Space Season: Mar 16, 2011

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Wednesday, March 16, 2011

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. You can change your subscription options or unsubscribe at any time.

Hubble snaps close-up of Tarantula Nebula (March 16, 2011) -- The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has produced an outstanding image of part of the famous Tarantula Nebula, a vast star-forming cloud of gas and dust in our neighboring galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud. In this picture, we see a close-up of the Tarantula's central region, glowing brightly with ionized gases and young stars. ... > full story

Malaria drug slows pancreatic cancer growth in mouse models (March 16, 2011) -- Scientists report they have used hydroxychloroquine, a drug routinely prescribed for malaria and rheumatoid arthritis, to shrink or slow the growth of notoriously resistant pancreatic tumors in mice. ... > full story

Unprecedented view of protein folding may help develop brain disease therapies (March 16, 2011) -- When vital proteins in our bodies are misfolded, debilitating diseases can result. If researchers could see the folding happen, they might be able to design treatments for some of these diseases. But many of our most critical proteins are folded, hidden from sight, inside tiny molecular chambers. Now researchers have gotten the first-ever peek inside one of these protein-folding chambers as the folding happened, and the folding mechanism they saw surprised them. ... > full story

Treatments for recurring TB infection failing the developing world, study finds (March 16, 2011) -- The standard approach to re-treating tuberculosis (TB) in low and middle income settings is failing, according to new research. Researchers call for improved access to rapid diagnostics for drug resistant TB, second-line TB treatment and antiretroviral HIV therapy. ... > full story

Scientists fly through the clouds to piece together climate puzzle (March 16, 2011) -- As scientists try to better understand and put together the puzzle of Earth's climate, the role of clouds remains one of the most important missing pieces. Researchers from four NASA centers, other U.S. agencies and several colleges and universities are set to participate in the Mid-latitude Airborne Cirrus Properties Experiment (MACPEX), an airborne field campaign based at Ellington Field, Texas, that aims to answer some major questions about clouds. ... > full story

New study predicts cholera epidemic in Haiti will far exceed UN projections (March 16, 2011) -- A new study predicts that the cholera epidemic in Haiti this year will be far worse than United Nations' projections, which had estimated 400,000 cases of the diarrheal disease over the course of the epidemic. ... > full story

New microscope decodes complex eye circuitry (March 16, 2011) -- The properties of optical stimuli need to be conveyed from the eye to the brain. To do this efficiently, the relevant information is extracted by pre-processing in the eye. Using a novel microscopy method researchers have now discovered that the distribution of the synapses between ganglion cells and interneurons follows highly specific rules. ... > full story

New vaccine candidate shows strong potential to prevent highly contagious norovirus (March 16, 2011) -- Scientists have found that an experimental vaccine against human norovirus -- the bug behind 90 percent of highly contagious nonbacterial illnesses causing diarrhea and vomiting -- generates a strong immune response in mice without causing the animals any harm. Using a novel viral vector-based method to grow and deliver the vaccine that has shown promise in other agents designed to fight such infections as HIV and hepatitis C, they are the first to test this vaccine design method's effectiveness against the human norovirus. ... > full story

Dairy farmer finds unusual forage grass (March 16, 2011) -- A grass breeder has rediscovered a forage grass that seems just right for today's intensive rotational grazing. ... > full story

Vitamin D deficiency in cirrhosis (March 16, 2011) -- A research team from Denmark examined the vitamin D status in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis compared to those with primary biliary cirrhosis. They found that vitamin D deficiency in cirrhosis relates to liver dysfunction rather than etiology, with lower levels of vitamin D in alcoholic cirrhosis than in primary biliary cirrhosis. ... > full story

Wheels up for NASA mission's most extensive Arctic ice survey (March 16, 2011) -- Researchers and flight crew arrived in Thule, Greenland, on March 14 for the start of NASA's 2011 Operation IceBridge, an airborne mission to study changes in Arctic polar ice. This year's plans include surveys of Canadian ice caps and expanded international collaboration. ... > full story

Association found between industry funding and promotional pieces on menopausal hormone therapy (March 16, 2011) -- There may be a link between receiving industry funding for speaking, consulting, or research, and the publication of apparently promotional opinion pieces on menopausal hormone therapy. Furthermore, such publications may encourage physicians to continue prescribing these therapies to women of menopausal age. ... > full story

Optical illusions show vision in a new light (March 15, 2011) -- Optical illusions have fascinated humans throughout history. Greek builders used an optical illusion to ensure that that their columns appeared straight (they built them with a bulge) and we are all intrigued by the mental flip involved in the case of the young girl/old woman faces. New research demonstrates a more serious use of these illusions in understanding how the brain assesses relative size. ... > full story

Why some people are apple-shaped and others are pear-shaped (March 15, 2011) -- Scientists have shed light on why some people are apple-shaped and others are pear-shaped. Researchers have pinpointed a protein that plays a part in how fat is stored in the body. ... > full story

Finding of long-sought drug target structure may expedite drug discovery (March 15, 2011) -- Researchers have solved the 3-D structure of a key biological receptor. The finding has the potential to speed drug discovery in many areas, from arthritis to respiratory disorders to wound healing, because it enables chemists to better examine and design molecules for use in experimental drugs. ... > full story

How tuberculosis bacteria manage to survive inside body’s macrophage cells (March 15, 2011) -- Tuberculosis kills two million people each year. Researchers in Sweden are now presenting new findings that show how the bacterium that causes the disease manages to survive inside the body’s macrophage cells in order eventually to blow them up and spread their infection. ... > full story

Seedlings thrive with distant relatives, seeds with close family (March 15, 2011) -- A variety of angiosperm seedlings suffered from competition when planted with near relatives in home soils and fared best with distant relatives. But, seeds did just the opposite in a new study. And seedlings in potting soil also grew best with near relatives, raising the question of why soils affect competition outcomes. ... > full story

The new adulthood: Extended parental support as a safety net (March 15, 2011) -- A new study shows that contrary to popular anxieties about slacker young adults who refuse to grow up, or indulgent parents who stifle their adult children's development by continuing to support them, there is evidence that parental assistance in early adulthood promotes progress toward autonomy and self-reliance. ... > full story

Bilinguals see the world in a different way, study suggests (March 15, 2011) -- Scientists have found that regularly speaking in a second language makes you literally see the world in a different way. Color perception is an ideal way of testing bilingual concepts because there is a huge variation between where different languages place boundaries on the color spectrum. ... > full story

Lung cancer metastasis: Researchers find key component -- and possible way to block it (March 15, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a new, key component in the spread of lung cancer as well as a likely way to block it with drugs now in clinical trial. ... > full story

Mini disks for data storage: Slanted edges favor tiny magnetic vortices (March 15, 2011) -- Slanted exterior edges on tiny magnetic disks could lead to a breakthrough in data processing. Materials researchers were able to create magnetic vortices with a diameter of only one third of a thousandth of a millimeter - structures which were impossible in the past. They could help to store larger amounts of data on increasingly smaller surfaces with as little energy as possible. ... > full story

Potentially pathogenic microbes growing on at least half of all orthodontic retainers, study suggests (March 15, 2011) -- Insufficient cleaning could allow build-up of microbes on orthodontic retainers, researchers have found. Researchers looked at the types of microbes which live on retainers. This study found potentially pathogenic microbes growing on at least 50% of the retainers. ... > full story

Basketball: Optimal aim points for bank shots (March 15, 2011) -- New research show that, from many areas of the basketball court within 12 feet of the basket, you have a better chance of scoring with a bank shot than with a direct shot. The study also shows the optimal aim points to convert a bank shot from most areas of the court. ... > full story

Why argue? Helping students see the point (March 15, 2011) -- Read the comments on any website and you may despair at Americans' inability to argue well. Thankfully, educators now name argumentative reasoning as one of the basics students should leave school with. ... > full story

MESSENGER spacecraft to swing into orbit around Mercury (March 15, 2011) -- The MESSENGER spacecraft is scheduled to go into orbit around Mercury on March 17. The mission is an effort to study the geologic history, magnetic field, surface composition and other mysteries of the planet. The findings are expected to broaden our understanding of rocky planets in other solar systems. ... > full story

Surgical technique helps adult male survivors of childhood cancer regain fertility (March 15, 2011) -- A new study has shown that a surgical technique called microdissection testicular sperm extraction can effectively locate and extract viable sperm in more than one-third of adult male childhood cancer survivors who were previously considered sterile due to prior chemotherapy treatment. ... > full story

New role for an old molecule: Protecting the brain from epileptic seizures (March 15, 2011) -- The aftermath of an epileptic seizure has some mysterious characters, including the molecule putrescine. In new research on tadpoles, which share similar brain chemistry with humans, putrescine emerges as a calming influence that conveys resistance to subsequent seizures. In the long run, the discovery could aid in developing drugs for young children with epilepsy. ... > full story

How pathogenic E. coli bacterium causes illness (March 15, 2011) -- Scientists have shown how the O157:H7 strain of Escherichia coli causes infection and thrives by manipulating the host immune response. The bacterium secretes a protein called NleH1 that directs the host immune enzyme IKK-beta to alter specific immune responses. This process not only helps the bacterium evade elimination by the immune system, it also works to prolong the survival of the infected host, enabling the bacterium to persist and ultimately spread to unaffected individuals. ... > full story

Genetic analysis reveals history, evolution of an ancient delicacy -- morels (March 15, 2011) -- Scientists have completed one of the most detailed genetic analyses ever done on morels, to help identify their ancestry, show how they evolved and what conservation policies may be needed to manage and protect this valuable resource. ... > full story

Best possible night light: Researchers study how light cycles impact zoo animals (March 15, 2011) -- A doctoral student reaches across a Cleveland Metroparks Zoo exhibit with a long pole tipped with a synthetic swab soaked in honey water. A pygmy slow loris, a big-eyed nocturnal primate, climbs down a branch and begins licking and chewing the swab. Something as seemingly innocuous as incorrect lighting may negatively impact the health and reproduction of lorises, pottos and their kin, researchers say. ... > full story

Ferroelectric materials discovery could lead to better memory chips (March 15, 2011) -- Engineering researchers have found a way to improve the performance of ferroelectric materials, which have the potential to make memory devices with more storage capacity than magnetic hard drives and faster write speed and longer lifetimes than flash memory. ... > full story

New understanding of male puberty (March 15, 2011) -- Scientists have uncovered a new understanding of how male puberty begins. The key to their findings lies with a protein known as SMAD3 and the rate at which it is produced. ... > full story

Better batteries for electric cars (March 15, 2011) -- The breakthrough with electric cars is a long time coming -- not least on account of their key component, the battery. Lithium-ion batteries are still too expensive and their range too limited. New materials should pave the way for better batteries. Simulation software from researchers is helping speed up the development process. ... > full story

Stopping smoking shortly before surgery is not associated with increased postoperative complications (March 15, 2011) -- A meta-analysis of nine previous studies found that quitting smoking shortly before surgery was not associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications, according to a new study. ... > full story

Old-growth tree stumps tell the story of fire in the upper Midwest (March 15, 2011) -- Researchers have constructed a 226-year history of fire in southern Illinois by looking at fire scars in tree stumps. Their study, the most in-depth fire history reported for the upper Midwest, reveals that changes in the frequency of fires dating back to the time of early European settlement permanently altered the ecology of the region. ... > full story

Describing humor with an equation (March 15, 2011) -- A new theory of humor addresses questions of human attraction to errors and our susceptibility to ideas we know are bad for us, and summarizes it with an equation. The new theory suggests an equation for identifying the cause and level of our responses to any humorous stimuli: h = m x s. ... > full story

Trapping a rainbow: Researchers slow broadband light waves with nanoplasmonic structures (March 15, 2011) -- A research team has experimentally verified the "rainbow" trapping effect, demonstrating that plasmonic structures can slow down light waves over a broad range of wavelengths, a key for improving optical data processing. ... > full story

Tumor metastasis with a 'twist:' Protein is key to early embryonic development, but later promotes spread of cancer (March 15, 2011) -- In the early stages of human embryogenesis, a transcription factor called Twist1 plays a key regulatory role in how the embryo assumes form and function. Much later in life, however, researchers now say Twist1 can re-emerge, taking a darker and more deadly turn. ... > full story

Orchid lures flies with scent of rotting flesh (March 15, 2011) -- Sex and violence, or at least death, are the key to reproduction for the orchid Satyrium pumilum. The orchid lures flies into its flowers by mimicking the smell of rotting flesh. A new study compares the scent of the orchids with that of roadkill. ... > full story

Omega-3 fatty acid intake linked with reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration in women (March 15, 2011) -- Regular consumption of fish and omega-3 fatty acids found in fish is associated with a significantly reduced risk of developing age-related macular degeneration in women, according to a new study. ... > full story

U.S. Geological Survey updates magnitude of Japan’s 2011 Tohoku earthquake to 9.0 (March 15, 2011) -- The U.S. Geological Survey has updated the magnitude of the March 11, 2011, Tohoku earthquake in northern Honshu, Japan, to 9.0 from the previous estimate of 8.9. Independently, Japanese seismologists have also updated their estimate of the earthquake's magnitude to 9.0. This magnitude places the earthquake as the fourth largest in the world since 1900 and the largest in Japan since modern instrumental recordings began 130 years ago. ... > full story

Impact of a bad job on mental health as harmful as no job at all (March 15, 2011) -- The impact on mental health of a badly paid, poorly supported, or short term job can be as harmful as no job at all, new research indicates. ... > full story

Japan quake may have slightly shortened Earth days, moved axis, theoretical calculations suggest (March 15, 2011) -- The magnitude 9.0 earthquake that struck Japan March 11, 2011 may have slightly shortened the length of each Earth day and shifted its axis. Using a U.S. Geological Survey estimate for how the fault responsible for the earthquake slipped, a NASA research scientist applied a complex model to perform a preliminary theoretical calculation of how the Japan earthquake -- the fifth largest since 1900 -- affected Earth's rotation. The calculations indicate that by changing the distribution of Earth's mass, the Japanese earthquake should have caused Earth to rotate a bit faster, shortening the length of the day by about 1.8 microseconds. ... > full story

Combining two peptide inhibitors might block tumor growth (March 15, 2011) -- A new study suggests that combining two experimental anticancer peptide agents might simultaneously block formation of new tumor blood vessels while also inhibiting the growth of tumor cells. The findings suggest that the double hit can stifle tumor progression, avoid drug resistance and cause few side effects, say the researchers who developed the agents and evaluated their effectiveness in laboratory and animal tests. ... > full story

Seedless cherimoya, the next banana? (March 15, 2011) -- Mark Twain called it "the most delicious fruit known to man." But the cherimoya, or custard apple, and its close relations the sugar apple and soursop, also have lots of big, awkward seeds. Now new research by plant scientists in the United States and Spain could show how to make this and other fruits seedless. ... > full story

Newer doesn't mean better when it comes to type 2 diabetes drugs (March 15, 2011) -- An inexpensive type 2 diabetes drug that has been around for more than 15 years works just as well and has fewer side effects than a half-dozen other, mostly newer and more expensive classes of medication used to control the chronic disease, new research suggests. ... > full story

Snapshots of laser driven electrons (March 15, 2011) -- Physicists have succeeded in the first real-time observation of laser produced electron plasma waves and electron bunches accelerated by them. ... > full story

The impact of sex selection and abortion in China, India and South Korea (March 15, 2011) -- In the next 20 years in large parts of China and India, there will be a 10 percent to 20 percent excess of young men because of sex selection and this imbalance will have societal repercussions, states a new analysis. ... > full story

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ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Wednesday, March 16, 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. You can change your subscription options or unsubscribe at any time.

New desalination process developed using carbon nanotubes (March 15, 2011) -- A faster, better and cheaper desalination process enhanced by carbon nanotubes has just been developed. The process creates a unique new architecture for the membrane distillation process by immobilizing carbon nanotubes in the membrane pores. Conventional approaches to desalination are thermal distillation and reverse osmosis. ... > full story

Gulf oil spill: Airborne chemistry measurements assess flow rate, fate of spilled gases and oil (March 15, 2011) -- Scientists have found a way to use air chemistry measurements taken hundreds of feet above last year's BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill to estimate how fast gases and oil were leaking from the reservoir thousands of feet underwater. The scientists also determined the fate of most of those gas and oil compounds using atmospheric chemistry data collected from the NOAA WP-3D research aircraft overflights in June. ... > full story

New method could improve economics of sweetening natural gas (March 14, 2011) -- Battelle's Antisolvent Swing Regeneration system could make tapping extremely sour gas reserves more economically friendly by drastically reducing the amount of heat needed to remove rotten-egg smelling hydrogen sulfide from natural gas sweetening process. ... > full story

Gender stereotypes about math develop as early as second grade (March 14, 2011) -- Researchers report that children express the stereotype that mathematics is for boys, not for girls, as early as second grade, before gender differences in math achievement emerge. ... > full story

NASA's Hubble rules out one alternative to dark energy (March 14, 2011) -- Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have ruled out an alternate theory on the nature of dark energy after recalculating the expansion rate of the universe to unprecedented accuracy. ... > full story

Solar power systems could lighten the load for British soldiers (March 14, 2011) -- A revolutionary type of personal power pack now in development could help troops when they are engaged on the battlefield. With the aim of being up to 50 percent lighter than conventional chemical battery packs used by British infantry, the solar and thermoelectric-powered system could make an important contribution to future military operations. ... > full story

Statistics can help us avoid counterfeit goods on the Internet, study shows (March 14, 2011) -- Consumers need to know the true perils of purchasing artwork or luxury goods on the Internet, say statisticians. ... > full story

Nanorods could greatly improve visual display of information (March 14, 2011) -- Chemists have developed tiny, nanoscale-size rods of iron oxide particles in the lab that respond to an external magnetic field by aligning themselves parallel to one another like a set of tiny flashlights turned in one direction, and displaying a brilliant color. The research paves the way for fabricating magnetically responsive photonic structures with significantly reduced dimensions so that color manipulation with higher resolution can be realized. ... > full story

Japanese nuclear plants damaged by earthquake, tsunami pose no risk to U.S., experts say (March 14, 2011) -- Although the situation with damaged nuclear reactors in Japan is still uncertain, every hour without further incidents is good news, according to nuclear energy experts. And in any case, the events pose virtually no risk to people in the United States or Canada. ... > full story

Materials identified that may deliver more 'bounce' (March 14, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a class of high-strength metal alloys that show potential to make springs, sensors and switches smaller and more responsive. The alloys could be used in springier blood vessel stents, sensitive microphones, powerful loudspeakers, and components that boost the performance of medical imaging equipment, security systems and clean-burning gasoline and diesel engines. ... > full story

Marangoni convection in space: Observing wine-glass phenomenon in a gravity-free environment (March 14, 2011) -- What do a wine glass on Earth and an International Space Station experiment have in common? Well, observing the wine glass would be one of few ways to see and understand the experiment being performed in space. ... > full story

Computer model shows importance of feet, toes in body balance (March 14, 2011) -- Researchers are using a new model to learn more about how toe strength can determine how far people can lean while keeping their balance. The results could help in building robotic body parts that will closely imitate human movement, and might lead to a new generation of advanced prosthetics. ... > full story

Miniature 'wearable' PET scanner: Simultaneous study of behavior and brain function in animals (March 14, 2011) -- Scientists have demonstrated the efficacy of a "wearable," portable PET scanner they've developed for rats. The device will give neuroscientists a new tool for simultaneously studying brain function and behavior in fully awake, moving animals. ... > full story

Shape memory polymers shed light on how cells respond to physical environment (March 14, 2011) -- Researchers have used shape memory polymers to provide greater insight into how cells sense and respond to their physical environment. ... > full story

Study of 90 animals' thigh bones reveals how they can efficiently carry loads (March 14, 2011) -- The structures inside animals' thigh bones that enable them to support huge loads whilst being relatively lightweight are revealed in a new study. The researchers say their work could lead to the development of new materials based on thigh bone geometry. ... > full story

Breakthrough in nanocomposite for high-capacity hydrogen storage (March 14, 2011) -- Researchers have designed a new composite material for hydrogen storage consisting of nanoparticles of magnesium metal sprinkled through a polymer related to Plexiglas that rapidly absorbs and releases hydrogen at modest temperatures without oxidizing the metal after cycling. This achievement is a major breakthrough in materials design for hydrogen storage, batteries and fuel cells. ... > full story

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter: The far side of the moon -- and all the way around (March 14, 2011) -- Because the moon is tidally locked (meaning the same side always faces Earth), it was not until 1959 that the farside was first imaged by the Soviet Luna 3 spacecraft. And what a surprise -- unlike the widespread maria on the nearside, basaltic volcanism was restricted to a relatively few, smaller regions on the farside, and the battered highlands crust dominated. The cause of the farside/nearside asymmetry is an interesting scientific question. Past studies have shown that the crust on the farside is thicker, likely making it more difficult for magmas to erupt on the surface, limiting the amount of farside mare basalts. Why is the farside crust thicker? ... > full story

Physicists measure current-induced torque in nonvolatile magnetic memory devices (March 14, 2011) -- Tomorrow's nonvolatile memory devices -- computer memory that can retain stored information even when not powered -- will profoundly change electronics, and researchers have discovered a new way of measuring and optimizing their performance. ... > full story

Researchers use lasers, custom microscope to show gene splicing process in real time (March 14, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a way to use lasers to study the splicing of pre-messenger RNA molecules, an essential process in creating proteins to sustain advanced organisms, including human life. Now this process of splicing, carried out by a cellular micro-machine called the spliceosome, can be viewed in real time. The research paper culminates a five-year-long collaboration of three research laboratories. ... > full story

Ultra high speed film (March 14, 2011) -- How fast an intense laser pulse can change the electrical properties of solids is revealed by new research. Scientists are following the course of electronic switching processes which occur within fractions of a second (femtoseconds). The results of their research may trigger future developments of custom-made and ultra fast opto-electronic components in order to increase data transmission rates or to accelerate optical switches, to name just one example of potential areas of application. ... > full story

Nanotech-enabled consumer products continue to rise (March 13, 2011) -- Over 1,300 manufacturer-identified, nanotechnology-enabled products have entered the commercial marketplace around the world. The most recent update to the group's five-year-old inventory reflects the continuing use of the tiny particles in everything from conventional products like non-stick cookware to more unique items such as self-cleaning window treatments. ... > full story

Color view from orbit shows Mars rover beside crater (March 13, 2011) -- NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has nearly completed its three-month examination of a crater informally named "Santa Maria," but before the rover resumes its overland trek, an orbiting camera has provided a color image of Opportunity beside Santa Maria. ... > full story

Dawn mission gets Vesta asteroid target practice (March 13, 2011) -- In the lead-up to orbiting the second most massive body in the asteroid belt this coming July, planners of NASA's Dawn mission to the giant asteroid Vesta and scientists have been practicing mapping Vesta's surface, producing still images and a rotating animation that includes the scientists' best guess to date of what the surface might look like. ... > full story

Smart materials for high-tech products: Hard, viscous or watery at the touch of a button (March 13, 2011) -- Flexible and independently operating "smart materials" can adapt to changing conditions with high speed. ... > full story

Low cost solar cells: New European record in efficiency (March 12, 2011) -- Scientists have developed an improved preparation process for kesterite solar cells, which resulted in a new European record efficiency of 6.1 percent. ... > full story

Engineer studies damage caused by New Zealand earthquake (March 12, 2011) -- Researchers are just back from studying the damage caused by the Feb. 22 earthquake that hit Christchurch, New Zealand, and killed more than 160 people. In Christchurch, researchers said unreinforced brick masonry buildings built in the 1930s and '40s suffered significant damage. ... > full story

Nanoscale whiskers from sea creatures could grow human muscle tissue (March 12, 2011) -- Minute whiskers of nanoscale dimensions taken from sea creatures could hold the key to creating working human muscle tissue, researchers say. ... > full story

Perfect buns: Imaging system controls baking process on production line to improve sandwich bun quality (March 12, 2011) -- Food companies requiring tight control over baking conditions should benefit from a new imaging system that automatically inspects sandwich buns on the production line and adjusts oven temperatures to provide product of consistent quality. A prototype has been in use in a baking facility for a year. ... > full story

Radiation expert discusses Japan nuclear power plant concerns (March 11, 2011) -- Following Friday's massive 8.9-magnitude earthquake that caused tsunamis and rocked the island nation of Japan, Japanese government officials announced a nuclear emergency after the quake caused a reactor cooling system malfunction at Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant. ... > full story

Near-real-time map of Japan quake aftershocks (March 11, 2011) -- Researchers have created a near-real-time map of the aftershocks occurring globally following the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that rocked Japan Friday. ... > full story

Speed demon star creates a shock (March 11, 2011) -- Just as some drivers obey the speed limit while others treat every road as if it were the Autobahn, some stars move through space faster than others. NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, captured a new image of the star Alpha Camelopardalis speeding through the sky like a motorcyclist zipping through rush-hour traffic. ... > full story

The most distant mature galaxy cluster: Young, but surprisingly grown-up (March 11, 2011) -- Astronomers have discovered and measured the distance to the most remote mature cluster of galaxies yet found. Although this cluster is seen when the universe was less than one quarter of its current age it looks surprisingly similar to galaxy clusters in the current universe. ... > full story

Snails' complex muscle movements, rather than mucus, key to locomotion (March 11, 2011) -- New evidence suggests that the key to locomotion in snails stems from the animal's complex muscle movements, and not from its mucus, as had been previously thought. This finding could open the door to the construction of robots which could imitate this form of propulsion. ... > full story

New method for studying molecule reactions a breakthrough in organic chemistry (March 11, 2011) -- In a feat of manipulating substances at the nanoscale, new research demonstrates a method to isolate two molecules together on a substrate and to control specifically how those two molecules react when excited with ultraviolet light, further making detailed observations before and after reaction. The method mimics the strategy used by enzymes in many biochemical reactions. ... > full story

New technology would dramatically extend battery life for mobile devices (March 11, 2011) -- Technophiles who have been dreaming of mobile devices that run longer on lighter, slimmer batteries may soon find their wish has been granted. Engineers have developed a form of ultra-low-power digital memory that is faster and uses 100 times less energy than similar available memory. The technology could give future portable devices much longer battery life between charges. The researchers use carbon nanotubes as electrodes and tiny amounts of phase-change material as the bit. ... > full story

New robot system to test 10,000 chemicals for toxicity (March 11, 2011) -- Several federal agencies have unveiled a new high-speed robot screening system that will test 10,000 different chemicals for potential toxicity. The system marks the beginning of a new phase of an ongoing collaboration, referred to as Tox21, that is working to protect people's health by improving how chemicals are tested in this country. ... > full story

Half-time for Mars500: Simulated mission to the Red Planet (March 11, 2011) -- The Mars500 mission -- a simulated mission to the Red Planet -- has reached its half-way mark: After a 250-day virtual flight, the crew members recently landed on a virtual Mars and left the isolation container at the Moscow Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP) in their space suits. ... > full story

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