|  Cocaine exposure in the womb: The brain structure is intact, development is off track  | Prenatal cocaine exposure affects both behavior and brain. Animal studies have shown that exposure to cocaine during in utero development causes numerous disruptions in normal brain development and negatively affects behavior from birth and into adulthood. For ethical reasons, similar studies in humans have been more limited but some research has shown that children exposed prenatally to cocaine have impairments in attention, control, stress, emotion regulation, and memory. Research also suggests that such children may be more predisposed to initiate substance use. | Read More » Flame retardants in blood drop after State ban  | A class of flame retardants that has been linked to learning difficulties in children has rapidly declined in pregnant women's blood since the chemicals were banned in California a decade ago. | Read More » The 'in-law effect': Male fruit flies sleep around but females keep it in the family  | A study of mating preferences in fruit flies (Drosophila) has found that males and females respond to the sexual familiarity of potential mates in fundamentally different ways. While male fruit flies preferred to court an unknown female over their previous mate or her sisters, female fruit flies displayed a predilection for their 'brothers-in-law'. | Read More » Seeing the forest and the trees: Panoramic, very-high-resolution, time-lapse photography for plant and ecosystem research  | A new technique uses the GigaPan EPIC Pro, a robotic camera system, to create time-lapse sequences of panoramas that allow the viewer to zoom in at an incredible level of detail, e.g., from a landscape view to that of an individual plant. This system greatly improves the utility of time-lapse photography by capturing interactions between the environment and plant populations in a single sequence. | Read More » Elementary magnets coming in double-packs  | Simulating solid state properties with precisely controlled quantum systems is an important goal. Now scientists have come one step closer – to be precise, to the understanding of processes in ferromagnetic solid state crystals in which elementary excitations, so-called magnons, can emerge. | Read More » Sex trafficking and exploitation of minors serious problems in the U.S.  | Commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of minors are serious problems in the United States with long-term adverse consequences for children and society as a whole, and federal agencies should work with state and local partners to raise awareness of these issues and train professionals who work with youths to recognize and assist those who are victimized or at risk, says a new report. | Read More » Tweets reveal news readership patterns around the world  | In a new article, researchers used data collected from Twitter to study readers' news preferences across the globe and discovered that different countries have stronger preference towards different types of articles -- American and British readers are more drawn to opinion and world news, Spaniards to local and national news, Brazilians to sports and arts, and Germans to politics and economy. | Read More » Sheep mucosa shows the way to more effective medicine for neurological diseases  | New research shows how medicine for the brain can be absorbed through the nose. This paves the way to more effective treatment of neurological diseases like Alzheimer's and tumors in the brain. | Read More » When the going gets tough, the materialistic go shopping  | Materialistic people experience more stress from traumatic events such as terrorist attacks and are more likely to spend compulsively as a result, according to an international study. | Read More » Sustainable livestock production is possible  | New research has identified what may be the future of sustainable livestock production: silvopastoral systems which include shrubs and trees with edible leaves or fruits as well as herbage. | Read More » New knowledge on molecular mechanisms behind breast cancer  | Researchers have gained more insight into the molecular mechanisms of importance for, for example, cancer cell growth and metastasis. The research objective is improved and more targeted drugs. | Read More » Global study reveals new hotspots of fish biodiversity  | Teeming with species, tropical coral reefs have been long thought to be the areas of greatest biodiversity for fishes and other marine life -- and thus most deserving of resources for conservation. But a new global study of reef fishes reveals a surprise: when measured by factors other than the traditional species count -- instead using features such as a species' role in an ecosystem -- new hotspots of biodiversity emerge, including some nutrient-rich, temperate waters. | Read More » Genetic makeup and diet interact with the microbiome to impact health  | New research shows that an individual's genomic makeup and diet interact to determine which microbes exist and how they act in the host intestine. The study was modeled in germ-free knockout mice to mimic a genetic condition that affects 1 in 5 humans and increases the risk for digestive diseases. | Read More » New early detection test for prostate cancer  | A new urine test that improves on PSA screening for prostate cancer is now available. The test incorporates three specific markers that could indicate cancer and studies have shown that the combination is far more accurate than PSA alone. | Read More » New approach to treating human brain cancer could lead to improved outcomes  | A new experimental approach to treating a type of brain cancer called medulloblastoma has been developed, and could lead to improved outcomes. | Read More » Fetching faces and friendly foxes  | 'What is beautiful is good' -- but why? A recent article provides a compelling physiological explanation for the 'beauty stereotype' - why human beings are wired to favor the beautiful ones. | Read More » Do elite 'power sport' athletes have a genetic advantage?  | A specific gene variant is more frequent among elite athletes in power sports, reports a new study. | Read More » Innovations could save lives of mothers, children  | Ten health care innovations, if brought to scale immediately in low-resource countries, could have the potential to save the lives of some 1.2 million mothers and children in 2015. Right now the annual global death toll of mothers and children under 5 is 6.9 million. Between 2016-2020, these innovations have the potential to save the lives of nearly 7.5 million women and children. | Read More » Discovery offers bio-solution to severe canola crop losses  | A genetic discovery by an international research team offers a solution to a long-standing "green seed problem" that causes millions of dollars annually in canola crop losses. | Read More » Torrent frogs use toes, belly, thighs to hold tight under waterfall-like conditions  | Torrent frogs use their toes, belly, and thighs to attach to rough, wet, and steep surfaces. | Read More » Getting an expected award music to the brain's ears  | A new study suggests that the auditory cortex does more than just process sound. When study subjects were expecting a reward and received it, or weren't expecting a reward and were right, this area lit up on brain scans. | Read More » Do beetles have maternal instincts?  | A new study of the natural history of Neotropical leaf beetles in the subfamily Chrysomelinae reveals that females in two genera and multiple species show indisputable signs of maternal instincts. Mothers were caught actively defending eggs and larvae, with tactics ranging from quite aggressive to more passive between the species. | Read More » Singing mice protect their turf with high-pitched tunes  | Two species of tawny brown singing mice that live deep in the mountain cloud forests of Costa Rica and Panama set their boundaries by emitting high-pitched trills, researchers have discovered. | Read More » Robotic fabrication in timber construction  | Researchers are developing a lightweight timber construction system combining robotic prefabrication with computational design and simulation processes, as well as three-dimensional surveying technologies used in engineering geodesy. Their goal is to develop innovative, performative and sustainable construction systems made from wood, which also expand the repertoire of architectural expression in timber construction. | Read More » Booster seats not safer than booster cushions for older children, study suggests  | Over the past few years, belt-positioning booster seats (with backrest) have basically out-competed booster cushions (without backrest) for children between the ages of 4 and 12. However, the larger booster seats are not always safer. In some cases, they may even be less safe. | Read More » Can bacteria combat oil spill disasters?  | Scientists have decrypted the effectiveness of two types of bacteria, which could be used in the future to help combat oil spill disasters. Alcanivorax borkumensis converts hydrocarbons into fatty acids which then form along the cell membrane. New insights on the bacteria Oleispira antarctica are important to understand their adaptation to low temperatures and could help in mitigation strategies for oil spills in polar seas or the deep sea. | Read More » Why won't she leave him? Abused women often fear for pets left behind  | Veterinarians and women's shelters can make it easier for abused women to decide to leave their homes, particularly when the abuser is using a beloved pet as part of a campaign to control his partner. | Read More » Eating fish, nuts may not help thinking skills after all  | Contrary to earlier studies, new research suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may not benefit thinking skills. Omega-3s are found in fatty fish such as salmon and in nuts. | Read More » Cancer cells propagated from early prostate cancer  | A team of cancer researchers has identified the existence of precursor cells in early prostate cancers. These cells are resistant to androgen-deprivation therapy, and may drive the subsequent emergence of recurrent or metastatic prostate cancer. | Read More » Model developed for studying tissue pattern formation during embryonic development  | A team of scientists is working to develop a model for studying tissue -- specifically how it organizes into organs and layers during embryonic development. Their findings may have major implications for the study of tissue pattern formation and malformation. | Read More » Study shows over 200 mobile apps related to dermatology  | A surge in mobile apps related to dermatology has allowed scores of smart phone users to track and diagnose a wide range of skin diseases, but doctors are urging caution. | Read More » Hope for halting incurable citrus disease  | Using DNA sequencing technologies, a plant scientist has painted a broad picture of how the devastating disease Huonglongbing, or citrus greening, impacts citrus trees before they even show signs of infection. | Read More » Missouri ponds provide clue to killer frog disease  | In Missouri, about a third of the ponds are infected with chytrid, the notorious skin fungus that has sickened and killed amphibians in other parts of the world. Why only a third, scientists wondered? A comprehensive study of the ponds suggests there are hidden constraints on the survival of the fungus. One possibility is that invertebrates present in some ponds but not others allow the fungus to persist by acting as alternative hosts or reservoirs. | Read More » Heart health danger: Global survey finds 1 in 4 people report not knowing how much they walk each day  | World Heart Federation survey finds more than a quarter of people who took part in a new multi-country survey said they did not know how much time they spent briskly walking at a speed faster than normal. | Read More » Study shines new light on consequences of preterm births  | Researchers confirm the strong link between preterm birth and the risk of infant and young adult death, autism and ADHD. But it also suggests that other threats that have been closely tied to the issue, such as severe mental illness, learning problems, suicide and economic woes, may instead be more closely related to other conditions that family members share. | Read More » New mechanism for protein misfolding may link to ALS  | A recently identified link between a toxic amino acid found in blue-green algae and several motor neuron diseases could help researchers devise a therapy for the fatal conditions. | Read More » Restricting antibiotics could be key to fighting 'superbug'  | New ways are needed to fight the infection Clostridium difficile and better use of antibiotics could be key, according to the authors of ground-breaking research. | Read More » Anthropologists confirm link between cranial anatomy and two-legged walking  | Anthropologists confirm a direct link between upright two-legged (bipedal) walking and the position of the foramen magnum, a hole in the base of the skull that transmits the spinal cord. | Read More » Understanding clouds as a necessary ingredient in the search for life: The case study of the exoplanet Kepler-7b  | Scientists have produced the first map of clouds on an exoplanet using the Kepler Space Telescope. Studying the atmospheres of exoplanets is the path towards ultimately identifying life elsewhere in the Universe. Understanding the role of clouds in exoplanet atmospheres is a necessary ingredient in the cosmic hunt for life. | Read More » Drivers who test positive for drugs have triple the risk of fatal car crash  | In a new study researchers assessed the association of driver drug use, as well as the combination of drugs and alcohol, with the risk of fatal crash. They found that drug use is associated with a significantly increased risk of fatal crash involvement, particularly when used in combination with alcohol. The study provides critical data for understanding the joint effect of alcohol and drugs on driving safety. | Read More » Study unlocks origin of brown fat cells, important in weight maintenance  | In ongoing research aimed at battling obesity, researchers have deciphered how new fat cells are formed in energy-storing fat pads. | Read More » Malignant brain tumours can be transformed into benign forms  | Cells of malignant brain tumours deceive our immune system so effectively that it starts working for them. But who lives by the sword, dies by the sword. Researchers show how to deceive brain tumours and change malignant gliomas into benign forms. | Read More » Start travelling and change your life perceptions  | Do we have a long-term sense of being, direction in life and well-being because of travel and tourism? Tourism psychology research has previously been concerned with tourist motivation, behavior in and satisfaction with destination, but new research explores how tourism might affect people's perceptions. | Read More » Experts confirm that fruit and vegetable consumption reduces risk of mortality  | A European study analyzes the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and the risk of mortality. As previous research has already suggested, this study concludes that fruit and vegetable consumption reduces all-cause mortality, and especially cardiovascular disease mortality. | Read More » Without a trace: Cells keep to one direction by erasing the path  | Migrating cells, it seems, cover their tracks not for fear of being followed, but to keep moving forward. Scientists have now shown that cells in a zebrafish embryo determine which direction they move in by effectively erasing the path behind them. The findings could have implications not just for development but also for cancer and metastasis. | Read More » False alarm on hepatitis virus highlights challenges of pathogen sleuthing  | A report by scientists on a new hepatitis virus earlier this year was a false alarm, according to the researchers who correctly identified the virus as a contaminant present in a type of glassware used in many research labs. | Read More » Analgesic molecule discovered in its natural state in Africa  | A team of researchers has discovered that an African medicinal plant produces large quantities of molecules with analgesic properties. | Read More » School outreach program may reduce African-American student mobility  | Outreach programs that build relationships between families and schools may reduce the number of students who change schools for reasons other than grade promotion. | Read More » Quitting smoking easier for social media users  | Smoking is a major public health problem, killing approximately 443,000 people every year in the United States. Quitting smoking can have a profound effect on a person's health, but it is also one of the hardest addictions to kick. A recent paper reports that people who engage in health specific social networking sites found it easier to quit smoking. | Read More » Debt linked to mental health problems  | New research has shown that people in debt are three times more likely to have a mental health problem than those not in debt. | Read More » | |
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