Today's Science News
Monday, December 29, 2014
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from universities, journals, and other organizations
Egg and Sperm Race: Scientists Create Precursors to Human Egg and Sperm
Dec. 25, 2014 — Scientists have created primordial germ cells -- cells that will go on to become egg and sperm -- using human embryonic stem cells. Although this had already been done using rodent stem cells, this ... full story
Modern Genetics Confirm Ancient Relationship Between Fins and Hands
Dec. 22, 2014 — Efforts to connect the evolutionary transition from fish fins to wrist and fingers with the genetic machinery for this adaptation have fallen short because they focused on the wrong fish. Now, ... full story
Tales from a Martian Rock: New Chemical Analysis of Ancient Martian Meteorite Provides Clues to Planet's History of Habitability
Dec. 22, 2014 — A new analysis of a Martian rock that meteorite hunters plucked from an Antarctic ice field 30 years ago this month reveals a record of the planet's climate billions of years ago, back when ... full story
Hunter-Gatherer Past Shows Our Fragile Bones Result from Inactivity Since Invention of Farming
Dec. 22, 2014 — Latest analysis of prehistoric bones show there is no anatomical reason why a person born today could not develop the skeletal strength of a prehistoric forager or a modern orangutan. Findings ... full story
New Non-Invasive Method Can Detect Alzheimer's Disease Early
Dec. 22, 2014 — A noninvasive MRI approach that can detect the Alzheimer's disease in a living animal, well before typical Alzheimer's symptoms appear, has been developed by researchers. The research team ... full story
Putting Bedbugs to Bed Forever
Dec. 24, 2014 — A team of scientists has found a way to conquer the global bedbug epidemic. By lending their own arms for thousands of bed bug bites, they have finally found the solution -- a set of chemical ... full story
Could Playing Tchaikovsky's 'Nutcracker' and Other Music Improve Kids' Brains?
Dec. 23, 2014 — In a study called 'the largest investigation of the association between playing a musical instrument and brain development,' a child psychiatry team has found that musical training might ... full story
Molecular Mechanism Behind Health Benefits of Dietary Restriction Identified
Dec. 23, 2014 — A key molecular mechanism behind the health benefits of dietary restriction has been identified by researchers. Also known as calorie restriction, dietary restriction is best known for its ability to ... full story
That Smartphone Is Giving Your Thumbs Superpowers
Dec. 23, 2014 — When people spend time interacting with their smartphones via touchscreen, it actually changes the way their thumbs and brains work together, according to a new report. More touchscreen use in the ... full story
Oldest Stone Tool Ever Found in Turkey Discovered
Dec. 23, 2014 — Scientists have discovered the oldest recorded stone tool ever to be found in Turkey, revealing that humans passed through the gateway from Asia to Europe much earlier than previously thought, ... full story
Trial Confirms Ebola Vaccine Candidate Safe, Equally Immunogenic in Africa
Dec. 23, 2014 — Two experimental DNA vaccines to prevent Ebola virus and the closely related Marburg virus are safe, and generated a similar immune response in healthy Ugandan adults as reported in healthy US adults ... full story
Ultrasounds Dance the 'Moonwalk' in New Metamaterial
Dec. 22, 2014 — Metamaterials have extraordinary properties when it comes to diverting and controlling waves, especially sound and light: for instance, they can make an object invisible, or increase the resolving ... full story
Cells 'Feel' Their Surroundings Using Finger-Like Structures
Dec. 22, 2014 — Cells have finger-like projections that they use to feel their surroundings. They can detect the chemical environment and they can 'feel' their physical surroundings using ultrasensitive ... full story
Coral Reveals Long-Term Link Between Pacific Winds, Global Climate
Dec. 22, 2014 — New research indicates that shifts in Pacific trade winds played a key role in twentieth century climate variation and are likely again influencing global temperatures. The study uses a novel method ... full story
New Technology Makes Tissues, Someday Maybe Organs
Dec. 22, 2014 — A new device for building large tissues from living components of three-dimensional microtissues borrows on ideas from electronics manufacturing. The Bio-Pick, Place, and Perfuse is a step toward ... full story
- Precursors to Human Egg and Sperm Created
- Ancient Relationship Between Fins and Hands
- Martian Rock: Clues to Planet's Habitability
- Fragile Bones: From Hunter-Gatherers to Farmers
- Spotting Alzheimer's Early: Non-Invasive Method
- Putting Bedbugs to Bed Forever
- Could Playing Music Improve Kids' Brains?
- Dietary Restriction, Health: Molecular Mechanism
- That Smartphone Gives Your Thumbs Superpowers
- Oldest Stone Tool Ever Found in Turkey
- Ebola Vaccine Candidate Safe, Trial Confirms
- Ultrasounds Dance 'Moonwalk' in Metamaterial
- Cells 'Feel' Around With Finger-Like Structures
- Trade Winds Linked to Climate Shifts
- Making Tissues, Someday Maybe Organs
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last updated on 2014-12-29 at 4:23 pm EST
For Facial Transplantation Patients, Blink Assessment Is Essential
Dec. 29, 2014 — Face transplantation can dramatically enhance a patient's quality of life after severe facial trauma, but lack of attention to eyelid function and vision can leave patients with impaired vision, ... full story
Mechanism of Toxin's Inflammatory Effect on Lungs Found
Dec. 29, 2014 — A never-before-seen mechanism by which a bacterial toxin leads to severe inflammation in asthma and other acute and chronic pulmonary diseases has been discovered by researchers. The discovery could ... full story
Reprogramming Stem Cells May Prevent Cancer After Radiation
Dec. 29, 2014 — Pre-programmed stem cell death allows cancer to grow after full-body irradiation, researchers report, and NOTCH signaling may restore stem cell function, protecting against cancer after ... full story
Protein Identified as Possible Universal Therapeutic Target for Many Infections, Including Ebola
Dec. 29, 2014 — A protein called GRP78 could be a universal therapeutic target for treating human diseases like brain cancer, Ebola, Influenza, Hepatitis and superbug bacteria such as Methicillin-resistant ... full story
Binge Drinking Disrupts Immune System in Young Adults, Study Finds
Dec. 29, 2014 — Binge drinking in young, healthy adults significantly disrupts the immune system, according to a study. Drinkers generally understand how binge drinking alters behavior, researchers note, however, ... full story
Enzyme's Alter Ego Helps Activate the Immune System
Dec. 29, 2014 — Already known to cut proteins, the enzyme SPPL3 turns out to have additional talents, according to a new study. In its newly discovered role, SPPL3 works without cutting proteins to activate T-cells, ... full story
Estrogen Worsens Allergic Reactions in Mice
Dec. 29, 2014 — Estradiol, a type of estrogen, enhances the levels and activity in mice of an enzyme that drives life-threatening allergic reactions, according to researchers. The study results may help explain why ... full story
Live Adaptation of Organ Models in the OR
Dec. 29, 2014 — During minimally invasive operations, a surgeon has to trust the information displayed on the screen: A virtual 3D model of the respective organ shows where a tumor is located and where sensitive ... full story
Parasite Eggs From the Celtic Period Found in Basel
Dec. 29, 2014 — Archaeologists have discovered eggs of intestinal parasites in samples from a former Celtic settlement and concluded that its population lived in poor sanitary conditions. Using special ... full story
Text Messaging Reminders Increase Second Dose Influenza Vaccinations in Children
Dec. 29, 2014 — Researchers studied the impact of text message reminders for the second dose of influenza vaccine required for many young children to protect them against the virus. The findings showed that sending ... full story
- Facial Transplants: Blink Assessment Essential
- Mechanism of Toxin's Inflammatory Effect On Lungs
- Reprogramming Stem Cells May Prevent Cancer
- Possible Universal Therapeutic Target for Disease
- Binge Drinking Disrupts Immune System
- Enzyme's Alter Ego Activates Immune System
- Estrogen Worsens Allergic Reactions in Mice
- Live Adaptation of Organ Models in the OR
- Parasite Eggs From the Celtic Period
- Text Reminders Up Second Dose Flu Vaccinations
Optogenetics Captures Neuronal Transmission in Live Mammalian Brain
Dec. 25, 2014 — Scientists have used a cutting-edge method to stimulate neurons with light. They have successfully recorded synaptic transmission between neurons in a live animal for the first ... full story
Twelve New Genetic Causes of Developmental Disorders
Dec. 25, 2014 — Scientists have discovered 12 new genetic causes of developmental disorders.They will ultimately analyze data from 12,000 families. The article describes results from the first 1133 samples, which ... full story
First Scientific Report Shows Police Body-Cameras Can Prevent Unacceptable Use-of-Force
Dec. 24, 2014 — As Obama pledges investment in body-worn-camera technology for police officers, researchers say cameras induce 'self-awareness' that can prevent unacceptable uses-of-force seen to have tragic ... full story
Identifying Brain Variations to Predict Patient Response to Surgery for OCD
Dec. 23, 2014 — Identifying brain variations may help physicians predict which patients will respond to a neurosurgical procedure to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder that does not respond to medication or ... full story
Activating Hair Growth by Modifying Immune Cells
Dec. 23, 2014 — How to restore hair loss is a task not undertaken exclusively by beauty practitioners. The discover reveals a novel angle to spur hair follicle growth. This also adds new knowledge to a broader ... full story
'July Effect' Does Not Impact Stroke Outcomes, According to New Study
Dec. 23, 2014 — Patients with strokes caused by blood clots -known as acute ischemic strokes- who were admitted in July had similar outcomes compared to patients admitted any other month, according to a new study. ... full story
Echolocation Acts as Substitute Sense for Blind People
Dec. 23, 2014 — Human echolocation operates as a viable 'sense,' working in tandem with other senses to deliver information to people with visual impairment, according to new research. Ironically, the proof for the ... full story
Way to Control Internal Clocks Discovered
Dec. 23, 2014 — Researchers hypothesize that targeting components of the mammalian clock with small molecules like REV-ERB drugs may lead to new treatments for sleep disorders and anxiety disorders. It also is ... full story
Stress May Increase Desire for Reward but Not Pleasure, Research Finds
Dec. 23, 2014 — Feeling stressed may prompt you to go to great lengths to satisfy an urge for a drink or sweets, but you're not likely to enjoy the indulgence any more than someone who is not stressed and has the ... full story
Using Targeted Brain Stimulation to Change Attention Patterns for Anxious Individuals
Dec. 23, 2014 — Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a painless treatment strategy that uses weak electrical currents to deliver targeted stimulation to the brain via electrodes placed on the scalp. ... full story
- Neuronal Transmission in Live Mammalian Brain
- 12 New Genetic Causes of Developmental Disorders
- Police Body-Cameras Limit Use-Of-Force
- Predicting Patient Response to Surgery for OCD
- Activating Hair Growth by Modifying Immune Cells
- 'July Effect' Does Not Impact Stroke Outcomes
- Echolocation: Substitute Sense for Blind People
- Controlling Internal Clocks
- Stress May Up Desire for Reward but Not Pleasure
- Targeted Brain Stimulation to Treat Anxiety
High-Fat Diet, Obesity During Pregnancy Harms Stem Cells in Developing Fetus
Dec. 24, 2014 — Physician-scientists reveal a high-fat diet and obesity during pregnancy compromise the blood-forming, or hematopoietic, stem cell system in the fetal liver responsible for creating and sustaining ... full story
Maternal Supplementation With Multiple Micronutrients Compared With Iron-Folic Acid
Dec. 23, 2014 — In Bangladesh, daily maternal supplementation of multiple micronutrients compared to iron-folic acid before and after childbirth did not reduce all-cause infant mortality to age 6 months, but did ... full story
Overweight Teens Lose Weight for the Right Reasons, Study Shows
Dec. 23, 2014 — A new study looked at formerly obese or overweight teens who had lost weight and kept it off. Their motives were more intrinisic, such as being healthy and feeling good. Parents can help by being ... full story
Weight Training Appears Key to Controlling Belly Fat
Dec. 23, 2014 — Healthy men who did 20 minutes of daily weight training had less of an increase in age-related abdominal fat compared with men who spent the same amount of time doing aerobic activities, according to ... full story
Decision 'Cascades' in Social Networks
Dec. 22, 2014 — People in social networks are often influenced by each other's decisions, resulting in a run of behaviors in which their choices become highly correlated, causing a cascade of ... full story
Cardiorespiratory Fitness Improves Memory Among Older Adults, Study Shows
Dec. 22, 2014 — Older adults who have greater heart and lung health also have better memory recall and cognitive capabilities. A new study examines the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness, memory and ... full story
Light-Emitting E-Readers Before Bedtime Can Adversely Impact Sleep
Dec. 22, 2014 — Use of a light-emitting electronic device (LE-eBook) in the hours before bedtime can adversely impact overall health, alertness, and the circadian clock which synchronizes the daily rhythm of sleep ... 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
Bone Loss Drugs May Help Prevent Endometrial Cancer
Dec. 22, 2014 — Women who use bisphosphonates -- medications commonly used to treat osteoporosis and other bone conditions -- have about half the risk of developing endometrial cancer as women who do not use the ... full story
Televised Medical Talk Shows: Health Education or Entertainment?
Dec. 20, 2014 — Millions of viewers around the world watch the televised medical talk programs 'The Dr. Oz Show' and 'The Doctors' for medical advice, but how valuable are the recommendations they receive? In a ... full story
- Obesity in Pregnancy Harms Stem Cells in Fetus
- Maternal Supplementation: Comparing Options
- Overweight Teens Lose Weight for Right Reasons
- Weight Training Is Key to Controlling Belly Fat
- Decision 'Cascades' in Social Networks
- Cardiorespiratory Fitness Improves Memory
- E-Readers Before Bed Can Impact Health
- Kids: Fast-Food Linked to Lower Test Score Gains
- Bone Loss Drugs Help Prevent Endometrial Cancer?
- Televised Medical Talk Shows: Entertainment?
New Half-Light Half-Matter Quantum Particles Created
Dec. 29, 2014 — Prospects of developing computing and communication technologies based on quantum properties of light and matter may have taken a major step forward thanks to new ... full story
A Qubit Candidate Shines Brighter
Dec. 29, 2014 — Scientists taken a major step forward in effectively enhancing the fluorescent light emission of diamond nitrogen vacancy centers – a key step to using the atom-sized defects in future quantum ... full story
American Cities Are Many Times Brighter at Night Than German Counterparts
Dec. 29, 2014 — German cities emit several times less light per capita than comparably sized American cities, according to recent research. The size of the gap grew with city size, as light per capita increased with ... full story
Young Entrepreneurs Innovate in Green Energy With an in Situ Organic Waste Digester
Dec. 24, 2014 — Young entrepreneurs have developed a bio-digestion plant capable of generating electricity from organic waste in the market of the Nopal Collection Center in Mexico ... full story
How Electrons Split: New Evidence of Exotic Behaviors
Dec. 23, 2014 — Electrons split into electrical charge and magnetic moment in a two-dimensional model, a study has shown for the first time. The discovery marks a new understanding in the discovery of exotic ... full story
Nano Filter Cleans Dirty Industry
Dec. 23, 2014 — Prototypes of nano-cellulose based filters with high purification capacity towards environmentally hazardous contaminants from industrial effluents have been developed by researchers. The research ... full story
Hunt for Big Bang Particles Offering Clues to the Origin of the Universe
Dec. 23, 2014 — Billions upon billions of neutrinos speed harmlessly through everyone's body every moment of the day, according to cosmologists. The bulk of these subatomic particles are believed to come straight ... full story
Breakthrough in Predictions of Pressure-Dependent Combustion Chemical Reactions
Dec. 23, 2014 — A method to successfully predict pressure-dependent chemical reaction rates has been demonstrated by scientists for the first time. It’s an important breakthrough in combustion and atmospheric ... full story
New-Generation 'Thinking' Biomimetic Robots Developed as Ocean Engineering Solutions
Dec. 23, 2014 — Researchers are closer to creating underwater robotic creatures with a brain of their own -- besides behaving like the real thing. In the near future, it would not be too tall an order for the team ... full story
Gecko Grippers Get a Microgravity Test Flight
Dec. 22, 2014 — There are no garbage trucks equipped to leave the atmosphere and pick up debris floating around Earth. But what if we could send a robot to do the job? Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory ... full story
- Half-Light Half-Matter Quantum Particles
- A Qubit Candidate Shines Brighter
- American Cities Much Brighter Than German Ones
- Organic Waste Digester: Green Energy Innovation
- How Electrons Split: Evidence of Exotic Behaviors
- Nano Filter Cleans Dirty Industry
- Origin of Universe: Hunt for Big Bang Particles
- Pressure-Dependent Combustion Chemical Reactions
- 'Thinking' Robots as Ocean Engineering Solutions
- Gecko Grippers Get a Microgravity Test Flight
Sun Sizzles in High-Energy X-Rays
Dec. 22, 2014 — For the first time, a mission designed to set its eyes on black holes and other objects far from our solar system has turned its gaze back closer to home, capturing images of our sun. NASA's Nuclear ... full story
Scientists 'Map' Water Vapor in Martian Atmosphere
Dec. 22, 2014 — Scientists have created a 'map' of the distribution of water vapor. Their research includes observations of seasonal variations in atmospheric concentrations using data collected over ten years by ... full story
The Milky Way's New Neighbor: Tiny and Isolated Dwarf Galaxy Discovered
Dec. 22, 2014 — The Milky Way, the galaxy we live in, is part of a cluster of more than 50 galaxies that make up the ‘Local Group’, a collection that includes the famous Andromeda galaxy and many other far ... full story
Signs of Europa Plumes Remain Elusive in Search of Cassini Data
Dec. 18, 2014 — A fresh look at data collected by NASA's Cassini spacecraft during its 2001 flyby of Jupiter shows that Europa's tenuous atmosphere is even thinner than previously thought and also suggests that the ... full story
NASA's Kepler Reborn, Makes First Exoplanet Find of New Mission
Dec. 18, 2014 — NASA's planet-hunting Kepler spacecraft makes a comeback with the discovery of the first exoplanet found using its new mission -- K2. The discovery was made when astronomers and engineers devised an ... full story
Dust Devil and the Details: Spinning Up a Storm on Mars
Dec. 18, 2014 — Spinning up a dust devil in the thin air of Mars requires a stronger updraft than is needed to create a similar vortex on Earth, researchers show. “To start a dust devil on Mars you need ... full story
Origin of Long-Standing Space Mystery Revealed: Origin of the 'Theta Aurora'
Dec. 18, 2014 — Scientists have solved a long-standing space mystery -- the origin of the 'theta aurora'. Auroras are the most visible manifestation of the Sun's effect on Earth. They are seen as colorful displays ... full story
Kepler Proves It Can Still Find Planets
Dec. 18, 2014 — To paraphrase Mark Twain, the report of the Kepler spacecraft's death was greatly exaggerated. Despite a malfunction that ended its primary mission in May 2013, Kepler is still alive and working. The ... full story
Satellite Sees Holiday Lights Brighten Cities
Dec. 17, 2014 — Even from space, holidays shine bright. With a new look at daily data scientists have identified how patterns in nighttime light intensity change during major holiday seasons -- Christmas and New ... full story
Surprising Theorists, Stars Within Middle-Aged Clusters Are of Similar Age
Dec. 17, 2014 — An examination of middle-aged star clusters reveals an unexpectedly narrow age range among their stars, suggesting that large groups of stars evolve differently than previously ... full story
- Sun Sizzles in High-Energy X-Rays
- Water Vapor in Martian Atmosphere Mapped
- The Milky Way’s New Neighbor: Tiny Dwarf Galaxy
- Signs of Europa Plumes Remain Elusive
- Reborn Kepler Spacecraft Finds New Exoplanet
- Strong Updraft to Spin Up a Storm On Mars
- Origin of Long-Standing Space Mystery
- Kepler Proves It Can Still Find Planets
- Satellite Sees Holiday Lights Brighten Cities
- Groups of Stars Evolve Differently Than Thought
What You Tweet When You Go Party Can Be Useful for Improving Urban Planning
Dec. 29, 2014 — Millions of Twitter users are constantly reporting where they are and what they are doing. With this information, two Spanish computer science experts suggest using geolocalized tweets for urban ... full story
Taking the Grunt Work out of Web Development
Dec. 23, 2014 — A new programming language automatically coordinates interactions between Web page components. The language is called Ur/Web, and it lets developers write Web applications as self-contained programs. ... full story
Dirty Pool: Soil's Large Carbon Stores Could Be Freed by Increased CO2, Plant Growth
Dec. 23, 2014 — An increase in human-made carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could initiate a chain reaction between plants and microorganisms that would unsettle one of the largest carbon reservoirs on the planet -- ... full story
Mechanics of Cells' Long-Range Communication Modeled by Researchers
Dec. 23, 2014 — Interdisciplinary research is showing how cells interact over long distances within fibrous tissue, like that associated with many diseases of the liver, lungs and other organs. By developing ... full story
New Distance Rehabilitation System Developed for Patients With Heart Pathologies
Dec. 22, 2014 — A new distance heart rehabilitation system based on physical exercise routines for people affected by heart pathologies has been developed by researchers. The system is designed for both chronic ... full story
Ecosystems Need Math Not Random Nature to Survive
Dec. 22, 2014 — A previously unknown mathematical property has been found to be behind one of nature’s greatest mysteries – how ecosystems ... full story
Atom-Thick CCD Could Capture Images
Dec. 19, 2014 — An atomically thin material may lead to the thinnest-ever imaging platform. Synthetic two-dimensional materials based on metal chalcogenide compounds could be the basis for superthin ... full story
Cheaper 3-D Virtual Reality System: Powerful Enough for a Gamer, Made for an Engineer
Dec. 19, 2014 — It's like a scene from a gamer's wildest dreams: 12 high-definition, 55-inch 3-D televisions all connected to a computer capable of supporting high-end, graphics-intensive gaming. On the massive ... full story
Breakthrough in Optical Fiber Communications
Dec. 19, 2014 — Researchers from the University of Southampton have revealed a breakthrough in optical fiber communications. They developed an approach that enables direct modulation of laser currents to be used to ... full story
Physicists Characterize Electronic, Magnetic Structure in Transition Metal Oxides
Dec. 18, 2014 — Scientists have characterized the electronic and magnetic structure in artificially synthesized materials called transition metal ... full story
- Better Urban Planning Through Tweet Anaylsis
- Taking the Grunt Work out of Web Development
- Soil's Carbon Stores Freed by Increased CO2?
- Mechanics of Cells' Long-Range Communication
- New Distance Rehab System for Heart Pathologies
- Ecosystems Need Math to Survive
- Atom-Thick CCD Could Capture Images
- Cheaper 3-D Virtual Reality System
- Breakthrough in Optical Fiber Communications
- Transition Metal Oxides Used in Electronics
What Are Mechanisms of Zooxanthella Expulsion from Coral?
Dec. 29, 2014 — Coral bleaching, which often results in the mass mortality of corals and in the collapse of coral reef ecosystems, has become an important issue around the world, with the number of coral reefs ... full story
Study Sheds Light on What Causes Cells to Divide
Dec. 25, 2014 — When a rapidly-growing cell divides into two smaller cells, what triggers the split? Is it the size the growing cell eventually reaches? Or is the real trigger the time period over which the cell ... full story
Christmas Colors Disguise Gliding Lizards in the Rainforest
Dec. 24, 2014 — By mimicking the red and green colors of falling leaves, Bornean lizards avoid falling prey to birds whilst gliding, new research has ... full story
Ants Show Left Bias When Exploring New Spaces
Dec. 24, 2014 — Unlike Derek Zoolander, ants don't have any difficulty turning left. New research has found that the majority of rock ants instinctively go left when entering unknown spaces. Around ten percent of ... full story
European Fire Ant Impacts Forest Ecosystems by Helping Alien Plants Spread
Dec. 24, 2014 — An invasive ant species that has become increasingly abundant in eastern North America not only takes over yards and delivers a nasty sting, it's helping the spread of an invasive plant species. The ... full story
The Ants That Conquered the World
Dec. 24, 2014 — About one tenth of the world's ants are close relatives; they all belong to just one genus out of 323, called Pheidole. New research suggests that Pheidole evolved the same way twice, once to take ... full story
Scrapie Could Breach the Species Barrier
Dec. 24, 2014 — The pathogens responsible for scrapie in small ruminants (prions) have the potential to convert the human prion protein from a healthy state to a pathological state, researchers have discovered for ... full story
What 'Fecal Prints' of Microbes Can Tell Us About Earth's Evolution
Dec. 23, 2014 — The distinctive “fecal prints” of microbes potentially provide a record of how Earth and life have co-evolved over the past 3.5 billion years as the planet’s temperature, oxygen levels, and ... full story
Genetic Study Sheds Light on How Mosquitoes Transmit Malaria
Dec. 23, 2014 — The genetic sequencing of 16 mosquitoes (Anopheles genus) -- the sole carriers of human malaria -- has been determined by an international team of researchers, providing new insight into how they ... full story
Bacteria Could Be Rich Source for Making Terpenes
Dec. 23, 2014 — Bacteria could be a rich source of terpenes, the natural compounds common in plants and fungi that are used to make drugs, food additives, perfumes, and other products, a new study suggests. The work ... full story
- Zooxanthella Expulsion from Coral: Mechanisms?
- Study Sheds Light On What Causes Cells to Divide
- Christmas Colors Disguise Gliding Lizards
- Ants Show Left Bias When Exploring New Spaces
- European Fire Ant Helps Alien Plants Spread
- The Ants That Conquered the World
- Scrapie Could Breach the Species Barrier
- Feces of Microbes: Clues to Earth's Evolution
- How Mosquitoes Transmit Malaria: Genetic Study
- Bacteria Could Be Rich Source for Making Terpenes
Muddy Forests, Shorter Winters Present Challenges for Loggers
Dec. 22, 2014 — The period of frozen ground has declined by an average of two or three weeks since 1948, research shows. During that time, wood harvests have shifted in years with more variability in freezing and ... full story
Study Pumps Up the Volume on Understanding of Marine Invertebrate Hearing
Dec. 22, 2014 — Noise pollution in the ocean is increasingly recognized as harmful to marine mammals, affecting their ability to communicate, find mates, and hunt for food. But what impact does noise have on ... full story
Distribution of Fish on Northeast US Shelf Influenced by Both Fishing, Climate
Dec. 22, 2014 — Scientists studying the distribution of four commercial and recreational fish stocks in Northeast US waters have found that climate change can have major impacts on the distribution of fish, but the ... full story
Shape-Shifting May Help Some Species Cope With Climate Change
Dec. 22, 2014 — Researchers have found that a Rocky Mountain mustard plant alters its physical appearance and flowering time in response to different environmental conditions, suggesting some species can quickly ... full story
Methane Is Leaking from Permafrost Offshore Siberia
Dec. 22, 2014 — Images of craters on Yamal Peninsula, caused by collapsing permafrost, have become world famous. But did you know that this permafrost extends to the ocean floor? And it is ... full story
Alaska Fish Adjust to Climate Change by Following the Food
Dec. 20, 2014 — Not all species may suffer from climate change. A new analysis shows that Dolly Varden, a species of char common in southeast Alaska, adjust their migrations so they can keep feasting on a key food ... full story
Trade Winds Ventilate the Tropical Oceans: Explanation for Increasing Oxygen Deficiency
Dec. 20, 2014 — Long-term observations indicate that the oxygen minimum zones in the tropical oceans have expanded in recent decades. The reason is still unknown. Now scientists have found an explanation with the ... full story
Microplastics in the Ocean: Biologists Study Effects on Marine Animals
Dec. 20, 2014 — Ingestion of microplastic particles does not mechanically affect marine isopods, according to new research. The study marks the launch of a series of investigations aimed at forming a risk matrix on ... full story
New Species Found in the Deepest Trench on Earth
Dec. 20, 2014 — Researchers have returned from the first detailed study of the Mariana Trench aboard Schmidt Ocean Institute's research vessel Falkor. The expedition set many new records, including the deepest rock ... full story
Europe Shows That Humans and Large Predators Can Share the Same Landscape
Dec. 19, 2014 — The recovery of large carnivores in Europe is a great success for nature conservation. At one third of mainland Europe, at least one species of large carnivore is present, according to a new article. ... full story
- Muddy Forests, Shorter Winters Challenge Loggers
- Understanding Marine Invertebrate Hearing
- Northeast US: Fishing, Climate Affect Fish
- Shape-Shifting to Cope With Climate Change
- Methane Leaking from Permafrost Near Siberia
- Alaska Fish Adjust to Climate Change
- Trade Winds Ventilate the Tropical Oceans
- How Microplastics in Ocean Affect Marine Species
- New Species Found in Deepest Trench On Earth
- Humans and Large Predators Can Share the Land
Shedding New Light on Diet of Extinct Animals
Dec. 22, 2014 — A study of tooth enamel in mammals living today in the equatorial forest of Gabon could ultimately shed light on the diet of long extinct animals, according to new research. The researchers found ... full story
A Clear, Molecular View of How Human Color Vision Evolved
Dec. 18, 2014 — Many genetic mutations in visual pigments, spread over millions of years, were required for humans to evolve from a primitive mammal with a dim, shadowy view of the world into a greater ape able to ... full story
New, Tighter Timeline Confirms Ancient Volcanism Aligned With Dinosaurs' Extinction
Dec. 18, 2014 — A definitive geological timeline shows that a series of massive volcanic explosions 66 million years ago played a role in the extinction event that claimed Earth's non-avian dinosaurs, and challenges ... full story
550-Million-Year-Old Fossils Provide New Clues About Fossil Formation
Dec. 18, 2014 — A new study is challenging accepted ideas about how ancient soft-bodied organisms become part of the fossil record. Findings suggest that bacteria involved in the decay of those organisms play an ... full story
Archaeologists Unearth Royal Entry Complex at Herodian Hilltop Palace
Dec. 18, 2014 — Archaeologists have unearthed a unique royal entryway to the Herodian Hilltop Palace. The main feature is a 20-meter-high corridor with a complex system of arches, allowing the King and his entourage ... full story
Using Power of Computers to Harness Human Genome May Provide Clues Into Ebola Virus
Dec. 18, 2014 — New work is blending the power of computers with biology to use the human genome to remove much of the guesswork involved in discovering cures for diseases. A corresponding article describes how key ... full story
Short-Necked Triassic Marine Reptile Discovered in China
Dec. 17, 2014 — A new species of short-necked marine reptile from the Triassic period has been discovered in ... full story
Ancient, Hydrogen-Rich Waters Deep Underground Around the World: Waters Could Support Isolated Life
Dec. 17, 2014 — A team of scientists has mapped the location of hydrogen-rich waters found trapped kilometers beneath Earth's surface in rock fractures in Canada, South Africa and Scandinavia. Common in Precambrian ... full story
Asteroid That Wiped out Dinosaurs May Have Nearly Knocked Off Mammals, Too
Dec. 17, 2014 — The classic story is that mammals rose to dominance after the dinosaurs went extinct, but a new study shows that some of the most common mammals living alongside dinosaurs, the metatherians, extinct ... full story
Ancient Earth May Have Made Its Own Water: Rock Circulating in Mantle Feeds World's Oceans Even Today, Evidence Suggests
Dec. 17, 2014 — In a finding that meshes well with recent discoveries from the Rosetta mission, researchers have discovered a geochemical pathway by which Earth makes it own water through plate tectonics. This ... full story
- Shedding New Light On Diet of Extinct Animals
- How Human Color Vision Evolved
- Ancient Volcanism Aligned With End of Dinosaurs
- Old Fossils Shed Light On Fossil Formation
- Unearthing Entry to Herodian Hilltop Palace
- Computers, Human Genome and Ebola: New Clues
- Short-Necked Triassic Marine Reptile Discovered
- Ancient, Hydrogen-Rich Waters Deep Inside Earth
- Asteroid Ended Dinosaurs: Mammals, Close Call
- Did Ancient Earth 'Make' Its Own Water?
Greater Risk of Premature Deaths in Neighborhoods With High Concentrations of Check-Cashing Places
Dec. 23, 2014 — A new research paper suggests a relation between the density of both check-cashing places and alcohol outlets in a given neighborhood and the risk of premature death in people ages 20-59 years. The ... full story
New Concussion Laws Result in Big Jump in Concussion Treatment
Dec. 22, 2014 — New laws regulating concussion treatment, bolstered by heightened public awareness, have resulted in a large increase in the treatment of concussion-related injuries for school-age athletes. Since ... full story
Disadvantaged Men More Likely to Do 'Women's Work' Reveals New Study
Dec. 22, 2014 — Men who are disabled and from an ethnic minority are significantly more likely to do jobs traditionally associated with women, a new study show. The work analyzed the workforce across the lowest ... full story
Concerns Raised About Variable Performance of Some UK Personal Use Breathalyzers
Dec. 20, 2014 — The ability of some breathalyzers widely sold to the UK public to detect potentially unsafe levels of breath alcohol for driving, varies considerably, reveals research. The findings call into ... full story
Parents' BMI Decreases With Child Involved in School-Based, Community Obesity Intervention
Dec. 19, 2014 — Parents of children involved in an elementary school-based community intervention to prevent obesity appear to share in its health benefits. A new analysis shows an association between being exposed ... full story
High Socioeconomic Status Increases Discrimination, Depression Risk in Black Young Adults
Dec. 18, 2014 — An investigation into factors related to disparities of depression in young adults has found that higher parental education -- which has a protective effect for white youth -- can also increase the ... full story
Don't Be Tempted to Buy Your Teen a Cheap (Old) Car, Parents Warned
Dec. 18, 2014 — Almost half of teen drivers killed on US roads in the past few years were driving vehicles that were 11 or more years old, and often lacking key safety features, reveals research. Parents, who are ... full story
Local Enforcement of Federal Immigration Laws Affects Immigrant Hispanics' Healthcare
Dec. 18, 2014 — State and local enforcement of federal immigration laws can have an adverse impact on the use of health care services by immigrant Hispanics, according to a new study, which analyzed both birth ... full story
Doctor Who Survived Ebola Received Experimental Drug Treatment
Dec. 18, 2014 — On 28 September, 2014, the 38-year old doctor, who was in charge of an Ebola virus treatment unit in Lakka, Sierra Leone, developed a fever and diarrhea. He tested positive for the virus on the same ... full story
Bacterial Infections Differ Based on Geography, Healthcare Spending
Dec. 18, 2014 — Bacterial infections differ based on distance from the equator and spending on health care, researchers have discovered. In their study, 23 health centers on six continents participated in study of ... full story
- Early Death Tied to Check-Cashing Outlet Density
- New Concussion Laws: Jump in Concussion Treatment
- Disadvantaged Men Do More 'Women's Work'
- Concerns Raised About Personal Use Breathalyzers
- School-Based Obesity Intervention: Parents Too
- Black Youth: Socioeconomic Status and Depression
- Parents: Don't Buy Your Teen a Cheap (Old) Car
- Federal Immigration Laws Affect Hispanics' Health
- Doctor Who Survived Ebola Got Experimental Drug
- Bacterial Infections Differ Based on ...
How Information Moves Between Cultures
Dec. 16, 2014 — Networks that map strength of connections between languages predict global influence of their speakers. By analyzing data on multilingual Twitter users and Wikipedia editors and on 30 years' worth of ... full story
Introverts Could Shape Extroverted Co-Workers' Career Success, Study Shows
Dec. 16, 2014 — Introverted employees are more likely to give low evaluations of job performance to extroverted co-workers, giving introverts a powerful role in workplaces, new research shows. Introverts ... full story
Fraud-Proof Credit Cards Possible With Quantum Physics
Dec. 15, 2014 — Though corporations and individuals work to improve safeguards, it has become increasingly difficult to protect financial data and personal information from criminal activity. Fortunately, new ... full story
Many U.S. Workers Are Sacrificing Sleep for Work
Dec. 11, 2014 — An analysis of 124,000 responses to a survey shows that paid work time is the primary waking activity exchanged for sleep. The study also suggests that chronic sleep loss potentially could be ... full story
Limiting Internet Congestion a Key Factor in Net Neutrality Debate
Dec. 10, 2014 — If Internet Service Providers known as ISPs initiate price discrimination in their pricing, a “recongestion effect” will occur. In other words, online delivery channels that are less congested at ... full story
Wealth, Power or Lack Thereof at Heart of Many Mental Disorders
Dec. 9, 2014 — Donald Trump's ego may be the size of his financial empire, but that doesn't mean he's the picture of mental health. The same can be said about the self-esteem of people who are living from paycheck ... full story
Maintaining a Reliable Value of the Cost of Climate Change
Dec. 4, 2014 — The Social Cost of Carbon puts a dollar value on the climate damages per ton of CO2 released, and is used by -- among others -- policymakers to help determine the costs and benefits of climate ... full story
Occupational Sitting Among Women Linked to Obesity
Dec. 1, 2014 — You might want to stand up for this. Occupational sitting is associated with an increased likelihood of obesity, especially among black women, independent of occupational and leisure time physical ... full story
Bitcoin, Virtual Money: User's Identity Can Be Revealed Much Easier Than Thought
Nov. 25, 2014 — Bitcoin is the new money: minted and exchanged on the Internet. Faster and cheaper than a bank, the service is attracting attention from all over the world. But a big question remains: are the ... full story
Entrepreneurs Are Not Corporate Rebels: High Performers More Likely to Set Off on Own Without Path
Nov. 24, 2014 — Considering leaving the 9-to-5 world of corporate life behind to strike out on your own? When we think of entrepreneurship, we typically imagine a life of untold riches and the satisfaction of being ... full story
- How Information Moves Between Cultures
- Introverts Can Shape Co-Workers' Career Success
- Fraud-Proof Credit Cards With Quantum Physics
- Many Workers Sacrificing Sleep for Work
- Internet Congestion and Net Neutrality Debate
- Wealth, Power at Heart of Many Mental Disorders
- Evaluating the Social Cost of Carbon
- Women: Occupational Sitting Linked to Obesity
- Virtual Money: User's Identity Easily Revealed
- Entrepreneurs Are Not Corporate Rebels
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
Why Are UK Teenagers Skipping School?
Dec. 18, 2014 — Analysis of the results of a large-scale survey reveals the extent of truancy in English secondary schools and sheds light on the mental health of the country’s ... full story
Personality Outsmarts Intelligence at School: Conscientiousness and Openness Key to Learning
Dec. 17, 2014 — Recent research has found that personality is more important than intelligence when it comes to success in education and this needs to take this into account when guiding students and teachers. ... full story
Current Practices in Reporting on Behavioural Genetics Can Mislead the Public
Dec. 12, 2014 — “Media reports about behavioural genetics unintentionally induce unfounded beliefs, therefore going against the educational purpose of scientific reporting,” writes a researcher following his ... full story
Cognitive Training Can Improve Brain Performance of Students in Poverty
Dec. 10, 2014 — The cognitive effects of poverty can be mitigated during middle school with a targeted intervention, according to researchers who, for the first time, examined the efficacy of cognitive training in a ... full story
Distraction, If Consistent, Does Not Hinder Learning
Dec. 9, 2014 — A new study challenges the idea that distraction is necessarily a problem for learning. Researchers found that if attention was as divided during recall of a motor task as it was during learning the ... full story
Ideals May Play Role in Knowledge Formation, Professor's Research Says
Dec. 2, 2014 — Research by a professor of philosophy indicates that having an ideal can play a role in acquiring new information that makes our beliefs ... full story
Heavier Newborns Show Academic Edge in School
Dec. 2, 2014 — Birth weight makes a difference to a child's future academic performance, according to new research that found heavier newborns do better in elementary and middle school than infants with lower birth ... full story
It's Mean Boys, Not Mean Girls, Who Rule at School, Study Shows
Dec. 1, 2014 — Debunking the myth of the 'mean girl,' new research has found that boys use relational aggression -- malicious rumors, social exclusion and rejection -- to harm or manipulate others more often than ... full story
Education Is Key to Climate Adaptation
Nov. 27, 2014 — According to new research, education makes people less vulnerable to natural disasters such as floods, landslides, and storms that are expected to intensify with climate ... full story
- Early Caregiving: Effects Into Adulthood
- Why Are UK Teenagers Skipping School?
- Personality Outsmarts Intelligence at School
- Reporting On Genetics Can Mislead Public
- Cognitive Effects of Poverty Can Be Mitigated
- Distraction, If Consistent, Doesn't Harm Learning
- Ideals May Play Role in Knowledge Formation
- Heavier Newborns Show Academic Edge in School
- Mean Boys, Not Mean Girls, Rule at School
- Education Is Key to Climate Adaptation
