ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

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• Local communities produce high-quality forest monitoring data, rivals that of professional foresters
• Melting Arctic sea ice could increase summer rainfall in northwest Europe suggests new study
• Study challenges soil testing for potassium and the fertilizer value of potassium chloride
• Using data science tools to discover new nanostructured materials
• Toxic ocean conditions during major extinction 93.9 million years ago quantified: Doesn't take much sulfide to impact ocean life
• Common bias known as 'endowment effect' not present in hunter-gatherer societies
• Moderate exercise not only treats, but prevents depression
• Mercury: Enduring contaminant legacy of the California Gold Rush transported by floods
• Americans would pay to help monarch butterflies
• Neutrons, electrons and theory reveal secrets of natural gas reserves
• Researchers turn to technology to discover a novel way of mapping landscapes
• Snakes on the brain: Are primates hard-wired to recognize snakes?
• Super-thin membranes clear the way for chip-sized pumps
• Breakthrough in study of aluminum should yield new technological advances
• Gold mining ravages Peru
• One, two, buckle my shoe: Importance of language to learning math
• Nurturing may protect kids from brain changes linked to poverty
• Eliminating unexplained traffic jams: New algorithm to alleviate traffic flow instabilities
• Flow from a nanoscale fluid jet measured: Jet measures 20 to 150 nanometers in diameter, just a few hundred water molecules across
• Scientists wary of shale oil and gas as U.S. energy salvation
• Carbon worlds may be waterless, NASA study finds
• NASA's great observatories begin deepest-ever probe of the universe
• Cassini gets new views of Titan's Land of Lakes
• Climate change has silver lining for grizzy bears
• Study of Brazilian Amazon shows 50,000 km of road was built in just three years
• Train your body
• Yoga practice beneficial to patients with COPD
• X-rays overused in ICU: Ultrasound safer, just as effective
• New imaging research shows increased iron in the brain in early stages of MS
• Crying wolf: Who benefits and when?
• A noble yet simple way to synthesize new metal-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction
• Social science graduates more likely to get employment than science or arts graduates
• No running for the well-heeled
• Making rubber from dandelion juice
• Problems with Alzheimer’s protein can jam up traffic in the brain
• First hospital in the world to offer patients new device for severely calcified arteries
• Smoking long or ultralong cigarettes increases risk of lung cancer
• Electronic intensive care units effective in providing remote care
• Exhaled breath biomarker may detect lung cancer
• Your pain, my gain: Feeling pleasure over the misfortune of those you envy is biological
• El Niño is becoming more active
• How rats and mice came to have a unique masticatory apparatus, key to their evolutionary success
• Virtually numbed: Immersive video gaming alters real-life experience
• Regular cocaine, cannabis use may trigger addictive behaviors
• Cafe toxins have decreased by 90% since the smoking ban
• Electronic cigarettes should be treated like tobacco
• Super-efficient rooftop units for heating and cooling
• HPV strains affecting African-American women differ from vaccines
• Keeping emotions in check may not always benefit psychological health
• Human impacts on top ocean predators along US west coast mapped
• Irukandji threat to southern waters
• Tell-tale toes point to oldest-known fossil bird tracks from Australia
• Early skin-to-skin contact linked to higher breastfeeding rates
• New technology optimizes ear infection diagnosis, management
• Can the 'right' helmet prevent concussions?
• Sports specialization, hours spent in organized sports may predict young athlete injury
• Can pediatricians successfully promote safe driving agreements between teens, parents?
• New protein fold with a transport tunnel discovered
• Yields of new varieties of agricultural crops continue to increase
• Pain processes in tennis elbow illuminated by PET scanning

Local communities produce high-quality forest monitoring data, rivals that of professional foresters Posted: 28 Oct 2013 05:54 PM PDT A recent study by researchers at the Nairobi-based World Agroforestry Centre and European and Southeast Asian institutions finds that local communities -- using simple tools like ropes and sticks -- can produce forest carbon data on par with results by professional foresters using high-tech devices.

Melting Arctic sea ice could increase summer rainfall in northwest Europe suggests new study Posted: 28 Oct 2013 05:54 PM PDT A new study offers an explanation for the extraordinary run of wet summers experienced by Britain and northwest Europe between 2007 and 2012. The study found that loss of Arctic sea ice shifts the jet stream further south than normal resulting in increased rain during the summer in northwest Europe.

Study challenges soil testing for potassium and the fertilizer value of potassium chloride Posted: 28 Oct 2013 03:48 PM PDT In the chemical age of agriculture that began in the 1960s, potassium chloride (KCl), the common salt often referred to as potash, is widely used as a major fertilizer in the Corn Belt without regard to the huge soil reserves that were once recognized for their fundamental importance to soil fertility. Soil scientists have serious concerns with the current approach to potassium management that has been in place for the past five decades because their research has revealed that soil K testing is of no value for predicting soil K availability and that KCl fertilization seldom pays.

Using data science tools to discover new nanostructured materials Posted: 28 Oct 2013 03:47 PM PDT Researchers have developed a new approach to designing novel nanostructured materials through an inverse design framework using genetic algorithms. The study is the first to demonstrate the application of this methodology to the design of self-assembled nanostructures, and could help speed up the materials discovery process. It also shows the potential of machine learning and "big data" approaches.

Toxic ocean conditions during major extinction 93.9 million years ago quantified: Doesn't take much sulfide to impact ocean life Posted: 28 Oct 2013 01:30 PM PDT Biogeochemists report that oxygen-free and hydrogen sulfide-rich waters extended across roughly five percent of the ocean 93.9 million years ago -- far more than the modern ocean's 0.1 percent but much less than previous estimates for this event. Across this event, a major biological extinction in the marine realm took place. The new work shows that only portions of the ocean need to contain sulfide to greatly impact biota.

Common bias known as 'endowment effect' not present in hunter-gatherer societies Posted: 28 Oct 2013 01:30 PM PDT Psychology and behavioral economics have experimentally identified a laundry list of common biases that cause people to act against their own apparent interests. One of these biases -- the mere fact of possessing something raises its value to its owner -- is known as the "endowment effect." A new interdisciplinary study has delved into whether this bias is truly universal, and whether it might have been present in humanity's evolutionary past.

Moderate exercise not only treats, but prevents depression Posted: 28 Oct 2013 01:30 PM PDT Physical activity is being increasingly recognized as an effective tool to treat depression. New research has taken the connection one step further, finding that moderate exercise can actually prevent episodes of depression in the long term. This is the first longitudinal review to focus exclusively on the role that exercise plays in maintaining good mental health and preventing the onset of depression later in life.

Mercury: Enduring contaminant legacy of the California Gold Rush transported by floods Posted: 28 Oct 2013 01:30 PM PDT An unintended legacy of California's gold rush, which began in 1848, endures today in the form of mercury-laden sediment. New research shows that sediment-absorbed mercury is being transported by major floods from the Sierra Nevada mountains to Central Valley lowlands.

Americans would pay to help monarch butterflies Posted: 28 Oct 2013 01:29 PM PDT Americans place high value on butterfly royalty. A just-released study suggests they are willing to support monarch butterfly conservation at high levels, up to about $6.5 billion dollars if extrapolated to all US households. If even a small percentage of the population acted upon this reported willingness, the cumulative effort would likely translate into a large, untapped potential for conservation of the iconic butterfly.

Neutrons, electrons and theory reveal secrets of natural gas reserves Posted: 28 Oct 2013 01:29 PM PDT Gas and oil deposits in shale have no place to hide. A new technique provides an inside look at pores and reveals structural information potentially vital to today's energy needs.

Researchers turn to technology to discover a novel way of mapping landscapes Posted: 28 Oct 2013 01:29 PM PDT Using computer technology to map patterns of land cover reveals types of landscapes and holds applications for numerous fields in research and planning.

Snakes on the brain: Are primates hard-wired to recognize snakes? Posted: 28 Oct 2013 01:29 PM PDT Was the evolution of high-quality vision in our ancestors driven by the threat of snakes? New work supports this theory. In a new paper, researchers show that there are specific nerve cells in the brains of rhesus macaque monkeys that respond to images of snakes.

Super-thin membranes clear the way for chip-sized pumps Posted: 28 Oct 2013 01:29 PM PDT A super-thin silicon membrane could now make it possible to drastically shrink the power source of lab-on-a-chip devices, paving the way for diagnostic devices the size of a credit card.

Breakthrough in study of aluminum should yield new technological advances Posted: 28 Oct 2013 01:29 PM PDT Researchers have announced a scientific advance that has eluded researchers for more than 100 years -- a platform to fully study and understand the aqueous chemistry of aluminum, one of the world's most important metals. It should open the door to significant advances in electronics and many other fields, ranging from manufacturing to construction, agriculture and drinking water treatment.

Gold mining ravages Peru Posted: 28 Oct 2013 01:28 PM PDT For the first time, researchers have been able to map the true extent of gold mining in the biologically diverse region of Madre De Dios in the Peruvian Amazon. The team combined field surveys with airborne mapping and high-resolution satellite monitoring to show that the geographic extent of mining has increased 400% from 1999 to 2012 and that the average annual rate of forest loss has tripled since the Great Recession of 2008.

One, two, buckle my shoe: Importance of language to learning math Posted: 28 Oct 2013 01:20 PM PDT The language a child speaks affects the rate at which they learn number words, and hearing number words in natural conversation – not just in counting routines – is a critical part of learning the meaning of numbers.

Nurturing may protect kids from brain changes linked to poverty Posted: 28 Oct 2013 01:20 PM PDT Researchers have identified changes in the brains of children growing up in poverty. Those changes can lead to lifelong problems like depression, learning difficulties and limitations in the ability to cope with stress. But the study showed that the extent of those changes was influenced strongly by whether parents were attentive and nurturing.

Eliminating unexplained traffic jams: New algorithm to alleviate traffic flow instabilities Posted: 28 Oct 2013 11:15 AM PDT If integrated into adaptive cruise-control systems, a new algorithm could mitigate the type of freeway backup that seems to occur for no reason.

Flow from a nanoscale fluid jet measured: Jet measures 20 to 150 nanometers in diameter, just a few hundred water molecules across Posted: 28 Oct 2013 11:15 AM PDT Scientists have measured the flow from a fluid jet so tiny that it would require more than 8,000 years to fill a two-liter soda bottle.

Scientists wary of shale oil and gas as U.S. energy salvation Posted: 28 Oct 2013 11:15 AM PDT After 10 years of production, shale gas in the United States cannot be considered commercially viable, according to scientists. They argue that while the use of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling for "tight oil" is an important contributor to U.S. energy supply, it is not going to result in long-term sustainable production or allow the U.S. to become a net oil exporter.

Carbon worlds may be waterless, NASA study finds Posted: 28 Oct 2013 11:15 AM PDT Planets rich in carbon, including so-called diamond planets, may lack oceans, according to NASA-funded theoretical research.

NASA's great observatories begin deepest-ever probe of the universe Posted: 28 Oct 2013 11:12 AM PDT NASA's Hubble, Spitzer and Chandra space telescopes are teaming up to look deeper into the universe than ever before. With a boost from natural "zoom lenses" found in space, they should be able to uncover galaxies that are as much as 100 times fainter than what these three great observatories typically can see.

Cassini gets new views of Titan's Land of Lakes Posted: 28 Oct 2013 11:06 AM PDT With the sun now shining down over the north pole of Saturn's moon Titan, a little luck with the weather, and trajectories that put the spacecraft into optimal viewing positions, NASA's Cassini spacecraft has obtained new pictures of the liquid methane and ethane seas and lakes that reside near Titan's north pole. The images reveal new clues about how the lakes formed and about Titan's Earth-like "hydrologic" cycle, which involves hydrocarbons rather than water.

Climate change has silver lining for grizzy bears Posted: 28 Oct 2013 10:50 AM PDT Global warming and forest disturbances may have a silver lining for threatened species of grizzly bears in Alberta, Canada.

Study of Brazilian Amazon shows 50,000 km of road was built in just three years Posted: 28 Oct 2013 10:48 AM PDT Nearly 17,000 kilometers of road were built in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest every year between 2004 and 2007. Although road-building is a major contributor to deforestation and habitat loss, the way in which road networks develop is still poorly understood. A new study is among the first to measure the number of roads built in a rainforest ecosystem over an extended period of time.

Train your body Posted: 28 Oct 2013 10:47 AM PDT For avid runners, training for the next marathon never stops. While it's important to focus on running faster or farther, physicians encourage runners to expand their training regimen and are providing the following tips for training and protecting the entire body.

Yoga practice beneficial to patients with COPD Posted: 28 Oct 2013 08:48 AM PDT Patients with COPD who practice yoga can improve their lung function, according to a study. Researchers found that lung function, shortness of breath, and inflammation all showed significant improvement after patients completed 12 weeks of training.

X-rays overused in ICU: Ultrasound safer, just as effective Posted: 28 Oct 2013 08:48 AM PDT A new study shows that the use of ultrasound testing, rather than x-rays or CT scans, in the ICU reduces patient radiation exposure and lowers costs of care.

New imaging research shows increased iron in the brain in early stages of MS Posted: 28 Oct 2013 08:48 AM PDT While it's been known for over a century that iron deposits in the brain play a role in the pathology of Multiple Sclerosis, imaging research now helps to answer the question of whether these accumulations are a cause or consequence of the disease. Iron deposits in deep gray matter suggest that the accumulation occurs very early in the disease course.

Crying wolf: Who benefits and when? Posted: 28 Oct 2013 08:48 AM PDT A crisis at work can bring out the best in colleagues, often inspiring more cooperation and self-sacrifice. A study has found that the benefits are not shared equally, however, with higher-ranking group members having the most to gain by perceived threats to the group.

A noble yet simple way to synthesize new metal-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction Posted: 28 Oct 2013 08:47 AM PDT Scientists have found a new way to synthesize highly efficient electrocatalysts based on heteroatom-doped graphene nanosheets.

Social science graduates more likely to get employment than science or arts graduates Posted: 28 Oct 2013 08:47 AM PDT Social science graduates are more likely to be employed after their first degree than graduates in other areas such as science and the arts, and a higher proportion are in managerial and senior official roles, a new report says.

No running for the well-heeled Posted: 28 Oct 2013 08:47 AM PDT If you often find yourself running after a bus, escaping a burning building or taking part in competitive athletics in high-heeled footwear, you may be storing up knee problems for later in life, according to a study published this month.

Making rubber from dandelion juice Posted: 28 Oct 2013 08:45 AM PDT Rubber can be extracted from the juice of the dandelion. Yet the decisive breakthrough to industrial manufacturing is proving to be a tough step. Scientists are now building the first ever pilot system to extract vast quantities of dandelion rubber for making tires: an important milestone on the path to rubber procurement in Europe.

Problems with Alzheimer’s protein can jam up traffic in the brain Posted: 28 Oct 2013 08:44 AM PDT Scientists have known for some time that a protein called presenilin plays a role in Alzheimer's disease, and a new study reveals one intriguing way this happens. It has to do with how important materials travel up and down brain cells.

First hospital in the world to offer patients new device for severely calcified arteries Posted: 28 Oct 2013 08:44 AM PDT Leading interventional cardiologists in New York are the first in the world to use a newly U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved device for the treatment of severely calcified coronary arteries before the placement of a cardiac stent to open a blocked artery.

Smoking long or ultralong cigarettes increases risk of lung cancer Posted: 28 Oct 2013 07:13 AM PDT Smokers of long or ultralong cigarettes are at greater risk for lung and oral cancer than smokers of regular and king-size cigarettes.

Electronic intensive care units effective in providing remote care Posted: 28 Oct 2013 07:12 AM PDT A new study of electronic intensive care units shows them to be an effective way to provide 24-hour intensive care to patients in remote locations.

Exhaled breath biomarker may detect lung cancer Posted: 28 Oct 2013 07:12 AM PDT Researchers recently discovered that lung cancer may be detected in patients by testing their exhaled breath. Preliminary studies suggest that an accurate exhaled breath biomarker could be developed for use as a clinical test.

Your pain, my gain: Feeling pleasure over the misfortune of those you envy is biological Posted: 28 Oct 2013 07:11 AM PDT By measuring the electrical activity of cheek muscles and associated neural responses, researchers show that people are actually biologically responsive to taking pleasure in the pain of others, a reaction known as "Schadenfreude."

El Niño is becoming more active Posted: 28 Oct 2013 07:11 AM PDT A new approach to analyzing geological and biological clues from the past to reconstruct El Niño activity during the past 600 years resolves disagreements and reveals that El Niño has become more active in recent decades. The work may also help yield more accurate El Niño projections with further global warming.

How rats and mice came to have a unique masticatory apparatus, key to their evolutionary success Posted: 28 Oct 2013 07:09 AM PDT Rats and mice are rodents that have been highly successful in evolutionary terms, as evidenced by their 584 present day species and their ability to adapt to very different environments. The reasons for this success are not yet clearly understood: one of them may be their masticatory apparatus, which is unique among rodents.

Virtually numbed: Immersive video gaming alters real-life experience Posted: 28 Oct 2013 07:09 AM PDT Role-playing video games can alter our experience of reality and numb us to important real-life experiences, a new study finds. Spending time immersed as a virtual character or avatar in a role-playing video game can numb you to realizing important body signals in real life.

Regular cocaine, cannabis use may trigger addictive behaviors Posted: 28 Oct 2013 07:09 AM PDT New cocaine and cannabis research reveals that regular cannabis users have increased levels of impulsive behavior. It had previously been argued that this increased impulsivity after cannabis administration was only experienced by occasional users, but that regular users were no longer affected in this way. The results provide evidence for how drug use may trigger addictive behaviors.

Cafe toxins have decreased by 90% since the smoking ban Posted: 28 Oct 2013 07:09 AM PDT Researchers, for a study on effects of the indoor smoking ban, measured the concentration of harmful compounds in a café in Barcelona before and after the anti-smoking law. The results show that toxic and carcinogenic substances dropped 90%, a finding that corroborates that of the Spanish Ministry of Health's latest report.

Electronic cigarettes should be treated like tobacco Posted: 28 Oct 2013 07:08 AM PDT Pennsylvania physicians recommend that electronic cigarettes be treated from a legislative and educational perspective just like tobacco cigarettes.

Super-efficient rooftop units for heating and cooling Posted: 28 Oct 2013 07:08 AM PDT Putting new super-efficient rooftop HVAC units in broad use would be about equal to taking 700,000 cars off the road each year in terms of saved energy and reduced pollution, according to a new study.

HPV strains affecting African-American women differ from vaccines Posted: 28 Oct 2013 07:08 AM PDT Two subtypes of human papillomavirus (HPV) prevented by vaccines are half as likely to be found in African-American women as in white women with precancerous cervical lesions, according to researchers.

Keeping emotions in check may not always benefit psychological health Posted: 28 Oct 2013 06:08 AM PDT Being able to regulate your emotions is important for well-being, but new research published in Psychological Science suggests that a common emotion regulation strategy called "cognitive reappraisal" may actually be harmful when it comes to stressors that are under our control.

Human impacts on top ocean predators along US west coast mapped Posted: 28 Oct 2013 06:08 AM PDT The California Current System along the U.S. west coast is among the richest ecosystems in the world, driven by nutrient input from coastal upwelling and supporting a great diversity of marine life. Like coastal regions in general, it is also heavily impacted by human activities. A new study reveals areas along the west coast where human impacts are highest on marine predators such as whales, seals, seabirds, and turtles.

Irukandji threat to southern waters Posted: 28 Oct 2013 06:08 AM PDT Researchers have conducted a series of climate change simulation experiments to investigate whether the dangerous tropical jellyfish, the Irukandji, is likely to establish breeding populations in the South East. It was found that while higher sea temperatures could provide an opportunity for adult Irukandji to expand their range south, increasing ocean acidification may inhibit the development of juveniles.

Tell-tale toes point to oldest-known fossil bird tracks from Australia Posted: 28 Oct 2013 06:08 AM PDT Two fossilized footprints found at Dinosaur Cove in Victoria, Australia, were likely made by birds during the Early Cretaceous, making them the oldest known bird tracks in Australia. These tracks are evidence that we had sizeable, flying birds living alongside other kinds of dinosaurs on these polar, river floodplains, about 105 million years ago.

Early skin-to-skin contact linked to higher breastfeeding rates Posted: 28 Oct 2013 06:06 AM PDT Skin-to-skin contact between mother and infant in the delivery room is associated with an increased likelihood for exclusive breastfeeding. When combined with a mother's intent to breastfeed, the likelihood was even greater.

New technology optimizes ear infection diagnosis, management Posted: 28 Oct 2013 06:05 AM PDT A new, smartphone-enabled otoscope provides clear, transmittable images of the ear drum, or tympanic membrane, which someday may allow for ear infection diagnosis without a visit to the doctor's office.

Can the 'right' helmet prevent concussions? Posted: 28 Oct 2013 06:05 AM PDT While many football helmet and mouth guard manufacturers claim that their equipment will lessen impact forces and reduce concussion risk, neither a specific brand nor a higher cost were associated with fewer concussions in adolescent athletes.

Sports specialization, hours spent in organized sports may predict young athlete injury Posted: 28 Oct 2013 06:05 AM PDT Athletes ages eight to 18 who spend twice as many hours per week in organized sports than in free play, and especially in a single sport, are more likely to be injured.

Can pediatricians successfully promote safe driving agreements between teens, parents? Posted: 28 Oct 2013 06:05 AM PDT Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teens. A study evaluated a pediatric intervention that directed families to a new web-based Checkpoints™ safe driving program for parents of teen drivers.

New protein fold with a transport tunnel discovered Posted: 28 Oct 2013 06:04 AM PDT The protein LIMP-2 is vital for both humans and animals. If it is absent – due, for example, to a hereditary disease – substances of an unknown nature, probably lipids, accumulate in the organism. Up to now, scientists were unsure what the protein looks like and how exactly it functions.

Yields of new varieties of agricultural crops continue to increase Posted: 28 Oct 2013 06:04 AM PDT Research into varieties of winter wheat, spring barley, potatoes grown for starch and sugar beet that have been introduced in the Netherlands by plant breeding companies between 1980-2010 shows that new varieties continue to yield more than their predecessors. Despite recent concerns that important crops in high-yielding regions have reached their production maximum, the rise in yield potential of new cultivars has not yet leveled off, demonstrating that plant breeding can still lead to increases in production.

Pain processes in tennis elbow illuminated by PET scanning Posted: 28 Oct 2013 06:04 AM PDT Physiological processes in soft tissue pain, such as chronic tennis elbow, can be explored using diagnostic imaging methods. A new use of positron emission tomography (PET) and a tracer for the signal receptor NK1 for visualising a physiological process is associated with pain imaging.

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