ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Evidence of life on Mars could come from Martian moon Phobos
• First-ever changes in an exoplanet atmosphere detected
• Has the speediest pulsar been found?
• What you eat can prevent arsenic overload
• Insights into primate diversity: Lessons from the rhesus macaque
• Both innate and adaptive immune responses are critical to the control of influenza
• Adoption of advanced techniques could propel crop improvement
• Improving efficiencies in fuel, chemical and pharmaceutical industries
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy effective in combatting anxiety disorders, study suggests
• Plasma startup creates high-energy light to make smaller microchips
• Programmable DNA scissors found for bacterial immune system
• Cassini finds likely subsurface ocean on Saturn's moon Titan
• New insights into the effects of stress on pregnancy
• Maya archaeologists unearth new 2012 monument with 'end date' of Dec. 21, 2012
• How flu can cause severe infections
• Discovery may lead to new tomato varieties with vintage flavor and quality
• Date of earliest animal life reset by 30 million years
• Study on fungi helps explain coal formation and may advance future biofuels production
• Master regulator protein brings plethora of coactivators to gene expression sites
• Milky Way struck 100 million years ago, still rings like a bell
• Native species fight back: First evidence of coevolution between invasive, native species
• Why does a diet high in DHA improve memory?
• Earth's oldest known impact crater found in Greenland
• Pollutants could pose health risks for five sea turtle species
• Good news for aging eyes: Debilitating eyesight problems on the decline for older Americans
• A new source of maize hybrid vigor
• Turning skin cells into brain cells: Huntington's disease in a dish
• Part of the genome of two hunter-gatherers from 7,000 years ago
• With mind-reading speller, free-for-all conversations that are silent and still
• Lymph node roundabout: Researchers probe origin of optimized antibodies against infections
• Global migration trends discovered in email data
• Seeking solace: Celebrity deaths often have pronounced effects on their audiences
• Photosynthesis re-wired: Chemists use nanowires to power photosynthesis-like process
• Flu immunity is affected by how many viruses actually cause the infection
• Tasers don't cause cardiac complications, study suggests
• Searching for the origin of muscles
• Paint-on lithium battery can be applied to virtually any surface
• Acoustic tweezers capture and manipulate tiny creatures with ultrasound
• Understanding what's up with the Higgs Boson at the Large Hadron Collider
• New approach to reverse multiple sclerosis in mice models
• Success of fertility treatment may approach natural birth rate
• Space tornadoes power the atmosphere of the Sun
• Dietary fiber alters gut bacteria, supports gastrointestinal health
• After child dies, mom's risk of early death skyrockets
• Standing for long periods during pregnancy may curb fetal growth: But working up to 36 weeks has no adverse effect, study suggests
• How sticky toepads evolved in geckos and what that means for adhesive technologies
• Treating diabetes early, intensively is best strategy, new study suggests
• Dramatic change spotted on a faraway planet
• Interacting mutations promote diversity
• Dinosaurs were warm-blooded reptiles: Mammal bone study sheds light on dinosaur physiology
• Africa's savannas may become forests by 2100, study suggests
• Kicking or punching during sleep may be caused by smoking, head injury and pesticide use
• Potential for tsunamis in northwestern California documented

Evidence of life on Mars could come from Martian moon Phobos Posted: 28 Jun 2012 10:54 PM PDT A mission to a Martian moon could return with alien life, according to experts, but don't expect the invasion scenario presented by summer blockbusters like "Men in Black 3" or "Prometheus." A sample from the moon Phobos, scientists believe, would almost surely contain Martian material blasted off from large asteroid impacts. If life on Mars exists or existed within the last 10 million years, a mission to Phobos could yield our first evidence of life beyond Earth.

First-ever changes in an exoplanet atmosphere detected Posted: 28 Jun 2012 09:55 PM PDT Astronomers have using data made an unparalleled observation, detecting significant changes in the atmosphere of a planet located beyond our solar system.

Has the speediest pulsar been found? Posted: 28 Jun 2012 09:54 PM PDT The fastest moving pulsar may have been found about 30,000 light years from Earth. This object is known as IGR J1104-6103 and may be racing away from a supernova remnant at about 6 million miles per hour. If confirmed, this would challenge theorists to create models that explain such super speeds out of supernova explosions.

What you eat can prevent arsenic overload Posted: 28 Jun 2012 09:54 PM PDT New research has demonstrated that people who ate more dietary vitamin B12 and animal protein had lower levels of arsenic (measured by deposition in toenails). Total dietary fat, animal fat, vegetable fat and saturated fat were also all associated with lower levels of arsenic, while omega 3 fatty acids, such as those found in fish oil, were associated with increased arsenic.

Insights into primate diversity: Lessons from the rhesus macaque Posted: 28 Jun 2012 09:54 PM PDT The rhesus macaque has three times as much genetic variation as humans. However despite much of this extra variation within genes, protein function is not affected. Consequently damaging variations are at similar levels in macaques and humans -- indicating a strong selection pressure to maintain gene function regardless of mutation rate or population size.

Both innate and adaptive immune responses are critical to the control of influenza Posted: 28 Jun 2012 09:54 PM PDT Both innate and adaptive immune responses play an important role in controlling influenza virus infection, according to a new study.

Adoption of advanced techniques could propel crop improvement Posted: 28 Jun 2012 05:11 PM PDT Scientists could take greater strides toward crop improvement if there were wider adoption of advanced techniques used to understand the mechanisms that allow plants to adapt to their environments, researchers say.

Improving efficiencies in fuel, chemical and pharmaceutical industries Posted: 28 Jun 2012 04:30 PM PDT Engineering researchers have made a major breakthrough in developing a catalyst used during chemical reactions in the production of gasoline, plastics, biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and other chemicals. The discovery could lead to major efficiencies and cost-savings in these multibillion-dollar industries.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy effective in combatting anxiety disorders, study suggests Posted: 28 Jun 2012 04:30 PM PDT Whether it is a phobia like a fear of flying, public speaking or spiders, or a diagnosis such as obsessive compulsive disorder, new research finds patients suffering from anxiety disorders showed the most improvement when treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in conjunction with a "transdiagnostic" approach -- a model that allows therapists to apply one set of principles across anxiety disorders.

Plasma startup creates high-energy light to make smaller microchips Posted: 28 Jun 2012 04:30 PM PDT A pair of aeronautical engineers working on fusion energy -- harnessing the energy-generating mechanism of the sun -- may have found a way to etch the next generation of microchips.

Programmable DNA scissors found for bacterial immune system Posted: 28 Jun 2012 04:30 PM PDT Scientists have discovered a programmable RNA complex in the bacterial immune system that guides the cleaving of DNA at targeted sites. This discovery opens a new door to genome editing with implications for the green chemistry microbial-based production of advanced biofuels, therapeutic drugs and other valuable chemical products.

Cassini finds likely subsurface ocean on Saturn's moon Titan Posted: 28 Jun 2012 04:00 PM PDT Data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft have revealed Saturn's moon Titan likely harbors a layer of liquid water under its ice shell. Researchers saw a large amount of squeezing and stretching as the moon orbited Saturn. They deduced that if Titan were composed entirely of stiff rock, the gravitational attraction of Saturn would cause bulges, or solid "tides," on the moon only 3 feet (1 meter) in height. Spacecraft data show Saturn creates solid tides approximately 30 feet (10 meters) in height, which suggests Titan is not made entirely of solid rocky material.

New insights into the effects of stress on pregnancy Posted: 28 Jun 2012 03:17 PM PDT Expectant mothers who dealt with the strain of a hurricane or major tropical storm passing nearby during their pregnancy had children who were at elevated risk for abnormal health conditions at birth, according to a new study that offers new insights into the effects of stress on pregnancy.

Maya archaeologists unearth new 2012 monument with 'end date' of Dec. 21, 2012 Posted: 28 Jun 2012 03:17 PM PDT Archaeologists working at the site of La Corona in Guatemala have discovered a 1,300-year-old-year Maya text that provides only the second known reference to the so-called "end date" of the Maya calendar, Dec. 21, 2012. The discovery is one of the most significant hieroglyphic finds in decades.

How flu can cause severe infections Posted: 28 Jun 2012 03:17 PM PDT Scientists have discovered a new gene in the influenza virus that helps the virus control the body's response to infection. Although this control is exerted by the virus, surprisingly it reduces the impact of the infection.

Discovery may lead to new tomato varieties with vintage flavor and quality Posted: 28 Jun 2012 03:17 PM PDT A new genetic discovery may help plant breeders recapture heirloom flavor, processing quality and a health-promoting compound in modern tomato varieties.

Date of earliest animal life reset by 30 million years Posted: 28 Jun 2012 03:17 PM PDT Researchers have uncovered physical proof that animals existed 585 million years ago, 30 million years earlier than all previous established records show. The discovery was made U of A geologists Ernesto Pecoits and Natalie Aubet in Uruguay. They found fossilized tracks of a centimeter long, slug-like animal left behind 585 million years ago in a silty sediment.

Study on fungi helps explain coal formation and may advance future biofuels production Posted: 28 Jun 2012 03:17 PM PDT The evolution of white rot fungi might have helped bring an end to the geologic period characterized by the formation of large coal deposits, and may help lay the groundwork for the future production of biofuels.

Master regulator protein brings plethora of coactivators to gene expression sites Posted: 28 Jun 2012 03:16 PM PDT A master regulator protein brings plethora of coactivators to gene expression sites. Molecular geneticists call big boss proteins that switch on broad developmental or metabolic programs "master regulators," as in master regulators of muscle development or fat metabolism.

Milky Way struck 100 million years ago, still rings like a bell Posted: 28 Jun 2012 02:45 PM PDT Astronomers have discovered evidence that our Milky Way had an encounter with a small galaxy or massive dark matter structure perhaps as recently as 100 million years ago, and as a result of that encounter it is still ringing like a bell.

Native species fight back: First evidence of coevolution between invasive, native species Posted: 28 Jun 2012 02:45 PM PDT Invasive species such as kudzu, privet and garlic mustard can devastate ecosystems, and, until now, scientists had little reason to believe that native plants could mount a successful defense. A new study shows that some native clearweed plants have evolved resistance to invasive garlic mustard plants -- and that the invasive plants appear to be waging a counterattack.

Why does a diet high in DHA improve memory? Posted: 28 Jun 2012 02:45 PM PDT We've all heard that eating fish is good for our brains and memory. But what is it about DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish, that makes our memory sharper?

Earth's oldest known impact crater found in Greenland Posted: 28 Jun 2012 01:46 PM PDT Scientists in working in Western Greenland have found evidence of an asteroid or comet impact early in the Earth's history. At three billion years old, the crater is a billion years older than the previously oldest known crater.

Pollutants could pose health risks for five sea turtle species Posted: 28 Jun 2012 01:46 PM PDT Researchers have measured for the first time concentrations of 13 compounds in five different endangered species of sea turtles that approach the amounts known to cause adverse health effects in other animals.

Good news for aging eyes: Debilitating eyesight problems on the decline for older Americans Posted: 28 Jun 2012 01:46 PM PDT Today's senior citizens are reporting fewer visual impairment problems than their counterparts from a generation ago, according to a new study. Improved techniques for cataract surgery and a reduction in the prevalence of macular degeneration may be the driving forces behind this change, the researchers said.

A new source of maize hybrid vigor Posted: 28 Jun 2012 01:46 PM PDT Scientists think they may have discovered a new source of heterosis, or hybrid vigor, in maize. They have been looking at small RNAs, a class of double-stranded RNA molecules that are 20 to 25 nucleotides in length.

Turning skin cells into brain cells: Huntington's disease in a dish Posted: 28 Jun 2012 01:44 PM PDT Scientists have generated stem cells from skin cells from a person with a severe, early-onset form of Huntington's disease, and turned them into neurons that degenerate just like those affected by the fatal inherited disorder.

Part of the genome of two hunter-gatherers from 7,000 years ago Posted: 28 Jun 2012 01:44 PM PDT A team of scientists has recovered part of the genome of two individuals who were alive in the Mesolithic Period, 7,000 years ago. The remains were found at La Braña-Arintero site, located at Valdelugueros (León), Spain. The study results indicate that current Iberian populations do not come from these recently discovered humans.

With mind-reading speller, free-for-all conversations that are silent and still Posted: 28 Jun 2012 01:44 PM PDT Researchers have come up with a device that may enable people who are completely unable to speak or move at all to nevertheless manage unscripted back-and-forth conversation. The key to such silent and still communication is the first real-time, brain-scanning speller.

Lymph node roundabout: Researchers probe origin of optimized antibodies against infections Posted: 28 Jun 2012 01:44 PM PDT An organism's ability to make new antibodies is of central importance in the fight against pathogens. In case of severe infections, the speed with which an immune response proceeds could mean the difference between life and death. Scientists have now found out how the division of B cells contributes to a fast immune defense.

Global migration trends discovered in email data Posted: 28 Jun 2012 01:43 PM PDT For the first time comparable migration data is available for almost every country of the world. To date, records were incompatible between nations and especially by gender and age, nonexistent. New research for the first time provides a rich migration database by compiling the global flow of millions of emails.

Seeking solace: Celebrity deaths often have pronounced effects on their audiences Posted: 28 Jun 2012 01:42 PM PDT According to a cognitive psychologist, the common responses to celebrity deaths demonstrate important realities about how people build relationships with the media they consume.

Photosynthesis re-wired: Chemists use nanowires to power photosynthesis-like process Posted: 28 Jun 2012 11:57 AM PDT Chemists have developed a process that closely resembles photosynthesis and proved capable of synthesizing compounds found in the pain-killers ibuprofen and naproxen.

Flu immunity is affected by how many viruses actually cause the infection Posted: 28 Jun 2012 11:57 AM PDT Both the number of viruses in initial flu infection, and the virus type, affects the patient's outcome. Mice infected by high concentrations developed immunity, and generated immune cells in the lungs to fight other strains. Mice with low concentrations developed weaker immunity, did not generate cells in the lungs, and delayed immunity toward other strains. This could help develop novel strategies to fight flu infections.

Tasers don't cause cardiac complications, study suggests Posted: 28 Jun 2012 11:57 AM PDT Medical researchers reviewed 1,201 cases of real-life Taser uses by law enforcement agencies but found none in which the devices could be linked to cardiac complications, even when the Taser probes landed on the upper chest area and may have delivered a shock across the heart.

Searching for the origin of muscles Posted: 28 Jun 2012 11:56 AM PDT Scientists have addressed the origin of musculature. A new analysis reveals for the first time that some central components of muscles of higher animals are much older than previously assumed. These results indicate that muscle-like cell contraction originated already very early during animal evolution, while the specialization of basal muscle cell types, such as striated muscles, occurred only later and several times independently.

Paint-on lithium battery can be applied to virtually any surface Posted: 28 Jun 2012 11:56 AM PDT Researchers have developed a paint-on lithium-ion battery that can be applied to virtually any surface. The materials were airbrushed onto ceramic bathroom tiles, flexible polymers, glass, stainless steel and even a mug to see how well they would bond with each substrate.

Acoustic tweezers capture and manipulate tiny creatures with ultrasound Posted: 28 Jun 2012 11:55 AM PDT Bioengineers and biochemists are using a miniaturized ultrasound device to capture and manipulate biological materials, such as the tiny roundworm, C. elegans.

Understanding what's up with the Higgs Boson at the Large Hadron Collider Posted: 28 Jun 2012 11:50 AM PDT CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, will hold a seminar early in the morning on July 4 to announce the latest results from ATLAS and CMS, two major experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) that are searching for the Higgs boson. Both experimental teams are working down to the wire to finish analyzing their data, and to determine exactly what can be said about what they've found.

New approach to reverse multiple sclerosis in mice models Posted: 28 Jun 2012 10:14 AM PDT Researchers have successfully used smaller, folded DNA molecules to stimulate regeneration and repair of nerve coatings in mice that mimic multiple sclerosis.

Success of fertility treatment may approach natural birth rate Posted: 28 Jun 2012 10:14 AM PDT A groundbreaking study of nearly 250,000 US women reveals live birth rates approaching natural fertility can be achieved using assisted reproductive technology, where eggs are removed from a woman's ovaries, combined with sperm and then returned to the woman's body.

Space tornadoes power the atmosphere of the Sun Posted: 28 Jun 2012 10:14 AM PDT Mathematicians have discovered tornadoes in space which could hold the key to power the atmosphere of the Sun to millions of kelvin.

Dietary fiber alters gut bacteria, supports gastrointestinal health Posted: 28 Jun 2012 10:13 AM PDT Dietary fiber promotes a shift in the gut toward different types of beneficial bacteria, a new study shows.

After child dies, mom's risk of early death skyrockets Posted: 28 Jun 2012 10:12 AM PDT In the first two years following the death of a child, there is a 133 percent increase in the risk of the mother dying, a new study shows.

Standing for long periods during pregnancy may curb fetal growth: But working up to 36 weeks has no adverse effect, study suggests Posted: 28 Jun 2012 10:12 AM PDT Standing for long periods during pregnancy may curb the growth of the developing fetus, suggests new research.

How sticky toepads evolved in geckos and what that means for adhesive technologies Posted: 28 Jun 2012 10:10 AM PDT Geckos are known for sticky toes that allow them to climb up walls and even hang upside down on ceilings. A new study shows that geckos have gained and lost these unique adhesive structures multiple times over the course of their long evolutionary history in response to habitat changes.

Treating diabetes early, intensively is best strategy, new study suggests Posted: 28 Jun 2012 10:10 AM PDT Intensive early treatment of type 2 diabetes slows down progression of the disease by preserving the body's insulin-producing capacity, a UT Southwestern study has shown.

Dramatic change spotted on a faraway planet Posted: 28 Jun 2012 10:09 AM PDT Astronomers have seen dramatic changes in the upper atmosphere of a faraway planet. Just after a violent flare on its parent star bathed it in intense X-ray radiation, the planet's atmosphere gave off a powerful burst of evaporation. The observations give a tantalizing glimpse of the changing climates and weather on planets outside our Solar System.

Interacting mutations promote diversity Posted: 28 Jun 2012 10:06 AM PDT Frequency-dependent selection fosters the diversity of populations but does not always increase the average fitness of the population.

Dinosaurs were warm-blooded reptiles: Mammal bone study sheds light on dinosaur physiology Posted: 28 Jun 2012 10:06 AM PDT A study with extant mammals refutes the hypothesis on which the assumption that dinosaurs were ectotherms was based. The study analyzing the lines of arrested growth (LAG) in the bones of around a hundred ruminants, representative of the specific and ecological diversity of that group of mammals. The results show that the presence of these lines is not an indicator of an ectothermic physiology (does not generate internal heat), as had previously been thought, since all warm-blooded mammals have them. The study therefore dismantles the key argument of the hypothesis that dinosaurs could have been cold-blooded reptiles.

Africa's savannas may become forests by 2100, study suggests Posted: 28 Jun 2012 10:06 AM PDT Large parts of Africa's savannas may well be forests by 2100. The study suggests that fertilization by atmospheric carbon dioxide is forcing increases in tree cover throughout Africa. A switch from savanna to forest occurs once a critical threshold of carbon dioxide concentration is exceeded, yet each site has its own critical threshold. The implication is that each savanna will switch at different points in time, thereby reducing the risk that a synchronous shock to the earth system will emanate from savannas.

Kicking or punching during sleep may be caused by smoking, head injury and pesticide use Posted: 28 Jun 2012 10:05 AM PDT Smoking, head injury, pesticide exposure, farming and less education may be risk factors for a rare sleep disorder that causes people to kick or punch during sleep, according to a new study.

Potential for tsunamis in northwestern California documented Posted: 27 Jun 2012 11:25 AM PDT Using studies that span the last three decades, scientists have compiled the first evidence-based comprehensive study of the potential for tsunamis in Northwestern California.

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