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MAJORANA, the Search for the Most Elusive Neutrino of All
Collaborative study looks for clues on hard-to-treat breast cancer
Statistical Analysis Projects Future Temperatures in North America
Forest diversity from Canada to the sub-tropics influenced by family proximity
Bird Vocalization Research Could Improve Poultry Production, Lower Costs
Scientists document volcanic history of turbulent Sumatra region
New 'metamaterial' practical for optical advances
Babies’ susceptibility to colds linked to immune response at birth
Herschel Space Observatory study reveals galaxy-packed filament
Suspicion resides in two regions of the brain
Prosthetic retina offers simple solution to restoring sight
New Study Shows Simple Task at Six Months of Age May Predict Risk of Autism
Specialized care by experienced teams cuts death & disability from bleeding brain aneurysms, new guide says
Report shows decrease in smoking levels among adolescents and young adults in a six year period
Hybrid vaccine demonstrates potential to prevent breast cancer recurrence

MAJORANA, the Search for the Most Elusive Neutrino of All

Posted: 17 May 2012 01:27 PM PDT

In a cavern almost a mile underground in the Black Hills, an experiment called the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, 40 kilograms of pure germanium crystals enclosed in deep-freeze cryostat modules, will soon set out to answer one of the most persistent and momentous questions in physics: are neutrinos their own antiparticles? If the answer is yes, it will require rewriting the Standard Model of Particles and Interactions, our basic understanding of the physical world.

Collaborative study looks for clues on hard-to-treat breast cancer

Posted: 17 May 2012 01:09 PM PDT

Some types of breast cancer can be successfully treated with drugs such as tamoxifen, but treatment for a type of breast cancer more common in young and black women is still limited to radiation and general chemotherapy. Called triple negative breast cancer, this type of cancer is the focus of a 20-month, $8.6-million research project that aims to find new diagnostic tools and options for drugs.

Statistical Analysis Projects Future Temperatures in North America

Posted: 17 May 2012 12:30 PM PDT

For the first time, researchers have been able to combine different climate models using spatial statistics - to project future seasonal temperature changes in regions across North America.

They performed advanced statistical analysis on two different North American regional climate models and were able to estimate projections of temperature changes for the years 2041 to 2070, as well as the certainty of those projections.

Forest diversity from Canada to the sub-tropics influenced by family proximity

Posted: 17 May 2012 12:25 PM PDT

How species diversity is maintained is a fundamental question in biology. In a new study, a team of Indiana University biologists has shown for the first time that diversity is influenced on a spatial scale of unparalleled scope, in part, by how well tree seedlings survive under their own parents.

Bird Vocalization Research Could Improve Poultry Production, Lower Costs

Posted: 17 May 2012 12:17 PM PDT

Chickens can’t speak, but they can definitely make themselves heard. Most people who have visited a poultry farm will recall chicken vocalization – the technical term for clucking and squawking – as a memorable part of the experience.

Researchers now believe that such avian expressiveness may be more than idle chatter. A collaborative project being conducted by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Georgia is investigating whether the birds’ volubility can provide clues to how healthy and comfortable they are.

Scientists document volcanic history of turbulent Sumatra region

Posted: 17 May 2012 12:02 PM PDT

The early April earthquake of magnitude 8.6 that shook Sumatra was a grim reminder of the devastating earthquakes and tsunami that killed tens of thousands of people in 2004 and 2005.

Now a new study, funded by the National Science Foundation, shows that the residents of that region are at risk from yet another potentially deadly natural phenomenon – major volcanic eruptions.

New 'metamaterial' practical for optical advances

Posted: 17 May 2012 11:55 AM PDT

Researchers have taken a step toward overcoming a key obstacle in commercializing "hyperbolic metamaterials," structures that could bring optical advances including ultrapowerful microscopes, computers and solar cells.

The researchers have shown how to create the metamaterials without the traditional silver or gold previously required, said Alexandra Boltasseva, a Purdue University assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering.

Babies’ susceptibility to colds linked to immune response at birth

Posted: 17 May 2012 11:30 AM PDT

Innate differences in immunity can be detected at birth, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. And babies with a better innate response to viruses have fewer respiratory illnesses in the first year of life.

Herschel Space Observatory study reveals galaxy-packed filament

Posted: 17 May 2012 11:21 AM PDT

A McGill-led research team using the Herschel Space Observatory has discovered a giant, galaxy-packed filament ablaze with billions of new stars. The filament connects two clusters of galaxies that, along with a third cluster, will smash together and give rise to one of the largest galaxy superclusters in the universe.

Suspicion resides in two regions of the brain

Posted: 17 May 2012 11:08 AM PDT

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on my parahippocampal gyrus.

Scientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute have found that suspicion resides in two distinct regions of the brain: the amygdala, which plays a central role in processing fear and emotional memories, and the parahippocampal gyrus, which is associated with declarative memory and the recognition of scenes.

Prosthetic retina offers simple solution to restoring sight

Posted: 17 May 2012 09:47 AM PDT

A device which could restore sight to patients with one of the most common causes of blindness in the developed world is being developed in an international partnership.

Researchers from the University of Strathclyde and Stanford University in California are creating a prosthetic retina for patients of age related macular degeneration (AMD), which affects one in 500 patients aged between 55 and 64 and one in eight aged over 85.

New Study Shows Simple Task at Six Months of Age May Predict Risk of Autism

Posted: 17 May 2012 09:28 AM PDT

A new prospective study of six-month-old infants at high genetic risk for autism identified weak head and neck control as a red flag for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and language and/or social developmental delays. Researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute concluded that a simple "pull-to-sit" task could be added to existing developmental screenings at pediatric well visits to improve early detection of developmental delays.

Specialized care by experienced teams cuts death & disability from bleeding brain aneurysms, new guide says

Posted: 17 May 2012 09:21 AM PDT

People with bleeding brain aneurysms have the best chance of survival and full recovery if they receive aggressive emergency treatment from a specialized team at a hospital that treats a large number of patients like them every year, according to new guidelines just published by the American Stroke Association.

Report shows decrease in smoking levels among adolescents and young adults in a six year period

Posted: 17 May 2012 09:09 AM PDT

A new report shows that while a significant segment of minors and young adults are still current smokers there was a decrease in the rate of cigarette use among these populations between 2004 and 2010 (the year with the latest available data). The report, based on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), shows that the rate of current cigarette use (having smoked at least once in the past month) among adolescents decreased from 11.9 percent in 2004 to 8.3 percent in 2010.

Hybrid vaccine demonstrates potential to prevent breast cancer recurrence

Posted: 17 May 2012 08:46 AM PDT

A breast cancer vaccine already shown to elicit a powerful immune response in women with varying levels of HER2 expression has the ability to improve recurrence rates and is well tolerated in an adjuvant setting, according to new research from a clinical trial led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.