ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Starving orangutans might help to better understand obesity and eating disorders in humans
• NASA developing comet harpoon for sample return
• American Cancer Society revises cancer screening guideline process
• Preparing for future human exploration, RAD measures radiation on journey to Mars
• High levels of tau protein linked to poor recovery after brain injury
• Scientists develop vaccine that successfully attacks breast cancer in mice
• Small reactors could figure into US energy future
• Was Darwin wrong about emotions?
• New path to flex and stretch electronics: Artificial electronic skin device capable of detecting and responding to touch
• Risk of stillbirth associated with factors known early in pregnancy
• Most common causes, risk factors for stillbirth
• Using many instruments to track a comet
• Tycho's star shines in gamma rays, NASA's Fermi shows
• NASA Mars-bound rover begins research in space
• Portraits of Saturn moons captured by Cassini
• NASA's Dawn spirals down to lowest orbit around giant asteroid Vesta
• First electronic optical fibers with hydrogenated amorphous silicon are developed
• Reprogramming brain cells important first step for new Parkinson's therapy
• Nanoparticles help researcher deliver steroids to retina
• As Voyager 1 nears edge of solar system, scientists look back
• High-energy physicists set record for network data transfer
• Trillion-frame-per-second video: Researchers have created an imaging system that makes light look slow
• Physicists say they are near epic Higgs boson discovery
• All it takes is a smile (for some guys)
• Physicists help narrow search for elusive Higgs boson, a building block of the universe
• In third-degree burn treatment, hydrogel helps grow new, scar-free skin
• Engineers study how hills, nearby turbines affect wind energy production
• Inspired by insect cuticle, scientists develop material that's tough and strong
• Life after cigarettes: Compared with those who continue to smoke, quitters are both happier and more satisfied with their health
• Physicists smell but don't yet taste Higgs
• Possible hints of Higgs boson remain in latest analyses, physicists say
• Alzheimer's/Parkinson's: Unexpected signaling role for foul-smelling hydrogen sulfide in cell response to protein misfolding
• Study reveals an association between impatience and lower credit scores
• Findings on biochar, greenhouse gas emissions and ethylene
• Nostalgic consumers are more likely to give to charity
• Online brand comments: How do they affect consumer decisions?
• Why does stating your intention lead you to purchase your favorite brand?
• Do consumers prefer brands that appear on their Facebook pages?
• Commercial or communal: Why is outsourcing taboo for churches and pharmaceutical companies?
• Elephant seal travels 18,000 miles
• Holiday shopping: Why does rubbing elbows turn consumers off?
• From teddy bears to iPhones, we overestimate what others will pay for goods
• Mothers' weight before and during pregnancy affects baby's weight
• Promising signs for the existence of the Higgs boson
• Microneedle sensors may allow real-time monitoring of body chemistry
• Developing crops that can cope with sudden changes in the weather
• Sugar pump in plants identified
• ATLAS and CMS experiments present Higgs search status
• Artificially enhanced athletes
• Largest ever gas mix caught in ultra-freeze trap
• Precise detection by the nose: Researchers decipher interaction of fragrances and olfactory receptors
• Visualization of DNA synthesis in vivo
• Widespread brain atrophy detected in Parkinson's disease with newly developed structural pattern
• Tiny protein helps bacteria 'talk' and triggers defensive response in plants

Starving orangutans might help to better understand obesity and eating disorders in humans Posted: 13 Dec 2011 05:33 PM PST New research examining how endangered Indonesian orangutans – considered a close relative to humans -- survive during times of extreme food scarcity might help scientists better understand eating disorders and obesity in humans.

NASA developing comet harpoon for sample return Posted: 13 Dec 2011 04:02 PM PST The best way to grab a sample of a rotating comet that is racing through the inner solar system at up to 150,000 miles per hour while spewing chunks of ice, rock and dust may be to avoid the risky business of landing on it. Instead, researchers want to send a spacecraft to rendezvous with a comet, then fire a harpoon to rapidly acquire samples from specific locations with surgical precision while hovering above the target. Using this "standoff" technique would allow samples to be collected even from areas that are much too rugged or dangerous to permit the landing and safe operation of a spacecraft.

American Cancer Society revises cancer screening guideline process Posted: 13 Dec 2011 04:02 PM PST The American Cancer Society has revised its guideline formation process to achieve greater transparency, consistency, and rigor in creating guidance about cancer screening.

Preparing for future human exploration, RAD measures radiation on journey to Mars Posted: 13 Dec 2011 04:02 PM PST The Radiation Assessment Detector, the first instrument on NASA's next rover mission to Mars to begin science operations, was powered up and began collecting data Dec. 6, almost 2 weeks ahead of schedule. RAD is the only instrument scheduled to collect science data on the journey to Mars. The instrument is measuring the energetic particles inside the spacecraft to characterize the radiation environment an astronaut would experience on a future human mission to the Red Planet.

High levels of tau protein linked to poor recovery after brain injury Posted: 13 Dec 2011 04:02 PM PST High levels of tau protein in fluid bathing the brain are linked to poor recovery after head trauma, according to a new study.

Scientists develop vaccine that successfully attacks breast cancer in mice Posted: 13 Dec 2011 04:01 PM PST Researchers have developed a vaccine that dramatically reduces tumors in a mouse model.

Small reactors could figure into US energy future Posted: 13 Dec 2011 04:01 PM PST A new study concludes that small modular reactors may hold the key to the future of U.S. nuclear power generation.

Was Darwin wrong about emotions? Posted: 13 Dec 2011 04:00 PM PST Contrary to what many psychological scientists think, people do not all have the same set of biologically "basic" emotions, and those emotions are not automatically expressed on the faces of those around us, according to the author of a new article. This means a recent move to train security workers to recognize "basic" emotions from expressions might be misguided.

New path to flex and stretch electronics: Artificial electronic skin device capable of detecting and responding to touch Posted: 13 Dec 2011 04:00 PM PST Researchers have developed a promising new inexpensive technique for fabricating large-scale flexible and stretchable backplanes using semiconductor-enriched carbon nanotube solutions. To demonstrate the utility of their carbon nanotube backplanes, the researchers constructed an artificial electronic skin device capable of detecting and responding to touch.

Risk of stillbirth associated with factors known early in pregnancy Posted: 13 Dec 2011 04:00 PM PST Stillbirth is associated with a range of health and socio-demographic factors identifiable before or at the start of pregnancy, including prior pregnancy outcomes, ethnicity and modifiable health factors, such as diabetes, obesity and smoking. These findings are the result of the largest population-based stillbirth study.

Most common causes, risk factors for stillbirth Posted: 13 Dec 2011 03:56 PM PST Two studies by the Stillbirth Collaborative Research Network have identified the most common causes and risk factors for stillbirth, including causes such as preterm labor and risk factors that include diabetes and excess weight.

Using many instruments to track a comet Posted: 13 Dec 2011 01:50 PM PST In 16 years of data observations, the Solar Heliophysics Observatory (SOHO) -- a joint European Space Agency and NASA mission -- made an unexpected claim for fame: the sighting of new comets at an alarming rate. SOHO has spotted over 2100 comets, most of which are from what's known as the Kreutz family, which graze the solar atmosphere where they usually evaporate completely.

Tycho's star shines in gamma rays, NASA's Fermi shows Posted: 13 Dec 2011 01:47 PM PST In early November 1572, observers on Earth witnessed the appearance of a "new star" in the constellation Cassiopeia, an event now recognized as the brightest naked-eye supernova in more than 400 years. It's often called "Tycho's supernova" after the great Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, who gained renown for his extensive study of the object. Now, years of data collected by NASA's Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope reveal that the shattered star's remains shine in high-energy gamma rays.

NASA Mars-bound rover begins research in space Posted: 13 Dec 2011 01:46 PM PST NASA's car-sized Curiosity rover has begun monitoring space radiation during its 8-month trip from Earth to Mars. The research will aid in planning for future human missions to the Red Planet. Curiosity launched on Nov. 26 from Cape Canaveral, Fla., aboard the Mars Science Laboratory. The rover carries an instrument called the Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) that monitors high-energy atomic and subatomic particles from the sun, distant supernovas and other sources. These particles constitute radiation that could be harmful to any microbes or astronauts in space or on Mars. The rover also will monitor radiation on the surface of Mars after its August 2012 landing.

Portraits of Saturn moons captured by Cassini Posted: 13 Dec 2011 01:44 PM PST NASA's Cassini spacecraft successfully completed its closest-ever pass over Saturn's moon Dione on Dec. 12, slaloming its way through the Saturn system on its way to a close flyby of Titan. Cassini is expected to glide about 2,200 miles (3,600 kilometers) over the Titan surface on Dec. 13.

NASA's Dawn spirals down to lowest orbit around giant asteroid Vesta Posted: 13 Dec 2011 01:42 PM PST NASA's Dawn spacecraft successfully maneuvered into its closest orbit around the giant asteroid Vesta Dec. 12, beginning a new phase of science observations. The spacecraft is now circling Vesta at an altitude averaging about 130 miles (210 kilometers) in the phase of the mission known as low altitude mapping orbit.

First electronic optical fibers with hydrogenated amorphous silicon are developed Posted: 13 Dec 2011 11:47 AM PST A new chemical technique for depositing a non-crystalline form of silicon into the long, ultra-thin pores of optical fibers is the first of its kind to use high-pressure chemistry for making well-developed films and wires of this particular kind of silicon semiconductor. The research will help scientists to make more-efficient and more-flexible optical fibers.

Reprogramming brain cells important first step for new Parkinson's therapy Posted: 13 Dec 2011 11:47 AM PST In efforts to find new treatments for Parkinson's Disease (PD), researchers have directly reprogrammed astrocytes, the most plentiful cell type in the central nervous system, into dopamine-producing neurons. PD is marked by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain.

Nanoparticles help researcher deliver steroids to retina Posted: 13 Dec 2011 11:47 AM PST Hitching a ride into the retina on nanoparticles called dendrimers offers a new way to treat age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa.

As Voyager 1 nears edge of solar system, scientists look back Posted: 13 Dec 2011 11:47 AM PST In 1977, Jimmy Carter was sworn in as president, Elvis died, Virginia park ranger Roy Sullivan was hit by lightning a record seventh time and two NASA space probes destined to turn planetary science on its head launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla. The identical spacecraft, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, were launched in the summer and programmed to pass by Jupiter and Saturn on different paths. Voyager 2 went on to visit Uranus and Neptune, completing the "Grand Tour of the Solar System," perhaps the most exciting interplanetary mission ever flown. Scientists who designed and built identical instruments for Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 were as stunned as anyone when the spacecraft began sending back data to Earth.

High-energy physicists set record for network data transfer Posted: 13 Dec 2011 11:47 AM PST Researchers have set a new world record for data transfer, helping to usher in the next generation of high-speed network technology. They transferred data in opposite directions at a combined rate of 186 gigabits per second (Gbps) in a wide-area network circuit. The rate is equivalent to moving two million gigabytes per day, fast enough to transfer nearly 100,000 full Blu-ray disks -- each with a complete movie and all the extras -- in a day.

Trillion-frame-per-second video: Researchers have created an imaging system that makes light look slow Posted: 13 Dec 2011 10:34 AM PST Researchers have created a new imaging system that can acquire visual data at a rate of one trillion exposures per second. That's fast enough to produce a slow-motion video of a burst of light traveling the length of a one-liter bottle, bouncing off the cap and reflecting back to the bottle's bottom.

Physicists say they are near epic Higgs boson discovery Posted: 13 Dec 2011 10:20 AM PST The Holy Grail of high-energy physics -- the predicted but elusive Higgs boson -- is almost within reach, and particle physicists around the world collaborating on making the finding are almost giddy with excitement.

All it takes is a smile (for some guys) Posted: 13 Dec 2011 10:20 AM PST Does she or doesn't she ... ? Sexual cues are ambiguous, and confounding. We -- especially men -- often read them wrong. A new study hypothesizes that the men who get it wrong might be the ones that evolution has favored.

Physicists help narrow search for elusive Higgs boson, a building block of the universe Posted: 13 Dec 2011 10:19 AM PST Physicists have narrowed the search for the Higgs boson, a subatomic particle that is a building block of the universe. In an announcement made Dec. 13 in Geneva, scientists said they have found signs of its existence and narrowed the regions where the elusive particle could be.

In third-degree burn treatment, hydrogel helps grow new, scar-free skin Posted: 13 Dec 2011 10:19 AM PST Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a jelly-like material and wound treatment method that, in early experiments on skin damaged by severe burns, appeared to regenerate healthy, scar-free tissue.

Engineers study how hills, nearby turbines affect wind energy production Posted: 13 Dec 2011 09:26 AM PST Engineers are using wind tunnel tests to study how hills, valleys and the placement of wind turbines affect the performance of wind farms. While the wind power industry has data about offshore turbine performance over flat water, there's little information about the effects of uneven ground on wind turbines and their power production.

Inspired by insect cuticle, scientists develop material that's tough and strong Posted: 13 Dec 2011 09:26 AM PST Researchers have developed "Shrilk," a new material that replicates the exceptional strength, toughness, and versatility of one of nature's more extraordinary substances -- insect cuticle.

Life after cigarettes: Compared with those who continue to smoke, quitters are both happier and more satisfied with their health Posted: 13 Dec 2011 09:08 AM PST Life without cigarettes is not all doom and gloom. In fact, successful quitters are more satisfied with their lives and feel healthier, both one year and three years afterwards, than those who continue to smoke. That's according to new research by Dr. Megan Piper, from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in the US, and her team. Their work looks at whether quitting smoking can improve psychological well-being.

Physicists smell but don't yet taste Higgs Posted: 13 Dec 2011 09:01 AM PST In a seminar held at CERN Dec. 13 and then repeated across Canada at multiple partnering institutions, the ATLAS and CMS experiments presented the status of their searches for the Standard Model Higgs boson. Finding this particle would snap in the last missing puzzle piece of the Standard Model that describes the universe at its most basic level. Tantalizing hints have been seen by both experiments in the same mass region, but these are not yet strong enough to claim a discovery. The main conclusion is that the Standard Model Higgs boson, if it exists, is most likely to have a mass in the range 115-130 GeV, excluding essentially all other hiding places.

Possible hints of Higgs boson remain in latest analyses, physicists say Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:49 AM PST Two experiments at the Large Hadron Collider have nearly eliminated the space in which the Higgs boson could dwell, scientists announced in a seminar held at CERN Dec. 13. However, the ATLAS and CMS experiments see modest excesses in their data that could soon uncover the famous missing piece of the physics puzzle. Theorists have predicted that some subatomic particles gain mass by interacting with other particles called Higgs bosons. The Higgs boson is the only undiscovered part of the Standard Model of physics, which describes the basic building blocks of matter and their interactions.

Alzheimer's/Parkinson's: Unexpected signaling role for foul-smelling hydrogen sulfide in cell response to protein misfolding Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:47 AM PST CSHL scientists have discovered hydrogen sulfide -- the flammable, toxic gas associated with the smell of rotten eggs in landfills -- helps regulate a signaling pathway implicated in biological malfunctions linked to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, among others.

Study reveals an association between impatience and lower credit scores Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:47 AM PST A new study finds an association between impatience and lower credit scores.

Findings on biochar, greenhouse gas emissions and ethylene Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:47 AM PST Adding a charred biomass material called biochar to glacial soils can help reduce emissions of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, according to scientists.

Nostalgic consumers are more likely to give to charity Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:05 AM PST Nostalgia, a sentimental longing for the past, can boost donations and help drum up volunteers, according to a new study.

Online brand comments: How do they affect consumer decisions? Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:05 AM PST Consumer reactions to online comments depend on the number of comments and the reader's orientation (whether it's positive or negative), according to a new study.

Why does stating your intention lead you to purchase your favorite brand? Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:05 AM PST If you say you're going to buy something, you're more likely to do it. But why is that? According to a new study, stating an intention leads consumers to action -- and makes them more likely to purchase their preferred brands.

Do consumers prefer brands that appear on their Facebook pages? Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:05 AM PST You are likely to identify with a brand that advertises alongside your personal information on a Facebook page (especially if you have high self-esteem), according to a new study. The same ad will have less impact if you view it on a stranger's page.

Commercial or communal: Why is outsourcing taboo for churches and pharmaceutical companies? Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:05 AM PST Consumers hold churches and pharmaceutical companies to different moral standards than other organizations, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.

Elephant seal travels 18,000 miles Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:05 AM PST Scientists tracked a southern elephant seal for an astonishing 18,000 miles -- the equivalent of New York to Sydney and back again.

Holiday shopping: Why does rubbing elbows turn consumers off? Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:05 AM PST Although holiday sales and events try to drive as many customers to retail stores as possible, a new study shows that the crowding may drive them away as well.

From teddy bears to iPhones, we overestimate what others will pay for goods Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:05 AM PST Compared to what they would pay themselves, most consumers overestimate what others are willing to pay for products, according to a new study. And that holds true for a large range of items, both real and imaginary.

Mothers' weight before and during pregnancy affects baby's weight Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:05 AM PST Both pre-pregnant weight (body mass index) and weight gain in pregnancy are important predictors of babies' birthweight. This is important since high birthweight may also predict adult overweight.

Promising signs for the existence of the Higgs boson Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:02 AM PST Today's announcement from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN points to promising signs for the existence of the Higgs boson. Weizmann Institute scientists have been prominent participants in ATLAS, one of the two experiments to produce results in the search for this elementary particle.

Microneedle sensors may allow real-time monitoring of body chemistry Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:02 AM PST Researchers have developed new technology that uses microneedles to allow doctors to detect real-time chemical changes in the body -- and to continuously do so for an extended period of time.

Developing crops that can cope with sudden changes in the weather Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:02 AM PST Crops that can cope with sudden fluctuations in the weather could be developed, thanks to fresh discoveries about the survival mechanisms of plants.

Sugar pump in plants identified Posted: 13 Dec 2011 07:58 AM PST Researchers have discovered the protein that transports sucrose to a plant's vascular pathways.

ATLAS and CMS experiments present Higgs search status Posted: 13 Dec 2011 07:58 AM PST In a seminar held at CERN Dec. 13, the ATLAS and CMS experiments presented the status of their searches for the Standard Model Higgs boson. Their results are based on the analysis of considerably more data than those presented at the summer conferences, sufficient to make significant progress in the search for the Higgs boson, but not enough to make any conclusive statement on the existence or non-existence of the elusive Higgs. The main conclusion is that the Standard Model Higgs boson, if it exists, is most likely to have a mass constrained to the range 116-130 GeV by the ATLAS experiment, and 115-127 GeV by CMS. Tantalizing hints have been seen by both experiments in this mass region, but these are not yet strong enough to claim a discovery.

Artificially enhanced athletes Posted: 13 Dec 2011 06:21 AM PST Superstar swimmers and certain comic book superheroes have something unusual in common -- when they wear special suits, they gain phenomenal abilities. A first-of-its-kind study shows how now-banned technical swimsuits artificially enhanced athlete performance in 2009.

Largest ever gas mix caught in ultra-freeze trap Posted: 13 Dec 2011 06:20 AM PST A team of scientists have made it easier to study atomic or subatomic-scale properties of the building blocks of matter (which also include protons, neutrons and electrons) known as fermions by slowing down the movement of a large quantity of gaseous atoms at ultra-low temperature.

Precise detection by the nose: Researchers decipher interaction of fragrances and olfactory receptors Posted: 13 Dec 2011 06:18 AM PST Banana, mango or apricot -- telling these smells apart is no problem for the human nose. How the olfactory organ distinguishes such similar smells has been uncovered by an interdisciplinary team of researchers. The scientists were the first to shed light on the dynamics of the three-dimensional structure of the binding site of an olfactory receptor. In so doing, they also found a characteristic pattern of hydrogen bonds between odorant and receptor, which accounts for the specificity of the olfactory sensors. Using computer simulations, the team was able to predict whether odorant molecules activate a certain receptor or not.

Visualization of DNA synthesis in vivo Posted: 13 Dec 2011 06:18 AM PST Researchers have discovered a new substance for labeling and visualization of DNA synthesis in whole animals. Applications for this technique include identifying the sites of virus infections and cancer growth, due to the abundance of DNA replication in these tissues. This approach should therefore lead to new strategies in drug development.

Widespread brain atrophy detected in Parkinson's disease with newly developed structural pattern Posted: 12 Dec 2011 07:10 PM PST Atrophy in the hippocampus, the region of the brain known for memory formation and storage, is evident in Parkinson's disease patients with cognitive impairment, including early decline known as mild cognitive impairment, according to a new study.

Tiny protein helps bacteria 'talk' and triggers defensive response in plants Posted: 12 Dec 2011 07:09 PM PST Scientists have discovered a new signal that helps invading bacteria communicate but also helps targeted rice plants coordinate defensive attacks on the disease-causing invaders, a finding that could lead to new methods of combating infection not just in plants, but in humans.

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