ScienceDaily: Science & Society News

Developers help fund transit through value capture plans Posted: 25 Feb 2015 05:58 PM PST Transit improvements increase property values, and cities increasingly are asking real estate developers to help fund transit facilities that will benefit their projects, according to a new report.

Vaccine hesitancy: Journal collection investigates vaccination decision-making Posted: 25 Feb 2015 11:24 AM PST Vaccines are thought to be one of the most successful public health measures, but some individuals are hesitant to vaccinate their families for a variety of reasons. Researchers explore individuals' confidence or reluctance to vaccinate their families and the associated effects on global health.

Consideration of costs can reduce moral objections to human organ sales and other 'repugnant' transactions, says researcher Posted: 25 Feb 2015 11:23 AM PST People might abandon their moral objections to organ selling – and to other transactions in repugnant markets -- when presented with information about the potential advantages of such sales, authors write. "Some people's ideas of what's moral and acceptable may be changed by evidence, once the costs associated with these moral positions are taken into account," says one writer. "People may find the sale of organs less offensive after they have considered data about factors such as waiting lists, those who die while waiting for a transplant, and the savings in long-term medical care that can result from transplants."

The £180 billion bill for living in a material world: Material lifestyles not making us happier Posted: 25 Feb 2015 09:27 AM PST Our modern material lifestyles are failing to make us happier, damaging our health, are no longer sustainable and cost the overall economy tens of billions of pounds every year.

Biology teachers: Understanding faith, teaching evolution not mutually exclusive Posted: 25 Feb 2015 08:44 AM PST Discussing the relationship between science and faith, rather than avoiding the discussion, may better prepare future high school biology teachers for anticipating questions about evolution, according to political scientists.

When it comes to the digital playground we need to stop crying wolf Posted: 25 Feb 2015 08:42 AM PST Kids are leading the transition to digital media today. But, while too much time online could cause developmental problems, media consumption habits may not be making our children less bright or sociable, after all.

Study linking suicidal behavior, psychotic experiences may yield strategies to help prevent suicide attempts Posted: 25 Feb 2015 08:40 AM PST Suicidal ideation and psychotic experiences have been studied among more than 11,000 adults 18 and older. The data were drawn from a large general-population based sample of U. S. households. Suicide is a leading cause of preventable death, especially among individuals with psychotic disorders, and may also be common among nonclinical populations of adults whose psychotic experiences cause less impairment. Psychotic experiences resemble the hallucinations and delusions of psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia but are of lower persistence and intensity.

International marketing: Are store brands becoming a global phenomenon? Posted: 25 Feb 2015 07:30 AM PST Big name brands in the United States and Western Europe face a serious and growing threat from successful store brands. A new study explains why store brands have taken some countries by storm while leaving other countries relatively untouched.

Stark inequalities in aging as UK government encourages people to work longer Posted: 25 Feb 2015 07:28 AM PST Changes in pension and employment policies are making it increasingly necessary for older people in the UK to work beyond the age of 65.  However, new research fnds significant differences in the likelihood of employment and income levels of people beyond 65, depending on their gender and health.

Women twice as likely to see pot as risky Posted: 25 Feb 2015 06:44 AM PST A study on the perceived risk of using cannabis and characteristics associated with these perceptions found that non-white, low-income women over 50 were most likely to perceive a risk in using the drug. Least likely were those 12 to 25, with a high school diploma or more, and family income above $75,000. The study is the first to describe changes across time in perceived risk of regular cannabis use among those 12 years and older.

Consumer behavior and free trials: What makes a customer stay? Posted: 25 Feb 2015 06:43 AM PST Free trials are wildly popular, but customers attracted with these promotions behave very differently from standard customers, according to a new study.

Blockbusters: Can EEGs predict a movie's success better than surveys? Posted: 25 Feb 2015 06:43 AM PST Seventy-five percent of movies earn a net loss during their run in theaters. A new study finds that brain activity visible through EEG measures may be a much cheaper and more accurate way to predict the commercial success of movies.

Predicting consumer preferences? Do NOT walk a mile in their shoes Posted: 25 Feb 2015 06:43 AM PST Salespeople have long believed that by imagining themselves as the customer, they can steer clear of their own personal preferences and make decisions that will appeal to consumers in general. According to a new study, the reality is exactly the opposite.

Is your busy schedule affecting your health? Time might not be the problem Posted: 25 Feb 2015 06:43 AM PST The modern schedule is infamously frantic, leaving many of us feeling constantly pressed for time. But that feeling may not have much to do with time itself, according to a new study. "Feeling pressed for time impacts how consumers spend time, and how much they are willing to pay to save it. From a consumer standpoint, feeling pressed for time can have many harmful consequences such as poorer health, trouble sleeping, and depression. By pausing to breathe or envision the source of stress in a more positive light, people can enjoy the time they actually have in a healthier and happier way," conclude the authors.

Fundraising 101: Tempting alternatives increase willingness to donate Posted: 25 Feb 2015 06:43 AM PST Charities are always trying to understand what type of appeal will increase the likelihood of donations. According to a new study in the Journal of Marketing Research, people are also very driven by seeing the good in themselves. Referencing particularly indulgent products -- not a simple cup of coffee -- can significantly increase charitable donations.

Fitting meters has immediate effect on consumers' water saving habits Posted: 25 Feb 2015 05:28 AM PST Consumers reduce their water consumption by 16.5 per cent after they receive a metered connection – based on the study of a five-year program to install nearly half a million water meters in the south-east of England. This reduction is far more than the national average of ten per cent and is mainly achieved very quickly after a meter is installed.

Agricultural insecticides pose a global risk to surface water bodies, researchers find Posted: 25 Feb 2015 05:28 AM PST Streams within approximately 40 percent of the global land surface are at risk from the application of insecticides. These were the results from the first global map to be modeled on insecticide runoff to surface waters. Streams, especially those in the Mediterranean, the United States, Central America and Southeast Asia are at risk.

Why companies don't learn from their mistakes Posted: 25 Feb 2015 05:25 AM PST The mobile phone bill is not quite correct, the wrong food is served at a restaurant or the hotel room hasn't been properly cleaned: Most of us may have been annoyed about situations like these. Self-confident customers then usually vent their dissatisfaction towards a service employee. But what happens next? Do companies analyze the complaints of unhappy customers to learn from them and to improve the service quality? A new study suggests not.

Himalayan ice shows chemicals ban is working Posted: 25 Feb 2015 05:25 AM PST A unique study of frozen ice cores from the Tibetan Himalayas has shown that international agreements on phasing out the use of toxic persistent organic pollutants are working. "Chemical residues are carried thousands of miles on the prevailing winds and deposited in the ice. Ice cores are very effective barometers of pollution over time as ice is laid down over the decades," authors explain.

New look at culture, its influence on individuals, organizations Posted: 24 Feb 2015 12:48 PM PST 'Polyculturalism' offers a better lens for understanding cultural complexity and how it affects collaboration, negotiation and leadership, a new article suggests

Filipino newcomers to Canada diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age Posted: 24 Feb 2015 06:18 AM PST Filipinos who move to Canada are diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age than women from other parts of East Asia or Caucasians, new research has found.

Climate science literacy unrelated to public acceptance of human-caused global warming Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:38 AM PST Deep public divisions over climate change are unrelated to differences in how well ordinary citizens understand scientific evidence on global warming. Indeed, members of the public who score the highest on a climate-science literacy test are the most politically polarized on whether human activity is causing global temperatures to rise.

Preliminary results of a clinical trial against Ebola test efficacy of favipiravir in reducing mortality in individuals infected by Ebola virus in Guinea Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:38 AM PST Preliminary data from a clinical trial, which is testing the efficacy of favipiravir in reducing mortality associated with Ebola, provide two important pieces of information: absence of efficacy in individuals who arrive at treatment centers with a very high level of viral replication and who already have serious visceral involvement; and encouraging signs of efficacy in individuals arriving at treatment centers with a high or moderate level of viral replication, who have not yet developed overly severe visceral lesions.

One in four patients who visited emergency department for chest pain did not receive follow-up care Posted: 23 Feb 2015 11:22 AM PST Patients with multiple health issues and who are at higher risk of adverse events are less likely to receive follow-up care from a physician after visiting an emergency department for chest pain, reports a new Canadian study.

Helping elders become more self-reliant Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:23 AM PST At a relatively small cost, elders could be made more self-reliant and healthy and also less depressed, suggest the preliminary findings of a home-intervention pilot.