Research behind the News

Research Behind the News-- Scientists Cite Fastest Case of Human Evolution

2010-07-02T15:14:00.002-06:00

The News: Tibetans live at altitudes of 13,000 feet, breathing air that has 40 percent less oxygen than is available at sea level, yet suffer very little mountain sickness. The reason, according to a team of biologists in China, is human evolution, in what may be the most recent and fastest instance detected so far. (Read more in the July 1st New York Times.)

The Research: Read some of the research behind this story in the July 2nd, 2010 issue of Science & also in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences for June 22nd of 2010.

Research behind the news: Accupuncture works - the how and why

2010-06-12T09:56:00.001-06:00

The News:
As explained in this presentation at ArsTechica.com, the researchers discovered that acupuncture needles reduce pain by tricking the body into producing high levels of its own natural pain killer, called adenosine. Working with mice, they found that acupuncture treatments increased levels of adenosine by some 24 times above normal, and that the levels of the pain killer remained high even well after the treatment ended. More from the article by Carl Laron in the Consumersearch blog from June 3, 2010.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story: "Adenosine A1 receptors mediate local anti-nociceptive effects of acupuncture," by Nanna Goldman, Michael Chen, et al. in Nature Neuroscience, published online: 30 May 2010.

Research behind the news: Imagine a foldable iPad

2010-06-03T10:06:00.004-06:00

The News:
A team of Duke University chemists has perfected a simple way to make tiny copper nanowires in quantity. The cheap conductors are small enough to be transparent, making them ideal for thin-film solar cells, flat-screen TVs and computers, and flexible displays. More from the article by Mary-Russell Roberson reprinted in ScienceDaily on June 2, 2010.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in The Growth Mechanism of Copper Nanowires and Their Properties in Flexible, Transparent Conducting Films by Aaron R. Rathmell, Stephen M. Bergin, Yi-Lei Hua, Zhi-Yuan Li, Benjamin J. Wiley. Published online in Advanced Materials, May 28 2010.

Research behind the news: Tanning bed use linked to melanoma risk

2010-06-03T09:32:00.005-06:00

The News:
People with melanoma are more likely than those without it to have visited an indoor tanning salon, researchers find. More in Science News by Nathan Seppa, Thursday, May 27, 2010. More too in these two NPR reports by Patti Neighmond: Not so healthy glow and Tanning beds substantially raise cancer risks June 2, 2010 and May 27, 2010.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in Cancer Epidemiology and Biomarkers Preview; 19(6) June 2010 by DeAnn Lazovich and others. More research from JAMA related to tanning beds.

Research Behind the News: Message from the Glaciers

2010-05-20T17:36:00.005-06:00

The News: Scientists are now warning that there could be a 43 percent decrease in land mass covered with ice in these mountains by 2070 and that in numerous and complex ways this loss will affect Asia’s ten major rivers—the Yellow, Yangtze, Mekong, Salween, Irrawaddy, Brahmaputra, Ganges, Indus, Amu Darya, and Tarim—around which many of the ancient civilizations of the world arose. It is here, among huge modern-day populations of Asia, that the melting of the Greater Himalayas’ glaciers will have the most significant impact during the coming decades and centuries. (Read the entire story in the May 27th, 2010 issue of The New York Review of Books.)

The Research: Read some of the research behind this story in "The Great Melt" in World Policy Journal, Volume 26, Issue 4 - Winter 2009/10. Also, see these books, available at finer libraries everywhere: The long thaw : how humans are changing the next 100,000 years of Earth's climate, or Too Smart for Our Own Good: The Ecological Predicament of Humankind.

Research Behind the News: Blueberries & ADHD?

2010-05-20T16:43:00.005-06:00

The News: Bouchard's analysis is the first to home in on organophosphate pesticides as a potential contributor to ADHD in young children. Although Bouchard's study did not determine the exact method of exposure in the participants, youngsters are most likely to ingest the chemicals through their diet — by eating fruits and vegetables that have been sprayed while growing... (read the entire online Time article for May 17th, 2010)

The Research: Read the research behind this story in the online May 17th, 2010 issue of Pediatrics (doi:10.1542/peds.2009-3058)

Research Behind the News: Antisocial Networking?

2010-05-03T12:06:00.010-06:00

The News: “HEY, you’re a dork,” said the girl to the boy with a smile. “Just wanted you to know.” “Thanks!” said the boy. “Just kidding,” said the girl with another smile. “You’re only slightly dorky, but other than that, you’re pretty normal — sometimes.” (Read more in the May 2nd New York Times)

The Research: Read some of the research behind this story in The Future of Children, Vol. 18, # 1, Online Communication & Adolescent Relationships [Spring 2008], pp. 119-146.

Research Behind the News: Giant Palouse Earthworm Found!

2010-04-29T12:22:00.005-06:00

The News: Our colleague Bill pointed out this interesting science news--- HELENA, Mont.— Once feared extinct, the giant Palouse earthworm, reputed to grow up to three feet long and smell like lilies, has been found alive. (Read more in the Apr 27th New York Times.)

The Research: Read some of the research behind this story in the journal Biological Invasions Vol. 11, #6, pgs. 1393-1401.

Research Behind the News: Is Marriage Good for Your Health?

2010-04-20T09:33:00.008-06:00

The News: In 1858, a British epidemiologist named William Farr set out to study what he called the “conjugal condition” of the people of France... Using birth, death and marriage records, Farr analyzed the relative mortality rates of the three groups at various ages. The work, a groundbreaking study that helped establish the field of medical statistics, showed that the unmarried died from disease “in undue proportion” to their married counterparts. (Read more at the New York Times Magazine for Sunday, April 18th, 201002.)

The Research:
Read some of the research behind this story in "Hostile Marital Interactions, Proinflammatory Cytokine Production, and Wound Healing," published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, Vol. 62, #12, December 2005, pgs. 1377-1384.

Research News: Psychopaths' Brains Wired To Seek Rewards

2010-03-28T10:28:00.003-06:00

The News: Scientists have long known what psychopaths lack: emotions like empathy, fear and remorse. Now, a new study focuses on what they may have, a brain abnormality that may lead them to seek rewards like money, sex or fame at any cost. More from NPR, All Things Considered, 3/27/2010.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in Nature Neuroscience, 13, 419-421 (14 March 2010).

Research news: You are what your mother ate

2010-03-26T15:32:00.000-06:00

The News: The placentas of female fetuses proved most sensitive to maternal diet, producing more of a protein that responds to estrogen, say researchers led by Cheryl Rosenfeld, a reproductive biologist at the University of Missouri in Columbia. The extra sensitivity could make female offspring more susceptible to estrogen-mimicking chemicals in the environment. More from a March 8, 2010 article in Science News by Tina Hesman Saey.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, March 23, 2010 vol. 107 no. 12 5557-5562

Research News: Dog Origins Tracked to Middle East

2010-03-22T16:41:00.005-06:00

The News: Borrowing methods developed to study the genetics of human disease, researchers have concluded that dogs were probably first domesticated from wolves somewhere in the Middle East, in contrast to an earlier survey suggesting dogs originated in East Asia. (Read more in the New York Times for 17 Mar 2010.)

The Research: Read the research behind this story in the letters section of the journal Nature for 17 Mar 2010 [doi:10.1038/nature08837]...

Research News: Global Warming & Arctic Sea Methane?

2010-03-07T17:00:00.007-07:00

The News: Scientists studying global warming in the Arctic have discovered a previously unknown source of methane working its way into the atmosphere, a source that is releasing large amounts of the gas each year. Methane is, molecule for molecule, a far more potent global-warming gas than carbon dioxide. The newly discovered emissions are welling up from the continental shelf off Siberia's northern coast. (Read more from the Mar 4th Christian Science Monitor.)

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in Science 327, 1246 (2010): "Extensive Methane Venting to the Atmosphere from Sediments of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf." Natalia Shakhova, et al.

Research News: Shields up

2010-03-05T14:51:00.004-07:00

The News:
Magnetized rocks push back origin of earth's magnetic field. Earth's churning interior produced a protective magnetic field as early as 3.45 billion years ago, closer to when life began. Continued in Scientific American, March 4, 2010 by John Matson.

The Research:
Read the research by John Tarduno et al. behind this story in March , 2010 edition of Science, Vol. 327. no. 5970, pp. 1238 - 1240

Research News: Alcohol and aggression in large men

2010-03-05T14:39:00.005-07:00

The News:

As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, it may pay to keep in mind that there is a kernel of truth to the stereotype that large men are especially prone to being DWI — dangerous while intoxicated.
When they were drunk, bigger men became especially aggressive when given the opportunity to administer electric shocks to a fictitious opponent in a laboratory contest, say psychologist Nathan DeWall of the University of Kentucky in Lexington and his colleagues. Yet larger men showed no aggression increases after downing a nonalcoholic placebo drink. More in Science News, by Bruce Bower.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

Research Behind the News: Frail Pharoah Tut

2010-02-18T11:52:00.005-07:00

The News: A frail King Tut died from malaria, broken leg. Egypt's most famous pharaoh, King Tutankhamun, was a frail boy who suffered from a cleft palate and club foot. He died of complications from a broken leg exacerbated by malaria and his parents were most likely brother and sister. (Read more in the Feb 16th Guardian Online)

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Vol. 303 No. 7, February 17, 2010, p. 638-47.

Research News: Faster internet possibilities, among other things

2010-02-11T10:29:00.003-07:00

The News: A new, more efficient low-cost microring resonator for high speed telecommunications systems has been developed and tested by Professor Roberto Morandotti's INRS team in collaboration with Canadian, American, and Australian researchers. This technological advance capitalizes on the benefits of optical fibers to transmit large quantities of data at ultra-fast speeds. Read more in ScienceDaily.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story "CMOS-compatible integrated optical hyper-parametric oscillator" by L. Razzari, D. Duchesne, M. Ferrera, R. Morandotti, S. Chu, B. E. Little & D. J. Moss in Nature Photonics 4, 41 - 45 (2009).

Research News: Neural basis of spirituality

2010-02-11T10:08:00.005-07:00

The News: New research provides fascinating insight into brain changes that might underlie alterations in spiritual and religious attitudes. More in ScienceDaily (Feb. 11, 2010)

The Research:
Read the research behind this story "The Spiritual Brain: Selective Cortical Lesions Modulate Human Self-Transcendence", by Cosimo Urgesi, Salvatore M. Aglioti, Miran Skrap and Franco Fabbro in Neuron, Volume 65, Issue 3, 11 February 2010, Pages 309-319.

Is There an Ecological Unconscious?

2010-02-02T16:34:00.003-07:00

The News: A branch of psychology says that there is-- and that ignoring it puts not just the planet but also our minds at risk... (read more in the New York Times Magazine, from 31 Jan 10)

The Research:
Read some of the research behind this story in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, Volume 28, Issue 2, June 2008, Pages 192-199

Research News: Less Salt Could Mean Fewer Heart Attacks, Strokes and Deaths

2010-01-22T13:10:00.003-07:00

The News:
"Even Small Dietary Reductions in Salt Could Mean Fewer Heart Attacks, Strokes and Deaths" Reducing salt in the American diet by as little as one-half teaspoon (or three grams) per day could prevent nearly 100,000 heart attacks and 92,000 deaths each year, according to a new study. Such benefits are on par with the benefits from reductions in smoking and could save the United States about $24 billion in healthcare costs, the researchers add. ... more in Science Daily ... more at NPR

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in New England Journal of Medicine, Projected Effect of Dietary Salt Reductions on Future Cardiovascular Disease, Bibbins-Domingo K, et al., Jan. 20, 2010.

Research News: How Plants 'Feel' the Temperature Rise

2010-01-12T15:23:00.002-07:00

The News: Plants are incredibly temperature sensitive and can perceive changes of as little as one degree Celsius. Now, a report in the January 8th issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, shows how they not only 'feel' the temperature rise, but also coordinate an appropriate response -- activating hundreds of genes and deactivating others; it turns out it's all about the way that their DNA is packaged. Read more in Science Daily.

The Research: Read the research behind this story in Cell, January 8, 2010.

Research News: Out for an early stroll

2010-01-11T14:36:00.006-07:00

The News:
Trackways preserved in 395-million-year-old rocks push back evidence for tetrapods by at least 18 million years, researchers say. The center diagram depicts individual footprints and the schematic at right shows a walking style that may have produced this pattern. Read more in Science News.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in Nature Jan. 7, 2010.

Research News: Encounters with Animal Minds

2009-12-22T14:38:00.003-07:00

The News: Smuts was following a small group of Gombe baboons on the eastern edge of Kenya. She'd been with them seven days a week for weeks and weeks, joining them before dawn, spending 10 hours a day just following, watching and taking notes. One day, she says, the whole noisy group was ambling back to its "sleeping trees" (baboons sleep off the ground, up on the limbs of trees or cliffs to keep away from predators) along the shore of a stream. "I followed them walking along this stream many, many times before and many times after," she says, "but this time was different." More of the NPR story, by Robert Krulwich.

The Research:
Read the article and more encounters from an animal researcher behind this story in the Journal of Consciousness Studies, Volume 8, Numbers 5-7, 2001 , pp. 293-309(17).

Research News: One Dose May Be Enough

2009-12-22T12:41:00.005-07:00

The News: Study shows one dose of H1N1 vaccine may be enough for children...
Australian researchers find that more than 90% of those in study had effective immunity after a single dose, but the 15-microgram dose of antigen is twice that used in the United States. Australian researchers have shown that a single dose of vaccine against pandemic H1N1 influenza can provide effective immunity against the swine flu virus in infants and children, a finding that, if corroborated, could help damp the spread of the virus by reducing the logistical complications associated with the currently recommended regimen of two doses. (Read more)

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in JAMA: the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Return of Research Behind the News!

2009-12-16T15:10:00.006-07:00

The News: Biologists studying the habits of veined octopuses in the waters of Indonesia have noticed that the animal has a most unusual hobby: collecting discarded coconut shells and using them for shelter. Beyond the fact that it’s hilarious to watch the octopuses slithering across the ocean floor dragging halved coconut shells and even assembling two of them to make a creative hiding spot..., it also could be the first evidence of tool use in an invertebrate animal... (read more)

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in Current Biology

Asteroid tracked from space to Earth

2009-03-26T10:04:00.005-06:00

The News:

Asteroid tracked from space to Earth

Combination of telescope data and collected debris could provide new insights
By Solmaz Barazesh
Science News Web edition : Wednesday, March 25th, 2009
They saw it coming, and they got what was coming to them. For the first time, researchers not only detected an asteroid in space, but also tracked its progress and then collected its debris after it crashed to Earth.
The car-sized asteroid, dubbed 2008 TC3, landed in northern Sudan on October 7, 2008, scientists report in the March 25 Nature. The study combines for one asteroid data that are usually separate: Comparing data from observations of the asteroid in while it was space with analysis of its meteorite fragments on Earth will yield new insights into asteroids, the scientists say.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in Nature.

Research News: Study Links Anesthesia To Learning Disabilities

2009-03-26T09:12:00.004-06:00

The News:

Study Links Anesthesia To Learning Disabilities
by Joseph Shapiro
Morning Edition, March 25, 2009 · Children who have had multiple surgeries under general anesthesia by the age of 4 may be at a higher risk of developing learning disabilities, according to a new study by scientists at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Dr. Robert Wilder, a Mayo Clinic anesthesiologist, says his study was motivated by recent research on baby rats and other young animals. Those studies, conducted in the last several years, show that exposure to anesthesia at a very young age can kill off brain cells. But results in rodents don't necessarily translate to humans.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in Anesthesiology.

Research Behind the News Update

2009-02-16T13:08:00.002-07:00

Dear Readers--We are taking a sabbatical from reporting Research Behind the News. We may resume it at some later date. Thank you for following this blog. The Authors

Research news: No ill effects found from donating kidney

2009-01-29T10:35:00.001-07:00

The News:
No ill effects found from donating kidney
Giving up one of the organs doesn't raise renal-failure risks or affect one's long-term health, researchers say.
By Stephanie Nano The Associated Press
Posted: 01/29/2009 12:30:00 AM MST
NEW YORK — Donating a kidney doesn't appear to have any long-term health consequences for the donor, a reassuring study shows.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota found that those who gave up one of their two kidneys lived a normal life span and were as healthy as people in the general population. The donation also didn't raise the risk of having kidney failure later.
Kidney donation has generally been considered safe, although with surgery, there are always risks. The new research of nearly 3,700 donors dating back more than four decades is the largest and longest study to look at long-term outcomes, said the researchers.
They reported their findings in today's New England Journal of Medicine.
"It is a confirmation that living donation is a safe thing," said Dr. Matthew Cooper, a transplant surgeon at the University of Maryland, who was not involved in the research.
Kidneys filter waste and excess fluid from the blood. If your kidneys fail, the options are dialysis or a transplant. More than 78,000 people are on the national waiting list to receive a kidney from a deceased donor. The need for kidneys has soared with the rise in diabetes and obesity and the wait can last for years.
Living donation has increased as more people became willing to donate and newer surgery techniques shortened recovery time. In 2007, more than a third of the 16,629 kidneys transplanted in the U.S. came from living donors, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Research news: Video games linked to poor relationships with friends, family

2009-01-25T08:51:00.002-07:00

The News:
Video Games Linked To Poor Relationships With Friends, Family
ScienceDaily (Jan. 25, 2009) — A new study connects young adults' use of video games to poorer relationships with friends and family – and the student co-author expresses disappointment at his own findings.
Brigham Young University undergrad Alex Jensen and his faculty mentor, Laura Walker, publish their results Jan. 23 in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence.
The research is based on information collected from 813 college students around the country. As the amount of time playing video games went up, the quality of relationships with peers and parents went down.
"It may be that young adults remove themselves from important social settings to play video games, or that people who already struggle with relationships are trying to find other ways to spend their time," Walker said. "My guess is that it's some of both and becomes circular."
For the record, Walker did not stand in the way of her family's wish for a Nintendo Wii. Jensen had hoped to find some positive results as justification for playing Madden NFL.
Study participants reported how often they play video games. They also answered a battery of questions measuring relationship quality, including how much time, trust, support and affection they share with friends and parents. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in Journal of Youth and Adolescence.

Research news: Warming cuts trees' life in half

2009-01-24T08:38:00.002-07:00

The News:
Report: Warming cuts trees' life in half
The death rate of woods in the West may also contribute to less carbon being trapped.
By Jennifer BrownThe Denver Post
Posted: 01/23/2009 12:30:00 AM MST
Updated: 01/23/2009 12:57:29 AM MST

The life span of trees in the western United States has been cut in half, and the likely cause is climate change, according to the most extensive research yet on the life span of pines, firs and hemlocks.
The death rate of trees in Colorado, California and the Pacific Northwest has more than doubled since 1955 as warmer temperatures have led to less moisture and severe drought, according to a paper published today in the journal Science.
Researchers predict the average size and age of trees eventually will decrease by half, forests will become more sparse, and trees will store less carbon than they do now, which is bad news for the planet. Trees trap carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas linked to warming temperatures.
The study "introduces the possibility that western forests could become net sources of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, further speeding up the pace of global warming," said Phillip van Mantgem, a U.S. Geological Survey ecologist and study co-author.
Scientists from the USGS and the University of Colorado at Boulder said they were able to isolate regional warming as the most likely cause of increased tree mortality. They excluded air pollution and changes in forest dynamics, such as woodlands becoming more dense.
Their findings suggest that otherwise healthy trees — undisturbed by logging, fire or massive pest outbreaks — are living only half as long as they once did. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Science.

Research news: Y marks the spot for willpower

2009-01-22T07:54:00.002-07:00

The News:
Y marks the spot for willpower
Study on sexes, curbing hunger
By Randolph E. SchmidThe Associated Press
Posted: 01/20/2009 12:30:00 AM MST
Updated: 01/20/2009 01:06:07 AM MST
WASHINGTON — Faced with their favorite foods, women are less able than men to suppress their hunger, a discovery that might help explain the higher obesity rate for females, a new study suggests.
Researchers trying to understand the brain's mechanisms for controlling food intake were surprised at the difference between the sexes in brain response.
Gene-Jack Wang of Brookhaven National Laboratory and colleagues were trying to figure out why some people overeat and gain weight while others don't.
They performed brain scans on 13 women and 10 men, who had fasted overnight, to determine how their brains responded to the sight of their favorite foods. They report their findings in today's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"There is something going on in the female," Wang said in a telephone interview, "the signal is so much different."
In the study, participants were quizzed about their favorite foods, which ranged from pizza to cinnamon buns and burgers to chocolate cake, and then were asked to fast overnight.
The next day they underwent brain scans while being presented with their favorite foods. In addition, they used a technique called cognitive inhibition, which they had been taught, to suppress thoughts of hunger and eating.
Both men and women said the inhibition technique decreased their hunger, but brain scans showed that men's brain activity actually decreased, while the part of women's brains that responds to food remained active. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (click full text (PDF).

Research news: Surgical errors cut by checklist

2009-01-20T07:34:00.002-07:00

The News:
Surgical errors cut by checklist
Possible savings in billions, study says
By Ceci Connolly The Washington Post
Posted: 01/15/2009 12:30:00 AM MST

WASHINGTON — Surgical teams that followed a basic cockpit-style checklist in the operating room, from confirming the patient's name to discussing expected blood loss, reduced the rate of deaths and complications by more than one-third, according to a year-long, eight-nation project being released today.
Surgeons, it seems, are discovering what airline pilots learned decades ago: The human brain can't remember everything, so it's best to focus on the complicated challenges and leave the simple reminders to a cheat sheet.
"You take something as complex as surgery, and you think there isn't a lot that can be done to make it better," said Atul Gawande, a Boston physician who led the study being published in the New England Journal of Medicine. "A checklist seems like a no-brainer, but the size of the benefit is dramatic." The low-cost, low-tech intervention tested in eight hospitals around the globe could have enormous financial implications as well.
If every operating room in the United States adopted the surgical checklist, the nation could save between $15 billion and $25 billion a year in the costs of treating avoidable complications, according to calculations by the authors.
In the one-year pilot study involving 7,600 patients, the hospitals saw the rate of serious complications fall from 11 percent to 7 percent. In-patient deaths declined by more than 40 percent overall, with the most drastic reductions occurring in hospitals with fewer resources.
For the study, which was prompted by the World Health Organization, hospitals in eight countries adopted a 19-step checklist in non-cardiac surgeries. The project involved rural and urban hospitals with diverse populations in cities such as Seattle, London, New Delhi, Manila and Ifakara, Tanzania. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Research news: Biofuel Carbon Footprint Not As Big As Feared, New Analysis Finds

2009-01-19T08:41:00.002-07:00

The News:
Biofuel Carbon Footprint Not As Big As Feared, New Analysis Finds
ScienceDaily (Jan. 19, 2009) — Publications ranging from the journal Science to Time magazine have blasted biofuels for significantly contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, calling into question the environmental benefits of making fuel from plant material. But a new analysis by Michigan State University scientists says these dire predictions are based on a set of assumptions that may not be correct.
"Greenhouse gas release from changes in land use – growing crops that could be used for biofuels on previously unfarmed land – has been identified as a negative contributor to the environmental profile of biofuels," said Bruce Dale, MSU University Distinguished Professor of chemical engineering and materials science. "Other analyses have estimated that it would take from 100 to 1,000 years before biofuels could overcome this 'carbon debt' and start providing greenhouse gas benefits."
But as Dale and his co-authors point out in their research, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, earlier analyses didn't consider a number of variables that might influence the greenhouse gas emissions associated with biofuels. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Research news: Mars' gas may indicate life

2009-01-18T10:14:00.002-07:00

The News:
Mars' gas may indicate life
NASA reports that there are belches of methane on the planet, raising the possibility of microbes.
By Seth BorensteinThe Associated Press
Posted: 01/16/2009 12:30:00 AM MST
Updated: 01/16/2009 12:38:29 AM MST

WASHINGTON — A surprising and mysterious belch of methane gas on Mars hints at possible microbial life underground but also could come from changes in rocks, a new NASA study found.
The presence of methane on Mars could be significant because by far most of the gas on Earth is a byproduct of life — from animal digestion and decaying plants and animals.
Past studies indicated no regular methane on Mars. But new research using three ground-based telescopes confirmed that nearly 21,000 tons of methane were released during a few months of the late summer of 2003, according to a study published Thursday in the online edition of the journal Science.
"This raises the probability substantially that life was there or still survives at the present," study author Michael Mumma of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center told The Associated Press.
Mumma also said claims of life need far more evidence. By 2006, most of the methane had disappeared from the Martian atmosphere, adding to the mystery of the gas, he said.
The Mars belch is similar to what comes out of the waters near Santa Barbara, Calif., which comes from decaying life in the sea floor.
Microbes in the Arctic and other extreme Earth environments that don't use oxygen still release methane, and they have been examples of the type of life astronomers look for on other planets. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Science (click on Full text (pdf) under Article views).

Research news: Sleep puts colds to bed

2009-01-15T10:38:00.002-07:00

The News:
Study: Sleep puts colds to bed
Those who got eight hours of sound rest were much less likely to get sick, despite exposure.
By Carla K. Johnson The Associated Press
Posted: 01/13/2009 12:30:00 AM MST
Updated: 01/13/2009 02:24:04 AM MST
CHICAGO — Fluff up the pillows and pull up the covers. Preventing the common cold may be as easy as getting more sleep.
Researchers paid healthy adults $800 to have cold viruses sprayed up their noses, then wait five days in a hotel to see whether they got sick. Habitual eight-hour sleepers were much less likely to get sick than those who slept seven hours or less or slept fitfully.
"The longer you sleep, the better off you are, the less susceptible you are to colds," said lead author Sheldon Cohen, who studies the effects of stress on health at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University.
Prior research has suggested that sleep boosts the immune system at the cell level. This is the first study to show small sleep disturbances
increasing the risk of getting sick, said Dr. Michael Irwin, who researches immune response at the University of California, Los Angeles, and was not involved in the study. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Research news: Aiming truth at yule myths

2008-12-23T08:11:00.002-07:00

The News:
Aiming truth at yule myths
Poisonous poinsettias and a high rate of suicide are disputed by researchers.
By Thomas H. Maugh IILos Angeles Times
Posted: 12/21/2008 12:30:00 AM MST
Updated: 12/21/2008 01:21:53 AM MST
Contrary to popular belief, poinsettias are not toxic to people or animals, suicides do not increase over the Christmas holidays and sugar does not make children hyperactive. Also, Wales winning the rugby grand slam does not influence the death of popes.
Those are some of the conclusions of reports in the British Medical Journal's annual Christmas issue, a compilation of the weird and lighthearted papers that its editors accumulate over the year.
The supposed toxicity of poinsettias has been a subject of warnings as long as the red-and-white flowers have been associated with the Christmas holiday, but reports from poison control centers do not support the warnings, said Drs. Rachel Vreeman and Aaron Carroll of the Indiana University School of Medicine.
They reviewed nearly 900 calls to such centers reporting poinsettia consumption and found that none of the incidents resulted in serious illness. Moreover, feeding experiments in animals show no effects even at very high consumption, they found. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the British Medical Journal (BMJ)

Research News: Dinosaur dads cared for young, researchers say

2008-12-20T08:02:00.002-07:00

The News:
Dinosaur Dads Cared For Young, Researchers Say
by Christopher Joyce
Morning Edition, December 19, 2008 · It could very well be that some of the fiercest, meat-eating dinosaurs were also attentive, caring dads.
That's the conclusion from scientists who have been studying dinosaur eggs and the bones of dinosaurs found next to, or in some cases on top of, dinosaur egg clutches.
Paleontologist David Varricchio of Montana State University says he thinks many of those nest-sitters were males. His evidence is based partly on what scientists know about modern birds, the descendents of dinosaurs.
Varricchio measured the mass of egg material in dinosaur clutches and compared it to the mass of the dinosaurs that were found with the eggs. It showed that among some species of dinosaurs — Oviraptor, Troodon and Citipati — the mass of the clutches was very big compared to the size of the parent.
Varricchio then looked for other egg-laying animals where egg mass is high compared to parent body size — and came up with ostriches, emus, kiwis and several other kinds of birds. And among all of these modern birds, the male is the primary caretaker; he broods the eggs and cares for the young.
This may be rather indirect evidence. But writing in this week's issue of the journal Science, Varricchio also notes that the dinosaur bones found at these egg sites lacked something called "medullary bone." Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Science. Also, read this commentary in Science "Who's your Daddy? "

Research News: Study suggests nuttily simple heart helper

2008-12-09T20:49:00.002-07:00

The News:
Study suggests nuttily simple heart helper
By Carla K. Johnson, The Associated Press
CHICAGO — Here's a health tip in a nutshell: Eating a handful of nuts a day for a year — along with a Mediterranean diet rich in fruit, vegetables and fish — may help undo a collection of risk factors for heart disease. Spanish researchers found that adding nuts worked better than boosting the olive oil in a typical Mediterranean diet. Both regimens cut the heart risks known as metabolic syndrome in more people than a low-fat diet did.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Research News: Flu On Campus: Avoiding Misery For $20

2008-12-04T15:33:00.002-07:00

The News:
Flu On Campus: Avoiding Misery For $20
Richard Knox, NPR's Morning Edition
Every year, about 1 in 4 college students gets the flu — and one health expert says many arrive on campus not realizing how bad a bout of flu can be. Dr. Peter Doyle, director of Northeastern University's health services in Boston, says "true flu," as distinguished from an ordinary cold, can be two weeks of "aching joints, aching muscles, high fever, pounding headache, inability to get out of bed, shaking chills — a completely disruptive illness." Even worse, some students each year end up with dangerous cases of bacterial pneumonia that can follow on the heels of the flu. Occasionally, a previously healthy young adult dies. But Doyle says these health risks don't motivate students enough to get a flu shot. So he makes a more economic argument.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Research news: 1 in 5 young adults disturbed

2008-12-03T09:24:00.002-07:00

The News:
1 in 5 young adults disturbed
A psychiatric study also found that fewer than a fourth of college-age Americans get help.
By Lindsey Tanner, The Associated Press
CHICAGO — Almost one in five young American adults has a personality disorder that interferes with everyday life, and even more abuse alcohol or drugs, researchers reported Monday in the most extensive study of its kind. The disorders include problems such as obsessive or compulsive tendencies and anti-social behavior that can sometimes lead to violence. The study also found that fewer than 25 percent of college-aged Americans with mental problems get treatment.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in Archives of General Psychiatry.

Research news: Discovery may help efforts to build bone

2008-11-28T09:03:00.002-07:00

The News:
Discovery may help efforts to build bone
Osteoporosis experts are thrilled to hear serotonin can regulate bone density.
By Gina KolataThe New York Times
Updated: 11/27/2008 11:51:18 PM MST
Bone formation appears to be controlled by serotonin, a chemical previously known mainly for its entirely separate role in the brain, researchers are reporting.
The discovery can have enormous implications, osteoporosis experts say, because there is an urgent need for osteoporosis treatments that actually build bone.
Osteoporosis affects 10 million Americans over age 50. It results in bone loss, and its hallmark is fragile bones. With one exception, current treatments only slow further bone loss rather than increase bone formation. And the exception, parathyroid hormone, given by injection, is recommended only for short-term use and costs about $6,700 a year.
But in a paper published online this week in the journal Cell, a team led by Dr. Gerard Karsenty, chairman of the department of genetics and development at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, reports the discovery of an unexpected system that appears to control bone formation.
At its heart is serotonin made by the gut rather than the brain, whose role outside the brain had been a mystery. Ninety-five percent of the body's serotonin is made by the gut, but gut serotonin cannot enter the brain because it is barred by the so-called blood-brain barrier. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Cell.

Research news: Cancer rate drops for first time

2008-11-26T08:14:00.002-07:00

The News:
Cancer rate drops for first time
But it may rise as boomers age
By Thomas H. Maugh IILos Angeles Times
Updated: 11/26/2008 01:23:32 AM MST
For the first time since the U.S. government began compiling data, the rate of cancer has declined, marking a tipping point in the fight against the second-leading cause of death among Americans.
Researchers knew the number of deaths was declining as the result of better treatment, but the drop in cancer cases indicates that major progress is being made in prevention.
"The drop in incidence . . . is something we have been waiting to see for a long time," said Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society.
But the declines might be temporary, said Dr. Robert Figlin of the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, Calif.
"Baby boomers are reaching the age at which they develop cancer . . . so we should not be surprised if it changes direction again."
Researchers fear economic woes may trigger an rise in incidence as fewer people feel comfortable paying for screenings and as increased stress leads some people to resume smoking. The growing number of unemployed also means fewer people with health insurance.
The report, published online Tuesday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, was compiled by the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Research news: Can an ant be employee of the month?

2008-11-25T08:10:00.001-07:00

The News:
Can An Ant Be Employee Of The Month?
ScienceDaily (Nov. 25, 2008) — Ants specializing on one job such as snatching food from a picnic are no more efficient than "Jane-of-all-trade" ants, according to new research.
The finding casts doubt on the idea that the world-wide success of ants stems from job specialization within the colony. Ants are found on every continent besides Antarctica.
"The question is, why is job specialization a good thing?" said Anna Dornhaus of The University of Arizona in Tucson. "We thought that the fact that ants have specialists was one of the things that made them so successful and live all over the world in all habitats in great numbers.
"It turns out that the ones that are specialized on a particular job are not particularly good at doing that job." Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in PLoS Biology.

Research news: New NC State study shows it pays to shop around online

2008-11-24T07:28:00.003-07:00

The News:
New NC State study shows it pays to shop around online
Holiday shopping season has arrived, and tough financial times mean that more people will probably be shopping around for the best price. But a new study co-authored by North Carolina State University's Dr. Jonathan D. Bohlmann shows that shoppers who compare prices at multiple online retailers will not only find the best value, but will also likely contribute to driving down prices for that product at other retailers.
Bohlmann, an associate professor of marketing at NC State, explains that there are basically two types of shoppers: "switchers" and "loyals." Switchers compare prices from multiple online retailers, while loyals are committed to a particular store and don't bother with comparison-shopping. Bohlmann explains that the higher the number of switchers relative to the number of loyals – or the so-called switcher/loyal ratio – the higher the pressure a retailer faces to discount products in order to remain competitive.
However, it's not quite that simple. An online retailer doesn't only look at its own switcher/loyal ratio; it has to consider the ratios of its competitors. Bohlmann explains that a retailer with a high switcher/loyal ratio may keep prices high if its competitors have an even higher ratio. These ratios, and the size of the retailers, are all considerations that are taken into account when stores set their prices. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the Journal of Marketing.

Research news: Study bolsters "broken windows" policing theory

2008-11-21T07:41:00.002-07:00

The News:
Study bolsters "broken windows" policing theory
People are found to be more likely to commit small offenses when they see other lawlessness such as graffiti.
By Karen Kaplan Los Angeles Times
Updated: 11/21/2008 12:48:32 AM MST

In a series of real-world experiments, people exposed to graffiti, litter and other cues of lawlessness were more likely to commit small crimes, according to a study published today that bolsters the controversial "broken windows" theory of policing.
The idea is that low-level offenses such as vandalism and panhandling create an environment that breeds bigger crimes. According to the theory, police can help head off serious violence by keeping minor infractions in check.
Dutch researchers tested the psychological underpinnings of the theory and found that signs of social disorder damped people's impulse to act for the good of the community, allowing selfish and greedy instincts to take over. The results appear in the journal Science.
Community policing strategies based on the "broken windows" theory have taken root in cities across the U.S. and around the world since it was proposed in 1982.
Most famously, New York City saw a 50 percent reduction in crime in the 1990s after then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani and then-police chief William Bratton cracked down on squeegee-wielding panhandlers and the like. They credited the "broken windows" approach for their success.
However, an array of social scientists examined the city's crime statistics, and many of them concluded that factors like the booming economy and decline of crack cocaine were actually responsible for the dramatic improvement.
Denver also has experimented with the strategy and claimed success.
Kees Keizer, a graduate student in the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, thought psychology and sociology could add to the debate. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Science (click on Full Text under Article views).

Research news: Giant mammoths may roam again

2008-11-20T10:27:00.002-07:00

The News:
Giant mammoths may roam again
Scientists decipher the beast's genetic code, making its re-creation possible someday.
By Seth Borenstein The Associated Press
Updated: 11/19/2008 07:42:48 PM MST
WASHINGTON — Bringing "Jurassic Park" one step closer to reality, scientists have deciphered much of the genetic code of the woolly mammoth, a feat they say could allow them to re-create the shaggy, prehistoric beast in as little as a decade or two.
The project marks the first time researchers have spelled out the DNA of an extinct species, and it raised the possibility that other ancient animals such as mastodons and sabertooth tigers might someday walk the Earth again.
"It could be done. The question is, just because we might be able to do it one day, should we do it?" asked Stephan Schuster, a Penn State University biochemist and co-author of the new research. "I would be surprised to see if it would take more than 10 or 20 years to do it."
The million-dollar mammoth study resulted in a first draft of the animal's genome, detailing the ice-age creature's more than 3 billion DNA building blocks. The research published in today's issue of the journal Nature also gives scientists new clues about evolution and extinction. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Nature.

Research news: Herb no bar to dementia

2008-11-19T07:28:00.002-07:00

The News:
Herb no bar to dementia
Thousands were involved in a six-year study of ginkgo biloba.
By Karen KaplanLos Angeles Times
Updated: 11/18/2008 08:04:04 PM MST
Long touted as an elixir of eternal mental acuity, the herbal extract ginkgo biloba does not prevent or delay the progression of dementia or Alz heimer's disease, according to a clinical trial reported Tuesday involving thousands of volunteers between the ages of 75 and 96.
The subjects swallowed round, reddish tablets twice a day for an average of more than six years, but at the end of the study, those who received ginkgo biloba were slightly more likely to be diagnosed with dementia and Alz heim er's than their counterparts who received dummy pills.
The results, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, are sure to disappoint the millions of people who take ginkgo in the hopes of boosting their brain power and staving off the ravages of dementia and Alzheimer's, which affect more than 5.2 million Americans. Alzheimer's passed diabetes two years ago as the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"No one is more disappointed that we didn't have any traction in slowing down the disease than the group that did the study," said Dr. Steven T. DeKosky, the neurologist who led the clinical trial.
Mark Blumenthal, executive director of the American Botanical Council, a nonprofit group backed by herbal supplement makers, said the study used the right dose of the right ginkgo extract and gave the pills a reasonable amount of time to show an effect. The fact that it did not help puts ginkgo in good company, he said.
"Let's keep in mind that to date, no conventional pharmaceutical drug has shown any benefit for either preventing the onset of Alzheimer's or dementia, or even slowing it down," he said.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a branch of the National Institutes of Health, began researching ginkgo in 1999 as part of a broad effort to subject unregulated herbal remedies to the same type of scrutiny that is required of medicines seeking approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Research news: More birth defects possible from assisted reproduction

2008-11-18T07:58:00.001-07:00

The News:
More birth defects possible from assisted reproduction
The CDC study, though not definitive, adds to the growing body of evidence of the risks.
By Judith GrahamChicago Tribune
Article Last Updated: 11/17/2008 11:23:54 PM MST
CHICAGO — Babies born to couples who rely on medical technology to become pregnant have much higher rates of certain birth defects, according to a study published online Monday in the journal Human Reproduction.
The report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found these infants have twice as many heart defects and cleft lips and nearly four times as many gastrointestinal defects as those conceived without technological interventions.
Still, the overall rate of the defects was low, and the vast majority of babies born to couples using assisted reproduction were normal, said Jennita Reehfuis, a CDC epidemiologist and lead author of the report.
Independent experts noted the study establishes an association, not a causal connection, between birth defects and two procedures: in-vitro fertilization, or IVF, and intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection, or ICSI.
With IVF, a man's sperm and a woman's egg are merged outside the body. ICSI involves injecting a single sperm into an egg. In both cases, resulting embryos are then implanted in a woman.
It's possible that couples who turn to these interventions have chromosomal abnormalities that explain their infertility as well as the risks to offspring, said Dr. Elizabeth Ginsburg, president of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology and medical director of the IVF program at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
"This study doesn't get to the question of whether these outcomes are due to the procedures themselves or the population of people who struggle with infertility," she said. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Human Reproduction.

Research news: Fewer than 1 in 5 U.S. adults now smoke

2008-11-17T09:11:00.002-07:00

The News:
Fewer Than 1 In 5 U.S. Adults Now Smoke
by Robert Benincasa
November 13, 2008 · The nation's adult smoking rate has fallen below 20 percent for the first time since the federal government began tracking it in the 1960s, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.
The drop continues a decades-long decline that had slowed in recent years.
Dr. Matthew McKenna, director of the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health, said the prevalence of smoking in America is still "much higher than what we've aspired to." Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in MMWR.

Research News: Statins Benefit Patients With no History of Heart Problems

2008-11-16T19:24:00.002-07:00

The News:
Statins Benefit Patients With no History of Heart Problems
A new study released at an American Heart Association conference found that cholesterol-lowering statin drugs significantly cut the risk of death from heart problems even in those with low cholesterol and risk factors. Two doctors discusses what the findings mean for patients.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Research News: Autism link with higher rain levels examined

2008-11-14T08:20:00.002-07:00

The News:
Autism link with higher rain levels examined
By Mary Engel, Los Angeles Times
Children in California, Oregon and Washington are more likely to develop autism if they lived in counties with higher levels of annual rainfall, suggesting that something about wet weather might trigger the disorder. Among possible explanations: Bad weather could lead to more TV and video viewing, which in very young children has been linked to language-development issues. Or staying indoors could cause a deficiency of vitamin D, the "sunshine vitamin" increasingly found to play a vital role in health.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Research News: Hot Drinks Equal Warm Feelings, as Scientists Link Physical and Emotional Warmth

2008-11-11T08:40:00.002-07:00

The News:
Hot Drinks Equal Warm Feelings, as Scientists Link Physical and Emotional Warmth
A casual decision between an iced coffee and a hot cappuccino could have lasting effects, and not just on calorie intake. Research from Yale University and the University of Colorado suggests that physical warmth and emotional warmth are linked. In fact, the temperature of the drink you're holding could influence your feelings of trust and tenderness toward toward the people around you.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Science.

Research News: Teen pregnancies, TV linked

2008-11-10T09:43:00.001-07:00

The News:
Teen pregnancies, TV linked
Girls who watch a lot of racy programs are much more likely to become pregnant, research says.
By Lindsey Tanner, The Associated Press
CHICAGO — Groundbreaking research suggests that pregnancy rates are much higher among teens who watch a lot of TV with sexual dialogue and behavior than among those who have tamer viewing tastes. "Sex and the City," anyone? That was one of the shows used in the research. The new study is the first to link those viewing habits with teen pregnancy, said lead author Anita Chandra, a Rand Corp. behavioral scientist. Teens who watched the raciest shows were twice as likely to become pregnant over the next three years as those who watched few such programs.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in Pediatrics.

Research News: Testosterone patch may kick-start sex drive in women

2008-11-06T15:43:00.001-07:00

The News:
Testosterone patch may kick-start sex drive in women
Postmenopausal women who have lost interest in sex may be able to bring their libidos back to life with a testosterone patch. However, the use of the male hormone to boost sex drive in women may not be risk-free. Out of the 814 women in the study, four women who were taking testosterone developed breast cancer, but none of the women on placebo did. It's not clear whether this was a statistical blip or a warning sign that excess testosterone could cause or spur the growth of a malignancy. Some women also reported excess hair growth, although none stopped using the hormone for this reason.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Research News: Age, stage play key roles in strength-training benefits

2008-11-04T07:49:00.002-07:00

The News:
Age, stage play key roles in strength-training benefits
By Jeannine Stein, Los Angeles Times
Article Last Updated: 11/02/2008 08:48:07 PM MST
Strength training is not just for muscle-heads anymore. But the later you start, the fewer benefits you can reap. A study found that although older women gained muscle strength after an eight-week strength-training program, they showed little improvement in muscle power, or how much force is generated in a given amount of time. The latter is indicative of having fewer fast-twitch muscle fibers which are engaged during sprinting, kicking a ball or getting up and down from a chair.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.

Research news: Ancient mummy, The Tyrolean Iceman, Has No Modern Children

2008-11-02T07:41:00.002-07:00

The News:
Ancient Mummy, The Tyrolean Iceman, Has No Modern Children
ScienceDaily (Nov. 1, 2008) — The 5,300 year old human mummy – dubbed Öetzi or 'the Tyrolean Iceman' – is highly unlikely to have modern day relatives, according to new research.
A team comprising scientists from Italy and the UK has sequenced Öetzi's entire mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genome - which is passed down through the maternal line – and found that he belonged to a genetic lineage that is either extremely rare, or that has died out.
Published in this month's issue of Current Biology, the research has generated the oldest complete Homo sapiens mtDNA genome to date, and overturns previous research conducted in 1994 on a small section of Öetzi's mtDNA, which suggested that relatives of Öetzi may still exist in Europe. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Current Biology.

Research news: Therapy plus zoloft helps kids with anxiety

2008-10-31T08:18:00.002-06:00

The News:
Therapy plus Zoloft helps kids with anxiety
By LINDSEY TANNER AP Medical Writer
Article Last Updated: 10/30/2008 12:38:51 PM MDT
CHICAGO—A popular antidepressant plus three months of psychotherapy dramatically helped children with anxiety disorders, the most common psychiatric illnesses in kids, the biggest study of its kind found.
The research also offers comfort to parents worried about putting their child on powerful drugs—therapy alone did a lot of good, too.
Combining the drug sertraline, available as a generic and under the brand name Zoloft, with therapy worked best. But each method alone also had big benefits, said Dr. John Walkup, lead author of the government-funded research. It's estimated that anxiety disorders affect as many as 20 percent of U.S. children and teens.
In many cases, symptoms almost disappeared in children previously so anxious that they wouldn't leave home, sleep alone, or hang out with friends, said Walkup, a Johns Hopkins Hospital psychiatrist.
"What we're saying is we've got three good treatments," he said.
Sertraline is among antidepressants linked with suicidal thoughts and behavior in children with depression. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Research news: Heart ticks a bit better after time shift

2008-10-30T07:56:00.003-06:00

The News:
Heart ticks a bit better after time shift
The cause each fall is probably the hour of sleep we gain with the end of daylight saving time.
By Karen Kaplan Los Angeles Times
Article Last Updated: 10/29/2008 11:01:23 PM MDT
Turning your clock back one hour Sunday for the end of daylight saving time could do your own ticker some good.
Researchers have found a 5 percent drop in heart-attack deaths and hospitalizations the day after clocks are reset each year to standard time, according to a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The Swedish researchers also found that the onset of daylight saving time in the spring appears to increase the risk of heart attacks.
Physicians can now add daylight saving time to the list of everyday events that affect heart attacks, said Dr. Ralph Brindis, a vice president of the American College of Cardiology who practices in Oakland, Calif. The risk also rises on holidays and anniversaries, although no one knows why, he said.
"This study is fascinating," Brindis said.
The culprit probably is lack of sleep. Scientists have known that sleep deprivation is bad for the heart — the body responds by boosting blood pressure, heart rate and the tendency to form dangerous clots — but they didn't realize a single hour could have a measurable effect.
More than 1.5 billion people change their clocks twice a year to make the most of the available sunlight. William Willett, a British builder, proposed the idea in 1905 after watching Londoners sleep through so many perfectly good hours of morning sunshine. (He also complained that his afternoon golf games were cut short by an unnecessarily early dusk.) Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Research news: Undecided voters may already have decided, study suggests

2008-10-29T07:22:00.002-06:00

The News:
Undecided Voters May Already Have Decided, Study Suggests
ScienceDaily (Oct. 29, 2008) — Do "undecided" voters actually make their choices before they realize? That is a question University of Virginia psychology professor Brian Nosek and his colleagues are trying to answer.
"Many people, especially early in the political process, declare themselves as undecided," Nosek said. "But while they have consciously said that they are undecided, they unconsciously may have already made a choice."
And in a close election, undecided voters may determine the outcome the moment they make their decisions known on Election Day.
Nosek and colleagues Mahzarin Banaji of Harvard University and Tony Greenwald of the University of Washington developed the Implicit Association Test to assess mental associations that may be different than what people know or say about themselves.
A dozen years of research and hundreds of published studies suggest that people have implicit belief systems that may contradict their declared beliefs. These implicit beliefs can affect actions, such as how they vote at the moment it comes time to explicitly decide. Read on...

The Research:
Check out the researcher's website Project Implicit.

Research news: How social pressure increases voter turnout

2008-10-28T07:54:00.002-06:00

The News:
How Social Pressure Increases Voter Turnout: Evidence From A Large-scale Field Experiment
ScienceDaily (Mar. 14, 2008) — New research by political scientists concludes that direct mail campaigns which include a social pressure aspect are more effective at increasing voter turnout and are cheaper than other forms of voter mobilization, including door-to-door or telephone canvassing.

Prior to the August 2006 primary election in Michigan, the researchers sent out one of four various mailings to 80,000 households encouraging them to vote--with gradually increasing levels of social pressure. The first mailing reminded voters that voting is a civic duty. The second mailing informed the voters that researchers would study their turnout based on public records. The third mailing listed a record of voter turnout among those in the household. The fourth mailing displayed both the neighborhood and household voter turnout. The third and fourth mailings also suggested that there would be a follow-up letter after the upcoming election, reporting on their household or neighborhood voter turnout. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the American Political Science Review.

Research news: Physical and interpersonal warmth linked

2008-10-27T07:12:00.002-06:00

The News:
Physical And Interpersonal Warmth Linked
ScienceDaily (Oct. 27, 2008) — Do people trust others more when they experience physical warmth? That's the theory of CU-Boulder Assistant Professor Lawrence E. Williams, who says simply handling a hot cup of coffee can change one's attitude toward a stranger.
In a paper published in the Oct. 24 issue of Science, Williams details a study he conducted with Yale University's John A. Bargh that shows a link between the way unsuspecting subjects rated a hypothetical person's personality and whether or not they had held a warm or cold beverage just prior to the test.
"The basic scientific implication is about exploring the link between the physical world and the psychological world," said Williams, an assistant professor of marketing at CU's Leeds School of Business. "It's at the same time subtle and very powerful -- a repeated association of physical warmth that is learned over a lifetime."
Williams asserts that people naturally speak about others being "warm" or "cold," and prefer to spend time with those they perceive as "warm." Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Science.

Research news: Sticky tape gives off x-rays

2008-10-26T08:27:00.002-06:00

The News:
Sticky Tape Gives Off X-Rays
All Things Considered, October 25, 2008 · Scientists have known for years that peeling up a strip of sticky tape can set off some subatomic fireworks. But in the current issue of the journal Nature, UCLA researchers prove that the X-rays released are both powerful and plentiful.
"There are a lot of X-rays," says Juan Escobar, a Ph.D. candidate in physics at UCLA. "There are enough that you can actually take a picture of your finger — an X-ray picture of your finger. It's very exciting. It's actually a little bit scary." Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Nature.

Research news: The Marshmallow Test--Brain scan aims to find out what's behind self-control

2008-10-24T11:22:00.002-06:00

The News:
The marshmallow test: Brain scans aim to find out what's behind self-control
By Carey GoldbergThe Boston Globe
Article Last Updated: 10/23/2008 10:53:27 PM MDT
It is a simple test but has surprising power to predict a child's future.
A 4-year-old is left sitting at a table with a marshmallow or other treat on it and given a challenge: Wait to eat it until a grown-up comes back into the room, and you'll get two. If you can't wait that long, you'll get just one.
Some children can wait less than a minute; others last the full 20 minutes.
The longer the child can hold back, the better the outlook in later life for everything from SAT scores to social skills to academic achievement, according to classic work by Columbia University psychologist Walter Mischel, who has followed his test subjects from preschool in the late 1960s into their 40s now.
From church sermons to parenting manuals, "the marshmallow test" has entered popular culture as a potent lesson on the rewards of self-control.
It has also raised deep psychological research questions: What is involved in delaying gratification? Why does it correlate with success in life? Why do people fail at it? Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Psychological Science.

Research news: Been there, done that; brain mechanism predicts ability to generalize

2008-10-23T07:54:00.002-06:00

The News:
Been There, Done That: Brain Mechanism Predicts Ability To Generalize
ScienceDaily (Oct. 23, 2008) — A new study reveals how the brain can connect discrete but overlapping experiences to provide a rich integrated history that extends far beyond individually experienced events and may help to direct future choices. The research, published by Cell Press in the October 23rd issue of the journal Neuron, also explains why some people are good at generalizing from past experience, while others are not.
Decisions are often guided by drawing on past experiences, perhaps by generalizing across discrete events that overlap in content. However, how such experiences are integrated into a unified representation is not clear, and fundamental questions remain regarding potential underlying brain mechanisms. It is likely that such mechanisms involve the hippocampus, a brain structure closely linked with learning and memory. The midbrain may also play a role, as its projections modulate activity in the hippocampus, and activity in both regions has been shown to facilitate encoding of individual episodes. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Cell.

Research News: Study urges more effort to build kids' math skills

2008-10-18T22:11:00.002-06:00

The News:
Study urges more effort to build kids' math skills
By The New York Times
Article Last Updated: 10/10/2008 12:30:43 AM MDT
The United States is failing to develop the math skills of both girls and boys, especially among those who could excel at the highest levels, a new study asserts, and girls who do succeed in the field are almost all immigrants or the daughters of immigrants from countries where mathematics is more highly valued. The study suggests that while many girls have exceptional talent in math — the talent to become top math researchers, scientists and engineers — they are rarely identified in the United States. A major reason, according to the study, is that American culture does not highly value talent in math, and so discourages girls — and boys, for that matter — from excelling in the field.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in Notices of the American Mathematical Society.

Research News: When Dow says ow, practice mindfulness

2008-10-14T12:48:00.002-06:00

The News:
When Dow says ow, practice mindfulness
By Howard Cohen, McClatchy Newspapers
Article Last Updated: 10/06/2008 12:40:45 AM MDT
Our worries. They're crescendoing like the finale of Beethoven's "Ninth": Bailouts, buyouts. Recession, depression. Enter the meditative practice of mindfulness. Born of Buddhist roots, it's increasingly recognized as a measure to calm the mind's chatter and elevate the brain's thinking and organizational processes.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Research News: Scientists explore new source of stem cells

2008-10-13T12:48:00.002-06:00

The News:
Scientists explore new source of stem cells
Using the testicular cells of adult men, researchers have grown muscle, nerve and other kinds of tissue.
Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times
Scientists have converted cells from human testes into stem cells that grew into muscle, nerve cells and other kinds of tissue, according to a study published Wednesday in the online edition of Nature. The stem cells offer another potential alternative to embryonic stem cells for researchers who aim to treat diseases such as diabetes and Parkinson’s by replacing damaged or malfunctioning cells with custom-grown replacements. Scientists have also derived flexible adult stem cells from skin, amniotic fluid and menstrual blood.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Nature.

Research News: Simple blood test may detect artery blocks

2008-10-11T12:28:00.001-06:00

The News:
Simple blood test may detect artery blocks
By Thomas Goldsmith, McClatchy Newspapers
Article Last Updated: 10/08/2008 09:02:28 PM MDT
RALEIGH, N.C. — The discovery of genetic markers showing the presence and intensity of coronary artery disease means that a diagnosis could be made with a simple blood test, said a Duke University cardiologist who led research on the link. Such a blood test — showing not only the presence of coronary disease but also the degree of blockage — could save millions of dollars annually by replacing risky procedures in which catheters are inserted into patients' arteries.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics.

Research News: Youngsters shouldn't own "exotic" pets

2008-10-08T09:46:00.002-06:00

The News:
Youngsters shouldn't own "exotic" pets
Pediatricians cite risk of disease
By Lindsey Tanner The Associated Press
Article Last Updated: 10/06/2008 07:05:16 AM MDT
CHICAGO — Warning: Young children should not keep hedgehogs as pets — or hamsters, baby chicks, lizards or turtles, for that matter — because of risks for disease. That's according to the nation's leading pediatricians group in a new report about dangers from "exotic" animals. Besides evidence that they can carry dangerous and sometimes potentially deadly germs, exotic pets may be more prone than cats and dogs to bite, scratch or claw — putting children younger than 5 particularly at risk, the report says.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Pediatrics.

Research News: Science Debate with the Presidential Candidates

2008-10-06T16:49:00.003-06:00

The News:
Science Debate 2008
In November, 2007, a small group of six citizens - two screenwriters, a physicist, a marine biologist, a philosopher and a science journalist - began working to restore science and innovation to America’s political dialogue. They called themselves Science Debate 2008, and they called for a presidential debate on science. The call tapped a wellspring of concern over the state of American science. Within weeks, more than 38,000 scientists, engineers, and other concerned Americans signed on, including nearly every major American science organization, dozens of Nobel laureates, elected officials and business leaders, and the presidents of over 100 major American universities. Among other things, these signers submitted over 3,400 questions they want the candidates for President to answer about science and the future of America.

Read the questions and answers from Barack Obama and John McCain here.

Research news: Brain Pathway Responsible For Obesity Found: Too Many Calories Send Brain Off Kilter

2008-10-03T07:50:00.002-06:00

The News:
Brain Pathway Responsible For Obesity Found: Too Many Calories Send Brain Off Kilter
ScienceDaily (Oct. 3, 2008) — An overload of calories throws critical portions of the brain out of whack, reveals a study in the October 3rd issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication. That response in the brain's hypothalamus—the "headquarters" for maintaining energy balance—can happen even in the absence of any weight gain, according to the new studies in mice.
The brain response involves a molecular player, called IKKß/NF-κB, which is known to drive metabolic inflammation in other body tissues. The discovery suggests that treatments designed to block this pathway in the brain might fight the ever-increasing spread of obesity and related diseases, including diabetes and heart disease.
"This pathway is usually present but inactive in the brain," said Dongsheng Cai of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Cai said he isn't sure exactly why IKKß/NF-κB is there and ready to spring into action in the brain. He speculates it may have been an important element for innate immunity, the body's first line of defense against pathogenic invaders, at some time in the distant past. Read on..

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Cell.

Research news: HIV's genetic footprint shows it's a century old

2008-10-02T08:41:00.002-06:00

The News:
HIV's genetic footprint shows it's a century old
Study ties its emergence to rise of cities in Africa
By Malcolm Ritter The Associated Press
Article Launched: 10/02/2008 12:30:00 AM MDT
NEW YORK — The AIDS virus has been circulating among people for about 100 years, decades longer than scientists had thought, a new study suggests.
Genetic analysis pushes the estimated origin of HIV back to between 1884 and 1924, with a more focused estimate at 1908.
Previously, scientists had estimated the origin at around 1930.
AIDS wasn't recognized formally until 1981 when it got the attention of public health officials in the United States.
The new result is "not a monumental shift, but it means the virus was circulating under our radar even longer than we knew," said Michael Worobey of the University of Arizona, an author of the new work.
The results appear in today's issue of the journal Nature.
Researchers note that the newly calculated dates fall during the rise of cities in Africa, and they suggest urban development may have promoted HIV's initial establishment and early spread. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Nature.

Research news: On Election Day, use extra caution when driving

2008-10-01T08:10:00.002-06:00

The News:
On Election Day, Use Extra Caution When Driving
by Patti Neighmond
Morning Edition, October 1, 2008 · Voting is your civic duty, but be careful how you get to the polls. A new study suggests that there is an increased risk of car crashes on presidential voting days.
Dr. Donald Redelmeier is a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto and an internist at the largest trauma center in Toronto. He sees lots of victims from car crashes, so he thinks a lot about cars and driving. That, coupled with his own experience hurrying to fit voting into a busy schedule, made him want to examine how the rush to get to the polls affects road safety on voting day.
"We studied all the U.S. presidential elections over the last 32 years, beginning with Jimmy Carter in 1976 and ending with George Bush in 2004," he says of the research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Research news: Parental warning--Second-hand smoke may trigger nicotine dependence symptoms in kids

2008-09-30T10:50:00.002-06:00

The News:
Parental Warning: Second-hand Smoke May Trigger Nicotine Dependence Symptoms In Kids
ScienceDaily (Sep. 30, 2008) — Parents who smoke cigarettes around their kids in cars and homes beware – second-hand smoke may trigger symptoms of nicotine dependence in children.
The findings are published in the September edition of the journal Addictive Behaviors in a joint study from nine Canadian institutions.
"Increased exposure to second-hand smoke, both in cars and homes, was associated with an increased likelihood of children reporting nicotine dependence symptoms, even though these children had never smoked," says Dr. Jennifer O'Loughlin, senior author of the study, a professor at the Université de Montréal's Department of Social and Preventive Medicine and a researcher at the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Addictive Behaviors.

Research news: Dark energy-is it merely an illusion?

2008-09-29T08:12:00.003-06:00

The News:
Dark Energy: Is It Merely An Illusion?
ScienceDaily (Sep. 29, 2008) — Dark energy is at the heart of one of the greatest mysteries of modern physics, but it may be nothing more than an illusion, according physicists at Oxford University.
The problem facing astrophysicists is that they have to explain why the universe appears to be expanding at an ever increasing rate. The most popular explanation is that some sort of force is pushing the accelerating the universe's expansion. That force is generally attributed to a mysterious dark energy.
Although dark energy may seem a bit contrived to some, the Oxford theorists are proposing an even more outrageous alternative. They point out that it's possible that we simply live in a very special place in the universe - specifically, we're in a huge void where the density of matter is particularly low. The suggestion flies in the face of the Copernican Principle, which is one of the most useful and widely held tenants in physics. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Physical Review Letters

Research news: "Huge step forward" in stem cells

2008-09-26T08:27:00.002-06:00

The News:
"Huge step forward" in stem cells
Adult cells regress safely, report says
By Rob SteinThe Washington Post
Article Last Updated: 09/26/2008 12:20:39 AM MDT
WASHINGTON — Scientists are reporting that they have overcome a major obstacle to using a promising alternative to embryonic stem cells, bolstering the prospects for bypassing the political and ethical tempest that has embroiled hopes for a new generation of medical treatments.
The researchers said they found a safe way to coax adult cells to regress into an embryonic state, alleviating what had been the most worrisome uncertainty about developing the cells into potential cures.
"We have removed a major roadblock for translating this into a clinical setting," said Konrad Hochedlinger, a Harvard University stem-cell researcher whose research was published online Thursday by the journal Science.
The development is the latest in the rapidly advancing and politically charged field of stem-cell research.
"This is a huge step forward — it could be the breakthrough we've been looking for," said Robert Lanza, a stem-cell researcher at Advanced Cell Technology in Worcester, Mass.
Embryonic stem cells are believed capable of becoming any type of cell in the body. Researchers hope eventually to use them to create replacement tissue and body parts tailored to individual patients. But the work has been mired in controversy because the cells were obtained by destroying very early embryos. As a result, President Bush has restricted federal funding for such work.
Scientists last year shook up the scientific and political landscape by discovering how to manipulate the genes of adult cells to revert them into the equivalent of embryonic cells — entities dubbed "induced pluripotent stem" or "iPS" cells — which could then be transformed into any type of cell in the body. Subsequent work has found that the cells can alleviate symptoms of Parkinson's disease and sickle cell anemia in mice. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Science (click on full text (pdf) in left column under "Article Views")

Research news: Political conservatives fear chaos; Liberals fear emptiness

2008-09-25T08:38:00.002-06:00

The News:
Political Conservatives Fear Chaos; Liberals Fear Emptiness
ScienceDaily (Sep. 25, 2008) — Political conservatives operate out of a fear of chaos and absence of order while political liberals operate out of a fear of emptiness, a new Northwestern University study finds.
“Social scientists long have assumed that liberals are more rational and less fearful than conservatives, but we find that both groups view the world as a dangerous place,” says Dan McAdams, study co-author and professor of human development and psychology at Northwestern University. “It’s just that their fears emerge differently.”
To better understand the differences between politically conservative Christian Americans and their liberal counterparts, McAdams and Northwestern University co-author Michelle Albaugh asked 128 socially active churchgoers this question: What if there were no God? Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the Journal of Research in Personality.

Research news: Caffeine experts at Johns Hopkins call for warning labels for energy drinks

2008-09-24T08:05:00.002-06:00

The News:
Caffeine experts at Johns Hopkins call for warning labels for energy drinks
Caffeinated energy drinks may present health risks
Johns Hopkins scientists who have spent decades researching the effects of caffeine report that a slew of caffeinated energy drinks now on the market should carry prominent labels that note caffeine doses and warn of potential health risks for consumers.
"The caffeine content of energy drinks varies over a 10-fold range, with some containing the equivalent of 14 cans of Coca-Cola, yet the caffeine amounts are often unlabeled and few include warnings about the potential health risks of caffeine intoxication," says Roland Griffiths, Ph.D., one of the authors of the article that appears in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence this month.
The market for these drinks stands at an estimated $5.4 billion in the United States and is expanding at a rate of 55 percent annually. Advertising campaigns, which principally target teens and young adults, promote the performance-enhancing and stimulant effects of energy drinks and appear to glorify drug use. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

Research news: Quota systems help keep fisheries afloat

2008-09-22T07:20:00.002-06:00

The News:
Study: Quota Systems Help Keep Fisheries Afloat
by Richard Harris
Listen Now [4 min 12 sec] add to playlist
All Things Considered, September 18, 2008 · Thirty percent of the world's commercial fisheries have collapsed over the past few decades, so scientists, fishermen and managers have been trying to figure out how to preserve what's left — while still putting seafood on people's tables.
A new study in Science magazine finds that fishermen using a quota system are, in most cases, helping to maintain a healthy fish population. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Science.

Research news: Cold shoulder really is chilling

2008-09-21T08:16:00.002-06:00

The News:
Cold shoulder really is chilling
Scientists say those who feel isolated or rejected sense that they're colder.
By Denise GelleneLos Angeles Times
Article Created: 09/19/2008 11:28:51 PM MDT
Social isolation is often described as "cold and lonely" — but does it actually feel cold?
New research says the answer is yes. Just thinking about rejection can make a room feel chillier, according to a report in the journal Psychological Science.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Toronto, also found people who felt isolated preferred warm drinks over cold ones — presumably to make themselves feel better.
The research shows there is a psychological basis behind metaphors linking cold temperatures to feelings of loneliness, despair or sadness, said psychologist and lead author Chen-Bo Zhong.
"Our mind is not independent of our body," he said. "Perceptions we think of as purely cognitive also involve physical perceptions."
The initial experiment involved 65 subjects. Half were instructed to think about a time when they felt socially isolated, while remaining subjects were told to recall a time when they felt accepted.
When asked to estimate the temperature of the room, people assigned to ruminate about rejection said 71 degrees, about 5 degrees cooler than the temperature given by the second group. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Psychological Science.

Research news: Liberal? conservative? Blame it on a fear factor

2008-09-19T07:50:00.002-06:00

The News:
Liberal? Conservative? Blame it on a fear factor
A new study argues the choice is tied to DNA, and one camp is scared.
By Denise Gellene Los Angeles Times
Article Launched: 09/19/2008 12:30:00 AM MDT
Die-hard liberals and conservatives aren't made; they're born. It's literally in their DNA.
That's the suggestion of a study by a group of researchers who wanted to see if there was a biological basis for people's political attitudes.
They found to their surprise that opinions on such contentious issues as gun control, pacifism and capital punishment are strongly associated with physiological traits that are probably present at birth.
The key is the differing levels of fear that people naturally feel.
"What is revolutionary about this paper is that it shows the path from genes to physiology to behavior," said James H. Fowler, a political-science professor at the University of California, San Diego, who was not involved in the research.
The researchers, whose findings were published today in the journal Science, looked at 46 people — liberals who supported foreign aid, immigration, pacifism and gun control; and conservatives who advocated defense spending, capital punishment, patriotism and the Iraq war. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Science.

Research news: Study links levels of BPA, health concerns

2008-09-17T07:09:00.002-06:00

The News:
Study links levels of BPA, health concerns
But many insist chemical is safe in trace amounts
By Lindsey Layton The Washington Post
Article Last Updated: 09/17/2008 01:22:14 AM MDT
WASHINGTON — The first large study in humans of a chemical widely used in everyday plastics has found that people with higher levels of bisphenol A had higher rates of heart disease, diabetes and liver abnormalities, a finding that immediately became the focus of the increasingly heated debate over the safety of the chemical.
The research, published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association by a team of British and American scientists, compared the health status of 1,455 men and women with the levels of the chemical, known as BPA, in their urine.
The researchers divided the subjects into four statistical groupings according to their BPA levels and found that those in the quartile with the highest concentrations were nearly three times as likely to have cardiovascular disease than those with the lowest levels, and 2.4 times as likely to have diabetes. Higher BPA levels were also associated with abnormal concentrations of three liver enzymes.
Although the researchers described them as preliminary, the findings were the buzz of a public hearing the Food and Drug Administration held in Rockville, Md., Tuesday to discuss whether BPA is safe for continued use in food packaging and liquid containers. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association.

Research news: Old Growth Forests Are Valuable Carbon Sinks

2008-09-15T07:59:00.002-06:00

The News:
Old Growth Forests Are Valuable Carbon Sinks
ScienceDaily (Sep. 14, 2008) — Contrary to 40 years of conventional wisdom, a new analysis published in the journal Nature suggests that old growth forests are usually "carbon sinks" - they continue to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and mitigate climate change for centuries.
However, these old growth forests around the world are not protected by international treaties and have been considered of no significance in the national "carbon budgets" as outlined in the Kyoto Protocol. That perspective was largely based on findings of a single study from the late 1960s which had become accepted theory, and scientists now say it needs to be changed. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Nature.

Research News: Arthroscopic Surgery Provides Few Benefits

2008-09-12T08:45:00.002-06:00

The News:
Arthroscopic Surgery Provides Few Benefits
Patti Neighmond - National Public Radio, All Things Considered 9/10/08
It's estimated that more than half of Americans over 50 suffer from osteoarthritis, a form of arthritis that strikes the knee, causes pain and stiffness, and can make even the simplest exercise like walking difficult. Now a study in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that one form of surgery used to lessen joint pain is no better in the long run than physical therapy and medication.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Research News: Beat the fat gene — exercise

2008-09-09T12:33:00.003-06:00

The News:
Beat the fat gene — exercise
Moderate daily activity, 3 to 4 hours' worth, can overcome the variant, a new study says.
By Lindsey Tanner, The Associated Press
Article Last Updated: 09/09/2008 12:24:04 AM MDT
CHICAGO — Maybe you CAN blame being fat on your genes. But there's a way to overcome that family history — just get three to four hours of moderate activity a day. Sound pretty daunting? Not for the Amish of Lancaster County, Pa., who were the focus of a new study on a common genetic variation that makes people more likely to gain weight. It turns out the variant's effects can be blocked with physical activity — lots of it. Scientists believe about 30 percent of white people of European ancestry have this variant, including the Amish, and that may partly explain why so many people are overweight. But fighting that fat factor may be easier in the Amish community's 19th-century rural lifestyle. They don't use cars or modern appliances.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Research News: Statement on Columbia University Study on Measles Virus Vaccine and Autism

2008-09-08T09:03:00.002-06:00

The News:
Statement on Columbia University Study on Measles Virus Vaccine and Autism
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Marguerite Colston, Autism Society of America
ASA welcomes study, continues to call for aggressive research on all environmental factors
On September 4, 2008 the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University released a study entitled, “Lack of Association between Measles Virus Vaccine and Autism with Enteropathy: A Case-Control Study.” The Autism Society of America welcomes the efforts of these researchers in addressing an issue that is of great importance to those in the autism community. There is a clear and present need for aggressive research that probes further into all possible environmental causes of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), particularly because findings may help us approach treatment and prevention more effectively.

The Research:
Read more about this study in the Public Library of Science (PLoS One).

Research News: 'Bonding Gene' Could Help Men Stay Married

2008-09-03T11:44:00.003-06:00

The News:
'Bonding Gene' Could Help Men Stay Married
By E.J. Mundell
HealthDay Reporter
Sep 2, 7:01 PM ET
MONDAY, Sept. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Whether a man has one type of gene versus another could help decide whether he's good "husband material," a new study suggests. A study of Swedish twin brothers found that differences in a gene modulating the hormone vasopressin were strongly tied to how well each man fared in marriage.

You can also read about this in the Denver Post.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the Proceedings of the National Academcy of Sciences.

Research News: Bipolar disorder in children linked to older fathers

2008-09-02T16:12:00.002-06:00

The News:
Bipolar disorder in children linked to older fathers
A new study says the risks start increasing around age 40 and are strongest in men 55 and older. The top theory is that sperm likely mutates as men age.
By Lindsey Tanner, The Associated Press
Article Last Updated: 09/01/2008 10:56:09 PM MDT
CHICAGO — Children born to older fathers face a greater chance of developing bipolar disorder, according to one of the largest studies linking mental illness with advanced paternal age. Previous research has connected schizophrenia and autism with older dads, and a Danish study published last year added bipolar disorder to the list. The new study led by researchers at Sweden's Karolin ska Institute strengthens the evidence. The leading theory is that older men's sperm may be more likely to develop mutations. Even so, the chances of a person becoming bipolar are so low that the study's authors said it shouldn't dissuade older men from becoming fathers.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Research news: Flies In Danger Escape With Safety Dance

2008-08-30T08:32:00.003-06:00

The News:
Flies In Danger Escape With Safety Dance
by Joe Palca
Morning Edition, August 29, 2008 · You may think you know how to swat a fly, but Michael Dickinson's work could teach you a thing or two.
Dickinson used superslow-motion video cameras to study how a fly avoids getting swatted. First, he and his graduate student Gwyneth Card coaxed the fly to stand on a glass prism anchored to the middle of a small moat. The prism let him see the fly from below and the side simultaneously.
Then, he moved a kind of mini fly swatter toward the fly and recorded how the fly reacted. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Current Biology.

Research news: Alzheimer's-linked protein traced live

2008-08-29T09:10:00.002-06:00

The News:
Alzheimer's-linked protein traced live
By Lauran Neergaard The Associated Press
Article Last Updated: 08/28/2008 08:15:01 PM MDT
WASHINGTON — Scientists for the first time have peered into people's brains to directly measure the ebb and flow of a substance notorious for its role in Alzheimer's disease.
The delicate research was performed not with Alzheimer's patients but with people suffering severe brain injuries — because a brain injury increases the risk of developing dementia later in life.
The goal is to learn why.
But with this first-step study, a team of scientists from Missouri and Italy got a surprise. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Science.

Research news: Moo North--Cows Sense Earth's Magnetism

2008-08-27T07:17:00.002-06:00

The News:
Moo North: Cows Sense Earth's Magnetism
by Nell Greenfieldboyce
All Things Considered, August 25, 2008 · A new study suggests that cows sense the Earth's magnetic field and use it to line up their bodies so they face either north or south when grazing or resting.
The discovery was made by a team led by Hynek Burda of the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany. "I think the really amazing thing is that hunters and herdsmen and farmers didn't notice it," Burda says.
Burda didn't set out to study cows. He normally studies small underground creatures called naked mole rats. They're blind, but have a kind of internal magnetic compass — they always build sleeping nests in the southern side of their little homes.
Burda wondered if sleeping humans might do something similar. He decided to look at camping tents and fired up Google Earth on his computer, to get an overhead view of campgrounds. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (click on full text PDF)

Research news: Brain study could lead to new understanding of depression

2008-08-25T09:38:00.002-06:00

The News:
Brain Study Could Lead To New Understanding Of Depression
ScienceDaily (Aug. 25, 2008) — Brain scientists have moved a step closer to understanding why some people may be more prone to depression than others.
Dr Roland Zahn, a clinical neuroscientist in The University of Manchester’s School of Psychological Sciences, and his colleagues have identified how the brain links knowledge about social behaviour with moral sentiments, such as pride and guilt.
The study, carried out at the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in the US with Dr Jordan Grafman, chief of the Cognitive Neuroscience Section, and Dr Jorge Moll, now at the LABS-D'Or Center for Neuroscience in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to scan the brains of 29 healthy individuals while they considered certain social behaviours. Read on....

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Cerebral Cortex.

Research news: Women exposed to negative life events at greater risk of breast cancer

2008-08-24T08:42:00.002-06:00

The News:
Women exposed to negative life events at greater risk of breast cancer: BGU study
Study by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev researchers
BEER-SHEVA, ISRAEL, August 22, 2008 -- Happiness and optimism may play a role against breast cancer while adverse life events can increase the risk of developing the disease, according to a study by Professor Ronit Peled, at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. An article on the study titled "Breast Cancer, Psychological Distress and Life Events among Young Women," was just published in the British journal BMC Cancer (8:245, August 2008).
In the study, researchers questioned women about their life experiences and evaluated their levels of happiness, optimism, anxiety, and depression prior to diagnosis. Researchers used this information to examine the relationship between life events, psychological distress and breast cancer among young women. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal BMC Cancer.

Research news: To lower blood pressure, open up and say 'Om'

2008-08-21T08:17:00.002-06:00

The News:
To Lower Blood Pressure, Open Up And Say 'Om'
by Allison Aubrey
Morning Edition, August 21, 2008 · In his 20 years as director of the hypertension program at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Randy Zusman has maintained a rather traditional approach.
He writes plenty of prescriptions for standard medications to treat high blood pressure. But in recent years, Zusman has gotten more assertive with patients about lifestyle choices.
"You're going to have to change your diet, you're going to have to lose weight, exercise, stop smoking," Zusman tells patients. "If it's not an important priority, keep doing what you're doing, I'll give you the pills. But if you really want to be there, you're going to have to change." Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Therapy.

Research news: Arsenic-diabetes link gets broader

2008-08-20T07:41:00.002-06:00

The News:
Arsenic- diabetes link gets broader
A study indicates a tie-in even with low levels of arsenic. The jury's out on what it all means.
By Carla K. Johnson The Associated Press
Article Last Updated: 08/19/2008 10:44:04 PM MDT
CHICAGO — A new analysis of government data is the first to link low-level arsenic exposure, possibly from tap water, with Type 2 diabetes, researchers say.
The study's limitations make more research necessary. And public water systems were on their way to meeting tougher U.S. arsenic standards as the data were collected.
Still, the analysis of 788 adults' medical tests found a near-quadrupling in the risk of diabetes in people with low arsenic concentrations in their urine compared with people with even lower levels.
Previous research outside the U.S. has linked high levels of arsenic in drinking water with diabetes. It's the link at low levels that's new. The findings appear in today's Journal of the American Medical Association.
"The good news is, this is preventable," said lead author Dr. Ana Navas-Acien of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.
New safe drinking water standards may be needed if the findings are duplicated in future studies, Navas-Acien said. She said they've begun a new study of 4,000 people.
Arsenic can get into drinking water naturally when minerals dissolve. It is also an industrial pollutant from coal burning and copper smelting. Utilities use filtration systems to get it out of drinking water. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Research news: Many believe God can cure after doctors give their all

2008-08-19T10:23:00.002-06:00

The News:
Many believe God can cure after doctors give their all
A survey suggests physicians need to be sensitive with families waiting for a miracle.
By Lindsey Tanner The Associated Press
Article Last Updated: 08/19/2008 12:45:45 AM MDT
CHICAGO — When it comes to saving lives, God trumps doctors for many Americans.
An eye-opening survey reveals widespread belief that divine intervention can revive dying patients. And, researchers said, doctors "need to be prepared to deal with families who are waiting for a miracle."
More than half of randomly surveyed adults — 57 percent — said God's intervention could save a family member even if physicians declared treatment would be futile. And nearly three-quarters said patients have a right to demand such treatment.
When asked to imagine their own relatives being gravely ill or injured, nearly 20 percent of doctors and other medical workers said God could reverse a hopeless outcome.
"Sensitivity to this belief will promote development of a trusting relationship" with patients and their families, according to researchers. That trust, they said, is needed to help doctors explain objective, overwhelming scientific evidence showing that continued treatment would be worthless.
Pat Loder, a Milford, Mich., woman whose two young children were killed in a 1991 car crash, said she clung to a belief that God would intervene when things looked hopeless.
"When you're a parent and you're standing over the body of your child who you think is dying . . . you have to have that" belief, Loder said. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Archives of Surgery.

Research news: 1918 flu aided immunity

2008-08-18T07:32:00.002-06:00

The News:
1918 flu aided immunity
In survivors, potent defenses evolved for protection
By Seth BorensteinThe Associated Press
Article Last Updated: 08/18/2008 01:15:00 AM MDT

WASHINGTON — Nearly a century after history's most lethal flu faded away, survivors' bloodstreams still carry super- potent protection against the 1918 virus, demonstrating the remarkable durability of the human immune system.
Scientists tested the blood of 32 people ages 92 to 102 who were exposed to the 1918 pandemic flu and found antibodies that still roam the body looking to strangle the old flu strain. Researchers manipulated those antibodies into a vaccine and found that it kept alive all the mice they had injected with the killer flu, according to a study published online Sunday in the journal Nature.
There is no pressing need for a 1918 flu vaccine because the virus has long since mutated out of its deadly form and is unlikely to be a threat anymore, experts said. What is more important in this research, they said, is that it confirms theories that our immune system has a steel-trap memory.
"It's incredible. The Lord has blessed us with antibodies our whole lifetime," said study co- author Dr. Eric Altschuler at the University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
This is the longest that specific disease-fighting cells have lasted in people, said study lead author Dr. James Crowe, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn.
But these antibodies don't just survive; they have mutated tremendously and now bind tighter to disease cells than other antibodies. That makes them more potent, he said. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Nature.

Research News: Health study eases role of weight

2008-08-12T14:56:00.002-06:00

The News:
Health study eases role of weight
Experts say the estimates suggest stereotypes of body size can be misleading.
By Lindsey TannerThe Associated Press
CHICAGO — A new study suggests that a surprising number of overweight people — about half — have normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels, while an equally startling number of trim people suffer from some of the ills associated with obesity. The first national estimate of its kind bolsters the argument that you can be hefty but still healthy, or at least healthier than has been thought.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Research News: Some stepfathers seen as better dads

2008-08-11T10:11:00.002-06:00

The News:
Some stepfathers seen as better dads
Poor, urban mothers are surveyed
By Queenie WongMcClatchy Newspapers
Article Last Updated: 08/10/2008 12:37:39 AM MDT
WASHINGTON — Stepfathers make slightly better parents than married biological fathers, researchers found in a study of at-risk urban families. Mothers reported that stepfathers were more engaged, more cooperative and shared more responsibility than their biological counterparts did.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in Journal of Marriage and Family.