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• New 'pomegranate-inspired' design solves problems for lithium-ion batteries
• Researchers rejuvenate stem cell population from elderly mice, enabling muscle recovery
• Volcanoes, including mt. Hood, can go from dormant to active in a few months
• Fertilization destabilizes global grassland ecosystems
• Deep ocean needs policy, stewardship where it never existed, experts urge
• Psoriasis researchers identify molecular changes responsible for skin discoloration
• Archaeologists lend long-term perspective to food security and climate shock
• Using crowdsourcing to solve complex problems
• Making biodiverse agriculture part of a food-secure future
• Robotic fish aids understanding of how animals move
• Conserving potato agrobiodiversity: Top-down and bottom-up approach needed
• Repeal of Missouri's background check law associated with increase in state's murders
• Longer commutes disadvantage African-American workers
• Can citrus ward off your risk of stroke?
• Is truth stranger than fiction? Yes, especially for science fiction
• Scientific racism's long history mandates caution, experts warn

New 'pomegranate-inspired' design solves problems for lithium-ion batteries Posted: 16 Feb 2014 12:17 PM PST A novel battery electrode features silicon nanoparticles clustered like pomegranate seeds in a tough carbon rind. The design could enable smaller, lighter rechargeable batteries for electric cars, cell phones and other devices.

Researchers rejuvenate stem cell population from elderly mice, enabling muscle recovery Posted: 16 Feb 2014 12:17 PM PST Researchers have pinpointed why normal aging is accompanied by a diminished ability to regain strength and mobility after muscle injury: over time, stem cells within muscle tissues dedicated to repairing damage become less able to generate new muscle fibers and struggle to self-renew. Scientists identified for the first time a process by which the older muscle stem cell populations can be rejuvenated to function like younger cells.

Volcanoes, including mt. Hood, can go from dormant to active in a few months Posted: 16 Feb 2014 12:17 PM PST A new study suggests that the magma sitting 4-5 kilometers beneath the surface of Oregon's Mount Hood has been stored in near-solid conditions for thousands of years, but that the time it takes to liquefy and potentially erupt is surprisingly short -- perhaps as little as a couple of months.

Fertilization destabilizes global grassland ecosystems Posted: 16 Feb 2014 12:17 PM PST Fertilization of natural grasslands -- either intentionally or unintentionally as a side effect of global farming and industry -- is having a destabilizing effect on global grassland ecosystems. Using a network of natural grassland research sites around the world called the Nutrient Network, the study represents the first time such a large experiment has been conducted using naturally occurring sites. The researchers found that plant diversity in natural ecosystems creates more stable ecosystems over time because of less synchronized growth of plants.

Deep ocean needs policy, stewardship where it never existed, experts urge Posted: 16 Feb 2014 12:13 PM PST echnological advances have made the extraction of deep sea mineral and precious metal deposits feasible, and the dwindling supply of land-based materials creates compelling economic incentives for deep sea industrialization. But at what cost? Plans to begin mining nodules of valuable metals from deep ocean deposits have oceanographers concerned about the lack of public awareness or international agreements governing these habitats. "The deep sea is out of sight, out of mind ... there's a whole level of concern that isn't being expressed when it comes to deep sea industrialization," an expert said.

Psoriasis researchers identify molecular changes responsible for skin discoloration Posted: 16 Feb 2014 12:05 PM PST Itchy, painful rashes -- such as those that occur with psoriasis -- are uncomfortable, but at least they fade when the flare-up subsides. Mostly. Evidence often remains in the form of dark, discolored areas of skin, serving as a reminder of the disease. A new study however, has uncovered the molecular roots of skin discoloration that is often associated with psoriasis, suggesting the possibility of new treatments for pigmentation changes seen not only in psoriasis, but also in other conditions such as eczema and acne.

Archaeologists lend long-term perspective to food security and climate shock Posted: 16 Feb 2014 06:16 AM PST What role does pre-existing vulnerabilities play for people who experience a climate shock? Does it amplify the effects of the climate shock or is effect negligible? Archaeologists are looking into this as part of an international team examining how people can be most resilient to climate change when it comes to food security.

Using crowdsourcing to solve complex problems Posted: 16 Feb 2014 06:16 AM PST Computer scientists havae designed new forms of crowd-supported, mixed-initiative systems that tightly integrate crowd work, community process and intelligent user interfaces to solve complex problems that no machine nor person could solve alone. The systems can ease challenges in designing a custom trip or planning an academic conference, for example. Researchers created a tool that uses crowd sourcing to plan custom trip itineraries which enables an academic community to plan a conference by "community-sourcing."

Making biodiverse agriculture part of a food-secure future Posted: 15 Feb 2014 04:19 PM PST Is biodiverse agriculture an anachronism? Or is it a vital part of a food-secure future? Given the need to feed an estimated 2.4 billion more people by the year 2050, the drive toward large-scale, single-crop farming around the world may seem inexorable. But there's an important downside to this trend, argues one researcher.

Robotic fish aids understanding of how animals move Posted: 15 Feb 2014 04:18 PM PST The weakly electric black ghost knifefish of the Amazon basin has inspired scientists to develop agile fish robots that could lead to a vast improvement in underwater vehicles used to study fragile coral reefs or repair damaged deep sea oil rigs.

Conserving potato agrobiodiversity: Top-down and bottom-up approach needed Posted: 15 Feb 2014 04:18 PM PST Mashed, smashed and fried, Americans love potatoes, but only a few varieties are grown in much of North American agriculture. In South America, where potatoes originated, more than 5,000 varieties continue to exist. A geographer is gathering all the information he can about the agrobiodiversity of these uniquely adapted tubers with an eye toward sustainability of this fourth largest food crop worldwide.

Repeal of Missouri's background check law associated with increase in state's murders Posted: 15 Feb 2014 09:25 AM PST Missouri's 2007 repeal of its permit-to-purchase (PTP) handgun law, which required all handgun purchasers to obtain a license verifying that they have passed a background check, contributed to a sixteen percent increase in Missouri's murder rate, according to a new study.

Longer commutes disadvantage African-American workers Posted: 15 Feb 2014 09:24 AM PST African-Americans spend more time than any other group getting to work and in some cases spend about 15 minutes more a day than whites commuting, according to recent research.

Can citrus ward off your risk of stroke? Posted: 14 Feb 2014 05:38 PM PST Eating foods that contain vitamin C may reduce your risk of the most common type of hemorrhagic stroke, according to a new study. Vitamin C is found in fruits and vegetables such as oranges, papaya, peppers, broccoli and strawberries. Hemorrhagic stroke is less common than ischemic stroke, but is more often deadly.

Is truth stranger than fiction? Yes, especially for science fiction Posted: 14 Feb 2014 12:20 PM PST From warp drives to hyperspace, science fiction has continuously borrowed from, and sometimes anticipated, the state of the art in scientific progress. This has resulted in the perception that science and science fiction have a causal relationship, one finding direction from and fulfilling the science fantasy laid out before it. But that is rarely the case, according to Lawrence Krauss, a Foundation professor at Arizona State University.

Scientific racism's long history mandates caution, experts warn Posted: 14 Feb 2014 12:20 PM PST Racism as a social and scientific concept is reshaped and reborn periodically through the ages and according to an anthropologist, both medical and scientific researchers need to be careful that the growth of genomics does not bring about another resurgence of scientific racism.

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