ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Friday, March 23, 2012

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Friday, March 23, 2012

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NASA GRAIL returns first student-selected moon images (March 22, 2012) -- One of two NASA spacecraft orbiting the moon has beamed back the first student-requested pictures of the lunar surface from its onboard camera. Fourth grade students from the Emily Dickinson Elementary School in Bozeman, Mont., received the honor of making the first image selections by winning a nationwide competition to rename the two spacecraft. ... > full story

Can our genes be making us fat? (March 22, 2012) -- While high-fat foods are thought to be of universal appeal, there is actually a lot of variation in the extent to which people like and consume fat. A new study reported that two specific genes (TAS2R38–a bitter taste receptor and CD36–a possible fat receptor), may play a role in some people’s ability to taste and enjoy dietary fat. By understanding the role of these two genes, food scientists may be able to help people who have trouble controlling how much fat they eat. ... > full story

New light shed on wandering continents (March 22, 2012) -- A layer of partially molten rock about 22 to 75 miles underground can't be the only mechanism that allows continents to gradually shift their position over millions of years, according to a new research. The result gives insight into what allows plate tectonics -- the movement of the Earth's crustal plates -- to occur. ... > full story

Scientists wrest partial control of a memory (March 22, 2012) -- Scientists have successfully harnessed neurons in mouse brains, allowing them to at least partially control a specific memory. Researchers have known for decades that stimulating various regions of the brain can trigger behaviors and even memories. But understanding the way these brain functions develop and occur normally -- effectively how we become who we are -- has been a much more complex goal. ... > full story

Cylinder hides contents and makes them invisible to magnetic fields (March 22, 2012) -- Researchers have created a cylinder which hides contents and makes them invisible to magnetic fields. The device was built using superconductor and ferromagnetic materials available on the market. ... > full story

National study ranks city governments' use of social media (March 22, 2012) -- Six times as many big-city governments reached citizens via Facebook in 2011 compared to 2009. Use of YouTube and Twitter grew fourfold and threefold respectively. Researchers ranked the online interactivity, transparency and accessibility of the 75 largest U.S. cities. ... > full story

Blood-pressure drug may slow diabetes progression (March 22, 2012) -- Researchers surprised by second effect of established drug. A common high-blood-pressure medication appears to reverse the diabetes-related death of pancreatic beta cells. ... > full story

Seismic survey at the Mariana trench will follow water dragged down into the Earth's mantle (March 22, 2012) -- Seismologists have just returned from a cruise in the Western Pacific to lay the instruments for a seismic survey that will follow the water chemically bound to or trapped in the down-diving Pacific Plate at the Mariana trench, the deep trench to which Avatar director James Cameron is poised to plunge. ... > full story

Liquid-like materials may pave way for new thermoelectric devices (March 22, 2012) -- In the continual quest for better thermoelectric materials -- which convert heat into electricity and vice versa -- researchers have identified a liquid-like compound whose properties give it the potential to be even more efficient than traditional thermoelectrics. ... > full story

Cooking better biochar: Study improves recipe for soil additive (March 22, 2012) -- A simple way to remove carbon from the atmosphere is by adding charcoal, or biochar, to topsoil -- a centuries-old practice that also boosts crop production. A new study finds that when it comes to helping get water to plants, not all biochar is equal. ... > full story

Do animals have reflective minds able to self-regulate perception, reasoning, memory? (March 22, 2012) -- There is an emerging consensus among scientists that animals share functional parallels with humans' conscious metacognition -- that is, our ability to reflect on our own mental processes and guide and optimize them, one expert says. ... > full story

Somatic stem cells obtained from skin cells; pluripotency 'detour' skipped (March 22, 2012) -- Breaking new ground, scientists have succeeded in obtaining somatic stem cells from fully differentiated somatic cells. Researchers in Germany took skin cells from mice and, using a unique combination of growth factors while ensuring appropriate culturing conditions, have managed to induce the cells' differentiation into neuronal somatic stem cells. ... > full story

Studying climbers on Everest to help heart patients at home (March 22, 2012) -- Mount Everest is a natural laboratory for studying heart disease, lung problems, muscle loss, sleeping disorders and new medical technologies. ... > full story

Geologists discover new class of landform -- on Mars (March 22, 2012) -- An odd, previously unseen landform could provide a window into the geological history of Mars, according to new research by geologists. They call the structures periodic bedrock ridges. ... > full story

In wild winter, citizen scientists see where and why birds traveled (March 22, 2012) -- When bird watchers joined this year’s Great Backyard Bird Count, they recorded the most unusual winter in the count’s 15-year history. With 17.4 million bird observations, participants reported 623 species, including an influx of Snowy Owls from the arctic, early-migrating Sandhill Cranes and Belted Kingfishers in northern areas normally frozen over. ... > full story

A one-way street for light (March 22, 2012) -- An optical diode made with silicon technology can be used for quantum information. Researchers propose using ring resonators to construct a micro-optical diode. The technology is silicon-on-insulator, making it compatible with the CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) fabrication processes underlying today’s computer circuits. ... > full story

Runaway planets zoom at a fraction of light speed (March 22, 2012) -- Seven years ago, astronomers boggled when they found the first runaway star flying out of our galaxy at a speed of 1.5 million miles per hour. The discovery intrigued theorists, who wondered: if a star can get tossed outward at such an extreme velocity, could the same thing happen to planets? New research shows that the answer is yes. ... > full story

Trace element plays major role in tropical forest nitrogen cycle (March 22, 2012) -- New research sheds light on the critical part played by a little-studied element, molybdenum, in the nutrient cycles of tropical forests. Understanding the role of molybdenum may help scientists more accurately predict how tropical forests will respond to climate change. ... > full story

Big contact lenses provide instant relief for dry eyes, experts say (March 22, 2012) -- Wide-diameter contact lenses are offering instant relief to people who suffer chronic dry eyes. The lens rests on the sclera, the white part of the eye. Major improvements in materials and design have sparked a resurgence in the use of scleral contact lenses. ... > full story

New technique lets scientists peer within nanoparticles, see atomic structure in 3-D (March 22, 2012) -- Researchers are now able to peer deep within material science's tiniest structures to create three-dimensional images of individual atoms and their positions. The research presents a new method for directly measuring the atomic structure of nanomaterials. ... > full story

What is the monetary value of a healthy ocean? (March 22, 2012) -- Scientists have attempted to measure the ocean's monetary value and to tally the costs and savings associated with human decisions affecting ocean health. The study estimates that if human impacts on the ocean continue unabated, declines in ocean health and services will cost the global economy 8 billion per year by 2050, and .979 trillion per year by 2100. ... > full story

Anxiety boosts sense of smell (March 22, 2012) -- Anxious people have a heightened sense of smell when it comes to sniffing out a threat, according to a new study. ... > full story

People with autism possess greater ability to process information, study suggests (March 22, 2012) -- People with autism have a greater than normal capacity for processing information even from rapid presentations and are better able to detect information defined as "critical," according to a new study. The research may help explain the apparently higher than average prevalence in the IT industry of people with autism spectrum disorders. ... > full story

Runner's high motivated the evolution of exercise, research suggests (March 22, 2012) -- Runners often extol the virtues of the runner's high, but now a team of researchers suggest that the runner's high could have evolved to motivate us to exercise as part of our early long-distance nomadic lifestyle. ... > full story

False killer whales use acoustic squint to target prey (March 22, 2012) -- Toothed whales and dolphins are remarkable accurate hunters, considering that they locate prey using echolocation alone, so how do they pull this off? Biologists tested the echolocation skills of a false killer whale called Kina and discovered that she focuses her echolocation beam on targets, effectively "squinting" to locate far off objects or objects that are hard to differentiate. ... > full story

Antibiotic resistance genes accumulating in Lake Geneva (March 22, 2012) -- Large quantities of antibiotic-resistant bacteria enter the environment via municipal – and especially hospital – wastewater streams. Although wastewater treatment plants reduce the total number of bacteria, the most hazardous – multiresistant – strains appear to withstand or even to be promoted by treatment processes. ... > full story

Antidepressant proves effective in alleviating osteoarthritis pain (March 22, 2012) -- Antidepressants can play a key role in alleviating painful conditions like osteoarthritis and may result in fewer side effects than traditionally prescribed drug regimes, such as anti-inflammatories and opioids, according to new research. ... > full story

Fewer injuries for winning soccer teams (March 22, 2012) -- All soccer players and fans know that it is better to win than to lose. Yet the fact that victory also means less risk of injury is not as obvious. ... > full story

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