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Wednesday, December 11, 2013

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News


New study highlights key role soil structure plays in water uptake by crops

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 04:31 PM PST

The increased global consumption of food means that there is an increasing yield gap between crop production and crop usage. To help tackle this issue, a team of scientists has used advanced mathematical modelling techniques to understand the precise role soil structure plays in water uptake.

Global study reveals gender-based violence vastly underreported

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 02:24 PM PST

Findings from a new global study suggest that estimates of gender-based violence prevalence based on health systems data or on police reports may underestimate the actual total prevalence by 11- to 128-fold.

Long-term use of common heartburn and ulcer medications linked to vitamin B12 deficiency

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 01:36 PM PST

Long-term use of commonly prescribed heartburn and ulcer medications is linked to a higher risk of vitamin B12 deficiency, according to a new study.

A whole new meaning to bad weather: Top ten worst weather places in the world

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 01:35 PM PST

Have you ever wondered what places on Earth experience the worst weather? A new article names the top ten places in the world that continually experience the most extreme weather.

We're not likely to get fried bygamma ray burst

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 12:25 PM PST

If recent news that researchers observed the largest gamma ray burst ever has you nervous about getting blasted into extinction, the researchers themselves say chances of that are exceedingly rare.

New compound dramatically reduces joint inflammation

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 12:25 PM PST

An experimental compound is capable of significantly reducing joint inflammation in animal models of rheumatoid arthritis.

Story of how a severed arm was reattached

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 12:25 PM PST

Strangers often stop to ask Bob Seeman why he wears a padded glove on his left hand. So he hands out a card with a link to a YouTube video, which tells the extraordinary story of how Seeman's left arm was reattached after it was nearly completely severed in a tow truck accident.

NASA's Juno Spacecraft Hears Amateur Radio Operators Say 'Hi': Message was first-of-its-kind for an interplanetary spacecraft

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 12:25 PM PST

In a first-of-its-kind activity for an interplanetary spacecraft, thousands of amateur (ham) radio operators around the world were able to say "Hi" to NASA's Juno spacecraft Oct. 9 as it swung past Earth on its way to Jupiter.

Social exclusion and consumer product preference: Drink Pepsi to fit in, but fly American to stand out?

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 09:07 AM PST

Social networks are commonplace in this day and age, and how we fit in may depend on anything from political affiliation, to religion, to even our own personality traits. According to a new study published, consumers who are okay with being rejected from a group are more likely to purchase things that set them apart from the norm.

Natural disaster relief: How does psychological distance affect donations?

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 09:07 AM PST

When natural disasters occur, news reports can tug on our hearts and influence how we react to relief efforts. According to a new study published, consumers are more likely to make a financial donation when there is a sense of immediate urgency and when the act of donating makes them feel good.

Motivating women to forget the message: When do breast cancer ads backfire?

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 09:07 AM PST

After a traumatic experience, the details we remember surrounding the event are sometimes foggy. According to a new study, consumers remember the least when they feel the most threatened.

Exercise alleviates sexual side-effects of antidepressants in women

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 09:07 AM PST

Exercise can benefit health and improve mood, and now new research shows that it has the potential to restore sexual desire and function in women adversely affected by sexual side effects related to antidepressant use.

Colleges pay attention: How do top ten rankings influence applications?

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 08:34 AM PST

Ranked lists are everywhere. If you want to pick out a college, restaurant, hotel, or doctor, chances are there's a Top 10 list that can tell you which ones are the best. According to a new study, moving a mere two spots up or down a ranked list can greatly impact consumer perception.

Does gender play role in negative word of mouth advertising?

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 08:34 AM PST

When do you complain about a faulty product or a bad shopping experience? Do you tell your friends or does a total stranger hear the brunt of your rant? According to a new study, it turns out that men and women engage in negative word-of-mouth advertising in very different ways.

Why reading your horoscope on diet days might be a bad idea

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 08:34 AM PST

Most major newspapers publish daily horoscopes, and for good reason — even when we deny being superstitious, human nature drives us to believe in our own fate. According to a new study published, consumers who believe their fate can change are more likely to exhibit impulsive or indulgent behavior after reading a negative horoscope.

Holiday shopping for friends? Looking for unique gifts might not be best plan

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 08:34 AM PST

Finding the perfect gift for that special someone is never easy, and the challenge gets even harder during the holiday season. According to a new study, consumers shopping for more than one person tend to pass on "guaranteed hits" in lieu of getting something unique for each person on their list.

RAVAN to help solve an earth science mystery

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 08:33 AM PST

The Radiometer Assessment using Vertically Aligned Nanotubes (RAVAN) satellite, scheduled for launch in 2015, will demonstrate how accurate and wide-ranging measurements of Earth's outgoing radiation can be made with a remarkably small instrument.

You are what your father eats: Father's diet before conception plays crucial role in offspring's health, study suggests

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 08:33 AM PST

Mothers get all the attention. But a study suggests that the father's diet before conception may play an equally important role in the health of their offspring. It also raises concerns about the long-term effects of current Western diets and of food insecurity.

Landsat 8 helps unveil the coldest place on Earth

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 08:10 AM PST

Scientists recently recorded the lowest temperatures on Earth at a desolate and remote ice plateau in East Antarctica, trumping a record set in 1983 and uncovering a new puzzle about the ice-covered continent.

Increased attention needed for cancer risk from silica

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 07:20 AM PST

A new review highlights new developments in understanding the health effects of silica, and calls for action to reduce illness and death from silica exposure at work.

Astronomers solve temperature mystery of planetary atmospheres

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 06:11 AM PST

An atmospheric peculiarity the Earth shares with Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune is likely common to billions of planets, astronomers have found, and knowing that may help in the search for potentially habitable worlds.

Europe's rarest orchid rediscovered on 'lost world' volcano in the Azores

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 04:21 AM PST

Researchers studying speciation of butterfly orchids on the Azores have been startled to discover that the answer to a long-debated question "Do the islands support one species or two species?" is actually "three species". Hochstetter's Butterfly-orchid, newly recognized following application of a battery of scientific techniques and reveling in a complex taxonomic history worthy of Sherlock Holmes, is arguably Europe's rarest orchid species. Under threat in its mountain-top retreat, the orchid urgently requires conservation recognition.

Right amount of fat, protein, key to babies

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 04:20 AM PST

The early childhood diet and that of the mother during pregnancy determines the health of a child later life. One researcher hopes to drastically improve the health of future generations by giving nutritional advice to pregnant women and young mothers.

Music brings memories back to the injured brain

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 04:20 AM PST

In the first study of its kind, two researchers have used popular music to help severely brain-injured patients recall personal memories.

Decoding viral puzzles

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 04:19 AM PST

The genome of viruses is usually enclosed inside a shell called capsid. Capsids have unique mechanic properties: they have to be resistant and at the same time capable of dissolving in order to release the genome into the infected cell. Scientists have coordinated a study on the mechanic properties of viruses that have improved their understanding, so much that they were able to make conjectures on the behavior of still little-known viruses.

Recipe for a Universe: Apply heat and stir

Posted: 10 Dec 2013 04:19 AM PST

Apply heat and stir; an expanding universe can emerge in a remarkably simple way, say scientists. When soup is heated, it starts to boil. When time and space are heated, an expanding universe can emerge, without requiring anything like a "Big Bang." This phase transition between a boring empty space and an expanding universe containing mass has now been mathematically described by researchers. The idea behind this result is a remarkable connection between quantum field theory and Einstein's theory of relativity.

Call for action on cutting sugar

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 05:40 PM PST

A study by researchers into the effects of sugars on our oral health recommends cutting down on the sweet additive as part of a global initiative to reduce tooth decay.Since 1990 the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that intake of "free sugars" should be less than 10% of total energy (calorie) intake. Free sugars are sugars that are added to foods by the manufacturer, cook, or consumer; plus those naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit concentrates.

35 year study finds exercise reduces risk of dementia

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 03:10 PM PST

A study that monitored the health habits of 2,235 men over a 35-year period has confirmed exercise significantly reduces the risk of dementia. Published today, the study is the longest of its kind to probe the influence of environmental factors in chronic disease.

Study suggests overdiagnosis in screening for lung cancer with low-dose CT

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 01:07 PM PST

More than 18 percent of all lung cancers detected by low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) appeared to represent an overdiagnosis, according to a study published.

Cardiovascular complications, hypoglycemia common in older patients with diabetes

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 01:07 PM PST

Cardiovascular complications and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) were common nonfatal complications in adults 60 years of age and older with diabetes, a recent study found.

Ultrasound microscopy: Aid for surgeons to make the invisible, visible

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 01:03 PM PST

Instead of waiting an hour or more, tissue can be tested almost immediately with a new ultrasound microscope, and because the reflected sound varies depending on the type of cancer, a doctor can interpret the type of disease from the image by comparing it to a reference material.

Marketing loans for fertility treatments raises ethical concerns

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 10:25 AM PST

An increase in the number of lenders specializing in loans for fertility treatments enables more people to afford the treatments, but it also raises ethical concerns. Among the concerns, doctors are marketing the loans to their patients, and some of these doctors have financial ties to specific lenders. The commentary calls for assessment and oversight of the practice.

Study shows exercise improves depression in Parkinson's patients

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 10:24 AM PST

A new study by a movement disorder neurologist found that depression improved among patients with Parkinson's disease who participated in a long-term group exercise program.

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