The EDGE: ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Wednesday, June 27, 2012

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Wednesday, June 27, 2012

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Mars rover Curiosity on track for early August landing (June 26, 2012) -- A maneuver on Tuesday (June 26, 2012) adjusted the flight path of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft for delivering the rover Curiosity to a landing target beside a Martian mountain. ... > full story

Mind reading from brain recordings? 'Neural fingerprints' of memory associations decoded (June 26, 2012) -- Researchers have begun to show that it is possible to use brain recordings to reconstruct aspects of an image or movie clip someone is viewing, a sound someone is hearing or even the text someone is reading. A new study brings this work one step closer to actual mind reading by using brain recordings to infer the way people organize associations between words in their memories. ... > full story

New role for RNAi discovered: Epigenetic memory may pass RNA silencing from one generation to the next (June 26, 2012) -- Researchers have identified a mechanism related to RNAi that scans for intruders not by recognizing dsRNA or some other aberrant feature of the foreign sequence, but rather by comparing the foreign sequences to a memory of previously expressed native RNA. Once identified, an "epigenetic memory" of the foreign DNA fragments is created and can be passed on from one generation to the next, permanently silencing the gene. ... > full story

NASA satellites see wildfires across Colorado (June 26, 2012) -- NASA's Aqua satellite captured a natural-color image of Colorado wildfires raging on June 23, 2012. ... > full story

Lab-on-a-chip detects trace levels of toxic vapors in homes near Utah Air Force Base (June 26, 2012) -- A lab-on-a-chip technology that measures trace amounts of air contaminants in homes was successfully field-tested. ... > full story

Musical robot companion enhances listener experience (June 26, 2012) -- Wedding DJs everywhere should be worried about job security now that a new robot is on the scene. Shimi, an interactive musical companion recommends songs, dances to the beat and keeps the music pumping based on listener feedback. ... > full story

Dieting? Study challenges notion that a calorie is just a calorie (June 26, 2012) -- A new study challenges the notion that "a calorie is a calorie." The study finds diets that reduce the surge in blood sugar after a meal -- either low-glycemic index or very-low carbohydrate -- may be preferable to a low-fat diet for those trying to achieve lasting weight loss. ... > full story

Touch therapy helps reduce pain, nausea in cancer patients, study suggests (June 26, 2012) -- Patients reported significant improvement in side effects of cancer treatment following just one Jin Shin Jyutsu session. Jin Shin Jyutsu is an ancient form of touch therapy similar to acupuncture in philosophy. ... > full story

Sifting through a trillion electrons (June 26, 2012) -- Modern research tools like supercomputers, particle colliders, and telescopes are generating so much data, so quickly, many scientists fear that soon they will not be able to keep up with the deluge. ... > full story

Denser development is good for single-family home values (June 26, 2012) -- A study shows that, contrary to popular belief, there’s a positive association between higher neighborhood density and the value of single-family residential properties. ... > full story

Genetic variant is linked to obesity and insulin resistance (June 26, 2012) -- A large study in people at risk of diabetes has found a direct association between the presence of a small genetic alteration in a hormone receptor and increased body fat and insulin resistance. The results suggest an adverse role for a previously described genetic variant, the BclI polymorphism. ... > full story

Duplicate spending on US veterans' care costs billions (June 26, 2012) -- The US federal government made about billion in duplicative payments to provide health-care services to veterans who were simultaneously enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans from 2004-2009. ... > full story

Healthcare law gender gap: New U.S. poll shows women favor mandate more than men (June 26, 2012) -- Americans are divided along party, ideology and gender lines on a key provision of the healthcare law. A new poll reveals women are significantly more likely to support health insurance requirements than men. Additionally, Democrats and liberals overwhelmingly favor insurance mandates, whereas large majorities of Republicans and conservatives oppose them. ... > full story

Scientists find new primitive mineral in meteorite (June 26, 2012) -- In 1969, an exploding fireball tore through the sky over Mexico, scattering thousands of pieces of meteorite across the state of Chihuahua. More than 40 years later, the Allende meteorite is still serving the scientific community as a rich source of information about the early stages of our solar system's evolution. Recently, scientists discovered a new mineral embedded in the space rock -- one they believe to be among the oldest minerals formed in the solar system. ... > full story

Reminders of mortality increase concern for environmental legacy (June 26, 2012) -- When we turn on the A/C in the summer, our first thought is probably one of relief. If it's 100 degrees in the shade, we're probably not thinking about how our decision might influence the environmental legacy we leave for future generations. But new research suggests that reminders of our own mortality may encourage us to keep future generations in mind as we make decisions. ... > full story

Glucose deprivation activates feedback loop that kills cancer cells, study shows (June 26, 2012) -- Researchers demonstrate the power of systems biology to uncover relationships between metabolism and signaling at the network level. The findings add to the emerging concept of systems integration between oncogenic signaling networks and metabolism of malignant tumors. The work lays a foundation for future studies delineating how signaling and metabolism are linked, with the ultimate goal of refining therapeutic strategies targeting cancer metabolism. ... > full story

Moderate coffee consumption offers protection against heart failure, study suggests (June 26, 2012) -- While current American Heart Association heart failure prevention guidelines warn against habitual coffee consumption, some studies propose a protective benefit, and still others find no association at all. Amidst this conflicting information, new research attempts to shift the conversation from a definitive yes or no, to a question of how much. ... > full story

National Research Council presents long-term priorities for U.S. nuclear physics program (June 26, 2012) -- Nuclear physics is a discovery-driven enterprise aimed at understanding the fundamental nature of visible matter in the universe. For the past hundred years, new knowledge of the nuclear world has also directly benefited society through many innovative applications. In its fourth decadal survey of nuclear physics, the National Research Council outlines the impressive accomplishments of the field in the last decade and recommends a long-term strategy for the future. ... > full story

Tiny magnetic coils modulate neural activity, may be safer for deep-brain implants (June 26, 2012) -- Magnetic fields generated by microscopic devices implanted into the brain may be able to modulate brain-cell activity and reduce symptoms of several neurological disorders. ... > full story

Long-term calcium and vitamin D supplement use may be linked to increased risk of kidney stones (June 26, 2012) -- Calcium and vitamin D supplements are associated with high calcium levels in the blood and urine, which could increase the risk of kidney stones, a new study finds. ... > full story

Monitored vitamin d therapy safe for patients with high blood calcium levels (June 26, 2012) -- Patients with a gland disorder that causes excessive calcium in their blood who also have vitamin D deficiency can safely receive vitamin D treatment without it raising their calcium levels, a new study has determined. ... > full story

Structure of new superhard form of carbon established (June 26, 2012) -- Researchers have established the structure of a new form of carbon. The team used a novel computational method to demonstrate that the properties of what had previously been thought to be only a hypothetical structure of a superhard form of carbon called "M-carbon" matched perfectly the experimental data on “superhard graphite.” ... > full story

Asthma linked to congested highways: Those living near heavily traveled interstate have higher rates of disease (June 26, 2012) -- Researchers at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, found that living near a heavily congested highway correlates with a higher presence of asthma. ... > full story

Gravitational lensing: Astronomers spot rare arc from hefty galaxy cluster (June 26, 2012) -- Seeing is believing, except when you don't believe what you see. Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have found a puzzling arc of light behind an extremely massive cluster of galaxies residing 10 billion light-years away. The galactic grouping, discovered by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, was observed as it existed when the universe was roughly a quarter of its current age of 13.7 billion years. The giant arc is the stretched shape of a more distant galaxy whose light is distorted by the monster cluster's powerful gravity, an effect called gravitational lensing. The trouble is, the arc shouldn't exist. ... > full story

Political ads by independent groups are not only common -- they are more effective (June 26, 2012) -- As the election season ramps up, many voters are already experiencing attack ad fatigue. According to a recent article, the power of ads sponsored by independent groups rests not just in their sheer volume, but also in their relative effectiveness. When an attack ad is sponsored by an independent group, the authors found that the ad is far more effective than when the same ad is sponsored by a candidate. ... > full story

Social media powers youth participation in politics (June 26, 2012) -- A study shows that contrary to the traditional notion of a technological digital divide, substantial numbers of young people across racial and ethic groups are engaging in 'participatory politics' -- acts such as starting a political group online, circulating a blog about a political issue, or forwarding political videos to friends. ... > full story

Biomarker test for rheumatoid arthritis proves effective in study (June 26, 2012) -- A simple blood test may help physicians track the progression of rheumatoid arthritis disease activity, say researchers. The international research team says that a blood test measuring 12 biomarkers for RA is a valid and potentially useful tool in managing the disease. ... > full story

Link between brain insulin resistance, neuronal stress in worsening Alzheimer's disease (June 26, 2012) -- A new study has revealed a link between brain insulin resistance (diabetes) and two other key mediators of neuronal injury that help Alzheimer's disease to propagate. The research found that once Alzheimer's is established, therapeutic efforts must also work to reduce toxin production in the brain. ... > full story

Facebook makes us feel good about ourselves, research finds (June 26, 2012) -- People love social networks. That's the obvious conclusion from Facebook's 900 million active users and its current standing as one of the most visited sites on the web, second only to Google. New research inds what people may really "like" about social networking are themselves. ... > full story

Reaching, researching between stars: Astronomers use Lonestar supercomputer to explore role of dark matter in galaxy formation (June 26, 2012) -- A new study reveals that dark matter is more distributed than predictions previously stated. Researchers used the TACC Lonestar supercomputer to simulate thousands of galaxy models based on the information retrieved at the McDonald Observatory and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. ... > full story

Better surfaces could help dissipate heat (June 26, 2012) -- Researchers at MIT have found that relatively simple, microscale roughening of a surface can dramatically enhance its transfer of heat. Such an approach could be far less complex and more durable than approaches that enhance heat transfer through smaller patterning in the nanometer (billionths of a meter) range. The new research also provides a theoretical framework for analyzing the behavior of such systems, pointing the way to even greater improvements. ... > full story

Study reveals flu-fighting role for well-known immune component (June 26, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered a new flu-fighting role for a well-known component of the immune system. The researchers found that administering a cell-signaling protein known as IL-15 to mice infected with influenza reduces their peak viral load by nearly three times. ... > full story

Make me an offer, say online shoppers (June 26, 2012) -- Online shoppers would rather receive an offer for a product or service than make their own offer, according to a new study that has implications for the fast-growing e-commerce industry. ... > full story

Thunderstorms have longer reach than thought: Storm researcher calls for new air safety guidelines (June 26, 2012) -- Aircraft turbulence guidelines should be rewritten after new research revealed thunderstorms could produce unexpected turbulence more than 100 km away from storm cells. ... > full story

Seeing inside tissue for no-cut surgeries: Researchers develop technique to focus light inside biological tissue (June 26, 2012) -- Imagine if doctors could perform surgery without ever having to cut through your skin. Or if they could diagnose cancer by seeing tumors inside the body with a procedure that is as simple as an ultrasound. Thanks to a new technique, all of that may be possible in the not-so-distant future. ... > full story

Rewriting quantum chips with a beam of light: Laser technique brings ultrafast computing closer to reality (June 26, 2012) -- The promise of ultrafast quantum computing has moved a step closer to reality with a technique to create rewritable computer chips using a beam of light. Researchers used light to control the spin of an atom's nucleus in order to encode information. ... > full story

Scientists spark new interest in the century-old Edison battery (June 26, 2012) -- Scientists have dramatically improved the performance of Thomas Edison's nickel-iron battery. The enhanced device could be used in electric vehicles, much as Edison originally envisioned. ... > full story

Curry spice, omega-3 fatty acid preserve walking ability following spinal-cord injury (June 26, 2012) -- Researchers discovered that a diet enriched with a popular omega-3 fatty acid and an ingredient in curry spice preserved walking ability in rats with spinal-cord injury. The findings suggest that these dietary supplements help repair nerve cells and maintain neurological function after degenerative damage to the neck. ... > full story

Fetal growth restriction affected by formation of maternal gene (June 26, 2012) -- A Japanese study has found that maternal rather than fetal factors are associated with fetal growth restriction. A comparison of maternal and fetal angiotensin-converting enzyme genotypes with the size of babies at birth found evidence of this connection. This finding lends support to the hypothesis that reduced placental blood flow leads to fetal growth restriction. ... > full story

Researchers test drug combinations to prevent graft vs. host disease (June 26, 2012) -- Researchers have conducted a clinical trial aimed at preventing graft vs. host disease (GVHD) in patients who have received hematopoietic (blood) cell transplants (HCT). The study, comparing the drug tacrolimus (TAC) in combination with either methotrexate (MTX) or sirolimus (SIR), found that the sirolimus/tacrolimus (SIR/TAC) combination was more effective in preventing grades II-IV acute GVHD and moderate-severe chronic GVHD after allogeneic blood cell transplantation. ... > full story

Immediate rewards for good scores can boost student performance (June 26, 2012) -- Test performance can improve dramatically if students are offered rewards just before they are given standardized tests and if they receive the incentive immediately afterward, new research at the University of Chicago shows. ... > full story

Protocols for identifying endocrine-disrupting chemicals inadequate, experts say (June 26, 2012) -- The Endocrine Society proposes a streamlined definition for endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and offers recommendations that will strengthen the ability of current screening programs to identify EDCs. ... > full story

Exposure to environmental chemicals in the womb reprograms the rodent brain to disrupt reproduction (June 26, 2012) -- Prenatal exposure to the environmental contaminants polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, causes long-term changes to the developing brain that have adverse effects on reproductive function later in life, a new study finds. ... > full story

Phthalate, environmental chemical is linked to higher rates of childhood obesity (June 26, 2012) -- Obese children show greater exposure than nonobese children to a phthalate, a chemical used to soften plastics in some children’s toys and many household products, according to a new study, which found that the obesity risk increases according to the level of the chemical found in the bloodstream. ... > full story

BPA exposure in pregnant mice changes gene expression of female offspring (June 26, 2012) -- Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A, or BPA, a chemical found in many common plastic household items, can cause numerous genes in the uterus to respond differently to estrogen in adulthood, according to a study using a mouse model. ... > full story

NOAA: Data from new satellite implemented in record time; Meteorologists are now using information for weather forecasts (June 26, 2012) -- Data flowing from a new generation of instruments onboard the Suomi NPP satellite, a joint NASA/NOAA mission, are being used in NOAA's global numerical weather forecast system a record seven months after launch, nearly three times faster than previous missions. After a rigorous and accelerated evaluation period, meteorologists began using the new data in operational weather models on May 22, 2012. These models are the foundation for all public and private weather forecasts in the United States. ... > full story

Transgenic technique 'eliminates' a specific neural circuit in brain of primates (June 26, 2012) -- Biologists have developed a gene transfer technique that can "eliminate" a specific neural circuit in non-human primates for the first time. ... > full story

Biologists reveal potential 'fatal flaw' in iconic sexual selection study (June 26, 2012) -- A classic study from more than 60 years ago that reportedly showed that males are more promiscuous and females more choosy in selecting mates may be wrong, say life scientists who are the first to repeat the historic experiment using the same methods. ... > full story