- May 9, 2013
- 10:00 AM
- 35 views
Arctic mission recovers record of surprising warmth
by Andy Extance in Simple Climate
The longest continuous Arctic land sediment core shows that the last time CO2 levels reached current levels, over 2.6 million years ago, North-East Russia was taken was 8°C warmer. ... Read more »
Melles, M., Brigham-Grette, J., Minyuk, P., Nowaczyk, N., Wennrich, V., DeConto, R., Anderson, P., Andreev, A., Coletti, A., Cook, T.... (2012) 2.8 Million Years of Arctic Climate Change from Lake El'gygytgyn, NE Russia. Science, 337(6092), 315-320. DOI: 10.1126/science.1222135
Julie Brigham-Grette, Martin Melles, Pavel Minyuk, Andrei Andreev, Pavel Tarasov, Robert DeConto, Sebastian Koenig, Norbert Nowaczyk, Volker Wennrich, Peter Rosén, Eeva Haltia, Tim Cook, Catalina Gebhardt, Carsten Meyer-Jacob, Jeff Snyder, Ulrike Herzsch. (2013) Pliocene Warmth, Polar Amplification, and Stepped Pleistocene Cooling Recorded in NE Arctic Russia. Science. info:/10.1126/science.1233137
- May 9, 2013
- 09:59 AM
- 43 views
Study Finds Brain System for Emotional Self-Control
by Jason Carr in Wired Cosmos
Different brain areas are activated when we choose to suppress an emotion, compared to when we are instructed to inhibit an emotion, according a new study from the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Ghent University. In this study, published in Brain Structure and Function (citation below), the researchers scanned the brains of healthy participants and … Read More →... Read more »
Kühn, S., Haggard, P., & Brass, M. (2013) Differences between endogenous and exogenous emotion inhibition in the human brain. Brain Structure and Function. DOI: 10.1007/s00429-013-0556-0
- May 9, 2013
- 09:57 AM
- 13 views
Taking memory research to Parliament
by Kamar Ameen-Ali in NC3Rs Blog
NC3Rs-funded PhD student Kamar Ameen-Ali, Department of Psychology, Durham University, takes us on a trip to the House of Commons SET for BRITAIN event, where she presented her research recently to MPs and VIPs.... Read more »
Ameen-Ali, K., Eacott, M., & Easton, A. (2012) A new behavioural apparatus to reduce animal numbers in multiple types of spontaneous object recognition paradigms in rats. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 211(1), 66-76. DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2012.08.006
- May 9, 2013
- 09:28 AM
- 35 views
The wasp and the cockroach: a zombie story
by sedeer in Inspiring Science
The world of parasites is full of incredible tales of manipulation and mind-control as these creatures twist their hosts to …Continue reading »... Read more »
Libersat, F., & Gal, R. (2012) What can parasitoid wasps teach us about decision-making in insects?. Journal of Experimental Biology, 216(1), 47-55. DOI: 10.1242/jeb.073999
Herzner, G., Schlecht, A., Dollhofer, V., Parzefall, C., Harrar, K., Kreuzer, A., Pilsl, L., & Ruther, J. (2013) Larvae of the parasitoid wasp Ampulex compressa sanitize their host, the American cockroach, with a blend of antimicrobials. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(4), 1369-1374. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1213384110
- May 9, 2013
- 08:36 AM
- 32 views
More Than a Good Eye: Carnegie Mellon Robot Uses Arms, Location and More To Discover Objects
by Perikis Livas in Tracing Knowledge
A robot can struggle to discover objects in its surroundings when it relies on computer vision alone. But by taking advantage of all of the information available to it – an object’s location, size, shape and even whether it can be lifted – a robot can continually discover and refine its understanding of objects, say researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute.... Read more »
Byron Spice. (2013) More Than a Good Eye: Carnegie Mellon Robot Uses Arms, Location and More To Discover Objects. Carnegie Mellon University News. info:/
- May 9, 2013
- 08:17 AM
- 33 views
Living fossils are evolving.
by Mostly Open Ocean in Mostly Open Ocean
Charles Darwin coined the term living fossil in On the Origin of Species. He didn’t use it the same way that it has come to be used. He suggested that living fossils are modern species that can be used to link to groups in the same way that fossils can. One of the examples he gave was the platypus, which lactates and lays eggs, which is evidence that mammals and reptiles share a common ancestor. I don't think he meant it to mean an unchanged relict, as some people interpret his words.Today, a ........ Read more »
Briggs, D., Siveter, D., Siveter, D., Sutton, M., Garwood, R., & Legg, D. (2012) Silurian horseshoe crab illuminates the evolution of arthropod limbs. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(39), 15702-15705. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1205875109
Mathers, T., Hammond, R., Jenner, R., Hänfling, B., & Gómez, A. (2013) Multiple global radiations in tadpole shrimps challenge the concept of ‘living fossils’. PeerJ. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.62
Selden, P., Shih, C., & Ren, D. (2011) A golden orb-weaver spider (Araneae: Nephilidae: Nephila) from the Middle Jurassic of China. Biology Letters, 7(5), 775-778. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2011.0228
- May 9, 2013
- 07:42 AM
- 38 views
Radiation Health Risks
by Perikis Livas in Tracing Knowledge
The ability to gauge radiation at vanishingly low concentrations gives scientists a powerful tool for understanding ocean processes. “We can measure down to less than 1 becquerel”—one radioactive decay event per second, said Ken Buesseler, a marine chemist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. “But just because we can measure it doesn’t mean it’s necessarily harmful to human health.”... Read more »
David Pacchioli. (2013) Radiation Health Risks. WHOI Oceanus Magazine. info:/
- May 9, 2013
- 07:40 AM
- 11 views
Children aren't scared by nasty dentist visits, but by what they think of them
by Christian Jarrett in BPS Research Digest
The Greek Stoic Epictetus wrote that "Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them." A new study involving 185 children and teenagers, 88 fathers and 97 mothers shows how this same principle applies to children's fear of the dentist. This is an important topic because many children avoid the dentist out of fear, and around half of dentally anxious adults trace their fears to childhood.
Antonio Crego and his colleagues assessed the children's fear of the dentist, an........ Read more »
Crego, A., Carrillo-Diaz, M., Armfield, J., & Romero, M. (2013) Applying the Cognitive Vulnerability Model to the analysis of cognitive and family influences on children's dental fear. European Journal of Oral Sciences. DOI: 10.1111/eos.12041
- May 9, 2013
- 06:10 AM
- 47 views
Herschel finds hot gas on the menu for milky way’s black hole
by Perikis Livas in Tracing Knowledge
ESA’s Herschel space observatory has made detailed observations of surprisingly hot molecular gas that may be orbiting or falling towards the supermassive black hole lurking at the centre of our Milky Way galaxy.... Read more »
ESA. (2013) Herschel finds hot gas on the menu for milky way's black hole. ESA Herschel. info:/
- May 9, 2013
- 04:03 AM
- 42 views
Electrifying potential
by Perikis Livas in Tracing Knowledge
Alchemists never managed to change base metals into gold, but all around us microbes achieve the next best thing.
Using primitive electricity, some bacteria can change the electrical state of metals—notably iron, but also uranium, manganese, and arsenic.
And that makes them gold to University of Minnesota researchers Daniel Bond and Jeffrey Gralnick, both associate professors in the Department of Microbiology and members of the U’s BioTechnology Institute.... Read more »
UM News Office. (2013) Electrifying potential. University of Minessota. info:/
- May 8, 2013
- 11:30 PM
- 38 views
Evolutionary games in set structured populations
by Artem Kaznatcheev in Evolutionary Games Group
We have previously discussed the importance of population structure in evolutionary game theory, and looked at the Ohtsuki-Nowak transform for analytic studies of games on one of the simplest structures — random regular graphs. However, there is another extremely simple structure to consider: a family of inviscid sets. We can think of each agent as [...]... Read more »
Tarnita, C., Antal, T., Ohtsuki, H., & Nowak, M. (2009) Evolutionary dynamics in set structured populations. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(21), 8601-8604. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0903019106
- May 8, 2013
- 11:05 PM
- 20 views
Legal Case Management: Prediction of Case Outcomes, Overconfidence, and Lawyers’ Need for Calibration Tools – Part 1
by Dan DeFoe in Psycholawlogy
How accurately do lawyers predict their case outcomes? These forecasts play a pivotal role in practical legal decision-making, and affect many stakeholders: the lawyer; the client; and the justice environment as a whole. Prediction errors can cost the client and their lawyer. Prediction errors can make cases become an unnecessary burden on the system. [...]The post Legal Case Management: Prediction of Case Outcomes, Overconfidence, and Lawyers’ Need for Calibration Tools – P........ Read more »
Goodman-Delahunty, J., Granhag, P., Hartwig, M., & Loftus, E. (2010) Insightful or wishful: Lawyers' ability to predict case outcomes. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 16(2), 133-157. DOI: 10.1037/a0019060
- May 8, 2013
- 08:16 PM
- 65 views
5 Study Skills to Accelerate Your Learning
by Winston Sieck in Head Smart
You may have heard that we now live in something called a “knowledge economy.” One big implication is the premium put on the ability to ramp up your knowledge about new topics. Whatever else students are learning in school, they also need to practice study skills that can help them learn more quickly. Having a [...]... Read more »
Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K., Marsh, E., Nathan, M., & Willingham, D. (2013) Improving Students' Learning With Effective Learning Techniques: Promising Directions From Cognitive and Educational Psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4-58. DOI: 10.1177/1529100612453266
- May 8, 2013
- 05:41 PM
- 2 views
Differences between “marathon mice” and “couch potato mice” reveal key to muscle fitness
by Heather Buschman, Ph.D. in Beaker
Sanford-Burnham researchers identify microRNAs as the missing link between the two defining features of muscle fitness—fuel-burning and fiber-type switching—providing a potential new target for interventions that boost fitness in people with chronic illness or injury.... Read more »
Gan, Z., Rumsey, J., Hazen, B., Lai, L., Leone, T., Vega, R., Xie, H., Conley, K., Auwerx, J., Smith, S.... (2013) Nuclear receptor/microRNA circuitry links muscle fiber type to energy metabolism. Journal of Clinical Investigation. DOI: 10.1172/JCI67652
- May 8, 2013
- 05:24 PM
- 34 views
Dual Color Semiconductor Device Opens Way to Cheaper Lighting
by dailyfusion in The Daily Fusion
A group of scientists from the Arizona State University have developed a semiconductor device that is capable of emitting two distinct colors simultaneously. An ability to emit light in a wide spectrum range from a single monolithic structure could potentially become a basis for a cheaper and more efficient lighting technology.... Read more »
Fan, F., Liu, Z., Yin, L., Nichols, P., Ning, H., Turkdogan, S., & Ning, C. (2013) Simultaneous two-color lasing in a single CdSSe heterostructure nanosheet. Semiconductor Science and Technology, 28(6), 65005. DOI: 10.1088/0268-1242/28/6/065005
- May 8, 2013
- 04:30 PM
- 52 views
Does experience matter – Part II
by Rogue Medic in Rogue Medic
In spite of the evidence to the contrary and a lack of rationality in the claim, we continue to be told that increasing the number of people with a title, such as paramedic, will result in better care.
Here is more evidence that dividing the skills among more people leads to less skilled care.
The authors begin by referring to other studies that demonstrate the high failure rate of doctors performing procedures on children.
How is that relevant to EMS? We have a low frequency of use of ........ Read more »
Mittiga, M., Geis, G., Kerrey, B., & Rinderknecht, A. (2013) The Spectrum and Frequency of Critical Procedures Performed in a Pediatric Emergency Department: Implications of a Provider-Level View. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 61(3), 263-270. DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2012.06.021
Blaivas M. (2010) Inadequate needle thoracostomy rate in the prehospital setting for presumed pneumothorax: an ultrasound study. Journal of ultrasound in medicine : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, 29(9), 1285-9. PMID: 20733183
Tanz RR, & Charrow J. (1993) Black clouds. Work load, sleep, and resident reputation. American journal of diseases of children (1960), 147(5), 579-84. PMID: 8488808
Meyr, A., Gonzalez, O., & Mayer, A. (2011) Quantification and Perception of On-call Podiatric Surgical Resident Workload. The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery, 50(5), 535-536. DOI: 10.1053/j.jfas.2011.04.035
- May 8, 2013
- 03:15 PM
- 21 views
Internationalization and Englishization in Higher Education
by Ingrid Piller in Language on the Move
The Intercultural Communication Special Interest Group of the British Association of Applied Linguistics is hosting a seminar at Newcastle University next week devoted to “Intercultural Communication in Higher Education – principles and practices.” Given that internationalization of higher education is … Continue reading →... Read more »
Cho, J. (2012) Campus in English or campus in shock?. English Today, 28(02), 18-25. DOI: 10.1017/S026607841200020X
Piller, I., & Cho, J. (2013) Neoliberalism as language policy. Language in Society, 42(01), 23-44. DOI: 10.1017/S0047404512000887
- May 8, 2013
- 02:02 PM
- 43 views
Unleashing oxygen
by Perikis Livas in Tracing Knowledge
‘Superlattice’ structure could give a huge boost to oxygen reaction in fuel cells, increasing their power potential.
New research at MIT could dramatically improve the efficiency of fuel cells, which are considered a promising alternative to batteries for powering everything from electronic devices to cars and homes.... Read more »
David L. Chandler. (2013) Unleashing oxygen. MIT News. info:/
- May 8, 2013
- 01:38 PM
- 35 views
Fluorescent Dye Increases Solar Cells’ Efficiency
by dailyfusion in The Daily Fusion
Scientists at Yale think that for some solar cells the future may be fluorescent. While many may believe that the purpose of a solar cell is to absorb light, not to emit it (fluorescence is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation), it turns out that the addition of a fluorescent organic dye to the cell layer improves the ability of a promising type of solar cell to absorb light and convert it into electrical power.... Read more »
Huang, J., Goh, T., Li, X., Sfeir, M., Bielinski, E., Tomasulo, S., Lee, M., Hazari, N., & Taylor, A. (2013) Polymer bulk heterojunction solar cells employing Förster resonance energy transfer. Nature Photonics. DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2013.82
- May 8, 2013
- 12:00 PM
- 34 views
Microbial Misadventures: Anthrax, Hippies & Drum Circles
by Rebecca Kreston in BODY HORRORS
When you think of drum circles taking place in the United States, visions of hippies, Birkenstocks and the vibrant green lawns of private colleges may appear. The bacteria Bacillus anthracis, or anthrax, does not often materialize alongside the skunky mix of patchouli and ganja hovering above the crowd in one’s visions of (ar)rhythmic drumming events.
... Read more »
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2010) Gastrointestinal anthrax after an animal-hide drumming event - New Hampshire and Massachusetts, 2009. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report, 59(28), 872-7. PMID: 20651643
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