jueves, 10 de noviembre de 2011
viernes, 14 de octubre de 2011
domingo, 18 de septiembre de 2011
Mother tongue comes from your prehistoric father
ScienceDaily (2011-09-17) -- Language change among our prehistoric ancestors came about via the arrival of immigrant men -- rather than women -- into new settlements, according to new research.
domingo, 11 de septiembre de 2011
Controlling movements with light
ScienceDaily (2011-07-21) -- Researchers have succeeded in controlling the activity of certain nerve cells using light, thus influencing the movements of mice. By changing special receptors in nerve cells of the cerebellum such that they can be activated and deactivated by light, the researchers have shown that the signaling pathways, which are activated by the receptors play a crucial role in controlling movement.
Positive teens become healthier adults: Adolescents with a sunny outlook on life may have better health in their adult years
ScienceDaily (2011-07-23) -- Teenagers are known for their angst-ridden ways, but those who remain happy and positive during the tumultuous teenage years report better general health when they are adults, according to a new study.
viernes, 12 de agosto de 2011
domingo, 7 de agosto de 2011
domingo, 24 de julio de 2011
Ocean's harmful low-oxygen zones growing, are sensitive to small changes in climate
ScienceDaily (2011-06-18) -- Scientists report a connection between climate fluctuations and the habitability of marine ecosystems by modeling the expansion and contraction of low-oxygen zones that are dangerous for ocean life. The team found that the size of low-oxygen ocean regions is extremely sensitive to changes in their depth caused by oscillations in climate.
'Ultrawideband' could be future of medical monitoring
ScienceDaily (2011-06-18) -- New research has confirmed that an electronic technology called "ultrawideband" could hold part of the solution to an ambitious goal in the future of medicine -- health monitoring with sophisticated "body-area networks." Such networks would offer continuous, real-time health diagnosis to reduce the onset of degenerative diseases, save lives and cut health care costs.
Survival niche for cancer cells
ScienceDaily (2011-06-17) -- Cancer cells do not grow equally well everywhere in the body. Often, they first create the conditions in which they can grow. Immunologists and hematologists have now shown that specific forms of lymphoma also create their own survival niche.
Scientists turn memories off and on with flip of switch
ScienceDaily (2011-06-17) -- Scientists have developed a way to turn memories on and off -- literally with the flip of a switch. Using an electronic system that duplicates the neural signals associated with learning, they replicated the brain function in rats associated with long-term learned behavior, even when the rats had been drugged to forget. "Flip the switch on, and the rats remember. Flip it off, and the rats forget," said the leader of the team reporting the result.
Tapeworm drug inhibits colon cancer metastasis
ScienceDaily (2011-06-17) -- A compound that for about 60 years has been used as a drug against tapeworm infection is also apparently effective against colon cancer metastasis, as studies using mice have shown. The compound silences a gene that triggers the formation of metastases in colon cancer. Researchers in Germany made this discovery in collaboration with researchers in the U.S. Plans are already underway to conduct a clinical trial.
Electrical water detection
ScienceDaily (2011-06-23) -- A quick and easy way to detect groundwater in semi-arid hard rock areas that is also economical could improve the siting of borewells to improve clean water supply in the developing world.
Stiff sediments made 2004 Sumatra earthquake deadliest in history
ScienceDaily (2011-06-23) -- Geoscientists have discovered an unusual geological formation that helps explain how an undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in December 2004 spawned the deadliest tsunami in recorded history.
Scientists accurately predict age with saliva sample
ScienceDaily (2011-06-23) -- Self-conscious about your age? Careful where you spit. Geneticists now can use saliva to reveal how old you are. The findings suggest a myriad of potential applications, including the development of a new forensic tool for pinpointing a suspect's age in crime-scene investigations.
Birds' eye view is far more colorful than our own
ScienceDaily (2011-06-23) -- The brilliant colors of birds have inspired poets and nature lovers, but researchers say these existing hues represent only a fraction of what birds are capable of seeing.
Stress in the city: Brain activity and biology behind mood disorders of urbanites
ScienceDaily (2011-06-23) -- Being born and raised in a major urban area is associated with greater lifetime risk for anxiety and mood disorders. Until now, the biology for these associations had not been described. A new study shows that two distinct brain regions that regulate emotion and stress are affected by city living.
Cautionary tale for people with diabetes: Dog consumed part of a sleeping patient's toe
ScienceDaily (2011-06-23) -- In a case study that illustrates the need for people with diabetes to be cautious of foot injuries and to protect themselves from pets, a woman with numbness in her feet caused by diabetic neuropathy slept through a traumatic episode in which her Jack Russell terrier chewed off part of her slightly infected big toe, according to a new article.
Body temperatures of dinosaurs measured for first time: Some dinosaurs were as warm as most modern mammals
ScienceDaily (2011-06-23) -- Were dinosaurs slow and lumbering, or quick and agile? It depends largely on whether they were cold or warm blooded. Now, a team of researchers has developed a new approach to take body temperatures of dinosaurs for the first time, providing new insights into whether dinosaurs were cold or warm blooded.
Smartphone app helps you find friends in a crowd
ScienceDaily (2011-06-23) -- Can a smartphone app enable meaningful, face-to-face conversation? Engineers are trying to find out, with software that helps people locate their friends in a crowd -- and make new friends who share similar interests.
Marine turtle movements tracked
ScienceDaily (2011-06-23) -- Biologists have monitored the movements of an entire sub-population of marine turtle for the first time. The study confirms that through satellite tracking we can closely observe the day-to-day lives of marine turtles, accurately predicting their migrations and helping direct conservation efforts.
Study of phytoremediation benefits of 86 indoor plants published; Japanese royal fern tops list for formaldehyde removal effectiveness
ScienceDaily (2011-06-24) -- Scientists determined the formaldehyde removal efficiency of a diverse cross-section of 86 indoor plant species. Ferns had the highest formaldehyde removal efficiency of the five classes of plants used in the experiments. Osmunda japonica (Japanese royal fern) was the most effective at removing formaldehyde of the species tested, proving 50 times more effective than the least-efficient species. All plants in the study were classified as excellent, intermediate, and poor based on formaldehyde removal efficiency.
Surprises from the ocean: Marine plankton and ocean pH
ScienceDaily (2011-06-22) -- Oceans support vast populations of single-celled phytoplankton which, through photosynthesis, remove about half the carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels. One group of phytoplankton, the coccolithophores, are known for their ability to build chalk scales inside their cells and secrete them, forming a protective armor. A new study has revealed the mechanism which achieves this, and that this process may be directly affected by the increasing levels of dissolved carbon dioxide in the oceans.
An explanation of how advertising music affects brand perception
ScienceDaily (2011-06-22) -- People have different emotional reactions to a product being advertised and the person announcing it if the advertisement is accompanied by jazz, swing or classical music. These are the main conclusions of a new study that analyzed the effect of the memories and emotional reactions stimulated by the music used in advertising.
Powerful, intoxicated, anonymous: The paradox of the disinhibited
ScienceDaily (2011-06-22) -- Power can lead to great acts of altruism, but also corruptive, unethical behavior. Being intoxicated can lead to a first date, or a bar brawl. And the mask of anonymity can encourage one individual to let a stranger know they have toilet paper stuck to their shoe, whereas another may post salacious photos online. What is the common thread between these three disparate states?
Gold nanoparticles help earlier diagnosis of liver cancer
ScienceDaily (2011-06-22) -- Medical researchers have devised a new technique to spot cancerous tumors in the liver as small as 5 millimeters. The technique, using gold nanoparticles, is the first to deploy metal nanoparticles as agents to enhance X-ray scattering of image tumor-like masses.
Molecular glue sticks it to cancer
ScienceDaily (2011-06-22) -- Researchers have developed a "molecular glue" that sticks cancer-promoting proteins to a cell's membrane -- shutting off a cancer cell's growth.
Driving a vehicle with one hand
ScienceDaily (2011-06-23) -- A new device developed in Spain allows people with reduced mobility or weakness in the upper torso to drive a vehicle using only one hand.
Husband's employment status threatens marriage, but wife's does not, study finds
ScienceDaily (2011-06-21) -- A new study of employment and divorce suggest that while social pressure discouraging women from working outside the home has weakened, pressure on husbands to be breadwinners largely remains.
Can humans sense Earth's magnetism? Human retina protein can function as light-sensitive magnetic sensor
ScienceDaily (2011-06-21) -- New research shows that a protein expressed in the human retina can sense magnetic fields when implanted into Drosophila, reopening an area of sensory biology in humans for further exploration.
Shipwrecks no more: Recycling old boats
ScienceDaily (2011-06-21) -- Nearly 5,000 recreational boats are retired and disposed of every year in Norway -- either sunk to the bottom of the sea or burned in a bonfire. Now, researchers have developed a new method for recycling these vessels.
Forensics: Lamps and spectrometers used to age bruises precisely
ScienceDaily (2011-06-21) -- Forensic scientists have to rely on their own subjective experience when asked to ascertain the age of contusions. Now, however, researchers in Norway have found a far more objective and precise method, using lamps and spectrometers. From the assembled data the researchers created a model for bruise progression over time which enables them to determine the age of the bruises more reliably. Bruises on children develop differently from on adults. Knowledge within this area could be particularly important in cases of suspected child abuse.
Where will grizzly bears roam? Conservation value of roadless public land in Montana's Crown of the Continent Ecosystem
ScienceDaily (2011-06-22) -- A new report highlights the critical importance of 1.3 million acres of roadless, public lands in Montana's spectacular Crown of the Continent Ecosystem. The report recommends that most of these lands be preserved to protect wolverines, bighorn sheep, westslope cutthroat and bull trout, grizzly bears and other vulnerable species in the face of climate change and other threats.
Early experience found critical for language development
ScienceDaily (2011-06-20) -- Researchers studying more than 100 children who were in foster care in Romania, have found that children who were placed in foster care before they turned 2 had substantially greater language skills at age 3-1/2 than children who stayed in institutional care, with those placed by 15 months showing language skills similar to the comparison group. Findings highlight the importance of early intervention.
Human vaccine used to cure prostate cancer in mice
ScienceDaily (2011-06-20) -- Scientists cured well-established prostate tumors in mice using a human vaccine with no apparent side effects. This novel cancer treatment approach encourages the immune system to rid itself of prostate tumors without assistance from toxic chemotherapies and radiation treatments. Such a treatment model could some day help people to live tumor free with fewer side effects than those experienced from current therapies.
Shock and recall: Negative emotion may enhance memory
ScienceDaily (2011-06-20) -- Picture a menacing drill sergeant, a gory slaughterhouse, a devastating scene of a natural disaster. Researchers have found that viewing such emotion-laden images immediately after taking a test actually enhances people's retention of the tested material.
Atmospheric carbon dioxide buildup unlikely to spark abrupt climate change, scientists find
ScienceDaily (2011-06-20) -- New research lends support to recent studies that suggest abrupt climate change is the result of alterations in ocean circulation uniquely associated with ice ages, not from atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Horse blind date could lead to loss of foal
ScienceDaily (2011-06-20) -- Fetal loss is a common phenomenon in domestic horses after away-mating, according to researchers. When mares return home after mating with a foreign stallion, they either engage in promiscuous mating with the home males to confuse paternity, or, failing that, the mares abort the foal to avoid the likely future infanticide by the dominant home male.
After 55 years, surgery restores sight
ScienceDaily (2011-06-19) -- After being hit in the eye by a stone, a detached retina left a man blind in his right eye. Doctors at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary have reported a case, describing how this patient had functional vision restored 55 years after the childhood accident which left him blind.
Intelligent onboard transportation systems to prevent car crashes?
ScienceDaily (2011-06-19) -- Since 2000, there have been 110 million car accidents in the United States, more than 443,000 of which have been fatal -- an average of 110 fatalities per day. These statistics make traffic accidents one of the leading causes of death in this country, as well as worldwide. More progress must be made to achieve the long-term goal of "intelligent transportation": cars that can "see" and communicate with other vehicles on the road, making them able to prevent crashes virtually 100 percent of the time.
Predicting future appearance: New computer-based technique ages photographic images of people's faces
ScienceDaily (2011-06-20) -- A graduate student has designed a promising computer program that could serve as a new tool in missing-child investigations and matters of national security. Khoa Luu has developed a more effective computer-based technique to age photographic images of people's faces -- an advance that could help to identify missing kids and criminals on the lam.
Grab the leash: Dog walkers more likely to reach exercise benchmarks
ScienceDaily (2011-06-20) -- Man's best friend may provide more than just faithful companionship: A new study shows people who owned and walked their dogs were 34 percent more likely to meet federal benchmarks on physical activity. The results show that promoting dog ownership and dog walking could help many Americans -- of which fewer than half meet recommended levels of leisure-time physical activity -- become healthier.
From seawater to freshwater with a nanotechnology filter
ScienceDaily (2011-06-20) -- In a new article, researchers describe the role that carbon nanotubes could play in the desalination of water, providing a possible solution to the problem of the world's ever-growing population demanding more and more fresh drinking water.
miércoles, 13 de julio de 2011
Wikipedia improves students' work: Students become much more concerned with accuracy when their research is posted online, study finds
ScienceDaily (2011-06-06) -- A student writing an essay for their teacher may be tempted to plagiarize or leave facts unchecked. A new study shows that if you ask that same student to write something that will be posted on Wikipedia, he or she suddenly becomes determined to make the work as accurate as possible, and may actually do better research.
New study provides global analysis of seagrass extinction risk
ScienceDaily (2011-06-05) -- Scientists have completed the first-ever study of the risk of extinction for individual seagrass species around the world. The new study shows that 10 of the 72 known seagrass species (14 percent) are at an elevated risk of extinction, while 3 species qualify as endangered.
Ocean acidification leaves clownfish deaf to predators
ScienceDaily (2011-06-04) -- Baby clownfish use hearing to detect and avoid predator-rich coral reefs during the daytime, but new research demonstrates that ocean acidification could threaten this crucial behavior within the next few decades.
Coping with climate change: Can we predict which species will be able to move far or fast enough to adapt?
ScienceDaily (2011-06-04) -- As global temperatures rise, suitable sites for many plants and animals are shifting to cooler and higher ground. Can we predict which species will be able to move far or fast enough to keep up? A new study says the secrets to success in the face of a warming world are still elusive.
What will climate change and sea level rise mean for barrier islands?
ScienceDaily (2011-06-16) -- A new survey of barrier islands offers the most thorough assessment to date of the thousands of small islands that hug the coasts of the world's landmasses. The study offers new insight into how the islands form and evolve over time -- and how they may fare as the climate changes and sea level rises.
Internet could be 10 times faster than it currently is, researchers say
ScienceDaily (2011-06-15) -- Could the Internet just stop working one day? With bandwidth requirement increasing annually as the web becomes an ever larger part of the everyday life, keeping up is a challenge for Internet service providers. A European telecommunications cluster CELTIC-Plus project is pushing capacity upwards.
Poorer families have more sedentary children, Spanish study suggests
ScienceDaily (2011-06-14) -- It is not strange to expect that families with better living conditions enjoy better health and a longer life expectancy. Now, a new study has also confirmed the relationship between a family's socioeconomic situation and certain sedentary behaviors, such as watching television and playing video games, during the first years of life.
Why hair turns gray: Communication between hair follicles and melanocyte stem cells key to mystery
ScienceDaily (2011-06-14) -- A new study has shown that, for the first time, Wnt signaling, already known to control many biological processes, between hair follicles and melanocyte stem cells can dictate hair pigmentation.
Rainwater harvest study finds roofing material affects water quality
ScienceDaily (2011-06-15) -- Using rainwater from your roof to water plants seems simple enough, right? But a new study finds that the type of roofing material used can make a big difference in water quality.
Ten-fold increase in open access scientific publishing during the last decade
ScienceDaily (2011-06-14) -- A new study reports on the rapid growth of open access scientific publishing since the start of the World Wide Web.
New light shed on how blood clots form
ScienceDaily (2011-06-14) -- Scientists have discovered new elements of the blood clot-process. The findings could lead to better drugs for preventing heart attacks and other clot-related conditions.
The downside -- and surprising upside –- of microcredit
ScienceDaily (2011-06-10) -- Microcredit, which involves giving small loans to very small businesses in an effort to promote entrepreneurship, has been widely touted as a way to reduce poverty and stimulate economic growth. But in a new study, researchers find that the practice may not be an efficient tool in promoting business growth or improving the lives of its beneficiaries, but could instead have just the opposite effect. However, they did discover other surprising advantages.
NASA goes below the surface to understand salinity
ScienceDaily (2011-06-10) -- When NASA's Aquarius mission launches, its radiometer instruments will take a "skin" reading of the oceans' salt content at the surface. From these data of salinity in the top 0.4 inch (1 centimeter) of the ocean surface, Aquarius will create weekly and monthly maps of ocean surface salinity all over the globe for at least three years. To better understand what's driving changes and fluctuations in salinity -- and how those changes relate to an acceleration of the global water cycle and climate change -- scientists will go deeper.
Squeeze an arm, protect the heart: New technique for heart protection analyzed
ScienceDaily (2011-06-08) -- Scientists in the UK are investigating a novel technique that promises to protect heart muscle from life-threatening damage following a heart attack -- simply by squeezing an arm. Heart attacks are the major cause of premature death in England, with massive implications for survival and costs of long-term health care.
Moderate to intense exercise may protect the brain
ScienceDaily (2011-06-09) -- Older people who regularly exercise at a moderate to intense level may be less likely to develop the small brain lesions, sometimes referred to as "silent strokes," that are the first sign of cerebrovascular disease, according to a new study.
First-of-its-kind fluorescence map offers a new view of the world's land plants
ScienceDaily (2011-06-07) -- Scientists from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center have produced groundbreaking global maps of land plant fluorescence, a difficult-to-detect reddish glow that leaves emit as a byproduct of photosynthesis. While researchers have previously mapped how ocean-dwelling phytoplankton fluoresce, the new maps are the first to focus on land vegetation and to cover the entire globe.
jueves, 7 de julio de 2011
jueves, 23 de junio de 2011
Small Hydro could add up to Big Damage on Environmental Expert
Small Hydro could add up to Big Damage
Source: SciDev.Net
Environmental engineers Tasneem Abbasi and S. A. Abbasi warn that widespread adoption of small hydro could repeat a history of environmental damage
A belief that small hydropower systems are a source of clean energy with little or no environmental problems is driving the growing interest in mini, micro, and pico hydro systems that generate from less than 5 kilowatts up to 10 megawatts of energy.
Hydropower appears to be the cleanest and most versatile of renewable energy sources. But experience shows that optimism about its potential can be misplaced.
Lessons of large hydro
Hydropower uses water and gravity (a totally carbon-free and inexhaustible resource) to drive turbines and generate electricity.
Unlike fossil-fuelled power plants, hydropower plants produce no gases or fly ash emissions (fine particles generated by burning coal). And, unlike nuclear power plants, there is no radioactive waste to contend with. Nor is any resource consumed, because water is neither lost nor polluted. Reservoirs can also enhance the scenery, attracting picnickers and tourists.
As soon as the world took note of these virtues in the 1950s, hydropower became popular. Developing countries including Brazil, China, India, Malaysia, Thailand, and Turkey built increasingly larger dams, generating anywhere from a few hundred megawatts to more than 10 gigawatts.
Egypt's High Aswan Dam has become an iconic symbol of these projects — and their environmental impacts.
Projects like these fundamentally altered river ecosystems, often fragmenting channels and changing river flows. Natural lakes take hundreds of years to evolve from oligotrophic (low in nutrients) to eutrophic (rich in nutrients) status. But man-made reservoirs underwent this transition within a few years, degrading water quality, harming fisheries, bringing siltation and invasion by weeds, and creating environments suitable for mosquitoes and other disease vectors.
And where reservoirs displaced people or suddenly changed resource availability or agricultural capacity, they brought major socio-economic problems.
It was during the mid-1970s, some 20 years after a number of major hydropower projects had been commissioned, that reports of their adverse environmental impacts began to emerge.
By the end of 1970s it had become clear that the very optimistic, almost reverential, attitude towards hydropower projects that had prevailed during the early 1950s was misplaced. These projects damaged the environment as seriously as did fossil-fuelled power projects.
The mistake had been to see only the virtues, and to not prepare for possible problems, some of which surfaced only once a large number of projects had been commissioned at different locations.
The big question is: are we set to repeat the same mistake with 'small' hydro?
No evidence
Nearly everyone seems to believe that small hydro is a safe substitute for large hydro. Some assert it is entirely benign; others acknowledge some problems similar to the ones associated with large hydropower, but say these are too small to be of concern.
In a report on the environmental implications of renewable energy sources, the International Energy Agency (IEA) notes: 'Small-scale hydro schemes (SHS) tend to have a relatively modest and localised impact on the environment. These arise mainly from construction activities and from changes in water quality and flow on ecosystems (aquatic ecosystems and fisheries) and on water use'.
After the reassuring first sentence, the IEA goes on to list a number of environmental impacts and concludes: 'The impacts of small-scale hydro schemes are likely to be small and localised, providing best practice and effective site planning are used'.
But the fact is, it gives no evidence whatsoever to support the conclusion that the impacts will be 'small and localized'. [1]
Cumulative problems
So far, the world has not experienced any major problems from 'small' hydro simply because the world has used 'small' hydro very sparingly.
A turbine here or there may not affect the river noticeably; but if we are to use the technology extensively and put turbines in every other waterfall in a river, and make small dams on most of its tributaries or feeder streams, the environmental degradation — per kilowatt of power generated — will likely be much higher than that caused by large hydropower systems.
The factors that harm a river habitat with large hydropower projects are also at play with small projects: interrupted water flow, barriers to animal movement, water loss from evaporation and loss of biodiversity from the sacrificed portion of river are some examples.
With smaller dams, storage is an increasingly important problem that may require construction of more low-head systems (hydraulic heads that require a fall of water less than 5 metres) than anticipated. Reservoirs silting up or becoming overloaded with nutrients are common problems with major reservoirs that could be at least as serious where smaller and shallower bodies of water are created — the shallower a water-body, the more easily eutrophic it can become.
Likewise, methane generation occurs largely where water and sediment meet, and this means that a shallower water body is likely to release more methane per unit area than a deeper water body. Shallow reservoirs are not unlike paddy fields which are known to contribute substantially to methane emissions, a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Disruption from building roads and power lines is less for small hydropower than for large hydropower projects in absolute terms — but on the basis of disruption per kilowatt of power generated, the impact may be at least as severe, if not more severe.
By using small hydro extensively we could be on course to repeat the environmentally damaging history of large hydropower projects. Countries considering the technology should invest in research into the potential problems, and proceed with caution.
Tasneem Abbasi is assistant professor and S. A. Abbasi is head of the Centre for Pollution Control and Environmental Engineering, Pondicherry University, India. More information about their work is available at www.prof-abbasi.com
viernes, 3 de junio de 2011
Scientists discover the largest assembly of whale sharks ever recorded
ScienceDaily (2011-05-30) -- Whale sharks are often thought to be solitary behemoths that live and feed in the open ocean. However, scientists have now found that this is not necessarily the case, finding that whale sharks can be gregarious and amass in the hundreds to feed in coastal waters.
Does our personality affect our level of attractiveness?
ScienceDaily (2011-05-27) -- Part of what determines how much success you will have in the dating world is whether you have a good sense of whether people find you attractive.
Students struggling with math may have a neurocognitive disorder called dyscalculia: Disorder affects roughly as many people as dyslexia
ScienceDaily (2011-05-28) -- Students who struggle to learn mathematics may have a neurocognitive disorder that inhibits the acquisition of basic numerical and arithmetic concepts, according to a new article. Specialized teaching for individuals with dyscalculia, the mathematical equivalent of dyslexia, should be made widely available in mainstream education, according to a new review.
Mapping ocean surface currents: West coast radar network is world's largest
ScienceDaily (2011-05-29) -- A network of high-frequency radar systems designed for mapping ocean surface currents now provides detail of coastal ocean dynamics along the US West Coast never before available.
Social life and mobility are keys to quality of life in old age
ScienceDaily (2011-05-30) -- Resourcefulness, staying active and a busy social life play vital roles in helping people cope with the challenges of old age, researchers have found. Maintaining social relationships and mobility in old age are so important for general well-being that some elderly people will go to extreme lengths to keep active, according to the study. The research has led to a new method of measuring quality of life in older age being unvelied, replacing previous questionnaires which relied on expert or top down opinions and measures such as income rather than the views of older people themselves.
Ocean acidification will likely reduce diversity, resiliency in coral reef ecosystems
ScienceDaily (2011-05-30) -- Ocean acidification, along with increased ocean temperatures, will likely severely reduce the diversity and resilience of coral reef ecosystems within this century, new research suggests.
Human impacts of rising oceans will extend well beyond coasts
ScienceDaily (2011-05-28) -- Estimates that are based on current, static population data can greatly misrepresent the true extent -- and the pronounced variability -- of the human toll of climate change, researchers say.
Climate change and marine mammals: Winners and losers
ScienceDaily (2011-05-28) -- Current hotspots of marine mammal diversity are concentrated in the temperate waters of the southern hemisphere, and the number of cetacean and pinniped species will likely remain highest in these areas in the coming 40 years -- regardless of climate change. However, on the level of individual species the picture may be different: Whereas about half the species of marine mammals will experience some loss in their habitat, distributional ranges of the other half may increase by up to 40 percent.
New treatment dissolves blood clots in brain tissue
ScienceDaily (2011-05-28) -- A new treatment that treats a subset of stroke patients by combining minimally invasive surgery, an imaging technique likened to "GPS for the brain," and the clot-busting drug t-PA appears to be safe and effective, according to new research.
Estimating landfill gas potential
ScienceDaily (2011-05-26) -- Research suggests that landfill gas-recovery projects should be implemented quickly if the maximum amount of methane gas is to be retrieved from organic waste in as short as time as possible, according to a new study.
Omega-3 may cut risk of artery disease, heart attacks for patients with stents
ScienceDaily (2011-05-27) -- New evidence indicates omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon and other foods may work with two blood-thinners to reduce the risk of heart attack in stent patients. Patients who received omega-3 fatty acids combined with two blood-thinning drugs after stent implantation in affected arteries had weaker clots than those who got only blood thinners.
Mushroom compound suppresses prostate tumors
ScienceDaily (2011-05-24) -- A mushroom used in Asia for its medicinal benefits has been found to be 100 percent effective in suppressing prostate tumor development in mice during early trials, new research shows.
What makes an image memorable?
ScienceDaily (2011-05-24) -- Neuroscientists shows that the most memorable photos are those that contain people, followed by static indoor scenes and human-scale objects. Landscapes? They may be beautiful, but they are, in most cases, utterly forgettable.
Brisk walking may help men with prostate cancer, study finds
ScienceDaily (2011-05-24) -- A study of 1,455 US men diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer has found a link between brisk walking and lowered risk of prostate cancer progression, according to scientists.
Too easy to steal cargo from transport networks: Research points to solutions
ScienceDaily (2011-05-24) -- Each year, billions of euros worth of goods are being stolen from European transport networks. A discouraged transport and logistics sector has more or less chosen to tolerate the problem. But there are solutions, according to one researcher.
Unusual earthquake gave Japan tsunami extra punch, say scientists
ScienceDaily (2011-05-25) -- The March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan were generated on a fault that didn't rupture the usual way, according to researchers. The rupture initially shot westward, then slowed and began rupturing rapidly eastward. The "flip-flop" fault motion first shook Honshu violently, then deformed seafloor sediments on the fault plane with such force that they triggered the huge tsunami. What researchers don't know is whether comparable faults could behave in a similar fashion.
Migration an overlooked health policy issue, experts say
ScienceDaily (2011-05-25) -- If internal and international migrants comprised a nation, it would be the third most populous country in the world, just after China and India. Thus, there can be little doubt that population mobility is among the leading policy issues of the 21st century. However, policies to protect migrants and global health have so far been hampered by inadequate policy attention and poor international coordination.
Changes in vegetation determine how animals migrate
ScienceDaily (2011-05-23) -- The predictability and scale of seasonal changes in a habitat help determine the distance migratory species move and whether the animals always travel together to the same place or independently to different locations, according to a new article. The study's findings have significant implications for land managers around the world working to conserve endangered species that migrate.
Mucus: Fighting the war against pollutants
ScienceDaily (2011-05-23) -- Researchers have found that mucus, which was thought to protect our bodies against harmful pollutants, in fact may leave our bodies more vulnerable to them. But the discovery may prove useful in enabling some drugs to enter cells and treat diseases like cancer.
Scientists explore hidden world of ancient maritime Maya
ScienceDaily (2011-05-23) -- Explorers are searching a wild, largely unexplored and forgotten coastline for evidence and artifacts of one of the greatest seafaring traditions of the ancient New World, where Maya traders once paddled massive dugout canoes filled with trade goods from across Mexico and Central America. One exploration goal is to discover the remains of a Maya trading canoe, described in A.D. 1502 by Christopher Columbus' son Ferdinand, as holding 25 paddlers plus cargo and passengers.
Mummies tell history of a 'modern' plague
ScienceDaily (2011-05-23) -- Mummies from along the Nile are revealing how age-old irrigation techniques may have boosted the plague of schistosomiasis, a water-borne parasitic disease that infects an estimated 200 million people today. An analysis by scientists of mummies from Nubia, a former kingdom located in present-day Sudan, provides details for the first time about the prevalence of the disease in ancient times, and how human alteration of the environment may have contributed to its spread.
Mediterranean Sea invaded by hundreds of alien species
ScienceDaily (2011-05-24) -- More than 900 new alien species have been encountered in the coastal environments of the eastern Mediterranean Sea in recent decades, including the poisonous pufferfish. The invasion of alien species has had the consequence that the whole food chain is changing, while there is a lack of knowledge on which to base relevant risk assessments, a four-year study shows.
Children learn language in moments of insight, not gradually through repeated exposure, study shows
ScienceDaily (2011-05-24) -- Psychologists believe they are overturning the dominant theory of how children learn their first words, suggesting that it occurs more in moments of insight than gradually through repeated exposure.
Octopuses make some pretty good moves
ScienceDaily (2011-05-22) -- In case you thought that octopuses were smart only in guessing the outcome of soccer matches (remember the late Paul the octopus in Germany who picked all the right winners in last year's world cup matches in Johannesburg?), scientists have now shown that not only are they smart, they can make some pretty good moves as well.
Is fear deficit a harbinger of future psychopaths?
ScienceDaily (2011-05-21) -- Psychopaths are charming, but they often get themselves and others in big trouble; their willingness to break social norms and lack of remorse means they are often at risk for crimes and other irresponsible behaviors.
Breaking rules makes you seem powerful
ScienceDaily (2011-05-20) -- When people have power, they act the part. Powerful people smile less, interrupt others and speak in a louder voice. When people do not respect the basic rules of social behavior, they lead others to believe that they have power, according to a new study.
Wolbachia bacteria reduce parasite levels and kill the mosquito that spreads malaria
ScienceDaily (2011-05-20) -- Researchers found that artificial infection with different Wolbachia bacteria strains can significantly reduce levels of the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, in the mosquito, Anopheles gambiae. The investigators also determined that one of the Wolbachia strains rapidly killed the mosquito after it fed on blood. According to the researchers, Wolbachia could potentially be used as part of a strategy to control malaria if stable infections can be established in Anopheles.
jueves, 2 de junio de 2011
'Apple a day' advice rooted in science
ScienceDaily (2011-05-03) -- Daily apple consumption shows long-term cardioprotective effects in postmenopausal women.
Early history of genetics revised: New light shed on 'rediscovery' of Mendel's laws of heredity
ScienceDaily (2011-05-03) -- The early history of genetics has to be re-written in the light of new findings, new research suggests. Scientists in Europe have found out that the traditional history of the 'rediscovery' of Gregor Johann Mendel's laws of heredity in 1900 has to be adjusted and some facets have to be added.
Dependency and passivity: You can have one without the other
ScienceDaily (2011-05-04) -- Think of a dependent person, and you think of someone who's needy, high-maintenance, and passive. That's how many psychologists and therapists think of them, too; passivity is key. But dependency is actually more complex and can even have active, positive aspects, according to a new article.
Rotational grazing in native pasturelands benefits wildlife
ScienceDaily (2011-05-04) -- Rotational grazing of cattle in native pasturelands in Brazil's Pantanal and Cerrado regions can benefit both cattle and wildlife, according to a new study.
First rainforests arose when plants solved plumbing problem
ScienceDaily (2011-05-04) -- A team of scientists has discovered that leaves of flowering plants in the world's first rainforests had more veins per unit area than leaves ever had before. They suggest that this increased the amount of water available to the leaves, making it possible for plants to capture more carbon and grow larger. A better plumbing system may also have radically altered water and carbon movement through forests, driving environmental change.
Curtains that block noise
ScienceDaily (2011-05-04) -- Researchers have developed lightweight, translucent curtain materials, which are excellent at absorbing sound. This is a combination that has been lacking until now in modern interior design.
Robots learn to share: Why we go out of our way to help one another
ScienceDaily (2011-05-04) -- Using simple robots to simulate genetic evolution over hundreds of generations, Swiss scientists provide quantitative proof of kin selection and shed light on one of the most enduring puzzles in biology: Why do most social animals, including humans, go out of their way to help each other?
Little fingers, big trouble: Study sheds light on child self-unbuckling
ScienceDaily (2011-05-02) -- It can be quite jarring for a parent or caregiver to look in the rearview mirror while driving and see their child roaming around the backseat free of their safety restraints. A study on child self-unbuckling reveals that most children who first unbuckle were age three and under and that many children unbuckle while the vehicle is in motion -- putting them at a 3.5-fold increased risk for serious injuries.
Living with a smoker may raise blood pressure in boys
ScienceDaily (2011-05-02) -- Exposure to secondhand smoke, even at extremely low levels, is associated with increased blood pressure in boys.
Media multitasking is really multi-distracting
ScienceDaily (2011-05-02) -- In the battle for the attention of the multitasker, the computer beats the television. But a new study reveals the physical nature of distraction people experience as they increasingly use both devices simultaneously.
Cardiac arrest: Unique life-saving device give heart a second chance
ScienceDaily (2011-05-02) -- A new invention by bioengineering students and collaborators is geared toward giving immediate second chances to arrhythmia victims headed toward cardiac arrest.
Who needs motivation? The rewards of doing 'something'
ScienceDaily (2011-05-02) -- When psychologists think about why people do what they do, they tend to look for specific goals, attitudes, and motivations. But they may be missing something more general -- people like to be doing something. These broader goals, to be active or inactive, may have a big impact on how they spend their time.
Aspirin reduces the risk of cancer recurrence in prostate cancer patients, study suggests
ScienceDaily (2011-05-02) -- Some studies have shown that blood-thinning medications, such as aspirin, can reduce biochemical failure the risk of metastasis and even death in localized prostate cancer. These studies, although very telling, have all emphasized the need for more data. Now, with researchers having concluded the largest study on this topic, and there is substantial data suggesting that aspirin improves outcomes in prostate cancer patients who have received radiotherapy.
Seeking happiness? Remember the good times, forget the regrets
ScienceDaily (2011-05-02) -- People who look at the past through rose-tinted glasses are happier than those who focus on negative past experiences and regrets, according to a new study. The study helps explain why personality has such a strong influence on a person's happiness. The findings suggest that persons with certain personality traits are happier than others because of the way they think about their past, present and future.
Washing with contaminated soap increases bacteria on hands, research finds
ScienceDaily (2011-05-02) -- People who wash their hands with contaminated soap from bulk-soap-refillable dispensers can increase the number of disease-causing microbes on their hands and may play a role in transmission of bacteria in public settings, according to new research.
Work-related 'burnout' more likely to affect the best lecturers, study suggests
ScienceDaily (2011-05-03) -- Conscientious academics who try hard to keep in regular contact with their students are the most likely to suffer from work-related 'burnout,' a new study has found.
Antioxidant may prevent alcohol-induced liver disease, study suggests
ScienceDaily (2011-05-03) -- An antioxidant may prevent damage to the liver caused by excessive alcohol, according to new research. The findings may point the way to treatments to reverse steatosis, or fatty deposits in the liver that can lead to cirrhosis and cancer.
Traveler's alert: Business travel linked to obesity and poor health
ScienceDaily (2011-05-03) -- People who travel for business two weeks or more a month have higher body mass index, higher rates of obesity and poorer self-rated health than those who travel less often. Overall, the researchers found that business people who traveled the most (20 or more days a month) have poorer health on a number of measures.
Winners of mass extinction: With predators gone, prey thrive
ScienceDaily (2011-05-03) -- In modern ecology, the removal or addition of a predator to an ecosystem can produce dramatic changes in the population of prey species. For the first time, scientists have observed the same dynamics in the fossil record, thanks to a mass extinction that decimated ocean life 360 million years ago.
miércoles, 1 de junio de 2011
Evolution of human 'super-brain' tied to development of bipedalism, tool-making
ScienceDaily (2011-04-20) -- Scientists seeking to understand the origin of the human mind may want to look to honeybees -- not ancestral apes -- for at least some of the answers, according to a University of Colorado Boulder archaeologist.
Earth's dust and plankton from space: New views from Envisat satellite
ScienceDaily (2011-04-17) -- Europe's Envisat satellite has captured a new view of dust and sand from the Algerian Sahara Desert, located in northern Africa, blowing west across the Atlantic Ocean.
Africa the birthplace of human language, analysis suggests
ScienceDaily (2011-04-15) -- A new study by a New Zealand researcher provides strong evidence for Africa as the birthplace of human language. An analysis of languages from around the world suggests that, like our genes, human speech originated -- just once -- in sub-Saharan Africa. The research studied the phonemes, or the perceptually distinct units of sound that differentiate words, used in 504 human languages today and found that the number of phonemes is highest in Africa and decreases with increasing distance from Africa.
440-year-old document sheds new light on native population decline under Spanish colonial rule
ScienceDaily (2011-05-20) -- Analysis of a 440-year-old document reveals new details about native population decline in the heartland of the Inca Empire following Spanish conquest in the 16th century.
Japan's 9.0 Tohoku-Oki earthquake: Surprising findings about energy distribution over fault slip and stress accumulation
ScienceDaily (2011-05-20) -- When the magnitude 9.0 Tohoku-Oki earthquake and resulting tsunami struck off the northeast coast of Japan on March 11, they caused widespread destruction and death. Using observations from a dense regional geodetic network (allowing measurements of earth movement to be gathered from GPS satellite data), globally distributed broadband seismographic networks, and open-ocean tsunami data, researchers have begun to construct numerous models that describe how the earth moved that day.
Happiness has a dark side
ScienceDaily (2011-05-17) -- It seems like everyone wants to be happier and the pursuit of happiness is one of the foundations of American life. But even happiness can have a dark side, according to a new article.
Teens use peers as gauge in search for autonomy, and consistently assume others have more freedoms than they do
ScienceDaily (2011-05-14) -- Two new studies find that teens' perceptions of peer freedom predicted their own desired levels of autonomy, and that teens consistently overestimated the actual levels of their peers' autonomy, assuming that others had more freedoms than they did. The first study looked at 500 youths in 6th through 9th grades and in 12th grade; the second followed up on the 6th and 7th graders a year later, when they were in 7th and 8th grades.
Crowdsourcing science: Researcher uses Facebook to identify thousands of fish
ScienceDaily (2011-05-15) -- During a survey on Guyana's Cuyuni River, researcher Devin Bloom utilized Facebook to help identify thousands of fish specimens in less than 24 hours.
Prolonged breastfeeding may be linked to fewer behavior problems
ScienceDaily (2011-05-11) -- Breastfeeding for four months or more is associated with fewer behavioral problems in children at age 5, a new study suggests.
We actually 'become' happy vampires or contented wizards when reading a book
ScienceDaily (2011-05-10) -- Bad news for muggle parents! A new study by psychologists finds that we more or less "become" vampires or wizards just by reading about them.
Malaria mosquitoes accurately find their way to smelly feet
ScienceDaily (2011-05-06) -- Malaria mosquitoes utilize carbon dioxide from exhaled air to localize humans from afar. In the vicinity of their preferred host, they alter their course towards the human feet. Researchers discovered how female malaria mosquitoes use foot odors in the last meters to guide them to their favored biting place. The research suggests possibilities to disrupt the host seeking behavior of the malaria mosquito.
More than 20 percent of atheist scientists are 'spiritual', study finds
ScienceDaily (2011-05-05) -- More than 20 percent of atheist scientists are spiritual, according to new research. Though the general public marries spirituality and religion, the study found that spirituality is a separate idea -- one that more closely aligns with scientific discovery -- for "spiritual atheist" scientists.
Why more species live in Amazon rainforests: Evolution of treefrogs sheds light on the mystery
ScienceDaily (2011-05-06) -- For more than two hundred years, the question of why there are more species in the tropics has been a biological enigma. A particularly perplexing aspect is why so many species live together in a small area in the tropics, especially at some sites in the rainforests of the Amazon Basin in South America. New research on the evolution and ecology of treefrogs sheds new light on the puzzle.
Succulent plants waited for cool, dry Earth to make their mark
ScienceDaily (2011-05-06) -- Between five and 10 million years ago, the landscape on Earth changed dramatically. Biologists and colleagues have determined that cacti exploded onto the global scene then, about the same geologic time as other succulent plants and tropical grasses. The trigger: A global period marked by cooling and increased aridity, possibly with lowered atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
Cell phones and cancer: Assessment classifies radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans
ScienceDaily (2011-05-31) -- A new World Health Organization report classifies radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans, based on an increased risk for glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer, associated with wireless phone use.
'E-waste pollution' a threat to human health, new research suggests
ScienceDaily (2011-05-31) -- In addition to its damaging effect on the environment and its illegal smuggling into developing countries, researchers have now linked e-waste to adverse effects on human health, such as inflammation and oxidative stress -- precursors to cardiovascular disease, DNA damage and possibly cancer.
Database on environmental impact of major urban ecosystems created
ScienceDaily (2011-05-01) -- An innovative study examines the environmental impact of major urban ecosystems. The team researched such details as airplane and motor vehicle travel, paper and plastic use, recycling and waste disposal, household utility records, and on-site measurements of vegetation and landscape.
Vitamin D may help explain racial differences in blood pressure
ScienceDaily (2011-04-27) -- High blood pressure, or hypertension, is more common and often more deadly in blacks than in whites, and a new study shows that low vitamin D levels among black people might be a powerful factor that contributes to the racial differences in hypertension.
Researcher use trees to detect contaminants and health threats
ScienceDaily (2011-04-25) -- Researchers have developed a method to detect the presence of soil and groundwater contamination without turning a shovel or touching the water. Instead, they're using trees.
Clumsy avatars: Perfection versus mortality in games and simulation
ScienceDaily (2011-04-25) -- Willy Nilly's Surf Shack offers a cure for the idealized virtual world of Second Life. The online shop endows otherwise flawless avatars with real-world foils like clumsiness. A project allowing avatars to visibly age over time is in the works.
domingo, 22 de mayo de 2011
Happiness, comparatively speaking: How we think about life's rewards
ScienceDaily (2011-04-10) -- You win some, you lose some. You get the perfect job -- the one your heart is set on. Or you get snubbed. Such are life's ups and downs. But what if you win and lose at the same time? You land a good job, not a great one. A new study says you'll find a way to be happy anyway.
New insights into predator/prey relationships
ScienceDaily (2011-04-10) -- Predator/prey relationships are much more complex than originally thought, according to new research.
Honey can reverse antibiotic resistance, study suggests
ScienceDaily (2011-04-13) -- Manuka honey could be an efficient way to clear chronically infected wounds and could even help reverse bacterial resistance to antibiotics, according to new research.
Weight loss improves memory, according to researchers
ScienceDaily (2011-04-13) -- Scientists have discovered a link between weight loss and improved memory and concentration. The study shows that bariatric surgery patients exhibited improved memory function 12 weeks after their operations.
To students, music piracy and shoplifting are worlds apart
ScienceDaily (2011-04-13) -- College undergrads in a new study said they thought shoplifting was immoral, but also weren't motivated to follow laws governing digital music piracy.
Demystifying meditation: Brain imaging illustrates how meditation reduces pain
ScienceDaily (2011-04-11) -- Meditation produces powerful pain-relieving effects in the brain, according to new research. For the study, healthy volunteers who had never meditated learned a meditation technique known as focused attention. Focused attention is a form of mindfulness meditation where people are taught to attend to the breath and let go of distracting thoughts and emotions.
Environmental E. coli: New way to classify E. coli bacteria and test for fecal contamination
ScienceDaily (2011-04-12) -- The meaning of the standard fecal coliform test used to monitor water quality has been called into question by a new study that identified sources of Escherichia coli bacteria that might not indicate an environmental hazard.
Can alcohol help the brain remember? Repeated ethanol exposure enhances synaptic plasticity in key brain area, study finds
ScienceDaily (2011-04-12) -- Drinking alcohol primes certain areas of our brain to learn and remember better, says a new study. The common view that drinking is bad for learning and memory isn't wrong, says a neurobiologist, but it highlights only one side of what ethanol consumption does to the brain.
Sun and shade leaves play different roles in tree canopies
ScienceDaily (2011-04-02) -- "Outer" tree canopy leaves influence the sunlight reaching inner canopy leaves by changing their shape, says a new study.
How brain's memory center repairs damage from head injury
ScienceDaily (2011-04-01) -- Researchers have described for the first time how the brain's memory center repairs itself following severe trauma.
When washing becomes a compulsion
ScienceDaily (2011-04-03) -- Obsessive-compulsive disorder is often diagnosed too late in children and adolescents. Experts point out that appropriate early recognition and treatment can positively affect the course of the disease.
Out of work? Your resume is no good here: Unemployed Americans face discrimination, study finds
ScienceDaily (2011-04-02) -- Through a series of simple experiments, researchers found that unemployed Americans face discrimination that is unrelated to their skills or conditions of departure.
Older and stronger: Progressive resistance training can build muscle, increase strength as we age
ScienceDaily (2011-04-02) -- It's often thought that older adults must tolerate the strength and muscle loss that come with age. But analyses of current research reveal that not only can we fight the battle of strength and muscle loss as we age, we can even build muscle and strength well into our golden years.
Manage biological invasions like natural disasters, biologists say
ScienceDaily (2011-04-02) -- Biological invasions are often more economically damaging than natural disasters and warrant correspondingly large investments in preparedness and response planning, according to biologists. Such measures seem absent in most developed nations.
Being in a good mood may lead to poor memory
ScienceDaily (2011-03-31) -- Most people have had trouble remembering something they just heard. Now, a researcher found that forgetfulness may have something to do with being in a good mood. She found that being in a good mood decreases your working memory capacity.
Study finds surprising gender differences related to sexual harassment
ScienceDaily (2011-04-01) -- Sexual harassment may have become so commonplace for women that they have built up resistance to harassing behavior they consider merely "bothersome," suggests a provocative new study.
Advance toward making biodegradable plastics from waste chicken feathers
ScienceDaily (2011-04-01) -- In a scientific advance literally plucked from the waste heap, scientists have described a key step toward using the billions of pounds of waste chicken feathers produced each year to make one of the more important kinds of plastic.
Universal property of music discovered
ScienceDaily (2011-03-25) -- Researchers have discovered a universal property of scales. Until now it was assumed that the only thing scales throughout the world have in common is the octave. The many hundreds of scales, however, seem to possess a deeper commonality: if their tones are compared in a two- or three-dimensional way by means of a coordinate system, they form convex or star-convex structures. Convex structures are patterns without indentations or holes, such as a circle, square or oval.
Safer, more effective skin-whitening creams from ancient Chinese herbal medicine
ScienceDaily (2011-03-30) -- Scientists have reported the discovery of the active ingredients in an herb used in traditional Chinese medicine for skin whitening, changing skin color to a lighter shade. The ingredients are poised for clinical trials as a safer, more effective alternative to skin whitening creams and lotions that millions of women and some men use in Asia and elsewhere, they said.
River water and salty ocean water used to generate electricity
ScienceDaily (2011-03-30) -- Researchers have developed a rechargeable battery that uses freshwater and seawater to create electricity. Aided by nanotechnology, the battery employs the difference in salinity between fresh and saltwater to generate a current. A power station might be built wherever a river flows into the ocean.
Lack of motivation, equipment main barriers for exercise for boys
ScienceDaily (2011-03-31) -- A lack of equipment and venues -- and a lack of motivation even if those were available -- are the main barriers to physical activity for adolescent boys, according to new research.
New device uses submarine technology to diagnose stroke quickly
ScienceDaily (2011-03-29) -- A medical device developed by retired US Navy sonar experts, using submarine technology, is a new paradigm for the detection, diagnosis and monitoring of stroke, says a team of interventional radiologists.
Satellites detect extensive drought impact on Amazon forests
ScienceDaily (2011-03-29) -- A new study has revealed widespread reductions in the greenness of the forests in the vast Amazon basin in South America caused by the record-breaking drought of 2010.
Communicating uncertain climate risks
ScienceDaily (2011-03-29) -- Despite much research that demonstrates potential dangers from climate change, public concern has not been increasing.
Poor behavior doesn't always lead to poor academics
ScienceDaily (2011-03-30) -- Despite popular belief, a new study finds that students who have poor behavior in the classroom do not always have poor grades.
Study illuminates the 'pain' of social rejection
ScienceDaily (2011-03-30) -- Physical pain and intense feelings of social rejection "hurt" in the same way, a new study shows.
Blood pressure control system found in kidney's structural units
ScienceDaily (2011-03-28) -- A new finding shows how the million working units in the kidney regulate salt handling. This identifies a new possible therapeutic target for treating high blood pressure.
Walnuts are top nut for heart-healthy antioxidants
ScienceDaily (2011-03-28) -- A new scientific study positions walnuts in the number one slot among a family of foods that lay claim to being among Mother Nature's most nearly perfect packaged foods: Tree and ground nuts. A new analysis shows that walnuts have a combination of more healthful antioxidants and higher quality antioxidants than any other nut.
Multiplexing in the visual brain
ScienceDaily (2011-03-27) -- Imagine sitting in a train at the railway station looking outside: Without analyzing the relative motion of object contours across many different locations at the same time, it is often difficult to decide whether it's your train that starts moving, or the one at the opposite track. How are these diverse information conveyed simultaneously through the network of millions of activated nerve cells in the visual brain?
Ecosystem-wide framework for monitoring coral reef fisheries can be used on global scale
ScienceDaily (2011-03-28) -- Scientists have created a framework that increases the effectiveness of critical reef monitoring techniques. The new framework improves the accuracy and efficiency of fish counts and can be used to determine the best long term management strategies -- whether the reefs are in Florida, Hawaii or anywhere around the world.
When the body attacks itself
ScienceDaily (2011-03-28) -- Those afflicted with psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and kidney inflammation are all victims of their own immune system; their bodies are attacking healthy cells. Medicines targeted at one troublesome enzyme could make life easier for people suffering from these conditions.
Living at high altitude reduces risk of dying from heart disease: Low oxygen may spur genes to create blood vessels
ScienceDaily (2011-03-26) -- Researchers have found that people living at higher altitudes have a lower chance of dying from heart disease and live longer.
'Junk food' moms have 'junk food' babies
ScienceDaily (2011-03-24) -- Pregnant mothers who eat high sugar and high fat diets have babies who are likely to become junk food junkies themselves. According to the report, which used rats, this happens because the high fat and high sugar diet leads to changes in the fetal brain's reward pathway, altering food preferences.
'Knowing it in your gut': Cross-talk between human gut bacteria and brain
ScienceDaily (2011-03-24) -- A lot of chatter goes on inside each one of us and not all of it happens between our ears. Researchers have discovered that the "cross-talk" between bacteria in our gut and our brain plays an important role in the development of psychiatric illness, intestinal diseases and probably other health problems as well including obesity.
Chicken soup for the soul: Comfort food fights loneliness
ScienceDaily (2011-03-23) -- Mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, meatloaf ... they may be bad for your arteries, but according to an upcoming study, they're good for your heart and emotions. The study focuses on "comfort food" and how it makes people feel.
European coastal pollution is harmful to seals, study finds
ScienceDaily (2011-03-23) -- The bodies of harbor seals, which live in estuaries or along coastlines where industrial activities take place, are highly contaminated. This is the result of a European study, involving Spanish participation, which warns of the danger to these mammals from ports throughout Europe, even in the Mediterranean.
New scientific field will study ecological importance of sounds
ScienceDaily (2011-03-23) -- Researchers are aiming to create a new scientific field that will use sound as a way to understand the ecological characteristics of a landscape and to reconnect people with the importance of natural sounds.
Developing strategies in a desert watershed that sustain regional water supplies
ScienceDaily (2011-03-24) -- Agricultural scientists are helping meet the water demands of a riparian desert region that is home to a national conservation area and a thriving military base.
Saving one of the world's most endangered birds
ScienceDaily (2011-03-22) -- The entire population of the Tuamotu Kingfisher -- less than 125 -- lives on one tiny island in the south Pacific, and without serious intervention, these birds will no longer exist. One researcher is trying to stop the birds' extinction by working with farmers and residents on the island inhabited by the kingfishers.
The importance of clarifying language in mathematics education
ScienceDaily (2011-03-23) -- The way in which teachers and textbooks use language and different metaphors in mathematics education determines how pupils develop their number sense, according to new research from Sweden.
Scientists have new measure for species threat
ScienceDaily (2011-04-10) -- A new index has been developed to help conservationists better understand how close species are to extinction.
Aspirin may lower the risk of pancreatic cancer
ScienceDaily (2011-04-10) -- The use of aspirin at least once per month is associated with a significant decrease in pancreatic cancer risk, new research suggests.
Mum’s the word when it comes to children’s happiness
ScienceDaily (2011-04-10) -- Young people's satisfaction with their family situation is clearly related to the quality of relationships with parents and especially their mother's happiness, according to a new study.
How marijuana affects the way the brain processes emotional information
ScienceDaily (2011-04-11) -- Drugs like marijuana act on naturally occurring receptors in the brain called cannabinoid receptors. However, the mechanisms by which these drugs produce their sensory and mood altering effects within the brain are largely unknown. Researchers have now identified a critical brain pathway responsible for the effects of cannabinoid drugs on how the brain processes emotional information.
Are invasive plants a threat to native biodiversity? It depends on the spatial scale
ScienceDaily (2011-04-11) -- The phrase "invasive plant species" typically evokes negative images such as broad swaths of kudzu smothered trees along the highway or purple loosestrife taking over wetlands and clogging waterways -- and as such, invasive plants are largely viewed as major threats to native biodiversity. However, research has shown both that invasive species may be one of the most important threats to biodiversity and that plant invasions are rarely the cause for native species extinctions. How can these conflicting pieces of evidence be reconciled?
Scientists develop 'universal' virus-free method to turn blood cells into 'beating' heart cells
ScienceDaily (2011-04-11) -- Timber! Cutting down a tree in a virtual forest can bring new ideas of conservation crashing down on you If a tree falls in a virtual reality forest, will anyone hear an environmental message? They will, as long as they were the ones who cut down the make-believe redwood. Cutting down a virtual redwood with a virtual chainsaw may lead you to save trees by recycling more paper. That finding is an example of how real-world behavior can be changed by immersing people in virtual reality environments.
Virtual reality lab focuses on conservation
ScienceDaily (2011-04-11) -- Timber! Cutting down a tree in a virtual forest can bring new ideas of conservation crashing down on you If a tree falls in a virtual reality forest, will anyone hear an environmental message? They will, as long as they were the ones who cut down the make-believe redwood. Cutting down a virtual redwood with a virtual chainsaw may lead you to save trees by recycling more paper. That finding is an example of how real-world behavior can be changed by immersing people in virtual reality environments.
Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts: Cookies or careers?
ScienceDaily (2011-04-09) -- New research analyzing boy scout and girl scout manuals finds that -- despite positive aspects -- scouts are being fed stereotypical ideas about femininity and masculinity.
Frequent shopping prolongs life, study suggests
ScienceDaily (2011-04-09) -- A spot of regular 'retail therapy' really does seem to help people live longer, suggests new research. Frequent shopping among the elderly may not always be about buying things, but about seeking companionship or taking exercise, which is easier to do than more formal exercise that usually requires motivation.
Surveys confirm enormous value of science museums, 'free choice' learning
ScienceDaily (2011-04-08) -- One of the first studies of its type has confirmed that a science museum can strongly influence the public's knowledge and attitudes about science and technology, and to a surprising degree can cut across racial, ethnic, educational and economic barriers.
Pancreatic disease: Cells can consume errant molecules to prevent them from eating up organ
ScienceDaily (2011-04-08) -- Timing is everything. That's especially true when it comes to the activation of enzymes created by the pancreas to break down food. When the timing is right, those enzymes are activated only when they reach the gut, where they get to work releasing and distributing nutrients that we need to survive. If the timing is wrong and the enzymes are activated too soon, they break down the pancreas itself, which is painful and sometimes fatal.
Japan earthquake caused a displacement of about two meters
ScienceDaily (2011-04-08) -- Researchers have estimated the ground deformation suffered in the area of Sendai, Japan, as a consequence of the earthquake of March 11 and its aftershocks, based on radar observations acquired by the Envisat satellite of the European Space Agency. According to this estimate, obtained over an area of approximately 300 x 100 km around the city of Sendai, the terrain has suffered a co-seismic deformation -- permanent deformation of Earth's surface -- associated with the earthquake of up to 1.69 m.
Having trouble sharing or understanding emotions? Affection could help
ScienceDaily (2011-04-07) -- Affectionate communication, such as hugging, could help those who have high levels of alexithymia lead more fulfilling lives.
Chimpanzees' contagious yawning evidence of empathy, not just sleepiness, study shows
ScienceDaily (2011-04-07) -- Contagious yawning is not just a marker of sleepiness or boredom. For chimpanzees, it may actually be a sign of a social connection between individuals.
Technique for letting brain talk to computers now tunes in speech
ScienceDaily (2011-04-07) -- Researchers have used a technique, usually associated with identifying epilepsy, for the first time to show that a computer can listen to our thoughts. The scientists demonstrated that humans can control a cursor on a computer screen using words spoken out loud and in their head.
Fukushima-related radioactive materials measured across entire Northern Hemisphere
ScienceDaily (2011-04-07) -- Since the double disaster of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that affected hundreds of thousands of people and seriously damaged the Fukushima Daichi power plant in Japan on 11 March 2011, minute traces of radioactive emissions from Fukushima have spread across the entire Northern Hemisphere. A monitoring network designed to detect signs of nuclear explosions picked up these traces from the stricken power plant. To date, more than 30 radionuclide stations that are part of the International Monitoring System have provided information on the spread of radioactive particles and noble gases from the Fukushima accident.
Simple arithmetic for faster, more secure websites
ScienceDaily (2011-04-07) -- Faster, more secure logins for multimedia sites might be possible thanks to a new approach to website and database security. Boolean logins would allow thousands if not millions of users to more quickly access the content to which they are entitled, such as music, video and images. The same approach might also reduce the risk of hackers accessing the materials illicitly.
Male victims of 'intimate terrorism' can experience damaging psychological effects
ScienceDaily (2011-04-07) -- Men who are abused by their female partners can suffer significant psychological trauma, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and suicidal thoughts, according to two new articles.
Climate change poses major risks for unprepared cities
ScienceDaily (2011-04-07) -- Cities worldwide are failing to take necessary steps to protect residents from the likely impacts of climate change, even though billions of urban dwellers are vulnerable to heat waves, sea level rise and other changes associated with warming temperatures.
Political views are reflected in brain structure
ScienceDaily (2011-04-07) -- We all know that people at opposite ends of the political spectrum often really can't see eye to eye. Now, a new report reveals that those differences in political orientation are tied to differences in the very structures of our brains.
Blood pressure's internally driven daily rhythm unlikely to be linked to morning heart attacks
ScienceDaily (2011-04-07) -- The internally-driven daily cycle of blood pressure changes doesn't appear to be linked to the known increase in morning heart attacks, according to a new study. Researchers sought to identify the role of the internal human body clock in the daily rise and fall in blood pressure. In the study, three groups of volunteers showed an internal daily blood pressure variation with a peak at around 9 p.m. -- independent of changes in activity and other behavioral influences that can affect blood pressure.
iPad helps archaeologists
ScienceDaily (2011-04-08) -- A new approach to conducting archaeological research is revolutionizing methods of recording history, a field that is steeped in tradition.
Research into batteries will give electric cars the same range as gas cars, experts say
ScienceDaily (2011-04-08) -- Li-air batteries are a promising opportunity for electric cars. The Achilles' heel of the electric car is the limited energy density of the batteries, which will only provide short drives.
Naproxen reduces tumors in a mouse model of colon cancer, researchers report
ScienceDaily (2011-04-08) -- Numerous studies show that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduce the risk of colon cancer. However, animal studies testing the NSAID naproxen or its derivative, NO-naproxen, have focused primarily on chemically-induced tumor formation. Now, researchers find that naproxen and NO-naproxen reduce tumor formation in a strain of mutant mice that spontaneously develop colon tumors. The data also suggest that naproxen blocks a gatekeeper step that initiates tumor formation.
Convenience leads to corpulence: Parents and schools unintentionally contribute to childhood obesity
ScienceDaily (2011-04-08) -- Two of the biggest influences on children -- parents and schools -- may unintentionally contribute to childhood obesity. That's the observation a researcher who studies the problem.
Record ozone loss over the North Pole
ScienceDaily (2011-04-08) -- In the past few weeks, exceptional weather conditions have led to unprecedented ozone depletion over the Arctic. Ground and satellite observations by researchers as well as French models show that ozone loss reached around 40 percent at the end of March. The phenomenon was caused by an extremely cold and persistent stratospheric winter, resulting in significant ozone destruction, which, unusually, continued into spring.
Device drops blood pressure in patients with difficult-to-treat hypertension
ScienceDaily (2011-04-06) -- A device designed to treat people with resistant hypertension helped lower blood pressure by 33 points, a substantial drop that would otherwise require patients to take an additional three or four drugs, on top of this subgroup's usual regimen of up to five drugs, to control their difficult-to-treat condition.
Better a sprint than a marathon: Brief intense exercise better than endurance training for preventing cardiovascular disease
ScienceDaily (2011-04-06) -- Exercise is important for preventing cardiovascular disease, especially in children and adolescents, but is all exercise equally beneficial? New research reveals that high intensity exercise is more beneficial than traditional endurance training.
Where will the debris from Japan's tsunami drift in the ocean?
ScienceDaily (2011-04-06) -- The huge tsunami triggered by the 9.0 Tohoku earthquake destroyed coastal towns near Sendai in Japan, washing such things as houses and cars into the ocean. Based on a model derived from past trajectories of drifting buoys, projections of where this debris might head over the next five to six years have been made.
Climate change is making our environment 'bluer'
ScienceDaily (2011-04-06) -- The "color" of our environment is becoming "bluer," a change that could have important implications for animals' risk of becoming extinct, ecologists have found. In a major study, researchers examined how quickly or slowly animal populations and their environment change over time, something ecologists describe using "spectral color."
Memory problems may be sign of stroke risk
ScienceDaily (2011-04-07) -- People who have memory problems or other declines in their mental abilities may be at higher risk for stroke, according to a new study.
The Population Bomb: How we survived it
ScienceDaily (2011-04-04) -- World population will reach 7 billion this year, prompting new concerns about whether the world will soon face a major population crisis.
Herpes linked to Alzheimer's disease: 'Cold sores' connected to cognitive decline
ScienceDaily (2011-04-04) -- New research using a new technique to observe herpes simplex virus type 1 infections inside cells, finds that re-activation and growth of HSV1 infections contribute to cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Tree growth and fecundity affected more by climate change than previously thought
ScienceDaily (2011-04-04) -- An 18-year study of 27,000 individual trees finds that tree growth and fecundity -- the ability to produce viable seeds -- are more sensitive to climate change than previously thought.
Got up on the wrong side of the bed? Your work will show it
ScienceDaily (2011-04-04) -- A new study of telephone customer service representatives shows just how important it is for employees to start the workday in a good mood. Researchers found that employees' moods when they clocked in tended to affect how they felt the rest of the day. Early mood was linked to their perceptions of customers and to how they reacted to customers' moods.
Teens who choose music over books are more likely to be depressed, study finds
ScienceDaily (2011-04-04) -- Adolescents who spend more time listening to music are far more likely to have major depressive disorder, while young people who spend more time reading books are far less likely to have such a diagnosis, according to a new study.
Leatherback sea turtle nests increasing in Florida
ScienceDaily (2011-04-04) -- The number of endangered leatherback sea turtle nests at 68 beaches in Florida has increased by 10.2 percent a year since 1979, according to a new study.
Prevalence of 'flattened head' in infants and young children appears to be increasing
ScienceDaily (2011-04-04) -- The prevalence of plagiocephaly, a condition marked by an asymmetrical, flattening of the skull, appears to be increasing in infants and young children, according to a new study.
Algae that live inside the cells of salamanders are the first known vertebrate endosymbionts
ScienceDaily (2011-04-04) -- A species of algae long known to associate with spotted salamanders has been discovered to live inside the cells of developing embryos, say scientists from the US and Canada. This is the first known example of a eukaryotic algae living stably inside the cells of any vertebrate.
'In-depth' radar: Seeing what lies beneath the surface
ScienceDaily (2011-04-04) -- Researchers have identified one reason people with hypertension experience an even greater increase in their blood pressure when they exercise, and they've learned how to prevent the rise.
Dangerous blood pressure increases during exercise can be blocked, researchers find
ScienceDaily (2011-04-04) -- Researchers have identified one reason people with hypertension experience an even greater increase in their blood pressure when they exercise, and they've learned how to prevent the rise.
Declining rainfall is a major influence for migrating birds
ScienceDaily (2011-04-04) -- Instinct and the annual increase of daylight hours have long been thought to be the triggers for birds to begin their spring migration. Scientists, however, have now found that that may not be the case. Researchers have focused on how warming trends in temperate breeding areas disrupt the sensitive ecology of migratory birds. This new research shows that changes in rainfall on the tropical wintering grounds could be equally disruptive.
Partner controlling behaviors appear to be associated with relationship violence
ScienceDaily (2011-04-05) -- Having a significant other who exhibits controlling behaviors appears to be associated with increased physical and sexual relationship violence, according to a new study. However, young women experiencing these behaviors are more hesitant to answer questions about relationship violence.
domingo, 24 de abril de 2011
Teenagers, parents and teachers unaware of social networking risks
ScienceDaily (2011-03-22) -- A report into the legal risks associated with the use of social networking sites has found that while 95 percent of students surveyed in years 7 to 10 use social networking sites, nearly 30 percent did not consider social networking to hold any risks.
New statement offers advice on treating dangerous, deep blood clots
ScienceDaily (2011-03-22) -- More than 250,000 Americans are hospitalized yearly because of blood clots that form in veins deep inside the body. A new American Heart Association statement gives doctors guidance on diagnosing and treating these potentially deadly blockages.
Streptococcus enzyme could compete with toothbrushes, dental floss
ScienceDaily (2011-03-22) -- Investigators from Japan show in vitro that the bacterium Streptococcus salivarius, a non-biofilm forming, and otherwise harmless inhabitant of the human mouth, actually inhibits the formation of dental biofilms, otherwise known as plaque. Two enzymes this bacteria produces are responsible for this inhibition.
A 'fossil seismograph' for ancient earthquakes
ScienceDaily (2011-03-22) -- Scientists have invented a "fossil seismograph," which examines geological formations to find historical patterns of earthquakes reaching far back into the ancient past. With this information, experts can better predict where and when earthquakes may occur again -- and take measures to prevent more catastrophic damage.
Human gender roles influence research on animals, Swedish biologists argue
ScienceDaily (2011-03-18) -- Biologists have shown that animals' and plants' traits and behavior in sexual conflicts are colored by a human viewpoint. They want to raise awareness of the issue and provoke discussion among their colleagues in order to promote objectivity and broaden the research field.
Tai chi beats back depression in the elderly, study shows
ScienceDaily (2011-03-20) -- To fight depression in the elderly, researchers combined a weekly Tai chi exercise class with a standard depression treatment for a group of depressed, elderly people. The found greater improvement in their level of depression, along with improved quality of life, better memory and cognition, and more overall energy.
Fairy wrens are accountants of the animal kingdom, not altruistic as previously thought
ScienceDaily (2011-03-20) -- A puzzling example of altruism in nature has been debunked with researchers showing that purple-crowned fairy wrens are in reality cunningly planning for their own future when they assist in raising other birds' young by balancing the amount of assistance they give with the benefits they expect to receive in the future.
Wide variety in nutritional content found in 'senior' dog foods
ScienceDaily (2011-03-19) -- The nutritional content of dog foods marketed for old dogs varies as widely as owner's perceptions about them, according to a new study.
Lessons from Japan's earthquake
ScienceDaily (2011-03-14) -- While Japan's 8.9-magnitude earthquake and accompanying tsunami represent a devastating natural disaster for the country's residents, scientists should also seize upon the massive temblor as an important learning tool for future quakes around the world, including the Pacific Northwest coast of the United States, according to U.S. experts.
Japanese tsunami underscores need for elder disaster preparedness
ScienceDaily (2011-03-18) -- The oldest segment of Japan's population will likely be the hardest hit as a result of the recent earthquake and subsequent tsunami, based on data from previous catastrophic events. Approximately 23 percent of Japanese citizens currently are age 65 and above.
Record-breaking 2010 Eastern European/Russian heatwave
ScienceDaily (2011-03-18) -- Scientists have compared the hot summers of 2003 and 2010 in detail for the first time. Last year’s heatwave across Eastern Europe and Russia was unprecedented in every respect: Europe has never experienced so large summer temperature anomalies in the last 500 years.
Sad dads spank more, read less, study finds
ScienceDaily (2011-03-18) -- Depression in fathers can negatively affect a young child's health and development. Compared to their non-depressed counterparts, depressed fathers are nearly four times more likely to report spanking their child, according to a new study. Depressed dads are also less likely to read to their children, the study found.
Japan earthquake disaster: Geophysicists create animation showing sequence of quakes
ScienceDaily (2011-03-16) -- The earthquake disaster on March 11, 2011 was an event of the century not only for Japan. With a magnitude of Mw = 8.9, it was one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded worldwide. Two days before, a strong foreshock with a magnitude Mw = 7.2 took place almost exactly at the breaking point of the tsunami-earthquake. Geophysicists in Germany have now created an animation that shows the sequence of quakes since March 9.
Viscous cycle: Quartz is key to plate tectonics
ScienceDaily (2011-03-16) -- More than 40 years ago, pioneering tectonic geophysicist J. Tuzo Wilson described how ocean basins opened and closed along North America's eastern seaboard. His observations, dubbed "The Wilson Tectonic Cycle," suggested the process occurred many times during Earth's long history, most recently causing the giant supercontinent Pangaea to split into today's seven continents. Now, new findings shed surprising light on these restless rock cycles.
High-tech concrete technology has a famous past
ScienceDaily (2011-03-16) -- Almost 1,900 years ago, the Romans built what continues to be the world's largest unreinforced solid concrete dome in the world-the Pantheon. The secret is in the light-weight concrete used to build the dome and a process called internal curing. A new paper reviews the status of modern improvements on this ancient material.
Some blind people 'see' with their ears, neuropsychologists show
ScienceDaily (2011-03-17) -- Neuropsychologists compared the brain activity of people who can see and people who were born blind, discovering that the part of the brain that normally works with our eyes to process vision and space perception can actually rewire itself to process sound information instead.
Improving the infant gut ‘microbiome’
ScienceDaily (2011-03-17) -- While next-generation sequencing-based research of gut microbiomes will ultimately benefit all members of the population, to date there has been a particular emphasis on investigating and, where necessary, altering the microbiota present in the gut of the elderly, infants and obese individuals. For example, evidence exists that early colonization of the infant gastrointestinal tract by microbes is crucial for the overall health of the infant.
NASA's Aqua satellite spies a '3-leaf Clover' view of Ireland for St. Patrick's Day
ScienceDaily (2011-03-17) -- Typical clovers have three leaves, unless you happen to be lucky, and NASA's Aqua satellite has provided three different views of Ireland to mark Saint Patrick's Day on March 17, 2011. With the luck o' the Irish, NASA's Aqua satellite was fortunate to capture mostly clear views of the Emerald Isle in these near-infrared/visible, infrared and microwave light views acquired by Aqua's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on March 3, 2011, at 13:11 UTC.
viernes, 22 de abril de 2011
Rare Andean cat no longer exclusive to the Andes
ScienceDaily (2011-03-17) -- Once thought to exclusively inhabit its namesake mountain range, the threatened Andean cat -- a house cat-sized feline that resembles a small snow leopard in both appearance and habitat -- also frequents the Patagonian steppe at much lower elevations, according to a new study.
Seedless cherimoya, the next banana?
ScienceDaily (2011-03-15) -- Mark Twain called it "the most delicious fruit known to man." But the cherimoya, or custard apple, and its close relations the sugar apple and soursop, also have lots of big, awkward seeds. Now new research by plant scientists in the United States and Spain could show how to make this and other fruits seedless.
Impact of a bad job on mental health as harmful as no job at all
ScienceDaily (2011-03-15) -- The impact on mental health of a badly paid, poorly supported, or short term job can be as harmful as no job at all, new research indicates.
U.S. Geological Survey updates magnitude of Japan’s 2011 Tohoku earthquake to 9.0
ScienceDaily (2011-03-15) -- The U.S. Geological Survey has updated the magnitude of the March 11, 2011, Tohoku earthquake in northern Honshu, Japan, to 9.0 from the previous estimate of 8.9. Independently, Japanese seismologists have also updated their estimate of the earthquake's magnitude to 9.0. This magnitude places the earthquake as the fourth largest in the world since 1900 and the largest in Japan since modern instrumental recordings began 130 years ago.
Describing humor with an equation
ScienceDaily (2011-03-15) -- A new theory of humor addresses questions of human attraction to errors and our susceptibility to ideas we know are bad for us, and summarizes it with an equation. The new theory suggests an equation for identifying the cause and level of our responses to any humorous stimuli: h = m x s.
Best possible night light: Researchers study how light cycles impact zoo animals
ScienceDaily (2011-03-15) -- A doctoral student reaches across a Cleveland Metroparks Zoo exhibit with a long pole tipped with a synthetic swab soaked in honey water. A pygmy slow loris, a big-eyed nocturnal primate, climbs down a branch and begins licking and chewing the swab. Something as seemingly innocuous as incorrect lighting may negatively impact the health and reproduction of lorises, pottos and their kin, researchers say.
Genetic analysis reveals history, evolution of an ancient delicacy -- morels
ScienceDaily (2011-03-15) -- Scientists have completed one of the most detailed genetic analyses ever done on morels, to help identify their ancestry, show how they evolved and what conservation policies may be needed to manage and protect this valuable resource.
Why argue? Helping students see the point
ScienceDaily (2011-03-15) -- Read the comments on any website and you may despair at Americans' inability to argue well. Thankfully, educators now name argumentative reasoning as one of the basics students should leave school with.
Bilinguals see the world in a different way, study suggests
ScienceDaily (2011-03-15) -- Scientists have found that regularly speaking in a second language makes you literally see the world in a different way. Color perception is an ideal way of testing bilingual concepts because there is a huge variation between where different languages place boundaries on the color spectrum.
The new adulthood: Extended parental support as a safety net
ScienceDaily (2011-03-15) -- A new study shows that contrary to popular anxieties about slacker young adults who refuse to grow up, or indulgent parents who stifle their adult children's development by continuing to support them, there is evidence that parental assistance in early adulthood promotes progress toward autonomy and self-reliance.
Why some people are apple-shaped and others are pear-shaped
ScienceDaily (2011-03-15) -- Scientists have shed light on why some people are apple-shaped and others are pear-shaped. Researchers have pinpointed a protein that plays a part in how fat is stored in the body.
Optical illusions show vision in a new light
ScienceDaily (2011-03-15) -- Optical illusions have fascinated humans throughout history. Greek builders used an optical illusion to ensure that that their columns appeared straight (they built them with a bulge) and we are all intrigued by the mental flip involved in the case of the young girl/old woman faces. New research demonstrates a more serious use of these illusions in understanding how the brain assesses relative size.
Couples sometimes communicate no better than strangers
ScienceDaily (2011-03-14) -- Married people may think they communicate well with their partners, but psychologists have found that they don't always convey messages to their loved ones as well as they think -- and in some cases, the spouses communicate no better than strangers. The same communication problem also is true with close friends.
Computer model shows importance of feet, toes in body balance
ScienceDaily (2011-03-14) -- Researchers are using a new model to learn more about how toe strength can determine how far people can lean while keeping their balance. The results could help in building robotic body parts that will closely imitate human movement, and might lead to a new generation of advanced prosthetics.
'Good cholesterol' structure identified, could help explain protective effects
ScienceDaily (2011-03-14) -- Researchers have determined the structure of human HDL cholesterol and say the finding could help explain how this "fat packet" protects against cardiovascular diseases, including heart attack and stroke.
Unique frog helps amphibian conservation efforts
ScienceDaily (2011-03-14) -- A tropical frog -- the only one of its kind in the world -- is providing conservationists with exclusive insights into the genetic make-up of its closest endangered relatives.
Used woodwind and brass musical instruments harbor harmful bacteria and fungi, study suggests
ScienceDaily (2011-03-14) -- Used woodwind and brass instruments were found to be heavily contaminated with a variety of bacteria and fungi, many of which are associated with minor to serious infectious and allergic diseases, according to a new study.
Hawaii: New high-resolution carbon mapping techniques provide more accurate results
ScienceDaily (2011-03-15) -- Scientists have developed new, more accurate methods for mapping carbon in Hawaii's forests.
Extent and speed of lionfish spread unprecedented; Invasive marine fish may stress reefs
ScienceDaily (2011-03-15) -- The rapid spread of lionfishes along the U.S. eastern seaboard, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean is the first documented case of a non-native marine fish establishing a self-sustaining population in the region, according to recent studies.
Neanderthals were nifty at controlling fire
ScienceDaily (2011-03-15) -- A new study shows clear evidence of the continuous control of fire by Neanderthals in Europe dating back roughly 400,000 years, yet another indication that they weren't dimwitted brutes as often portrayed. But Neanderthal predecessors pushed into cold regions of Europe at least 800,000 years ago without the use of fire.
NASA study goes to Earth's core for climate insights
ScienceDaily (2011-03-11) -- The latest evidence of the dominant role humans play in changing Earth's climate comes not from observations of Earth's ocean, atmosphere or land surface, but from deep within its molten core.
Early male friendship as a precursor to substance abuse in girls
ScienceDaily (2011-03-11) -- A new study shows that girls tend to pursue mixed-gender friendships earlier than boys, and may be more likely to develop substance abuse problems during late adolescence as a result.
Reading in two colors at the same time: Patterns of synesthesia brain activity revealed
ScienceDaily (2011-03-11) -- People with synesthesia often report perceiving letters as appearing in different colors. But how do their brains accomplish this feat? What is perhaps most puzzling about this condition is that people actually claim to see two colors simultaneously when reading letters or numbers: the real color of the ink (e.g. black) and an additional -- synesthetic -- color. Now a new study has revealed the patterns of brain activity that allow some people to experience the sensation of "seeing" two colors at the same time.
Consumer beware: Rejecting an option may make you more likely to choose it later
ScienceDaily (2011-03-12) -- People make purchasing decisions by choosing between alternatives or by rejecting certain options. But a new study finds that focusing on ruling out an option can lead consumers to reverse their preferences.
Surgery without external scars is gaining traction: Organ removal through body’s orifices is minimally invasive approach to surgery
ScienceDaily (2011-03-12) -- Innovative minimally invasive procedure called Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES) is allowing surgeons to perform organ removal surgery without any visible incisions. Northwestern Medicine physicians were among the first in the US to perform several types of the procedure and are leading the charge in organ removal through the mouth or vagina.
Keys to long life? Not what you might expect
ScienceDaily (2011-03-12) -- Cheer up. Stop worrying. Don't work so hard. Good advice for a long life? In a groundbreaking study of personality as a predictor of longevity, researchers found just the opposite.
Atlantis found? Film highlights professor’s efforts to locate fabled lost city
ScienceDaily (2011-03-13) -- Could the fabled lost city of Atlantis have been located? Using satellite photography, ground-penetrating radar and underwater technology, a team of experts has been surveying marshlands in Spain to look for proof of the ancient city. If the team can match geological formations to Plato's descriptions and date artifacts back to the time of Atlantis, we may be closer to solving one of the world's greatest mysteries.
Smart materials for high-tech products: Hard, viscous or watery at the touch of a button
ScienceDaily (2011-03-13) -- Flexible and independently operating "smart materials" can adapt to changing conditions with high speed.
Molecules work the day shift to protect the liver from accumulating fat
ScienceDaily (2011-03-13) -- Scientists have discovered molecules that act as "shift workers" to maintain the daily rhythm of fat metabolism. When those molecules do not do their jobs, the liver dramatically fills with fat.
Judging couples’ chemistry influenced by serotonin
ScienceDaily (2011-03-13) -- The judgments we make about the intimacy of other couples' relationships are influenced by the brain chemical serotonin, a new study has found.
Chilly times for Chinese dinosaurs: Abundance of feathered dinosaurs during temperate climate with harsh winters
ScienceDaily (2011-03-13) -- Dinosaurs did not always enjoy mild climates. New findings show that during part of the Early Cretaceous, north-east China had a temperate climate with harsh winters. They explain the abundance of feathered dinosaurs in fossil deposits of that period.
Testosterone linked to men's ability to 'woo' potential mates
ScienceDaily (2011-03-13) -- Theories have long proposed that testosterone influences competition among males trying to attract females. Findings from a recent study give a clearer understanding of the links between testosterone and human mating behavior, and how testosterone is associated with dominance and competitive success when men battle for the attention of an attractive woman.
NASA images tsunami's effects on northeastern Japan
ScienceDaily (2011-03-13) -- The extent of inundation from the destructive and deadly tsunami triggered by the March 11, 2011, magnitude 8.9 earthquake centered off Japan's northeastern coast about 130 kilometers (82 miles) east of the city of Sendai is revealed in this before-and-after image pair from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft.
Sleep-deprived people make risky decisions based on too much optimism
ScienceDaily (2011-03-21) -- The powers that be in Las Vegas figured out something long before neuroscientists confirmed their ideas in a recent study: Trying to make decisions while sleep-deprived can lead to a case of optimism.
Rock-paper-scissors tournaments explain ecological diversity
ScienceDaily (2011-03-21) -- The mystery of biodiversity -- how thousands of similar species can co-exist in a single ecosystem -- might best be understood as the result of a massive rock-paper-scissors tournament, a new study has revealed.
Blood pressure: 100 million Americans may be unnecessarily labeled abnormal
ScienceDaily (2011-03-21) -- Current US definition of 'normal' blood pressure may unnecessarily label 100 million Americans as 'abnormal.'
Ancient human trash heaps gave rise to Everglades tree islands, research suggests
ScienceDaily (2011-03-21) -- Garbage mounds left by prehistoric humans might have driven the formation of many of the Florida Everglades' tree islands, distinctive havens of exceptional ecological richness in the sprawling marsh that are today threatened by human development.
Multi-tasking on the street not a good idea for older people
ScienceDaily (2011-03-21) -- Older adults may put themselves at risk by talking on cell phones while crossing the street, researchers report in a new study. The researchers found that adults aged 59 to 81 took significantly longer than college students to cross a simulated street while talking on a mobile phone, and their heightened cautiousness in initiating crossing did nothing to improve their safety. Older adults on cell phones also were more likely to fail to cross in the time allotted for the task.
Huge ocean 'Frisbees' spin off Brazil's coast
ScienceDaily (2011-03-21) -- Current rings have been known to exist off northeastern coast of Brazil for decades, but knowledge of their basic properties such as size, speed, depth, and rotation velocity has been limited. Researchers now describe the basic properties of 10 rings sampled between 1998 and 2000. Overall, this research has established that the North Brazil Current rings seem to be bigger, faster, and taller than previous observations suggested.
Primordial soup gets spicier: 'Lost' samples from famous origin of life researcher shed new light on Earth's first life
ScienceDaily (2011-03-21) -- Stanley Miller gained fame with his 1953 experiment showing the synthesis of organic compounds thought to be important in setting the origin of life in motion. Five years later, he produced samples from a similar experiment, shelved them and, as far as friends and colleagues know, never returned to them in his lifetime. More 50 years later, Jeffrey Bada, Miller's former student and now a professor of marine chemistry, discovered the samples in Miller's laboratory material and made a discovery that represents a potential breakthrough in the search for the processes that created Earth's first life forms.
Trauma patients protected from worse outcomes associated with so-called 'weekend effect'
ScienceDaily (2011-03-21) -- Patients who've been hurt in car or bike crashes, been shot or stabbed, or suffered other injuries are more likely to live if they arrive at the hospital on the weekend than during the week, according to new research.
A dose of safflower oil each day might help keep heart disease at bay
ScienceDaily (2011-03-21) -- A daily dose of safflower oil, a common cooking oil, for 16 weeks can improve such health measures as good cholesterol, blood sugar, insulin sensitivity and inflammation in obese postmenopausal women who have Type 2 diabetes, according to new research. This finding comes about 18 months after the same researchers discovered that safflower oil reduced abdominal fat and increased muscle tissue in this group of women after 16 weeks of daily supplementation.
domingo, 3 de abril de 2011
Keys to long life? Not what you might expect
ScienceDaily (2011-03-12) -- Cheer up. Stop worrying. Don't work so hard. Good advice for a long life? In a groundbreaking study of personality as a predictor of longevity, researchers found just the opposite.
Near-real-time map of Japan quake aftershocks
ScienceDaily (2011-03-11) -- Researchers have created a near-real-time map of the aftershocks occurring globally following the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that rocked Japan Friday.
Reading in two colors at the same time: Patterns of synesthesia brain activity revealed
ScienceDaily (2011-03-11) -- People with synesthesia often report perceiving letters as appearing in different colors. But how do their brains accomplish this feat? What is perhaps most puzzling about this condition is that people actually claim to see two colors simultaneously when reading letters or numbers: the real color of the ink (e.g. black) and an additional -- synesthetic -- color. Now a new study has revealed the patterns of brain activity that allow some people to experience the sensation of "seeing" two colors at the same time.
As we sleep, speedy brain waves boost our ability to learn
ScienceDaily (2011-03-10) -- Scientists have long puzzled over the many hours we spend in light, dreamless slumber. But a new study suggests we're busy recharging our brain's learning capacity during this traditionally undervalued phase of sleep, which can take up half the night.
Banana peels get a second life as water purifier
ScienceDaily (2011-03-10) -- To the surprisingly inventive uses for banana peels -- which include polishing silverware, leather shoes, and the leaves of house plants -- scientists have added purification of drinking water contaminated with potentially toxic metals. Minced banana peel performs better than an array of other purification materials, according to a new study.
Weed-eating fish 'key to reef survival'
ScienceDaily (2011-03-11) -- Preserving an intact population of weed-eating fish may be vital to saving the world's coral reefs from being engulfed by weed as human and climate impacts grow. A study by researchers in Australia has found weed-eaters like parrotfish and surgeonfish can only keep coral reefs clear of weed up to a point. After the weeds reach a certain density, they take over and the coral is lost.
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