ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Sunday, March 25, 2012

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Sunday, March 25, 2012

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Shiny new tool for imaging biomolecules (March 23, 2012) -- Researchers have developed a technique for lacing artificial membranes with billions of gold nanoantennas that can boost optical signals from a protein tens of thousands of times without the protein ever being touched. This technique could provide a critical tool in the fight against a wide range of health problems including cancer. ... > full story

Highly flexible despite hard-wiring: Even slight stimuli change the information flow in the brain (March 23, 2012) -- When looking at an optical illusion that can appear as either one cup or two faces, which do you see first? What we believe we see in one of the most famous optical illusions changes in a split second; and so does the path that the information takes in the brain. Changes in the information processing can be triggered even by a slight stimulus, such as a scent or sound, at the right time. ... > full story

New epilepsy gene located in dogs (March 23, 2012) -- A new epilepsy gene for idiopathic epilepsy in Belgian Shepherds has been found in the canine chromosome 37. This research opens new avenues for the understanding of the genetic background of the most common canine epilepsies. The research also has an impact on the understanding of common epilepsies in humans. ... > full story

Assess global freshwater stress using new tool (March 23, 2012) -- A new method to make better use of vast amounts of data related to global geography, population and climate may help determine the relative importance of population increases vs. climate change. ... > full story

'Bed-of-nails' breast implant deters cancer cells (March 23, 2012) -- Researchers have created an implant that appears to deter breast cancer cell regrowth. Made from a common federally approved polymer, the implant is the first to be modified at the nanoscale in a way that causes a reduction in the blood-vessel architecture that breast cancer tumors depend upon, while also attracting healthy breast cells. ... > full story

Brain insulin resistance contributes to cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (March 23, 2012) -- Insulin resistance in the brain precedes and contributes to cognitive decline above and beyond other known causes of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. ... > full story

New theory on size of black holes: Gas-guzzling black holes eat two courses at a time (March 23, 2012) -- Astronomers have put forward a new theory about why black holes become so hugely massive -- claiming some of them have no 'table manners', and tip their 'food' directly into their mouths, eating more than one course simultaneously. ... > full story

Forces among molecules: Tiny but important (March 23, 2012) -- Forces are not only associated with machines or muscles. You can also find them elsewhere, for instance between molecules. Theoretical chemists are familiar with that. However, they -- or rather their computers -- are not capable of calculating them with high accuracy and efficiency at the same time. ... > full story

Who knew? Fruit flies get kidney stones too (March 23, 2012) -- Research on kidney stones in fruit flies may hold the key to developing a treatment that could someday stop the formation of kidney stones in humans, scientists have found. ... > full story

An extinct species of scops owl has been discovered in Madeira (March 23, 2012) -- Scientists have described a new type of fossil scops owl, the first extinct bird on the archipelago of Madeira (Portugal). Otus mauli, which was also the first nocturnal bird of prey described in the area, lived on land and became extinct as a result of humans arriving on the island. Twenty years ago, the German researcher Harald Pieper discovered fossil remains of a small nocturnal bird of prey in Madeira, which, until now, had not been studied in depth. The international team of palaeontologists has shown that the remains belong to a previously unknown extinct species of scops owl, which they have called Otus mauli. ... > full story

Dairy cows have individual temperaments (March 23, 2012) -- From a young age, dairy cows react differently from each other to stimuli from their surroundings. An animal’s temperament determines how it reacts in stressful situations, but may also influence its general health. In the future, temperament could be bred as a selective trait to improve the robustness and well-being of dairy cows. ... > full story

Biomarkers for autism discovered (March 23, 2012) -- There are no acknowledged biomarkers for autism today. An important step towards developing a rapid, inexpensive diagnostic method for autism has now been take. Through advanced mass spectrometry the researchers managed to capture promising biomarkers from a tiny blood sample. ... > full story