The EDGE: ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Tuesday, August 7, 2012

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Tuesday, August 7, 2012

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How forests thrive after fires and volcanoes (August 6, 2012) -- Forests hammered by windstorms, avalanches and wildfires may appear blighted, but a researcher says such disturbances can be key to maximizing an area's biological diversity. In fact land managers can alter their practices to enhance such diversity, creating areas with a wide variety of species, including rare and endangered plants and animals, experts say. ... > full story

Extreme plasma theories put to the test (August 6, 2012) -- The first controlled studies of extremely hot, dense matter have overthrown the widely accepted 50-year-old model used to explain how ions influence each other's behavior in a dense plasma. The results should benefit a wide range of fields, from research aimed at tapping nuclear fusion as an energy source to understanding the inner workings of stars. ... > full story

Decision-making brain activity in patients with hoarding disorder (August 6, 2012) -- Patients with hoarding disorder exhibited abnormal activity in regions of the brain that was stimulus dependent when deciding what to do with objects that did or did not belong to them. ... > full story

Growth hormone-releasing hormonen appears to aid cognitive functioning (August 6, 2012) -- Treatment with growth hormone-releasing hormone appears to be associated with favorable cognitive effects among both adults with mild cognitive impairment and healthy older adults. ... > full story

Weight training linked to reduced risk of type 2 diabetes (August 6, 2012) -- Men who do weight training regularly -- for example, for 30 minutes per day, five days per week -- may be able to reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 34 percent, according to a new study. And if they combine weight training and aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking or running, they may be able to reduce their risk even further -- up to 59 percent. ... > full story

Behavioral intervention can reduce tics in adults with Tourette syndrome (August 6, 2012) -- Specially designed comprehensive behavioral therapy is more effective than sessions offering patient support and education in helping adults with Tourette syndrome manage their tics according to a new study. ... > full story

More education, socioeconomic benefits equals longer life (August 6, 2012) -- Despite advances in health care and increases in life expectancy overall, Americans with less than a high school education have life expectancies similar to adults in the 1950s and 1960s. ... > full story

Fainting: All in the family? (August 6, 2012) -- Fainting has a strong genetic predisposition, according to new research. Fainting, also called vasovagal syncope, is a brief loss of consciousness when your body reacts to certain triggers, such as emotional distress or the sight of blood. ... > full story

Researchers unlock secret of the rare 'twinned rainbow' (August 6, 2012) -- Scientists have yet to fully unravel the mysteries of rainbows, but a group of researchers have used simulations of these natural wonders to unlock the secret to a rare optical phenomenon known as the twinned rainbow. ... > full story

Microbes, sponges, and worms add to coral reef woes (August 6, 2012) -- Microbes, sponges, and worms -- the side effects of pollution and heavy fishing -- are adding insult to injury in Kenya's imperiled reef systems, according to a recent study. ... > full story

Forensic tools for catching poachers (August 6, 2012) -- The trade in ivory was largely outlawed in 1989, but poaching continues and remains a serious threat to the African elephant. Seizures of large amounts of ivory, sometimes over a ton, continue to occur. Scientists have now found a way to determine just where the ivory comes from. ... > full story

Preschool children who can pay attention more likely to finish college: Early reading and math not predictive of college completion (August 6, 2012) -- Young children who are able to pay attention and persist on a task have a 50 percent greater chance of completing college, according to a new study. Surprisingly, achievement in reading and math did not significantly predict whether or not the students completed college. And the good news for parents and educators, the researchers said, is that attention and persistence skills are malleable and can be taught. ... > full story

Seafood, wild or farmed? The answer may be both (August 6, 2012) -- Most people think of seafood as either wild or farmed, but in fact both categories may apply to the fish you pick up from your grocery store. An article recommends that when a combination of seafood production techniques are used, this be acknowledged in the marketplace. ... > full story

Possible muscle disease therapeutic target found (August 6, 2012) -- The study of muscular system protein myostatin has been of great interest to researchers as a potential therapeutic target for people with muscular disorders. Although much is known about how myostatin affects muscle growth, there has been disagreement about what types of muscle cells it acts upon. New research narrows down the field to one likely type of cell. ... > full story

Limits of microbial life in an undersea volcano: Third of Earth's organisms live in rock and sediments (August 6, 2012) -- By some estimates, a third of the Earth's organisms by mass live in our planet's rocks and sediments, yet their lives and ecology are almost a complete mystery. Microbiologists have just revealed the first detailed data about a group of methane-exhaling microbes that live deep in the cracks of hot undersea volcanoes. ... > full story

Correlation between injection wells and small earthquakes discovered (August 6, 2012) -- Most earthquakes in the Barnett Shale region of north Texas occur within a few miles of one or more injection wells used to dispose of wastes associated with petroleum production such as hydraulic fracturing fluids, according to new research. None of the quakes identified in the two-year study were strong enough to pose a danger to the public. ... > full story

Major breakthrough in macular degeneration (August 6, 2012) -- Researchers have made an exciting finding in the "dry" form of age-related macular degeneration known as geographic atrophy (GA). GA is an untreatable condition that causes blindness in millions of individuals due to death of retinal pigmented epithelial cells. ... > full story

Epilepsy drug reverses memory loss in animal model of Alzheimer's disease (August 6, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered that an FDA-approved anti-epileptic drug reverses memory loss and alleviates other Alzheimer's-related impairments in an animal model of the disease. ... > full story

USGS science goes to Mars (August 6, 2012) -- With the Mars rover Curiosity's successful landing Sunday, Aug. 5, at 10:32 p.m. PDT, U.S. Geological Survey scientists continue their strategic role in the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), the most advanced mission yet to explore whether the Red Planet has ever offered environmental conditions favorable for microbial life. ... > full story

NASA's Curiosity rover caught in the act of landing (August 6, 2012) -- An image from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured the Curiosity rover still connected to its 51-foot-wide (almost 16 meter) parachute as it descended towards its landing site at Gale Crater. ... > full story

Increased productivity, not less energy use, results from more efficient lighting (August 6, 2012) -- Improvements in lighting -- from candles to gas lamps to electric bulbs -- historically have led to increased light consumption rather than lower overall energy use by society, researchers argue in a new article. ... > full story

Infants of overweight mothers grow more slowly (August 6, 2012) -- Babies born to overweight mothers gain less weight and grow more slowly than those born to normal-weight mothers, a new study has found. But they do catch up, meaning that pediatricians should refrain from boosting their nutrition, which could make matters worse, experts say. ... > full story

New bird species discovered in 'cloud forest' of Peru (August 6, 2012) -- A colorful, fruit-eating bird with a black mask, pale belly and scarlet breast – never before described by science – has been discovered following an expedition to the remote Peruvian Andes. ... > full story

Airborne technology helps manage elephants (August 6, 2012) -- For years, scientists have debated how big a role elephants play in toppling trees in South African savannas. Tree loss is a natural process, but it is increasing in some regions, with cascading effects on the habitat for many other species. Using high resolution 3-D mapping, scientists have for the first time quantitatively determined tree losses across savannas of Kruger National Park. They found that elephants are the primary agents. ... > full story

New approaches needed for uncovering, identifying, and treating buried chemical warfare material (August 6, 2012) -- The current approach for identifying and destroying buried chemical munitions and related chemical warfare materials uncovered during environmental remediation projects is neither reliable enough nor has the capability to efficiently tackle large-scale projects, says a new report. ... > full story

New Hampshire leads contiguous United States in percent tree cover (August 6, 2012) -- Tree cover in the nation's Lower 48 states covers 659 million acres, more than one-third of the nation, according to a US Forest Service study of national tree cover and impervious surfaces. New Hampshire leads the nation in percent tree cover (89 percent), followed by Maine (83 percent) and Vermont (82 percent). Percent tree cover is highest in Connecticut (67 percent) and lowest in Nevada (10 percent). ... > full story

Ecology and phylogenetics together offer new views of Earth's biodiversity (August 6, 2012) -- Scientists are taking a new look at Earth patterns, studying the biodiversity of yard plants in the US and that of desert mammals in Israel, studying where flowers and bees live on the Tibetan plateau and how willow trees in America's Midwest make use of water. ... > full story

Proteins may point way to new prostate cancer drug targets (August 6, 2012) -- Two proteins that act in opposing directions -- one that promotes cancer and one that suppresses cancer -- regulate the same set of genes in prostate cancer, researchers have found. ... > full story

Seeing through walls: Laser system reconstructs objects hidden from sight (August 6, 2012) -- Researchers combined bouncing photons with advanced optics to enable them to "see" what's hidden around the corner. ... > full story

Research links extreme summer heat events to global warming (August 6, 2012) -- A new statistical analysis by NASA scientists has found that Earth's land areas have become much more likely to experience an extreme summer heat wave than they were in the middle of the 20th century. ... > full story

Novel inflammatory protein function discovered (August 6, 2012) -- A scientists has described the function of a previously un-characterized protein that dramatically influences inflammation. ... > full story

Quantum physics: New insights into the remote control of quantum systems (August 6, 2012) -- Physicists shine new light on the question of the resources required for achieving quantum information processing. The scientists demonstrate that less demanding resources, which are easier to prepare and to control, can be used for quantum-enhanced technologies. In the experiment, researchers achieve remote quantum state preparation without requiring entanglement as a resource. ... > full story

Researchers discover blood biomarker for Lou Gehrig's disease, could lead to new treatments (August 6, 2012) -- Researchers have discovered that changes in monocytes (a type of white blood cell) are a biomarker for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease. The findings open doors to possible new treatments. ... > full story

Anti-angina drug shows protective effects from carbon monoxide (August 6, 2012) -- Scientists have found that a common anti-angina drug could help protect the heart against carbon monoxide poisoning. ... > full story

Vaginal delivery as safe as Cesarean for most early preterm births, study suggests (August 6, 2012) -- Vaginal delivery for early preterm fetuses presenting head first, or vertex presentation, had a high rate of success with no difference in neonatal mortality compared to cesarean delivery, a new study reports. For breech births, however, the failure rate of vaginal delivery was high and planned cesarean delivery was associated with significantly lower neonatal mortality. ... > full story

Touch your philodendron and control your computer: Technology turns any plant into an interactive device (August 6, 2012) -- Any houseplant -- real or artificial -- could control a computer or any digital device with new technology, called Botanicus Interactus. ... > full story

Lying less linked to better health (August 6, 2012) -- Telling the truth when tempted to lie can significantly improve a person’s mental and physical health, according to a new study. ... > full story

Cyberbullying less frequent than traditional bullying (August 6, 2012) -- Traditional in-person bullying is far more common than cyberbullying among today’s youth and should be the primary focus of prevention programs, according to new research. ... > full story

Race may play significant role in presidential election, survey finds (August 6, 2012) -- Voters’ racial attitudes, both conscious and unconscious, may be a significant factor in this year’s U.S. presidential election, particularly since whites tend to prefer people of their own race, according to new research. ... > full story

Growing up grateful gives teens multiple mental health benefits (August 6, 2012) -- Grateful teens are more likely than their less grateful peers to be happy, less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol and less likely to have behavior problems at school, according to new research. ... > full story

Brain's stem cells 'eavesdrop' to find out when to act (August 6, 2012) -- Working with mice, researchers say they have figured out how stem cells found in a part of the brain responsible for learning, memory and mood regulation decide to remain dormant or create new brain cells. Apparently, the stem cells “listen in” on the chemical communication among nearby neurons to get an idea about what is stressing the system and when they need to act. ... > full story

Hydraulic fracturing poses substantial water pollution risks, analysts say (August 6, 2012) -- Researchers find multiple potential threats to water sources posed by hydraulic fracturing as the jobs-producing practice expands. ... > full story

Microswimmers: Micron-scale swimming robots could deliver drugs and carry cargo using simple motion (August 6, 2012) -- Researchers have used complex computational models to design micro-swimmers that could overcome the challenges of swimming at the micron scale. These autonomous micro-robots could carry cargo and navigate in response to stimuli such as light. ... > full story

Scientists predict impact of ocean acidification on shellfish (August 6, 2012) -- An international study will help us to understand and predict the likely impact of ocean acidification on shellfish and other marine organisms living in seas from the tropics to the poles. ... > full story

Information advantage gained from surprising quantum source (August 6, 2012) -- New research lends hope that a phenomenon called quantum discord could be harnessed to bring quantum technologies within easier reach than expected. ... > full story

NASA's new Mars rover sends higher-resolution image (August 6, 2012) -- About two hours after landing on Mars and beaming back its first image, NASA's Curiosity rover transmitted a higher-resolution image of its new Martian home, Gale Crater. Mission Control at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., received the image, taken by one of the vehicle's lower-fidelity, black-and-white Hazard Avoidance Cameras -- or Hazcams. ... > full story

Car-size rover Curiosity lands on Mars: Two-year mission to investigate Red Planet begins (August 6, 2012) -- NASA's most advanced Mars rover Curiosity has landed on the Red Planet. The one-ton rover, hanging by ropes from a rocket backpack, touched down onto Mars at 1:31 a.m. EDT Monday (Aug. 6, 2012) to end a 36-week flight and begin a two-year investigation. The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft that carried Curiosity succeeded in every step of the most complex landing ever attempted on Mars, including the final severing of the bridle cords and flyaway maneuver of the rocket backpack. ... > full story

Curiosity rover just hours from Mars landing (August 5, 2012) -- NASA's Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft is healthy and right on course for a landing in several hours that will be one of the most difficult feats of robotic exploration ever attempted. ... > full story