|  Economic assessment of mountain pine beetle timber salvage  | A recently published study shows that while positive net revenues could be produced in West Coast and Northern Rockies states with active timber markets, the central Rocky Mountain states of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming -- which have the largest volume of standing dead timber -- would not generate positive net revenues by salvaging beetle-killed timber. | Read More » Poorly camouflaged insects can kick off a cascade of ecological impacts  | A California walking stick insect that has evolved to produce individuals with two distinct appearances -- an all-green form that camouflages well with broader leaves and a form with a white stripe running down its back that blends better with needle-like leaves -- can markedly affect its broader ecological community when the appearance of the bug is mismatched with the plant it's living on. | Read More » Parental perceptions are preventing HPV vaccination success  | Experts in pediatrics say that parental perceptions pose a major barrier to acceptance of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination — and that many of those perceptions are wrong. | Read More » Drug developed based on zebrafish studies passes Phase I clinical trial  | Zebrafish research achieved a significant milestone when the first drug developed through studies utilizing the tiny animal and then put into clinical trials passed a Phase 1 trial aimed at establishing its safety. The drug has already advanced to Phase II studies designed to determine its efficacy. | Read More » Anthropologist studies the evolutionary benefit of human personality traits  | Bold and outgoing or shy and retiring -- while many people can shift from one to the other as circumstances warrant, in general they lean toward one disposition or the other. And that inclination changes little over the course of their lives. | Read More » Risk of Amazon rainforest dieback is higher than IPCC projects  | A new study suggests the southern portion of the Amazon rainforest is at a much higher risk of dieback due to stronger seasonal drying than projections made by the climate models used in the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. | Read More » No known hominin is ancestor of Neanderthals and modern humans  | The search for a common ancestor linking modern humans with the Neanderthals who lived in Europe thousands of years ago has been a compelling subject for research. But a new study suggests the quest isn't nearly complete. The researchers, using quantitative methods focused on the shape of dental fossils, find that none of the usual suspects fits the expected profile of an ancestor of Neanderthals and modern humans. | Read More » Low vitamin D levels raise anemia risk in children  | Low levels of the "sunshine" vitamin D appear to increase a child's risk of anemia, according to new research. The study is believed to be the first one to extensively explore the link between the two conditions in children. | Read More » New explanation for star formation advanced  | Astrophysics researchers for the first time provides an explanation for the origin of three observed correlations between various properties of molecular clouds in the Milky Way galaxy known as Larson's Laws. | Read More » Hitchhiking virus confirms saga of ancient human migration  | A study of the full genetic code of a common human virus offers a dramatic confirmation of the "out-of-Africa" pattern of human migration, which had previously been documented by anthropologists and studies of the human genome. | Read More » Researchers demonstrate efficient method for converting fat cells to liver cells  | In a feat of modern-day alchemy with huge potential for regenerative medicine, Sscientists have developed a fast, efficient way to turn cells extracted from routine liposuction into liver cells. | Read More » A natural boost for MRI scans  | Using an innocuous agent that is already naturally produced in the body, researchers have developed a breakthrough method that can make contrast-enhanced MRI safer and cheaper. | Read More » Breast milk protein may be key to protecting babies from HIV  | A substance in breast milk that neutralizes HIV and may protect babies from acquiring HIV from their infected mothers has been identified for the first time by researchers. | Read More » New drug reduces negative memory  | Through analysis of the human genome, scientists have identified molecules and compounds that are related to human memory. In a subsequent pharmacological study with one of the identified compounds, the scientists found a drug-induced reduction of aversive memory. This could have implications for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder, which is characterized by intrusive traumatic memories. | Read More » Contact lens discomfort: What is it, why does it occur, how can it be treated?  | Contact lens discomfort may be the leading cause of patient dissatisfaction with, and discontinuation of, contact lens wear throughout the world -- but there is little agreement among vision researchers and eye care professionals about how to define and manage its causes. | Read More » Grazers, pollinators shape plant evolution  | It has long been known that the characteristics of many plants with wide ranges can vary geographically, depending on differences in climate. But changes in grazing pressure and pollination can also affect the genetic composition of natural plant populations, according to a new study. | Read More » Atomically thin device promises new class of electronics: Tunable electrical behavior not previously realized in conventional devices  | As electronics approach the atomic scale, researchers are increasingly successful at developing atomically thin, virtually two-dimensional materials that could usher in the next generation of computing. Integrating these materials to create necessary circuits, however, has remained a challenge. Researchers have now taken a significant step toward fabricating complex nanoscale electronics: the creation of a p-n heterojunction diode, a fundamental building block of modern electronics. | Read More » Nitrogen fertilizer remains in soils, leaks towards groundwater for decades  | Nitrogen fertilizer applied to crops lingers in the soil and leaks out as nitrate for decades towards groundwater -- "much longer than previously thought," scientists say in a new study. Thirty years after synthetic nitrogen fertilizer had been applied to crops in 1982, about 15 percent of the fertilizer still remained in soil organic matter, these scientists found. | Read More » Spatial, written language skills predict math competence  | New longitudinal research from Finland has found that children's early spatial skills and knowledge of written letters, rather than oral language skills, predict competence in math. The study included over 1,800 children and has implications for the STEM fields and workforces. | Read More » High school student discovers skeleton of baby dinosaur  | A chance find by a high school student led to the youngest, smallest and most complete fossil skeleton yet known from the iconic tube-crested dinosaur Parasaurolophus. The discovery shows that the prehistoric plant-eater sprouted its strange headgear before it celebrated its first birthday. Three-dimensional scans of nearly the entire fossil are available online, making this the most digitally accessible dinosaur to date. | Read More » Production of non-toxic flame retardants simplified  | Electronics, vehicles, textiles – almost all modern-day products contain some form of plastic. Its high combustibility means it must be protected from naked flames. New techniques simplify the production of environmentally friendly flame retardants. | Read More » Long-sought pattern of ancient light detected  | The journey of light from the very early universe to modern telescopes is long and winding. The ancient light traveled billions of years to reach us, and along the way, its path was distorted by the pull of matter, leading to a twisted light pattern. This twisted pattern of light, called B-modes, has at last been detected. The discovery, which will lead to better maps of matter across our universe, was made using the National Science Foundation's South Pole Telescope, with help from the Herschel space observatory. | Read More » Numerical validation of quantum magnetic ordering  | Numerical simulations designed to confirm the magnetic characteristics of 3D quantum materials largely match the theoretical predictions. A new study set out to use numerical simulations to validate previous theoretical predictions describing materials exhibiting so-called antiferromagneting characteristics. A recently discovered theory shows that the ordering temperature depends on two factors-namely the spin-wave velocity and the staggered magnetization. | Read More » Long-term obesity associated with poorer pancreatic cancer survival  | New results from a study show that patients with a body mass index (BMI) in the obese range live on average two to three months less after a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, compared with healthy weight patients, even after adjusting for factors that are known to predict survival for patients with this disease, such as age and disease stage. | Read More » Growing up poor, stressed impacts brain function as adult  | Poverty, coupled with stress, has long-lasting effects on brain function, according to a study published. | Read More » Lifestyle factors could put college-age women at higher risk of breast cancer  | With hopes to spark a shared conversation regarding breast cancer prevention in young adults, a researcher compiled some key prevention awareness tips for young women. | Read More » Single mutation gives virus new target  | A mutation as minute as swapping just one amino acid can completely change the target that a virus will bind to on a victim cell -- potentially shifting what kind of cell and eventually what kind of organism a virus could infect. | Read More » Shorter sleep duration, poorer sleep quality linked to Alzheimer's disease  | New study finds that shorter sleep duration and poorer sleep quality are associated with a greater ²-Amyloid burden, a biomarker for Alzheimer's disease | Read More » Bottle feeding associated with increased risk of infant stomach obstruction  | Bottle feeding appears to increase the risk infants will develop hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS), a form of stomach obstruction, and that risk seems to be magnified when mothers are older and have had more than one child. | Read More » Death by moonlight? Not always  | Is moonlight dangerous? It depends on what you are, according to a new study. "Ecologists have long viewed the darkness of a moonless night as a protective blanket for nocturnal prey species," said a wildlife biologist. | Read More » Small changes can help health service staff avoid burnout  | A survey of nurses working with older adults across three National Health Service trusts in England explored how perceptions of the workplace affect nurse wellbeing. Standardised validated measures were used to assess burnout, perceived organisational support and organisational culture. Significant associations were found between innovative organisational culture and nurses' sense of personal accomplishment, which reduce the likelihood of burnout. | Read More » Keeping our minds on moving pictures  | Neuroscientists find neural activity in the brain is harder to disrupt when we are aware of it. | Read More » Fat and fit: How dormice make optimal use of their body fat reserves  | Edible dormice store considerable amounts of fat in summer. Their fat reserves are necessary for them to survive a long hibernation – on average 8 months – in underground cavities. But how do hibernators allocate surplus body fat reserves to optimize survival? Researchers have found that animals with larger fat reserves prefer boosting their metabolism more often to shortening their hibernation. | Read More » Use of booze and drugs common among truck drivers on the road  | The use of booze and drugs among truck drivers on the road is common, but seems to be mainly linked to poor working conditions, finds a systematic analysis of the available evidence. | Read More » Time is ripe for fire detection satellite, say scientists  | Wildfire detection today is much like it was 200 years ago, relying primarily on humans to spot smoke plumes or flames. Experts in fires, satellites and remote sensing now say that the technology is ripe for a fire-spotting satellite that could snap images of the US West every few seconds to detect fires before they spread with few false alarms. The cost would be a fraction of the country's annual fire-fighting budget. | Read More » Genome of aggressive lymphoma sequenced  | Mantle cell lymphoma is a very aggressive and difficult-to-treat cancer originated in blood cells and lymph nodes. To identify the molecular alterations responsible for this tumor, and facilitate the development of new treatments, a team of scientists has sequenced the genomes of over 30 of lymphomas. The result of this work presents the first comprehensive genomic analysis of this disease. | Read More » Low-priced plastic photovoltaics  | Photovoltaic devices offer a green -- and potentially unlimited -- alternative to fossil fuel use. So why haven't solar technologies been more widely adopted? Quite simply, they're too expensive. Researchers have now come up with a technology that might help bring the prices down. | Read More » Light as medicine?  | Scientists have known for years that certain wavelengths of light in certain doses can heal, but they are only now uncovering exactly how it works. | Read More » Coffee consumption reduces risk of liver cancer  | Coffee consumption reduces risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of liver cancer, by about 40 percent, according to an up-to-date meta-analysis. Further, some data indicate that three cups of coffee per day reduce liver cancer risk by more than 50 percent. | Read More » Trust through food  | People's trust in others increases after eating food that contains the amino acid tryptophan, found in fish, soya, eggs and spinach. | Read More » Classification system proposed for green roofs  | A proposed classification system aims to better identify the unique characteristics and benefits of green roofs amid a growing industry. | Read More » Climate change increased the number of deaths  | The increased temperatures caused by ongoing climate change in Stockholm, Sweden between 1980 and 2009 caused 300 more premature deaths than if the temperature increase did not take place. In Sweden as a whole, it would mean about 1,500 more premature deaths. | Read More » Facing our fears: How horror helps  | As scores of Americans enter the darkened realms of haunted houses, nighttime hayrides and horror film marathons, monsters, ghosts and pop-culture goblins wait to give them a scare. A popular Halloween tradition, these dramatized attractions, coupled with costumes, trick-or-treat candy and festive decorations added up to an estimated $7 billion in 2011. While it may seem odd to celebrate a night of fright with so much enthusiasm, confronting what scares us isn't a new phenomenon. | Read More » Study of decline of malaria in the US could affect approach to malaria epidemic abroad  | A study of the eradication of the mosquito-borne disease in the US has implications for the approach to malaria abroad, according to scientists. | Read More » Hydrogel implant enables light-based communication with cells inside body  | As researchers develop novel therapies based on inducing specific cells to do specific things, getting the right message to the right group of cells at the right time remains a major challenge. Now researchers have developed a way to deliver a light signal to specific cells deep within the body. | Read More » Opioids for chronic pain: How patients and their doctors talk about risks  | A pilot study is believed to be the first to analyze how patients and doctors discuss potentially addictive pain medications in primary care appointments. This knowledge may ultimately lead to more effective strategies for communicating about chronic pain treatment. | Read More » Moderate to vigorous exercise boosts teens' academic performance  | Regular moderate to vigorous exercise improves teens' academic performance, and particularly seems to help girls do better in science, indicates research. | Read More » Genetic diversity of the panda immune system  | The genetic diversity within the immune system of giant panda is relatively high, according to an analysis that suggests they may be better suited to adapt to the changing environment than was previously thought. Scientists categorize the remaining six populations of giant panda according to their genetic diversity and recommend specific populations that could be bred in captivity in order to keep the population healthy. | Read More » Intervention helps older adults prepare for emergencies  | A researcher has found a way to help older adults who live independently better prepare for health emergencies. | Read More » Retirement expert: Financial planning important for non-retirees, too  | Older workers delaying retirement or putting it off entirely should carefully consider the financial-planning options available in Social Security, Medicare and employment-based retirement plans. | Read More » Shifting winds in turbine arrays  | Researchers modeling how changes in air flow patterns affect wind turbines' output power have found that the wind can supply energy from an unexpected direction: below. | Read More » Copper shock: An atomic-scale stress test  | Scientists used a powerful X-ray laser to create movies detailing trillionths-of-a-second changes in the arrangement of copper atoms after an extreme shock. Movies like these will help researchers create new kinds of materials and test the strength of existing ones. | Read More » 'A permanent talent underclass': 'Excellence gap' among American students charted  | A new report finds that high-performing American students are disproportionately white and well-off. | Read More » Model plant misled scientists about multicellular growth  | Scientists have misunderstood one of the most fundamental processes in the life of plants because they have been looking at the wrong flower, according to University of Leeds researchers. | Read More » Amping up solar in the snowy north  | What's the best way to capture photovoltaic energy where snowfall is measured in feet? | Read More » Lasers offer an automated way to test drinking water  | To keep drinking water clean, experts are constantly monitoring our supply to check it for contaminants. Now laser technology will give them a helping hand: a new system automatically analyzes water samples at the waterworks itself. | Read More » How climate change affects microbial life below the seafloor  | Sediments from the deep sea give insight into the dynamics of the deep biosphere. This "Deep Biosphere", reaching several hundred metres below the seafloor, is exclusively inhabited by microbes and is generally considered as stable. Nevertheless, only little is known about how this system developed over millennia and how this microbial life influences the cycling of carbon in the oceans. | Read More » Scientists use Flickr photos to assess value of natural tourist attractions  | Scientists use social media -- vacation photos from Flickr -- to study how people use natural areas for tourism and recreation. | Read More » Heavy air pollution in Canadian area with cancer spikes  | Levels of contaminants higher than in some of the world's most polluted cities have been found downwind of Canada's largest oil, gas and tar sands processing zone, in a rural area where men suffer elevated rates of cancers linked to such chemicals. | Read More » 'Supernatural experiences' trigger religious donations  | People who have had what they believe to be supernatural experiences are more likely to be "religious givers," with their behavior based on cost-benefit principles that apply in other transactions -- whether they be through a major online store or an auto repair shop, according to a new study. | Read More » Study points to possible treatment for brain disorders  | Scientists are working to determine how neurons are generated, which is vital to providing treatment for neurological disorders like Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. | Read More » Internet users more likely to engage in cancer-preventive behaviors  | Older men and women who used the internet were more likely to participate in screening for colorectal cancer, participate in physical activities, eat healthily, and smoke less, compared with those who did not use the internet, according to a study. | Read More » | |
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