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168,100 articles from ScienceDaily

First superstorm on exoplanet detected

Astronomers have measured a superstorm for the first time in the atmosphere of an exoplanet, the well-studied "hot Jupiter" HD209458b. The very high-precision observations of carbon monoxide gas show that it is streaming at enormous speed from the extremely hot day side to the cooler night side of the planet. The observations also allow another exciting "first" -- measuring the orbital speed of...

Imaging reveals how brain fails to tune out phantom sounds of tinnitus

About 40 million people in the US today suffer from tinnitus, an irritating and sometimes debilitating auditory disorder in which a person "hears" sounds, such as ringing, that don't actually exist. There isn't a cure for what has long been a mysterious ailment, but new research suggests there may, someday, be a way to alleviate the sensation of this...

New vaccine strategies could safely control Rift Valley fever

Two new approaches could form the basis for the first-ever human vaccine for Rift Valley fever, an infectious disease that threatens both farm animals and people, say researchers. Experimental vaccines developed with these approaches produced strong immune responses in mice and may be safer than the only available RVF vaccine, which is limited to animal...

Computer program detects depression in bloggers' texts

Researchers have developed a computer program capable of identifying language that can indicate a writer's psychological state, which could serve as a screening tool. The software was used to scan more than 300,000 English language blogs that were posted to mental health Web sites. The program identified what it perceived to be the 100 "most depressed" and 100 "least depressed"...

Brave brains: Neural mechanisms of courage uncovered in study of fear of snakes

A fascinating new study combines snakes with brain imaging in order to uncover neural mechanisms associated with "courage." The research provides new insight into what happens in the brain when an individual voluntarily performs an action opposite to that promoted by ongoing fear and may even lead to new treatment strategies for those who exhibit a failure to overcome their...

Loneliness, poor health appear to be linked

Two studies have found that hoarding friends doesn't necessarily diminish forlorn feelings and that loneliness is a matter of perception. Superficial relationships, researchers say, can not only result in feelings of detachment, but also contribute to certain health-related...

Lowering homocysteine levels with folic acid and vitamin B12 does not appear to reduce risk of heart attack, stroke, study finds

Patients who had experienced a heart attack and lowered their blood homocysteine levels with folic acid and vitamin B12 supplementation did not have an associated lower risk of heart attack, coronary death or stroke, according to a new study. However, the researchers did find that folic acid supplementation did not increase the risk of cancer, which has been...

Neuroscientists can predict your behavior better than you can

In a study with implications for the advertising industry and public health organizations, neuroscientists have shown they can use brain scanning to predict whether people will use sunscreen in the next week better than the people themselves can predict whether they will do so. This is the first persuasion study in neuroscience to predict behavior...

Implementing comparative effectiveness research: Lessons from the mammography screening controversy

The firestorm that followed the November 2009 release of guidelines that would have reduced use of screening mammograms in women aged 40 to 49 highlights challenges for implementing the findings of comparative effectiveness research (CER), according to a new analysis. Meeting such challenges -- which may become more common due to increased funding for CER -- requires better communication to the...

Peruvian moth could devastate California’s avocados, entomologist warns

Entomologist Mark Hoddle is in Peru to look for known avocado pests, in particular, the avocado seed moth, Stenoma catenifer, that could wreak havoc on California's avocados should the pest make its way to the state. This pest could also attack and survive on California bay laurel, a plant native to California that is closely related to the avocado. Peruvian avocados are already being imported...

Impacts of Chilean salmon farms on coastal ecosystem discovered accidentally

Until recently, the disastrous scale of the threat posed by salmon farms to the fauna and National Park of the Aysén region of southern Chile was entirely unknown. The unexpected discovery was made by researchers who were studying acoustic communication among the native whales in the region. The researchers not only discovered that the salmon industry is rapidly spreading to the hitherto largely...