|  Teachers should refrain from self-deprecation when trying to engage students  | A new study finds teachers need to thread the needle between chilly distance and over-exposure of their own foibles if they want to gain the confidence of their students and avoid disruptions in the classroom. | Read More » Residents willing to pay for water improvements  | Managing storm-water runoff in urban settings is critical to keep basements dry, streets clear and passable, and streams and rivers healthy, but how much are homeowners willing to pay for it? A survey of randomly selected households concluded that people are willing to pay to reduce flooding in their own basement, but they may also place a high value on water quality and the health of local rivers and streams. | Read More » Study finds biomarker differentiating the inattentive, combined subtypes of ADHD  | Using a common test of brain functioning, researchers have found differences in the brains of adolescents with the inattentive and combined subtypes of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and teens who do not have the condition, suggesting that the test may offer a potential biomarker for differentiating the types of the disorder. | Read More » New urine test could diagnose eye disease  | You might not think to look to a urine test to diagnose an eye disease. But a new study says it can link what is in a patient's urine to gene mutations that cause retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited, degenerative disease that results in severe vision impairment and often blindness. | Read More » Where does dizziness come from?  | Researchers say they have pinpointed a site in a highly developed area of the human brain that plays an important role in the subconscious recognition of which way is straight up and which way is down. | Read More » A strange lonely planet found without a star  | An international team of astronomers has discovered an exotic young planet that is not orbiting a star. This free-floating planet, dubbed PSO J318.5-22, is just 80 light-years away from Earth and has a mass only six times that of Jupiter. The planet formed a mere 12 million years ago -- a newborn in planet lifetimes. | Read More » Better community engagement and stronger health systems are needed to tackle polio  | Two independently written articles call for a shift away from the leader-centric approach that polio eradication campaigns are currently pursuing in the three countries (Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan) where the disease remains endemic. | Read More » Explaining why infections in newborns link to later behavior problems  | Researchers exploring the link between newborn infections and later behavior and movement problems have found that inflammation in the brain keeps cells from accessing iron that they need to perform a critical role in brain development. | Read More » Carbon's new champion: Carbyne, a simple chain of carbon atoms, strongest material of all?  | Calculations show carbyne, a simple chain of carbon atoms, may be the strongest material of all. Carbyne will be the strongest of a new class of microscopic materials if and when anyone can make it in bulk. If they do, they'll find carbyne nanorods or nanoropes have a host of remarkable and useful properties. | Read More » Compact, high-power terahertz source at room temperature  | Researchers have tripled the output power of a compact, room-temperature terahertz source, a breakthrough that could lead to advances in homeland security, industrial applications, and space research. | Read More » Want ripples on your icicles? Scientists suggest adding salt  | Though it's barely the beginning of autumn, scientists are one step closer to explaining why winter's icicles form with Michelin Man-like ripples on their elongated shapes. It has been theorized that the ripples are the result of surface tension effects in the thin water film that flows over the ice as it forms. Their investigation revealed that the actual culprit is salt. | Read More » Historic trends predict future global reforestation unlikely  | Feeding a growing global population while also slowing or reversing global deforestation may only be possible if agricultural yields rise and/or per capita food consumption declines over the next century, | Read More » 'Peanut butter' test can help diagnose Alzheimer's disease, researchers find  | A dollop of peanut butter and a ruler can be used to confirm a diagnosis of early stage Alzheimer's disease, researchers have found. | Read More » The tundra: A dark horse in planet Earth's greenhouse gas budget  | There are huge amounts of organic carbon in the soil beneath the tundra that covers the northernmost woodless areas of the planet. New research findings show that the tundra may become a source of CO2 as the climate becomes warmer. | Read More » Soft shells and strange star clusters  | The beautiful, petal-like shells of galaxy PGC 6240 are captured here in intricate detail by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, set against a sky full of distant background galaxies. This cosmic bloom is of great interest to astronomers due to both its uneven structure, and the unusual clusters of stars that orbit around it -- two strong indications of a galactic merger in the recent past. | Read More » Direct 'writing' of artificial cell membranes on graphene  | Graphene emerges as a versatile new surface to assemble model cell membranes mimicking those in the human body, with potential for applications in sensors for understanding biological processes, disease detection and drug screening. | Read More » Several top websites use device fingerprinting to secretly track users  | A new study has uncovered that 145 of the Internet's 10,000 top websites track users without their knowledge or consent. The websites use hidden scripts to extract a device fingerprint from users' browsers. Device fingerprinting circumvents legal restrictions imposed on the use of cookies and ignores the Do Not Track HTTP header. The findings suggest that secret tracking is more widespread than previously thought. | Read More » Osteoporosis a major threat to women's future independence  | A new report shows that women may expect to live longer, but their quality of life will be seriously jeopardized if action to protect their bone health is not taken. The report provides solutions for fracture prevention and osteoporosis management. | Read More » Public health does not 'lose out' when merged with medicaid programs  | State public health departments do not necessarily lose funding when merged with larger Medicaid programs, according to a just-released study. | Read More » When more medicine isn't always better: High costs of unnecessary radiation for terminal cancer patients  | For cancer patients dealing with the pain of tumors that have spread to their bones, doctors typically recommend radiation as a palliative therapy. But as in many areas of medicine, more of this treatment isn't actually better. Medical evidence over the past decade has demonstrated that patients with terminal cancer who receive a single session of radiotherapy get just as much pain relief as those who receive multiple treatments. | Read More » 3D model reveals new information about iconic volcano  | The volcano on the Scottish peninsula Ardnamurchan is a popular place for the study of rocks and structures in the core of a volcano. Geology students read about it in text books and geologists have been certain that the Ardnamurchan volcano have three successive magma chambers. However, an international group of researchers has now shown that the volcano only has one single magma chamber. | Read More » Organ donor promotion brings increase in registrations  | More than 90 percent of the public supports organ donation, yet less than half the population registers as donors, surveys show. What if registration was better promoted to those who had previously turned it down? | Read More » Climate change threatens Northern American turtle habitat  | Although a turtle's home may be on its back, some North American turtles face an uncertain future as a warming climate threatens to reduce their suitable habitat. | Read More » Loss of anti-aging gene possible culprit in age-related macular degeneration  | The loss of an anti-aging gene induces retinal degeneration in mice and might contribute to age-related macular degeneration, the major cause of blindness in the elderly. Researchers say that in their animal studies, loss of expression of the aging-suppressor gene Klotho leads to characteristics observed in wet and dry macular degeneration seen in humans. Researchers say gene therapy or cell therapy might be able to induce new expression of Klotho in the aging retina. | Read More » After almost a century, a question answered; genes protect themselves against being silenced  | Researchers have settled a century-old debate over whether occurrence of DNA methylation acts to silence gene expression, or if genes are turned off by other means before they are methylated. | Read More » 'Ship in a bottle' detects dangerous vapors: Scientists trap metallic compounds to sniff out signs of hazardous solvents  | Scientists took a lesson from craftsmen of old to assemble microscopic compounds that warn of the presence of dangerous fumes from solvents. | Read More » 'Stadium waves' could explain lull in global warming  | A new article suggests that 'unpredictable climate variability' behaves in a more predictable way than previously assumed. The scientists point to the so-called 'stadium-wave' signal that propagates like the cheer at sporting events whereby sections of sports fans seated in a stadium stand and sit as a 'wave' propagates through the audience. | Read More » Wetland restoration in the northern Everglades: Watershed potential and nutrient legacies  | To most people, restoration of Florida's Everglades means recovering and protecting the wetlands of south Florida. What many don't realize is how intimately the fortunes of the southern Everglades are tied to central Florida's Lake Okeechobee and lands even further north. | Read More » Genes predispose some people to focus on the negative  | Some people are genetically predisposed to see the world darkly, new research finds. According to researchers, a previously known gene variant can cause individuals to perceive emotional events -- especially negative ones -- more vividly than others. | Read More » Gene movements observed in vivo  | Certain parts of DNA are highly mobile and their dynamic motion participates in controlling gene expression. Scientists have just developed a method of observing the organization and movements of the genome in time and space. The researchers succeeded in marking then monitoring parent genes during cell division. | Read More » Is a constructive conservation the last chance for biodiversity? Pragmatic approach to saving what can be saved  | How can biodiversity be preserved in a world in which traditional ecosystems are increasingly being displaced by "human-made nature"? Biologists have developed a new concept for conservation measures that incorporates current landscapes formerly considered ecologically "of little value". Numerous experiences from islands have shown that this concept has a positive effect on biodiversity. Now the authors are proposing applying these experiences to other landscape scenarios. | Read More » Guardrail barrier made with Mediterranean tapeweed residues  | Researchers have developed a guardrail barrier from seagrass residues in order to minimize the risk of injuries on roads. | Read More » Flawed diamonds: Gems for new technology  | Scientists have made the first detailed observation of how energy travels through diamonds that contain nitrogen-vacancy centers. The unexpected and attractive properties of these "flawed" diamonds put them in the spotlight as promising candidates for a variety of technological advances. | Read More » Sticks and stones: Brain releases natural painkillers during social rejection  | "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me," goes the playground rhyme that's supposed to help children endure taunts. But a new study suggests that there's more going on inside our brains when someone snubs us – and that the brain may have its own way of easing social pain. | Read More » As sea level rises, Everglades' freshwater plants perish  | Satellite imagery over the southeastern Everglades confirms long-term trends of mangrove expansion and sawgrass habitat loss near the shore. | Read More » New model for neurotransmitter release, proposed by Nobel prize winner  | New research challenges long-standing ideas on how neurotransmitter gets released at neuronal synapses. | Read More » Genetic variant that increases testicular cancer risk in caucasians evolved to protect light skin  | One of the most important proteins implicated in cancer is p53. Researchers have identified a DNA sequence variation in a p53-binding site that is more prevalent in Caucasians than in Africans and is associated with a very large risk of testicular cancer but may protect light-skinned individuals against harmful ultraviolet rays. The study offers insights into the evolution of DNA sequence variations in p53-binding sites, and it could lead to improvements in personalized treatment strategies. | Read More » Elephants know what it means to point to something, no training required  | When people want to direct the attention of others, they naturally do so by pointing, starting from a very young age. Now, researchers have shown that elephants spontaneously get the gist of human pointing and can use it as a cue for finding food. That's all the more impressive given that many great apes fail to understand pointing when it's done for them by human caretakers, the researchers say. | Read More » How red crabs on Christmas Island speak for the tropics  | Research has found that erratic rainfall -- which could become more irregular as a result of climate change -- could be detrimental to animals that migrate with the dry-wet seasonal cycle. The researchers studied the annual mating migration of the land-dwelling Christmas Island red crab in order to help scientists understand the consequences of climate change for the millions of migratory animals in Earth's tropical zones. | Read More » Hybrid cars are status symbol of sorts for seniors  | Paying extra bucks to "go green" in a hybrid car may pay off in self-esteem and image for older drivers, as well as give a healthy boost to the environment. | Read More » Laser technique enables 3-D analysis and natural color images  | A new technology invented to automate the laborious process of preparing plant roots for phenotyping has morphed into a powerful tool for exploring the three-dimensional structure of small objects. | Read More » Eat more, weigh less: Worm study provides clues to better fat-loss therapies for humans  | Scientists have discovered key details of a brain-to-body signaling circuit that enables roundworms to lose weight independently of food intake, and there are reasons to suspect the circuit exists in a similar form in humans and other mammals. | Read More » Brain development differs in children who stutter  | Researchers say study results could increase understanding of brain and speech production, improving treatment. | Read More » How microbes survive in freezing conditions  | Most microbial researchers grow their cells in petri dishes to study how they respond to stress and damaging conditions. But researchers tried something almost unheard of: Studying microbial survival in ice to understand how microorganisms could survive in ancient permafrost, or perhaps even buried in ice on Mars. | Read More » A silent epidemic: Minor traumatic brain injury  | In the United States, approximately 1.4 million people suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year. Of those injuries, three out of four are minor TBI (mTBI) -- a head injury that causes a temporary change in mental status including confusion, an altered level of consciousness, or perceptual or behavioral impairments. | Read More » Massive spruce beetle outbreak in Colorado tied to drought  | A new study indicates drought high in the northern Colorado mountains is the primary trigger of a massive spruce beetle outbreak that is tied to long-term changes in sea-surface temperatures from the Northern Atlantic Ocean, a trend that is expected to continue for decades. | Read More » Discovery should save wheat farmers millions of dollars  | The global wheat industry sometimes loses as much as $1 billion a year because prolonged rainfall and high humidity contribute to grains germinating before they are fully mature. This phenomenon, known as pre-harvest sprouting or PHS, has such important economic repercussions for farmers around the world that scientists have been working on finding a solution to the problem for at least a couple of decades. Findings now suggest that the solution may lie not with genetics alone, but rather with a combination of genetic and epigenetic factors. | Read More » | |
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