Curated News: Staff Picks

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15-Oct-2019 9:30 AM EDT
Rewriting History: Scientists Find Evidence That Early Humans Moved Through the Mediterranean Much Earlier Than Believed
McMaster University

An international research team led by scientists from McMaster University has unearthed new evidence in Greece proving that the island of Naxos was inhabited by Neanderthals and earlier humans at least 200,000 years ago, tens of thousands of years earlier than previously believed.

15-Oct-2019 4:35 PM EDT
Cultivating Joy through Mindfulness: An Antidote to Opioid Misuse, the Disease of Despair
University of Utah

New research shows that a specific mind-body therapy, Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), increases the brain’s response to natural, healthy rewards while also decreasing the brain’s response to opioid-related cues.

Released: 16-Oct-2019 12:05 PM EDT
In a First, Patient Controls Two Prosthetic Arms with His Thoughts
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory and School of Medicine have, for the first time, demonstrated simultaneous control of two of the world’s most advanced prosthetic limbs through a brain-machine interface. The team is also developing strategies for providing sensory feedback for both hands at the same time using neural stimulation.

Released: 16-Oct-2019 10:00 AM EDT
Hubble Observes First Confirmed Interstellar Comet
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Hubble has taken the sharpest view to date of interstellar comet 2I/Borisov whose speed and trajectory indicate it has come from beyond our solar system. The image, taken October 12, 2019, reveals a central concentration of dust around the comet's nucleus.

Released: 16-Oct-2019 9:00 AM EDT
Society is Rejecting Facts; Medical Researchers Can Help
Florida Atlantic University

Anecdotes, fake news and social media have created a skeptical and misinformed public who is rejecting the facts. A commentary says that medical researchers must help the public understand the rigorous process of science and help them to discern an anecdote from peer-reviewed scientific results. The best way to do this? By continuing to ensure integrity, rigor, reproducibility and replication of their science and to earn the public’s trust by being morally responsible and completely free of any influences.

Released: 16-Oct-2019 8:00 AM EDT
Young Adults Not Seeking Treatment for Substance Use Disorders
Iowa State University

A growing number of young adults are dealing with a substance use disorder – in some cases, multiple substance use disorders – and not seeking help, according to a study led by an Iowa State University researcher. The results show two in every five young adults reported a past-year SUD.

   
Released: 16-Oct-2019 5:00 AM EDT
Study: "Bottom-Line” Bosses May Invite Unethical Conduct, but Sometimes There’s a Payoff
Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations (SMLR)

On National Bosses Day, a study explores what happens when leaders adopt a "bottom-line mentality" at work. The researchers offer a new diagnostic tool to help organizations measure their own ethical climate.

   
Released: 15-Oct-2019 3:05 PM EDT
Piranha fish swap old teeth for new simultaneously
University of Washington

With the help of new technologies, a team led by the University of Washington has confirmed that piranhas lose and regrow all the teeth on one side of their face multiple times throughout their lives. How they do it may help explain why the fish go to such efforts to replace their teeth.

Released: 15-Oct-2019 2:45 PM EDT
Marketing in China: 6 Lessons
University of Virginia Darden School of Business

China’s marketing landscape is a different machine than Western companies may be accustomed to. How a country evolves impacts consumer habits — which, in turn, should impact marketing practice. Western multinational firms seeking to expand need to shift their strategies — and might find they can apply some lessons to other markets.

Released: 15-Oct-2019 10:05 AM EDT
US green economy worth $1.3 trillion per year, but new policies needed to maintain growth
University College London

The US green economy is estimated to generate over $1.3 trillion in revenue per year, representing 16.5% of the global green economy, according to a new study by UCL.

Released: 15-Oct-2019 9:45 AM EDT
Are We Alone in the Universe? Rutgers Professor Explores Possibility of Life on Mars and Beyond
Rutgers University-New Brunswick

People have spent centuries wondering whether life exists beyond Earth, but only recently have scientists developed the tools to find out.

Released: 15-Oct-2019 9:00 AM EDT
FSU Research: Strong Storms Often Generate Earthquake-Like Seismic Activity
Florida State University

A Florida State University researcher has uncovered a new geophysical phenomenon where a hurricane or other strong storm can spark seismic events in the nearby ocean as strong as a 3.5 magnitude earthquake.

Released: 14-Oct-2019 1:05 PM EDT
Study “Cures” Oldest Case of Deafness in Human Evolution
Binghamton University, State University of New York

An international team of researchers including faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York, has published a new study examining a 430,000-year-old cranium of a human ancestor that was previously described as deaf, representing the oldest case of deafness in human prehistory.

10-Oct-2019 5:00 PM EDT
Study: Self-Reported Suicide Attempts Rising in Black Teens as Other Groups Decline
New York University

Study in Pediatrics finds a rise in self-reported suicide attempts among Black teens, as well as an accelerating rate in Black female teens.

   
Released: 11-Oct-2019 3:05 PM EDT
National focus on overdose prevention should include alcohol too, study suggests
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

The need to prevent and rapidly treat opioid overdoses is in the spotlight. But a new study suggests more focus is needed on the risk of alcohol overdoses among people who use opioids of all kinds, and other drugs. Ninety percent of residential recovery center patients surveyed had overdosed on alcohol at least once, and 80 percent of them said that at the time of their overdose, they had also been taking other drugs.

Released: 11-Oct-2019 1:25 PM EDT
Private Property, Not Productivity, Precipitated Neolithic Agricultural Revolution
Santa Fe Institute

The Neolithic Agricultural Revolution is one of the most thoroughly-studied episodes in prehistory. But a new paper by Sam Bowles and Jung-Kyoo Choi shows that most explanations for it don’t agree with the evidence, and offers a new interpretation.

   
Released: 11-Oct-2019 1:05 PM EDT
The Eye of the Beholder
Texas State University

From today’s perspective, the idea of computer systems that track our tiniesteye movements may seem like a far-off futurist’s dream.

   
Released: 11-Oct-2019 12:05 PM EDT
Study Suggests Ice on Lunar South Pole May Have More Than 1 Source
Brown University

The discovery of ice deposits in craters scattered across the Moon's south pole has helped to renew interest in exploring the lunar surface, but no one is sure exactly when or how that ice got there.

Released: 11-Oct-2019 12:05 PM EDT
Linguists Track Impact of Cognitive Decline Across Three Decades of One Writer's Diaries
University of Toronto

Researchers at the University of Toronto (U of T) specializing in language variation and change have identified a specific relationship between an individual's use of language

   
Released: 11-Oct-2019 11:30 AM EDT
New Test Diagnoses Lyme Disease within 15 Minutes
Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science

Current testing for Lyme disease, called the standard 2-tiered approach or the STT, involves running two complex assays (ELISA and western blot) to detect antibodies against the bacterium, and requires experienced personnel in a lab, and a few hours to carry out and interpret. Columbia biomedical engineers have developed a rapid microfluidic test that can detect Lyme disease with similar performance as the STT in a much shorter time—15 minutes.

Released: 11-Oct-2019 3:05 AM EDT
Population Aging to Create Pockets of Climate Vulnerability in the US
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

Population aging projections across the US show a divide between cities and rural areas, which could lead to pockets of vulnerability to climate change.

Released: 10-Oct-2019 4:35 PM EDT
Researchers Publish Article Posing Powerful Moral Conflict Between Physician Aid-in-Dying and Suicide Prevention
University of Utah

Researchers at the University of Utah have published an article in the October edition of the American Journal of Bioethics posing the powerful moral conflict between physician aid-in-dying and suicide prevention. In the article, Brent Kious, assistant professor of psychiatry, and Margaret Battin, distinguished professor of philosophy, ask the question, if the practice of PAD for terminal illness is permissible, then should it be justifiable for those who suffer from psychiatric illness, since the suffering can be equally severe?

Released: 10-Oct-2019 12:00 PM EDT
Researcher Brent Seales Using Light Brighter Than the Sun to Read Herculaneum Scrolls
University of Kentucky

For nearly two decades, Brent Seales has doggedly labored to do the impossible — reveal the elusive texts within the carbonized Herculaneum scrolls. Now, he believes new scans are the best chance yet at revealing the mysterious contents.

Released: 10-Oct-2019 11:05 AM EDT
First 3D View of Life’s Processes in Liquid
Penn State Materials Research Institute

A new liquid-cell technology allows scientists to see biological materials and systems in three dimensions under an electron microscope (EM), according to researchers at Penn State, Virginia Tech and Protochips Inc

Released: 10-Oct-2019 8:05 AM EDT
Brain Scans May Provide Clues to Suicide Risk
University of Illinois Chicago

Researchers have identified brain circuitry differences that might be associated with suicidal behavior in individuals with mood disorders. The study, published in Psychological Medicine, provides a promising lead toward tools that can predict which individuals are at the highest risk for suicide.

   
8-Oct-2019 4:05 PM EDT
Sunlight Degrades Polystyrene Faster Than Expected
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

A study published by researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) shows that polystyrene, one of the world’s most ubiquitous plastics, may degrade in decades or centuries when exposed to sunlight, rather than thousands of years as previously thought. The study published October 10, 2019, in the journal Environmental Science and Technology Letters.

Released: 10-Oct-2019 7:05 AM EDT
Prevent Angry Moods by Working Out First
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

If you're looking for health and fitness story ideas, view this research highlight from Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise®, ACSM’s flagship research journal.

Released: 10-Oct-2019 7:05 AM EDT
Secrets to Climate Change Adaptation Uncovered in the European Corn Borer Moth
Tufts University

Biologists looked at the European corn borer moth and pinpointed variation in two circadian clock genes – per and Pdfr – that enable different populations of the moth to adapt their seasonal transitions to climate change

Released: 10-Oct-2019 6:05 AM EDT
Food Comas & Long-Term Memories—New Research Points to an Appetizing Connection
New York University

There may be a connection between food comas—resting after eating—and the formation of long-term memories, a team of neuroscientists concludes based on its study on brain activity in sea slugs.

   
Released: 10-Oct-2019 5:05 AM EDT
Placenta Transit of an Environmental Estrogen
University of Vienna

The human foetus is considered to be particularly sensitive to environmental contaminants. A team led by Benedikt Warth from the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Vienna and Tina Bürki from the Swiss Materials Science and Technology Institute, Empa, has now been able to demonstrate for the first time how the widespread food estrogen zearalenone behaves in the womb.

   
3-Oct-2019 7:05 AM EDT
Children Associate White, but Not Black, Men with “Brilliant” Stereotype, New Study Finds
New York University

The stereotype that associates being “brilliant” with White men more than White women is shared by children regardless of their own race, finds a team of psychology researchers. By contrast, its study shows, children do not apply this stereotype to Black men and women.

Released: 9-Oct-2019 7:05 PM EDT
Illegal Urban Off-Road Vehicles as Risky as Motorcycles in Cities
Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Not wearing helmets contributes to traumatic injuries in off-road vehicle crashes in urban areas, but motorcycle use is still deadlier

Released: 9-Oct-2019 4:55 PM EDT
Race Effect: Researchers Find Black Offenders More Likely to Be Arrested Than White Offenders When Committing Violent Crime Together
Florida State University

Racial disparities at every level of the criminal justice system in America are well documented. Now, a new study by Florida State University researchers reveals it also exists at the initial level of arrest, even when the crime is committed by a diverse pair of co-offenders.

Released: 9-Oct-2019 4:20 PM EDT
Using Machine Learning to Hunt Down Cybercriminals
University of California San Diego

MIT’s Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and the Center for Applied Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA) at the San Diego Supercomputer Center have used machine learning to identify "serial hijacking" of IP addresses.

Released: 9-Oct-2019 2:00 PM EDT
Humans Have Salamander-Like Ability to Regrow Cartilage in Joints
Duke Clinical Research Institute

Contrary to popular belief, cartilage in human joints can repair itself through a process similar to that used by creatures such as salamanders and zebrafish to regenerate limbs, researchers at Duke Health found.

2-Oct-2019 2:55 PM EDT
Meet Siamraptor suwati, a new species of giant predatory dinosaur from Thailand
PLOS

Fossils discovered in Thailand represent a new genus and species of predatory dinosaur, according to a study released October 9, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Duangsuda Chokchaloemwong of Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University, Thailand and colleagues.

2-Oct-2019 4:45 PM EDT
Randomized Controlled Trial in Young Adults Suggests Healthier Diet May Directly Reduce Depression
PLOS

Young adults with depression whose diet is usually unhealthy showed significantly fewer symptoms of depression after eating a healthy diet for three weeks, according to a study published October 9, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Heather Francis from Macquarie University, Australia, and colleagues.

Released: 9-Oct-2019 8:05 AM EDT
The E-cigarette Backlash
Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)

CFR In Brief by Claire Felter. An outbreak of a lung illness linked to vaping is raising the pressure on countries to rein in the booming e-cigarette industry.

       
Released: 9-Oct-2019 8:00 AM EDT
Bad Behavior Between Moms Driven by Stereotypes, Judgment
Iowa State University

Mothers are often their own toughest critics, but new research shows they judge other mothers just as harshly. According to the results, ideal and lazy mothers drew the most contempt from both working and stay-at-home mothers. The overworked stay-at-home mom also was near the top of the list.

Released: 8-Oct-2019 3:05 PM EDT
Dual Approach Needed to Save Sinking Cities and Bleaching Corals
Duke University

Local conservation can boost the climate resilience of coastal ecosystems, species and cities and buy them precious time in their fight against sea-level rise

Released: 8-Oct-2019 12:05 PM EDT
Psychedelic Drug to Be Tested for Treatment-Resistant Depression in Houston
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Psilocybin, a psychedelic drug believed to help rewire the brain, is now being studied to relieve treatment-resistant depression at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) as part of a global Phase II clinical trial.

Released: 8-Oct-2019 12:05 PM EDT
Flagging False Facebook Posts as Satire Helps Reduce Belief
Ohio State University

If you want to convince people not to trust an inaccurate political post on Facebook, labeling it as satire can help, a new study finds.

4-Oct-2019 10:05 AM EDT
Developing Electrically Active Materials to Repair Damaged Hearts
American Institute of Physics (AIP)

When a heart attack occurs, muscle in the heart tissue can be scarred, interfering with electrical activity necessary for healthy heart function. Using artificial materials to patch or rebuild damaged parts has been tried but only recently has work focused on the electrical properties needed for proper cardiac operation. In this week’s APL Bioengineering, investigators review the use of electrically conductive biomaterials for heart repair and treatment.

Released: 7-Oct-2019 4:05 PM EDT
Focus on Mental Health as Cause of Mass Violence May Be Increasing Stigma
Indiana University

Over the last two decades, more Americans see people with mental health problems as dangerous and are willing to use legal means to force treatment, according to a new paper by IU Distinguished Professor of Sociology Bernice Pescosolido.

   
4-Oct-2019 8:05 AM EDT
Research on Firearm Injuries to U.S. Children Gets 30 Times Less Funding Per Death Than Other Causes
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Firearm injuries kill 2,500 American children each year. But the nation spends far less on studying what led to these injuries, and what might prevent and treat them, than it spends on other causes of death in children. In fact, on a per-death basis, funding for pediatric firearm research is 30 times lower than it would have to be to keep pace with research on other child health threats.

7-Oct-2019 12:05 PM EDT
Study: U.S. Firearm Death Rate Rose Sharply in Recent Years Across Most States & Demographic Groups
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

The rate at which Americans died from firearm injuries increased sharply starting in 2015, a new study shows. The change occurred to varying degrees across different states, types of firearm death such as homicide and suicide, and demographics. In all, the US saw a 14% rise in the rate of firearm deaths from 2015 through 2017, compared with the rate seen in the years 1999 through 2014.



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