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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences


Depression and Facebook posts

Researchers analyzed Facebook status histories and electronic medical records of 683 patients to identify correlations between post language and depression. They found that language indicating sadness, loneliness, hostility, self-reference, and rumination were associated with a higher risk of depression.

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 15, 2018

Memory-aided identification of false beliefs

Researchers found that 3-year-old children could retroactively combine memories with new information to spot false beliefs, a skill developing episodic memory. In contrast, 18-month-olds were unable to do so but could identify false beliefs in others, suggesting the role of episodic memory in monitoring other's belief states

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 15, 2018

Salted fish in Maya economy

The study found that a majority of ancient Maya chert stone tools showed wear patterns consistent with fish preparation, indicating preserved fish was an important component of their trade economy. The researchers estimated that each salt kitchen could provide dietary salt for up to 3,444 people per day if used for fish preservation.

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 8, 2018

Magnetic map of Atlantic salmon

Nonmigratory Atlantic salmon can extract positional information from Earth's magnetic field, orienting themselves appropriately in response to different magnetic conditions. This skill may enable salmon escaping from aquaculture to better navigate and invade habitats, challenging previous assumptions about their navigational abilities

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 8, 2018

Mountain snowpack and climate warming

The study found that mountain snowpack is vulnerable to climate warming, with a 20-40% decrease in above-average snow water equivalent for 1-2°C temperature increases. Regional variations were observed, with northern regions more susceptible than southern ones, affecting water resource management and wildfire activity.

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 8, 2018

Dopamine and belief updating

Researchers discovered that neural encoding of sensory information leading to belief updates is negatively related to dopamine receptor availability. The study also found a link between dopamine and the ability to flexibly update beliefs, with paranoid ideation being negatively related to sensitivity to meaningful sensory information.

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 8, 2018

Climate change and mental health

Researchers analyzed data from nearly 2 million US residents and found a correlation between rising temperatures and increased mental health issues, suggesting climate change poses a risk to human well-being. The study suggests that even small increases in temperature can have significant impacts on mental health.

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 8, 2018

History of New York City marshes

Researchers reconstructed three centuries of sedimentation history for NYC marshes, finding a significant decrease in inorganic mineral sediments since the 19th century. This reduction weakens marsh structures, suggesting future preservation will require adding mineral sediment to dredged basins and the marshes themselves.

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateSep 24, 2018

Earthquake risk estimation

Researchers developed a method to estimate seismic risk by modeling various earthquake scenarios and identifying common impacts. The study suggests that most scenarios produce lower impacts than the worst-case scenario, with urban areas posing less risk than rural western Nepal.

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateSep 24, 2018

Weathering of early Earth rocks

Researchers analyzed silicon and oxygen isotopes in zircon crystals to infer the presence of sedimentary rocks, such as cherts or banded iron formations, on early Earth. The findings suggest that these rocks may have existed over 4 billion years ago, providing a window into the planet's primordial chemistry.

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateSep 24, 2018