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.