ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Catching solar particles infiltrating Earth's atmosphere
• Chemical substitution: On early Earth, iron may have performed magnesium's RNA folding job
• Dark chocolate could prevent heart problems in high-risk people
• X-ray 'echoes' map a supermassive black hole's environs in distant galaxies
• New small solid oxide fuel cell reaches record efficiency
• Slingshot-driven device stops high-velocity projectiles without destroying them
• Wildfire and an example of its important link to the ecosystem
• Cosmic calculations for exploring where stars are born
• Life scientists view biodiversity through a whole new dimension: Body size, feeding rates
• Is there a 'healthy' obesity gene?
• Predicting burglary patterns through math modeling of crime
• New molecular structure offers first picture of a protein family vital to human health
• X-ray laser probes biomolecules to individual atoms
• Vertebrates share ancient neural circuitry for complex social behaviors, biologists find
• Building molecular 'cages' to fight disease
• New tool to attack the mysteries of high-temperature superconductivity
• Alzheimer's protein structure suggests new treatment directions
• Walking and running again after spinal cord injury
• Free-electron lasers reveal detailed architecture of proteins
• Sex: It's a good thing, study of primroses shows
• Smoking during pregnancy linked to severe asthma in teen years
• Finding good music in noisy online markets
• Flies with restless legs syndrome point to a genetic cause
• How cells communicate to activate notch signaling
• Crash of the Titans: Milky Way is destined for head-on collision with Andromeda Galaxy
• NASA preparing to launch its newest X-ray eyes
• Dragon splashdown marks end of landmark flight
• SpaceX Dragon capsule returns to Earth after first commercial flight to space station
• Mechanism that maintains stem cells readiness identified
• Geoengineering for global warming: Increasing aerosols in atmosphere would make sky whiter
• Mystery of monarch butterfly migration takes new turn
• ALMA Turns its Eyes to Centaurus A
• Methane on Mars is not an indication of life: UV radiation releases methane from organic materials from meteorites
• Advanced visualization techniques could change the paradigm for diagnosis and treatment of heart disease
• 'Simple and effective' injection could offer hope for treatment of autoimmune disease
• Electric moon jolts the solar wind
• Fantasizing about your dream vacation could lead to poor decision-making
• Runners can improve health and performance with less training, study shows
• Genetic discovery unlocks biosynthesis of medicinal compound in poppy
• 'Like a jet through solid rock:' Volcanic arc fed by rapid fluid pulses
• Hunting planets with laser rulers
• Memory training unlikely to help in treating ADHD, boosting IQ

Catching solar particles infiltrating Earth's atmosphere Posted: 31 May 2012 05:09 PM PDT On May 17, 2012, an M-class flare exploded from the sun. They caused a shower of particles to cascade down toward Earth's surface. The shower created what's called a ground level enhancement (GLE).

Chemical substitution: On early Earth, iron may have performed magnesium's RNA folding job Posted: 31 May 2012 05:09 PM PDT Researchers have used experiments and numerical calculations to show that iron, in the absence of oxygen, can substitute for magnesium in RNA binding, folding and catalysis. The findings suggest that three billion years ago, on the early Earth, iron did the chemical work now done by magnesium.

Dark chocolate could prevent heart problems in high-risk people Posted: 31 May 2012 05:08 PM PDT Daily consumption of dark chocolate can reduce cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and strokes, in people with metabolic syndrome (a cluster of factors that increases the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes), finds a new study

X-ray 'echoes' map a supermassive black hole's environs in distant galaxies Posted: 31 May 2012 01:57 PM PDT Astronomers have identified a long-sought X-ray "echo" that promises a new way to probe supersized black holes in distant galaxies.

New small solid oxide fuel cell reaches record efficiency Posted: 31 May 2012 01:57 PM PDT A new solid oxide fuel cell system can achieve a record of up to 57 percent efficiency and is designed to be scaled up to generate electricity for individual homes or neighborhoods.

Slingshot-driven device stops high-velocity projectiles without destroying them Posted: 31 May 2012 01:57 PM PDT What do you get when you combine a slingshot, a fish tank, a stack of 2-by-4s and five engineering students determined to help the United States Air Force? A device to stop high-velocity projectiles without destroying them.

Wildfire and an example of its important link to the ecosystem Posted: 31 May 2012 01:56 PM PDT A dilemma is smouldering -- even as wildfires top the current headlines. New research highlights the practice of aggressive fire suppression by using studies at Lake Tahoe as an active example.

Cosmic calculations for exploring where stars are born Posted: 31 May 2012 01:56 PM PDT Astrophysicists can now analyze the vast molecular clouds of gas and dust where stars are born more accurately. New research has solved equations of quantum mechanics to describe more precisely the interactions between molecules of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, the two most abundant gases in space.

Life scientists view biodiversity through a whole new dimension: Body size, feeding rates Posted: 31 May 2012 01:00 PM PDT How can blue whales, the largest animals on the planet, survive by feeding on krill, shrimp-like creatures that are the size of a penny? According to life scientists, it's all a matter of dimensions.

Is there a 'healthy' obesity gene? Posted: 31 May 2012 11:58 AM PDT Researchers recently investigated whether a specific gene/enzyme could be help explain why some obese people do not get chronic diseases typically associated with obesity.

Predicting burglary patterns through math modeling of crime Posted: 31 May 2012 11:58 AM PDT Pattern formation in physical, biological, and sociological systems has been studied for many years. One area where it has been of growing interest is in crime modeling.

New molecular structure offers first picture of a protein family vital to human health Posted: 31 May 2012 11:57 AM PDT The 20 proteins in the Wnt family are some of the most important proteins in controlling how an organism develops and grows, but for 30 years scientists have not known what these vital proteins actually look like. Researchers have solved the first structure of a Wnt protein, opening up new avenues of study for this biologically important molecule.

X-ray laser probes biomolecules to individual atoms Posted: 31 May 2012 11:57 AM PDT Scientists have demonstrated how the world's most powerful X-ray laser can assist in cracking the structures of biomolecules, and in the processes helped to pioneer critical new investigative avenues in biology.

Vertebrates share ancient neural circuitry for complex social behaviors, biologists find Posted: 31 May 2012 11:57 AM PDT Humans, fish and frogs share neural circuits responsible for a diversity of social behavior, from flashy mating displays to aggression and monogamy, that have existed for more than 450 million years, biologists have found.

Building molecular 'cages' to fight disease Posted: 31 May 2012 11:57 AM PDT Biochemists have designed specialized proteins that assemble themselves to form tiny molecular cages hundreds of times smaller than a single cell. The creation of these miniature structures may be the first step toward developing new methods of drug delivery or even designing artificial vaccines.

New tool to attack the mysteries of high-temperature superconductivity Posted: 31 May 2012 11:57 AM PDT Using ultrafast lasers, scientists have tackled the long-standing mystery of how Cooper pairs form in high-temperature superconductors. With pump and probe pulses spaced just trillionths of a second apart, the researchers used photoemission spectroscopy to map rapid changes in electronic states across the superconducting transition, revealing relationships of energy and momentum never seen before in these promising, but stubborn, complex materials.

Alzheimer's protein structure suggests new treatment directions Posted: 31 May 2012 11:57 AM PDT The molecular structure of a protein involved in Alzheimer's disease -- and the surprising discovery that it binds cholesterol -- could lead to new therapeutics for the disease, investigators report.

Walking and running again after spinal cord injury Posted: 31 May 2012 11:57 AM PDT Rats with spinal cord injuries and severe paralysis are now walking (and running). New results show that a severed section of the spinal cord can make a comeback when its own innate intelligence and regenerative capacity -- what lead author calls the "spinal brain" -- is awakened.

Free-electron lasers reveal detailed architecture of proteins Posted: 31 May 2012 11:56 AM PDT Ultrashort flashes of X-radiation allow atomic structures of macromolecules to be obtained even from tiny protein crystals.

Sex: It's a good thing, study of primroses shows Posted: 31 May 2012 11:55 AM PDT Way more than fun and games, sexual reproduction appears to give an evolutionary advantage, biologists have discovered.

Smoking during pregnancy linked to severe asthma in teen years Posted: 31 May 2012 11:55 AM PDT African-American and Latino children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are more likely to suffer from acute asthma symptoms in their teens than asthma sufferers whose mothers did not smoke, according to a new study.

Finding good music in noisy online markets Posted: 31 May 2012 10:57 AM PDT Researchers have analyzed data on 14,000 users of a music-sharing site and have concluded that, while social-media marketing -- getting lots of "likes" on Facebook, for instance -- can drive users to listen to excerpts from new songs, it has a negligible effect on their purchases.

Flies with restless legs syndrome point to a genetic cause Posted: 31 May 2012 10:56 AM PDT When flies are made to lose a gene with links to Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), they suffer the same sleep disturbances and restlessness that human patients do. The findings strongly suggest a genetic basis for RLS, a condition in which patients complain of an irresistible urge to move that gets worse as they try to rest.

How cells communicate to activate notch signaling Posted: 31 May 2012 10:54 AM PDT Researchers have shown for the first time that the mechanical force produced by cell-cell interactions is critical for programming by the Notch signaling system.

Crash of the Titans: Milky Way is destined for head-on collision with Andromeda Galaxy Posted: 31 May 2012 10:54 AM PDT Astronomers can now predict with certainty the next major cosmic event to affect our galaxy, Sun, and solar system: the titanic collision of our Milky Way galaxy with the neighboring Andromeda galaxy. The Milky Way is destined to get a major makeover during the encounter, which is predicted to happen four billion years from now. It's likely the Sun will be flung into a new region of our galaxy, but our Earth and solar system are in no danger of being destroyed.

NASA preparing to launch its newest X-ray eyes Posted: 31 May 2012 10:54 AM PDT NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, is being prepared for the final journey to its launch pad on Kwajalein Atoll in the central Pacific Ocean. The mission will study everything from massive black holes to our own sun. It is scheduled to launch no earlier than June 13.

Dragon splashdown marks end of landmark flight Posted: 31 May 2012 10:38 AM PDT SpaceX completed a landmark mission May 31 that saw its Dragon capsule deliver half-a-ton of supplies and equipment to the International Space Station and return safely to Earth. The flight made history as the first privately built spacecraft to rendezvous with the International Space Station. Its true impact is expected to be seen in coming months as the company sends regular re-supply missions to the orbiting outpost and continues work to launch astronauts into orbit in a few years.

SpaceX Dragon capsule returns to Earth after first commercial flight to space station Posted: 31 May 2012 10:37 AM PDT SpaceX's Dragon capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at 11:42 a.m. EDT a few hundred miles west of Baja California, Mexico, marking a successful end to the first mission by a commercial company to resupply the International Space Station.

Mechanism that maintains stem cells readiness identified Posted: 31 May 2012 08:26 AM PDT An immune-system receptor plays an unexpected but crucially important role in keeping stem cells from differentiating and in helping blood cancer cells grow, researchers report.

Geoengineering for global warming: Increasing aerosols in atmosphere would make sky whiter Posted: 31 May 2012 08:26 AM PDT One idea for fighting global warming is to increase the amount of aerosols in the atmosphere, scattering incoming solar energy away from Earth's surface. But scientists theorize that this solar geoengineering could have a side effect of whitening the sky during the day. New research indicates that blocking 2 percent of the sun's light would make the sky three-to-five times brighter, as well as whiter.

Mystery of monarch butterfly migration takes new turn Posted: 31 May 2012 08:26 AM PDT A prevailing theory contends that eastern and western monarchs are genetically distinct, and that genetic mechanisms trigger their divergent migratory paths. An analysis by biologists, however, finds that the two groups are genetically mixed, suggesting environmental factors may be the key to the butterflies' choice of winter homes, and where they wind up in the spring. The distinction is important to help better understand their behavior, and to conserve the monarch flyways.

ALMA Turns its Eyes to Centaurus A Posted: 31 May 2012 08:23 AM PDT A new image of the center of the distinctive galaxy Centaurus A shows how the new observatory allows astronomers to see through the opaque dust lanes that obscure the galaxy's center, with unprecedented quality.

Methane on Mars is not an indication of life: UV radiation releases methane from organic materials from meteorites Posted: 31 May 2012 08:23 AM PDT It was a sensation when scientists discovered methane in Mars' atmosphere nine years ago. Many saw the presence of the gas as a clear indication of life on the inhospitable planet, as on Earth methane is produced predominantly by biological processes. Others assumed geological processes, such as volcanoes, to be the cause. Researchers have now been able to show that methane escapes from a meteorite if it is irradiated with ultraviolet light under Martian conditions.

Advanced visualization techniques could change the paradigm for diagnosis and treatment of heart disease Posted: 31 May 2012 08:23 AM PDT Researchers are pioneering new ultrasound techniques that provide the first characterization of multidirectional blood flow in the heart. By focusing on fluid dynamics – specifically, the efficiency with which blood enters and exits the heart's left ventricle – the researchers believe they can detect heart disease even when traditional measures show no sign of trouble.

'Simple and effective' injection could offer hope for treatment of autoimmune disease Posted: 31 May 2012 07:24 AM PDT Australian researchers have uncovered a potential new way to regulate the body's natural immune response, offering hope of a simple and effective new treatment for autoimmune diseases.

Electric moon jolts the solar wind Posted: 31 May 2012 07:24 AM PDT With the moon as the most prominent object in the night sky and a major source of an invisible pull that creates ocean tides, many ancient cultures thought it could also affect our health or state of mind -- the word "lunacy" has its origin in this belief. Now, a powerful combination of spacecraft and computer simulations is revealing that the moon does indeed have a far-reaching, invisible influence -- not on us, but on the Sun, or more specifically, the solar wind.

Fantasizing about your dream vacation could lead to poor decision-making Posted: 31 May 2012 07:23 AM PDT Summer vacation time is upon us. If you have been saving up for your dream vacation for years, you may want to make sure your dream spot is still the best place to go. A new study has found that when we fantasize about such trips before they are possible, we tend to overlook the negatives -- thus influencing our decision-making down the line.

Runners can improve health and performance with less training, study shows Posted: 31 May 2012 07:22 AM PDT The new 10-20-30 training concept can improve both a person's running performance and health, despite a significant reduction in the total amount of training.

Genetic discovery unlocks biosynthesis of medicinal compound in poppy Posted: 31 May 2012 07:21 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a complex gene cluster responsible for the synthesis of the medicinal compound noscapine.

'Like a jet through solid rock:' Volcanic arc fed by rapid fluid pulses Posted: 31 May 2012 07:19 AM PDT The depths of Earth are anything but peaceful: large quantities of liquids carve their way through the rock as fluids, causing magma to form. Scientists have now shown that the fluids flow a lot faster through solid rock than previously assumed.

Hunting planets with laser rulers Posted: 31 May 2012 07:19 AM PDT Laser frequency combs can be used for the calibration of astronomical spectrographs. This will help to find extra-solar planets, i.e. planets that are orbiting a star outside our solar-system. By refining this technology it might become possible to directly measure even very small changes in the expansion velocity of the universe.

Memory training unlikely to help in treating ADHD, boosting IQ Posted: 31 May 2012 07:17 AM PDT Working memory training is unlikely to be an effective treatment for children suffering from disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity or dyslexia, according to a research analysis. In addition, memory training tasks appear to have limited effect on healthy adults and children looking to do better in school or improve their cognitive skills.

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