http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/top_news/ Top science, health, technology and environment news stories, featured on ScienceDaily's home page. en-us Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:05:01 EST Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/top_news/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222204241.htm The more afraid a person is of a spider, the bigger that individual perceives the spider to be, new research suggests. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:42:42 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222204241.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222133728.htm Fallout from the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power facility in Japan was measured in minimal amounts in precipitation in the United States in about 20 percent of 167 sites sampled in a nationwide U.S. study. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222133728.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222133431.htm Researchers have identified the part of the brain driving motivation during actions that combine physical and mental effort: the ventral striatum. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:34:34 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222133431.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222133131.htm Separating complex mixtures of cells, such as those found in a blood sample, can offer valuable information for diagnosing and treating disease. However, it may be necessary to search through billions of other cells to collect rare cells such as tumor cells, stem cells or fetal cells. Researchers have now demonstrated a new microfluidic device that can isolate target cells much faster than existing devices. Such technology could be used in applications such as point-of-care diagnostics and personalized medicine. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:31:31 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222133131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222133125.htm New research has established the "miracle material" called graphene as the world's thinnest known coating for protecting metals against corrosion. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:31:31 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222133125.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222132938.htm Scientists are reporting use of a new technology for sifting through the world's largest remaining pool of potential antibiotics to discover two new antibiotics that work against deadly resistant microbes, including the "superbugs" known as MRSA. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222132938.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222132930.htm Sparrows, blackbirds and the great tit are all birds known to sing at a higher pitch in urban environments. It was previously believed that these birds sang at higher frequencies in order to escape the lower frequencies noises of the urban environment. Now, researchers have discovered that besides noise, the physical structure of cities also plays a role in altering the birds' songs. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222132930.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222132737.htm The offspring of women who were given micronutrient supplements (minerals needed in small quantities, such as iron, iodine and vitamin A) before they became pregnant had gene modifications at birth as well as when they were tested at nine months. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222132737.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222132559.htm Sudden cardiac death -- catastrophic and unexpected fatal heart stoppage -- is more likely to occur shortly after waking in the morning and in the late night. In a new study, an international consortium of researchers explains the molecular linkage between the circadian clock and the deadly heart rhythms that lead to sudden death. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222132559.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222132255.htm For some older adults, the online video game World of Warcraft (WoW) may provide more than an opportunity for escapist adventure. Researchers have found that playing WoW boosted cognitive functioning for older adults – particularly those who had scored poorly on cognitive ability tests before playing the game. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:22:22 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222132255.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222132118.htm Oncologists have known that in order for cancer cells to spread, they must transform themselves so they can detach from a tumor and spread to a distant organ. Now, scientists have revealed critical steps in what happens next -- how these cells reverse the process, morphing back into classical cancer that can now grow into a new tumor. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:21:21 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222132118.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222132116.htm Can animals’ survival instincts shed additional light on what we know about human emotion? Neuroscientists pose this question in outlining a pioneering theory, drawn from two decades of research, that could lead to a more comprehensive understanding of emotions in both humans and animals. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:21:21 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222132116.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222114500.htm Astronomers using data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have, for the first time, discovered buckyballs in a solid form in space. Prior to this discovery, the microscopic carbon spheres had been found only in gas form in the cosmos. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:45:45 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222114500.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222114358.htm Earth's clouds got a little lower -- about one percent on average -- during the first decade of this century, finds a new NASA-funded university study based on NASA satellite data. The results have potential implications for future global climate. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:43:43 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222114358.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222094252.htm Deep-diving ocean "gliders" have revealed the journey of Bass Strait water from the Tasman Sea to the Indian Ocean. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:42:42 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222094252.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222094250.htm For 50 years, scientists had searched for the secret to making tiny implantable devices that could travel through the bloodstream. Engineers have now demonstrated a wirelessly powered device that just may make the dream a reality. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:42:42 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222094250.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222094244.htm Nanowires -- microscopic fibers that can be "grown" in the lab -- are a hot research topic today, with a variety of potential applications including light-emitting diodes and sensors. Now, researchers has found a way of precisely controlling the width and composition of these tiny strands as they grow, making it possible to grow complex structures that are optimally designed for particular applications. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:42:42 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222094244.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222093941.htm A novel bacterium, thought to be a common inhabitant of the oral cavity, has the potential to cause serious disease if it enters the bloodstream, according to a new study. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222093941.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222093508.htm Researchers have been the first to discover the presence of certain aldehydes in food, which are believed to be related to some neurodegenerative diseases and some types of cancer. These toxic compounds can be found in some oils, such as sunflower oil, when heated at a suitable temperature for frying. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:35:35 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222093508.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222093506.htm Pain? Just turn it off! It may sound like science fiction, but researchers have now succeeded in inhibiting pain-sensitive neurons on demand, in the laboratory. The crucial element in their strategy is a chemical sensor that acts as a light-sensitive switch. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:35:35 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222093506.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222093503.htm Criminal gangs are increasingly using the internet to market life-threatening counterfeit medicines and some have even turned up in legitimate outlets such as pharmacies, according to a newly published review. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:35:35 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222093503.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222092916.htm Never get stranded with a dead cell phone again. A promising new technology called Power Felt, a thermoelectric device that converts body heat into an electrical current, soon could create enough juice to make another call simply by touching it. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222092916.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221212618.htm If you are looking for a particular object -- say a yellow pencil -- on a cluttered desk, how does your brain work to visually locate it? For the first time, neuroscientists have identified how different neural regions communicate to determine what to visually pay attention to and what to ignore. This finding is a major discovery for visual cognition and will guide future research into visual and attention deficit disorders. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221212618.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221212616.htm When first exposed to cocaine, the adolescent brain launches a strong defensive reaction designed to minimize the drug's effects, scientists have found. Now two new studies identify key genes that regulate this response and show that interfering with this reaction dramatically increases a mouse's sensitivity to cocaine. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221212616.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221212614.htm Bacteria normally found 30 kilometers above Earth have been identified as highly efficient generators of electricity. Bacillus stratosphericus -- a microbe commonly found in high concentrations in the stratosphere -- is a key component of a new 'super' biofilm that has been engineered by a team of scientists from Newcastle University. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221212614.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221212534.htm Not that long ago in a hot spring in Kamchatka, Russia, two groups of genetically indistinguishable microbes decided to part ways. They began evolving into different species – despite the fact that they still encountered one another in their acidic, boiling habitat and even exchanged some genes from time to time, researchers report. This is the first example of what the researchers call sympatric speciation in a microorganism. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221212534.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221212345.htm A leaky gut may be the root of some cancers forming in the rest of the body, a new study suggests. It appears that the hormone receptor guanylyl cyclase C (GC-C) -- a previously identified tumor suppressor that exists in the intestinal tract -- plays a key role in strengthening the body's intestinal barrier, which helps separate the gut world from the rest of the body, and possibly keeps cancer at bay. Without the receptor, that barrier weakens. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:23:23 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221212345.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221165941.htm Researchers have found new evidence to explain how cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) mediates the transfer of cholesterol from "good" high density lipoproteins (HDLs) to "bad" low density lipoproteins (LDLs). These findings point the way to the design of safer, more effective next generation CETP inhibitors that could help prevent the development of heart disease. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:59:59 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221165941.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221165803.htm The ability to anticipate future events allows us to plan and exert control over our lives, but it may also contribute to stress-related increased risk for the diseases of aging, according to a new study. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:58:58 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221165803.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221165801.htm Researchers have developed a “soft template infiltration” technique for fabricating free-standing piezoelectrically active ferroelectric nanotubes and other nanostructures from PZT – a material that is attractive because of its large piezoelectric response. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:58:58 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221165801.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221165757.htm Researchers have developed a new injectable hydrogel that could be an effective and safe treatment for tissue damage caused by heart attacks. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:57:57 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221165757.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221151545.htm Researchers have coaxed gold into nanowires as a way of creating an inexpensive material for detecting poisonous gases found in natural gas. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221151545.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221151543.htm A small population of rattlesnakes that already is in decline in southern Illinois faces a new and unexpected threat in the form of a fungus rarely seen in the wild, researchers report. The finding matches reports of rattlesnake deaths in the northeast United States. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221151543.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221145915.htm Researchers have discovered more details about how an energy sensing “thermostat” protein determines whether cells will store or use their energy reserves. The researchers have shown that a chemical modification on the thermostat protein changes how it’s controlled. Without the modification, cells use stored energy, and with it, they default to stockpiling resources. When cells don’t properly allocate their energy supply, they can die off or become cancerous. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:59:59 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221145915.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221145830.htm Astronomers have clocked the fastest wind yet discovered blowing off a disk around a stellar-mass black hole. This result has important implications for understanding how this type of black hole behaves. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:58:58 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221145830.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221125409.htm Evolutionary biologists have shed light on the early events leading to photosynthesis, the result of the sequencing of 70 million base pair nuclear genome of the one-celled alga Cyanophora. They consider this study the final piece of the puzzle to understand the origin of photosynthesis in eukaryotes. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:54:54 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221125409.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221125407.htm The March 11, 2011 Tohoku earthquake is a grim reminder of the potential for another strong-motion mega-earthquake along the Pacific Northwest coast, geophysicists say. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:54:54 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221125407.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221125203.htm Along with photosynthesis, the plant cell wall is one of the features that most set plants apart from animals. A structural molecule called cellulose is necessary for the manufacture of these walls. Cellulose is synthesized in a semi-crystalline state that is essential for its function in the cell wall function, but the mechanisms controlling its crystallinity are poorly understood. New research reveals key information about this process. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:52:52 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221125203.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221125201.htm A new study reveals that young people do not possess the knowledge or skills required to adhere to U.S. government guidelines for responsible alcohol consumption. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:52:52 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221125201.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221125157.htm Researchers has detected the element tellurium for the first time in three ancient stars. Tellurium is rare on Earth. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:51:51 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221125157.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221125151.htm Using a noninvasive test on maternal blood that deploys a novel biochemical assay and a new algorithm for analysis, scientists can detect, with a high degree of accuracy, the risk that a fetus has the chromosomal abnormalities that cause Down syndrome and a genetic disorder known as Edwards syndrome. The new approach is more scalable than other recently developed genetic screening tests and has the potential to reduce unnecessary amniocentesis or CVS. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:51:51 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221125151.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221125020.htm Is fructose being unfairly blamed for the obesity epidemic? Or do we just eat and drink too many calories? Researchers reviewed more than 40 published studies on whether the fructose molecule itself causes weight gain. In 31 "isocaloric" trials they reviewed, participants ate a similar number of calories, but one group ate pure fructose and the other ate non-fructose carbohydrates. The fructose group did not gain weight. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:50:50 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221125020.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221125018.htm Scientists have taken a step forward toward the goal of repairing nerves in such patients more effectively. In a new study, researchers report that a surprising set of cells may hold potential for nerve transplants. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:50:50 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221125018.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124825.htm Stress has numerous detrimental effects on the human body. Many of these effects are acutely felt by the sufferer, but many more go "unseen," one of which is shortening of telomere length. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:48:48 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124825.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124823.htm A gene known to control lens development in mice and humans is also crucial for the development of neurons responsible for mechanosensory function, as neurobiologists have now discovered. They found that in mice in which they had removed the c-Maf gene in the nerve cells, touch sensation is impaired. This similarly applies to human carriers of a mutant c-Maf gene. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:48:48 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124823.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124821.htm Some of Ireland's oldest inhabitants are facing serious threat and possible extinction because of foreign species, according to researchers. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:48:48 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124821.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124817.htm A new study has shown that weaver ants share a collective memory for the odor of ants in rival nests, and use the information to identify them and compete, similar to how sports fans know each other instantly by their unique colors. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:48:48 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124817.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124812.htm Airborne gases get sucked into stubborn smog particles from which they cannot escape, according to new findings. These finding could explain why air pollution models underestimate organic aerosols. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:48:48 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124812.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124810.htm Scientists have shed light on how vertebrates evolved closed circulation systems designed to more effectively carry blood to organs and tissues. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:48:48 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124810.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124711.htm A strain of the potentially deadly antibiotic-resistant bacterium known as MRSA has jumped from livestock to humans, according to a new study. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:47:47 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124711.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124709.htm Survival and reproduction of many aquatic and semi-aquatic animals can depend upon how well they float. Tadpoles use various strategies to attain buoyancy, depending upon their stage of development and location in still or turbulent waters. Researchers have taken a closer look at the developing frog's strategies to achieve buoyancy. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:47:47 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124709.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124707.htm A new implantable sensor can wirelessly transmit data from the site of a recent orthopedic surgery. Inexpensive to make and highly reliable, this new sensor holds the promise of more accurate, more cost-effective, and less invasive post-surgery monitoring and diagnosis. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:47:47 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124707.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221104117.htm Parasites and pathogens infecting humans, pets and farm animals are increasingly being detected in marine mammals such as sea otters, porpoises, harbor seals and killer whales along the Pacific coast of the US and Canada, and better surveillance is required to monitor public health implications, according to a panel of scientific experts from Canada and the United States. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:41:41 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221104117.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221104033.htm Researchers are bringing the latest technological advancements in 3-D printing to the study of ancient life. Using scale models of real fossils, for the first time, they will be able to test hypotheses about how dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals moved and lived in their environments. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:40:40 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221104033.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221103741.htm Observations by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have come up with a new class of planet, a waterworld enshrouded by a thick, steamy atmosphere. It’s smaller than Uranus but larger than Earth. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221103741.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221090240.htm Certain insects, such as the African variegated grasshopper or the cinnabar moth, native in Europe and Asia, feed on toxic plants in order to protect themselves from predators. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:02:02 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221090240.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120220211013.htm On the surface, it's simple: when night falls, our bodies get sleepy. But behind the scenes, a series of complex molecular events, controlled by our genes, is hard at work to make us groggy. Now, research suggests that a newly identified gene known as insomniac may play a role in keeping us asleep. By cloning and testing this gene in fruit flies researchers say they have discovered an entirely new mechanism by which sleep is regulated. Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:10:10 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120220211013.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120220203001.htm A study of mothers and their young babies by neurologists has shown that mothers who suffer migraine headaches are more than twice as likely to have babies with colic than mothers without a history of migraines. Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:30:30 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120220203001.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120220161307.htm Pompeii-like, a 300-million-year-old tropical forest was preserved in ash when a volcano erupted in what is today northern China. Paleobotanists have reconstructed this fossilized forest, lending insight into the ecology and climate of its time. Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:13:13 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120220161307.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120220161233.htm Genomic instability caused by an erosion of the protective caps on chromosomes, followed by activation of an enzyme that reinforces those caps, allows malignant cells to evade destruction and acquire more deadly characteristics, researchers report. Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:12:12 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120220161233.htm