Science Headlines for April 19, 2010

Seabed biodiversity in oxygen minimum zones

Some regions of the deep ocean floor support abundant populations of organisms, despite being overlain by water that contains very little oxygen, according to an international study. But global warming is likely to exacerbate oxygen depletion and thereby reduce biodiversity in these regions, they warn.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 19 Apr 2010 | 9:00 pm

Dusty experiments aim to solve interstellar water mystery

Dust may be a nuisance around the house but it plays a vital role in the formation of the key ingredient for life on Earth -- water. A pioneering experiment aims to solve one of the mysteries of the interstellar space: "Where did all the water come from?"
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 19 Apr 2010 | 9:00 pm

Mother-infant psychoanalysis may create a beneficial circle in the event of poor bonding

Even when a baby has been longed for, some mothers might have trouble bonding with their baby, who in turn may develop disturbed behavior, such as crying, poor sleeping patterns and breast refusal. A new thesis shows that in such cases, the joint psychoanalytic treatment of mother and infant may be effective, particularly if the mother feels that she is unconsciously contributing to the problems.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 19 Apr 2010 | 9:00 pm

Facial aging is more than skin deep

Facelifts and other wrinkle-reducing procedures have long been sought by people wanting to ward off the signs of aging, but new research suggests that it takes more than tightening loose skin to restore a youthful look. A new study indicates that significant changes in facial bones -- particularly the jaw bone -- occur as people age and contribute to an aging appearance.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 19 Apr 2010 | 6:00 pm

Religious beliefs seen as basis of origins of Palaeolithic art

The idea that palaeolithic art is based in religious beliefs isn't new. But for years, anthropologists, archaeologists and historians of art understood these artistic manifestations as purely aesthetic and decorative motives. A researcher in Spain now reveals the origins of the theory.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 19 Apr 2010 | 6:00 pm

Pigeon 'backpacks' track flock voting

Pigeon flocks are guided by a flexible system of leadership in which almost every member gets a 'vote' but the votes of high-ranking birds carry more weight, a new study has shown.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 19 Apr 2010 | 6:00 pm

Deciphering the movement of pedestrians in a crowd

How do pedestrians move in the street? How do they interact? Researchers in Europe have carried out a series of studies to improve understanding of the group behavior of pedestrians in urban environments. Their results establish realistic models of crowd dynamics to improve pedestrian traffic management.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 19 Apr 2010 | 3:00 pm

Printed origami offers new technique for complex structures

The marriage of direct-printing and wet-folding origami techniques heralds a new method for creating complex three-dimensional structures for biocompatible devices, microscaffolding and other microsystems. Researchers use sheets printed with inks containing metallic, ceramic or plastic particles to fold complex structures not attainable by conventional direct-print assembly, such as an origami crane.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 19 Apr 2010 | 3:00 pm

Greater access to cell phones than toilets in India

Far more people in India have access to a cell phone than to a toilet and improved sanitation, according to UN experts.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 19 Apr 2010 | 3:00 pm

Potential benefit of dark chocolate for liver disease patients

Doctors could soon be prescribing a dose of dark chocolate to help patients suffering from liver cirrhosis and from dangerously high blood pressure in their abdomen, according to new research.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 19 Apr 2010 | 3:00 pm

Ultrathin Silk-Based Electronics Make Better Brain Implants

brain_silk_2s

Silk has made its way from the soft curves of the body to the spongy folds of the brain. Engineers have now designed silk-based electronics that stick to the surface of the brain, similar to the way a silk dress clings to the hips.

The stretchable, ultrathin design would make for better brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), which record brain activity in paralyzed patients and translate thoughts into movements of computer cursors or robotic arms. Because it’s so thin and flexible, a silk-based device could reach regions of the brain that were previously inaccessible.

“This development heralds a new class of implantable devices, not just for the brain, but for many other tissues,” said neurologist Brian Litt of the University of Pennsylvania who co-authored the study published April 18 in Nature Materials.

brain_silk_mesh The research team printed electrode arrays onto silk films that disintegrate after they are placed on the brain’s surface and flushed with saline. They’re just 2.5 microns thick, so thin that they need to rest on a platform so they don’t fall apart during fabrication or implantation. After the silk film dissolves, the array wraps around the curves on the brain.

“This will significantly improve recording by conforming the electrode array to the surface of the brain,” said biomedical engineer Barclay Morrison of Columbia University. “It will move forward the field of flexible electronics.”

The team found that the mesh-like device conforms perfectly to the contours on a model of the human brain. When tested on the visual processing area of the cat’s brain, the flexible array—about one 40th of the thickness of a sheet of paper—faithfully recorded neural activity for about a month without causing inflammation. By increasing the contact between the electrodes and brain tissue, the system produced better signals compared with more rigid electrode arrays, which are about 30 times thicker.

Some BCIs made of silicon pierce through and damage brain tissue during implantation. But even BCIs that sit on the surface of the brain have problems: The electrodes are often so widely spaced that it’s difficult to obtain high-resolution neural signals, and the systems tend to cause immune reactions that compromise their lifespan. BCIs often fail after a short period of time, in some cases only a few months, and patients have to undergo multiple surgeries to replace the devices. The new system, consisting of stable, finely spaced electrodes, may overcome all of these problems and lead to the development better neural prosthetics, Morrison said.

“Its full potential remains to be seen in long-term BCI studies,” Morrison said. “Currently, there are no BCIs that use such compliant mesh electrodes, and the potential is pretty big that the implant array will provide a neural interface that is stable over a long period of time.”

The scientists would like to extend their findings by making fully dissolvable implantable electronics for monitoring and stimulating tissue growth. They have also developed rolled-up devices, which they could deliver to the brain without making large holes in the skull during surgery. Eventually, they hope to adapt the technology for retinal and cochlear implants and to treat patients with a wide range of psychiatric and neurological diseases.

Images: 1) Conformal, neural electrode array wrapped onto a model of the brain. The wrapping process occurs spontaneously, driven by capillary forces associated with dissolution of a thin, supporting substrate of silk./John Rogers/Nature Materials. 2) Conformal, neural electrode array wrapped onto the hemispherical tip of a glass rod./John Rogers/Nature Materials.

See Also:

Source: Wired: Wired Science | 19 Apr 2010 | 4:00 am

Rain threatens to delay space shuttle's return (AP)

AP - Rain threatened to delay space shuttle Discovery's homecoming Monday and keep its seven astronauts in orbit an extra day.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 19 Apr 2010 | 3:11 am

Counting sea life, sometimes little things are big (AP)

AP - If the Census Bureau thinks it has its hands full counting Americans, imagine what scientists are up against in trying to tally every living thing in the ocean, including microbes so small they seem invisible.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 19 Apr 2010 | 3:01 am

BC-US--Weatherpage-Weather (AP)

AP - Wet weather will persist in the South on Monday while the East Coast will see diminishing showers.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 19 Apr 2010 | 2:48 am

World Bank: East Asia 2025 emissions forecast (AFP)

AFP - East Asia could stabilise its greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 while maintaining economic growth by investing heavily in energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies, the World Bank said Monday.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 19 Apr 2010 | 1:26 am

Swazi environmentalist wins international prize (AP)

AP - When Thuli Makama set out to help struggling communities in Swaziland, she envisioned mediating agreements allowing people to collect firewood from wildlife parks. Instead, she ended up fighting to save lives.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 19 Apr 2010 | 1:01 am

University told to hand over data

Queen's University in Belfast has been told by the Information Commissioner to hand over 40 years of research data on tree rings.
Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 19 Apr 2010 | 12:45 am

On libel, the really big battle awaits

Two years on, I welcome politicians' libel pledges. But tinkering won't do. Reform must be radical

Today is an important anniversary for me. Exactly two years ago, I published an article in the Guardian about the British Chiropractic Association and its bizarre belief that spinal manipulation could help children with colic, ear infections and asthma. It was National Chiropractic Awareness week, so I thought I would also spread a little awareness. I explained that in my opinion it was reckless of this professional body to "happily" (ie blithely) promote such "bogus" (ie ineffective) treatments. The BCA took exception to the criticism and sued me personally for libel.

Defending my article has taken up most of my time since the spring of 2008, but the good news is that the BCA no longer promotes these treatments on its website, many of its members no longer advertise spinal manipulation for these childhood conditions, and last week the BCA dropped its case against me. Moreover, the BCA will now have to cover its own and my legal costs and the original article is available once again on the Guardian website, so parents can at last look at my arguments and decide whether or not they want to waste their money taking their children to see a chiropractor.

All of this seems like a good reason to celebrate, but it has been hard to raise a glass of cola (I am teetotal) when our libel laws continue to be the most anti-free speech in the democratic world, and while they can be used to silence honest views and serious criticism. Journalists, academics and others could still just as easily be dragged through the libel courts for years in order to defend an article that turned out to be accurate and fair all along. Indeed, right now the consultant cardiologist Dr Peter Wilmshurst is being sued for libel and risks bankruptcy simply for raising concerns about the data surrounding a new heart device.

If anything deserved to be celebrated last week, it was not my victory, but rather the fact that every single major party published its manifesto, and each one included a commitment to libel reform. This has been the result of a campaign that has grown over the last year, which was initiated by the charities Sense About Science, Index on Censorship and English PEN. The campaign was propelled by massive grassroots support from bloggers and scientists, and then it was endorsed by everyone from the astronomer royal to the poet laureate.

The Lib Dems, particularly Evan Harris, have been strong supporters of libel reform, and their manifesto promises that they will "Protect free speech, investigative journalism and academic peer reviewed publishing through reform of the English and Welsh libel laws – including by requiring corporations to show damage and prove malice or recklessness, and by providing a robust responsible journalism defence".

The Labour manifesto is a little more coy: "To encourage freedom of speech and access to information, we will bring forward new legislation on libel to protect the right of defendants to speak freely." However, having set up a working group on libel reform and having backed its findings, it seems that the justice secretary, Jack Straw, is genuinely fired up and wants to act rapidly if Labour is returned to power.

The Conservatives make a similarly brief manifesto promise, but it is a big step forward after months of silence. More significantly, the shadow justice secretary, Dominic Grieve, has publicly promised a libel reform bill in 2010 if the Tories win the election.

It sounds promising, but there are two major reasons why those who care about scientific debate and free speech more generally need to maintain the pressure on politicians. First, there are major vested interests, such as large corporations, foreign billionaires and libel lawyers, who will attempt to scupper reform.

Second, any reform needs to be radical, not merely tinkering. There are several issues that need to be addressed, such as the current lack of a public interest defence, the unfair burden of proof on defendants, libel tourism and so on. And each problem needs to be tackled properly.

For example, one concern is that the cost of a libel trial is so horrendously expensive that journalists, bloggers, scientists, local newspapers and even national newspapers cannot afford to defend themselves. Politicians have muttered about cutting the costs in half, which might seem like a bold move – but libel trials typically cost in excess of £1m, so reducing costs to £500,000 still makes it impossible for the majority of writers to defend their ideas. A recent Oxford report pointed out that English libel costs are 140 times more expensive than those in Europe, so there is no reason that our libel costs cannot be reduced by a factor of 10 at least.

Before I forget, it is worth mentioning that this year's Chiropractic Awareness Week has only just ended. For some reason it seems to have been a more low-key affair this year, but I am keen to do my bit. I have taken the chapter about chiropractic from Trick or Treatment?, a book I co-authored with Professor Edzard Ernst, and made it available online for free. Three cheers for even more chiropractic awareness in the years ahead.

•Sign the petition for libel reform here; The Truth About Chiropractic is available here.

Simon Singh

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 19 Apr 2010 | 12:30 am

In pictures: Microscopic marine life

Ocean explorers have catalogued for the first time tiny creatures including microbes, zooplankton, larvae and burrowers

Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 19 Apr 2010 | 12:00 am

Are manmade climate change and geological hazards linked?

Experts say suggestions that climate change could trigger more volcanoes and earthquakes are speculative, but there is enough evidence to take the threat seriously

Scientists today called for wide-ranging research into whether more volcanoes, earthquakes, landslides and tsunamis could be triggered by rising global temperatures under global warming.

Significant warming of the atmosphere in the distant past can be linked to changes in geological activity, they say. Suggestions that climate change predicted for coming decades could bring similar changes remain speculative, but the scientists say there is enough evidence to take the threat seriously. Some experts have already linked current levels of global warming to rockfalls and landslides in mountain regions.

Richard Betts, a climate modeller at the Met Office Hadley Centre in Exeter, said: "This is a new area of academic research with potentially interesting implications. It was previously assumed there was no link at all between climate change and these events, but it is possible to speculate that climate change might make some more likely. If we do get large amounts of climate change in the long term then we might see some impacts."

He said there was no evidence that current levels of global warming were influencing events such as last week's earthquake in China that killed hundreds of people and the volcanic eruption in Iceland that grounded flights across Europe.

Experts say global warming could affect geological hazards such as earthquakes because of the way it can move large amounts of mass around on the Earth's surface. Melting glaciers and rising sea levels shift the distribution of huge amounts of water, which release and increase pressures through the ground.

These pressure changes could make ruptures and seismic shifts more likely. Research from Germany suggests that the Earth's crust can sometimes be so close to failure that tiny changes in surface pressure brought on my heavy rain can trigger quakes. Tropical storms, snowfall and shifting tides have all been linked to shifts in seismic activity.

Writing in a special series of scientific papers on the topic published today by the Royal Society, Bill McGuire, head of the Benfield Hazard Research Centre at University College London, says: "In relation to anthropogenic climate change, modelling studies and projection of current trends point towards increased risk in relation to a spectrum of geological and geomorphological hazards in a warmer world, while observations suggest that the ongoing rise in global average temperatures may already be eliciting a hazardous response from the geosphere."

He adds: "In order to improve knowledge and reduce uncertainty, a programme of focused research is advocated ... The IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] is also strongly exhorted to address more explicitly in future assessments the impact of anthropogenic climate change on the geosphere, together with its manifold potentially hazardous consequences."

The papers follow a special meeting on the subject last year and are published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A. They include studies of the likely impact of rising temperatures on events such as earthquakes and volcanoes, as well as whether the release of gas from undersea deposits called gas hydrates could trigger landslides and tsunamis.

McGuire says: "No increase in the global incidence of either volcanic activity or seismicity has been identified to date ... It may be the case that modulation of potentially hazardous geological processes due to anthropogenic climate change proves too small a signal to extract from the background noise of normal geophysical activity, at least in the short to medium term."

David Adam

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 18 Apr 2010 | 11:30 pm

Cameras capture 'Highland tiger'

A project in the Highlands provides a rare insight into the secret world of one of Britain's most endangered species.
Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 18 Apr 2010 | 11:24 pm

Discovery readies return to Earth (AFP)

AFP - Discovery astronauts prepare to return to Earth Monday after a successful supply mission to the International Space Station, leaving NASA's shuttle program with just three more flights.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 18 Apr 2010 | 11:05 pm

The Neutron Star Cooling Mystery

A cooling neutron star has been probed in the hope of understanding its interior. However, using data from the Chandra X-ray Telescope, researchers have returned more questions than answers.
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 18 Apr 2010 | 10:43 pm

Peru town copes with being devoured by mine (AP)

AP - The mile-wide gash grows almost daily with each dynamite blast, slowly devouring this bleak provincial capital high in the Andes.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 18 Apr 2010 | 10:00 pm

VOlcanic Ash Gives Jet Engine a Turbocharge

Ash affects engines in strange ways, sometimes "turbocharging" them for short periods of time.
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 18 Apr 2010 | 9:57 pm

Obama’s Vision for NASA Bolsters Space Science

President Obama’s new direction for NASA will help us better pursue fundamental questions about the universe: are we alone? Can we avert lethal space debris?
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 18 Apr 2010 | 9:53 pm

Space shuttle may face rain delay

Nasa warns the crew of space shuttle Discovery to expect rain delays as they prepare to return to Earth from the space station.
Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 18 Apr 2010 | 9:00 pm

UK water imports 'unsustainable'

The amount of water used to produce food and goods imported to the UK is worsening global shortages, a report concludes.
Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 18 Apr 2010 | 6:12 pm

Podcast: On the autopsy table

Science writer and broadcaster Sue Armstrong discusses the world of pathology, including a "body farm" in the US where human corpses are left out in the open to study the process of decomposition. Her new book A Matter of Life and Death is out now.

At a geo-engineering event at London's Science Museum, we learn about some of the latest thinking on large-scale plans to cool the planet. Sonia Van Gilder Cooke was asking the questions. We also hear how the volcanic eruption in Iceland could serve as a massive geo-engineering experiment.

In the newsjam, we discuss the climate emails inquiry and the end of the libel action against science writer Simon Singh.

James Randerson from environmentguardian.co.uk and the Observer's Robin McKie are on hand to lend their wisdom.

Nell Boase is your host while Alok Jha is away.

WARNING: contains strong language.

Feel free to post your thoughts below.

Join our Facebook group.

Listen back through our archive.

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Subscribe free via iTunes to ensure every episode gets delivered. (Here is the non-iTunes URL feed).

Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 18 Apr 2010 | 5:01 pm

New Implants Mold to Brain Like Shrink-Wrap (LiveScience.com)

LiveScience.com - New silken brain implants that mold to the organ's grooves and crevices like shrink-wrap could lead to better devices for monitoring and controlling seizures.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 18 Apr 2010 | 4:10 pm

Volcanic ash relentless as tremors rock Iceland

REYKJAVIK (Reuters) - Powerful tremors from an Icelandic volcano that has been a menace for travelers across Europe shook the countryside on Sunday as eruptions hurled a steady stream of ash into the sky.

Source: Reuters: Science News | 18 Apr 2010 | 3:59 pm

Gunmen in Nigeria kidnap two Germans (Reuters)

Reuters - Gunmen in Nigeria kidnapped two German men in the OPEC member's southeastern Abia state, security sources said on Sunday, the second abduction of foreign workers in the last 10 days.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 18 Apr 2010 | 3:45 pm

America, This Is Your Wake-Up Call. The Shuttle is Landing!

Space Shuttle Discovery will do a rare flyover of a large swathe of North America on Monday morning. But don't underestimate the double-sonic boom the shuttle will make during the flyover, it might wake you up.
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 18 Apr 2010 | 3:28 pm

Shuttle's Glide Through Sky Should Be Visible Across U.S.

On Monday morning, be sure to wake up early for an opportunity to see and hear the shuttle fly over North America on its approach to Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 18 Apr 2010 | 3:25 pm

It's a microbial world

Worldwide census ups diversity estimates for marine microbes one-hundred-fold.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/news/rss/today/~4/BhrBgyxPD8Q" height="1" width="1"/>
Source: NatureNews - All articles published today - nature.com science feeds | 18 Apr 2010 | 3:01 pm

Shuttle's descent may be visible across U.S

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Early risers across the United States may have an unusual opportunity to see the space shuttle on Monday as it glides through the atmosphere, heading toward a landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Source: Reuters: Science News | 18 Apr 2010 | 1:43 pm

NASA Satellite Sees Iceland Volcanic Fallout

As Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull continues to erupt, a NASA satellite images the region and estimates that the volcano is generating enough energy for 60,000 US homes.
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 18 Apr 2010 | 1:39 pm

Elizabeth Campbell obituary

My friend and research collaborator Elizabeth Campbell, who has died of breast cancer aged 55, was a clinical psychologist by training and an academic by conviction. She had a fierce intelligence, integrity and spirituality. Her research and clinical interests included depression in women, and occupational and post-traumatic stress. She thought wearing fleeces depressogenic – if you were feeling low, her self-help advice was to buy a cheerful hat.

She was born in Glasgow, where her father, Ronnie, was a mechanical engineer. Her mother, Anne-Marie, looked after Liz and her four brothers, Harry, Ronnie, Frank and Mark. Liz went to Notre Dame school in Glasgow, where she was nicknamed Fiz because of her energy and enthusiasms, which came to the fore when she was head girl.

A graduate of Edinburgh University, she completed a DPhil at Oxford, where she was a founding member of the Catholic Women's Network and developed a deep interest in liturgy. She took her first university lecturing post at Surrey, then moved to Glasgow University in 1996 as senior lecturer in the division of psychological medicine based at the Gartnavel Royal hospital – a division that comprised departments of behavioural medicine, psychiatry and clinical psychology. She became its head in 2005, managing over 60 academic staff. Liz was an effective administrator and supportive of her colleagues.

In 1990, when I was working for the Hampshire Constabulary and Liz was still at Surrey, we undertook one of the first major studies of stress among police officers. She helped establish an early clinical psychology service for Surrey Police, and went on to pioneer psychological support for undercover police officers.

Liz was at the forefront of establishing the practitioner doctorate in both counselling and clinical psychology, which converted the previous master's level qualification into a tripartite academic, practice and research PsychD degree. She was also instrumental in setting clinical psychology's professional standards and accreditation criteria.

She was heavily involved in the activities of the British Psychological Society, and was elected its president in 2008. Liz steered the society through some difficult consultations with the Health Professional Council concerning the regulation of psychologists. She had considerable political acumen and was a deft negotiator. Her last significant piece of work for the society was a pan-European collaboration aimed at creating standards of good practice and training for the provision of psychological first aid and screening for post-traumatic stress disorder in the aftermath of a terrorist attack.

Her professional achievements – including a handbook of forensic psychology that sadly she did not live to see published – belied a warm and vivacious personality. She was scrupulously principled which, combined with her clarity of thought and wisdom, made her a good leader.

Her husband, Patrick Corcoran, died in 2003. She is survived by her son, Patrick, her four brothers and her mother.

Psychology

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 18 Apr 2010 | 12:05 pm

New Implants Mold to Brain Like Shrink-Wrap

Brain implants made from tiny wires and silk could help control seizures and be used in brain-machine interfaces.
Source: Livescience.com | 18 Apr 2010 | 12:04 pm

Space Shuttle's Rare Landing Approach to be Visible Across United States (SPACE.com)

SPACE.com - NASA's space shuttle Discovery will attempt a return to Florida's Kennedy Space Center Monday morning by taking a path across the contiguous United States, giving early-bird skywatchers a chance to see and hear the spacecraft as it streaks across the sky on the way to landing.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 18 Apr 2010 | 12:00 pm

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