science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Παρασκευή 14 Ιουνίου 2013

Science News SciGuru.com

Galactic Cosmic-Ray Composition During Solar Minimum Periods
World population could be nearly 11 billion by 2100
Automated ‘coach’ could help people improve their conversational and interview skills
New Quantum Dot Technique Combines Best of Optical and Electron Microscopy
New array measures vibrations across the skin‏
Researchers unravel genetics of dyslexia and language impairment
Protein aggregates may not always be bad for cells – A challenge in treating Alzheimer’s Disease?

Galactic Cosmic-Ray Composition During Solar Minimum Periods

Posted: 13 Jun 2013 03:22 PM PDT

As galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) diffuse into the heliosphere, their energy spectra are distorted by interactions with the magnetic field convected outward by the expanding solar wind. This process, called solar modulation, will cause GCRs with interstellar energies less than ~1 GeV/nucleon to lose a significant fraction of their energy due to adiabatic deceleration; these losses are smallest during the solar minimum periods of the ~11 year solar cycle.

World population could be nearly 11 billion by 2100

Posted: 13 Jun 2013 12:44 PM PDT

A new statistical analysis shows the world population could reach nearly 11 billion by the end of the century, according to a United Nations report issued June 13. That’s about 800 million, or about 8 percent, more than the previous projection of 10.1 billion, issued in 2011.

The projected rise is mostly due to fertility in Africa, where the U.N. had expected birth rates to decline more quickly than they have.

Automated ‘coach’ could help people improve their conversational and interview skills

Posted: 13 Jun 2013 10:47 AM PDT

Social phobias affect about 15 million adults in the United States, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, and surveys show that public speaking is high on the list of such phobias. For some people, these fears of social situations can be especially acute: For example, individuals with Asperger’s syndrome often have difficulty making eye contact and reacting appropriately to social cues. But with appropriate training, such difficulties can often be overcome.

New Quantum Dot Technique Combines Best of Optical and Electron Microscopy

Posted: 13 Jun 2013 10:42 AM PDT

It's not reruns of "The Jetsons", but researchers working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new microscopy technique that uses a process similar to how an old tube television produces a picture—cathodoluminescence—to image nanoscale features. Combining the best features of optical and scanning electron microscopy, the fast, versatile, and high-resolution technique allows scientists to view surface and subsurface features potentially as small as 10 nanometers in size.

New array measures vibrations across the skin‏

Posted: 13 Jun 2013 10:35 AM PDT

In the near future, a buzz in your belt or a pulse from your jacket may give you instructions on how to navigate your surroundings.

Think of it as tactile Morse code: vibrations from a wearable, GPS-linked device that tell you to turn right or left, or stop, depending on the pattern of pulses you feel. Such a device could free drivers from having to look at maps, and could also serve as a tactile guide for the visually and hearing impaired.

Researchers unravel genetics of dyslexia and language impairment

Posted: 13 Jun 2013 10:24 AM PDT

A new study of the genetic origins of dyslexia and other learning disabilities could allow for earlier diagnoses and more successful interventions, according to researchers at Yale School of Medicine. Many students now are not diagnosed until high school, at which point treatments are less effective.

Protein aggregates may not always be bad for cells – A challenge in treating Alzheimer’s Disease?

Posted: 13 Jun 2013 09:24 AM PDT

A new study now suggests that protein aggregates formed in cells may not always be bad for the cells, but these aggregates may in fact be useful in some normal cell functions. Many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Huntington disease, and some neuromuscular diseases such as inclusion body myositis are characterized by the formation of protein aggregates outside or inside the cells. Protein aggregates were thought to be important in the pathogenesis of these diseases. These aggregates are formed when proteins stick together into larger particles.