http://live.psu.edu/tag/Research en-us Penn State University Relations live@psu.edu (Penn State Live) Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:00:00 -0500 http://live.psu.edu/story/57895#rssResearch http://live.psu.edu/story/57895#rssResearch There are no definitive findings that Marcellus Shale drilling activity has affected crime rates in Pennsylvania, but more study is needed, according to a preliminary report conducted recently by the Justice Center for Research at Penn State. The report was produced in response to public concerns that crime rates may be on the rise in areas ... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 08:30:51 -0500 http://live.psu.edu/story/57873#rssResearch http://live.psu.edu/story/57873#rssResearch Detectable for only a few seconds but possessing enormous energy, gamma-ray bursts are difficult to capture because their energy does not penetrate the Earth's atmosphere. Now, thanks to an orbiting telescope, astrophysicists are filling in the unknowns surrounding these bursts and uncovering new questions. The Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope, ... Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:57:30 -0500 http://live.psu.edu/story/57870#rssResearch http://live.psu.edu/story/57870#rssResearch Carla Zembal-Saul, holder of the Kahn professorship in STEM education at Penn State, is co-author of a newly released book designed to support K-5 teachers in integrating explanation-driven science in their classrooms. "What's Your Evidence? Engaging K-5 Students in Constructing Explanations in Science" (Pearson, 2012) examines the importance of ... Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:57:36 -0500 http://live.psu.edu/story/57805#rssResearch http://live.psu.edu/story/57805#rssResearch Students at Penn State New Kensington will have the opportunity to present their research in a public forum at the seventh annual Research and Creative Exposition, Tuesday, April 17 and Thursday April 19, in the campus Athletics Center. Formerly called the Undergraduate Research Fair, the exposition provides students, under the guidance of a ... Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:36:53 -0500 http://live.psu.edu/story/57780#rssResearch http://live.psu.edu/story/57780#rssResearch Caffeinated drinks such as coffee and soda are the pick-me-ups of choice for many people, but too much caffeine can cause nervousness and sleep problems. Caffeine Zone, a software app developed by Penn State researchers, can help people determine when caffeine may give them a mental boost and when it could hurt their sleep patterns. The software ... Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:19:03 -0500 http://live.psu.edu/story/57753#rssResearch http://live.psu.edu/story/57753#rssResearch For many people, the motivation to exercise fluctuates from week to week, and these fluctuations predict whether they will be physically active, according to researchers at Penn State. In an effort to understand how the motivation to exercise is linked to behavior, the researchers examined college students' intentions to be physically active as ... Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:00:43 -0500 http://live.psu.edu/story/57736#rssResearch http://live.psu.edu/story/57736#rssResearch Recent cuts to the scientific workforce of Environment Canada, a government agency responsible for meteorological services and environmental research, threaten scientific research related to the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere and pollution in the lower atmosphere, according to environmental scientists in the U.S. These reductions in personnel ... Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:53:22 -0500 http://live.psu.edu/story/57691#rssResearch http://live.psu.edu/story/57691#rssResearch An assistant professor at Penn State has created a new statistical model that may enable fingerprint evidence to withstand greater scrutiny in court. Currently, some fingerprints that could be key pieces of evidence in court are not being considered because of shortcomings in the way this evidence is reported. Cedric Neumann, assistant professor ... Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:13:03 -0500 http://live.psu.edu/story/57696#rssResearch http://live.psu.edu/story/57696#rssResearch Over-reliance on glyphosate-type herbicides for weed control on U.S. farms has created a dramatic increase in the number of genetically-resistant weeds, according to a team of agricultural researchers, who say the solution lies in an integrated weed management program. "I'm deeply concerned when I see figures that herbicide use could double in the ... Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:02:49 -0500 http://live.psu.edu/story/57694#rssResearch http://live.psu.edu/story/57694#rssResearch Farmers markets at medical centers may contribute to greater wellness in surrounding communities while adding public health value to a market's mission, say Penn State College of Medicine researchers who have developed and evaluated a market created at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. "Farmers markets are serving public health by ... Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:41:59 -0500 http://live.psu.edu/story/57686#rssResearch http://live.psu.edu/story/57686#rssResearch Penn State College of Medicine scientists are doing research that seeks to understand the effects of the metal manganese on brain functions. This research builds on the results of an earlier, smaller-scale study that looked at welders.... Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:35:56 -0500 http://live.psu.edu/story/57685#rssResearch http://live.psu.edu/story/57685#rssResearch Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute researchers are trying to determine if selenium yeast and selenomethionine lower prostate-specific antigen levels and prevent other markers related to prostate cancer development in healthy individuals of different age groups.... Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:46:50 -0500 http://live.psu.edu/story/57656#rssResearch http://live.psu.edu/story/57656#rssResearch People who are more physically active report greater levels of excitement and enthusiasm than people who are less physically active, according to Penn State researchers. People also are more likely to report feelings of excitement and enthusiasm on days when they are more physically active than usual. "You don't have to be the fittest person who ... Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:11:08 -0500 http://live.psu.edu/story/57427#rssResearch http://live.psu.edu/story/57427#rssResearch Looking for an item in a large department store or mall can be like searching for a needle in a haystack, but that could change thanks to a hybrid location-identification system that uses radio frequency transmitters and overhead LED lights, suggested by a team of researchers from Penn State and Hallym University in South Korea. "LED lights are ... Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:00:51 -0500 http://live.psu.edu/story/57634#rssResearch http://live.psu.edu/story/57634#rssResearch Comparing yourself to others with the same health problem can influence your physical and emotional health, according to researchers who conducted a qualitative synthesis of more than 30 studies focusing on the relationship between social comparisons and health. "If you've ever looked at another person and thought, 'Well, at least I'm doing better ...