ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Thursday, March 22, 2012

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Thursday, March 22, 2012

Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. You can change your subscription options or unsubscribe at any time.

Dawn sees new surface features on giant asteroid Vesta (March 21, 2012) -- NASA's Dawn spacecraft has revealed unexpected details on the surface of the giant asteroid Vesta. New images and data highlight the diversity of Vesta's surface and reveal unusual geologic features, some of which were never previously seen on asteroids. ... > full story

Puzzling over links between monkey research and human health (March 21, 2012) -- Studies in monkeys are unlikely to provide reliable evidence for links between social status and heart disease in humans, according to the first ever systematic review of the relevant research. ... > full story

Monarch butterflies down again this year as decline continues (March 21, 2012) -- Unlike their colorful wings, the future of monarch butterflies may not be too bright and their numbers are expected to be alarmingly down again this year, says a researcher. ... > full story

Venice hasn't stopped sinking after all (March 21, 2012) -- The water flowing through Venice's famous canals laps at buildings a little higher every year -- and not only because of a rising sea level. Although previous studies had found that Venice has stabilized, new measurements indicate that the historic city continues to slowly sink, and even to tilt slightly to the east. ... > full story

Discovery offers insight into treating viral stomach flu (March 21, 2012) -- While researchers say that vaccines for intestinal infections are among the most difficult to develop, a recent discovery may provide the critical information needed for success. "Sometimes atomic structure gives us clues on how viruses work and how to make better vaccines," said one of the researchers. ... > full story

Autism risk gene linked to differences in brain structure (March 21, 2012) -- Healthy individuals who carry a gene variation linked to an increased risk of autism have structural differences in their brains that may help explain how the gene affects brain function and increases vulnerability for autism. ... > full story

Holding a gun makes you think others are too, new research shows (March 21, 2012) -- Wielding a gun increases a person's bias to see guns in the hands of others, new research shows. ... > full story

Graphene: Potential for modelling cell membrane systems (March 21, 2012) -- Intriguing properties of graphene -— a single atomic-layer of carbon -— such as high electron mobility and fluorescence quenching are being exploited for biosensing and analysis of nucleotides, peptides, and proteins. ... > full story

Graphene produced using microorganisms from an ordinary river (March 21, 2012) -- Scientists have synthesized graphene by reducing graphene oxide using microorganisms extracted from a local river. ... > full story

Far higher potential for wind energy in India than previously estimated (March 21, 2012) -- A new assessment of wind energy in India has found that the potential for on-shore wind energy deployment is far higher than the official estimates -- about 20 times and up to 30 times greater than the current government estimate of 102 gigawatts. This landmark finding may have significant impact on India's renewable energy strategy as it attempts to cope with a massive and chronic shortage of electricity. ... > full story

Quantum plasmons demonstrated in atomic-scale nanoparticles (March 21, 2012) -- Addressing a half-century-old question, engineers have conclusively determined how collective electron oscillations, called plasmons, behave in individual metal particles as small as just a few nanometers in diameter. This knowledge may open up new avenues in nanotechnology ranging from solar catalysis to biomedical therapeutics. ... > full story

New test may predict the possibility of a heart attack (March 21, 2012) -- New findings from a landmark research study shows a promising new blood test may be useful in helping doctors predict who is at risk for an imminent heart attack. ... > full story

Inhibitor causing male pattern baldness and target for hair-loss treatments identified (March 21, 2012) -- Researchers have identified an abnormal amount a protein called Prostaglandin D2 in the bald scalp of men with male pattern baldness, a discovery that may lead directly to new treatments for the most common cause of hair loss in men. ... > full story

Seeing movement: Why the world in our head stays still when we move our eyes (March 21, 2012) -- When observing a fly buzzing around the room, we should have the impression that it is not the fly, but rather the space that lies behind it that is moving. After all, the fly is always fixed in our central point of view. But how does the brain convey the impression of a fly in motion in a motionless field? With the help of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scientists have identified two areas of the brain that compare the movements of the eye with the visual movements cast onto the retina so as to correctly perceive objects in motion. ... > full story

How the alphabet of data processing is growing: Flying 'qubits' generated (March 21, 2012) -- The alphabet of data processing could include more elements than the "0" and "1" in future. Scientists have achieved a new kind of bit with single electrons, called quantum bits, or qubits. With them, considerably more than two states can be defined. So far, quantum bits have only existed in relatively large vacuum chambers. The team has now generated them in semiconductors. They have put an effect in practice, which the physicist Prof. Dr. Andreas Wieck had already theoretically predicted 22 years ago. This represents another step along the path to quantum computing. ... > full story

Computer model of spread of dementia can predict future disease patterns years before they occur in a patient (March 21, 2012) -- Researchers have developed a computer program that has tracked the manner in which different forms of dementia spread within a human brain. They say their mathematical model can be used to predict where and approximately when an individual patient's brain will suffer from the spread, neuron to neuron, of "prion-like" toxic proteins -- a process they say underlies all forms of dementia. ... > full story

Structure of ‘salvia’ receptor solved (March 21, 2012) -- A research team has determined the structure of the kappa-opioid receptor—site of action of the widely abused hallucinogen Salvia divinorum – solving longstanding scientific mysteries and offering new insights for treating drug addiction, chronic pain and depression. ... > full story

Age-old anesthesia question awakened (March 21, 2012) -- Why does inhaling anesthetics cause unconsciousness? New insights into this century-and-a-half-old question may spring from new research. ... > full story

Differences in brain function for children with math anxiety (March 21, 2012) -- Scientists have shown for the first time how brain function differs in people who have math anxiety from those who don't. A series of scans conducted while second- and third-grade students did addition and subtraction revealed that those who feel panicky about doing math had increased activity in brain regions associated with fear, which caused decreased activity in parts of the brain involved in problem-solving. ... > full story

New evidence of harmfulness of second-hand smoke: Cancer causing agent present in gaseous phase of cigarette smoke (March 21, 2012) -- Scientists have shown that a key protein involved in cell function and regulation is stopped by a substance present in cigarette smoke. The authors found a cancer-causing agent called reactive oxygen species present in the gaseous phase of cigarette smoke that has the ability to inhibit normal cell function. Exposure to secondhand smoke impaired the function of the sodium pump, necessary for healthy cell regulation. ... > full story

Nanopower: Avoiding electrolyte failure in nanoscale lithum batteries (March 21, 2012) -- It turns out you can be too thin -- especially if you're a nanoscale battery. Researchers have built a series of nanowire batteries to demonstrate that the thickness of the electrolyte layer can dramatically affect the performance of the battery, effectively setting a lower limit to the size of the tiny power sources. ... > full story

'Nanoslinky': A novel nanofluidic technology for DNA manipulation and measurement (March 21, 2012) -- Researchers have developed their own version of the classic Slinky "walking down the stairs" scenario -- albeit 10 million times smaller -- as a novel technology for manipulating and measuring DNA molecules and other nanoscale materials. ... > full story

Drug target for stimulating recovery from stroke discovered (March 21, 2012) -- Investigators have shown that removing a matched set of molecules that typically help to regulate the brain's capacity for forming and eliminating connections between nerve cells could substantially aid recovery from stroke even days after the event. In experiments with mice, the scientists demonstrated that when these molecules are not present, the mice's ability to recover from induced strokes improved significantly. ... > full story

Groundbreaking, waterless approach to microchip making (March 21, 2012) -- The tiny, high-speed computer chips found in every modern electronic device bear little resemblance to their bulky, slow ancestors of decades ago. Different materials, new designs and new production techniques have ensured successive generations of integrated circuits offer ever more performance at lower cost. ... > full story

Study on swirls to optimize contacts between fluids (March 21, 2012) -- Physicists who have studied the mixing between two incompatible fluids have found that it is possible to control the undercurrents of one circulating fluid to optimize its exposure to the other. ... > full story

Warming Antarctic brings changes to penguin breeding cycles (March 21, 2012) -- Three penguin species that share the Western Antarctic Peninsula for breeding grounds have been affected in different ways by the higher temperatures brought on by global warming, according to new research. ... > full story

Study shines light on brain mechanism that controls reward enjoyment (March 21, 2012) -- What characterizes many people with depression, schizophrenia and some other mental illnesses is anhedonia: an inability to gain pleasure from normally pleasurable experiences. Researchers have now manipulated brain wiring to identify inner workings of reward enjoyment. ... > full story

Trees may play role in electrifying the atmosphere, study suggests (March 21, 2012) -- Plants have long been known as the lungs of the Earth, but a new finding has found they may also play a role in electrifying the atmosphere. Scientists have long-suspected an association between trees and electricity, but researchers in Australia think they may have finally discovered the link. The scientists ran experiments in six locations around Brisbane. They found the positive and negative ion concentrations in the air were twice as high in heavily wooded areas than in open grassy areas, such as parks. ... > full story

Mercury's surprising core and landscape curiosities (March 21, 2012) -- Scientists have found that Mercury's core, already suspected to occupy a greater fraction of the planet's interior than do the cores of Earth, Venus, or Mars, is even larger than anticipated. They also discovered that the elevation ranges on Mercury are much smaller than on Mars or the Moon and indicates that there have been large-scale changes to Mercury's topography since early in the planet's geological history. ... > full story

Energy requirements make Antarctic fur seal pups vulnerable to climate change (March 21, 2012) -- A new study has found that changing weather conditions can impact the metabolic rates of fur seal pups. Climate models predict windier and wetter conditions in Antarctica in the coming years, and that could cause young seals to assign more energy to thermoregulation, leaving less available for growth and development. ... > full story

Dance like a neutrino: Quantum scheme to simulate neutrino oscillations (March 21, 2012) -- The behavior of some of the most elusive particles in the known universe can be simulated using three atoms in a lab, researchers say. ... > full story

Brain's involvement in processing depends on language's graphic symbols (March 21, 2012) -- Readers whose mother tongue is Arabic have more challenges reading in Arabic than native Hebrew or English speakers have reading their native languages, because the two halves of the brain divide the labor differently when the brain processes Arabic than when it processes Hebrew or English, new research suggests. ... > full story

Chemical pollution in Europe's seas: The monitoring must catch up with the science, experts say (March 21, 2012) -- According to a recent poll of more than 10,000 citizens from 10 European countries, pollution is the primary concern of the public at large among all issues that threaten the marine environment. A new position paper shows that such public concern is not misplaced and is supported by scientific evidence. ... > full story

Sharp rise in cases of new strain of whooping cough in Australia (March 21, 2012) -- Australia's prolonged whooping cough epidemic has entered a disturbing new phase, with a study showing a new strain or genotype may be responsible for the sharp rise in the number of cases. ... > full story

Alzheimer’s disease spreads through linked nerve cells, brain imaging studies suggest (March 21, 2012) -- Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia may spread within nerve networks in the brain by moving directly between connected neurons, instead of in other ways proposed by scientists, such as by propagating in all directions, according to new research. ... > full story

How the smell of food affects how much you eat (March 21, 2012) -- Bite size depends on the familiarly and texture of food. Smaller bite sizes are taken for foods which need more chewing and smaller bite sizes are often linked to a sensation of feeling fuller sooner. New research shows that strong aromas lead to smaller bite sizes and suggests that aroma may be used as a means to control portion size. ... > full story

Vista stares deep into the cosmos: Treasure trove of new infrared data made available to astronomers (March 21, 2012) -- The European Southern Observatory's VISTA telescope has created the widest deep view of the sky ever made using infrared light. This new picture of an unremarkable patch of sky comes from the UltraVISTA survey and reveals more than 200 000 galaxies. It forms just one part of a huge collection of fully processed images from all the VISTA surveys that is now being made available by ESO to astronomers worldwide. UltraVISTA is a treasure trove that is being used to study distant galaxies in the early Universe as well as for many other science projects. ... > full story

Jellyfish inspires latest ocean-powered robot (March 21, 2012) -- Researchers have created a robotic jellyfish, named Robojelly, which not only exhibits characteristics ideal to use in underwater search and rescue operations, but could, theoretically at least, never run out of energy thanks to it being fueled by hydrogen. Constructed from a set of smart materials, which have the ability to change shape or size as a result of a stimulus, and carbon nanotubes, Robojelly is able to mimic the natural movements of a jellyfish when placed in a water tank and is powered by chemical reactions taking place on its surface. ... > full story

Contact with 'rivals' changes male behavior (March 21, 2012) -- Males consistently change their mating behavior depending on whether they have spent time with other males before mating, according to new findings. ... > full story

Dense breasts can nearly double the risk of breast cancer recurrence (March 21, 2012) -- Women aged 50 and over with breasts that have a high percentage of dense tissue are at greater risk of their breast cancer recurring, according to Swedish research. ... > full story

Colourful river crabs: Newly discovered and already threatened by mining project (March 21, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered four new species of the colorful Insulamon freshwater crab. But various mining projects on the island of Palawan pose a huge threat to these creatures. ... > full story

Have I got cancer or haven’t I? Medical staff confuse women with ductal carcinoma in situ (March 21, 2012) -- Women diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) need clear communication and tailored support to enable them to understand this complex breast condition, which has divided the medical profession when it comes to its perception and prognosis, according to new research. ... > full story

NASA's Swift narrows down origin of important supernova class (March 20, 2012) -- Studies using X-ray and ultraviolet observations from NASA's Swift satellite provide new insights into the elusive origins of an important class of exploding star called Type Ia supernovae. ... > full story

Serious risks of vascular disease with two-arm blood pressure difference (March 20, 2012) -- The findings of the study support that there is a link between a difference in blood pressure between arms and vascular disease and mortality -- and further emphasizes the need for two-arm blood pressure checks to become the norm. ... > full story

Not just for the birds: Human-made noise has ripple effects on plants, too (March 20, 2012) -- A growing body of research shows that animals change their behavior in response to human-made noise. But human clamor doesn't just affect animals. Because many animals also pollinate plants or eat or disperse their seeds, human noise can have ripple effects on plants too, finds a new study. In cases where noise has ripple effects on long-lived plants like trees, the consequences could last long after the source of the noise goes away, researchers say. ... > full story

New hope for treating Alzheimer's Disease: A Role for the FKBP52 protein (March 20, 2012) -- New research in humans reveals that the so-called FKBP52 protein may prevent the Tau protein from turning pathogenic. This may prove significant for the development of new Alzheimer’s drugs and for detecting the disease before the onset of clinical symptoms. ... > full story

Marijuana-like chemicals inhibit human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in late-state AIDS (March 20, 2012) -- Marijuana-like chemicals trigger receptors on human immune cells that can directly inhibit a type of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) found in late-stage AIDS, research suggests. ... > full story

Japan shares space station SMILES via atmospheric data distribution (March 20, 2012) -- Did you panic when you heard in recent news that two massive solar flares from the Sun were hitting Earth's atmosphere? The coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, typically produced by solar flares might pose a danger, if not for Earth's protective atmosphere and magnetosphere. Using International Space Station research and technology, scientists continue to learn more about the atmosphere, adding important new data to the collective understanding of this important defensive veil. ... > full story