Scientists discover new species in one of world’s deepest ocean trenches

ScienceDaily (2010-10-16) -- Scientists investigating in one of the world's deepest ocean trenches -- previously thought to be void of fish -- have discovered an entirely new species.

Happier to give than receive?

ScienceDaily (2010-10-16) -- Is there a correlation between a nation's contributions to international aid programs and the happiness of its citizens? According to a study of nine European donor countries, there is a direct relationship between the level of foreign aid and level of happiness in the UK and France but for other European countries there seems to be no link. "

Studies of radiative forcing components: Reducing uncertainty about climate change

ScienceDaily (2010-10-16) -- Much is known about factors that have a warming effect on Earth's climate -- but only a limited amount is understood about factors that have a cooling effect. Researchers in Norway are working to fill the knowledge gap by studying as many radiative forcing components as possible simultaneously.

Study confirms: Whatever doesn't kill us can make us stronger

ScienceDaily (2010-10-15) -- We've all heard the adage that whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger, but until now the preponderance of scientific evidence has offered little support for it. However, a new national multi-year longitudinal study of the effects of adverse life events on mental health has found that adverse experiences do, in fact, appear to foster subsequent adaptability and resilience, with resulting advantages for mental health and well being.

Walk much? It may protect your memory down the road

ScienceDaily (2010-10-14) -- New research suggests that walking at least six miles per week may protect brain size and in turn, preserve memory in old age, according to a new study.

Young teens who play sports feel healthier and happier about life

ScienceDaily (2010-10-14) -- Taking part in sports is good all round for young teens: physically, socially, and mentally, according to a new study. New research shows that middle-school teenagers who are physically active and play on sports teams are more satisfied with their life and feel healthier.

Watermelon lowers blood pressure, study finds

ScienceDaily (2010-10-14) -- No matter how you slice it, watermelon has a lot going for it -- sweet, low calorie, high fiber, nutrient rich -- and now, there's more. Evidence from a pilot study led by food scientists suggests that watermelon can be an effective natural weapon against prehypertension, a precursor to cardiovascular disease.

Watermelon lowers blood pressure, study finds

ScienceDaily (2010-10-14) -- No matter how you slice it, watermelon has a lot going for it -- sweet, low calorie, high fiber, nutrient rich -- and now, there's more. Evidence from a pilot study led by food scientists suggests that watermelon can be an effective natural weapon against prehypertension, a precursor to cardiovascular disease.

Waist circumference, not BMI, is best predictor of future cardiovascular risk in children, study finds

ScienceDaily (2010-10-14) -- A new long-term study suggests that waist circumference, rather than the commonly used body mass index measure, is the best clinical measure to predict a child's risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes later in life.

The kids are all right: Few negative associations with moms' return to work after having children, review finds

ScienceDaily (2010-10-15) -- Children whose mothers return to work before their offspring turn 3 are no more likely to have academic or behavioral problems than kids whose mothers stay at home, according to a review of 50 years of research.

Coniferous forests: New research changes understanding of atmospheric aerosol properties and climate effects

ScienceDaily (2010-10-15) -- Terrestrial vegetation and atmospheric photochemistry produce large amounts of fine particles in the atmosphere, thereby cooling Earth's climate. According to new research, the physical state of the fine particles produced by coniferous forests is solid, whereas previously scientists have assumed that these particles were liquid. The new findings have major implications for our understanding of particle formation processes, for the transformation of particles in the atmosphere and for their effects on climate.

Coral records show ocean thermocline rise with global warming

ScienceDaily (2010-10-13) -- Researchers looking at corals in the western tropical Pacific Ocean have found records linking a profound shift in the depth of the division between warm surface water and colder, deeper water traceable to recent global warming.

Brain responds more to close friends, imaging study shows

ScienceDaily (2010-10-13) -- People's brains are more responsive to friends than to strangers, even if the stranger has more in common, according to a new study. Researchers examined a brain region known to be involved in processing social information, and the results suggest that social alliances outweigh shared interests.

Consumers’ ‘herding instinct’ turns on and off, Facebook study shows

ScienceDaily (2010-10-13) -- A new study shows that consumers have a herding instinct to follow the crowd. However, this instinct appears to switch off if the product fails to achieve a certain popularity threshold. The new study is based on an analysis of how millions of Facebook users adopted software, known as apps, to personalize their Facebook pages.

Reservoirs: A neglected source of methane emissions

ScienceDaily (2010-10-14) -- Substantial amounts of the greenhouse gas methane are released not only from large tropical reservoirs but also from run-of-the-river reservoirs in Switzerland, especially in the summer, when water temperatures are higher. Hydropower may therefore not be quite as climate-neutral a method of generating electricity as thought.

New sound recording device helps doctors study link between cough and reflux

ScienceDaily (2010-10-14) -- Coughing episodes are closely related to gastroesophageal reflux symptoms in patients who experience chronic cough, irrespective of other diagnoses, according to a new study. Gastroesophageal reflux occurs when the acid contents of the stomach back up, or reflux, into the esophagus. This typically produces heartburn, a burning sensation below the sternum where your ribs come together.

Highly pathogenic bird flu virus can survive months on steel or glass at cooler temperatures

ScienceDaily (2010-10-14) -- On the eve of the 2010-11 influenza flu season, scientists and engineers have identified the environmental conditions and surfaces that could enable a highly pathogenic bird flu virus to survive for prolonged periods of time -- at least two weeks and up to two months. Among them: the virus appears to thrive at cooler temperatures and low humidity. The study could lead to new strategies for preventing the flu virus from spreading.

Enzyme in saliva shapes how we sense food texture; Perception and digestion of starchy foods varies from person to person

ScienceDaily (2010-10-14) -- Creamy. Gritty. Crunchy. Slimy. Oral texture perception is a major factor contributing to each person's food preferences. Now, a new study finds that individuals' perception of starch texture is shaped by variability in the activity of an oral enzyme known as salivary amylase.

Dogs showing separation-related behavior exhibit a 'pessimistic mood'

ScienceDaily (2010-10-12) -- Many dogs become distressed when left home alone, and they show it by barking, destroying things, or toileting indoors. Now, a new study suggests that this kind of separation anxiety occurs most often in dogs that also show "pessimistic"-like behavior.

Too much light at night at night may lead to obesity, study finds

ScienceDaily (2010-10-12) -- Persistent exposure to light at night may lead to weight gain, even without changing physical activity or eating more food, according to new research in mice. Researchers found that mice exposed to a relatively dim light at night over eight weeks had a body mass gain that was about 50 percent more than other mice that lived in a standard light-dark cycle.

Achilles' heel in aggressive breast tumors uncovered

ScienceDaily (2010-10-12) -- In an unexpected twist, researchers find that the loss of a single protein, Nedd9, initially slows cancer formation but then makes the tumors that do arise more aggressive. The good news, though, is that the lack of Nedd9 also makes the aggressive tumors more sensitive to a class of drugs that are already used in the clinic.

Whale poop pumps up ocean health

ScienceDaily (2010-10-12) -- Whales carry nutrients, especially nitrogen, from the depths where they feed back to the surface via their feces. This waste strongly enhances productivity of fisheries, scientists have found. They've called their discovery a "whale pump," reversing the assumption that whales accelerate loss of nutrients to the bottom. This nitrogen input in the Gulf of Maine is more than the input of all rivers combined, 23,000 metric tons annually.

How marine animals survive stress: Findings indicate how wildlife responds to environmental and ecological disasters

ScienceDaily (2010-10-11) -- Research of how Galapagos marine iguanas respond to El Niño could provide insight into how wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico will respond to the current oil spill. In emergencies, animals secrete corticosterone to help them cope. However, prolonged hormone production can also be lethal.

Huge parts of world are drying up: Land 'evapotranspiration' taking unexpected turn

ScienceDaily (2010-10-11) -- The soils in large areas of the Southern Hemisphere, including major portions of Australia, Africa and South America, have been drying up in the past decade, a group of researchers conclude in the first major study to ever examine "evapotranspiration" on a global basis.

Using buildings for flood protection

ScienceDaily (2010-10-11) -- Buildings, car parks and roads could, alongside their 'regular' functions, have a role to play in protecting the rest of the city from flooding. This concept could be very useful for the Dutch cities along the River Rhine, for example.

New understanding of bizarre extinct mammal: Shares common ancestor with rodents, primates

ScienceDaily (2010-10-11) -- Researchers presenting new fossil evidence of an exceptionally well-preserved 55-million-year-old North American mammal have found it shares a common ancestor with rodents and primates, including humans.

When in Rome: Study-abroad students increase alcohol intake, study finds

ScienceDaily (2010-10-11) -- For most American students, spending a semester or two studying in a foreign country means the opportunity to improve foreign language skills and become immersed in a different culture. For others, studying abroad is more like a prolonged spring break. In a new study, researchers report that American study abroad students doubled how much they drank while they were away.

Children's agitation after surgery may be preventable

ScienceDaily (2010-10-10) -- Temporary combativeness after surgery -- a complication affecting up to half of anesthetized children -- may be preventable with drugs that decrease epinephrine production, according to a pediatric anesthesiologist.

Turtle, dugongs 'at risk under climate change'

ScienceDaily (2010-10-10) -- The "turtle and dugong capital of the world", the northern Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait region, faces increased pressure under climate change from human actions such as fishing, hunting, onshore development and pollution.

Environmental changes to blame for drop in yield of 'miracle rice'

ScienceDaily (2010-10-10) -- Environmental changes are to blame for a 15 percent drop in the yield of "miracle rice" -- also known as rice variety IR8 -- since the 1960s when it was first released and lauded for its superior yields that helped avert famine across Asia at the time.

Monitoring your health with your mobile phone

ScienceDaily (2010-10-11) -- Researchers in Belgium have developed a mobile heart monitoring system that allows to view your electrocardiogram on an Android mobile phone. The innovation is a low-power interface that transmits signals from a wireless ECG (electrocardiogram or heart monitoring)-sensor system to an android mobile phone.

Tsunami risk higher in Los Angeles, other major cities than thought, Haiti study suggests

ScienceDaily (2010-10-11) -- Geologists studying the Jan. 12 Haiti earthquake say the risk of destructive tsunamis is higher than expected in places such as Kingston, Istanbul, and Los Angeles. This latest research suggests even a moderate earthquake on a strike-slip fault can generate tsunamis through submarine landslides, raising the overall tsunami risk in these places.

Top reasons for Facebook unfriending

ScienceDaily (2010-10-05) -- Researchers have found the top reasons for unfriending on Facebook. Just like an office party, talking about religion and politics is risky.

Thirst for excitement is hidden in your genes

ScienceDaily (2010-10-05) -- Sensation seeking -- the urge to do exciting things -- has been linked to dopamine, a chemical that carries messages in your brain. For a new study, scientists analyzed genes in the dopamine system and found a group of mutations that help predict whether someone is inclined toward sensation seeking.

Is your job making you fat? Study links office work with obesity

ScienceDaily (2010-10-05) -- Working nine-to-five may be the way to make a living, but it may be padding more than the wallet. According to a new study, office-workers have become less active over the last three decades and this decreased activity may partly explain the rise in obesity. Their findings may have health implications for the millions of people toiling behind their desks.

Is your job making you fat? Study links office work with obesity

ScienceDaily (2010-10-05) -- Working nine-to-five may be the way to make a living, but it may be padding more than the wallet. According to a new study, office-workers have become less active over the last three decades and this decreased activity may partly explain the rise in obesity. Their findings may have health implications for the millions of people toiling behind their desks.

Earth's rotation affects flows in submarine channels

ScienceDaily (2010-10-05) -- Coriolis forces due to Earth's rotation deflect winds and ocean flows to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. In sinuous submarine channels, Coriolis forces can drive secondary circulation of turbidity currents and determine where erosion and sediment deposition occur. Researchers conducted laboratory experiments with a channel in a rotating tank to study the conditions under which Coriolis forces dominate the channel flow and to investigate how these forces affect sediment deposition in large-scale submarine channels.

Teen drunkenness levels converge across cultures, by gender

ScienceDaily (2010-10-06) -- In the past decade, cultural and gender-based differences in the frequency of drunkenness among adolescents have declined, as drunkenness has become more common in Eastern Europe and among girls and less common in Western countries and among boys, according to a new report.

Rare oasis of life discovered near geothermal vents on floor of Yellowstone Lake

ScienceDaily (2010-10-06) -- Researchers have discovered a rare oasis of life in the midst of hundreds of geothermal vents at the bottom of Yellowstone Lake.

Ocean conditions likely to reduce Colorado River flows during this winter's drought

ScienceDaily (2010-10-04) -- The combination of La Nina with two less commonly known ocean conditions tends to result in drought in the upper reaches of the Colorado River, finds a new study. The three conditions are expected to converge this winter.

Tennis grunting: Study reveals surprising effects

ScienceDaily (2010-10-04) -- You've heard them at tennis matches -- a loud, emphatic grunt with each player's stroke. A researcher has studied the impact of these grunts and come up with some surprising findings.

What makes us age? Ticking of cellular clock promotes seismic changes in chromatin landscape associated with aging

ScienceDaily (2010-10-04) -- Like cats, human cells have a finite number of lives: once they divide a certain number of times (thankfully, more than nine) they change shape, slow their pace, and eventually stop dividing -- a phenomenon called "cellular senescence." Biologists know that a cellular clock composed of structures at the chromosome end known as telomeres records how many "lives" a cell has expended. Up to now, investigators have not yet defined how the clock's ticking signals the approach of cellular oblivion.

Bioenergy choices could dramatically change Midwest, US, bird diversity

ScienceDaily (2010-10-04) -- Ambitious plans to expand acreage of bioenergy crops could have a major impact on birds in the Upper Midwest, according to a new study.

Powerful supercomputer peers into the origin of life

ScienceDaily (2010-10-04) -- Supercomputer simulations are helping scientists unravel how nucleic acids could have contributed to the origins of life.

The secret life of Ireland's smooth-hound sharks

ScienceDaily (2010-10-04) -- They grow to over a meter in length, can weigh up to twelve kilos and each summer they swarm into the shallow waters of the Irish east coast. Despite this, the starry smooth-hound has remained Ireland's least well known shark species. However, thanks to researchers this may be about to change.

Alarming increase in flow of water into oceans due to global warming, accelerated cycle of evaporation, precipitation

ScienceDaily (2010-10-05) -- Freshwater is flowing into Earth's oceans in greater amounts every year, a team of researchers has found, thanks to more frequent and extreme storms linked to global warming. All told, 18 percent more water fed into the world's oceans from rivers and melting polar ice sheets in 2006 than in 1994, with an average annual rise of 1.5 percent.

Why fat thighs are not as bad as a fat abdomen

ScienceDaily (2010-10-05) -- Using ice cream, candy bars and energy drinks to help volunteers gain weight, researchers have discovered the mechanisms of how body fat grows.

First Census of Marine Life shows ocean life is richer, more connected, more altered than expected

ScienceDaily (2010-10-05) -- After a decade of joint work and scientific adventure, marine explorers from more than 80 countries today deliver a historic first global Census of Marine Life. In one of the largest scientific collaborations ever conducted, more than 2,700 census scientists spent over 9,000 days at sea on more than 540 expeditions, plus countless days in labs and archives. Released today are maps, three landmark books, and a highlights summary that crown a decade of discovery.

Mosquito gene examined for new disease response

ScienceDaily (2010-10-02) -- Researchers have searched for new genes that are turned on during infection in a type of mosquito that is not only a pest, but transmits disease-causing pathogens.

Exercise associated with lower rate of fractures in elderly women

ScienceDaily (2010-10-03) -- Home-based exercises followed by voluntary home training seem to be associated with long-term effects on balance and gait, and may help protect high-risk, elderly women from hip fractures, according to a new study.

Adult stem cells that do not age

ScienceDaily (2010-10-03) -- Biomedical researchers have engineered adult stem cells that scientists can grow continuously in culture, a discovery that could speed development of cost-effective treatments for diseases including heart disease, diabetes, immune disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.

Citizen scientist: Helping scientists help themselves

ScienceDaily (2010-10-03) -- Researchers have mapped out an approach to virtual organizations that might allow scientific advances made in part by citizen scientists to move forward much more quickly.

Climate change target 'not safe', researchers say

ScienceDaily (2010-10-03) -- An analysis of geological records that preserve details of the last known period of global warming has revealed "startling" results which suggest current targets for limiting climate change are unsafe.

How injured nerves grow themselves back

ScienceDaily (2010-10-03) -- Unlike nerves of the spinal cord, the peripheral nerves that connect our limbs and organs to the central nervous system have an astonishing ability to regenerate themselves after injury. Now, a new report offers new insight into how that healing process works.

Turning waste heat into power

ScienceDaily (2010-10-03) -- Physicists have discovered a new way of harvesting waste heat and turning it into electrical power. Taking advantage of quantum effects, the technology holds great promise for making cars, power plants, factories and solar panels more efficient.

Unlocking the secret of beauty: Scientists discover the complexities of attractive female bodies

ScienceDaily (2010-10-03) -- Scientists have conducted a comprehensive study to discover how different body measurements correspond with ratings of female attractiveness. The study found that across cultural divides young, tall and long armed women were considered the most attractive.

Gene associated with aggressive skin cancer found

ScienceDaily (2010-10-03) -- The loss of a gene known as INPP5A could predict the onset, and track the progression, of an aggressive type of skin cancer, according to a new study.

Acidification of oceans may contribute to global declines of shellfish

ScienceDaily (2010-10-03) -- The acidification of the Earth's oceans due to rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO₂) may be contributing to a global decline of clams, scallops and other shellfish by interfering with the development of shellfish larvae, according to scientists.

Are pre-teen babysitters able to deal with emergencies?

ScienceDaily (2010-10-04) -- Nearly all of 11- to 13-year-old babysitters know who to contact in the event of an intruder or if a child is sick or injured (96 percent) or poisoned (85 percent), according to new research.

Blood pressure breakthrough holds real hope for treatment of pre-eclampsia

ScienceDaily (2010-10-07) -- Scientists have discovered a mechanism which raises blood pressure in pre-eclampsia, a potentially deadly condition which occurs during pregnancy.

Deep-sea coral reefs discovered in Mediterranean

ScienceDaily (2010-10-07) -- The exploration vessel Nautilus has discovered for the first time an area of reefs with deep-sea corals in the Mediterranean, offshore of Israel. This area apparently stretches over a few kilometers, 700 meters under the surface and some 30-40 km off the coast.

Neuroscience research may help patients recover from brain injury

ScienceDaily (2010-10-07) -- New neuroscience research may hold the potential of helping people who have lost their ability to remember due to brain injury or disease. By examining how we learn and store memories, scientists have shown that the way the brain first captures and encodes a situation or event is quite different from how it processes subsequent similar events.

How gender is created during everyday life at preschool

ScienceDaily (2010-10-05) -- Whether you're a boy or a girl doesn't really matter when it comes to being allowed to join in -- what really counts is your haircut, clothes and gender markers, reveal researchers that examined how gender is created during everyday life at preschool. The study also shows that stereotypical perceptions about gender are allowed to steer the planning of preschool activities.

Audio zooming to enhance TV viewing

ScienceDaily (2010-10-05) -- New technology developed in Norway makes it possible to zoom in on sound in much the same way that photographers can zoom in on an image. Television is just one area of application. Physicists adapted a well-known marine sonar technology for use above the water. Combining it with sophisticated software, the pair have developed an intelligent, sharply focused directional microphone system that enables TV producers and others to zoom their audio reception, much like they can zoom their camera lenses for close-ups.

Climate change hits southeast Australia fish species

ScienceDaily (2010-10-05) -- Scientists are reporting significant changes in the distribution of coastal fish species in southeast Australia which they say are partly due to climate change.

Unemployment linked with child maltreatment

ScienceDaily (2010-10-05) -- The stresses of poverty have long been associated with child abuse and neglect. In a new study, researchers directly linked an increased unemployment rate to child maltreatment one year later.

New language identified in remote corner of India; One of thousands of endangered tongues around world

ScienceDaily (2010-10-05) -- Linguists reporting from a National Geographic expedition to India's remote northeast corner have identified a language completely new to science.

Neanderthals had feelings too, say researchers

ScienceDaily (2010-10-05) -- New research by archaeologists in the UK suggests that Neanderthals belied their primitive reputation and had a deep seated sense of compassion.

BLADE software eliminates 'drive-by downloads' from malicious websites

ScienceDaily (2010-10-07) -- Researchers have developed a new tool that eliminates drive-by download threats. BLADE is browser-independent and when tested, it blocked all drive-by malware installation attempts from more than 1,900 malicious websites, produced no false positives and required minimal resources from the computer.

Voice phishing: System to trace telephone call paths across multiple networks developed

ScienceDaily (2010-10-09) -- Phishing scams are making the leap from email to the world's voice systems, and researchers have found a way to tag fraudulent calls with a digital "fingerprint" that will help separate legitimate calls from phone scams.

You may not be able to say how you feel about your race

ScienceDaily (2010-10-08) -- A new study looks at how much African Americans and whites favor or prefer their own racial group over the other, how much they identify with their own racial group, and how positively they feel about themselves.

NASA's WMAP project completes satellite operations: Mission observed universe's oldest light

ScienceDaily (2010-10-08) -- After nine years of scanning the sky, the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) space mission has concluded its observations of the cosmic microwave background, the oldest light in the universe. The spacecraft has not only given scientists their best look at this remnant glow, but also established the scientific model that describes the history and structure of the universe.

Volcano fuels massive phytoplankton bloom

ScienceDaily (2010-10-07) -- New study shows that 2008 volcano in North Pacific fueled largest phytoplankton bloom in the region since satellite measurements began in 1997. This study has important implications for proposals to seed the oceans with iron to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Greatest warming is in the north, but biggest impact on life is in the tropics, new research shows

ScienceDaily (2010-10-07) -- New research adds to growing evidence that, even though the temperature increase associated with a warming climate has been smaller in the tropics, the impact of warming on life could be much greater there than in colder climates.

Light drinking during pregnancy: Harmful to child's behavioral or intellectual development?

ScienceDaily (2010-10-07) -- Light drinking during pregnancy does not harm a young child's behavioral or intellectual development, a new study in the UK suggests. In fact, researchers found that children born to light drinkers (consuming 1 to 2 drinks per week) were 30 percent less likely to have behavioral problems than children whose mothers did not drink during pregnancy.

Number of synapses shown to vary between night and day, zebrafish study finds

ScienceDaily (2010-10-07) -- With the help of tiny, see-through fish, researchers are homing in on what happens in the brain while you sleep. In a new study, they show how the circadian clock and sleep affect the scope of neuron-to-neuron connections in a particular region of the brain, and they identified a gene that appears to regulate the number of these connections, called synapses.

Rare Japanese plant has largest genome known to science

ScienceDaily (2010-10-07) -- Scientists have discovered that Paris japonica, a striking rare native of Japan, has the largest genome of them all -- bigger than the human genome and even larger than the previous record holder -- the marbled lungfish.

Air pollution linked to breast cancer, study suggests

ScienceDaily (2010-10-07) -- Air pollution has already been linked to a range of health problems. Now, a ground-breaking new study suggests pollution from traffic may put women at risk for another deadly disease. The study links the risk of breast cancer -- the second leading cause of death from cancer in women -- to traffic-related air pollution.

Crop failures set to increase under climate change

ScienceDaily (2010-10-07) -- Large-scale crop failures like the one that caused the recent Russian wheat crisis are likely to become more common under climate change due to an increased frequency of extreme weather events, a new study shows.

Too much of a good thing: Human activities overload ecosystems with nitrogen

ScienceDaily (2010-10-08) -- Humans are overloading ecosystems with nitrogen through the burning of fossil fuels and an increase in nitrogen-producing industrial and agricultural activities, according to a new study. While nitrogen is an element that is essential to life, it is an environmental scourge at high levels.

Too much of a good thing: Human activities overload ecosystems with nitrogen

ScienceDaily (2010-10-08) -- Humans are overloading ecosystems with nitrogen through the burning of fossil fuels and an increase in nitrogen-producing industrial and agricultural activities, according to a new study. While nitrogen is an element that is essential to life, it is an environmental scourge at high levels.

Bricks made with wool

ScienceDaily (2010-10-06) -- Researchers have added wool fibers to the clay material used to make bricks and combined these with an alginate, a natural polymer extracted from seaweed. The result is bricks that are stronger and more environmentally-friendly, according to a new study.

Brain cell communication: Why it's so fast

ScienceDaily (2010-10-06) -- Billions of brain cells are communicating at any given moment. Like an organic supercomputer, they keep everything going -- from breathing to solving riddles. And "programming errors" can lead to serious conditions, such as schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Now researchers have described just how nerve cells are capable of transmitting signals practically simultaneously.

Geothermal mapping project reveals large, green energy source in West Virginia

ScienceDaily (2010-10-06) -- New research suggests that the temperature of Earth beneath the state of West Virginia is significantly higher than previously estimated and capable of supporting commercial baseload geothermal energy production.

Climate change affects horseshoe crab numbers

ScienceDaily (2010-10-06) -- Having survived for more than 400 million years, the horseshoe crab is now under threat -- primarily due to overharvest and habitat destruction. However, climatic changes may also play a role, according to a new study.

Land on your toes, save your knees

ScienceDaily (2010-10-06) -- Anterior cruciate ligament injuries are a common and debilitating problem, especially for female athletes.

Collective intelligence: Number of women in group linked to effectiveness in solving difficult problems

ScienceDaily (2010-10-02) -- Researchers document the existence of collective intelligence among groups of people who cooperate well, showing that such intelligence extends beyond the cognitive abilities of the groups' individual members, and that the tendency to cooperate effectively is linked to the number of women in a group.

Underwater robot swims free thanks to wireless controller

ScienceDaily (2010-10-01) -- A waterproof controller is allowing an underwater robot, dubbed "AQUA," to go "wireless." While underwater, divers can program the tablet to display tags onscreen, similar to barcodes read by smartphones. The robot's on-board camera scans these tags to receive and carry out commands.

World's rivers in 'crisis state', report finds

ScienceDaily (2010-10-01) -- The world's rivers, the single largest renewable water resource for humans and a crucible of aquatic biodiversity, are in a crisis of ominous proportions, according to a new global analysis.

TV viewing likely to make you feel dissatisfied and fear illness, researcher warns

ScienceDaily (2010-09-30) -- Watching television and its heavy dose of medical content in news and drama can lead to more concern about personal health and reduce a person's satisfaction with life according to a new study.

Cell Phones Become Handheld Tools For Global Development

ScienceDaily (2009-11-11) -- Computer scientists are using Android, the open-source mobile operating system championed by Google, to transform a cell phone into a flexible data-collection tool. Their free suite of tools, named Open Data Kit, is already used by organizations around the world that need inexpensive ways to gather information in areas with little infrastructure.

Researchers find phone apps sending data without notification; TaintDroid tool IDs untrustworthy apps

ScienceDaily (2010-10-01) -- TaintDroid, a prototype extension to the Android mobile-phone platform designed by researchers, recently identified that 15 of 30 randomly selected, popular, free Android Marketplace applications sent users' private information to remote advertising servers and two-thirds of the apps handled data in ambiguous ways.

Dog ownership is associated with reduced eczema in children with dog allergies

ScienceDaily (2010-10-01) -- Children with eczema have a greater risk of developing asthma and food allergies. The number of children with eczema is rising, but the reasons are unclear. A new study examines the relationship between pet ownership and eczema. Researchers found that dog ownership among children with dog allergies may reduce the risk of developing eczema by age 4 years; cat ownership, however, may increase the risk among children with cat allergies.

Predicting divorce: Study shows how fight styles affect marriage

ScienceDaily (2010-09-29) -- It's common knowledge that newlyweds who yell or call each other names have a higher chance of getting divorced. But a new study shows that other conflict patterns also predict divorce.

Unique case offers cautionary cotton swab tale

ScienceDaily (2010-09-29) -- The saying, "never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear," couldn't be truer for a patient who experienced vertigo and hearing loss after a cotton swab perforated her eardrum. But what makes this case unique is that Henry Ford Hospital was not only able to alleviate her vertigo with surgery, but restore her hearing. And the report offers a cautionary tale to those who use cotton swabs to clean their ears.

Combination of Viagra and anti-cancer drug shrinks tumors in vivo, researchers discover

ScienceDaily (2010-09-29) -- Researchers have shown that the impotence drug Viagra (sildenafil), in combination with doxorubicin, a powerful anti-cancer drug, enhances its anti-tumor efficacy in prostate cancer while alleviating the damage to the heart at the same time.

More than one-fifth of world's plants face threat of extinction, new analysis finds

ScienceDaily (2010-09-29) -- A global analysis of extinction risk for the world's plants, conducted by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew together with the Natural History Museum, London and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has revealed that the world's plants are as threatened as mammals, with one in five of the world's plant species threatened with extinction.

Revolutionary new way of reversing certain cancers

ScienceDaily (2010-09-29) -- Australian and American scientists have found a way of shrinking tumors in certain cancers -- a finding that provides hope for new treatments. The cancers in question are those caused by a new class of genes known as "microRNAs," produced by parts of the genome that, until recently, were dismissed as "junk DNA." While much is still unknown about microRNAs, it is clear that they can interfere with how our genes are "read."

Coral bleaching likely in Caribbean this year

ScienceDaily (2010-09-29) -- Coral bleaching is likely in the Caribbean in 2010, according to new research. With temperatures above-average all year, NOAA's models show a strong potential for bleaching in the southern and southeastern Caribbean through October that could be as severe as in 2005 when over 80 percent of corals bleached and over 40 percent died at many sites across the Caribbean.

Orgasms, Sexual Health And Attitudes About Female Genitals

ScienceDaily (2009-09-29) -- A new study reports that women who feel more positively about women's genitals find it easier to orgasm and are more likely to engage in sexual health promoting behaviors. The study created a scale for measuring attitudes toward women's genitals. Such a scale could be useful in therapeutic, medical and health education settings. The study also found that men had more positive attitudes about women's genitals than women.

Dirty hands, dirty mouths: Study finds a need to clean the body part that lies

ScienceDaily (2010-09-29) -- Apparently your mom had it right when she threatened to wash your mouth out with soap if you talked dirty. Lying really does create a desire to clean the "dirty" body part, according to a University of Michigan study.

Sugary sports drinks mistakenly associated with being healthy, say researchers

ScienceDaily (2010-09-28) -- A new paper is set to re-ignite debate over the origins of so-called Homo floresiensis -- the 'hobbit' that some scientists have claimed as a new species of human. Researchers have reconfirmed their original finding on the skull that Homo floresiensis in fact bears the hallmarks of humans -- Homo sapiens -- affected by hypothyroid cretinism.

'Hobbit' was an iodine-deficient human, not another species, new study suggests

ScienceDaily (2010-09-28) -- A new paper is set to re-ignite debate over the origins of so-called Homo floresiensis -- the 'hobbit' that some scientists have claimed as a new species of human. Researchers have reconfirmed their original finding on the skull that Homo floresiensis in fact bears the hallmarks of humans -- Homo sapiens -- affected by hypothyroid cretinism.

The price of popularity: Drug and alcohol consumption

ScienceDaily (2010-09-28) -- The consumption of drugs and alcohol by teenagers is not just about rebellion or emotional troubles. It's about being one of the cool kids, according to a new study.

Family, culture affect whether intelligence leads to education, study finds

ScienceDaily (2010-09-29) -- Intelligence isn't the only thing that predicts how much education people get; family, culture, and other factors are important, too. A new study compares identical and fraternal twins in Minnesota and Sweden to explore how genetic and environmental factors involved in educational differ in countries with different educational systems. Family background can get an education even for people of low intelligence, the authors conclude -- but helps much more in Minnesota than in Sweden.

The precious commodity of water

ScienceDaily (2010-09-29) -- Water is a valuable resource, which is why researchers are demonstrating how we can extract precious drinking water from air, discover a leak in pipeline systems and even effectively clean sewage water.

Egyptian desert expedition confirms spectacular meteorite impact

ScienceDaily (2010-09-27) -- A 2008 Google Earth search led to the discovery of Kamil crater, one of the best-preserved meteorite impact sites ever found. Earlier this year, a gritty, sand-blown expedition reached the site deep in the Egyptian desert to collect iron debris and determine the crater's age and origins.

Psychologist shows why we 'choke' and how to avoid it

ScienceDaily (2010-09-27) -- A star golfer misses a critical putt; a brilliant student fails to ace a test; a savvy salesperson blows a key presentation. Each of these people has suffered the same bump in mental processing: They have just choked under pressure.

Let your fingers do the driving: If you don't hear directions, you can feel them

ScienceDaily (2010-09-27) -- If drivers are yakking on cell phones and don't hear spoken instructions to turn left or right from a passenger or navigation system, they still can get directions from devices that are mounted on the steering wheel and pull skin on the driver's index fingertips left or right, a study found. The study may lead to new navigation devices for motorists, hearing-impaired drivers and blind pedestrians.

Taking the pulse of coral reefs

ScienceDaily (2010-09-25) -- Healthy reefs with more corals and fish generate predictably greater levels of noise, according to researchers working in Panama. This has important implications for understanding the behavior of young fish, and provides an exciting new approach for monitoring environmental health by listening to reefs.

In cyber bullying, depression hits victims hardest

ScienceDaily (2010-09-26) -- Young victims of electronic or cyber bullying — which occurs online or by cell phone — are more likely to suffer from depression than their tormentors are, a new study finds. “Kids may be reluctant to tell their parents in case they lose their computer or cell phone privileges,” one of the researchers said.

Robots could improve everyday life at home or work

ScienceDaily (2010-09-26) -- They're mundane, yet daunting tasks: Tidying a messy room. Assembling a bookshelf from a kit of parts. Fetching a hairbrush for someone who can't do it herself.

Tool to improve Wikipedia accuracy developed

ScienceDaily (2010-09-26) -- Check the Microsoft entry on Wikipedia at some point in the past and you might have learned that the company's name is Microshaft, its products are evil and its logo is a kitten. Similarly, you may have learned from Abraham Lincoln's Wikipedia entry that he was married to Brayson Kondracki, his birth date is March 14 and Pete likes PANCAKES.

Men look for good bodies in short-term mates, pretty faces in long-term mates

ScienceDaily (2010-09-26) -- Men who are looking for short-term companionship are more interested in a woman's body than those looking for a long-term relationship, who focused on a woman's face, according to new research.