ScienceDaily: Top Science News

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• Scientists identify neural activity sequences that help form memory, decision-making
• Evidence builds that meditation strengthens the brain
• Researchers send 'wireless' message using a beam of neutrinos
• Evolutionary surprise: Developmental 'scaffold' for vertebrate brain found in brainless marine worm
• Molecular graphene heralds new era of 'designer electrons'
• Tailored optical material from DNA: Light-modifying nanoparticles
• New study lowers estimate of ancient sea-level rise
• Researchers identify unexpected player in intestinal immunity
• Some mammals used highly complex teeth to compete with dinosaurs
• Getting a full picture of an elusive subject: Astronomers map dark matter in 3-D in galaxy cluster
• Tiny teeth of long-extinct vertebrate – with tips only two micrometers across -- are sharpest dental structures ever
• H. pylori bacteria linked to blood sugar control in adult type II diabetes
• Astronomers get rare peek at early stage of star formation
• Hiding in plain sight, a new frog species with a 'weird' croak is identified in New York City
• Mystery human fossils put spotlight on China
• Millions of Americans at risk of flooding as sea levels rise
• Feeding habits of teenage galaxies
• Recycling galaxies caught in the act
• Common North American frog identified as carrier of deadly amphibian disease

Scientists identify neural activity sequences that help form memory, decision-making Posted: 14 Mar 2012 02:06 PM PDT Researchers have used a novel virtual reality and brain imaging system to detect a form of neural activity underlying how the brain forms short-term memories that are used in making decisions.

Evidence builds that meditation strengthens the brain Posted: 14 Mar 2012 02:06 PM PDT Researchers have found that long-term meditators have larger amounts of gyrification ("folding" of the cortex, which may allow the brain to process information faster) then non-meditators. Further, a correlation was found between the amount of gyrification and the number of meditation years, possibly providing further proof of the brain's neuroplasticity.

Researchers send 'wireless' message using a beam of neutrinos Posted: 14 Mar 2012 11:31 AM PDT Scientists have for the first time sent a message using a beam of neutrinos -- nearly massless particles that travel at almost the speed of light. The message was sent through 240 meters of stone and said simply, "Neutrino."

Evolutionary surprise: Developmental 'scaffold' for vertebrate brain found in brainless marine worm Posted: 14 Mar 2012 11:28 AM PDT Scientists report finding some of the genetic processes that regulate vertebrate brain development in the acorn worm, a brainless, burrowing marine invertebrate.

Molecular graphene heralds new era of 'designer electrons' Posted: 14 Mar 2012 11:28 AM PDT Researchers have created the first-ever system of "designer electrons" -- exotic variants of ordinary electrons with tunable properties that may ultimately lead to new types of materials and devices. Their first examples were hand-crafted, honeycomb-shaped structures inspired by graphene.

Tailored optical material from DNA: Light-modifying nanoparticles Posted: 14 Mar 2012 11:28 AM PDT In the human body genetic information is encoded in double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid building blocks, the so-called DNA. Using artificial DNA molecules, an international team of scientists have produced nanostructured materials that can be used to modify visible light by specification.

New study lowers estimate of ancient sea-level rise Posted: 14 Mar 2012 11:28 AM PDT The seas are creeping higher as the planet warms. But how high will they go? In Bermuda and the Bahamas, researchers have gone looking for answers; By pinpointing where shorelines stood during a warm period 400,000 years ago, they hope to narrow the range of projections. After correcting for apparent sinking of the islands, the authors of a new study estimate the seas rose 20 to 43 feet higher than today -- far less than previous estimates, but still drastic.

Researchers identify unexpected player in intestinal immunity Posted: 14 Mar 2012 11:20 AM PDT With every meal, immune cells in the intestine stand like sentries at a citadel, turning away harmful bacteria but allowing vitamins and nutrients to pass. Now, researchers have identified the cells that chaperone food antigens, or proteins, in the intestine so that the immune system doesn't mount an attack. Their discovery provides scientists with a potential target for therapies against inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease and food allergies.

Some mammals used highly complex teeth to compete with dinosaurs Posted: 14 Mar 2012 11:20 AM PDT New research shows that at least one group of small mammals, the multituberculates, actually flourished in the last 20 million years of dinosaurs' reign and survived their extinction.

Getting a full picture of an elusive subject: Astronomers map dark matter in 3-D in galaxy cluster Posted: 14 Mar 2012 09:59 AM PDT Two teams of astronomers have used data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes to map the distribution of dark matter in a galaxy cluster known as Abell 383, which is located about 2.3 billion light years from Earth. Not only were the researchers able to find where the dark matter lies in the two dimensions across the sky, they were also able to determine how the dark matter is distributed along the line of sight.

Tiny teeth of long-extinct vertebrate – with tips only two micrometers across -- are sharpest dental structures ever Posted: 14 Mar 2012 09:59 AM PDT The tiny teeth of a long-extinct vertebrate -- with tips only two micrometers across: one twentieth the width of a human hair -- are the sharpest dental structures ever measured, new research has found.

H. pylori bacteria linked to blood sugar control in adult type II diabetes Posted: 14 Mar 2012 09:46 AM PDT A new study reveals that the presence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria is associated with elevated levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), an important biomarker for blood glucose levels and diabetes. The association was even stronger in obese individuals with a higher Body Mass Index (BMI). The results suggest the bacteria may play a role in the development of diabetes in adults.

Astronomers get rare peek at early stage of star formation Posted: 14 Mar 2012 09:42 AM PDT Astronomers are excited to get their first look at a clump of gas they think is about to start forming stars. Unlike others seen, this one is "pristine," unaffected by the violent stellar winds and supernova shocks from other nearby stars.

Hiding in plain sight, a new frog species with a 'weird' croak is identified in New York City Posted: 14 Mar 2012 09:40 AM PDT In New York City -- in the midst of some of the world's tallest skyscrapers -- and within view of the Statue of Liberty, scientists have found a new frog species. While the discovery of new species are regularly made in remote rainforests, finding this one in the ponds and marshes of Staten Island, mainland New York, and New Jersey was a big surprise to scientists.

Mystery human fossils put spotlight on China Posted: 14 Mar 2012 09:40 AM PDT Fossils from two caves in southwest China have revealed a previously unknown Stone Age people and give a rare glimpse of a recent stage of human evolution with startling implications for the early peopling of Asia.

Millions of Americans at risk of flooding as sea levels rise Posted: 14 Mar 2012 08:17 AM PDT Nearly four million Americans, occupying a combined area larger than the state of Maryland, find themselves at risk of severe flooding as sea levels rise in the coming century, new research suggests. Researchers say that with so many communities concentrated on US coasts, the odds for major storm damage get bigger every year.

Feeding habits of teenage galaxies Posted: 14 Mar 2012 07:07 AM PDT New observations made with ESO's Very Large Telescope are making a major contribution to understanding the growth of adolescent galaxies. In the biggest survey of its kind astronomers have found that galaxies changed their eating habits during their teenage years -- the period from about 3 to 5 billion years after the Big Bang. At the start of this phase smooth gas flow was the preferred snack, but later, galaxies mostly grew by cannibalising other smaller galaxies.

Recycling galaxies caught in the act Posted: 14 Mar 2012 07:07 AM PDT When astronomers add up all the gas and dust contained in ordinary galaxies (like our own Milky Way), they find a discrepancy: there is not nearly enough matter for stars to form at the observed rates for long. As a (partial) solution, a matter cycle on gigantic scales has been proposed. In our local galactic neighborhood, traces of this mechanism had already been found. Now, a new study has found the first direct evidence of such gas flowing back into distant galaxies that are actively forming new stars, validating a key part of "galactic recycling".

Common North American frog identified as carrier of deadly amphibian disease Posted: 12 Mar 2012 04:28 PM PDT Known for its distinctive "ribbit" call, the noisy Pacific chorus frog is a potent carrier of a deadly amphibian disease, according to new research. Just how this common North American frog survives chytridiomycosis may hold clues to protect more vulnerable species from the disease.

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