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Facebook use can worsen as well as improve mental health conditions

Research by Dr Keelin Howard found that Facebook can provide social support and connection for recovery from mental health problems. However, excessive or problematic use can exacerbate symptoms of paranoia, anxiety, and depression. Participants developed strategies to protect their mental well-being on the platform.

SourceBritish Sociological Association·DateApr 14, 2015

UH study links Facebook use to depressive symptoms

A University of Houston study finds that excessive Facebook use and social comparison are associated with depressive symptoms. The research suggests that individuals who spend more time on Facebook and engage in social comparisons may experience heightened levels of depression.

SourceUniversity of Houston·JournalJournal of Social and Clinical Psychology·DateApr 6, 2015

Researchers aim to safeguard privacy on social networks

Researchers are developing technology to shore up user privacy on leading social media sites, addressing the growing concern of users' information being shared beyond their intended group. The project aims to design a formal model and mechanism to enforce privacy policies, protecting users from malicious access and 'leaky boundaries',

SourceUniversity of Kansas·DateMar 31, 2015
Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas, 2nd Edition

Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas, 2nd Edition is a durable star atlas for planning sessions, identifying targets, and teaching celestial navigation.

Deadly Japan quake and tsunami spurred global warming, ozone loss

A new study reveals that the 2011 Japan earthquake triggered a significant release of climate-warming gases, including CFC-11 and HCFC-22, contributing to global warming. The study found that emissions increased by 21-91% over typical levels, equivalent to about 10% of Japanese vehicle emissions in 2011.

SourceAmerican Geophysical Union·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·DateMar 26, 2015

A difficult climate: New study examines the media's response to the IPCC

A recent study in Nature Climate Change analyzed how Twitter, TV, and newspapers reported the IPCC's latest climate evidence. The researchers found that different media sources used distinct frames to emphasize or downplay various aspects of climate change, with some frames being more engaging for audiences than others.

SourceUniversity of Exeter·JournalNature Climate Change·DateMar 25, 2015

Does your password pass muster?

Researchers from Concordia University found that password strength meters are inconsistent and may confuse users. They recommend using robust meters like Dropbox's, which analyze passwords for common dictionary words and highlight weak phrases.

SourceConcordia University·JournalACM Transactions on Information and System Security·DateMar 25, 2015

Use your real name: Online communication details that affect sales

A new study in the Journal of Marketing found that electronic word-of-mouth has a significant impact on sales, varying by product type and industry. Consumers favor specialized review sites and word-of-mouth from independent review sites over retailer sites.

SourceAmerican Marketing Association·JournalJournal of Marketing·DateMar 24, 2015
GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter logs beta, gamma, and X-ray levels for environmental monitoring, training labs, and safety demonstrations.

Finding support for surgery on Facebook

A recent study by Dartmouth researchers found that Facebook conversations about surgery reveal a common pattern of call-and-response in asking for and offering prayers. Nearly four thousand people posted about surgery, with posts referencing family members triggering greater responses via comments.

SourceDartmouth College·JournalSocial Science & Medicine·DateMar 18, 2015

Teens' approach to social media risk is different from adults'

Researchers found that teens tend to disclose information first and then seek help to mitigate risks, a different approach than adults who consider risks before taking action. This 'disclose-first-and-then-make-corrections' model may explain the privacy paradox observed in teens.

SourcePenn State·DateMar 17, 2015

Social media training works best for student-athletes, study shows

Researchers found that college athletes are willing to receive social media education as long as it is tailored to their actual habits and includes their input. Athletes perceive excessive monitoring software as overburdensome, highlighting the need for consistent follow-up and athlete feedback integration.

SourceClemson University·JournalInternational Journal of Sport Communication·DateMar 17, 2015

How Millennials get their news

Millennials consume news across various platforms, including social media, for civic, problem-solving, and entertainment purposes. The study finds that 70% of their social media feeds contain a diverse mix of viewpoints.

SourceNORC at the University of Chicago·DateMar 16, 2015
Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars

Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars deliver bright, sharp views for wildlife surveys, eclipse chases, and quick star-field scans at dark sites.

Hospital ratings on social media appear to reflect quality of care

A Massachusetts General Hospital study found a correlation between hospitals' Facebook ratings and their performance on a widely-used measure of quality care. Hospitals with higher Facebook ratings had lower readmission rates within 30 days after discharge.

SourceMassachusetts General Hospital·JournalJournal of General Internal Medicine·DateMar 12, 2015

New research reveals low-oxygen impacts on West Coast groundfish

Low-oxygen zones off the Oregon Coast are affecting fish populations, with some species like Dover sole remaining largely unaffected. The study found that low oxygen levels drive sensitive species away, while others may be pushed into less desirable habitats and grow more slowly.

SourceNOAA Fisheries West Coast Region·JournalFisheries Oceanography·DateMar 11, 2015
Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) runs demanding GIS, imaging, and annotation workflows on the go for surveys, briefings, and lab notebooks.

Research explores patient views of GP safety

A new study reveals that patients' perceptions of GP safety are crucial to reaching successful diagnosis and treatment. The research found that trust issues, alienation, and impersonal processes can lead to problems in improving patient safety within GP services.

SourceUniversity of Manchester·JournalHealth Expectations·DateMar 9, 2015

Content creators leave social networks when messaging gets too easy

Research suggests that social networking is a market where senders compete for attention, leading to a scarcity of message creators and cluttered networks. As messaging becomes cheaper and easier, senders target more people, decreasing payoffs and increasing competition.

SourceUniversity of California - Berkeley Haas School of Business·JournalManagement Science·DateMar 9, 2015

BBC News team receives Endocrine Society journalism award

A BBC News team received the Endocrine Society's Award for Excellence in Science and Medical Journalism for their coverage of hormonal fluctuations at different times of day. The winning package, 'The Day of the Body Clock,' included TV, radio, and online coverage from May 13, 2014.

SourceThe Endocrine Society·DateMar 5, 2015
Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

Energy-generating cloth could replace batteries in wearable devices

Scientists have created a durable, flexible cloth that harnesses human motion to generate energy, self-charging batteries or supercapacitors without an external power source. The novel TNG fabric can be stacked and reused multiple times, making it suitable for various biomedical and commercial applications.

SourceAmerican Chemical Society·JournalACS Nano·DateMar 4, 2015

Twitter chatter predicts health insurance marketplace enrollment, Penn study shows

A study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found a significant correlation between Twitter sentiment and health insurance marketplace enrollment. The analysis of 977,303 tweets revealed that a 0.10 increase in positive sentiment was associated with a 9% increase in enrollment.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania School of Medicine·JournalJournal of Medical Internet Research·DateMar 4, 2015
Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply

Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply powers sensors, microcontrollers, and test circuits with programmable rails and stable outputs.

Twitter helps smokers kick the habit, UCI-Stanford study finds

A study by UCI and Stanford researchers found that daily automessages on Twitter increased smoking cessation rates. The hybrid approach combined automated messages with social media, resulting in a 75% success rate for quitting smoking.

SourceUniversity of California - Irvine·JournalJournal of Medical Internet Research·DateMar 3, 2015

Kids who lack sympathy more likely to share with virtuous friends

A recent study published in the British Journal of Developmental Psychology found that children who struggle with sympathy are more likely to share resources with peers they respect. The research suggests a compensatory relationship between sympathy and respect, helping kids navigate prosocial solutions even when empathy is lacking.

SourceBritish Psychological Society·JournalBritish Journal of Developmental Psychology·DateMar 2, 2015

Finding psychological insights through social media

Researchers are using social media to study personality, mental health, and cross-cultural differences. Studies have found that language patterns on Twitter and Facebook can predict heart disease risk and emotional stability, while open-vocabulary analysis reveals connections between words and personality traits.

SourceSociety for Personality and Social Psychology·DateFeb 27, 2015

Helmet add-ons may not lower concussion risk in athletes

Researchers evaluated four football helmet add-ons, including Guardian Cap and Concussion Reduction Technology, which showed limited impact on reducing concussion risk. The study found that helmets with these add-ons reduced linear accelerations by about 11 percent but had little effect on angular accelerations.

SourceAmerican Academy of Neurology·DateFeb 25, 2015
SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB transfers large imagery and model outputs quickly between field laptops, lab workstations, and secure archives.

Do long sleepers have an increased risk of stroke?

A new study published in Neurology found that people who sleep more than eight hours a night have an increased risk of stroke. Those who shifted from sleeping less than six hours a night to more than eight hours were nearly four times as likely to have a stroke.

SourceAmerican Academy of Neurology·JournalNeurology·DateFeb 25, 2015
AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope

AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope supports teaching labs and QA checks with LED illumination, mechanical stage, and included 5MP camera.

Your privacy online: Health information at serious risk of abuse

An analysis of 80,000 health web pages reveals that nine out of ten visits result in personal health information being leaked to third parties. This can lead to identity theft and discrimination due to predictive algorithms grouping individuals into categories.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania Annenberg School for Communication·JournalCommunications of the ACM·DateFeb 23, 2015

How social media can help and hurt companies during product recalls

Research using 405 consumer product recalls found that corporate social media reduces negative price reactions to recall announcements. However, as social media evolves, firms lose control over online content and negative sentiment from disgruntled users exacerbates market reactions.

SourceWiley·JournalJournal of Accounting Research·DateFeb 17, 2015

Social media can help alert students during campus emergencies, study finds

Researchers found that social media can instantly reach a large percentage of students to provide timely and accurate information during crisis situations. The study suggests that students are more likely to comply with emergency notifications received through social networking channels.

SourceUniversity at Buffalo·JournalInternational Journal of Business Information Systems·DateFeb 17, 2015
Meta Quest 3 512GB

Meta Quest 3 512GB enables immersive mission planning, terrain rehearsal, and interactive STEM demos with high-resolution mixed-reality experiences.

Vast majority of scientists believe in engagement on public policy debates

A survey by Pew Research Center in collaboration with AAAS found that 87% of scientists believe they should take an active role in public policy debates. Scientists use various methods to connect with the public, including social media and blogging, with 47% using social media to talk about science or read about scientific developments.

SourceAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)·DateFeb 15, 2015

How a wedding engagement changes Twitter feeds

Researchers analyzed nearly 1,000 tweets before and after engagement to discover how people altered their online personas. Tweets with words 'I' or 'me' dropped by 69%, replaced with 'we' and 'us', as individuals transitioned into couples.

SourceGeorgia Institute of Technology·DateFeb 13, 2015
Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm)

Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm) tracks health metrics and safety alerts during long observing sessions, fieldwork, and remote expeditions.

Love online is about being real, not perfect

Researchers found that people prefer online profiles highlighting a potential partner's success and humility, with specific details about their life. This approach balances presenting the best version of oneself while avoiding exaggerations.

SourceUniversity of Iowa·DateFeb 11, 2015

Feeling unloved? Like this post

A new study finds that individuals with attachment anxiety use Facebook frequently to seek feedback and reassurance, while extraverted users engage on the platform for different reasons. The research highlights the importance of personality in shaping social media engagement.

SourceUnion College·JournalPersonality and Individual Differences·DateFeb 9, 2015

Does alcohol-related activity on Facebook promote drinking?

A Michigan State University study found that Facebook users who like, share, or comment on alcohol-related posts are more likely to think about drinking. The research suggests that social media platforms can inadvertently promote underage drinking by making alcohol content highly engaging.

SourceMichigan State University·JournalMass Communication & Society·DateFeb 9, 2015
CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock simplifies serious desks with 18 ports for high-speed storage, monitors, and instruments across Mac and PC setups.

F-bombs notwithstanding, all languages skew toward happiness

A new study by University of Vermont researchers confirms that humans use more positive words than negative ones across ten languages, including Arabic, Korean, and Chinese. The study analyzed billions of words from various sources and found a consistent positivity bias, indicating that language itself has a positive outlook.

SourceUniversity of Vermont·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateFeb 9, 2015

A picture is worth 1,000 words, but how many emotions?

A new approach uses progressively trained deep convolutional neural networks to analyze sentiments in images. The method outperforms existing techniques on Twitter image sentiment analysis, even exceeding text-based sentiment classification on the same messages. This technology could inform economists and predict election outcomes.

SourceUniversity of Rochester·DateFeb 6, 2015

If Facebook use causes envy, depression could follow

Researchers found that surveillance use on Facebook can lead to feelings of envy and depression. Users who engage in comparison or surveillance behavior on the platform are more likely to experience negative mental health effects, according to a study published in Computers in Human Behavior.

SourceUniversity of Missouri-Columbia·JournalComputers in Human Behavior·DateFeb 3, 2015
Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach

Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach provides rugged GNSS navigation, satellite messaging, and SOS for backcountry geology and climate field teams.

Tweeting about sexism may improve a woman's wellbeing

A study found that publicly tweeting about sexism can increase women's wellbeing by allowing them to express themselves and feel like they're making a difference. The study, published in the British Journal of Social Psychology, involved 93 female undergraduate students who tweeted about sexism for three days.

SourceBritish Psychological Society·JournalBritish Journal of Social Psychology·DateJan 30, 2015

Eyeglasses that turn into sunglasses -- at your command

A team of scientists has created a new type of lens that can rapidly switch between clear and dark shades, addressing safety concerns for pilots and others who need adaptable eyewear. The lenses, which can be controlled by the wearer, also offer fine-tuning capabilities to match various hues.

SourceAmerican Chemical Society·JournalACS Applied Materials & Interfaces·DateJan 28, 2015

How creative are you? Depends where you're from

A Concordia University study found that individuals from collectivist societies generate fewer ideas but with higher quality, while those from individualistic countries produce more ideas but with lower quality. The study suggests that understanding cultural differences is crucial for maximizing productivity in international teams.

SourceConcordia University·JournalJournal of Business Research·DateJan 27, 2015
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro)

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro) powers local ML workloads, large datasets, and multi-display analysis for field and lab teams.

Pro-marijuana 'tweets' are sky-high on Twitter

Researchers analyzed over 7.6 million tweets about marijuana, finding that 77% were pro-pot, while only 5% were anti-marijuana. Pro-pot tweets often encouraged use and made claims about health benefits, reaching a large audience of young people at risk for substance abuse.

SourceWashU Medicine·JournalJournal of Adolescent Health·DateJan 22, 2015

Twitter can predict rates of coronary heart disease, according to Penn research

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania found that negative emotions on Twitter are associated with higher heart disease risk, while positive emotions are linked to lower risk. The study used a large dataset of tweets and health data to develop a predictive model for coronary heart disease rates.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania·JournalPsychological Science·DateJan 21, 2015

Iowa State professor says Facebook not to blame for negative impact on grades

A recent study by Iowa State University professor Reynol Junco found that social media use negatively impacts freshman grades, but not upperclassmen. The negative relationship is attributed to lack of self-regulation skills, which can be addressed through responsible Facebook use and academic guidance.

SourceIowa State University·JournalJournal of Applied Developmental Psychology·DateJan 20, 2015
Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor

Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor tracks ventilation quality in labs, classrooms, and conference rooms with long battery life and clear e-ink readouts.

Facebook sharing can boost involvement with news and information

Researchers found that users who share news on social media sites, especially those who engage with friends, are more involved with the content. Users who ask questions or seek opinions from friends show increased involvement, suggesting that developers should encourage discussions about shared content.

SourcePenn State·JournalComputers in Human Behavior·DateJan 15, 2015

This week from AGU: Thunderstorms and ozone, urban air pollution

A new study in Geophysical Research Letters finds that large thunderstorms can transport significant amounts of ozone from the stratosphere to the troposphere. Decades of mitigation efforts in megacities like Los Angeles demonstrate improvements in air quality, highlighting the need for continued action against urban air pollution.

SourceAmerican Geophysical Union·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·DateJan 13, 2015

Sizing up giants under the sea

A research team analyzed body size data for 25 marine species, including whales, sharks, and squids, to correct inaccuracies and understand the challenges of measurement. The study found that some species exhibit significant size variation within a single species.

SourceNational Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent)·JournalPeerJ·DateJan 13, 2015

Bilingualism changes children's beliefs

A Concordia University study found that bilingual children are more likely to believe that traits arise from experience, while monolinguals tend to think they're innate. This discovery has important social implications, as it suggests early second language education could promote acceptance of human diversity.

SourceConcordia University·JournalDevelopmental Science·DateJan 13, 2015

Can your smartphone help you exercise?

A new study found that only 39 out of 93 possible behavior change techniques were used in top-ranked fitness apps, with social support and feedback being the most common. The study suggests that users should consider their individual needs when selecting an app to increase physical activity.

SourceElsevier Health Sciences·JournalAmerican Journal of Preventive Medicine·DateJan 12, 2015
Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope

Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope combines portable Schmidt-Cassegrain optics with GoTo pointing for outreach nights and field campaigns.