Today's Science News
Friday, February 27, 2015
Featured Research
from universities, journals, and other organizations
Bumblebees Make False Memories, Too
Feb. 26, 2015 — It's well known that our human memory can fail us. People can be forgetful, and they can sometimes also 'remember' things incorrectly, with devastating consequences in the classroom, ... full story
Monster Black Hole Discovered at Cosmic Dawn
Feb. 25, 2015 — The discovery of the brightest quasar in the early universe, powered by the most massive black hole yet known at that time presents a puzzle to researchers: How could something so massive and ... full story
Physicists Offer a Solution to the Puzzle of the Origin of Matter in the Universe
Feb. 25, 2015 — Most of the laws of nature treat particles and antiparticles equally, but stars and planets are made of particles, or matter, and not antiparticles, or antimatter. That asymmetry, which favors matter ... full story
First Direct Observation of Carbon Dioxide's Increasing Greenhouse Effect at Earth's Surface
Feb. 25, 2015 — Scientists have observed an increase in carbon dioxide's greenhouse effect at Earth's surface for the first time. They measured atmospheric carbon dioxide's increasing capacity to ... full story
Crocodiles Rocked Pre-Amazonian Peru: Seven Crocodile Species Found in Single 13-Million-Year-Old Bone Bed
Feb. 24, 2015 — Thirteen million years ago, as many as seven different species of crocodiles hunted in the swampy waters of what is now northeastern Peru, new research shows. This hyperdiverse assemblage, revealed ... full story
Feast-and-Famine Diet Could Help Extend Life, Study Suggests
Feb. 27, 2015 — Think of it as interval training for the dinner table. Fasting has been shown in mice to extend lifespan and to improve age-related diseases. But fasting every day, which could entail skipping meals ... full story
DNA Evidence Shows Surprise Cultural Connections Between Britain and Europe 8,000 Years Ago
Feb. 27, 2015 — DNA evidence shows surprise cultural connections between Britain and Europe 8,000 years ago. Researchers found evidence for a variety of wheat at a submerged archaeological site off the south coast ... full story
Type 2 Diabetes, Fatty Liver Disease Reversed in Rats
Feb. 26, 2015 — A controlled-release oral therapy has been developed by scientists that reversed type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease in rats, according to a study. "Given these promising results in animal ... full story
Asian Herb Holds Promise as Treatment for Ebola Virus Disease
Feb. 26, 2015 — New research focuses on the mechanism by which Ebola virus infects a cell and the discovery of a promising drug therapy candidate. A small molecule called Tetrandrine derived from an Asian herb has ... full story
How Mantis Shrimp Evolved Many Shapes With Same Powerful Punch
Feb. 26, 2015 — The miniweight boxing title of the animal world belongs to the mantis shrimp, a cigar-sized crustacean whose front claws can deliver an explosive 60-mile-per-hour blow akin to a bullet leaving the ... full story
New Insight Found in Black Hole Collisions
Feb. 26, 2015 — New research by an astrophysicist provides revelations about the most energetic event in the universe -- the merging of two spinning, orbiting black holes into a much larger black ... full story
Pockets of Calm Protect Molecules Around a Supermassive Black Hole
Feb. 26, 2015 — Researchers have discovered regions where certain organic molecules somehow endure the intense radiation near the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy NGC 1068, also known to amateur ... full story
MUSE Goes Beyond Hubble: Looking Deeply Into the Universe in 3-D
Feb. 26, 2015 — The MUSE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope has given astronomers the best ever three-dimensional view of the deep universe. After staring at the Hubble Deep Field South region for only 27 ... full story
One Brain Area, Two Planning Strategies
Feb. 26, 2015 — Ready to strike, the spear fisherman holds his spear above the water surface. He aims at the fish. But he is misled by the view: Due to the refraction of light on the surface, he does not see the ... full story
Widely Used Food Additives Promotes Colitis, Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome, Shows Study of Emulsifiers
Feb. 25, 2015 — Emulsifiers, which are added to most processed foods to aid texture and extend shelf life, can alter the gut microbiota composition and localization to induce intestinal inflammation that promotes ... full story
- Bumblebees Make False Memories, Too
- Monster Black Hole Discovered at Cosmic Dawn
- A Possible Answer to the Origin of Matter
- Carbon Dioxide's Warming Effect Seen Directly
- Crocodiles Rocked Pre-Amazonian Peru
- Could Feast-And-Famine Diet Help Extend Life?
- DNA: Old Connections Between Britain, Europe
- Diabetes, Fatty Liver Disease Reversed in Rats
- Asian Herb Holds Promise as Treatment for Ebola
- Mantis Shrimp: Many Shapes Of Tiny Power-Punch
- New Insight Found in Black Hole Collisions
- Pockets of Calm Around Supermassive Black Hole
- Looking Deeply Into the Universe in 3-D
- One Brain Area, Two Planning Strategies
- Widely Used Food Additive Promotes Obesity
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last updated on 2015-02-27 at 9:08 pm EST
Crohn's Disease Not Exempt from Racial Disparities
Feb. 27, 2015 — Significant differences were found in hospital re-admissions, medication usage, and both medical and surgical complications of children with Crohn's disease related to race. In the study, black ... full story
New Compounds Protect Nervous System from the Structural Damage Characteristic of Multiple Sclerosis
Feb. 27, 2015 — A newly characterized group of pharmacological compounds block both the inflammation and nerve cell damage seen in mouse models of multiple sclerosis, according to a study. Multiple sclerosis is a ... full story
Enhancing Studies on a Possible Blood Biomarker for Traumatic Brain Injury
Feb. 27, 2015 — New technology could help advance blood biomarker capabilities for improved diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI). An estimated 1.7 million Americans suffer a traumatic ... full story
Physician-Industry Conflict of Interest Issue from MS Patient Perspective
Feb. 27, 2015 — A new study explores what multiple sclerosis patients know, or want to know, about their physician’s financial relationship with the pharmaceutical company sponsoring clinical ... full story
Growth Signal Can Influence Cancer Cells' Vulnerability to Drugs, Study Suggests
Feb. 27, 2015 — In theory, a tumor is an army of clones, made up of many copies of the original cancerous cell. But tumor cells don't always act like duplicates, and their unpredictable behavior can create problems ... full story
Aggressive Boys Tend to Develop Into Physically Stronger Teens
Feb. 27, 2015 — Boys who show aggressive tendencies develop greater physical strength as teenagers than boys who are not aggressive, according to new research. Research has suggested a link between male upper-body ... full story
Study Challenges Theory on Unconscious Memory System in the Brain
Feb. 27, 2015 — A long-accepted scientific theory about the role the hippocampus plays in our unconscious memory is being challenged by new research. For decades, scientists have theorized that this part of the ... full story
Zombie Outbreak? Statistical Mechanics Reveals the Ideal Hideout; And Informs Real Disease Modeling
Feb. 27, 2015 — A team researchers focusing on a fictional zombie outbreak as an approach to disease modeling suggests heading for the hills, in the Rockies, to save your brains from the ... full story
Hiv Controls Its Activity Independent of Host Cells
Feb. 27, 2015 — A major hurdle to curing people of HIV infection is the way the virus hides in a reservoir composed primarily of dormant immune cells. It is generally believed that HIV does not replicate in these ... full story
High Stress for New Mothers Increases Secondhand Smoke Risk for Infants
Feb. 27, 2015 — Mothers with a high level of prenatal social stressors -- including possibly less control over their own housing situation or economic distress -- had 2.5 times higher odds to have only a partial or ... full story
- Crohn's Not Exempt from Racial Disparities
- MS: New Compounds Protect Nervous System
- TBI: More Studies On Possible Blood Biomarker
- MS: Is There MD-Industry Conflict of Interest?
- Growth Signal Influences Cancer's Drug Response
- Aggressive Boys Develop Into Stronger Teens?
- Unconscious Memory System: Theory Challenged
- Zombies? Statistics Reveals Ideal Hideout
- HIV Controls Activity Independent of Host Cells
- Mom's Stress Ups Infants' Secondhand Smoke Risk
Research of Plain Wren Duets Could Help Further Understand Fundamentals of Conversation
Feb. 27, 2015 — Known for their beautiful singing duets, plain wrens of Costa Rica perform precise phrase-by-phrase modifications to the duration between two consecutive phrases, achieving careful coordination as ... full story
Introverts Prefer Mountains
Feb. 27, 2015 — In a series of three studies, researchers tested whether there is a link between personality and an aspect of physical ecology: flat terrain versus mountainous terrain. The study found that only one ... full story
Left or Right? The Brain Knows Before You Move
Feb. 27, 2015 — A neural circuit that connects motor planning to movement has been identified by researchers. The study, the researchers say, explains why injuries that disrupt the brain's ability to carry out ... full story
Suicide Rates Rising for Older US Adults
Feb. 27, 2015 — Suicide rates for adults 40-64 years of age in the US have risen about 40 percent since 1999, with a sharp rise since 2007. One possible explanation could be the detrimental effects of the economic ... full story
Calling the Shots: Brain's Decision-Making Structure
Feb. 27, 2015 — A key part of the brain involved with decision making, the striatum, appears to operate hierarchically – much like a traditional corporation with executives, middle managers and employees, ... full story
Shake It Off? Not So Easy for People With Depression, New Brain Research Suggests
Feb. 27, 2015 — Rejected by a person you like? Just "shake it off" and move on, as music star Taylor Swift says. But while that might work for many people, it may not be so easy for those with untreated depression, ... full story
Women Veterans Younger, More Depressed When Referred for Heart Test
Feb. 27, 2015 — Women veterans face a different home front battle with heart disease. Younger and more depressed when getting attention for chest pain -- heart tests often show a surprising ... full story
Adults Wtih Disabilities Screened for Cancer Less Often
Feb. 26, 2015 — Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are much less likely to be screened for colorectal cancer, research shows. "As individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities ... full story
Can Coffee Reduce Your Risk of MS?
Feb. 26, 2015 — Drinking coffee may be associated with a lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new ... full story
Why Debunked Autism Treatment Fads Persist
Feb. 26, 2015 — The communication struggles of children with autism spectrum disorder can drive parents and educators to try anything to understand their thoughts, needs and wants. Authors describe a litany of ... full story
- Wren Duets Illuminate Fundamentals of ...
- Introverts Prefer Mountains
- Left or Right? The Brain Knows Before You Move
- Suicide Rates Rising for Older US Adults
- Brain's Decision-Making Structure Revealed
- Shake It Off? Not So Easy If Depressed
- Women Vets: Problems When Referred for Heart Test
- Adults Wtih Disabilities Screened for Cancer Less
- Can Coffee Reduce Your Risk of MS?
- Why Debunked Autism Treatment Fads Persist
New Ultrasensitive Test for Peanut Allergies
Feb. 27, 2015 — Chemists have developed a new test for peanut allergies that can not only tell whether someone is allergic, it can also determine how intense their allergic reaction will ... full story
Antibiotic Resistant Salad: Resistant Listeria Monocytogenes Not as Widespread as Thought
Feb. 27, 2015 — Antibiotic-resistant strains of the food-poisoning microbe Listeria monocytogenes in unprocessed salad products is not quite as widespread as scientists originally suspected. A new study reveals that ... full story
Teacher Prejudices Put Girls Off Math, Science, Study Suggests
Feb. 26, 2015 — Although higher education has already opened the door to equal opportunities for women and minorities in the US in the math and science professions, a new study suggests that elementary school ... full story
Thinking of God Makes People Bigger Risk-Takers, Study Suggests
Feb. 26, 2015 — Reminders of God can make people more likely to seek out and take risks, according to research. The findings suggest that people are willing to take these risks because they view God as providing ... full story
Study Maps Extroversion Types in the Brain's Anatomy
Feb. 25, 2015 — Scientists have mapped the similarities and the differences in the brain between the two different kinds of extroverts: 'Agentic' go-getters and 'affiliative' people ... full story
Bariatric Surgery Affects Risk of Pregnancy Complications
Feb. 25, 2015 — Bariatric surgery has both a positive and negative influence on the risk of complications during subsequent pregnancy and delivery, concludes a new study. The results indicate that maternal health ... full story
The £180 Billion Bill for Living in a Material World: Material Lifestyles Not Making Us Happier
Feb. 25, 2015 — Our modern material lifestyles are failing to make us happier, damaging our health, are no longer sustainable and cost the overall economy tens of billions of pounds every ... full story
Breakfast Habits Affect Teens' Metabolic Responses to Protein-Packed Morning Meals
Feb. 25, 2015 — A researcher compared young women who habitually skip breakfast to those who routinely eat breakfast and found that their metabolic responses to eating a high-protein breakfast were different. ... full story
Oat Breakfast Cereals May Contain a Common Mold-Related Toxin
Feb. 25, 2015 — Oats are often touted for boosting heart health, but scientists warn that the grain and its products might need closer monitoring for potential mold contamination. They report that some oat-based ... full story
More Than Two Hours of TV a Day Increases High Blood Pressure Risk in Children by 30%
Feb. 25, 2015 — A study on European children concludes that spending more than two hours a day in front of a screen increases the probability of high blood pressure by 30%. The article also points out that doing no ... full story
- New Ultrasensitive Test for Peanut Allergies
- Antibiotic Resistant Salad? Maybe Not
- Teacher Prejudices Put Girls Off Math, Science
- Thinking of God Makes People Bigger Risk-Takers
- Two Types of Extroverts: Brain Differences
- Bariatric Surgery Affects Risks of Pregnancy
- Material Lifestyles Not Making Us Happier
- Breakfast Habits Affect Metabolic Responses
- Oat Breakfast Cereals: Mold-Related Toxin?
- More Than 2 Hours of TV a Day Has Health Risks
The Better to See You With: Prosthetic Leg Would Keep an Eye on Path Ahead
Feb. 27, 2015 — A mechanical engineer and his team have developed a computer-controlled camera that enables their robotic ankle to see where it is ... full story
Bringing Clean Energy a Step Closer
Feb. 27, 2015 — Researchers have made an inexpensive metal-free catalyst that performs as well as costly metal catalysts at speeding the oxygen reduction reaction in an acidic fuel cell, and is more durable. The ... full story
Energy Use in Buildings: Innovative, Lower Cost Sensors and Controls Yield Better Energy Efficiency
Feb. 27, 2015 — Buildings are responsible for about 40 percent of the energy consumed in the United States. Studies indicate that advanced sensors and controls have the potential to reduce the energy consumption of ... full story
Mystery of the Reverse-Wired Eyeball Solved
Feb. 27, 2015 — Counter-intuitively, in vertebrates photoreceptors are located behind the neurons in the back of the eye. Now physicists explain why the neural wiring seems to be ... full story
Predicting Human Crowds With Statistical Physics
Feb. 27, 2015 — A general law of how pedestrians interact in a crowd can be used to create realistic crowds in virtual reality games and to make public spaces ... full story
Saving Energy: Increasing Oil Flow in the Keystone Pipeline With Electric Fields
Feb. 27, 2015 — A strong electric field applied to a section of the Keystone pipeline can smooth oil flow and yield significant pump energy savings. Once aligned with an electric field, oil retained its low ... full story
New Filter Could Advance Terahertz Data Transmission
Feb. 27, 2015 — For wireless communication in the long-sought terahertz range, engineers have devised a frequency filter that can be fabricated with an inkjet ... full story
The Biobattery: Turning Sewage Sludge Into Electricity and Engine Oil
Feb. 27, 2015 — Sewage sludge, green waste, production residue from the food industry, straw or animal excrement – with the biobattery‘s modular concept a much larger range of biomass can be utilized for energy ... full story
Wind-Powered Freighters
Feb. 27, 2015 — To make ships more eco-efficient, engineers have been working with alternative fuels. A Norwegian engineer is currently pursuing a new approach: With VindskipTM, he has designed a cargo ship that is ... full story
Top-Precision Optical Atomic Clock Starts Ticking
Feb. 26, 2015 — A state-of-the-art optical atomic clock is now 'ticking away.' As the first of its kind in Poland and one of just a handful of clocks of this caliber in the world, the new clock will keep track of ... full story
- Computer-Controlled Camera On Robotic Ankle
- Bringing Clean Energy a Step Closer
- Low Cost Sensors for Energy Use in Buildings
- Mystery of the Reverse-Wired Eyeball Solved
- Predicting Human Crowds With Statistical Physics
- Electric Fields to Up Flow in Keystone Pipeline?
- Advance in Terahertz Data Transmission
- The Biobattery: The Power of Sewage
- Wind-Powered Freighters
- Precise Optical Atomic Clock Starts Ticking
Life 'Not as We Know It' Possible on Saturn's Moon Titan
Feb. 27, 2015 — A new type of methane-based, oxygen-free life form that can metabolize and reproduce similar to life on Earth has been modeled. It is theorized to have a cell membrane, composed of small organic ... full story
SOHO Sees Something New Near the Sun: Comet Survives Close Encounter
Feb. 24, 2015 — An unusual comet skimmed past the sun on Feb 18-21, 2015, as captured by the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, or ... full story
Mars Exploration: NASA's MAVEN Spacecraft Completes First Deep Dip Campaign
Feb. 19, 2015 — NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution has completed the first of five deep-dip maneuvers designed to gather measurements closer to the lower end of the Martian upper ... full story
Giving Shape to Black Holes' Intense Winds
Feb. 19, 2015 — By looking at the speed of ambient gas spewing out from a well-known quasar, astronomers are gaining insight into how black holes and their host galaxies might have evolved at the same ... full story
Scientists Identify Mineral That Destroys Organic Compounds, With Implications for Mars Curiosity Mission
Feb. 19, 2015 — Scientists have discovered that the mineral jarosite breaks down organic compounds when it is flash-heated, with implications for Mars research. Jarosite is an iron sulphate and it is one of several ... full story
Hubble Gets Best View of a Circumstellar Debris Disk Distorted by a Planet
Feb. 19, 2015 — Astronomers have used the Hubble Space Telescope to take the most detailed picture to date of a large, edge-on, gas-and-dust disk encircling the 20-million-year-old star Beta Pictoris. The new image ... full story
A New View of the Solar System: Astrophysical Jets Driven by the Sun
Feb. 19, 2015 — New research suggests that the sun's magnetic field controls the large-scale shape of the heliosphere much more than expected. The new model shows that the magnetic field squeezes the solar wind ... full story
Higgs Mode in Superconducting Materials: Tabletop Technique for Examining Physics' Most Celebrated Missing Link
Feb. 19, 2015 — The Nobel Prize-winning discovery of the Higgs boson -- the 'God particle' believed responsible for all the mass in the universe -- took place in 2012 at CERN's Large Hadron Collider. The first hint ... full story
Classical Nova Explosions Are Major Lithium Factories in the Universe
Feb. 19, 2015 — Astronomers observed Nova Delphini 2013 which occurred on August 14, 2013. They discovered that the outburst is producing a large amount of lithium (Li). Lithium is a key element in the study of the ... full story
Does Dark Matter Cause Mass Extinctions and Geologic Upheavals?
Feb. 19, 2015 — New research concludes that Earth's infrequent but predictable path around and through our Galaxy's disc may have a direct and significant effect on geological and biological phenomena occurring on ... full story
- Life 'Not as We Know It' Possible On Titan
- SOHO Sees Something New Near The Sun
- MAVEN Spacecraft Completes First Deep Dip
- Giving Shape to Black Holes' Intense Winds
- Mineral Destroys Organic Compounds
- Circumstellar Debris Disk Distorted by a Planet
- Astrophysical Jets Driven by the Sun
- Higgs Mode in Superconducting Materials
- Nova Explosions Are Major Lithium Factories
- Does Dark Matter Cause Mass Extinctions?
Economic Models Provide Insights Into Global Sustainability Challenges
Feb. 26, 2015 — Using models that blend global economics, geography, ecology and environmental sciences is essential to understanding how changes in trade and natural systems in one part of the world affect those in ... full story
Optical Features Embedded in Marine Shells May Help Develop Responsive, Transparent Displays
Feb. 26, 2015 — The blue-rayed limpet is a tiny mollusk that lives in kelp beds along the coasts of Norway, Iceland, the United Kingdom, Portugal, and the Canary Islands. These diminutive organisms -- as small as a ... full story
Clusters of Aluminum Metal Atoms Become Superconductive at Surprisingly High Temperatures
Feb. 25, 2015 — Clusters of atoms known as 'superatoms' represent an entirely new family of superconductors -- one that appears to work at temperatures well above standard ... full story
Parkinson's Disease Patients Have Reduced Visual Contrast Acuity
Feb. 25, 2015 — An iPad<sup>®</sup> application has been developed that can help physicians screen for Parkinson's Disease, report researchers. Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) often have difficulties with ... full story
Uncertainties Must Be Taken Into Account in Fisheries Stock Assessment
Feb. 25, 2015 — Fisheries stock assessment provides information on the status of fish stocks and the impact of fishing on stock development. Since no direct information on fish stock size or fishing mortality rates ... full story
Novel Computer Model Designed to Understand Cardiovascular Diseases
Feb. 25, 2015 — A novel three-dimensional, multiscale and multicomponent model of endothelial cells monolayer, the inner lining of artery, has been developed by researchers to identify the cellular mechanisms ... full story
Bionic Reconstruction Lets Patients Use a Robotic Prosthetic Hand Controlled by the Mind
Feb. 24, 2015 — Three Austrian men have become the first in the world to undergo a new technique called "bionic reconstruction", enabling them to use a robotic prosthetic hand controlled by their mind, according to ... full story
Sensor-Packed Smartphones Can Read Your Mood, Guard Your Data, and Wreak Havoc in the Wrong Hands
Feb. 24, 2015 — Smartphones have replaced nearly every conceivable gadget, but computer scientists are teaching them some new tricks. The researchers are adapting accelerometers, GPS chips, gyroscopes and other ... full story
Dendrite Eraser: New Electrolyte Rids Batteries of Short-Circuiting Fibers
Feb. 24, 2015 — A new electrolyte allows rechargeable batteries to operate well without growing dendrites, tiny pin-like fibers that short-circuit rechargeable ... full story
Optical Nanoantennas Set the Stage for a NEMS Lab-on-a-Chip Revolution
Feb. 24, 2015 — Newly developed tiny antennas, likened to spotlights on the nanoscale, offer the potential to measure food safety, identify pollutants in the air and even quickly diagnose and treat cancer, according ... full story
- Global Sustainability Challenges: Economic Models
- A Mollusk of a Different Stripe Inspires New Tech
- Warming Up the World of Superconductors
- Parkinson's Disease: Less Visual Contrast Acuity
- Fisheries Stock Assessment: Uncertainties Matter
- Computer to Understand Cardiovascular Diseases?
- Prosthetic Hand Controlled by Patient's Mind
- Super-Smart Sensor-Packed Smartphones
- Electrolyte Addresses Short-Circuiting Batteries
- Optical Nanoantennas and Lab-On-A-Chip Revolution
First Detailed Microscopy Evidence of Bacteria at the Lower Size Limit of Life
Feb. 27, 2015 — Scientists have captured the first detailed microscopy images of ultra-small bacteria that are believed to be about as small as life can get. The existence of ultra-small bacteria has been debated ... full story
Cryptochrome Protein Helps Birds Navigate Via Magnetic Field
Feb. 27, 2015 — Researchers have found one one possible explanation for some birds' ability to sense the earth's magnetic field and use it to orient themselves: a magnetically sensitive protein called cryptochrome ... full story
Modern Logging Techniques Benefit Rainforest Wildlife
Feb. 27, 2015 — The value of a modern logging technique has been revealed for maintaining biodiversity in tropical forests that are used for timber production. The most comprehensive study of Reduced-Impact Logging ... full story
Transient Details of HIV Genome Packaging Captured
Feb. 27, 2015 — Once HIV-1 has hijacked a host cell to make copies of its own RNA genome and viral proteins, it must assemble these components into new virus particles. The orchestration of this intricate assembly ... full story
Newly Discovered Algal Species Helps Corals Survive in the Hottest Reefs on the Planet
Feb. 27, 2015 — A new species of algae has been discovered in reef corals of the Persian Gulf where it helps corals to survive seawater temperatures of up to 36 degrees Celsius -- temperatures that would kill corals ... full story
Malaria Transmission Linked to Mosquitoes' Sexual Biology
Feb. 26, 2015 — Sexual biology may be the key to uncovering why Anopheles mosquitoes are unique in their ability to transmit malaria to humans, according to researchers. "Our study is the first to reveal the ... full story
Role of Specialized Protein Affirmed in Assuring Normal Cell Development
Feb. 26, 2015 — A specialized DNA-binding protein called CTCF is essential for the precise expression of genes that control the body plan of a developing embryo, scientists have demonstrated. The findings focus on ... full story
Fighting Colorado Potato Beetle With RNA Interference
Feb. 26, 2015 — Colorado potato beetles are a dreaded pest of potatoes. Since they do not have natural enemies in most regions, farmers try to control them with pesticides. However, this strategy is often ... full story
Living in Genetic Comfort Zone: How to Avoid Influence of Genetic Variation
Feb. 26, 2015 — The phenotype of organisms is shaped by the interaction between environmental factors and their genetic constitution. A recent study by a team of population geneticists shows that fruit flies live in ... full story
Amphibian Chytrid Fungus Reaches Madagascar
Feb. 26, 2015 — The chytrid fungus, which is fatal to amphibians, has been detected in Madagascar for the first time. This means that the chytridiomycosis pandemic has now reached a biodiversity hotspot. Researchers ... full story
- Ultra-Small Bacteria Discovered
- How Do Birds Navigate Via Magnetic Field?
- Modern Logging Benefit Rainforest Wildlife
- Transient Details of HIV Genome Package Captured
- Algal Species Helps Corals Survive in Hot Reefs
- Malaria Transmission: Mosquitoes' Sexual Biology
- Role of Specialized Protein in Cell Development
- Fighting Colorado Potato Beetle: RNA Interference
- How to Avoid Influence of Genetic Variation
- Amphibian Chytrid Fungus Reaches Madagascar
How Were Fossil Tracks Made by Early Triassic Swimming Reptiles So Well Preserved?
Feb. 27, 2015 — That swim tracks made by tetrapods occur in high numbers in deposits from the Early Triassic is well known. What is less clear is why the tracks are so abundant and well preserved. Paleontologists ... full story
Sun Has More Impact on the Climate in Cool Periods
Feb. 27, 2015 — The activity of the Sun is an important factor in the complex interaction that controls our climate. New research now shows that the impact of the Sun is not constant over time, but has greater ... full story
Submarine Data Used to Investigate Turbulence Beneath Arctic Ice
Feb. 27, 2015 — Using recently released Royal Navy submarine data, researchers have investigated the nature of turbulence in the ocean beneath the Arctic sea-ice. Recent decreases in Arctic sea ice may have a big ... full story
Embrace Unknowns, Opt for Flexibility in Environmental Policies, Experts Say
Feb. 26, 2015 — We make hundreds, possibly thousands, of decisions each day without having full knowledge of what will happen next. Life is unpredictable, and we move forward the best we can despite not knowing ... full story
'Ecosystem Services' Help Assess Ocean Energy Development
Feb. 26, 2015 — Environmental scientists suggest that the way to fill vast gaps in knowledge about the ecological and socioeconomic impacts of ocean energy development is to consider how the benefits provided by ... full story
Interaction of Atlantic and Pacific Oscillations Caused 'False Pause' in Warming
Feb. 26, 2015 — The recent slowdown in climate warming is due, at least in part, to natural oscillations in the climate, according to a team of climate scientists, who add that these oscillations represent ... full story
'Blue-Green Algae' Proliferating in Lakes
Feb. 26, 2015 — The organisms commonly known as blue-green algae have proliferated much more rapidly than other algae in lakes across North America and Europe over the past two centuries -- and in many cases the ... full story
Forest Tree Seeds Stored in the Svalbard Seed Vault
Feb. 26, 2015 — A new method for the conservation of the genetic diversity of forest trees will see its launch on 26 February 2015, as forest tree seeds are for the first time stored in the Svalbard Global Seed ... full story
Lake Tahoe Research Provides New Insights on Global Change
Feb. 26, 2015 — A study on how natural and human-made sources of nitrogen are recycled through the Lake Tahoe ecosystem provides new information on how global change may affect the iconic blue ... full story
Causes of Great Lakes Smelt Population Decline Are Complex
Feb. 25, 2015 — The reasons for the dwindling population of smelt prey fish in the Great Lakes to near historic lows are more complicated than previously believed, new research suggests. Although results of the 2014 ... full story
- Early Triassic Swimmers: Tracks Well Preserved
- Sun Impacts Climate More in Cool Periods
- Turbulence Beneath Arctic Ice
- Opt for Flexibility in Environmental Policies?
- Assessing Ocean Energy Development
- Ocean Oscillations: False Pause in Warming
- 'Blue-Green Algae' Proliferating in Lakes
- Forest Tree Seeds in Svalbard Seed Vault
- Lake Tahoe Provides New Insights On Global Change
- Causes of Great Lakes Smelt Population Decline
Climate-Change Clues from Turtles of Tropical Wyoming
Feb. 24, 2015 — Tropical turtle fossils discovered in Wyoming reveal that when Earth got warmer, prehistoric turtles headed north. But if today's turtles try the same technique to cope with warming habitats, they ... full story
Kenyan Fossils Show Evolution of Hippos
Feb. 24, 2015 — A French-Kenyan research team has just described a new fossil ancestor of today's hippo family. This discovery bridges a gap in the fossil record separating these animals from their closest ... full story
Asian Tree Rings Explain Historical Plague Outbreaks in Europe
Feb. 24, 2015 — Climate-driven plague outbreaks in Asia were repeatedly transmitted over several centuries into southern European harbors, an international team of researchers has found. This finding contrasts the ... full story
Sea Urchins, Sand Dollars Thrived With Time
Feb. 23, 2015 — New work on echinoids -- marine animals like sea urchins and sand dollars -- gives scientists a reason to rethink a classical pattern of evolution. Fossil-based studies have traditionally indicated ... full story
Ancient and Modern Cities Aren't So Different
Feb. 20, 2015 — Despite notable differences in appearance and governance, ancient human settlements function in much the same way as modern cities, according to new ... full story
Greenland Is Melting: The Past Might Tell What the Future Holds
Feb. 20, 2015 — Scientists have managed to quantify how the Greenland Ice Sheet reacted to a warm period 8,000-5,000 years ago. Back then temperatures were 2-4 degrees C warmer than they are in the present. Their ... full story
Out of Africa: Did Humans Migrate Quickly and All-at-Once or in Phases Based on Weather?
Feb. 20, 2015 — Considerable debate surrounds the migration of human populations out of Africa. Two predominant hypotheses concerning the timing contrast in their emphasis on the role of the Arabian interior and its ... full story
Animals Tend to Evolve Toward Larger Size Over Time
Feb. 19, 2015 — In one of the most comprehensive studies of body size evolution ever conducted, scientists have found fresh support for Cope's rule, a theory in biology that states that animal lineages tend to ... full story
Tracing Languages Back to Their Common Ancestors Through the Statistics of Sound Shifts
Feb. 19, 2015 — A statistical technique that sorts out when changes to words’ pronunciations most likely occurred in the evolution of a language offers a renewed opportunity to trace words and languages back to ... full story
Learning from Extinction: New Insights on Controlling Cancer
Feb. 18, 2015 — A researcher brings a paleontological view of species extinction to bear on the challenges involved in driving populations of cancer cells to annihilation -- or at least improving patient prognosis ... full story
- Climate-Change: Turtles of Tropical Wyoming
- Kenyan Fossils Show Evolution of Hippos
- Asian Tree Rings Explain Old Plague Outbreaks
- Sea Urchins, Sand Dollars Thrived With Time
- Ancient and Modern Cities Aren't So Different
- Greenland Is Melting: What Does the Future Hold?
- Fair Weather Waves of Migrants Out of Africa?
- Evolution: Animals Tend to Get Larger Over Time
- Tracing Languages Back Using Statistics on Sounds
- Extinction Gives Insights On Controlling Cancer?
Global Health Experts Call Into Question Sub-Saharan Cancer Data
Feb. 27, 2015 — Global health experts believe the current data on cancer prevalence, incidence and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa -- which determines how billions of pounds of international development money is ... full story
Experts Warn of Stem Cell Underuse as Transplants Reach One Million Worldwide
Feb. 27, 2015 — Findings of a new reveal striking variations between countries and regions in the use of this lifesaving stem cell transplantation, and high unmet need due to a chronic shortage of resources and ... full story
Could Squirmy Livestock Dent Africa's Protein Deficit?
Feb. 26, 2015 — Two graduate students are working to introduce highly productive kits for farming mealworms to regions such as sub-Saharan Africa where eating insects is already culturally palatable. They are just ... full story
Criminologist's Study Shows Lack of Mental Health Care for Prisoners
Feb. 26, 2015 — A substantial number of prison inmates have not received treatment for mental health conditions, a expert claims. The study recommends that prisons prioritize the use of validated screening ... full story
Sharp Rise in Experimental Animal Research in US
Feb. 25, 2015 — The use of animals in experimental research has soared at leading US laboratories in recent years, finds new research. This is despite growing public opposition to animal experimentation, mounting ... full story
Vaccine Hesitancy: Journal Collection Investigates Vaccination Decision-Making
Feb. 25, 2015 — Vaccines are thought to be one of the most successful public health measures, but some individuals are hesitant to vaccinate their families for a variety of reasons. Researchers explore individuals' ... full story
Consideration of Costs Can Reduce Moral Objections to Human Organ Sales and Other 'Repugnant' Transactions, Says Researcher
Feb. 25, 2015 — People might abandon their moral objections to organ selling – and to other transactions in repugnant markets -- when presented with information about the potential advantages of such sales, ... full story
Biology Teachers: Understanding Faith, Teaching Evolution Not Mutually Exclusive
Feb. 25, 2015 — Discussing the relationship between science and faith, rather than avoiding the discussion, may better prepare future high school biology teachers for anticipating questions about evolution, ... full story
Study Linking Suicidal Behavior, Psychotic Experiences May Yield Strategies to Help Prevent Suicide Attempts
Feb. 25, 2015 — Suicidal ideation and psychotic experiences have been studied among more than 11,000 adults 18 and older. The data were drawn from a large general-population based sample of U. S. households. Suicide ... full story
Women Twice as Likely to See Pot as Risky
Feb. 25, 2015 — A study on the perceived risk of using cannabis and characteristics associated with these perceptions found that non-white, low-income women over 50 were most likely to perceive a risk in using the ... full story
- Sub-Saharan Cancer Data Questioned
- Stem Cell Underuse? Million Transplants Worldwide
- Protein from Diet: Can Squirmy Livestock Help?
- Lack of Mental Health Care for Prisoners: Study
- Sharp Rise in Experimental Animal Research in US
- Vaccine Hesitancy: Investigating Decision-Making
- Reducing Moral Objections to Human Organ Sales
- Understanding Faith to Better Teach Evolution?
- Finding Strategies to Prevent Suicide Attempts
- Women Twice as Likely to See Pot as Risky
Amphetamine Gets the Job Done: Using Drugs to Work Long Hours
Feb. 20, 2015 — Drugs are usually associated with vulnerable social groups. New research reveals that amphetamine, however, is used by some in physically demanding manual jobs - to sustain long working ... full story
Basic Personality Changes Linked to Unemployment, Study Finds
Feb. 18, 2015 — Unemployment can change peoples' core personalities, making some less conscientious, agreeable and open, which may make it difficult for them to find new jobs, according to new ... full story
Leader of the Pack: Study of Voles and Owls Show Rise of Individuals With Greatest Influence on Collective Group Behavior
Feb. 18, 2015 — Who takes charge during a disaster or at an accident scene? The question has intrigued sociologists since Gustave Le Bon first studied "herd behavior" in nineteenth-century France. The question of an ... full story
How Income Fraud Made the Housing Bubble Worse
Feb. 18, 2015 — New research reveals that, in low-income zip codes, IRS-reported incomes and earnings reported on mortgages in fact differed wildly from 2002 to 2005. The researchers place the blame for falsified ... full story
Women Seek Greater Variety in Men and Consumer Products Near Ovulation
Feb. 17, 2015 — New research suggests women seek more options in dating partners near ovulation -- when they are most fertile -- which may lead them to also seek a greater variety of products and ... full story
Workplace Bullying a Vicious Circle
Feb. 17, 2015 — Bullying at work grinds victims down and makes them an 'easy target' for further abuse according to new research. The research suggests that employers should not only crack down on workplace bullies, ... full story
People Value Resources More Consistently When They Are Scarce
Feb. 12, 2015 — We tend to be economically irrational when it comes to choosing how we use resources like money and time but scarcity can convert us into economically rational decision makers, according to new ... full story
An Internet of Things Reality Check
Feb. 9, 2015 — Connecting different kinds of devices, not just computers and communications devices, to the Internet could lead to new ways of working with a wide range of machinery, sensors, domestic and other ... full story
Increasing Individualism in US Linked With Rise of White-Collar Jobs
Feb. 5, 2015 — Rising individualism in the United States over the last 150 years is mainly associated with a societal shift toward more white-collar occupations, according to new research. The study, which looked ... full story
Novel Method Projects Growth Potential of New Firms: Which Tech Businesses Will Thrive?
Feb. 5, 2015 — New businesses spring up all the time in the U.S. But which ones have the greatest ability to become big? A new method based on an empirical study, projects the growth potential of high-tech firms ... full story
- Amphetamine Gets the Job Done
- Unemployment Can Change Your Personality
- Leader of the Pack?
- How Income Fraud Made Housing Bubble Worse
- Men, Shopping: Fertile Women Seek Variety
- Workplace Bullying a Vicious Circle
- Scarcity Makes Us More Economically Rational
- An Internet of Things Reality Check
- Increasing Individualism; More White-Collar Jobs
- Growth Potential of New Firms Predicted
Education 'Experts' Cited in News Stories May Lack Expertise, Study Finds
Feb. 20, 2015 — A study of education experts cited in news stories and blogs during 2013 finds that some lack background in education policy and ... full story
Delaying Children's School Entry Linked to Poor Academic Performance
Feb. 19, 2015 — Delaying school entry for children could cause poorer academic performance, according to new research. Many parents are keen to hold their children back a year if they were born prematurely or in the ... full story
Teens Increasingly Sleep Deprived
Feb. 16, 2015 — A new study found that female students, racial/ethnic minorities, and students of lower socioeconomic status are less likely to report regularly getting seven or more hours of sleep each night ... full story
Learning With All the Senses: Movement, Images Facilitate Vocabulary Learning
Feb. 5, 2015 — "Atesi" -- what sounds like a word from the Elven language of Lord of the Rings is actually a Vimmish word meaning "thought". Scientists have used Vimmish, an artificial language specifically ... full story
Public and Scientists Express Strikingly Different Views About Science-Related Issues
Jan. 29, 2015 — Despite similar views about the overall place of science in America, the general public and scientists often see science-related issues through a different lens, according to a new pair of ... full story
Can Synesthesia Be Taught? Colored Letters, Tasty Sounds?
Jan. 29, 2015 — Can synesthesia have cognitive benefits and can it be taught? There are over 60 known types of synesthesia, a condition in which stimulation of one sense, such as taste, leads to automatic, ... full story
Concentrating on Word Sounds Helps Reading Instruction and Intervention
Jan. 28, 2015 — A neuroimaging study by psychologist suggests that phonics shouldn't be overlooked in favor of a whole-language technique, a finding that could help improve treatment and diagnosis of common reading ... full story
Playing With Puzzles, Blocks May Build Children's Spatial Skills
Jan. 28, 2015 — Play may seem like fun and games, but new research shows that specific kinds of play are actually associated with development of particular cognitive skills. Data from an American nationally ... 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
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 outperform ... full story
- Education 'Experts' May Lack Expertise
- Delaying Kindergarten Linked to Lower Scores
- Teens Increasingly Sleep Deprived
- Learning With All the Senses Makes Sense
- Public, Scientists: Strikingly Different Views
- Can Synesthesia Be Taught?
- Learning to Read: Phonics Are Important
- Puzzles, Blocks Play May Build Spatial Skills
- Kinect: Students Master Math Through Movement
- Academic Achievement: Girls Lead Boys Globally
