February 23, 2012

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Researchers Believe Triceratops had Upright Forelimbs

Dinosaur Posture resolved

Researchers from the University of Tokyo and the Royal Veterinary College have published findings showing that Triceratops had upright forelimbs like larger mammals, not splayed out to the sides like most reptiles and amphibians. This research suggests that they might have been more athletic than previously thought. Research published (22nd February) provides, for the first [...]

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February 23, 2012

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KIPAC Study Suggests Large Number of “Nomad Planets”

artistic rendition of a nomad object wandering the interstellar medium

A recent study by researchers at the Kavli Institute for Particle Physics and Cosmology (KIPAC) suggests that for every typical star in our galaxy, there may be up to 100,000 “nomad planets” not tied to any solar system. While these nomad planets don’t receive warmth from a star, researchers believe they may generate enough heat [...]

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February 23, 2012

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Researchers Discover Two New Proteins Responsible for Blood Type

unraveled the mystery of two little-understood blood types

Researchers at the University of Vermont have discovered two new proteins, ABCB6 and ABCG2, responsible for a basic blood type. This solves the mystery of the molecular basis of Langereis and Junior blood types and the findings may also have implications for improved treatment of breast and other cancers. You probably know your blood type: [...]

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February 23, 2012

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Researchers Work on Nanopatterned Surfaces to Improve Efficiency of Power Plants

nanopatterned surfaces could improve the efficiency of powerplants

A MIT research team published new findings on their analysis of condensation mechanisms. By using nanopatterned surfaces, the researcher offers new insights into how the droplets form and ways to pattern the collecting surfaces at the nanoscale to encourage droplets to form more rapidly. They believe that this research could lead to significantly more efficient [...]

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February 23, 2012

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Earth’s Clouds are Getting Lower, May be in Response to Global Warming

Changes in Cloud-Top Height

Researchers analyzed NASA satellite data from 2000 – 2010 and found that the global average cloud height declined by around one percent over the decade, or by around 100 to 130 feet. Long-term monitoring will be required to determine the significance of the change, but the researchers believe this may be a possible reaction to [...]

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February 22, 2012

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Study Confirms Low Levels of Fallout from Fukushima in the US

NADP sites where USGS measured 137Cs in precipitation samples

A nationwide study released today showed that fallout from the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power facility in Japan was measured in minimal amounts in precipitation in the United States. Data was collected at monitoring sites within the NADP network and detections were most frequently found along the West Coast, in the central and northern Rocky [...]

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February 22, 2012

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NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope Finds Solid Buckyballs in Space

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope discovers buckyballs in a solid form in space

Using data from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers discovered buckyballs in a solid form around a pair of stars called “XX Ophiuchi,” 6,500 light-years from Earth. This marks the first time that the microscopic carbon spheres have been found in solid form in the cosmos. PASADENA, California — Astronomers using data from NASA’s Spitzer Space [...]

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February 22, 2012

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Microfluidic Device Can Isolate Target Cells Faster than Existing Devices

Green cells adhere weakly without tethers and are rapidly removed

Researchers at MIT and Massachusetts General Hospital have demonstrated a new microfluidic device that can isolate target cells much faster than existing devices and may lead to improvements in point-of-care diagnostics and personalized medicine. Separating complex mixtures of cells, such as those found in a blood sample, can offer valuable information for diagnosing and treating [...]

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February 22, 2012

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NIST Researches the Use of Switching Mechanisms

Switching Mechanism in Promising Computer Memory Device

Using ferromagnetic metals for the electrodes, a team of researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology built a layered switching device to better study the behaviors of switching mechanisms. They discovered that when an electric field is applied between the ferromagnetic electrodes, it causes the formation of tiny copper filaments and believe this [...]

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February 22, 2012

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Researchers Discover that WoW Boosts Cognitive Functioning in Some Older Adults

World of Warcraft Boosts Cognitive Functioning

Researchers at North Carolina State University discovered that playing World of Warcraft boosted cognitive functioning for some older adults. By comparing the cognitive function of participants before and after two weeks of playing, the researchers found a significant improvement in both spatial ability and focus for participants who scored low on the initial baseline tests. [...]

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February 22, 2012

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NASA’s Chandra Finds 20 Million MPH Wind

artist's impression shows a binary system containing a stellar-mass black hole called IGR J17091-3624

Researchers recently made two unanticipated findings when making observations from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. They clocked the fastest wind ever seen blowing off a disk around the stellar-mass black hole IGR J17091, twenty million miles per hour, and found that the wind may be carrying away more material than the black hole is capturing. Astronomers [...]

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February 22, 2012

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Researchers Discover Proteins Responsible for Cancer Cell Movement

An invasive cancer cell moves with its leading edge

While observing breast cancers cells in culture, researchers at Cornell University identified two key proteins, Hsp70 and tTG, that are responsible for cell migration. By better understanding how Hsp70 influences tTG, the researchers believe they can develop ways to modulate that interaction to immobilize cancer cells and keep them from becoming invasive. Cancer cells must [...]

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