ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Being kind to others does make you 'slightly happier'
• Understanding of norms: Children overeagerly seeking social rules
• Urban warming slows tree growth, photosynthesis
• Physicists 'dissolve' water in an emerald
• Electrons in graphene behave like light, only better
• For normal heart function, look beyond the genes
• Corporal punishment is still legal (and used) in US public schools in 19 states
• Gulf Stream slowdown tied to changes in Southern Hemisphere
• Case of Earth's missing continental crust solved: It sank
• Researchers map prostate cancer relapse using C-11 Choline PET and MRI
• Scientists identify new lead in search for Parkinson's cure
• The great feeding-frenzy: Species-rich food webs produce biomass more efficiently
• Jet-lag is given the swerve by adjusting meal times on the ground, find researchers
• New method to detect aging cells, and aid rejuvenation therapies, developed by researchers
• How the brain consolidates memories during sleep
• Genome: It's all about architecture
• Epigenetics provides new insights into the pathogenesis of lymphoma
• Vitamin E may prevent pneumonia in nonsmoking elderly men
• New advances in solar cell technology
• Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2016: Making the world's smallest machines
• Examining the social networks of sharks
• Revising the meaning of 'prion'
• New technology helps pinpoint sources of water contamination
• String pulling bees provide insight into spread of culture
• 2-D boron may be best for flexible electronics
• Failed replication shows literary fiction doesn't boost social cognition
• All work and no play with children make moms less happy parents
• Electron beam microscope directly writes nanoscale features in liquid with metal ink
• Earthquake risk: New fault discovered in earthquake-prone Southern California region
• 'Atomic sandwiches' could make computers 100X greener
• Detonating white dwarfs as supernovae
• Family Drug and Alcohol Court's 'humane' approach keeps more families together
• Exercise releases hormone that helps shed, prevent fat
• Low lead levels in children negatively affect test scores
• Ability to process speech declines with age
• Scientists find new path in brain to ease depression
• Soil microbes flourish with reduced tillage
• Cannabis reduces creativity, but user generally not aware
• Culex mosquitoes do not transmit zika virus, study finds
• Sex before sport doesn't negatively impact performance
• Psychotherapy sessions are best in the morning when levels of helpful hormone are high
• A breakthrough in the study of how things break, bend and deform
• Stimulating neurons could protect against brain damage
• Simulations show how to turn graphene's defects into assets
• Developing brain regions in children hardest hit by sleep deprivation
• Large animals, such as the imperious African elephant, most vulnerable to impact of human expansion
• Are planets setting the sun's pace?
• How fast will we need to adapt to climate change?
• Disease-causing gut bacteria common in children
• Astronomy: Discovery of an extragalactic hot molecular core
• Study solves 50-year-old puzzle tied to enigmatic, lone wolf waves
• Bladder cancer research rife with new approaches
• NFL players get back in the game after upper spine surgery
• Study compares treatments for urinary incontinence in women
• Measuring the flowing forces and bending on aquatic plants
• New classes of electron orbits discovered
• Pyroelectric peptide microtubes turn heat to electric currents
• Omnidirectional mobile robot has just two moving parts
• Canine hyperactivity reflected in the blood count
• New mechanism for strengthening materials

Being kind to others does make you 'slightly happier' Posted: 05 Oct 2016 07:22 AM PDT Researchers conclude that being kind to others causes a small but significant improvement in subjective well-being. The review found that the effect is lower than some pop-psychology articles have claimed, but also concluded that future research might help identify which kind acts are most effective at boosting happiness.

Understanding of norms: Children overeagerly seeking social rules Posted: 05 Oct 2016 07:20 AM PDT Three-year-olds quickly absorb social norms. They even understand behaviors as rule-governed that are not subject to any norms, and insist that others adhere to these self-inferred "norms," a new study reveals.

Urban warming slows tree growth, photosynthesis Posted: 05 Oct 2016 07:14 AM PDT New research finds that urban warming reduces growth and photosynthesis in city trees. The researchers found that insect pests are part of the problem, but that heat itself plays a more significant role.

Physicists 'dissolve' water in an emerald Posted: 05 Oct 2016 07:10 AM PDT Scientists have documented water molecular dipoles ordering by confining water molecules within nanocages in a beryl crystal.

Electrons in graphene behave like light, only better Posted: 05 Oct 2016 07:05 AM PDT Electrical and computer engineers have directly observed -- for the first time -- negative refraction for electrons passing across a boundary between two regions in a conducting material. First predicted in 2007, this effect has been difficult to confirm experimentally. The researchers were able to observe the effect in graphene, demonstrating that electrons in the atomically thin material behave like light rays, which can be manipulated by such optical devices as lenses and prisms. The findings could lead to the development of new types of electron switches, based on the principles of optics rather than electronics.

For normal heart function, look beyond the genes Posted: 05 Oct 2016 06:16 AM PDT Researchers have shown that when parts of a genome known as enhancers are missing, the heart works abnormally, a finding that bolsters the importance of DNA segments once considered "junk" because they do not code for specific proteins.

Corporal punishment is still legal (and used) in US public schools in 19 states Posted: 05 Oct 2016 06:07 AM PDT More than 160,000 children were disciplined using corporal punishment in public schools in the United States in the 2013-2014 school year, according to data recently released by the U.S. Department of Education. School corporal punishment, which typically involves striking a child with a wooden board or paddle, is currently legal in public schools in 19 U.S. states. A new report has found that Black children, boys, and children with disabilities are subjected to corporal punishment with greater frequency than their peers.

Gulf Stream slowdown tied to changes in Southern Hemisphere Posted: 05 Oct 2016 05:49 AM PDT The ocean circulation that is responsible for England's mild climate appears to be slowing down. The shift is not sudden or dramatic, as in the 2004 sci-fi movie "The Day After Tomorrow," but it is a real effect that has consequences for the climates of eastern North America and Western Europe.

Case of Earth's missing continental crust solved: It sank Posted: 05 Oct 2016 05:43 AM PDT How do you make half the mass of two continents disappear? To answer that question, you first need to discover that it's missing. That's what a trio of geoscientists did, and their explanation for where the mass went significantly changes prevailing ideas about what can happen when continents collide.

Researchers map prostate cancer relapse using C-11 Choline PET and MRI Posted: 05 Oct 2016 05:43 AM PDT A team of researchers has, for the first time, successfully mapped patterns of prostate cancer recurrence, following surgery. Using C-11 choline PET imaging and multiparametric MRI, researchers found an anatomically diverse pattern of recurrence, which may help optimize treatment of patients whose prostate cancer returns after surgery.

Scientists identify new lead in search for Parkinson's cure Posted: 05 Oct 2016 05:43 AM PDT A protein that may safeguard neurons from the ravages of Parkinson's disease has been identified by a team of scientists. Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder that takes years to develop. A better understanding of Prokineticin-2 could turn up a means of slowing development of the disease or lead to new therapies, say the investigators.

The great feeding-frenzy: Species-rich food webs produce biomass more efficiently Posted: 05 Oct 2016 05:40 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a feedback in complex food webs: species-rich ecosystems favor large, heavy animals. Even though this increases the amount of plants consumed, the plant biomass remains approximately at the same level as in species-poor ecosystems. This is due to the fact that in species-rich ecosystems, plant communities develop whose growth is more energetically efficient. The extent of biomass production in species-rich ecosystems is more stable and thereby predictable whereas the loss of species leads to unpredictable deficiencies, which would have to be compensated by humans, according to a new paper.

Jet-lag is given the swerve by adjusting meal times on the ground, find researchers Posted: 05 Oct 2016 05:40 AM PDT Traditionally cabin crew rely on sleep strategies (sleeping in a dark room, avoiding caffeine before bedtime etc) to alleviate jetlag, but these do not reset body clocks. New research suggests that long-haul cabin crew can ease symptoms of jetlag by regulating meal times on their days off.

New method to detect aging cells, and aid rejuvenation therapies, developed by researchers Posted: 05 Oct 2016 05:40 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a new way to look for aging cells across a wide range of biological materials. The new method will boost understanding of cellular development and aging as well as the causes of diverse diseases.

How the brain consolidates memories during sleep Posted: 05 Oct 2016 05:37 AM PDT Researchers have studied which brain processes consolidate memories during sleep. They found clear parallels to findings from experimental animal studies.

Genome: It's all about architecture Posted: 05 Oct 2016 05:36 AM PDT Many serious diseases such as malaria or AIDS present a major challenge for medicine because the causative pathogens use the same strategy although they are completely different: by camouflaging themselves they evade the immune system.

Epigenetics provides new insights into the pathogenesis of lymphoma Posted: 05 Oct 2016 05:36 AM PDT Cancer cells have a different DNA methylation pattern from that of healthy cells. These patterns can be used to explain tumor-specific deviations in gene expression and to identify biomarkers for the detection of tumors, as well as associated prognosis and treatment planning. This is all possible thanks to epigenetics. Epigenetics looks at special regulation mechanisms, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, which determine the gene expression pattern of different types of cell and are passed on to daughter cells, without there being any specific changes to the DNA base sequence. Using this technology, it is now also possible to identify the original tumor cells, by comparing them with healthy cells.

Vitamin E may prevent pneumonia in nonsmoking elderly men Posted: 05 Oct 2016 05:36 AM PDT Administration of 50 mg per day of vitamin E decreased the risk of pneumonia in elderly male smokers by 72% after they quit smoking, according to a new article.

New advances in solar cell technology Posted: 05 Oct 2016 05:36 AM PDT With the high environmental cost of conventional energy sources and the finite supply of fossil fuels, the importance of renewable energy sources has become much more apparent in recent years. However, efficiently harnessing solar energy for human use has been a difficult task. While silicon-based solar cells can be used to capture sunlight energy, they are costly to produce on an industrial scale. New research has focused on using organo-metal halide perovskite films in solar cells. These perovskite films are highly crystalline materials that can be formed by a large number of different chemical combinations and can be deposited at low cost.

Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2016: Making the world's smallest machines Posted: 05 Oct 2016 04:12 AM PDT The 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry is being awarded to Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Sir J. Fraser Stoddart, and Bernard L. Feringa "for the design and synthesis of molecular machines."

Examining the social networks of sharks Posted: 04 Oct 2016 07:42 PM PDT Researchers studied the "social networks" of sand tiger sharks and found they spend a surprising amount of time together. The findings will assist future efforts to identify places where human impacts may be affecting one portion of the sand tiger life cycle disproportionately.

Revising the meaning of 'prion' Posted: 04 Oct 2016 07:41 PM PDT Using an unbiased screen in yeast, a team of scientists have identified dozens of prion-like proteins that could change the defining characteristics of these unusual proteins.

New technology helps pinpoint sources of water contamination Posted: 04 Oct 2016 11:15 AM PDT When the local water management agency closes your favorite beach due to unhealthy water quality, how reliable are the tests they base their decisions on? As it turns out, those tests, as well as the standards behind them, have not been updated in decades. Now scientists have developed a highly accurate, DNA-based method to detect and distinguish sources of microbial contamination in water.

String pulling bees provide insight into spread of culture Posted: 04 Oct 2016 11:14 AM PDT Bumblebees can learn to pull strings for food and pass on the ability to a colony, according to new research.

2-D boron may be best for flexible electronics Posted: 04 Oct 2016 11:06 AM PDT Though they're touted as ideal for electronics, two-dimensional materials like graphene may be too flat and hard to stretch to serve in flexible, wearable devices. "Wavy" borophene might be better, according to scientists.

Failed replication shows literary fiction doesn't boost social cognition Posted: 04 Oct 2016 11:05 AM PDT When a 2013 study published in Science concluded that reading literary fiction for as few as 20 minutes could improve someone's social abilities, it made quite the splash. However, when researchers tried to replicate the findings using the original study materials and methodology, the results didn't hold up.

All work and no play with children make moms less happy parents Posted: 04 Oct 2016 11:02 AM PDT Researchers have used time diary data to find that mothers are less happy than fathers with their parenting duties. Mothers report more stress and greater fatigue than fathers. This experience gap is attributed to the differing tasks of each parent.

Electron beam microscope directly writes nanoscale features in liquid with metal ink Posted: 04 Oct 2016 10:59 AM PDT Scientists have now harnessed a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) to directly write tiny patterns in metallic "ink," forming features in liquid that are finer than half the width of a human hair.

Earthquake risk: New fault discovered in earthquake-prone Southern California region Posted: 04 Oct 2016 10:52 AM PDT A swarm of nearly 200 small earthquakes that shook Southern California residents in the Salton Sea area last week raised concerns they might trigger a larger earthquake on the southern San Andreas Fault. At the same time, scientists published their recent discovery of a potentially significant fault that lies along the eastern edge of the Salton Sea.

'Atomic sandwiches' could make computers 100X greener Posted: 04 Oct 2016 10:48 AM PDT Researchers have engineered a material that could lead to a new generation of computing devices, packing in more computing power while consuming a fraction of the energy that today's electronics require.

Detonating white dwarfs as supernovae Posted: 04 Oct 2016 10:43 AM PDT A new mathematical model created by astrophysicists details a way that dead stars called white dwarfs could detonate, producing a type of explosion that is instrumental to measuring the extreme distances in our universe. The mechanism could improve our understanding of how Type Ia supernovae form.

Family Drug and Alcohol Court's 'humane' approach keeps more families together Posted: 04 Oct 2016 10:27 AM PDT Mothers reunited with their children after care proceedings in the Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) are more likely to stay off drugs and alcohol for longer and their family life less likely to be disrupted when compared with cases heard in ordinary care proceedings, a study shows.

Exercise releases hormone that helps shed, prevent fat Posted: 04 Oct 2016 10:08 AM PDT If a workout feels like more pain than gain, here's some motivation: Exercise releases a hormone that helps the body shed fat and keeps it from forming.

Low lead levels in children negatively affect test scores Posted: 04 Oct 2016 10:07 AM PDT Lead exposure among preschoolers can predict low reading scores in subsequent years, a new study using data from Rhode Island's lead-abatement program and repeated blood lead level tests has found.

Ability to process speech declines with age Posted: 04 Oct 2016 10:03 AM PDT Researchers have found clues to the causes of age-related hearing loss. The ability to track and understand speech in both quiet and noisy environments deteriorates due in part to speech processing declines in both the midbrain and cortex in older adults.

Scientists find new path in brain to ease depression Posted: 04 Oct 2016 10:03 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a new pathway in the brain that can be manipulated to alleviate depression. The pathway offers a promising new target for developing a drug that could be effective in individuals for whom other antidepressants have failed.

Soil microbes flourish with reduced tillage Posted: 04 Oct 2016 09:58 AM PDT Microbes improve soil quality by cycling nutrients and breaking plant residues down into soil organic matter. In an effort to detect consistent patterns across a large geographical area, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 62 studies examining the effect of tillage on soil microbes. No-till systems had greater soil microbial biomass and enzymatic activity. Tilled systems that used a chisel plow were equivalent to no-till systems, in terms of microbial biomass.

Cannabis reduces creativity, but user generally not aware Posted: 04 Oct 2016 09:58 AM PDT Regular users of cannabis are less aware of their own mistakes, and they are not good at creative thinking, concludes new research on the effects of cannabis.

Culex mosquitoes do not transmit zika virus, study finds Posted: 04 Oct 2016 09:13 AM PDT A new study has found important results in the fight against Zika virus: Culex mosquitoes do not appear to transmit Zika virus.

Sex before sport doesn't negatively impact performance Posted: 04 Oct 2016 09:10 AM PDT Over the course of the Rio Olympics, 450,000 condoms were distributed around the athlete's village. This may be surprising considering the common view that abstinence from sexual activity can boost athletic performance. These long-standing views have now been challenged by a recent analysis of current scientific evidence.

Psychotherapy sessions are best in the morning when levels of helpful hormone are high Posted: 04 Oct 2016 09:09 AM PDT Patients make more progress toward overcoming anxiety, fears and phobias when their therapy sessions are scheduled in the morning, new research suggests.

A breakthrough in the study of how things break, bend and deform Posted: 04 Oct 2016 09:05 AM PDT Every material can bend and break. Through nearly a century's worth of research, scientists have had a pretty good understanding of how and why. But, according to new findings from materials science and engineering researchers, our understanding of how layered materials succumb to stresses and strains was lacking. The report suggests that, when compressed, layered materials -- everything from sedimentary rocks, to beyond-whisker-thin graphite -- will form a series of internal buckles, or ripples, as they deform.

Stimulating neurons could protect against brain damage Posted: 04 Oct 2016 09:04 AM PDT A breakthrough in understanding how brain damage spreads – and how it could potentially be limited – has been made through a collaboration between neuroscientists and engineers.

Simulations show how to turn graphene's defects into assets Posted: 04 Oct 2016 09:04 AM PDT Controlling defects in two-dimensional materials, such as graphene, may lead to improved membranes for water desalination, energy storage, sensing or advanced protective coatings.

Developing brain regions in children hardest hit by sleep deprivation Posted: 04 Oct 2016 08:45 AM PDT Sleep is vital for humans. If adults remain awake for longer than usual, the brain responds with an increased need for deep sleep. This is measured in the form of "slow wave activity" using electroencephalography (EEG). In adults, these deep-sleep waves are most pronounced in the prefrontal cortex -- the brain region which plans and controls actions, solves problems and is involved in the working memory.

Large animals, such as the imperious African elephant, most vulnerable to impact of human expansion Posted: 04 Oct 2016 08:42 AM PDT Some of the most iconic giants of the animal kingdom, such as the imperious African elephant, are most vulnerable to the detrimental impact of human expansion, new research has shown.

Are planets setting the sun's pace? Posted: 04 Oct 2016 08:37 AM PDT The Sun's activity is determined by the Sun's magnetic field. Two combined effects are responsible for the latter: The omega and the alpha effect. Exactly where and how the alpha effect originates is currently unknown. Researchers are now putting forward a new theory. Their calculations suggest that tidal forces from Venus, the Earth and Jupiter can directly influence the Sun's activity.

How fast will we need to adapt to climate change? Posted: 04 Oct 2016 08:31 AM PDT What would we do differently if sea level were to rise one foot per century versus one foot per decade? Until now, most policy and research has focused on adapting to specific amounts of climate change and not on how fast that climate change might happen. Using sea-level rise as a case study, researchers have developed a quantitative model that considers different rates of sea-level rise, in addition to economic factors, and shows how consideration of rates of change affect optimal adaptation strategies.

Disease-causing gut bacteria common in children Posted: 04 Oct 2016 08:29 AM PDT A type of bacteria, which can cause diarrhea and inhibit growth in children in developing countries, has been found in 14% of a sample of children in an industrialized country. However, the children had only mild gastrointestinal symptoms or no symptoms at all. Understanding why is the next step for these researchers.

Astronomy: Discovery of an extragalactic hot molecular core Posted: 04 Oct 2016 08:25 AM PDT Astronomers have discovered a 'hot molecular core,' a cocoon of molecules surrounding a newborn massive star, for the first time outside our Galaxy. The discovery marks the first important step for observational studies of extragalactic hot molecular cores and challenges the hidden chemical diversity of our universe.

Study solves 50-year-old puzzle tied to enigmatic, lone wolf waves Posted: 04 Oct 2016 08:17 AM PDT Solitary waves called solitons are one of nature's great curiosities. In a new paper, a team of mathematicians, physicists and engineers tackles a famous, 50-year-old problem tied to these enigmatic entities.

Bladder cancer research rife with new approaches Posted: 04 Oct 2016 08:17 AM PDT The FDA approval of Tecentriq ushered in the first new treatment for advanced bladder cancer in 30 years.

NFL players get back in the game after upper spine surgery Posted: 04 Oct 2016 08:16 AM PDT The majority of U.S. National Football League (NFL) players who undergo surgery for a herniated disc in the upper (cervical) spine are able to resume their careers and perform at a high level, suggests a study.

Study compares treatments for urinary incontinence in women Posted: 04 Oct 2016 08:16 AM PDT Investigators assessed whether injection of onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox A) is superior to sacral neuromodulation (use of an implanted electrode for bladder control) in controlling episodes of refractory urgency urinary incontinence in women.

Measuring the flowing forces and bending on aquatic plants Posted: 04 Oct 2016 08:13 AM PDT Beneath the surface of rivers and streams, aquatic plants sway with the current, playing an unseen but vital role in the life of the waterway. Through a new series of experiments that model these underwater undulations, researchers have measured how the current bends simulated plants and the drag forces exerted on them. The analysis is important for better management and understanding of these aquatic systems, and potentially even for energy-harvesting devices.

New classes of electron orbits discovered Posted: 04 Oct 2016 08:13 AM PDT Phenomena like solar flares and auroras are consequences of magnetic reconnection in the near-Earth space. These "magnetic reconnection" events are akin to magnetic explosions that accelerate particles as they rapidly change the topology of the magnetic field lines. Researchers have used a new Particle-In-Cell (PIC) simulator to understand how magnetic reconnection works for the tenuous plasma surrounding our Earth and have identified new classes of electron orbits that help scientists understand the characteristics of the fast jets of electrons that stream from the reconnection region.

Pyroelectric peptide microtubes turn heat to electric currents Posted: 04 Oct 2016 08:13 AM PDT Many peptides and proteins have an innate ability to assemble into long, slender fibers called fibrils and other shapes. Now, researchers have found a way to harness this property to create tubular structures of diphenylalanine that have the ability to convert thermal energy into electrical energy, also called a pyroelectric effect. Their results show that these nanoscale polymers, which are biocompatible, could have a wide range of biological applications such as for drug delivery scaffolds or miniature implantable sensors.

Omnidirectional mobile robot has just two moving parts Posted: 04 Oct 2016 08:07 AM PDT More than a decade ago, Ralph Hollis invented the ballbot, an elegantly simple robot whose tall, thin body glides atop a sphere slightly smaller than a bowling ball. The latest version, called SIMbot, has an equally elegant motor with just one moving part: the ball.

Canine hyperactivity reflected in the blood count Posted: 04 Oct 2016 07:58 AM PDT Scientists have studied the blood count of hyperactive and impulsive dogs. The results indicate that the metabolites of phospholipids, tryptophan in particular, differ from the blood counts of the control dogs. These results are similar to previous research done on ADHD patients.

New mechanism for strengthening materials Posted: 04 Oct 2016 07:54 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a new mechanism for strengthening nanomaterials and tailoring their properties to build superior structures.

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