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Science14 Sep 2015

Queen's researcher finds evidence of emotional 'load sharing' in close relationships

KINGSTON - New research out of Queen's University has found evidence of emotional load sharing between partners in a close relationship. The study, co-authored by PhD candidate Jessica Lougheed, found that a strong relationship with a loved one can help ease stress when placed in difficult situations. "We wanted to test a new evolutionary theory in psychology called Social Baseline Theory which suggests that humans adapted to be close to other humans," says Ms. Lougheed. "The idea is that individuals function at a relative deficit when they are farther away from people ...

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Environment14 Sep 2015

Upslope migration of tropical plants due to climate change

This news release is available in Spanish. The plants on the highest mountain in Ecuador have migrated more than 500 meters to higher altitudes during the last two centuries. This is determined in a new study, in which Aarhus University researchers compared Humboldt's data from 1802 with current conditions. Although most of the world's species diversity is found in tropical areas, there are very few studies that have examined whether tropical mountain species are affected by climate change to the same extent as temperate species. A new study has now determined ...

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Science14 Sep 2015

Molecule made by muscle shown for first time to build bone

A recently identified molecule produced by skeletal muscle in response to exercise, has been shown to increase bone mass, according to a collaborative study between researchers at the Mount Sinai Bone Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine at University of Ancona in Italy, and the Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs at the University of Bari in Italy, and published online today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Although exercise is a well known ...

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Science14 Sep 2015

Penn Vet team identifies a form of congenital night blindness in dogs

People with congenital stationary night blindness, or CSNB, have normal vision during the day but find it difficult or impossible to distinguish objects in low light. This rare condition is present from birth and can seriously impact quality of life, especially in locations and conditions where artificial illumination is not available. Working in collaboration with Japanese scientists, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have for the first time found a form of CSNB in dogs. Their discovery and subsequent hunt for the genetic mutation responsible may one day ...

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Medicine14 Sep 2015

Loss of cellular energy leads to neuronal dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease model

A new study from the Gladstone Institutes shows for the first time that impairments in mitochondria--the brain's cellular power plants--can deplete cellular energy levels and cause neuronal dysfunction in a model of neurodegenerative disease. A link between mitochondria, energy failure, and neurodegeneration has long been hypothesized. However, no previous studies were able to comprehensively investigate the connection because sufficiently sensitive tests, or assays, were not available to measure ATP (the energy unit of the cell that is generated by mitochondria) in individual ...

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Medicine14 Sep 2015

GW participates in landmark study; blood pressure management can reduce heart disease death

WASHINGTON (Sept. 14, 2015) -- According to initial results of a multi-site landmark study, led by Dominic Raj, M.D., at the George Washington University (GW) site, cardiovascular disease morbidity is significantly reduced through intensive management of high blood pressure. By targeting a blood pressure of 120 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), lower than current guidelines, researchers found that adults 50 years and older also significantly reduced their rates of cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and heart failure, as well as stroke, ...

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Science14 Sep 2015

Birds reveal the evolutionary importance of love

Humans are extremely choosy when it comes to mating, only settling down and having kids after a long screening process involving nervous flirtations, set-ups by friends, online matchmaking sites, awkward dates, humiliating rejections, hasty retreats and the occasional lucky strike. In the end, we "fall in love" and "live happily ever after." But evolution is an unforgiving force - isn't this choosiness rather a costly waste of time and energy when we should just be "going forth and multiplying?" What, if anything, is the evolutionary point of it all? A new study may have ...

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Medicine14 Sep 2015

New method to treat antibiotic resistant MRSA: Bacteriophages

MRSA is bad news. If you've never heard of it, here's what you need to know: It's pronounced MER-suh, it's a nasty bacterial infection and it can cause serious disease and death. Senior molecular biology major Jacob Hatch knows MRSA as the infection that took his dad's leg. Hatch was thousands of miles away on an LDS (Mormon) mission when Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus decalcified the bones in his dad's foot and lower leg, leading to an emergency amputation just below the knee. "It was really hard to hear the news--you never expect to hear someone in ...

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Science14 Sep 2015

UCI study uncovers anticonvulsant effects of valproic acid

Irvine, Calif., Sept. 14, 2015 -- University of California, Irvine researchers with the School of Medicine have identified the mechanism by which valproic acid controls epileptic seizures, and by doing so, also revealed an underlying factor of seizures. Valproic acid is widely used to treat various types of seizure disorders, but to this point, the cellular mechanism affected by its anticonvulsant properties were not well understood. Dr. Naoto Hoshi, an associate professor of pharmacology and physiology & biophysics, and colleagues discovered that valproic acid preserved ...

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Medicine14 Sep 2015

UGA microbiologists describe new insights into human neurodegenerative disease

Athens, Ga. - Microbiology researchers at the University of Georgia studying a soil bacterium have identified a potential mechanism for neurodegenerative diseases. A role for the protein HSD10 had been suspected in patients with Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, but no direct connection had previously been established. This new breakthrough suggests that HSD10 reduces oxidative stress, promotes cell repair and prevents cellular death. The authors first discovered that an enzyme related to HSD10, CsgA, produces energy during sporulation in the bacterium ...

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Science14 Sep 2015

Larger-sized portions, packages and tableware lead to higher consumption of food and drink

A new review has produced the most conclusive evidence to date that people consume more food or non-alcoholic drinks when offered larger sized portions or when they use larger items of tableware. The research, carried out by the University of Cambridge and published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, suggests that eliminating larger-sized portions from the diet completely could reduce energy intake by up to 16% among UK adults or 29% among US adults. Overeating increases the risks of heart disease, diabetes, and many cancers, which are among the leading causes ...

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Medicine14 Sep 2015

Solo grandparents raising grandchildren at greater risk than parents for serious health problems

Single grandparents raising grandchildren are more vulnerable to poor physical and mental health than are single parents, according to a study recently published in Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research. These caregivers may be at greater risk for diminished physical capacity and heightened prevalence of depression, researchers found. Researchers at Georgia State University and the University of Toronto found that solo grandparents caring for grandchildren fare worse than single parents across four critical health areas: physical health, mental health, functional ...

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Earth Science14 Sep 2015

Seismic signature of small underground chemical blasts linked to gas released in explosion

SAN FRANCISCO--After analyzing the seismic waves produced by small underground chemical explosions at a test site in Vermont, scientists say that some features of seismic waves could be affected by the amount of gas produced in the explosion. This unexpected finding may have implications for how scientists use these types of chemical explosions to indirectly study the seismic signal of nuclear detonations. Researchers use chemical blasts to learn more about the specific seismic signatures produced by explosions--which differ from those produced by earthquakes--to help ...

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Technology14 Sep 2015

New guideline aims to reduce fractures in seniors in long-term care facilities

A new guideline that aims to prevent fractures in residents of long-term care facilities is targeted at frail seniors and their families as well as health care workers. The guideline, published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal), was developed with input from residents of long-term care facilities and their families, as well as researchers and health care professionals. Seniors living in long-term care homes have a two- to four-fold risk of sustaining a fracture such as a hip or spinal fracture, compared with adults of similar age living in the community. ...

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Medicine14 Sep 2015

New leukemia gene stops blood cells 'growing up'

Scientists have identified a gene - FOXC1 - that, if switched on, causes more aggressive cancer in a fifth of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients, according to a Cancer Research UK study* published in the journal Cancer Cell, today. The FOXC1 gene is normally switched on during embryonic development and is needed to turn cells into specialised tissues, like the eyes, kidney, brain and bone. But this new research found that in certain patients with AML - a type of blood cancer that affects white blood cells and the bone marrow - this gene was wrongly switched on inside ...

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Medicine14 Sep 2015

Filling a void in stem cell therapy

(BOSTON) - Stem cell therapies are often limited by low survival of transplanted stem cells and the lack of precise control over their differentiation into the terminal cell types needed to repair or replace injured tissues. Now, a team led by Wyss Institute Core Faculty member David Mooney, Ph.D., has developed a new strategy - embedding stem cells into porous, transplantable hydrogels - that has experimentally improved bone repair by boosting the survival rate of transplanted stem cells and influencing their cell differentiation. Mooney - who is also the Robert P. Pinkas ...

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Science14 Sep 2015

New classification system developed for gout

(Boston)--A panel of experts and researchers have developed a new classification system for gout, the most common form of inflammatory arthritis. This new system standardizes the classification of this condition using a variety of evidence-based criteria. Led by a researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and institutions from around the world, the study is a joint publication appearing in two journals simultaneously, Annals of Rheumatologic Disease and Arthritis & Rheumatology. Gout is characterized by the deposition of a specific type of crystal in ...

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Social Science14 Sep 2015

Larger and private colleges and universities more likely to attract hookah establishments

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Larger and private colleges and universities seem to attract hookah cafes and lounges, but smoke-free policies decrease these odds, according to findings published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine this month. That may bode well for the long-term health of college-age students. Waterpipe smoking, more commonly known as hookah, boasts enticing flavors and a healthier reputation, increasing its popularity among college students. It is estimated that more than 10 percent of U.S. college students are current users. However, recent evidence ...

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Energy14 Sep 2015

Discovery of a highly efficient catalyst eases way to hydrogen economy

MADISON, Wis. -- Hydrogen could be the ideal fuel: Whether used to make electricity in a fuel cell or burned to make heat, the only byproduct is water; there is no climate-altering carbon dioxide. Like gasoline, hydrogen could also be used to store energy. Hydrogen is usually produced by separating water with electrical power. And although the water supply is essentially limitless, a major roadblock to a future "hydrogen economy" is the need for platinum or other expensive noble metals in the water-splitting devices. Noble metals resist oxidation and include many ...

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Medicine14 Sep 2015

Act now to improve the health of women, children and adolescents worldwide, say experts

Societies are failing women, children and adolescents, particularly in the poorest communities around the world, and urgent action is needed to save lives and improve health, say global health experts. In a special supplement published today by The BMJ, public health experts from around the globe highlight the critical actions and investments that will have the greatest impact on the health and well-being of women, children and adolescents. The 15 papers in this special supplement outline the current evidence, identify successes as well as critical gaps in progress, ...

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Medicine14 Sep 2015

Whole genome-sequencing uncovers new genetic cause for osteoporosis

Montreal, September 14, 2015 - Using extensive genetic data compiled by the UK10K project, an international team of researchers led by Dr. Brent Richards of the Lady Davis Institute at the Jewish General Hospital has identified a genetic variant near the gene EN1 as having the strongest effect on bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture identified to date. The findings are published in the forthcoming issue of the prestigious journal Nature. "EN1 has never before been linked to osteoporosis in humans, so this opens up a brand new pathway to pursue in developing drugs to ...

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Medicine14 Sep 2015

IU scientist and collaborators chart a lost highway in the brain

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A study three years ago sparked a medical mystery when it revealed a part of the brain not found in any present-day anatomy textbooks. Recently, Indiana University computational neuroscientist Franco Pestilli and an international research team published an article in the journal Cerebral Cortex that suggests this missing part of the brain may play an important role in how we understand the world -- despite getting "lost" for more than a century. A long flat bundle of nerves called the vertical occipital fasciculus, or VOF, the structure appeared ...

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Environment14 Sep 2015

Biodiesel made easier and cleaner with waste-recycling catalyst

Researchers at Cardiff University have devised a way of increasing the yield of biodiesel by using the waste left over from its production process. Using simple catalysis, the researchers have been able to recycle a non-desired by-product produced when biodiesel is formed from vegetable oil, and convert this into an ingredient to produce even more biodiesel. It is believed this new process will have significant environmental benefits by improving the yield of biodiesel in a sustainable way that doesn't require the use of additional fossil fuels, and could potentially ...

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Science14 Sep 2015

Researchers develop key component for terahertz wireless

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] -- Terahertz radiation could one day provide the backbone for wireless systems that can deliver data up to one hundred times faster than today's cellular or Wi-Fi networks. But there remain many technical challenges to be solved before terahertz wireless is ready for prime time. Researchers from Brown University have taken a major step toward addressing one of those challenges. They've developed what they believe to be the first system for multiplexing terahertz waves. Multiplexers are devices that enable separate streams of data to ...

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Medicine14 Sep 2015

Low vitamin D among the elderly is associated with decline in cognition, dementia

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) -- Vitamin D insufficiency among the elderly is highly correlated with accelerated cognitive decline and impaired performance, particularly in domains such as memory loss that are associated with Alzheimer's disease and dementia, researchers with the UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Center and Rutgers University have found. The effect is "substantial," with individuals with low vitamin D declining at a rate three times faster than those with adequate vitamin D levels. The researchers said their findings amplify the importance of identifying vitamin D ...

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