- March 14, 2010
- 12:40 AM
- 19 views
Say Hello to My Little Friend
by Kevin Zelnio in Deep Sea News
What looks like a worm, is completely symmetrical in cross-section, and in the words of Dr. Peter Holland:
“It has no mouth, no gut, no brain and no nerve cord. It doesn’t have a left or right side or a top or bottom – we can’t even tell which end is the front!” (quoted from Physorg)
Its [...]... Read more »
Jimenez-Guri, E., Okamura, B., & Holland, P. (2007) Origin and evolution of a myxozoan worm. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 47(5), 752-758. DOI: 10.1093/icb/icm026
- March 13, 2010
- 05:45 PM
- 17 views
Brain scans read memories
by Mo in Neurophilosophy
FORMATION of a memory is widely believed to leave a 'trace' in the brain - a fleeting pattern of electrical activity which strengthens the connections within a widely distributed network of neurons, and which re-emerges when the memory is recalled. The concept of the memory trace was first proposed nearly a century ago, but the nature of the trace, its precise location in the brain and the underlying neural mechanisms all remain elusive. A new study by researchers from University College London ........ Read more »
Chadwick, M. J., et al. (2010) Decoding Individual Episodic Memory Traces in the Human Hippocampus. Curr. Biol. info:/
- March 13, 2010
- 04:16 PM
- 31 views
The most hated journal in science?
by Andrew Sun in On The Road
Enserink, M. (2010). Elsevier to Editor: Change Controversial Journal or Resign Science, 327 (5971), 1316-1316 DOI: 10.1126/science.327.5971.1316A non-peer-reviewed journal called Medical Hypotheses is facing possibly its end as reported by Science, because it contains science related contents that are not...... Read more »
Enserink, M. (2010) Elsevier to Editor: Change Controversial Journal or Resign. Science, 327(5971), 1316-1316. DOI: 10.1126/science.327.5971.1316
- March 13, 2010
- 03:37 PM
- 19 views
Taking an Artificial Leaf Out of Nature’s Book
by calvinus in Post Tenebras Lux
Solar cells can be thought of as an artificial leaf, turning sunlight into energy. Mimicking the surface of lotus leaves takes this analogy one step further.... Read more »
Zhu, J., Hsu, C., Yu, Z., Fan, S., & Cui, Y. (2009) Nanodome Solar Cells with Efficient Light Management and Self-Cleaning. Nano Letters, 2147483647. DOI: 10.1021/nl9034237
- March 13, 2010
- 03:02 PM
- 17 views
Soft, wet and rather tough
by Lars Fischer in EuCheMS 2010 Blog
Hydrogels are the only materials that have the potential to be used as a replacement material for functional tissues like cartilage, sinews or muscles. However, while the biological wet and soft materials have impressive mechanical properties and are generally very tough, conventional hydrogels are rather brittle and tend to disintegrate under duress. With one exception, [...]... Read more »
Gong, J. (2010) Why are double network hydrogels so tough?. Soft Matter. DOI: 10.1039/b924290b
- March 13, 2010
- 02:08 PM
- 24 views
Evolving from Promiscuity to Monogamy
by Johnny in Ecographica
...despite the fact that promiscuous mating systems are the prevailing strategy in nature, environmental factors can push typically promiscuous species towards monogamy... case in point, a report published in the April issue of The American Naturalist details how the ‘mimic poison dart frog’ (Ranitomeya imitator) parted ways with promiscuity to adapt a lifestyle as the first scientifically recognized genetically monogamous amphibian. ... Read more »
Brown, J., Morales, V., & Summers, K. (2010) A Key Ecological Trait Drove the Evolution of Biparental Care and Monogamy in an Amphibian. The American Naturalist, 175(4), 436-446. DOI: 10.1086/650727
- March 13, 2010
- 12:29 PM
- 19 views
High Arctic soil carbon underestimated
by Phil Camill in Global Change: Intersection of Nature and Culture
Most people have heard about the potential positive feedback of soil carbon on climate: As temperatures warm, soil microbes are more active and permafrost begins to thaw–both of which can hasten decomposition and the release of CO2 to the atmosphere. This, in turn, has the potential to accelerate warming.
A lot of us who study climate [...]... Read more »
Burnham, J. H., and R. S. Sletten. (2010) Spatial Distribution of Soil Organic Carbon in Northwest Greenland and Underestimates of High Arctic Carbon Stores. Global Biogeochemical Cycles. info:/10.1029/2009GB003660
- March 13, 2010
- 11:06 AM
- 19 views
The evidence is: status, communication training, and intrinsic rewards are positively associated with scientists communicating with the media
by Christina Pikas in Christina's LIS Rant
Myths abound about how scientists do not talk with the media or communicate with the public and if they do so, it is only because they are required to by funders' "broader impact" requirements. The evidence, however, does not support this view. This article is another in a series of communications based on a multi-national study of how scientists in several fields communicate with the media. (you might have seen [1] or [2]). This article only uses data from US scientists who were re........ Read more »
Dunwoody, S., Brossard, D., . (2009) Socialization or rewards? Predicting U.S. scientist-media interactions. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 86(2), 299-314. info:/
- March 13, 2010
- 09:35 AM
- 20 views
AMS Climate briefing rundown
by Callan Bentley in Mountain Beltway
Yesterday I attended a climate change briefing hosted by the American Meteorological Society (in conjunction with NSF, AGU, AAAS, and the American Statistical Association). It was in the Hart Senate Office Building, but I didn’t see any senators at the briefing.
It was an interesting format: 3 talented speakers giving 3 “fifteen-minute” presentations (really more like [...]... Read more »
Solomon, S., Plattner, G., Knutti, R., & Friedlingstein, P. (2009) Irreversible climate change due to carbon dioxide emissions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(6), 1704-1709. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0812721106
- March 13, 2010
- 06:10 AM
- 23 views
On emerging viruses
by iayork in Mystery Rays from Outer Space
Investigators face a daunting black box with emerging viruses: the challenge of developing a universal therapeutic agent to combat a genetically proficient virus that quite likely has many more options for emergence than we have yet considered.
–Graham, R., & Baric, R. (2009). Recombination, Reservoirs, and the Modular Spike: Mechanisms of Coronavirus Cross-Species [...]... Read more »
Graham, R., & Baric, R. (2009) Recombination, Reservoirs, and the Modular Spike: Mechanisms of Coronavirus Cross-Species Transmission. Journal of Virology, 84(7), 3134-3146. DOI: 10.1128/JVI.01394-09
- March 12, 2010
- 10:01 PM
- 29 views
Move over cows! Methane outgassing in the Arctic Sea
Methane! Move over cow flatulence and burping, methane is leaking from under the Arctic in a big way. Methane, that innocuous-seeming molecule with 4 hydrogens and a carbon, is actually a more potent greenhouse gas than the carbon dioxide molecule of greater fame–up to 25 times more potent actually. However, atmospheric methane concentrations are much [...]... Read more »
Shakhova, N., Semiletov, I., Salyuk, A., Yusupov, V., Kosmach, D., & Gustafsson, O. (2010) Extensive Methane Venting to the Atmosphere from Sediments of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf. Science, 327(5970), 1246-1250. DOI: 10.1126/science.1182221
- March 12, 2010
- 09:20 PM
- 44 views
fMRI becomes big, big science
by Tal Yarkoni in citation needed
There are probably lots of criteria you could use to determine the relative importance of different scientific disciplines, but the one I like best is the Largest Number of Authors on a Paper. Physicists have long had their hundred-authored papers (see for example this individual here; be sure to click on the “show all authors/affiliations” [...]... Read more »
Biswal, B., Mennes, M., Zuo, X., Gohel, S., Kelly, C., Smith, S., Beckmann, C., Adelstein, J., Buckner, R., Colcombe, S.... (2010) Toward discovery science of human brain function. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(10), 4734-4739. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0911855107
- March 12, 2010
- 08:30 PM
- 28 views
Self-Knowledge - Emotional Intelligence For Personal Growth Part IV
by David Johnson, MSW, LICSW in Dare To Dream
This is the fourth in a series of articles on emotional intelligence for personal growth.
Self-knowledge is something we all strive towards. But how many of us have done a complete review of our emotions and how they influence our thoughts and behavior? Most people find that pretty hard to do, especially since they struggle to put their feelings into words. We talk about "will power" as the ultimate motivation. It might surprise you to find out that motivation is really emotion.
Emotion in it's........ Read more »
Choi-Kain LW, & Gunderson JG. (2008) Mentalization: ontogeny, assessment, and application in the treatment of borderline personality disorder. The American journal of psychiatry, 165(9), 1127-35. PMID: 18676591
Dolan, R. (2002) Emotion, Cognition, and Behavior. Science, 298(5596), 1191-1194. DOI: 10.1126/science.1076358
Kahneman, D. (2003) A perspective on judgment and choice: Mapping bounded rationality. American Psychologist, 58(9), 697-720. DOI: 10.1037/0003-066X.58.9.697
Waller, B., Cray, J., & Burrows, A. (2008) Selection for universal facial emotion. Emotion, 8(3), 435-439. DOI: 10.1037/1528-3542.8.3.435
Westen, D. (1998) The scientific legacy of Sigmund Freud: Toward a psychodynamically informed psychological science. Psychological Bulletin, 124(3), 333-371. DOI: 10.1037//0033-2909.124.3.333
- March 12, 2010
- 06:59 PM
- 20 views
Obesity, more and more reports and resources!
by PhD Blogger in Exercise Psychology
There are it seems more reports and strategies concerning obesity than just about anything else. The strange thing is I have yet to read a bad strategy or poorly presented report, most of the papers are excellent. Its the scale and complexity of the problem that seems to be defeating us. The best report on the causes remain in my view the UK Government Foresight report, available on this site. There is also the recently published Scottish report Preventing Overweight and Obesity in Sc........ Read more »
TRUST FOR AMERICA’S HEALTH. (2009) F as in Fat:HOW OBESITY POLICIES ARE FAILING IN AMERICA. Web, 1-108. info:/
- March 12, 2010
- 06:45 PM
- 24 views
Thymus Transplant Extends Life in Old Mice
by Reason in Fight Aging!
Amidst the preprint list of the Rejuvenation Research journal, I see an interesting paper I'd somehow missed: life span can be extended in old mice by transplant of a young thymus. Noninvasive Neonatal Thymus Graft into the Axillary Cavity Extends the Lifespan of Old Mice: Neonatal thymus grafts exert a rejuvenating action on various immunological and nonimmunological functions found altered in old mice. Commonly, half of a thymus is grafted under the kidney capsule. The invasiveness of the surg........ Read more »
Basso, A., Malavolta, M., Piacenza, F., Santarelli, L., Marcellini, F., Papa, R., & Mocchegiani, E. (2009) Noninvasive Neonatal Thymus Graft into the Axillary Cavity Extends the Lifespan of Old Mice. Rejuvenation Research, 2147483647. DOI: 10.1089/rej.2009.0936
- March 12, 2010
- 05:55 PM
- 39 views
Can going to church change your views of god?
Christians don't agree on the nature of their god. Their different ideas are many and varied, but one broad way of looking at it is that they tend to believe either in a personal god (one who takes an active, day-to-day interest in people's lives and also intervenes), or an impersonal, distant god (the sort of god who lights the blue touch paper at the moment of creation and then retires to a safe distance).So who believes in what kind of god? Well, that's the topic of a recent paper by Scott Sc........ Read more »
Schieman, S. (2010) Socioeconomic Status and Beliefs about God's Influence in Everyday Life. Sociology of Religion, 71(1), 25-51. DOI: 10.1093/socrel/srq004
- March 12, 2010
- 05:07 PM
- 21 views
Anatomy of a tuna’s internal compass
by DeLene Beeland in Wild Muse
NOTE: This post was originally published in August of 2009, it was one of the first few research papers that I wrote about on this site; it’s been receiving a spike in hits due to the recent announcement of a proposed ban on bluefin tuna fishing. This post does not talk about the conservation issues, [...]... Read more »
Willis, J., Phillips, J., Muheim, R., Diego-Rasilla, F., & Hobday, A. (2009) Spike dives of juvenile southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii): a navigational role?. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 64(1), 57-68. DOI: 10.1007/s00265-009-0818-2
- March 12, 2010
- 03:40 PM
- 30 views
Explain your total sheep played
by Simon Halliday in Amanuensis
When you come across a line like this in a paper, you can't help but laugh, "We now discuss and explain the cumulative number of sheep played in all rounds of the game." Yes, subjects played sheep. You may wonder how. I shall attempt to explain.In three papers based on work in South Africa and Namibia, Bjørn Vollan and, in one paper, his co-author Bernd Hayo investigate several different experiments with the Nama people. They ran trust games, trust games with third party punishment, and commo........ Read more »
Vollan, B. (2008) Socio-ecological explanations for crowding-out effects from economic field experiments in southern Africa. Ecological Economics, 67(4), 560-573. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2008.01.015
- March 12, 2010
- 03:05 PM
- 22 views
Isopods Cause Reproductive Death in Shrimp
by Kevin Zelnio in Deep Sea News
Isopods, you know them as those adorable little roly-poly bugs under rocks in the forest or the gigantic Bathynomus of the deep sea. They are also those cute and cuddly parasites in the gill chamber of shrimp too! Awww, How special! In a recent issue of JMBA-UK, Calado et al. describe how these fuzzy wittle [...]... Read more »
Calado, R., Bartilotti, C., Goy, J., & Dinis, M. (2008) Parasitic castration of the stenopodid shrimp Stenopus hispidus (Decapoda: Stenopodidae) induced by the bopyrid isopod Argeiopsis inhacae (Isopoda: Bopyridae). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK, 88(02). DOI: 10.1017/S0025315408000684
- March 12, 2010
- 02:45 PM
- 37 views
Chasing Datura
by teofilo in Gambler's House
When I was discussing the archaeoacoustics of Chaco earlier, I mentioned that I was a little dubious about some of the stuff John Stein and Taft Blackhorse had said about Navajo connections to the Chaco Amphitheater. They associate it with a ceremonial tradition involving the ritual use of datura. There’s an immense anthropological literature on [...]... Read more »
Wyman, L., & Thorne, B. (1945) Notes on Navaho Suicide. American Anthropologist, 47(2), 278-288. DOI: 10.1525/aa.1945.47.2.02a00070
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