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Science News for March 9, 2012


NIH study links childhood cancer to developmental delays in milestones

Children treated for cancer before age 4 experience delays in vocabulary, cognitive functions, and motor skills compared to their healthy peers. However, social and emotional development remains unaffected.

SourceNIH/Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development·JournalJournal of Pediatric Psychology·DateMar 9, 2012

New online energy harvesting data repository launched

A new online resource, Energy Harvesting Open Access Data Repository, provides detailed data on energy availability and characteristics for researchers worldwide. The repository aims to standardize the evaluation of energy-harvesting devices and systems by offering a common dataset.

SourceUniversity of Southampton·DateMar 9, 2012

Researchers 'print' polymers that bend into 3-D shapes

Scientists created self-actuating materials by exposing polymer sheets to UV light, allowing them to fold into specific 3D shapes when water is added. The technique has potential for directing blood vessel or tissue growth in laboratory settings.

SourceU.S. National Science Foundation·JournalScience·DateMar 9, 2012
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.

Genetic marker for painful food allergy points to improved diagnosis, treatment

A genetic signature has been identified for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), a disease causing painful food allergies, inflammation, and swallowing difficulties. The microRNA signature is reversible with steroid treatment, offering an opportunity for non-invasive diagnosis and precise analysis.

SourceCincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center·JournalJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology·DateMar 9, 2012

Sustainability threatened by rising demand for livestock products

The European research project ReUseWaste aims to develop technologies and systems to make agriculture more resource-efficient by extracting bio-energy from waste, increasing nutrient recycling, and conserving soil quality. The project focuses on Denmark's significant animal manure production, aiming to increase sustainability and drive...

SourceUniversity of Copenhagen·DateMar 9, 2012

In recognizing faces, the whole is not greater than the sum of its parts

Researchers found that people's performance in recognizing a whole face is no better than their performance with individual features shown alone. The optimal Bayesian integrator model predicts this result, suggesting that relationships among facial features do not enhance information processing, contradicting the 'holistic' theory.

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalPsychological Science·DateMar 9, 2012
Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach

Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach provides rugged GNSS navigation, satellite messaging, and SOS for backcountry geology and climate field teams.

NASA's TRMM satellite sees hot towers in Cyclone Koji

The TRMM satellite's Precipitation Radar instrument provided a three-dimensional profile of precipitation up to 20km height, revealing powerful storm towers around the storm's center reaching 15km. Tropical Storm Koji was predicted to strengthen into a hurricane with peak winds of 70kts, but will weaken soon after.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateMar 9, 2012

Osteoarthritis Summit delineates shortcomings of research and path forward

The Osteoarthritis Summit identified gaps in research and proposed a new classification system to address the disease's complexity. Experts emphasized the need for multidisciplinary approaches and biomarkers to monitor disease progression, with potential solutions including weight loss interventions and integrated treatment strategies.

SourceHospital for Special Surgery·DateMar 9, 2012

Bite the hand that feeds...

A University of Miami study found that tiger sharks in Bahamas Tiger Beach exhibit long-distance migrations up to 3,500 km into the Atlantic Ocean. In contrast, shark feeding for ecotourism in Florida waters has no impact on behavior.

SourceUniversity of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science·JournalFunctional Ecology·DateMar 9, 2012

Infection control certification associated with lower MRSA infection rates

A new study published in the American Journal of Infection Control found that hospitals led by a board-certified director in infection prevention and control have significantly lower MRSA bloodstream infections. The study also suggests that multifacility performance improvement projects are effective in reducing healthcare-associated i...

SourceElsevier Health Sciences·JournalAmerican Journal of Infection Control·DateMar 9, 2012
Apple iPhone 17 Pro

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

Orientation of desert ants: Every cue counts

Desert ants utilize a combination of path integration, visual cues, olfactory signals, and even magnetic fields to return home. They can recognize their own nest by tracking the plume of carbon dioxide produced by their nestmates' breathing, yet prioritize path integration over this chemical signal.

SourceMax Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology·JournalPLOS ONE·DateMar 9, 2012

NASA's RXTE captures thermonuclear behavior of unique neutron star

Astronomers have observed a unique neutron star system, T5X2, exhibiting marginally stable nuclear fusion at high accretion rates. The RXTE data resolves a long-standing gap between theoretical predictions and observational evidence, shedding light on the complex processes governing thermonuclear explosions.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateMar 9, 2012
Meta Quest 3 512GB

Meta Quest 3 512GB enables immersive mission planning, terrain rehearsal, and interactive STEM demos with high-resolution mixed-reality experiences.

Health monitoring? There's an app for that

A Bluetooth-enabled medical monitoring device can track various physiological parameters and send data to healthcare providers via Bluetooth connectivity. The device can also be used as a gateway to relay patient health data to remote databases for remote diagnoses.

SourceInderscience Publishers·JournalInternational Journal of Intelligent Systems Technologies and Applications·DateMar 9, 2012

Global warming threat to coral reefs: Can some species adapt?

Coral reefs face a global warming threat, but some species may be able to adapt. A study found that corals in Singapore and Malaysia survived severe bleaching despite high sea temperatures, suggesting they have adapted to thermal stress.

SourceUniversity of New South Wales·JournalPLOS ONE·DateMar 9, 2012

NASA sees cyclone Irina weaker in Mozambique Channel

Cyclone Irina has weakened to a minimal tropical storm due to increased wind shear and cooler sea surface temperatures. NASA's satellite imagery confirms the decline, with the strongest thunderstorms being pushed away from the center of circulation.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateMar 9, 2012
Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter measures wind, temperature, and humidity in real time for site assessments, aviation checks, and safety briefings.

Strengthening the bond between policy and science

A new research agenda has been developed to strengthen the relationship between science and policy, addressing key questions on scientific advice to governments. The final set of 40 questions includes topics such as designing scientific advisory systems and ensuring early identification of policy issues requiring scientific input.

SourceUniversity of Cambridge·JournalPLOS ONE·DateMar 9, 2012

New 'pendulum' for the Ytterbium clock

Researchers at PTB have successfully excited a quantum-mechanically strongly forbidden transition in a ytterbium ion, allowing for an optical clock with unprecedented accuracy. The resulting clock is exact to 17 digits after the decimal point, and the relative uncertainty of the Yb+ frequency was determined with 7 • 10-17.

SourcePhysikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB)·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateMar 9, 2012
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro)

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro) powers local ML workloads, large datasets, and multi-display analysis for field and lab teams.

Meteorites reveal another way to make life's components

Researchers found amino acids in 14 carbon-rich meteorites with high temperatures, suggesting high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch reactions created them. These reactions produce prebiotic components of life using hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·JournalMeteoritics and Planetary Science·DateMar 9, 2012
Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars

Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars deliver bright, sharp views for wildlife surveys, eclipse chases, and quick star-field scans at dark sites.