Today's Science News
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Featured Research
from universities, journals, and other organizations
The Origin of Life: Labyrinths as Crucibles of Life
Jan. 27, 2015 — Water-filled micropores in hot rock may have acted as the nurseries in which life on Earth began. A team has now shown that temperature gradients in pore systems promote the cyclical replication and ... full story
Asteroid That Flew Past Earth Has Moon
Jan. 27, 2015 — Scientists working with NASA's 230-foot-wide (70-meter) Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, California, have released the first radar images of asteroid 2004 BL86. The images show the ... full story
Easter Island Mystery: Why Did the Native Culture Die Out?
Jan. 27, 2015 — Long before the Europeans arrived on Easter Island in 1722, the native Polynesian culture known as Rapa Nui showed signs of demographic decline. However, the catalyst has long been debated in the ... full story
The World's Oldest Known Snake Fossils: Rolling Back the Clock by Nearly 70 Million Years
Jan. 27, 2015 — Fossilized remains of four ancient snakes have been dated between 140 and 167 million years old -- nearly 70 million years older than the previous record of ancient snake fossils -- and are changing ... full story
Ancient Star System Reveals Earth-Sized Planets Forming Near Start of Universe
Jan. 27, 2015 — A Sun-like star with orbiting planets, dating back to the dawn of the Galaxy, has been discovered by an international team of astronomers. At 11.2 billion years old, it is the oldest star with ... full story
Spider Electro-Combs Its Sticky Nano-Filaments
Jan. 27, 2015 — A spider commonly found in garden centers in Britain is giving fresh insights into how to spin incredibly long and strong fibers just a few nanometers thick. The majority of spiders spin silk threads ... full story
Sugary Drinks Linked to Earlier Onset of Menstrual Periods
Jan. 27, 2015 — Girls who frequently consume sugary drinks tend to start their menstrual periods earlier than girls who do not, according to new research. The findings are important not only because of the growing ... full story
Psychopathic Violent Offenders’ Brains Can’t Understand Punishment
Jan. 27, 2015 — Psychopathic violent offenders have abnormalities in the parts of the brain related to learning from punishment, according to an MRI ... full story
Brain Region Vulnerable to Aging Is Larger in Those With Longevity Gene Variant
Jan. 27, 2015 — People who carry a variant of a gene that is associated with longevity also have larger volumes in a front part of the brain involved in planning and decision-making, according to ... full story
NASA's Dawn Spacecraft Captures Best-Ever View of Dwarf Planet Ceres
Jan. 27, 2015 — NASA's Dawn spacecraft has returned the sharpest images ever seen of the dwarf planet Ceres. The images were taken 147,000 miles (237,000 kilometers) from Ceres on Jan. 25, and represent a new ... full story
Stomach Acid-Powered Micromotors Get Their First Test in a Living Animal
Jan. 27, 2015 — Researchers have shown that a micromotor fueled by stomach acid can take a bubble-powered ride inside a mouse. These tiny motors, each about one-fifth the width of a human hair, may someday offer a ... full story
Using Stem Cells to Grow New Hair
Jan. 27, 2015 — Researchers have used human pluripotent stem cells to generate new hair. The study represents the first step toward the development of a cell-based treatment for people with hair loss. In the United ... full story
Girls Lead Boys in Academic Achievement Globally
Jan. 26, 2015 — Considerable attention has been paid to how boys' educational achievements in science and math compare to girls' accomplishments in those areas, often leading to the assumption that boys ... full story
Got Bees? Got Vitamin A? Got Malaria? Loss of Pollinators Increases Risk of Malnutrition, Disease
Jan. 26, 2015 — More than half the people in some developing countries could become newly at risk for malnutrition if crop-pollinating animals -- like bees -- continue to decline, experts say. Despite popular ... full story
3-D View of Greenland Ice Sheet Opens Window on Ice History
Jan. 23, 2015 — Scientists using ice-penetrating radar have created 3-D maps of the age of the ice within the Greenland Ice Sheet. The new maps will aid future research to understand the impact of climate change on ... full story
- Origin of Life: Labyrinths as Crucibles of Life
- Asteroid That Flew Past Earth Has Moon
- Easter Island: What Doomed Native Culture?
- World's Oldest Known Snake Fossils Dated
- Ancient Star With Five Earth-Size Planets
- Spider Electro-Combs Its Sticky Nano-Filaments
- Sugary Drinks: Early Menstrual Period Onset
- Psychopath's Brains Don't Understand Punishment
- Brain Region Vulnerable to Aging: Gene Variant
- Best-Ever View of Dwarf Planet Ceres Captured
- Stomach Acid-Powered Micromotors in Live Mouse
- Using Stem Cells to Grow New Hair
- Academic Achievement: Girls Lead Boys Globally
- Got Bees? Got Vitamin A? Got Malaria?
- 3-D View of Greenland Ice Sheet Opens Window
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last updated on 2015-01-28 at 11:33 am EST
Hygiene Practices Affect Contact Lens Case Contamination
Jan. 28, 2015 — Contact lens wearers who don't follow certain hygiene habits have increased bacterial contamination of their contact lens cases, reports a new study. Washing hands with soap and water, allowing cases ... full story
'Healthy' Fat Tissue Could Be Key to Reversing Type 2 Diabetes
Jan. 28, 2015 — Preventing inflammation in obese fat tissue may hold the key to preventing or even reversing type 2 diabetes, new research has found. The scientists found they could 'reverse' type 2 diabetes in ... full story
Some Older Cancer Patients Can Avoid Radiotherapy, Study Finds
Jan. 28, 2015 — Some older women with breast cancer could safely avoid radiotherapy, without harming their chances of survival, a study has shown. Older women with early breast cancer who are given breast-conserving ... full story
Cell Mechanism Discovered That May Cause Pancreatic Cancer
Jan. 28, 2015 — Researchers have found that defects in how cells are squeezed out of overcrowded tissue to die, a process called extrusion, may be a mechanism by which pancreatic cancer begins. From these findings, ... full story
Seeing Selves as Overweight May Be Self-Fulfilling Prophecy for Some Teens
Jan. 28, 2015 — Teens who mistakenly perceive themselves as overweight are actually at greater risk of obesity as adults, according to research ... full story
Dutch Babies Trump US Peers in Laughing, Smiling, Cuddling
Jan. 28, 2015 — Dutch babies laugh, smile and like to cuddle more than their American counterparts. A new study examining temperamental differences between US and Dutch babies found infants born in the Netherlands ... full story
From Bacterium to Biofactory
Jan. 28, 2015 — A genetic blueprint for organelles that give simple cells new functions has been developed by scientists. A research team has refuted a long-held assumption in biology: The scientists have shown that ... full story
New Method for Identifying Most Aggressive Childhood Cancers
Jan. 28, 2015 — A new way to identify the most malignant tumors in children has been identified by researchers. The method involves studying genetic ‘micro-variation’, rather than the presence of individual ... full story
Game Theory Explains Social Interactions of Cancer Cells
Jan. 28, 2015 — The interactions of cancer cells may be explained by using game theory. The Public Goods Game is part of game theory and is used in economics as a model to analyze the provision of common goods. ... full story
Antibiotics as New Cancer Treatments? Conversation With Schoolgirl Sparks Idea
Jan. 28, 2015 — A way to eradicate cancer stem cells, using the side-effects of commonly used antibiotics, has been discovered by a University of Manchester researcher following a conversation with his young ... full story
- Contact Lens Case Contamination: Hygiene Methods
- Fat Tissue Could Be Key to Reversing Diabetes
- Some Older Cancer Patients Can Avoid Radiotherapy
- Cell Mechanism May Cause Pancreatic Cancer
- Seeing Selves as Overweight May Make It True
- Laughing, Smiling, Cuddles: Dutch Babies Trump US
- From Bacterium to Biofactory
- Finding Aggressive Childhood Cancers: New Method
- Social Interactions of Cancer Cells: Game Theory?
- Antibiotics as New Cancer Treatments?
Children Feel Most Positively About Mothers Who Respect Their Autonomy
Jan. 28, 2015 — Mothers who support their children's need for autonomy as the children grow tend to be viewed more positively by their children. The study included more than 2,000 mothers and their children. It ... full story
How Creative Are You? Depends Where You're from
Jan. 27, 2015 — With the 'creative class' on the rise, many businesses are trying to capitalize on imagination and innovation. But when it comes to creative juices, some societies have a faster flow than others. ... full story
That's Using Your Head: Brain Regulates Fat Metabolism, Potentially Stopping Disease
Jan. 27, 2015 — Atherosclerosis -- hardening and narrowing of the arteries -- can be caused by fat build up that causes plaque deposits, and is one of the main causes of cardiovascular disease. Now a researcher has ... full story
Things Smell Good for a Reason
Jan. 27, 2015 — Antioxidants are natural food ingredients that protect cells from harmful influences. Their main task is to neutralize so-called 'free radicals' which are produced in the process of oxidation and ... full story
Negative Patient-Doctor Communication Could Worsen Symptoms
Jan. 27, 2015 — A type of 'nocebo' response -- where patients perceive a lack of understanding or acceptance from their doctor -- could create anger and distress, physiological conditions that could worsen illness, ... full story
Neuroscience Researchers Believe in Quitting Smoking Gradually
Jan. 27, 2015 — The immediate reaction in the brain after quitting smoking has been the focus of a recent study. At just 12 hours after kicking the habit, the oxygen uptake and blood flow in the brain decrease ... full story
Smoking May Increase Risks for Patients Being Treated for Prostate Cancer
Jan. 27, 2015 — Among patients with prostate cancer, those who smoke have increased risks of experiencing side effects from treatment and of developing future cancer recurrences, or even dying from prostate ... full story
Researchers Find Hormone That Increases the Sex Drive of Mice
Jan. 27, 2015 — Mice that receive a supplement of the 'appetite hormone' ghrelin increase their sexual activity, scientists have found. Whether the hormone has the same impact on humans is unknown -- but if it does, ... full story
Researchers Find Potential Anti-Cancer Use for Anti-Epilepsy Drug
Jan. 27, 2015 — A drug used widely to combat epilepsy has the potential to reduce the growth and spread of breast cancer, scientists have discovered. The team found that "repurposing" antiepileptic drugs, such as ... full story
Age Concern in Largest Ever Study of Heroin User Deaths
Jan. 27, 2015 — Older users of opioids such as heroin are 27 times more likely to become a victim of homicide than the general population, a study of almost 200,000 users has found. The study is the first to record ... full story
- Kids Feel Best About Moms Who Respect Autonomy
- How Creative Are You? Depends Where You're from
- That's Using Your Head: Fat Metabolism Regulation
- Things Smell Good for a Reason
- Can Bad Communication Worsen Patient's Symptoms?
- Is Quitting Smoking Gradually the Best Way?
- Prostate Cancer Treatment: Smoking Ups Risks?
- Hormone That Increases Sex Drive of Mice Found
- Potential Anti-Cancer Use for Anti-Epilepsy Drug
- Age Concern in Large Study of Heroin User Deaths
Infant Failure to Thrive Linked to Lysosome Dysfunction
Jan. 27, 2015 — Neonatal intestinal disorders that prevent infants from getting the nutrients they need may be caused by defects in the lysosomal system -- or cell recycling center -- that occur before weaning. ... full story
Decisions on Future Childbearing in Women Diagnosed With a Meningioma
Jan. 27, 2015 — 43% of surveyed female meningioma survivors aged 25--44 yrs stated they were warned that pregnancy was a risk factor for meningioma recurrence. Nevertheless, these women were more likely to want a ... full story
Ads Effective Even in the Midst of Multitasking, Studies Find
Jan. 26, 2015 — Those video ads playing in the corner of your computer screen, in the midst of multitasking, may have more impact than you realize. They may be as effective as ads you're really watching, says one ... full story
Students Master Math Through Movement Using Kinect for Windows
Jan. 26, 2015 — Significant gains in the understanding of angles and angle measurements by elementary school students are seen in those who performed body-based tasks while interacting with a Kinect for Windows ... full story
Higher Dementia Risk Linked to More Use of Common Drugs
Jan. 26, 2015 — A large study links a significantly increased risk for developing dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, to taking commonly used medications with anticholinergic effects at higher doses or for a ... full story
Nocturnal Leg Cramps More Common in Summer
Jan. 26, 2015 — Painful nocturnal leg cramps are about twice as common during summer than in winter, found a new study. Because quinine is commonly prescribed to treat leg cramps, researchers looked at the number of ... full story
Brain Study Sheds Light on How Children With Autism Process Social Play
Jan. 26, 2015 — Brain scans confirm significant differences in play behavior, brain activation patterns and stress levels in children with autism spectrum disorder as compared with typically developing children, new ... full story
Partly Wrong With a Chance of Being Right: Weather Forecast
Jan. 26, 2015 — The inaccuracy of weather forecasts has personal implications for people around the world. New research from Tel Aviv University prioritizes, for the first time, the reasons for forecasting failures ... full story
In Infants, Pain from Vaccinations Shows Up in Brain Activity
Jan. 26, 2015 — Infants show distinct, consistent patterns of brain activity in response to painful vaccinations, new research ... full story
Mindfulness-Based Program in Schools Making a Positive Impact, Study Shows
Jan. 26, 2015 — A social and emotional learning program started by Academy Award winning actress Goldie Hawn to help school children improve their learning abilities, be more caring, and less stressed is now backed ... full story
- Lysosome Dysfunction Linked to Failure to Thrive
- Meningioma and the Decision to Have Children
- Ads Effective Even While Multitasking
- Kinect: Students Master Math Through Movement
- Use of Common Drugs Tied to Higher Dementia Risk
- Nocturnal Leg Cramps More Common in Summer
- How Children With Autism Process Social Play
- Why Are Weather Forecasts So Inaccurate?
- In Infants, Pain from Shots Seen in Brain ...
- Mindfulness-Based Program in Schools a Positive
New Instrument to Study the Extreme Universe -- The X-Ray Polarimeter X-Calibur
Jan. 28, 2015 — X-ray polarimetry promises to give qualitatively new information about high-energy astrophysical sources, such as black hole systems, the bright and active centers of galaxies, compact neutron stars, ... full story
Researchers Use Sound to Slow Down, Speed Up, and Block Light
Jan. 28, 2015 — How do you make an optical fiber transmit light only one way? Researchers have experimentally demonstrated, for the first time, the phenomenon of Brillouin Scattering Induced Transparency (BSIT), ... full story
Nanoscale Mirrored Cavities Amplify, Connect Quantum Memories
Jan. 28, 2015 — Constructing tiny "mirrors" to trap light increases the efficiency with which photons can pick up and transmit information about electronic spin states -- which is essential for scaling up quantum ... full story
Crude Oil Conspiracy Theories Could Be Right: Oil Is Often the Reason for Interfering in Another Country's War
Jan. 27, 2015 — Researchers have for the first time provided strong evidence for what conspiracy theorists have long thought -- oil is often the reason for interfering in another country's ... full story
Researchers Tune Friction in Ionic Solids at the Nanoscale
Jan. 27, 2015 — New experiments have uncovered a way of controlling friction on ionic surfaces at the nanoscale using electrical stimulation and ambient water ... full story
New Mechanism Unlocked for Evolution of Green Fluorescent Protein
Jan. 27, 2015 — A primary challenge in the biosciences is to understand the way major evolutionary changes in nature are accomplished. Sometimes the route turns out to be very simple. An example of such simplicity ... full story
New Pathway to Valleytronics: Femtosecond Laser Used to Manipulate Valley Excitons
Jan. 27, 2015 — Researchers have uncovered a promising new pathway to valleytronics, a potential quantum computing technology in which information is coded based on the wavelike motion of electrons moving through ... full story
Targeted MRI/ultrasound Beats Standard Biopsy to Detect High-Risk Prostate Cancer
Jan. 27, 2015 — Targeted biopsy using new fusion technology that combines magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with ultrasound is more effective than standard biopsy in detecting high-risk prostate cancer, according to ... full story
The Laser Pulse That Gets Shorter All by Itself
Jan. 27, 2015 — A new method of creating ultra short laser pulses has been created: Just by sending a pulse through a cleverly designed fiber, it can be compressed by a factor of ... full story
Carbon Nanoballs Can Greatly Contribute to Sustainable Energy Supply
Jan. 27, 2015 — Researchers have discovered that the insulation plastic used in high-voltage cables can withstand a 26 per cent higher voltage if nanometer-sized carbon balls are added. This could result in enormous ... full story
- New Instrument to Study the Extreme Universe
- Sound Used to Slow Down, Speed Up, and Block ...
- Nanoscale Cavities Amplify Quantum Memories
- Crude Conspiracy Theories Could Be Right
- Friction Tuned in Ionic Solids at the Nanoscale
- Evolution of Green Fluorescent Protein: New Info
- Quantum Computing: New Path to Valleytronics
- Detecting High-Risk Prostate Cancer With MRI
- The Laser Pulse That Gets Shorter All by Itself
- Carbon Nanoballs and Sustainable Energy Supply
Ballooning Offers Platform for Performing Research in a Space-Like Environment
Jan. 28, 2015 — A high-altitude (>20 km) balloon platform is nearly ideal for carrying out scientific observations in a space-like environment, flight qualifying instrumentation, and transporting humans to the edge ... full story
The Mouth of the Beast: VLT Images Cometary Globule CG4
Jan. 28, 2015 — Like the gaping mouth of a gigantic celestial creature, the cometary globule CG4 glows menacingly in this new image from ESO's Very Large Telescope. Although it appears to be big and bright in this ... full story
'Knobby Terrain' a Sign of Mars's Explosive Past
Jan. 27, 2015 — The Red Planet's upper crust is brittle and weak. Planetary geologists often attribute this to effusive eruption -- lava pouring out of a volcano onto the ground -- early in Mars's history with later ... full story
'Yellowballs' Are Part of the Development of Massive Star
Jan. 27, 2015 — Citizen scientists wanted to know: What are the yellow objects on these infrared images from the Spitzer Space Telescope? Astronomers now report that the "yellowballs" are part of the development of ... full story
Bubbles from the Galactic Center: A Key to Understanding Dark Matter and Our Galaxy's Past?
Jan. 27, 2015 — The astrophysicists who discovered two enormous radiation bubbles in the center of our galaxy discuss what they may tell us about the Milky Way and how they could help in the search for dark ... full story
Gigantic Ring System Around J1407b Much Larger, Heavier Than Saturn's
Jan. 26, 2015 — Astronomers have discovered that the ring system that they see eclipse the very young Sun-like star J1407 is of enormous proportions, much larger and heavier than the ring system of ... full story
Swarm of Microprobes to Head for Jupiter
Jan. 26, 2015 — A swarm of tiny probes each with a different sensor could be fired into the clouds of Jupiter and grab data as they fall before burning up in the gas giant planet's atmosphere. The probes would last ... full story
Helicopter Could Be 'Scout' for Mars Rovers
Jan. 26, 2015 — Getting around on Mars is tricky business. Each NASA rover has delivered a wealth of information about the history and composition of the Red Planet, but a rover's vision is limited by the view of ... full story
Alamo Impact Crater: New Study Could Double Its Size
Jan. 23, 2015 — Carbonate rock deposits found within the mountain ranges of south-central Nevada, USA, record evidence of a catastrophic impact event known as the Alamo impact. This event occurred roughly 382 ... full story
Yes, Black Holes Exist in Gravitational Theories With Unbounded Speeds of Propagation
Jan. 23, 2015 — Gravitational theories with broken Lorentz invariance have attracted a great deal of interest as they provide a test-bed of LI and offer a mechanism to improve their ultraviolet behavior, so that the ... full story
- Ballooning: A Space-Like Environment
- Cometary Globule CG4 Imaged
- 'Knobby Terrain' a Sign of Mars's Explosive Past
- Astronomers Answer 'What Are Yellowballs?'
- Bubbles from the Galactic Center
- Gigantic Ring System Much Bigger Than Saturn's
- Swarm of Microprobes to Head for Jupiter
- Helicopter Could Be 'Scout' for Mars Rovers
- Alamo Impact Crater: New Study Could Double Size
- Black Holes: Unbounded Speeds of Propagation
New Search Engine Lets Users Look for Relevant Results Faster
Jan. 27, 2015 — Researchers have developed a new search engine that outperforms current ones, and helps people to do searches more ... full story
Bad Weather Warnings Most Effective If Probability Included, New Research Suggests
Jan. 27, 2015 — Risk researchers find that the public may respond best to severe weather warnings if they include a probability estimate, an important finding not only for the present but also for the longer-term ... full story
Maximizing Access to Mobile Networks by Seamlessly 'Offloading' Some Traffic
Jan. 27, 2015 — Mathematical analysis reveals how to maximize access to mobile networks by seamlessly ‘offloading’ traffic to smaller Wi-Fi and cellular ... full story
Researchers Use Oxides to Flip Graphene Conductivity
Jan. 26, 2015 — A team of researchers has demonstrated a new way to change the amount of electrons that reside in a given region within a piece of graphene, they have a proof-of-principle in making the fundamental ... full story
Electronic Circuits With Reconfigurable Pathways Closer to Reality
Jan. 26, 2015 — Multitasking circuits capable of reconfiguring themselves in real time and switching functions as the need arises -- this is the promising application stemming from a new discovery. Other potential ... full story
Largest-Ever Autism Genome Study Finds Most Siblings Have Different Autism-Risk Genes
Jan. 26, 2015 — The largest-ever autism genome study reveals that the disorder's genetic underpinnings are more complex than previously thought: Most siblings who have autism have different autism-linked genes. The ... full story
Researchers Identify Materials to Improve Biofuel, Petroleum Processing
Jan. 26, 2015 — Using one of the largest supercomputers in the world, a team of researchers has identified potential materials that could improve the production of ethanol and petroleum products. The discovery could ... full story
Researchers Make Magnetic Graphene
Jan. 26, 2015 — Graphene has many desirable properties. Magnetism alas is not one of them. Magnetism can be induced in graphene by doping it with magnetic impurities, but this tends to disrupt graphene's electronic ... full story
Stock Market Changes: Patents Provide Insight Into Wall Street 'Technology Arms Race'
Jan. 26, 2015 — A new study has used US patent data to shed light on the technological roots behind Wall Street's ongoing 'technology arms race.' The way financial assets are traded, and the nature of the markets ... full story
Chemists Control Structure to Unlock Magnetization and Polarization Simultaneously
Jan. 26, 2015 — Scientists have controlled the structure of a material to simultaneously generate both magnetization and electrical polarization, an advance which has potential applications in information storage ... full story
- New Highly Efficient Search Engine Developed
- Bad Weather Warnings Best If Probability Included
- WiFi: Smoother Sailing Through Sharing
- Graphene Conductivity Flips With Oxides
- Multitasking Circuits To Reconfigure Themselves
- Most Siblings Have Different Autism-Risk Genes
- Materials Improve Biofuel, Petroleum Processing
- Researchers Make Magnetic Graphene
- Insight Into Wall Street 'Technology Arms Race'
- Unlocking Magnetization and Polarization Together
Into the Dark: Two New Encrusting Anemones Found in Coral Reef Caves
Jan. 28, 2015 — Three marine biologists from Japan have discovered two new and unusually unique species of encrusting anemone. Unlike almost all known species within their genus, these two new species do not have ... full story
Urban Sprawl Promotes Worm Exchange Across Species
Jan. 28, 2015 — The complex exchange of parasitic worms between wildlife, rats and humans is a little more clear, thanks to new research. “We developed a model concept that allows us to link the probability of ... full story
Blind Beetles Show Extraordinary Signs of Sight
Jan. 28, 2015 — Researchers have made a surprising discovery in the aquifers beneath the Western Australian desert, which challenges the traditional Darwinian view of evolution. They have discovered that a species ... full story
Ocean Acidification Changes Balance of Biofouling Communities
Jan. 28, 2015 — A new study of marine organisms that make up the 'biofouling community' -- tiny creatures that attach themselves to ships' hulls and rocks in the ocean around the world -- shows how they adapt to ... full story
Research Projects Contribute to Shaping EU Regulation to Control Invasive Species
Jan. 28, 2015 — A new regulation governing the control of invasive alien species became effective in all EU states on 1 January 2015. The European Union hopes that it will actively combat one of the greatest threats ... full story
Researchers Capture, Document First Northern Saw-Whet Owl in Arkansas
Jan. 28, 2015 — Wildlife biologists have captured and documented the first northern saw-whet owl in Arkansas. Between 1959 and 2010, only a dozen sightings of this rare bird -- much smaller than screech, barred or ... full story
Dog Disease in Lions Spread by Multiple Species
Jan. 27, 2015 — Canine distemper, a viral disease that's been infecting the famed lions of Tanzania's Serengeti National Park, appears to be spread by multiple animal species, according to a study published by a ... full story
Carbon Accumulation by Southeastern U.S. Forests May Slow
Jan. 27, 2015 — Carbon accumulation levels in the Southeastern US may be slowing due to forest dynamics and land use changes, according to findings of a new study. The research is the first to isolate the impacts of ... full story
Respiratory Chain: Protein Complex Structure Revealed
Jan. 27, 2015 — Mitochondria produce ATP, the energy currency of the body. The driver for this process is an electrochemical membrane potential, which is created by a series of proton pumps. These complex, ... full story
How Do Small Birds Survive Cold Winters?
Jan. 27, 2015 — Norway's small birds face many challenges during the winter, including short days and long energy-intensive nights, tough weather conditions and food shortages, along with the risk of becoming a meal ... full story
- Two New Encrusting Anemones Found in Caves
- Urban Sprawl Aids Worm Exchange Across Species
- Blind Beetles Show Extraordinary Signs of Sight
- Ocean Acidification and the Biofouling Community
- Shaping EU Regulation to Control Invasive Species
- Arkansas: First Northern Saw-Whet Owl Documented
- Dog Disease in Lions Spread by Multiple Species
- Carbon Accumulation by U.S. Forests May Slow
- Respiratory Chain: Protein Complex Structure ID'd
- How Do Small Birds Survive Cold Winters?
Satellite Study Identifies Water Bodies Important for Biodiversity Conservation
Jan. 28, 2015 — Using satellite images to study changing patterns of surface water is a powerful tool for identifying conservationally important 'stepping stone' water bodies that could help aquatic species survive ... full story
Early Mesoamericans Affected by Climate Change
Jan. 27, 2015 — Scientists have reconstructed the past climate for the region around Cantona, a large fortified city in highland Mexico, and found the population drastically declined in the past, at least in part ... full story
Pilotless Aircraft Will Play Critical Roles in Precision Agriculture
Jan. 26, 2015 — A new article outlines many of the potential roles drones can play in university research, and the advantages they can offer in speed, cost and data ... full story
Winters in Siberian Permafrost Regions Have Warmed Since Millenia
Jan. 26, 2015 — For the first time, researchers have successfully decoded climate data from old permafrost ground ice and reconstructed the development of winter temperatures in Russia's Lena River Delta. Their ... full story
Global Warming Doubles Risk of Extreme La Niña Event, Research Shows
Jan. 26, 2015 — The risk of extreme La Niña events in the Pacific Ocean could double due to global warming, new research has shown. El Niño and La Niña events are opposite phases of the natural climate ... full story
Climate Models Disagree on Why Temperature 'Wiggles' Occur
Jan. 26, 2015 — Most climate models likely underestimate the degree of decade-to-decade variability occurring in mean surface temperatures as Earth's atmosphere warms. They also provide inconsistent explanations of ... full story
Shell Growth Observed Thanks to 'Ion Sponge'
Jan. 26, 2015 — Researchers are able to observe the formation of shells in real time on a nanometer scale thanks to a new electron microscopy technique. This enabled them for the first time to see how pieces of ... full story
Converting Olive Mash Into Cash
Jan. 26, 2015 — An experimental system to create heat and power with waste from olive oil processing is up-and-running in Spain. The system shows a promising way forward for reducing environmental damage and ... full story
Lead Negatively Impacts Cognitive Functions of Boys More Than Girls
Jan. 23, 2015 — The female hormones estrogen and estradiol may help ward off the effects of lead exposure for young girls, explaining why boys, are shown to suffer more often from the cognitive disabilities linked ... full story
Calculating the Future of Solar-Fuel Refineries
Jan. 23, 2015 — A team of engineers has developed a new tool to help engineers better gauge the overall yield, efficiency and costs associated with scaling solar-fuel production processes up into large-scale ... full story
- Water Bodies Vital for Biodiversity Conservation
- Early Mesoamericans Affected by Climate Change
- Drones for Precision Agriculture
- Winters in Siberia Have Warmed Since Millenia
- Global Warming Doubles Risk of Extreme La Niña
- Climate Models and Temperature Wiggles
- Shell Growth Observed Thanks to 'Ion Sponge'
- Converting Olive Mash Into Cash
- Lead: Harder On Boys' Cognitive Function
- Calculating the Future of Solar-Fuel Refineries
New Tattoos Discovered on Iceman Oetzi: All of the Skin Marks on the Mummy Mapped
Jan. 27, 2015 — With the aid of a non-invasive photographic technique, researchers at the EURAC-Institute for Mummies and the Iceman have been able to show up all the tattoos on the man who was found preserved in a ... full story
Climate Affects Development of Human Speech
Jan. 23, 2015 — A correlation between climate and the evolution of language has been uncovered by researchers. To find a relationship between the climate and the evolution of language, one needs to discover an ... full story
Early Human Ancestors Used Their Hands Like Modern Humans
Jan. 22, 2015 — New research suggests pre-Homo human ancestral species, such as Australopithecus africanus, used human-like hand postures much earlier than was previously thought. The distinctly human ability for ... full story
Major Breakthrough in Reading Ancient Scrolls
Jan. 22, 2015 — Revolutionary software is making a breakthrough in reading 2,000-year old Herculaneum scrolls, computer scientists report. After working for more than 10 years on unlocking an ancient piece of ... full story
Doubt Cast on Global Firestorm Generated by Dino-Killing Asteroid
Jan. 22, 2015 — Pioneering new research has debunked the theory that the asteroid that is thought to have led to the extinction of dinosaurs also caused vast global firestorms that ravaged planet Earth. Scientists ... full story
Fossils Survive Volcanic Eruption to Tell Us About the Origin of the Canary Islands
Jan. 22, 2015 — The most recent eruption on the Canary Islands -- at El Hierro in 2011 -- produced spectacularly enigmatic white "floating rocks" that originated from the layers of oceanic sedimentary rock ... full story
Which 'Letters' in the Human Genome Are Functionally Important?
Jan. 20, 2015 — A new computational method has been developed to identify which letters in the human genome are functionally important. Their computer program, called fitCons, harnesses the power of evolution, ... full story
New Data About Evolution of Immune Response Genes in Plants
Jan. 20, 2015 — New clues about the evolution of the immune system in European populations of the plant <em>Arabidopsis thaliana </em> have been uncovered by researchers, as well as the underlying genetic mechanisms ... full story
Paleontologist Names a Carnivorous Reptile That Preceded Dinosaurs
Jan. 20, 2015 — Paleontologist have now named a 9-foot-long carnivorous reptile with steak knife-like teeth and bony plates on the back. Its name is ... full story
Fossil Ankles Indicate Earth's Earliest Primates Lived in Trees
Jan. 19, 2015 — Earth's earliest primates have taken a step up in the world, now that researchers have gotten a good look at their ankles. A new study has found that Purgatorius, a small mammal that lived on a diet ... full story
- New Tattoos Discovered On Iceman Oetzi
- Climate Affects Development of Human Speech
- Early Human Ancestors Used Hands Like We Do
- Major Breakthrough in Reading Ancient Scrolls
- No Global Firestorm from Dino-Killing Asteroid?
- Fossils Survive Volcanic Eruption, Tell Story
- Human Genome: Which 'Letters' Are Important?
- Evolution of Immune Response Genes in Plants
- Paleontologist Names Early Carnivorous Reptile
- Fossil Ankles: Earliest Primates Lived in Trees
Lung Cancer Predicted to Overtake Breast Cancer as Leading Cause of Cancer Death Among European Women in 2015
Jan. 26, 2015 — Death rates from lung cancer will exceed those for breast cancer for the first time among European women in 2015, according to the latest predictions. The study by researchers in Italy and ... full story
How Your Friends Might Help You Avoid Flu
Jan. 26, 2015 — A study of social networks has yielded clues about how best to improve vaccination rates for influenza. Influenza is a global health problem, affecting 3 to 5 million people a year and causing ... full story
New Technique Helps Probe Performance of Organic Solar Cell Materials
Jan. 23, 2015 — Researchers have developed a technique for determining the role that a material's structure has on the efficiency of organic solar cells, which are candidates for low-cost, next generation solar ... full story
New Technique for Producing Cheaper Solar Energy Suggested by Research
Jan. 23, 2015 — Pioneering new research could pave the way for solar energy to be converted into household electricity more cheaply than ever before. The global PV market has experienced rapid growth in recent years ... full story
Stalking Versus Cyberstalking: Effects on Victims, Their Responses Compared
Jan. 23, 2015 — The devastating effects of stalking and cyberstalking – harassing or threatening communication via the Internet – are explored in a new study. Key among the findings is that victims of ... full story
Arctic Ice Cap Slides Into the Ocean
Jan. 23, 2015 — Satellite images have revealed that a remote Arctic ice cap has thinned by more than 50 metres since 2012 -- about one sixth of its original thickness -- and that it is now flowing 25 times faster. ... full story
Brazil's Soy Moratorium Still Needed to Preserve Amazon
Jan. 23, 2015 — In a new study to evaluate the Brazilian Soy Moratorium, researchers across the U.S. and Brazil show that the moratorium helped to drastically reduce the amount of deforestation linked to soy ... full story
Celiac Disease Rate Among Young Children Has Almost Tripled in Past 20 Years
Jan. 22, 2015 — The number of young children diagnosed with celiac disease in the UK has almost tripled over the past 20 years, but kids from poorer families are only half as likely to be diagnosed with the ... full story
Falls in Blood Pressure, Cholesterol Have Saved 20,000+ Lives in England
Jan. 22, 2015 — Falls in blood pressure and total cholesterol staved off more than 20,000 deaths from coronary heart disease in England between 2000 and 2007, shows a mathematical analysis. The impact of statins was ... full story
Surprising Insights Into Effects of Wood Fuel Burning
Jan. 22, 2015 — The harvesting of wood to meet the heating and cooking demands for billions of people worldwide has less of an impact on global forest loss and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions than previously ... full story
- Europe: Lung Cancer Death To Exceed Breast Cancer
- How Your Friends Might Help You Avoid Flu
- Organic Solar Cell Materials: Probing Performance
- New Technique for Producing Cheaper Solar Energy
- Stalking Versus Cyberstalking: Effects On Victims
- Arctic Ice Cap Slides Into the Ocean
- Brazil's Soy Moratorium Needed to Preserve Amazon
- Celiac Disease In Young Kids: Tripled in 20 Years
- Falling Blood Pressure, Cholesterol Saves Lives
- Surprising Effects of Wood Fuel Burning
Would You Tell Your Manager You Had a Mental Health Problem?
Jan. 26, 2015 — Although nearly four in 10 workers wouldn't tell their manager if they had a mental health problem, half said that if they knew about a coworker's illness, they would desire to help, a new survey ... full story
Reducing Work-Family Conflicts in the Workplace Helps People to Sleep Better
Jan. 26, 2015 — Workers who participated in an intervention aimed at reducing conflict between work and familial responsibilities slept an hour more each week and reported greater sleep sufficiency than those who ... full story
Heightened Scents: Do Ambient Fragrances Make Consumers Purchase More?
Jan. 21, 2015 — Do consumers make different choices based on the fragrance surrounding them? A new study shows for the first time that the “temperature” of scents in a store atmosphere may have a powerful effect ... full story
New Research Reveals the Power of Hierarchy in High-Pressure Situations
Jan. 20, 2015 — Researchers analyzed more than 30,000 Himalayan climbers and 5,000 expeditions over the past 100 years to assess the impact that hierarchical cultures can have in high-pressure group situations. The ... full story
Hostile Boss? Study Finds Advantages to Giving It Right Back
Jan. 20, 2015 — In a result that surprised researchers, a new study found that employees who had hostile bosses were better off on several measures if they returned the hostility. "Before we did this study, I ... full story
Inventors Choose to Reveal Their Secret Sauce Before Patent Approval
Jan. 15, 2015 — Common wisdom and prior economic research suggest that an inventor filing a patent would want to keep the technical know-how secret as long as possible. But a new study of nearly 2 million patents in ... full story
In the Mood to Trade? Weather May Influence Institutional Investors' Stock Decisions
Jan. 15, 2015 — Weather changes may affect how institutional investors decide on stock plays, according to a new study. Their findings suggest sunny skies put professional investors more in a mood to buy, while ... full story
Huge 3-D Displays Without 3-D Glasses
Jan. 15, 2015 — A new kind of display uses laser beams to send out different pictures into different directions. Each pixel contains lasers and a moving mirror, which directs the laser light. Different pictures can ... full story
Global Warming Reduces Wheat Production Markedly If No Adaptation Takes Place
Jan. 12, 2015 — Future global wheat harvest is likely to be reduced by six per cent per each degree Celsius of local temperature increase if no adaptation takes place. Worldwide this would correspond to 42 million ... full story
Black Women Working Night Shifts Have an Increased Risk of Developing Diabetes
Jan. 11, 2015 — Those who work night shifts are significantly more likely to develop diabetes than those who have never worked night shifts, with more years working the night shift resulting in a higher risk. These ... full story
- Mental Health Problem? Would You Tell Your Boss?
- Better Work-Family Balance Helps With Sleep
- Do Ambient Fragrances Make You Purchase More?
- Power of Hierarchy in High-Pressure Situations
- Hostile Boss? Benefit to Giving It Right Back
- Inventors Reveal 'Secret Sauce' Before Patenting
- Stock Decisions Affected By Weather?
- Huge 3-D Displays Without 3-D Glasses
- Does Global Warming Reduce Wheat Production?
- Night Shifts Linked to More Risk of Diabetes
For University Students, Walking Beats Sitting
Jan. 26, 2015 — Walking classrooms are better for not only for students' physical health, but classroom engagement, a study shows. What began in a response to a physical activity challenge for the computer science ... full story
How Are Student Loans Affecting the Well-Being of Young Adults?
Jan. 22, 2015 — Young adults who accumulated higher amounts of debt incurred from student loans reported higher levels of depressive symptoms, even with adjustments for parental wealth, childhood socioeconomic ... full story
Rescuing Memories of Past Events: How the Mundane Can Be Meaningful -- And Remembered
Jan. 21, 2015 — It's not surprising that our memories of highly emotional events, such as 9/11 or the birth of a child, are quite strong. But can these events change our memories of the past? Researchers report that ... full story
Facebook Not to Blame for Negative Impact on Grades, Professor Says
Jan. 20, 2015 — The more time college students, particularly freshman, spend on Facebook, the more their grades suffer. But a professor says the problem is not Facebook -- it's an issue of ... full story
Practice Really Does Make Perfect
Jan. 8, 2015 — New research into the way in which we learn new skills finds that a single skill can be learned faster if its follow-through motion is consistent, but multiple skills can be learned simultaneously if ... full story
All in a Good Night's Sleep: How Quality of Sleep Impacts Academic Performance in Children
Jan. 8, 2015 — A good night's sleep is linked to better performance by schoolchildren in math and languages -- subjects that are powerful predictors of later learning and academic success, according to a study. The ... full story
Marine Litter Education Boosts Children's Understanding, Actions
Jan. 6, 2015 — Children could play an important role in solutions to reduce marine litter with some already helping to educate parents and peers about the scale of the issue, experts ... full story
Human Speech's Surprising Influence on Young Infants
Jan. 5, 2015 — America's preoccupation with the 'word gap' -- the idea that parents in impoverished homes speak less to their children, which, in turn, predicts outcomes like school achievement and income later in ... full story
Fast-Food Consumption Linked to Lower Test Score Gains in 8th Graders
Dec. 22, 2014 — The amount of fast food children eat may be linked to how well they do in school, a new America-wide study suggests. This study can't say why fast-food consumption is linked to lower grades, but ... full story
Early Caregiving Experiences Have Long-Term Effects on Social Relationships, Achievement
Dec. 18, 2014 — A new study has found that sensitive caregiving in the first three years of life predicts an individual's social competence and academic achievement, not only during childhood and adolescence, but ... full story
- For University Students, Walking Beats Sitting
- Student Loans and the Well-Being of Young Adults
- How the Mundane Can Be Meaningful and Remembered
- Can't Blame Bad Grades On Facebook, Says Prof
- Practice Really Does Make Perfect
- Sleep Impacts Academic Performance in Children
- Marine Litter Education Boosts Children's Actions
- Human Speech's Surprising Influence On Infants
- Kids: Fast-Food Linked to Lower Test Score Gains
- Early Caregiving: Effects Into Adulthood
