ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

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• Why some geckos lose their ability to stick to surfaces
• An avocado a day may help keep bad cholesterol at bay
• Burnt-out workers more likely to make irrational decisions
• University or University of Life? Neither provides workers with necessary people skills
• Does 'dyslexia' disable teachers?
• Staying in touch during out-of-office hours damages workers' wellbeing
• Good quality me-time vital for home and work wellbeing
• How the 'beast quake' is helping scientists track real earthquakes
• Deep Space Climate Observatory to provide 'EPIC' views of Earth
• Observatories take an unprecedented look into superstar Eta Carinae
• Misfit or Miss Goody Two Shoes? Adolescent misperceptions abound
• Type 2 diabetes risk varies with magnesium intake, genes and ethnicity
• Music cuts across cultures
• Study finds partisanship most fierce among highly educated Americans
• Muslims and Latinos much more prominent in TV crime news than in real-life crime
• Research on jealousy: Impact of sexual vs. emotional infidelity
• New discoveries in key pathway for neurological diseases
• 'Seeing' hydrogen atoms to unveil enzyme catalysis that may play key role in cancer drug development
• Wave energy integration costs should compare favorably to other energy sources
• Are human behaviors affecting bird communities in residential areas?
• Major study sends clear safety message to prevent brain injury in children
• Doctor warns against 'keepsake' ultrasounds
• TV use, unhealthy eating linked
• Broad immune response may be needed to destroy latent HIV
• Prognostic test developed for E2F4 in breast cancer
• Beer, bread yeast-eating bacteria aid human health
• Which fossil fuel reserves must stay in the ground to avoid dangerous climate change?
• Couples' conflicts: Withdrawal or expecting your romantic partner to mind-read hurts relationships, but in different ways
• Nutrient sensor in key growth-regulating metabolic pathway identified
• Shedding light on why blue LEDS are so tricky to make
• Caregiver, families with mentally ill members all need help, CWRU researchers find
• Study of ancient dogs in the Americas yields insights into human, dog migration
• Tracking subtle brain mutations, systematically
• Cheap asphalt provides 'green' carbon capture
• Coral reefs threatened by a deadly combination of changing ocean conditions
• Oil sand mining is not polluting Athabasca Delta, new sampling method reveals
• Ohio's diversion program helps juvenile offenders with behavioral health issues
• A potential long-lasting treatment for sensitive teeth
• What's in the grime tarnishing the Taj Mahal?
• Expressing anger linked with better health in some cultures
• Nanowire clothing could keep people warm, without heating everything else
• Review article estimates annual US cost of psoriasis in 2013
• PTSD doubles diabetes risk in women
• Brain imaging may help predict future behavior
• How society makes it worse for people who self-harm
• Levitation recreates nature's dumbbells
• Sudden jump in a storm's lightning might warn a supercell is forming
• Sticking to lifestyle guidelines may reduce risk for certain cancers and for overall mortality
• Foot-powered cell phone charger for world's needy
• Although flu viruses are a moving target, this season's vaccine still offers protection
• Physical recovery in critically ill patients can predict remission of anxiety, PTSD symptoms
• Genetics in depression: What's known, what's next
• Brain scientists figure out how a protein crucial to learning and memory works
• New approach may lead to inhalable vaccines for influenza, pneumonia
• Microfluidics to accelerate cell membrane research
• Forget the selfish gene: Evolution of life is driven by the selfish ribosome, research suggests
• Genome wide expression changes in vascular tissue identified due to infection/diet
• Cool deep-water protects coral reefs against heat stress
• Onions overwintered in low tunnels successfully grown by scientists
• New light shed on electron spin flips

Why some geckos lose their ability to stick to surfaces Posted: 07 Jan 2015 05:49 PM PST Biologists have found that evolution can downgrade or entirely remove adaptations a species has previously acquired, giving the species new survival advantages. The researchers focused their attention on geckos, specifically the adhesive system that allows geckos to cling to surfaces. They found that gecko species in which the adhesive system was either lost or simplified saw elevated rates of evolution related to morphology and locomotion.

An avocado a day may help keep bad cholesterol at bay Posted: 07 Jan 2015 05:48 PM PST Individuals on a moderate-fat diet who ate an avocado every day had lower bad cholesterol than those on a similar diet without an avocado a day or on a lower-fat diet, researchers report.

Burnt-out workers more likely to make irrational decisions Posted: 07 Jan 2015 05:46 PM PST Employees who are suffering from burnout are more likely to make spontaneous and irrational decisions. Analysis showed that participants who showed signs of burnout displayed more spontaneous and irrational decision-making. They were also more likely to avoid making decisions.

University or University of Life? Neither provides workers with necessary people skills Posted: 07 Jan 2015 05:46 PM PST Whilst university degrees and work experience offer value in terms of employees' work performance, neither prepare individuals for the softer people skills necessary in the workplace. In a study of 2,500 individuals, neither a degree nor experience were related to an employees' performance in softer skills, such as building relationships with others or giving support. Speaking of this link, the authors suggest that such people skills may be innate or developed earlier in childhood.

Does 'dyslexia' disable teachers? Posted: 07 Jan 2015 05:46 PM PST Different labels for difficulties with reading have been found to be associated with varying beliefs in how effective teachers believe they can be. Researchers asked a sample of primary school teachers to complete two questionnaires about children who were having difficulty with learning to read. One questionnaire sought to discover how much the teachers believed they could do to help the children. The other questionnaire sought to discover the extent to which the teachers believed that the children's difficulties were 'essential'- that is, how far they marked out the difficulties as having a distinct biological basis.

Staying in touch during out-of-office hours damages workers' wellbeing Posted: 07 Jan 2015 05:45 PM PST Employees using various technological devices to stay "switched on" for work outside of office hours may face detrimental effects to their wellbeing and private life.

Good quality me-time vital for home and work wellbeing Posted: 07 Jan 2015 05:45 PM PST High quality me-time not only improves your psychological wellbeing it can also make you a more engaged employee.

How the 'beast quake' is helping scientists track real earthquakes Posted: 07 Jan 2015 05:44 PM PST Seismologists will again be monitoring the ground-shaking cheers of Seahawks fans, this year with a bigger team, better technology and faster response times. Scientists with the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network will install instruments to provide real-time monitoring of the stadium's movement during the 2015 NFL playoffs.

Deep Space Climate Observatory to provide 'EPIC' views of Earth Posted: 07 Jan 2015 01:23 PM PST NASA has contributed two Earth science instruments for NOAA's space weather observing satellite called the Deep Space Climate Observatory or DSCOVR, set to launch in Jan., 2015. One of the instruments called EPIC or Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera will image the Earth in one picture, something that hasn't been done before from a satellite. EPIC will also provide valuable atmospheric data.

Observatories take an unprecedented look into superstar Eta Carinae Posted: 07 Jan 2015 01:23 PM PST New findings include Hubble Space Telescope images that show decade-old shells of ionized gas racing away from the Superstar Eta Carinae at a million miles an hour, and new 3-D models that reveal never-before-seen features of the stars' interactions.

Misfit or Miss Goody Two Shoes? Adolescent misperceptions abound Posted: 07 Jan 2015 01:23 PM PST It's true: teens are misunderstood. But apparently, teens themselves have dramatic misperceptions about what their peers are doing when it comes to sex, drugs and studying, possibly prompting them to conform to social norms that don't exist.

Type 2 diabetes risk varies with magnesium intake, genes and ethnicity Posted: 07 Jan 2015 01:23 PM PST A new study investigated the complex interactions between magnesium intake, genes and ethnicity in determining risk for type 2 diabetes in two populations of women. The specific associations yielded by the analysis illustrate how health guidance could become considerably more personalized.

Music cuts across cultures Posted: 07 Jan 2015 01:22 PM PST Whether you are a Pygmy in the Congolese rainforest or a hipster in downtown Montreal, certain aspects of music will touch you in exactly the same ways. Researchers found that although the groups felt quite differently about whether specific pieces of music made them feel good or bad, their subjective and physiological responses to how exciting or calming they found the music to be appeared to be universal.

Study finds partisanship most fierce among highly educated Americans Posted: 07 Jan 2015 12:11 PM PST A new study has found partisanship is at its highest levels among the most-educated Americans, who gravitate toward facts that agree with their own political leanings.

Muslims and Latinos much more prominent in TV crime news than in real-life crime Posted: 07 Jan 2015 12:11 PM PST A new study found that Muslims and Latinos were significantly overrepresented, and African-Americans largely missing, in crime stories aired over five years on prominent network and cable breaking news programs.

Research on jealousy: Impact of sexual vs. emotional infidelity Posted: 07 Jan 2015 12:11 PM PST In the largest study to date on infidelity, researchers have learned that men and women are different when it comes to feeling jealous. In a poll of nearly 64,000 Americans this study provides the first large-scale examination of gender and sexual orientation differences in response to potential sexual versus emotional infidelity in US adults.

New discoveries in key pathway for neurological diseases Posted: 07 Jan 2015 12:07 PM PST A new intermediate step and unexpected enzymatic activity in a metabolic pathway in the body, which could lead to new drug design for psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases, has been discovered by researchers. This pathway produces several neurotransmitter regulators and is responsible for metabolizing nearly 99 percent of the tryptophan in the body. Tryptophan is a precursor of serotonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for mood.

'Seeing' hydrogen atoms to unveil enzyme catalysis that may play key role in cancer drug development Posted: 07 Jan 2015 12:07 PM PST Scientists have used a new instrument to map an enzyme that could play an important role in anti-cancer drug development.

Wave energy integration costs should compare favorably to other energy sources Posted: 07 Jan 2015 11:08 AM PST A new analysis suggests that large-scale wave energy systems developed in the Pacific Northwest should be comparatively steady, dependable and able to be integrated into the overall energy grid at lower costs than some other forms of alternative energy, including wind power.

Are human behaviors affecting bird communities in residential areas? Posted: 07 Jan 2015 11:07 AM PST A new study shows that habitat alteration may be less important than other factors-- such as human behavior-- in driving the effects of "exurban" development on bird communities. These unexpected results are fueling more questions that may ultimately lead to informed landowners lessening their impacts on local wildlife.

Major study sends clear safety message to prevent brain injury in children Posted: 07 Jan 2015 11:07 AM PST An exhaustive analysis of data from more than 40,000 cases of brain trauma in children provides convincing evidence that protecting children in advance from head injuries is the key to reducing their severity.

Doctor warns against 'keepsake' ultrasounds Posted: 07 Jan 2015 11:07 AM PST Expectant parents should avoid the use of ultrasounds for nonmedical reasons, according to maternal-fetal medicine experts. "Ultrasound is a valuable tool when done for medical purposes by trained professionals," said one physician. "But this technology should not be used for entertainment purposes to see an image of a baby or to identify gender."

TV use, unhealthy eating linked Posted: 07 Jan 2015 10:39 AM PST People who watch excessive amounts of TV tend to eat more unhealthy foods and might not understand the foundations of a healthy diet, a study suggests.

Broad immune response may be needed to destroy latent HIV Posted: 07 Jan 2015 10:39 AM PST A major barrier to finding a cure for HIV/AIDS is the presence of latent HIV in the cells of chronically infected individuals. But researchers may have now pinpointed a strategy for eliminating the residual virus.

Prognostic test developed for E2F4 in breast cancer Posted: 07 Jan 2015 10:14 AM PST By looking at the expression levels of downstream genes of the regulators in breast cancer, researchers have identified a gene signature in E2F4 that is predictive of estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer. The findings define a new opportunity for personalizing medicine for women whose Oncotype DX assay results classify them as of 'intermediate-risk for recurrence.'

Beer, bread yeast-eating bacteria aid human health Posted: 07 Jan 2015 10:14 AM PST Bacteria that have evolved to eat their way through yeast in the human gut could inform the development of new treatments for people suffering from bowel diseases, experts report.

Which fossil fuel reserves must stay in the ground to avoid dangerous climate change? Posted: 07 Jan 2015 10:14 AM PST A third of oil reserves, half of gas reserves and over 80% of current coal reserves globally should remain in the ground and not be used before 2050 if global warming is to stay below the 2°C target agreed by policy makers, according to new research.

Couples' conflicts: Withdrawal or expecting your romantic partner to mind-read hurts relationships, but in different ways Posted: 07 Jan 2015 10:13 AM PST When you have a conflict with your significant other, do you withdraw like a turtle into its shell? Or do you expect your partner to be a mind reader about what ticks you off? Both of those can be harmful, but in different ways and for different reasons, according to a new study.

Nutrient sensor in key growth-regulating metabolic pathway identified Posted: 07 Jan 2015 10:13 AM PST For the first time, scientists have identified a protein that appears to be a nutrient sensor for the key growth-regulating mTORC1 metabolic pathway.

Shedding light on why blue LEDS are so tricky to make Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:39 AM PST Scientists have uncovered the mystery of why blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are so difficult to make, by revealing the complex properties of their main component -- gallium nitride -- using sophisticated computer simulations.

Caregiver, families with mentally ill members all need help, CWRU researchers find Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:39 AM PST Listening to older sisters of mentally ill siblings discuss their mothers' difficult caregiving experiences made a researcher wonder if something important about families was missed in a prior study that focused on women caregivers of mentally ill family members.

Study of ancient dogs in the Americas yields insights into human, dog migration Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:39 AM PST A new study suggests that dogs may have first successfully migrated to the Americas only about 10,000 years ago, thousands of years after the first human migrants crossed a land bridge from Siberia to North America.

Tracking subtle brain mutations, systematically Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:31 AM PST DNA sequences were once thought to be identical from cell to cell, but it's increasingly understood that mutations can arise during brain development that affect only certain groups of brain cells. A new technique allows these subtle mutation patterns to be traced and mapped spatially for the first time.

Cheap asphalt provides 'green' carbon capture Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:31 AM PST Scientists have turned asphalt into an effective, environmentally friendly carbon-capture material for use at natural gas wellheads.

Coral reefs threatened by a deadly combination of changing ocean conditions Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:31 AM PST The lowering of the ocean's pH is making it harder for corals to grow their skeletons and easier for bioeroding organisms to tear them down. Erosion rates increase tenfold in areas where corals are also exposed to high levels of nutrients, according to a new study. As sea level rises, these reefs may have a harder time growing toward the ocean surface, where they get sunlight they need to survive.

Oil sand mining is not polluting Athabasca Delta, new sampling method reveals Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:31 AM PST A new study into the pre-industrial baseline levels of heavy metals in sediment carried by the Athabasca River shows that emissions from the Alberta oil sands and other human activities have not yet increased the concentrations traveling to the Athabasca Delta around 200 kilometers from the oil sands.

Ohio's diversion program helps juvenile offenders with behavioral health issues Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:31 AM PST An evaluation of Ohio's Behavioral Health/Juvenile Justice initiative in 11 counties found the program benefits most young offenders diverted from detention centers to community-based agencies to treat mental health issues, drug problems or both.

A potential long-lasting treatment for sensitive teeth Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:31 AM PST Rather than soothe and comfort, a hot cup of tea or cocoa can cause people with sensitive teeth a jolt of pain. But scientists are now developing a new biomaterial that can potentially rebuild worn enamel and reduce tooth sensitivity for an extended period. They have tested the material on dogs.

What's in the grime tarnishing the Taj Mahal? Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:29 AM PST Every several years, workers apply a clay mask to India's iconic but yellowing Taj Mahal to remove layers of grime and reveal the white marble underneath. Now scientists are getting to the bottom of what kinds of pollutants are discoloring one of the world's celebrated wonders. Their findings could help inform efforts to protect the mausoleum and other surfaces from pollution.

Expressing anger linked with better health in some cultures Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:29 AM PST In the US and many Western countries, people are urged to manage feelings of anger or suffer its ill effects -- but new research with participants from the US and Japan suggests that anger may actually be linked with better, not worse, health in certain cultures.

Nanowire clothing could keep people warm, without heating everything else Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:29 AM PST To stay warm when temperatures drop outside, we heat our indoor spaces -- even when no one is in them. But scientists have now developed a novel nanowire coating for clothes that can both generate heat and trap the heat from our bodies better than regular clothes. They now report on their technology, which could help us reduce our reliance on conventional energy sources.

Review article estimates annual US cost of psoriasis in 2013 Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:29 AM PST The annual US cost of psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory skin condition, was estimated to be between $112 billion and $135 billion in 2013, according to a review article.

PTSD doubles diabetes risk in women Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:29 AM PST Women with post-traumatic stress disorder are nearly twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared with women who don't have PTSD, according to new research. The longitudinal cohort study provides the strongest evidence to date of a causal relationship between PTSD and type 2 diabetes.

Brain imaging may help predict future behavior Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:29 AM PST Noninvasive brain scans have led to basic science discoveries about the human brain, but they've had only limited impacts on people's day-to-day lives. A review article highlights a number of recent studies showing that brain imaging can help predict an individual's future learning, criminality, health-related behaviors, and response to drug or behavioral treatments. The technology may offer opportunities to personalize educational and clinical practices.

How society makes it worse for people who self-harm Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:25 AM PST Social attitudes are reinforcing the negative beliefs towards people who self harm, according to research. The first ever study of the life stories of people who self-harm and who were also diagnosed with a personality disorder revealed that several spoke of being refused pain relief while being sutured by hospital staff. Others had met staff who thought they were immune to pain because they self-harmed.

Levitation recreates nature's dumbbells Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:25 AM PST Using magnetic levitation to imitate weightlessness, physicists have manufactured solid wax models of splash form tektites. "These wax models provide the first direct experimental validation for numerical models of the equilibrium shapes of spinning droplets. This research is of importance to fundamental physics and also to study of tektite formation," an author said.

Sudden jump in a storm's lightning might warn a supercell is forming Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:24 AM PST A sudden jump in the number of lightning strikes inside a garden-variety thunderstorm might soon give forecasters a new tool for predicting severe weather and issuing timely warnings, according to new research. The sudden increase in lightning is one sign a normal storm is rapidly evolving into a supercell, with a large rotating updraft -- or mesocyclone -- at its heart.

Sticking to lifestyle guidelines may reduce risk for certain cancers and for overall mortality Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:24 AM PST Following cancer prevention guidelines from the American Cancer Society may modestly reduce your overall risk of developing cancer and have a greater impact on reducing your overall risk of dying early, a study of nearly a half-million Americans has found. Having a healthy body weight and staying active appeared to have the most positive impact.

Foot-powered cell phone charger for world's needy Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:24 AM PST Engineering students are field-testing their foot-powered cell phone charger in rural villages of the Kingdom of Lesotho. The sophomores hope to sell chargers which use ratchet mechanics.

Although flu viruses are a moving target, this season's vaccine still offers protection Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:23 AM PST The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that flu activity is "high" or "widespread" in 43 states and call it an epidemic this season. Most of the cases are caused by the H3N2 strain.

Physical recovery in critically ill patients can predict remission of anxiety, PTSD symptoms Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:23 AM PST Better physical functioning — basic and complex activities considered essential for maintaining independence — is associated with remission of general anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, a two-year longitudinal study involving 13 intensive care units in four U.S. hospitals has found.

Genetics in depression: What's known, what's next Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:23 AM PST Even with modern genomewide analysis techniques, it has proven difficult to identify genetic factors affecting risk for depression, according to a new review article. "Given the established heritability of depression, there is every reason to expect that with larger studies we will be able to identify genetic loci," said one author. "Identifying ways to generate these larger samples is one of the many challenges before us."

Brain scientists figure out how a protein crucial to learning and memory works Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:23 AM PST Researchers have found out how a protein crucial to learning works: by removing a biochemical "clamp" that prevents connections between nerve cells in the brain from growing stronger. The finding moves neuroscientists a step closer to figuring out how learning and memory work, and how problems with them can arise.

New approach may lead to inhalable vaccines for influenza, pneumonia Posted: 07 Jan 2015 07:14 AM PST A novel approach to creating inhalable vaccines using nanoparticles has been uncovered by researchers, showing promise for targeting lung-specific diseases, such as influenza, pneumonia and tuberculosis.

Microfluidics to accelerate cell membrane research Posted: 07 Jan 2015 07:14 AM PST Life processes depend fundamentally on phenomena occurring on the membranes separating cells from their environment. Until now poorly understood, the mechanisms responsible for transport through the cell membrane will be able to be studied faster and more cheaply - thanks to a microfluidic system recently developed. The system enables the serial formation of cell membranes and measurement of the processes taking place on them.

Forget the selfish gene: Evolution of life is driven by the selfish ribosome, research suggests Posted: 07 Jan 2015 07:14 AM PST Since the discovery of how DNA encodes genetic information, most research on the evolution of life has focused on genes. According to the 'selfish gene' theory, cells and organisms exist simply as packages to protect and transmit genes. New research challenges this idea, proposing instead that if anything is 'selfish' it must be the ribosome. That upends everything we think we know about the evolution of life and, in fact, the function of ribosomes themselves.

Genome wide expression changes in vascular tissue identified due to infection/diet Posted: 07 Jan 2015 07:14 AM PST Although it has been shown that a diet high in fat and exposure to certain bacteria can cause atherosclerosis, researchers have for the first time identified distinct gene pathways that are altered by these different stimuli. These findings suggest that future therapies for this disease may need to be individualized.

Cool deep-water protects coral reefs against heat stress Posted: 07 Jan 2015 07:11 AM PST Cool currents from the deep ocean could save tropical corals from lethal heat stress. Researchers observed internal waves preserving corals in the Andaman Sea.

Onions overwintered in low tunnels successfully grown by scientists Posted: 07 Jan 2015 07:11 AM PST In response to high demand for year-round local produce, researchers report they have successfully grown bulbing onions planted in fall for a spring harvest with the aid of inexpensive low tunnels.

New light shed on electron spin flips Posted: 07 Jan 2015 07:11 AM PST Researchers have derived a new set of equations that allows for calculating electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) transition probabilities with arbitrary alignment and polarization of the exciting electromagnetic radiation.

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