sábado, 20 de septiembre de 2014

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News


Hadrosaur with huge nose discovered: Function of dinosaur's unusual trait a mystery

Posted: 19 Sep 2014 08:06 AM PDT

Call it the Jimmy Durante of dinosaurs -- a newly discovered hadrosaur with a truly distinctive nasal profile. The new dinosaur, named Rhinorex condrupus by paleontologists, lived in what is now Utah approximately 75 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period.

No sedative necessary: Scientists discover new 'sleep node' in the brain

Posted: 18 Sep 2014 01:23 PM PDT

A sleep-promoting circuit located deep in the primitive brainstem has revealed how we fall into deep sleep. This is only the second 'sleep node' identified in the mammalian brain whose activity appears to be both necessary and sufficient to produce deep sleep.

Pupil size shows reliability of decisions, before information on decision is presented

Posted: 18 Sep 2014 11:15 AM PDT

The precision with which people make decisions can be predicted by measuring pupil size before they are presented with any information about the decision, according to a new study.

A more efficient, lightweight and low-cost organic solar cell: Researchers broke the 'electrode barrier'

Posted: 18 Sep 2014 11:14 AM PDT

For decades, polymer scientists and synthetic chemists working to improve the power conversion efficiency of organic solar cells were hampered by the inherent drawbacks of commonly used metal electrodes, including their instability and susceptibility to oxidation. Now for the first time, researchers have developed a more efficient, easily processable and lightweight solar cell that can use virtually any metal for the electrode, effectively breaking the 'electrode barrier.'

How epigenetic memory is passed through generations: Sperm and eggs transmit memory of gene repression to embryos

Posted: 18 Sep 2014 11:14 AM PDT

A growing body of evidence suggests that environmental stresses can cause changes in gene expression that are transmitted from parents to their offspring, making 'epigenetics' a hot topic. Epigenetic modifications do not affect the DNA sequence of genes, but change how the DNA is packaged and how genes are expressed. Now, scientists have shown how epigenetic memory can be passed across generations and from cell to cell during development.

World population to keep growing this century, hit 11 billion by 2100

Posted: 18 Sep 2014 11:14 AM PDT

The chance that world population in 2100 will be between 9.6 billion and 12.3 billion people is 80 percent, according to the first such United Nations forecast to incorporate modern statistical tools.

Scientists discover 'dimmer switch' for mood disorders

Posted: 18 Sep 2014 11:11 AM PDT

Researchers have identified a control mechanism for an area of the brain that processes sensory and emotive information that humans experience as "disappointment." The discovery may provide be a neurochemical antidote for feeling let-down.

Pulse of a dead star powers intense gamma rays

Posted: 18 Sep 2014 09:08 AM PDT

NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, is helping to untangle the mystery of what powers high-energy gamma rays emanating from supernova. The observatory's high-energy X-ray eyes were able to peer into a particular site of powerful gamma rays and confirm the source: A spinning, dead star called a pulsar.

Dogs can be pessimists, too

Posted: 18 Sep 2014 07:16 AM PDT

Dogs generally seem to be cheerful, happy-go-lucky characters, so you might expect that most would have an optimistic outlook on life. In fact some dogs are distinctly more pessimistic than others, new research shows.

How stress tears us apart: Enzyme attacks synaptic molecule, leading to cognitive impairment

Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:14 AM PDT

Why is it that when people are too stressed they are often grouchy, grumpy, nasty, distracted or forgetful? Researchers have just highlighted a fundamental synaptic mechanism that explains the relationship between chronic stress and the loss of social skills and cognitive impairment. When triggered by stress, an enzyme attacks a synaptic regulatory molecule in the brain, leading to these problems.

'Lost chapel' skeletons found holding hands after 700 years

Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:12 AM PDT

Archaeologists have uncovered a trove of relics and remains at Chapel of St Morrell in Leicestershire. Some relationships last a lifetime -- and archaeologists have discovered that they can last even longer after unearthing two skeletons at a lost chapel in Leicestershire that have been holding hands for 700 years.

Asian Americans lower insulin resistance on traditional diet

Posted: 17 Sep 2014 12:19 PM PDT

Asian Americans have been shown to lower insulin resistance on a traditional diet, researchers report. One part of this puzzle may lie in the transition from traditional high-fiber, low-fat Asian diets to current westernized diets, which may pose extra risks for those of Asian heritage, says the senior author of the study.

Smallest known galaxy with a supermassive black hole

Posted: 17 Sep 2014 10:16 AM PDT

Astronomers have discovered that an ultracompact dwarf galaxy harbors a supermassive black hole – the smallest galaxy known to contain such a massive light-sucking object. The finding suggests huge black holes may be more common than previously believed.

First blood test to diagnose depression in adults

Posted: 17 Sep 2014 09:12 AM PDT

The first blood test to diagnose major depression in adults has been developed, providing the first objective, scientific diagnosis for depression. The test also predicts who will benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy, offering the opportunity for more effective, individualized therapy. The test also showed the biological effects of the therapy, the first measurable, blood-based evidence of the therapy's success and showed who is vulnerable to recurring episodes of depression.

Effect of ocean acidification: Coral growth rate on Great Barrier Reef plummets in 30-year comparison

Posted: 17 Sep 2014 09:12 AM PDT

Researchers working in Australia's Great Barrier Reef have documented that coral growth rates have plummeted 40 percent since the mid-1970s. The scientists suggest that ocean acidification may be playing an important role in this perilous slowdown.

Do wearable lifestyle activity monitors really work?

Posted: 16 Sep 2014 03:22 PM PDT

Wearable electronic activity monitors hold great promise in helping people to reach their wellness goals. These increasingly sophisticated devices help the wearers improve their wellness by constantly monitoring their activities and bodily responses through companion computer programs and mobile apps. Given the large market for these devices, researchers analyzed 13 of these devices to compare how the devices and their apps work to motivate the wearer.

Healthy humans make nice homes for viruses

Posted: 16 Sep 2014 01:24 PM PDT

The same viruses that make us sick can take up residence in and on the human body without provoking a sneeze, cough or other troublesome symptom, according to new research. On average, healthy individuals carry about five types of viruses on their bodies, the researchers report. The study is the first comprehensive analysis to describe the diversity of viruses in healthy people.

For electronics beyond silicon, a new contender emerges

Posted: 16 Sep 2014 09:37 AM PDT

Using a quantum material called a correlated oxide, researchers have achieved a reversible change in electrical resistance of eight orders of magnitude, a result the researchers are calling 'colossal.' In short, they have engineered this material to perform comparably with the best silicon switches.

Buckyballs and diamondoids in tiny electronic gadget: Two exotic types of carbon form molecule for steering electron flow

Posted: 09 Sep 2014 06:38 AM PDT

Scientists have married two unconventional forms of carbon -- one shaped like a soccer ball, the other a tiny diamond -- to make a molecule that conducts electricity in only one direction. This tiny electronic component, known as a rectifier, could play a key role in shrinking chip components down to the size of molecules to enable faster, more powerful devices.

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