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People's motivations bias how they gather information

A new study suggests people stop gathering evidence earlier when it supports their desired conclusion than when it opposes it. This bias is driven by a tendency to weight favorable evidence more heavily than opposing evidence, leading individuals to prematurely conclude in favor of their preconceived notion.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Computational Biology·DateJun 27, 2019

Concert of magnetic moments

Scientists have identified a unique chiral coupling that allows spins in different magnetic layers to interact over long distances, even if they are not adjacent. This discovery opens up novel opportunities for engineering complex magnetic configurations to store and process data more efficiently.

SourceForschungszentrum Juelich·JournalNature Materials·DateJun 13, 2019

The benefits of being different

Researchers discovered six distinct color morphs of the Asiatic golden cat in Northeast India, showcasing unique adaptations to varying habitats and prey. The phenomenon may provide insights into the species' resilience to climate change and habitat degradation.

SourceZoological Society of London·JournalEcology·DateJun 12, 2019

Body composition shown to affect energy spent standing versus sitting

Researchers found that young adults burned significantly more kilocalories per minute while standing than sitting or lying, with no significant association between energy expenditure and body composition. Increasing standing time is a simple way to boost energy expenditure, lending support to efforts to counteract sedentary lifestyles.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS ONE·DateJun 12, 2019

How can governments fight antimicrobial resistance with policy?

A systematic review of government policies aimed at reducing human antimicrobial use identified 17 types of interventions, but most were not rigorously evaluated. The authors recommend that governments ensure AMR policy interventions are tested using rigorous study designs to avoid future waste of public resources.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Medicine·DateJun 11, 2019

Scientists stack algorithms to improve predictions of yield-boosting crop traits

A team of researchers from the University of Illinois has developed a new technique to predict high-yielding crop traits by stacking six machine learning algorithms, improving predictive power by up to 15 percent. The approach empowers scientists to leverage computational analysis to translate their datasets into beneficial results.

High-performance data processing technology through a new database partitioning method

DGIST developed a graph-based database partitioning method called GPT technology, which shows more than 4 times faster query performance on average compared to Spark SQL. The technology can be applied to various areas requiring fast join processing techniques and eliminates expensive network communication among machines.

House hunting is a struggle for mixed-race families

A new study by Brigham Young University researchers found that mixed-race couples with children are more likely to move to racially diverse neighborhoods, but often settle for less affluent areas. These couples face challenges in finding neighborhoods that balance affordability with diversity and access to quality education.

SourceBrigham Young University·JournalDemography·DateApr 29, 2019

Treatment, spending on outpatient care for depression in US

From 1998 to 2015, US spending on outpatient care for depression increased by 43%, primarily due to expanded insurance coverage for mental health conditions. The study analyzed national survey data and found a significant association between increased healthcare spending and improved mental health treatment outcomes.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalJAMA Psychiatry·DateApr 24, 2019

Study shows zoos and aquariums increase species knowledge index 800%

A study published in PNAS confirms that zoos and aquariums hold critical information about more than 98% of known species, including fertility and survival rates. By analyzing data from the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS), researchers were able to fill large gaps in demographic knowledge for these species.

SourceSpecies360·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateApr 22, 2019

Increased screen time in preschool is linked to inattention

Children with more than two hours of screen time per day were five times more likely to report clinically significant externalizing problems and had a significantly increased risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. In contrast, children who engaged in organized sports showed fewer behavioral problems.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS ONE·DateApr 17, 2019

How severe drought influences ozone pollution

Researchers analyzed data from Fresno and Bakersfield before, during, and after the California drought to understand its impact on ozone air quality. They found that severe drought conditions led to a 20% decrease in ozone production due to reduced isoprene concentrations and altered VOCs.

SourceAmerican Chemical Society·JournalEnvironmental Science & Technology·DateApr 10, 2019

Smoking and mortality in Asia

A study of over 1 million participants from China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and India found that smoking was associated with 144,366 deaths during a 12-year follow-up period. Tobacco use accounted for 56.6% of lung cancer deaths and 21.1% of total deaths among men born in the 1920s.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalJAMA Network Open·DateMar 29, 2019

Physicists constrain dark matter

Researchers have constrained a theoretical model of dark matter particles using data from Earth-based radio telescopes. The study found that ultralight particles interact weakly with photons, making them hard to study, but also revealed a constraint on the available models describing dark matter composition.

SourceMoscow Institute of Physics and Technology·JournalJournal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics·DateMar 27, 2019