers an abnormal heart rhythm or arrhythmia. ... > full story

Brain imaging differences evident at 6 months in high-risk infants who later develop autism (February 17, 2012) -- A new study has found significant differences in brain development starting at age 6 months in high-risk infants who later develop autism, compared to high-risk infants who did not develop autism. The study also suggests that autism does not appear suddenly in young children, but instead develops over time during infancy, raising the possibility that scientists may be able to interrupt that process with targeted intervention. ... > full story

Mother of pearl tells a tale of ocean temperature, depth (February 16, 2012) -- Produced by a multitude of mollusk species, nacre is widely used in jewelry and art. It is inlaid into musical instruments, furniture and decorative boxes. Fashioned into buttons, beads and a host of functional objects from pens to flatware, mother of pearl lends a lustrous iridescence to everyday objects. ... > full story

Nanoparticles in food, vitamins could harm human health, researchers warn (February 16, 2012) -- Billions of engineered nanoparticles in foods and pharmaceuticals are ingested by humans daily, and new study warns they may be more harmful to health than previously thought. ... > full story

'Honeycombs' and hexacopters help tell story of Mars (February 16, 2012) -- In a rough-and-tumble wonderland of plunging canyons and towering buttes, some of the still-raw bluffs are lined with soaring, six-sided stone columns so orderly and trim, they could almost pass as relics of a colossal temple. The secret of how these columns, packed in edge to edge, formed en masse from a sea of molten rock is encrypted in details as tiny as the cracks running across their faces. To add to this mystery's allure, decoding it might do more than reveal the life story of some local lava: it might help explain the history of Mars. ... > full story

'Mini-cellulose' molecule unlocks biofuel chemistry (February 16, 2012) -- Chemical engineers have discovered a small molecule that behaves the same as cellulose when it is converted to biofuel. Studying this "mini-cellulose" molecule reveals for the first time the chemical reactions that take place in wood and prairie grasses during high-temperature conversion to biofuel. ... > full story

Texting affects ability to interpret words (February 16, 2012) -- Research designed to understand the effect of text messaging on language found that texting has a negative impact on people's linguistic ability to interpret and accept words, according to a linguistics researcher. ... > full story

Strange new nano-region can form in quasicrystals (February 16, 2012) -- Researchers have discovered a new type of structural anomaly, or defect, that can appear in quasicrystals, a unique material with some crystal-like properties but a more complex structure. The new defect type occurs under certain circumstances to help balance competing energetic issues. The defect's formation at those times enables higher-energy transition-metal-rich surfaces to be exposed rather than the expected lower-energy aluminum-rich surfaces. ... > full story

Cell phone hackers can track your location without your knowledge (February 16, 2012) -- Cellular networks leak the locations of cell phone users, allowing a third party to easily track the location of the cell phone user without the user's knowledge, according to new research by computer scientists. ... > full story

Gecko feet inspire amazing glue that can hold 700 pounds on smooth wall (February 16, 2012) -- Biologists have long been amazed by gecko feet, which allow 5-ounce lizards to produce an adhesive force equivalent to carrying 9 lbs. up a wall without slipping. Now, a team of polymer scientists and a biologist have invented “Geckskin,” an adhesive device that can hold 700 pounds on a smooth wall. ... > full story

In sickness and in health: Importance of supportive spouses in coping with work-related stress (February 16, 2012) -- The growth of two-income families and increasing levels of job stress are two of the most significant work trends affecting American businesses and families in recent years. Having just one stressed-out spouse can harm couple's work and home lives -- but what about when it's both? ... > full story

Faculty retention proves a major challenge for universities (February 16, 2012) -- Attracting and retaining the world's brightest students is on the mind of every university official. But a new, unprecedented study in the journal Science suggests leaders in higher education face an understated, even more pressing challenge: The retention of professors. ... > full story