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Science News for December 16, 2011


UCLA physicists report nanotechnology feat with proteins

Researchers discovered a 'viscoelastic regime' in isolated protein molecules, exhibiting both elastic and viscous behavior. This finding opens up new avenues for understanding complex materials and potentially leading to advancements in protein engineering.

SourceUniversity of California - Los Angeles·JournalPLOS ONE·DateDec 16, 2011

New Geology science posted online Dec. 8-16 2011

The article discusses the discovery of missing mid-Cenozoic sediments in the Lomonosov Ridge drilling, the variation in the Intertropical Convergence Zone's (ITCZ) position with global climate changes, and the decoupling of taxonomic and ecological severities of major mass extinctions. The ITCZ's position was more southward than today ...

SourceGeological Society of America·JournalGeology·DateDec 16, 2011
Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

Northwestern scientist gets mentoring award at White House

Teresa Woodruff, a Northwestern University professor, received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring at the White House. The award honors her Women's Health Science Program for High School Girls and Beyond, which mentors urban minority high-school girls in science and health.

SourceNorthwestern University·DateDec 16, 2011

Notre Dame researchers demonstrate new DNA detection technique

The Notre Dame research team has demonstrated a novel DNA detection method called laser transmission spectroscopy (LTS) that can rapidly determine the size, shape, and number of nanoparticles in suspension. The technique is highly sensitive and takes only a few seconds to score a sample for species presence or absence, making it a prom...

SourceUniversity of Notre Dame·JournalPLOS ONE·DateDec 16, 2011

Caterpillars mimic one another for survival

Researchers found that caterpillars in Neotropical regions mimic the warning coloration of toxic species for protection. The study reveals that mimicry is a common survival tactic among caterpillars, with some species forming Müllerian mimicry rings to avoid predators.

SourceEntomological Society of America·JournalAnnals of the Entomological Society of America·DateDec 16, 2011
CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock simplifies serious desks with 18 ports for high-speed storage, monitors, and instruments across Mac and PC setups.

Traumatic experiences may make you tough

Research suggests that small amounts of trauma can help individuals develop resilience, contrary to the common notion that traumatic experiences are always detrimental. People who have experienced some negative life events tend to have better outcomes than those with no adverse experiences or those with excessive adversity.

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalCurrent Directions in Psychological Science·DateDec 16, 2011

Fear no supernova

Supernovas release enormous amounts of energy, but are too far away to harm Earth's ozone layer. Gamma-ray bursts could pose a threat if directed towards our planet, but estimates suggest it's unlikely to occur in the near future.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateDec 16, 2011

Quantum cats are hard to see

Researchers demonstrate why quantum mechanics' physical effects are rarely seen in daily life. They found that precisely counting photons becomes increasingly difficult as the number of photons increases.

SourceUniversity of Calgary·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateDec 16, 2011

Tool enables scientists to uncover patterns in vast data sets

Researchers have developed a tool called Maximal Information Coefficient (MIC) that can uncover patterns in large data sets. MIC can tease out recurring events or sets of data hidden in health information, the changing bacterial landscape of the gut, and statistics from competitive sports.

SourceU.S. National Science Foundation·JournalScience·DateDec 16, 2011
Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter

Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter is a trusted meter for precise measurements during instrument integration, repairs, and field diagnostics.

Advantages and motivations uncertain behind use of brachytherapy for breast cancer radiotherapy

A study found APBIb use increased from 0.4% to 6.6% between 2000 and 2007, with wide regional disparities and racial/ethnic differences in utilization. The authors suggest unwarranted variation in practice may be present, highlighting the need for further research on APBI effectiveness.

SourceJournal of the National Cancer Institute·JournalJNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute·DateDec 16, 2011

Protecting confidential data with math

Researchers Rudolf Ahlswede and Harout Aydinian analyze a security-control model for statistical databases, proposing an optimal collection of SUM queries to prevent compromise of confidential information. Query restriction is one approach used to limit the amount of data that can be retrieved by users.

SourceSociety for Industrial and Applied Mathematics·JournalSIAM Journal on Discrete Mathematics·DateDec 16, 2011

GDP up, happiness down

A team of scientists from the University of Vermont measured global happiness using Twitter data over three years. The trend shows a gradual downward trend, with drops in happiness following major events and weekly patterns. The researchers propose a tool for real-time monitoring of collective emotions.

SourceUniversity of Vermont·JournalPLOS ONE·DateDec 16, 2011

No brakes on breast cancer cells

Researchers have discovered a microRNA, miR-520, that suppresses NFkappaB and TGF-b signaling pathways in breast cancer cells. This finding suggests that miR-520 may act as a tumor suppressor and could lead to new treatment options for ER-negative breast cancer.

SourceHelmholtz Association·JournalOncogene·DateDec 16, 2011
AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope

AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope supports teaching labs and QA checks with LED illumination, mechanical stage, and included 5MP camera.

Group sex among adolescents a public health concern, new study says

A recent study published in the Journal of Urban Health found that one in 13 teenage girls reported having group-sex experience, which was often pressured or coerced. The study highlights the need for additional research on this topic and provides insights into the potential risks to sexual and reproductive health.

SourceBoston University School of Medicine·JournalJournal of Urban Health·DateDec 16, 2011

Plasma treatment zaps viruses before they can attack cells

Researchers found a method to damage adenoviruses using plasma in the lab environment, reducing viral activity by up to 99%. The technique could lead to safer stem-cell therapies for patients at risk of life-threatening infections.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalApplied Physics Letters·DateDec 16, 2011

Study suggests early ART in recently HIV-infected patients preferable to delayed treatment

A new study suggests that immediate antiretroviral therapy (ART) is more beneficial for recently infected HIV patients than deferred treatment. The study found that participants who received ART immediately had better outcomes and were protected from disease progression not only during treatment but also after treatment was stopped.

SourceInfectious Diseases Society of America·JournalThe Journal of Infectious Diseases·DateDec 16, 2011

Long-term inhaled dry powder mannitol improves lung function in CF

A new study found that adding inhaled dry powder mannitol to standard therapy for cystic fibrosis improved lung function over 52 weeks. The treatment showed a significant improvement in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and fewer pulmonary exacerbations compared to the control group.

SourceAmerican Thoracic Society·JournalAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine·DateDec 16, 2011
Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) runs demanding GIS, imaging, and annotation workflows on the go for surveys, briefings, and lab notebooks.

Can science predict a hit song?

Researchers at the University of Bristol used musical features and machine learning algorithms to predict song hits in the UK singles chart. They found that danceability increased in popularity from the late 1970s and that slower styles, such as ballads, were more likely to become hits in the 1980s.

SourceUniversity of Bristol·DateDec 16, 2011

Inhaled glucocorticoids during pregnancy and offspring pediatric diseases

A comprehensive study found that maternal use of inhaled glucocorticoids for asthma during pregnancy is not associated with most diseases in childhood, but may increase the risk of endocrine and metabolic disorders. The study followed 65,085 mother-child pairs from early pregnancy to childhood.

SourceAmerican Thoracic Society·JournalAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine·DateDec 16, 2011

2 research facilities awarded technology seeding grants

Two Ontario research facilities, The Centre for Applied Genomics and StemCore Laboratories, have been awarded $10,000 each to develop leading-edge technologies in Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) methods. Dr. Stephen Scherer will compare genome enrichment and exome capture kits, while Pearl Campbell will optimize ChIP-Seq methods.

SourceOntario Genomics Institute·DateDec 16, 2011

Remote wilderness polluted by humans

A comprehensive study of 36 lakes in the USA, Canada, Greenland, and Svalbard reveals that biologically active nitrogen from human sources can be traced back to the end of the 19th century. The rate of change has accelerated over the past 60 years, coinciding with the commercialization of artificial fertilizer production.

SourceLund University·JournalScience·DateDec 16, 2011
SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB transfers large imagery and model outputs quickly between field laptops, lab workstations, and secure archives.

New device creates lipid spheres that mimic cell membranes

Researchers developed a microfluidic device to produce stable, biocompatible lipid vesicles that mimic natural cell membranes. This breakthrough overcomes previous hurdles by generating precisely sized droplets in an oil environment, producing an oil-and-water membrane for lipid assembly.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalBiomicrofluidics·DateDec 16, 2011

Midwives use rituals to send message that women's bodies know best

A study by Oregon State University researcher Melissa Cheyney found that midwife-attended home births have better health outcomes, including lower cesarean section rates. Midwives construct woman-centered rituals around pregnancy and birth to put mothers in control, involving family members and downplaying technology.

SourceOregon State University·JournalMedical Anthropology Quarterly·DateDec 16, 2011

UCSF-led team discovers cause of rare disease

A UCSF-led team has identified the gene PRRT2 as the cause of a rare childhood neurological disorder called PKD/IC. The study may improve diagnosis and shed light on other movement disorders like Parkinson's disease.

SourceUniversity of California - San Francisco·JournalCell Reports·DateDec 16, 2011
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C)

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C) provide clear calls and strong noise reduction for interviews, conferences, and noisy field environments.

Following the crowd supports democracy

Researchers found that uninformed individuals can bring about a majority decision, even if the minority is more determined than the majority. The number of undecided individuals must not be excessive, or decisions become unpredictable and follow a random pattern.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalScience·DateDec 16, 2011

Rapid rise in wildfires in large parts of Canada?

Large areas of Canada are approaching threshold values for wildfires, increasing the area burnt down annually and fire size. Climate change is expected to cause an abrupt increase in fires, making strategies for combating wildfires reconsidered.

SourceHelmholtz Association·DateDec 16, 2011

Barracuda babies: Novel study sheds light on early life of prolific predator

A University of Miami research team studied the larval stage of great barracuda and sennets, finding they share a similar diet and live in upper 25m ocean layer. The study identifies a size advantage within the larval stage, where bigger larvae are more likely to survive.

SourceUniversity of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science·JournalMarine Biology·DateDec 16, 2011
Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope

Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope combines portable Schmidt-Cassegrain optics with GoTo pointing for outreach nights and field campaigns.

Close family ties keep microbial cheaters in check, study finds

Experiments with social amoebae reveal that cooperation depends on kinship, and population bottlenecks can stabilize cellular cooperation. The study found that nearly all multicellular organisms begin life as a single cell, and that cheater mutants are more likely to occur in groups where relatedness is low.

SourceU.S. National Science Foundation·JournalScience·DateDec 16, 2011

Novel device removes heavy metals from water

The cyclic electrowinning/precipitation (CEP) system removes heavy metals from water by increasing their concentration, making it possible for a proven metal-removal technique to take over. The automated CEP system can remove up to 99% of copper, cadmium, and nickel, returning the contaminated water to federally accepted standards.

SourceBrown University·JournalChemical Engineering Journal·DateDec 16, 2011
GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter logs beta, gamma, and X-ray levels for environmental monitoring, training labs, and safety demonstrations.

Endophenotype strategies for the study of neuropsychiatric disorders

Researchers identify neurobiological characteristics linked to complex neuropsychiatric disorders as potential biomarkers. Cognitive deficits are recognized as core features of schizophrenia, reflecting a broader, more multidimensional illness than traditional diagnosis.

SourceScience China Press·JournalChinese Science Bulletin·DateDec 16, 2011

Winter diets? The secret is to chill the extremities

Researchers found that red deer lower their heart rates in winter regardless of food intake, suggesting an internal programming mechanism. The deer's ability to regulate body temperature is crucial for conserving energy during the cold season.

SourceUniversity of Veterinary Medicine -- Vienna·JournalJournal of Experimental Biology·DateDec 16, 2011

Tool detects patterns hidden in vast data sets

Researchers developed a tool called MINE that can detect multiple patterns hidden in health information, baseball statistics, and more. It analyzes large data sets with great speed, identifying relationships and ranking them in an equitable way.

SourceHarvard University·JournalScience·DateDec 16, 2011