MRI Scans Reveal Brain Changes in People at Genetic Risk for Alzheimer's

ScienceDaily for December 30, 2010 reported on brain-changes that indicate a susceptibility to
Alzheimer's and Dementia.

"We looked at a group of structures in the brain that make up what's called the default mode network," says lead author Yvette I. Sheline, MD. "In particular, we are interested in a part of the brain called the precuneus, which may be important in Alzheimer's disease and in pre-Alzheimer's because it is one of the first regions to develop amyloid deposits. Another factor is that when you look at all of the structural and functional connections in the brain, the most connected structure is the precuneus. It links many other key brain structures together."

Gene Protects Against Dementia in High-Risk Individuals, Study Finds

ScienceDaily for December 30, 2010 reported on causes and prevention of Dementia.

Neuroscientists had assumed that a mutation in the progranulin gene, which makes
the progranulin protein and supports brain neurons, was sufficient to produce a kind of dementia known as frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). But now an international team of scientists led by researchers at Mayo Clinic's campus in Florida have found another genetic factor they say appears to protect against the disorder in progranulin mutation carriers.

Food in Early Life Affects Fertility, Study Suggests

ScienceDaily for December 29, 2010 reported on fertility of men and women.

The research, which was published online December 17, 2010 in the journal Ecology, is the first study of its kind to show that early life food can have a serious influence on the life-long fertility of individuals.

Bonding With Newborn Baby: Once Upon a Time in the Intensive Care Unit ...

ScienceDaily for December 28, 2010 reported on bonding of newborns and their parents.

The first few days after birth is an important time when babies learn to recognize the sound of their parents' voice and the parents in turn bond with their children. However, the separation between parents and newborns admitted to the intensive care unit can be very difficult and can disrupt the early development of this relationship.

Newborns With Low Vitamin D Levels at Increased Risk for Respiratory Infections

ScienceDaily for December 28, 2010 reported on vitamin D levels in newborns.

The vitamin D levels of newborn babies appear to predict their risk of respiratory infections during infancy and the occurrence of wheezing during early childhood, but not the risk of developing asthma. Results of a study in the January 2011 issue of Pediatrics support the theory that widespread vitamin D deficiency contributes to risk of infections.

Into Africa? Fossils Suggest Earliest Anthropoids Colonized Africa

ScienceDaily for October 28, 2010 reported on fossil evidence for anthropoids colonizing Africa.

A new discovery described by a team of international scientists, including Carnegie Museum of Natural History paleontologist Christopher Beard, suggests that anthropoids -- the primate group that includes humans, apes, and monkeys -- "colonized" Africa, rather than originally evolving in Africa as has been widely accepted. According to the paper published in the journal Nature, what is exceptional about these new fossils -- discovered at the Dur At-Talah escarpment in central Libya -- is the diversity of species present: the site includes three distinct families of anthropoid primates that lived in North Africa at approximately the same time.

You Are What Your Father Ate, Too: Paternal Diet Affects Lipid Metabolizing Genes in Offspring, Research Suggests

ScienceDaily for December 24, 2010 reported on how the diet of fathers affects the offspring.

We aren't just what we eat; we are what our parents ate too. That's an emerging idea that is bolstered by a new study showing that mice sired by fathers fed on a low-protein diet show distinct and reproducible changes in the activity of key metabolic genes in their livers. Those changes occurred despite the fact that the fathers never saw their offspring and spent minimal time with their mothers, the researchers say, suggesting that the nutritional information is passed on to the next generation via the sperm not through some sort of social influence.

A LiveScience article is here.

Placebos Work -- Even Without Deception

ScienceDaily for December 23, 2010 reported on placebos.

Placebos -- or dummy pills -- are typically used in clinical trials as controls for potential new medications. Even though they contain no active ingredients, patients often respond to them. In fact, data on placebos is so compelling that many American physicians (one study estimates 50 percent) secretly give placebos to unsuspecting patients.

Component in Common Dairy Foods May Cut Diabetes Risk, Study Suggests

ScienceDaily for December 23, 2010 reported on dairy foods and diabetes.

Scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and collaborators from other institutions have identified a natural substance in dairy fat that may substantially reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. The compound, trans-palmitoleic acid, is a fatty acid found in milk, cheese, yogurt, and butter. It is not produced by the body and so only comes from the diet.

Eating Less Healthy Fish May Contribute to America's Stroke Belt

ScienceDaily for December 23, 2010 reported on fish and strokes.

Studies have shown that the omega-3 fatty acids in fish, especially fatty fish, may reduce the risk of stroke. Research has shown that frying fish leads to the loss of the natural fatty acids.

'Un-Growth Hormone' Increases Longevity, Researchers Find

ScienceDaily for December 23, 2010 reported on hormones and aging.

A compound which acts in the opposite way as growth hormone can reverse some of the signs of aging, a research team that includes a Saint Louis University physician has shown. The finding may be counter-intuitive to some older adults who take growth hormone, thinking it will help revitalize them.

Obesity Increases Risk of Death in Severe Vehicle Crashes, Study Shows

ScienceDaily for December 22, 2010 reported on obesity and injuries from vehicle crashes.

In a severe motor vehicle crash, a moderately obese driver faces a 21 percent increased risk of death, while the morbidly obese face a 56 percent increased risk of not surviving, according to a study posted online ahead of print in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine.

Smoking May Worsen Pain for Cancer Patients

ScienceDaily for December 22, 2010 reported on smoking and cancer.

The relationship between smoking and cancer is well established. In a study published in the January 2011 issue of Pain, researchers report evidence to suggest that cancer patients who continue to smoke despite their diagnosis experience greater pain than nonsmokers. They found that for a wide range of cancer types and for cancers in stages I to IV, smoking was associated with increased pain severity and the extent to which pain interfered with a patient's daily routine.

Sex Reversal Gene: Male Mice Can Be Created Without Y Chromosome Via Ancient Brain Gene

ScienceDaily for December 22, 2010 reported on male mice created with two X-chromosomes.

However, Adelaide researchers have discovered a way of creating a male mouse without a Y chromosome by activating a single gene, called SOX3, in the developing fetus. SOX3 is known to be important for brain development but has not previously been shown to be capable of triggering the male pathway.

Trace Amounts of Water Created Oceans on Earth and Other Terrestrial Planets, Study Suggests

ScienceDaily for December 20, 2010 reported on a theory of how oceans came into being on the earth.

But a recent study by an MIT planetary scientist suggests that the planetesimals themselves provided the water that created oceans. As Lindy Elkins-Tanton, the Mitsui Career Development Assistant Professor of Geology in MIT's Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, reports in a recent paper in Astrophysics and Space Science, these planetesimals contained trace amounts of water -- at least .01 to .001 percent of their total mass (scientists don't know the precise size of planetesimals, but they estimate that those that created Earth were between hundreds and thousands of kilometers in diameter). In the paper, Elkins-Tanton says it is likely that even tiny amounts of water in the planetesimals could create steam atmospheres that later cooled and condensed into liquid oceans on terrestrial planets.

High Activity Staves Off Pounds, Especially for Women

ScienceDaily for December 20, 2010 reported on activity and weight-loss.

Women particularly benefitted from high activity over 20 years, gaining an average of 13 pounds less than those with low activity; while men with high activity gained about 6 pounds less than their low-activity peers. High activity included recreational exercise such as basketball, running, brisk walking or an exercise class or daily activities such as housework or construction work.

Drinking Alcohol During a Rich Meal Slows Down Digestion, but Doesn't Increase Indigestion, Study Finds

ScienceDaily for December 18, 2010 reported on alcohol and digestion.

People can be reassured that while alcohol may slow down digestion after a rich calorific meal, enjoyed by many during the Christmas season, it will not cause indigestion symptoms such as heartburn, belching and bloating, finds research in the Christmas issue published in the British Medical Journal.

Beetroot Juice Could Help People Live More Active Lives

ScienceDaily for December 17, 2010 reported on beet juice.

Beetroot juice has been one of the biggest stories in sports science over the past year after researchers at the University of Exeter found it enables people to exercise for up to 16% longer. The startling results have led to a host of athletes -- from Premiership footballers to professional cyclists -- looking into its potential uses.

E-Cigs Less Dangerous Than Traditional Cigarettes, Researcher Claims

ScienceDaily for December 16, 2010 reported on eCigarettes.

The review, which will be published online ahead of print this month in the Journal of Public Health Policy, is the first to comprehensively examine scientific evidence about the safety and effectiveness of electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes, said Michael Siegel, professor of community health sciences at BUSPH. The battery-powered devices provide tobacco-less doses of nicotine in a vaporized solution.

Garlic Could Protect Against Hip Osteoarthritis

ScienceDaily for December 16, 2010 reported on garlic and hip osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis in adults, affecting around 8 million people in the UK, and women are more likely to develop it than men. It causes pain and disability by affecting the hip, knees and spine in the middle-aged and elderly population. Currently there is no effective treatment other than pain relief and, ultimately, joint replacement.

Boa Constrictors Can Have Babies Without Mating, New Evidence Shows

ScienceDaily for November 4, 2010 reported on reproduction of Boa Constrictors.

More strikingly, the finding shows that the babies produced from this asexual reproduction have attributes previously believed to be impossible.

Insufficient Vitamin D Levels in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Patients Linked to Cancer Progression and Death

ScienceDaily for November 4, 2010 reported on vitamin D and cancer.

Researchers at Mayo Clinic have found a significant difference in cancer progression and death in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients who had sufficient vitamin D levels in their blood compared to those who didn't.

The Large Hadron Collider Enters a New Phase

ScienceDaily for November 5, 2010 gave an update on the LHC activity during 2010.

Proton running for 2010 in the LHC at CERN came to a successful conclusion November 4 at 08:00 CET. Since the end of March, when the first collisions occurred at a total energy of 7 TeV, the machine and experiment teams have achieved all of their objectives for the first year of proton physics at this record energy and new ground has been explored. For the rest of the year the LHC is moving to a different phase of operation, in which lead ions will be accelerated and brought into collision in the machine for the first time.

If GMO Genes Escape, How Will the Hybrids Do? Fitness and Growth of Sorghum, Shattercane, and Its Wild-Crop Hybrid in Nebraska

ScienceDaily for November 2, 2010 reported on gene migration among crops.

GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, may raise concerns of genes escaping from crops and having unknown effects on natural, wild species. But what is the real risk that traits associated with GMOs will actually migrate to and persist in their wild relatives? Interest in plant ecology, crop production and weed management led John Lindquist and his colleagues from the University of Nebraska and USDA-ARS to investigate how gene flow from a cultivated crop to a weedy relative would influence the ecological fitness of a cropwild hybrid offspring.

New Approaches Needed to Gauge Safety of Nanotech-Based Pesticides, Researchers Urge

ScienceDaily for November 3, 2010 reported on nanotech-based pesticides.

Nanotechnology is about to emerge in the world of pesticides and pest control, and a range of new approaches are needed to understand the implications for public health, ensure that this is done safely, maximize the potential benefits and prevent possible risks, researchers say in a new report.

81 Percent of Hospital Patients at High Risk for Sleep Apnea, Study Finds

ScienceDaily for November 1, 2010 reported on sleep apnea.

During obstructive sleep apnea, breathing pauses as often as 30 times an hour, causing poor sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness. About 5 percent of the general population is reported to have obstructive sleep apnea. The prevalence is likely higher due to increasing obesity.

Daily Dose of Beet Juice Promotes Brain Health in Older Adults

ScienceDaily for November 2k 2010 reported on beet juice and our health.

High concentrations of nitrates are found in beets, as well as in celery, cabbage and other leafy green vegetables like spinach and some lettuce. When you eat high-nitrate foods, good bacteria in the mouth turn nitrate into nitrite. Research has found that nitrites can help open up the blood vessels in the body, increasing blood flow and oxygen specifically to places that are lacking oxygen.

Black Raspberries May Prevent Colon Cancer, Study Finds

ScienceDaily for November 2, 2010 reported on black raspberries and colon cancer.

Building on previous research that found black raspberries have antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-neurodegenerative and anti-inflammatory properties, the researchers looked at the fruit's ability to prevent colon cancer.

Mediterranean Diet Helps Control Cholesterol: Adding Monounsaturated Fats to a Low-Cholesterol Diet Can Further Improve Levels

ScienceDaily for November 3, 2010 reported on the Mediterranean diet and cholesterol levels.

The study included 24 patients (17 men and 7 postmenopausal women) who completed a very low saturated fat diet before being randomly assigned to either a high-MUFA diet or a low- MUFA diet. Both groups of patients were assigned to a specific vegetarian diet which included oats, barley, psyllium, eggplant, okra, soy, almonds and a plant sterol enriched margarine. In the high-MUFA group, the researchers substituted 13% of calories from carbohydrates with a high-MUFA sunflower oil, with the option of a partial exchange with avocado oil.

Did Neanderthals Make Jewellery After All?

ScienceDaily for November 1, 2010 reported on skills of Neanderthals.

'Our study raises questions about the link between Neanderthals and the tools and jewellery found in the Châtelperronian levels. This site is one of only two in the French Palaeolithic that seems to show a link between ornaments and Neanderthal remains. This has previously been interpreted as indicating that Neanderthals were not intellectually inferior to modern people but possessed advanced cognition and behaviour. Our work says there is a big question mark over whether this link exists.'

Pregnant Women Who Eat Peanuts May Put Infants at Increased Risk for Peanut Allergy, Study Finds

ScienceDaily for November 1, 2010 reported on peanuts and pregnancy.

In 2000, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that women whose infants were at increased risk of allergies based upon family history consider avoiding peanut products while pregnant and breast feeding. However, the recommendation was withdrawn in 2008 due to limited scientific evidence to support it. The Consortium of Food Allergy Research (CoFAR), which was just awarded a renewed $29.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, is conducting this ongoing, observational study to help better understand the risk factors behind a child's developing peanut allergy, as well as allergies to milk and egg. The Consortium is also studying novel treatments for food allergies.

Alcohol 'Most Harmful Drug', According to Multicriteria Analysis

ScienceDaily for November 1, 2010 reported on alcohol as a drug.

Overall, MCDA modelling showed alcohol was the most harmful drug (overall harm score 72), with heroin (55) and crack (54) in second and third places. Heroin, crack, and crystal meth were the most harmful drugs to the individual, whereas alcohol, heroin, and crack were the most harmful to others. The other drugs assessed followed in this order in terms of overall harm: Crystal meth (33), cocaine (27), tobacco (26), amphetamine/speed (23), cannabis (20), GHB (18), benzodiazepines (eg valium) (15), ketamine (also 15), methadone (14), mephedrone (13), butane (10), khat (9), ecstacy (9), anabolic steroids (9), LSD (7), buprenorphine (6), mushrooms (5).

One Egg Yolk Worse Than Some Fast-Food Meals When It Comes to Cholesterol, Canadian Physicians Say

ScienceDaily for November 1, 2010 reported on eggs and cholesterol.

Three leading physicians have published a review in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology warning about the danger of dietary cholesterol for those at risk of a heart attack or stroke. And they say one of the worst offenders is the egg yolk which, depending on size, can contain 215 to 275 mg of cholesterol. Some fast-food meals can contain as much as 150 mg of cholesterol. Patients at risk of cardiovascular disease are advised to limit their total dietary cholesterol to less than 200 mg per day.

Miniature Human Livers Created in the Lab

ScienceDaily for October 31, 2010 reported on a liver that was grown in a lab.

Researchers at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have reached an early, but important, milestone in the quest to grow replacement livers in the lab. They are the first to use human liver cells to successfully engineer miniature livers that function -- at least in a laboratory setting -- like human livers. The next step is to see if the livers will continue to function after transplantation in an animal model.

Mars Volcanic Deposit Tells of Warm and Wet Environment

ScienceDaily for October 31, 2010 reported on potential for life on Mars.

Planetary scientists led by Brown University have found a volcanic deposit on Mars that would have been a promising wellspring for life. The silica deposit clearly shows the presence of water and heat. It was formed at a time when Mars' climate turned dry and chilly, which could mark it as one of the most recent habitable microenvironments on the red planet. The finding is published in Nature Geoscience.

Earth-Sized Planets May Be Common Throughout Our Galaxy, NASA Survey Suggests

ScienceDaily for October 29, 2010 reported on the possibility of exoplanets similar to our earth.

They measured the numbers of planets falling into five groups, ranging from 1,000 times the mass of Earth, or about three times the mass of Jupiter, down to three times the mass of Earth. The search was confined to planets orbiting close to their stars -- within 0.25 astronomical units, or a quarter of the distance between our sun and Earth.

Tendency to Obesity Starts With Pre-Schoolers, Canadian Study Finds

ScienceDaily for October 27, 2010 reported on obesity and pre-schoolers.

Spence and his team recruited 1730 Canadian children into the study -- an equal mix of boys and girls, and four- and five-year-olds -- via immunization clinics from 2005 to 2007 when they came for their pre-school vaccinations. Kids were classified according to body weight status and parents asked to complete the UK-developed Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ), which has been used in European studies to establish the relationship between food behaviours and body weight in children.

Scented Consumer Products Shown to Emit Many Unlisted Chemicals

ScienceDaily for October 26, 2010 reported on chemicals given off by scented products.

Manufacturers are not required to disclose any ingredients in cleaning supplies, air fresheners or laundry products, all of which are regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Neither these nor personal care products, which are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, are required to list ingredients used in fragrances, even though a single "fragrance" in a product can be a mixture of up to several hundred ingredients, Steinemann said.

Dad's Weight and Diet Linked to Offspring's Risk of Diabetes

ScienceDaily for October 24, 2010 reported on weight of fathers and obesity in offspring.

"But until now, the impact of the father's environment -- in terms of his diet -- on his offspring had not been investigated." The work formed the basis of the PhD study of Dr Sheau-Fang Ng, who showed that paternal environmental factors such as diet and weight are important contributors to disease in the next generation.

Vitamin E in Front Line of Prostate Cancer Fight

ScienceDaily for October 24, 2010 reported on vitamin E and Prostate Cancer.

Dr Patrick Ling, whose research will be a centrepiece of the new $354 million Translational Research Institute (TRI) when it opens in Brisbane, is leading a team of researchers who have identified a particular constituent of vitamin E, known as tocotrienol (T3), which can inhibit the growth of prostate tumours.

Lunar 'Permafrost': Evidence for Widespread Water Ice on the Moon

ScienceDaily for October 22, 2010 reported on water ice on the Moon.

"The temperatures inside these permanently shadowed craters are even colder than we had expected," Paige said. "Our model results indicate that in these extreme cold conditions, surface deposits of water ice would almost certainly be stable; but perhaps more significantly, these areas are surrounded by much larger permafrost regions where ice could be stable just beneath the surface."

Alcohol Increases Reaction Time and Errors During Decision Making

ScienceDaily for October 20, 2010 reported on the effect of alcohol on reaction times and decision making.

According to Beth Anderson, a postdoctoral fellow at the Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Centre at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut and lead author of the paper, this research is only the first step in a much larger process."Alcohol is widely consumed in our society today. We know it alters behavior, but surprisingly it is not well studied at the brain level. Once we understand how it is altering the brain, we can better inform the public of the consequences of drinking alcohol."

NASA-Engineered Collision Spills New Moon Secrets

ScienceDaily for October 21, 2010 reported on ingredients in moon-soil.

In one of the papers, Brown planetary geologist Peter Schultz and graduate student Brendan Hermalyn, along with NASA scientists, write that the cloud kicked up by the rocket's impact showed the Moon's soil and subsurface is more complex than believed: Not only did the lunar regolith -- the soil -- contain water, it also harbored other compounds, such as hydroxyl, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ammonia, free sodium, and, in a surprise, silver.

Heavy Alcohol Use Suggests a Change in Normal Cognitive Development in Adolescents

ScienceDaily for October 20, 2010 reported on alcohol and adolescents.

Alcohol, to an adolescent, is often seen as a rite of passage. Many teenagers view alcohol (as well as other drugs) as a gateway to adulthood, but are often blissfully unaware of the damage that it can cause to their bodies. A new study of the effects of excessive alcohol and other drugs in adolescents has shown that both alcohol and marijuana overuse can cause serious detrimental effects on the development of the teenage mind.

Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Lung Transplant Rejection, Research Finds

ScienceDaily for October 20,m2010 reported on vitamin D and lung transplants.

Patients who undergo lung transplants are at risk for rejecting the organ, and 77 percent of these patients are vitamin D deficient. Researchers believe that vitamin D helps the immune system tolerate the organ. Thus optimal levels of this supplement are critical for positive outcomes.

Harm Reduction Cigarettes Can Be More Harmful Than Conventional Brands, Researchers Report

ScienceDaily for October 20, 2010 reported on the harmful effects of "safer" cigarettes.

"Harm reduction products are not necessarily safer than their conventional counterparts," said Prue Talbot, the director of UC Riverside's Stem Cell Center and the research team leader. "Our analyses show there is significant toxicity in harm reduction products, and our data show that reduction of carcinogens in harm reduction mainstream smoke does not necessarily reduce the toxicity of unfiltered sidestream smoke."

Eating Mostly Whole Grains, Few Refined Grains Linked to Lower Body Fat

ScienceDaily for October 20, 2010 reported on benefits from eating more whole grains and less refined grains.

Visceral fat surrounds the intra-abdominal organs while subcutaneous fat is found just beneath the skin. "Prior research suggests visceral fat is more closely tied to the development of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors including hypertension, unhealthy cholesterol levels and insulin resistance that can develop into cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes," explains co-author Paul Jacques, DSc, director of the Nutritional Epidemiology Program at the USDA HNRCA and a professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts. "Not surprisingly, when we compared the relationship of both visceral fat tissue and subcutaneous fat tissue to whole and refined grain intake, we saw a more striking association with visceral fat. The association persisted after we accounted for other lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol intake, fruit and vegetable

intake, percentage of calories from fat and physical activity."

Watching Violent TV or Video Games Desensitizes Teenagers and May Promote More Aggressive Behavior, New Study Finds

ScienceDaily for October 19, 2010 reported on effects of TV and video games on teenagers.

Although previous research has suggested that people can become more aggressive and desensitised to real-life violence after repeatedly viewing violent media programmes, little is known about how the extent of watching such programmes and the severity of the aggression displayed affects the brains of adolescents. "It is especially important to understand this because adolescence is a time when the brain is changing and developing, particularly in the parts of the brain that control emotions, emotional behaviour and responses to external events," said Dr Jordan Grafman, who led the research.

Watermelon Lowers Blood Pressure, Study Finds

ScienceDaily for October 14, 2010 reported on health benefits from eating watermelon.

No matter how you slice it, watermelon has a lot going for it -- sweet, low calorie, high fiber, nutrient rich -- and now, there's more. Evidence from a pilot study led by food scientists at The Florida State University suggests that watermelon can be an effective natural weapon against prehypertension, a precursor to cardiovascular disease.

Planet Hunters No Longer Blinded by the Light: New Way to See Faint Planets Previously Hidden in Their Star's Glare

ScienceDaily for October 17, 2010 reported on a new way to see exoplanets close to their star.

Installed on the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, or VLT, atop Paranal Mountain in Chile, the new technology enabled an international team of astronomers to confirm the existence and orbital movement of Beta Pictoris b, a planet about seven to 10 times the mass of Jupiter, around its parent star, Beta Pictoris, 63 light years away.

New Data on Effects of Alcohol During Pregnancy

ScienceDaily for October 16, 2010 reported on effects of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Scientific data continue to indicate that higher intake of alcohol during pregnancy adversely affects the fetus, and could lead to very severe developmental or other problems in the child. However, most recent publications show little or no effects of occasional or light drinking by the mother during pregnancy. The studies also demonstrate how socio-economic, education, and other lifestyle factors of the mother may have large effects on the health of the fetus and child; these must be considered when evaluating the potential effects of alcohol during pregnancy.

Walk Much? It May Protect Your Memory Down the Road

ScienceDaily for October 14, 2010 reported on walking and our memory.

"Brain size shrinks in late adulthood, which can cause memory problems. Our results should encourage well-designed trials of physical exercise in older adults as a promising approach for preventing dementia and Alzheimer's disease," said study author Kirk I. Erickson, PhD, with the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh.

Love Takes Up Where Pain Leaves Off, Brain Study Shows

ScienceDaily for October 14, 2010 reported on love as a pain-killer.

"It turns out that the areas of the brain activated by intense love are the same areas that drugs use to reduce pain," said Arthur Aron, PhD, a professor of psychology at State University of New York at Stony Brook and one of the study's authors. Aron has been studying love for 30 years. "When thinking about your beloved, there is intense activation in the reward area of the brain -- the same area that lights up when you take cocaine, the same area that lights up when you win a lot of money."

Young Teens Who Play Sports Feel Healthier and Happier About Life

ScienceDaily for October 14, 2010 reported on teenagers and sports.

Although the benefits of physical activity are well documented among teenagers, middle school children are an understudied population in adolescent physical activity research. The authors explored the relationship between physical activity (including sports participation), life satisfaction and self-rated health concurrently, for the first time, among 245 middle school students in grades 7 and 8. The 12- to 14-year-old boys and girls were asked to fill in questionnaires assessing their physical activity levels, their overall satisfaction with life and asking them to describe their own health.

Waist Circumference, Not BMI, Is Best Predictor of Future Cardiovascular Risk in Children, Study Finds

ScienceDaily for October 14m 2010 reported on obesity in children.

The researchers, whose results appear in the early online edition of the International Journal of Obesity, found that children with high waist circumference values (in the top 25 percent for their age and sex) were five to six times more likely than children with low waist circumferences (in the bottom 25 percent) to develop metabolic syndrome by early adulthood. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of key cardiovascular risk factors and is associated with an increased risk of subsequent coronary artery disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

The Kids Are All Right: Few Negative Associations With Moms' Return to Work After Having Children, Review Finds

ScienceDaily for October 14, 2010 reported on working mothers.

"Overall, I think this shows women who go back to work soon after they have their children should not be too concerned about the effects their employment has on their children's long-term well-being," said psychologist Rachel Lucas-Thompson, PhD, lead author of the study conducted with Drs. JoAnn Prause and Wendy Goldberg at the University of California, Irvine.

Too Much Light at Night at Night May Lead to Obesity, Study Finds

ScienceDaily
for October 12, 2010 reported on the effect of light on our body becoming obese.

"Although there were no differences in activity levels or daily consumption of food, the mice that lived with light at night were getting fatter than the others," said Laura Fonken, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in neuroscience at Ohio State University.

New Understanding of Bizarre Extinct Mammal: Shares Common Ancestor With Rodents, Primates

ScienceDaily for October 11, 2010 reported on new fossil evidence of an ancient mammal.

University of Florida researchers presenting new fossil evidence of an exceptionally well-preserved 55-million-year-old North American mammal have found it shares a common ancestor with rodents and primates, including humans.

So That’s Why We’re Allergic to Sun Creams

ScienceDaily for October 10, 2010 reported on the effect of UV on sun creams.

"We know that sun creams pass through the skin into our bodies, but we don't know what effects they have on us," says Isabella Karlsson, doctoral student at the Department of Chemistry at the University of Gothenburg's Faculty of Science. "Many of them actually break down in the presence of sunlight. We therefore wanted to look at what can happen to the chemical sun protection agents when exposed to UV rays, and how the degradation products that form affect the skin."

Alienated Youths Are More Likely to Lash Out, Study Finds

ScienceDaily for October 9, 2010 reported on youths who lash out at others.

When people are rejected by peers, they often lash out. In children, that aggression occasionally takes horrifying directions, leading to school shootings or other deadly acts. Researchers in the Netherlands found that some children are more likely than others to lash out in response to acute peer rejection: children who already feel like outcasts.

Haze on Saturn's Moon Titan May Hold Ingredients for Life

ScienceDaily for October 8, 2010 reported on the atmosphere of Saturn's moon, Titan.

The results suggest not only that Titan's atmosphere could be a reservoir of prebiotic molecules that serve as the springboard to life, but they offer a new perspective on the emergence of terrestrial life as well: Instead of coalescing in a primordial soup, the first ingredients of life on our planet may have rained down from a primordial haze high in the atmosphere.

Fattening Pollutants? Chemicals in Mother’s Blood Contribute to Child’s Obesity, Study Suggests

ScienceDaily for October 6, 2010 reported on chemicals in mother's blood and the child's obesity.

Babies whose mothers had relatively high levels of the chemical DDE in their blood were more likely to both grow rapidly during their first 6 months and to have a high body mass index (BMI) by 14 months, according to a team of scientists based in Barcelona, Spain. DDE, an endocrine disruptor, is a by-product of the pesticide DDT.

New Findings Pull Back Curtain on Relationship Between Iron and Alzheimer's Disease

ScienceDaily for October 7, 2010 reported on iron and Alzheimer's.

Today it is clear that, under healthy conditions, iron and APP keep each other in check: If there's too much iron in a brain cell, more APP is made, and then APP and a partner molecule escort excess iron out. And, as the team reported last month in a related paper in the journal Cell, if there's too little iron, fewer APP molecules are made available to help escort iron out. As a result, iron accumulates, and the process begins again in a feedback loop.

Light Drinking During Pregnancy: Harmful to Child's Behavioral or Intellectual Development?

An article in ScienceDaily for October 7, 2010 reported on drinking and pregnancy.

Light drinking during pregnancy does not harm a young child's behavioural or intellectual development, reveals research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Water Discovered on Second Asteroid, May Be Even More Common

ScienceDaily for October 7, 2010 reported on water and ice found in an asteroid.

"This discovery suggests that this region of our solar system contains more water ice than anticipated," said University of Central Florida Professor Humberto Campins. "And it supports the theory that asteroids may have hit Earth and brought our planet its water and the building blocks for life to form and evolve here."

Research Identifies the Herbal Supplements That Are Effective in Treating Anxiety

ScienceDaily for October 7, 2010 reported on herbs and anxiety.

Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access Nutrition Journal pooled the results of 24 studies involving a total of more than 2000 participants, showing that some nutritional and herbal supplements can be effective, without the risk of serious side effects.

Volcanoes Wiped out Neanderthals, New Study Suggests

ScienceDaily for October 7, 2010 reported on volcanoes and the Neanderthals.

Geological layers containing the ashes also hold evidence of an abrupt and potentially devastating climate change. Sediment samples from the two layers reveal greatly reduced pollen concentrations compared to surrounding layers. That's an indication of a dramatic shift to a cooler and dryer climate, the researchers say. Further, the second of the two eruptions seems to mark the end of Neanderthal presence at Mezmaiskaya. Numerous Neanderthal bones, stone tools, and the bones of prey animals have been found in the geological layers below the second ash deposit, but none are found above it.

Large Waist Size Linked to Higher Diabetes Rates Among Americans Compared to English

ScienceDaily for October 7, 2010 reported on waist-size and diabetes.

"Americans carry more fat around their middle sections than the English, and that was the single factor that explained most of the higher rate of diabetes seen in the United States, especially among American women," said James P. Smith, one of the study's author and corporate chair of economics at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. "Waist size is the missing new risk factor we should be studying."

Low Testosterone Linked to Alzheimer's Disease

ScienceDaily for October 5, 2010 reported on Testosterone levels and Alzheimer's.

"Having low testosterone may make you more vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease," said John E. Morley, M.D., director of the division of geriatric medicine at Saint Louis University and a study co-investigator. "The take-home message is we should pay more attention to low testosterone, particularly in people who have memory problems or other signs of cognitive impairment."

Fish Oil Linked to Increased Risk of Colon Cancer in Mice

ScienceDaily for October 6, 2010 reported on high doses of fish oil ad colon cancer.

"Our findings support a growing body of literature implicating harmful effects of high doses of fish oil consumption in relation to certain diseases," Fenton said. "Currently, there is a call by academics and the food industry to establish dietary guidelines for omega-3 consumption. This is primarily motivated by the fact that most Americans are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, and there is substantial evidence supporting the beneficial effects of the consumption."

Vitamin D Supplements Do Not Increase Bone Density in Healthy Children, Review Finds

ScienceDaily for October 5, 2010 reported on vitamin D and bone density in children.

The researchers set out to discover whether boosting levels of vitamin D in healthy children encouraged their bones to lay down greater amounts of calcium. They searched existing literature for carefully conducted (randomised controlled trials) research studies that had compared giving children vitamin D supplements with giving placebo. They found six studies that together involved 343 participants receiving placebo and 541 receiving vitamin D. All participants had taken vitamin D or the placebo for at least three months and were aged between one month and 19 years old.

Vitamin D Deficiency Rampant in Patients Undergoing Orthopedic Surgery, Damaging Patient Recovery

ScienceDaily for October 6, 2010 reported on vitamin D and surgery.

"In the perfect world, test levels, fix and then operate," said Joseph Lane, M.D., professor of Orthopedic Surgery and chief of the Metabolic Bone Disease Service at HSS, who led the study. "If you put people on 2,000-4,000 [milligrams] of vitamin D based on what their deficient value was, you can usually get them corrected in four to six weeks, which is when you are really going to need the vitamin D. If you are really aggressive right before surgery, you can correct deficient levels quickly, but you have to correct it, measure it, and then act on it."

Neanderthals Had Feelings Too, Say Researchers

ScienceDaily for October 5, 2010 reported on Neanderthals and their emotions.

The archaeologists studied archaeological evidence and used this to propose a four stage model for the development of human compassion. It begins six million years ago when the common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees experienced the first awakenings of an empathy for others and motivation to 'help' them, perhaps with a gesture of comfort or moving a branch to allow them to pass.

A World Science article is here.

What Makes Us Age? Ticking of Cellular Clock Promotes Seismic Changes in Chromatin Landscape Associated With Aging

ScienceDaily for October 4, 2010 reported on cells and aging.

Like cats, human cells have a finite number of lives: once they divide a certain number of times (thankfully, more than nine) they change shape, slow their pace, and eventually stop dividing -- a phenomenon called "cellular senescence."

Walnuts, Walnut Oil, Improve Reaction to Stress

ScienceDaily for October 4, 2010 reported on walnuts and stress.

Previous studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids -- like the alpha linolenic acid found in walnuts and flax seeds -- can reduce low density lipoproteins (LDL) -- bad cholesterol. These foods may also reduce c-reactive protein and other markers of inflammation. for October 4, 2010 reported on walnuts and stress.

Why Fat Thighs Are Not as Bad as a Fat Abdomen

ScienceDaily for October 5, 2010 reported on fat thighs vs. fat abdomens.

Using ice cream, candy bars and energy drinks to help volunteers gain weight, Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered the mechanisms of how body fat grows. Increased abdominal fat seems to heighten risk for metabolic disease, while fat expansion in the lower body -- as in the thighs -- seems to lower the risk. The findings, appearing in the October 4 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), help explain
why.

No Evidence for Clovis Comet Catastrophe, Archaeologists Say

ScienceDaily for October 1, 2010 reported on the disappearance of the Clovis people.

Writing in the October issue of Current Anthropology, archaeologists Vance Holliday (University of Arizona) and David Meltzer (Southern Methodist University) argue that there is nothing in the archaeological record to suggest an abrupt collapse of Clovis populations. "Whether or not the proposed extraterrestrial impact occurred is a matter for empirical testing in the geological record," the researchers write. "Insofar as concerns the archaeological record, an extraterrestrial impact is an unnecessary solution for an archaeological problem that does not exist."

Adult Stem Cells That Do Not Age

ScienceDaily for October 3, 2010 reported on adult stem cells.

Biomedical researchers at the University at Buffalo have engineered adult stem cells that scientists can grow continuously in culture, a discovery that could speed development of cost-effective treatments for diseases including heart disease, diabetes, immune disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.

Experts Urge Making Cigarettes Non-Addictive a Research Priority

ScienceDaily for October 1, 2010 reported on research to reduce the nicotine in tobacco.

According to this new report, reducing the amount of nicotine in cigarettes to non-addictive levels could have a significant public health impact on prevention and smoking cessation. Over time, the move could dramatically reduce the number of annual deaths related to cigarette smoking by decreasing adolescent experimentation with cigarettes preventing a progression to addiction, and by reducing dependence on tobacco among currently addicted smokers of all ages.

Women's Study Finds Longevity Means Getting Just Enough Sleep

ScienceDaily for October 1, 2010 reported on the amount of sleep women should get.

A new study, derived from novel sleep research conducted by University of California, San Diego researchers 14 years earlier, suggests that the secret to a long life may come with just enough sleep. Less than five hours a night is probably not enough; eight hours is probably too much.

Women Who Get Dental Care Have Lower Risk of Heart Disease, Says Study

ScienceDaily for October 1, 2010 reported on dental care and heart disease.

"Many studies have found associations between dental care and cardiovascular disease, but our study is the first to show that general dental care leads to fewer heart attacks, strokes, and other adverse cardiovascular
outcomes in a causal way," said study lead author Timothy Brown, assistant adjunct professor of health policy and management at UC Berkeley's School of Public Health.

How HRT and the Pill Can Lead to Breast Cancer: New Research Suggests Possible Treatment

ScienceDaily for October 1, 2010 reported on hormone replacement and breast cancer.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers, affecting up to one in eight women during their lives in Europe, the UK and USA. Large population studies such as the Women's Health Initiative and the Million Women Study have shown that synthetic sex hormones called progestins used in hormone replacement therapy, HRT, and in contraceptives can increase the risk of breast cancers.

Garlic Oil Shows Protective Effect Against Heart Disease in Diabetes

ScienceDaily for October 1, 2010 reported on garlic oil and heart disease.

Wei-Wen Kuo and colleagues note that people with diabetes have at least twice the risk of death from heart disease as others, with heart disease accounting for 80 percent of all diabetes-related deaths. They are especially vulnerable to a form of heart disease termed diabetic cardiomyopathy, which inflames and weakens the heart's muscle tissue. Kuo's group had hints from past studies that garlic might protect against heart disease in general and also help control the abnormally high blood sugar levels that occur in diabetes. But they realized that few studies had been done specifically on garlic's effects on diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Laser Tool for Studying Mars Rocks

ScienceDaily for September 30, 2010 reported on a new laser to test the mineral content of rocks on Mars.

The NASA Mars Science Laboratory Project's rover, Curiosity, will carry a newly delivered laser instrument named ChemCam to reveal what elements are present in rocks and soils on Mars up to 7 meters (23 feet) away from the rover.

Atmosphere Checked, One Mars Year Before a Landing

ScienceDaily for September 30, 2010 reported on the testing of the atmosphere of Mars.

"It is currently one Mars year before the Mars Science Laboratory arrival season," said atmospheric scientist David Kass of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "This campaign will provide a set of observations to support the Mars Science Laboratory engineering team and Mars atmospheric modelers. The information will constrain the expected climate at their landing season. It will also help define the range of possible weather conditions on landing day."

Research Lays Foundation for Building on the Moon -- Or Anywhere Else

ScienceDaily
for September 30, 2010 reported on research into building foundations and soil.

The key to the stability of any building is its foundation, but it is difficult to test some building sites in advance -- such as those on the moon. New research from North Carolina State University is helping resolve the problem by using computer models that can utilize a small sample of soil to answer fundamental questions about how soil at a building site will interact with foundations.

Mars Rover Opportunity Approaching Possible Meteorite

ScienceDaily for September 29, 2010 reported on a possible meteorite on Mars.

"The dark color, rounded texture and the way it is perched on the surface all make it look like an iron meteorite," said science-team member Matt Golombek of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Opportunity has found four iron meteorites during the rover's exploration of the Meridiani Planum region of Mars since early 2004. Examination of these rocks has provided information about the Martian atmosphere, as well as the meteorites themselves.

Blueberries Help Fight Artery Hardening, Lab Animal Study Indicates

ScienceDaily for September 30, 2010 reported on blueberries and artery hardening.

Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of two forms of cardiovascular disease--heart attacks and strokes. Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of Americans.

Research Examines Vicious Cycle of Overeating and Obesity

ScienceDaily for September 30, 2010 reported on obesity and overeating.

Obese individuals have fewer pleasure receptors and overeat to compensate, according to a study by University of Texas at Austin senior research fellow and Oregon Research Institute senior scientist Eric Stice and his colleagues published in The Journal of Neuroscience.

Alcohol Consumers Are Becoming the Norm in U.S., Analysis Finds

ScienceDaily for September 29, 2010 reported on alcohol use in the US.

The findings, Dr. Caetano said, suggest that continuous monitoring of alcohol consumption levels is needed to understand better the factors that affect consumption. Monitoring also would help to detect as early as possible signs that rates of risky drinking behaviors such as binge drinking or drinking to intoxication may be increasing, said Dr. Caetano, who also is regional dean of the UT School of Public Health's campus in Dallas.

Newly Discovered Planet May Be First Truly Habitable Exoplanet

ScienceDaily for September 29, 2010 reported
on an exoplanet that likely has the conditions for life.

A team of planet hunters led by astronomers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the Carnegie Institution of Washington has announced the discovery of an Earth-sized planet (three times the mass of Earth) orbiting a nearby star at a distance that places it squarely in the middle of the star's "habitable zone," where liquid water could exist on the planet's surface. If confirmed, this would be the most Earth-like exoplanet yet discovered and the first strong case for a potentially habitable one.

Strong Link Between Diabetes and Air Pollution Found in National U.S. Study

ScienceDaily for September 30, 2010 reported on diabetes and air pollution.

A national epidemiologic study finds a strong, consistent correlation between adult diabetes and particulate air pollution that persists after adjustment for other risk factors like obesity and ethnicity, report researchers from Children's Hospital Boston. The relationship was seen even at exposure levels below the current EPA safety limit.

First Direct Evidence That ADHD Is a Genetic Disorder: Children With ADHD More Likely to Have Missing or Duplicated Segments of DNA

ScienceDaily for September 30, 2010 reported on ADHD.

New research provides the first direct evidence that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a genetic condition. Scientists at Cardiff University found that children with ADHD were more likely to have small segments of their DNA duplicated or missing than other children.

Sugary Sports Drinks Mistakenly Associated With Being Healthy, Say Researchers

ScienceDaily for September 28, 2010 reported on sports drinks and nutrition.

Researchers examined the association between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, unhealthy and healthy foods and physical activity levels of 8^th and 11^th grade Texas students to determine the relationship between beverage consumption and other behaviors. Sugar-sweetened beverages are drinks that contain added caloric sweeteners such as sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, including a large variety of carbonated and noncarbonated drinks but excluding 100 percent fruit juice.

The Price of Popularity: Drug and Alcohol Consumption

ScienceDaily for September 28, 2010 reported on drug and alcohol consumption of teenagers.

The study, which is to be published during the next year as part of a collective work, was conducted on more than 500 French- speaking students at three separate moments of their lives: at ages 10 to 11, 12 to 13 and 14 to15. It took into consideration the popularity of the child and their friends and tracked their consumption of alcohol, marijuana and hard drugs.

Genetic Clues to Evolution of Jaws in Vertebrates Unearthed

ScienceDaily for September 27, 2010 reported on the possible development of jaws in vertebrates.

Lampreys are eel-like fish with no jaws and a "very strange skeleton compared to their cousins" with jaws, Medeiros said. But "when we looked carefully at how genes are used during the development of the lamprey head, we saw that the basic plan for a jaw is there, and that only a few genes likely had to be moved around to create full-blown jaws."

Nearly One in Three Adolescents Participated in a Violent Behavior Over Past Year, U.S. Study Finds

ScienceDaily for September 26, 2010 reported on teen violence.

A new national study reveals that nearly 7.8 million adolescents aged 12 to 17, almost one third (30.9 percent), participated in any of three violent behaviors over the past year. The study, conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), showed that 22.6 percent of adolescents reported having participated in a serious fight at school or work; 16.1 percent reported involvement in group-against-group fighting; and 7.5 percent reported attacking others with intent to seriously hurt them.

Groundwater Depletion Rate Accelerating Worldwide

ScienceDaily for September 23, 2010 reported on the increase of ground water.

These fast-shrinking subterranean reservoirs are essential to daily life and agriculture in many regions, while also sustaining streams, wetlands, and ecosystems and resisting land subsidence and salt water intrusion into fresh water supplies. Today, people are drawing so much water from below that they are adding enough of it to the oceans (mainly by evaporation, then precipitation) to account for about 25 percent of the annual sea level rise across the planet, the researchers find.

Just Two Drinks Slow Reactions in Older People, Research Shows

ScienceDaily for September 23, 2010 reported on drinking by older persons.

She said, "The results clearly show that even with low blood alcohol concentrations, reactions to sudden gait perturbations are seriously affected. After ingestion of 2 alcoholic drinks, obstacles were hit twice as often, response times were delayed and response amplitudes were reduced. These changes were most obvious in situations with little available response time."

Putting on the Pounds After Weight Loss? Hit the Gym to Maintain Health Gains

ScienceDaily for September 23, 2010 reported on changes in ones weight.

Although obesity is a major risk factor for disease, much of the threat may be associated with the metabolic (or cardiometabolic) syndrome, a cluster of risk factors related to diabetes and heart disease. Losing weight can improve health and reduce many of these risk factors. However, many people struggle to keep the weight off long-term. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have found that people who perform resistance training while regaining weight can help maintain strides in reducing their risks for chronic disease.

Smoking During Pregnancy May Harm the Child’s Motor Control and Coordination

ScienceDaily for September 23, 2010 reported on smoking by pregnant women and the motor control of their children.

"Moreover, we discovered that boys' abilities may be affected to a greater extent than those of girls," says Professor Scott Montgomery at Örebro University.
"There is a link between nicotine and testosterone. Nicotine can influence development of the brain and interacts with testosterone particularly during the foetal stage, and this could make boys extra susceptible to foetal nicotine exposure," says Matz Larsson, researcher in medicine and consultant physician at Örebro University Hospital.

Higher Dairy Calcium Intake and Increased Serum Vitamin D Are Related to Greater Diet-Induced Weight Loss, Israeli Study Finds

ScienceDaily for September 22, 2010 reported on calcium, vitamin D, and weight-loss.

Regardless of diet, researchers also found participants with the highest dairy calcium intake -- equal to 12 oz. of milk or other dairy products (580 mg of dairy calcium) -- lost about 12 pounds (6 kg.) at the end of the two years. In comparison, those with the lowest dairy calcium intake -- averaging about 150 mg dairy calcium, or about half of a glass -- only lost seven pounds on average. The study was published in the current issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Parting the Waters: Computer Modeling Applies Physics to Red Sea Escape Route

ScienceDaily for September 21, 2010 reported on one scientific explanation of the parting of the water of the Red Sea as given in the Old Testament.

The computer simulations show that a strong east wind, blowing overnight, could have pushed water back at a bend where an ancient river is believed to have merged with a coastal lagoon along the Mediterranean Sea. With the water pushed back into both waterways, a land bridge would have opened at the bend, enabling people to walk across exposed mud flats to safety. As soon as the wind died down, the waters would have rushed back in.

Neanderthals More Advanced Than Previously Thought: They Innovated, Adapted Like Modern Humans, Research Shows

ScienceDaily for September 22, 2010 reported on Neanderthals.

Riel-Salvatore identified projectile points, ochre, bone tools, ornaments and possible evidence of fishing and small game hunting at Uluzzian archeological sites throughout southern Italy. Such innovations are not traditionally associated with Neanderthals, strongly suggesting that they evolved independently, possibly due to dramatic changes in climate. More importantly, they emerged in an area geographically separated from modern humans.

Too Much TV, Video and Computer Can Make Teens Fatter

ScienceDaily for September 21, 2010 reported on the effect of TV, video, and computers have on teens.

Even
teens from the consistently low group exceeded two hours per day of screen time on average, yet organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Canadian Paediatric Society recommend limiting screen use to two hours per day. Increasers and consistently high screen users had the greatest increases in percent body fat, while decreasers had the lowest gains in percent body fat

Vitamin D Protects Against Obesity-Induced Endometrial Cancer, Study Suggests

ScienceDaily for September 22, 2010 reported on vitamin D and cancer.

The scientists report in Cancer Prevention Research published online September 21 that 25 percent of obese mice fed a vitamin D supplemented diet developed endometrial cancer, while 67 percent of obese mice not treated with the vitamin developed cancer. They also report that vitamin D offered no protective effects for normal weight mice; whether or not they used the vitamin, about 60 percent of these mice developed cancer.

Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child? Excessive Punishment Can Have Lasting Psychological Impact on Children, Researchers Say

ScienceDaily for September 22, 2010 reported on parental discipline.

"Several studies have shown that coercive parenting practices are linked to anxiety," says Françoise Maheu a professor at the Université de Montréal's Department of Psychiatry and lead investigator of the study. "We know that common practices such as spanking or excessive punishment do not instill a strong discipline. Quite the opposite, they have a lasting psychological impact on children."

How Best to Prevent Blood Clots? Thigh-Length Surgical Stockings, Study Suggests

ScienceDaily for September 20, 2010 reported on the length of support stockings.

Researchers found that knee-high stockings, which are similar to flight socks, do little in stroke patients to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a life threatening form of blood clot that can travel up into the heart and lungs.

Violent Video Games Increase Aggression Long After the Game Is Turned Off, Study Finds

ScienceDaily for September 20, 2010 reported on aggression and video games.

Violent video game playing has long been known to increase aggression. This study, conducted by Brad Bushman of The Ohio State University and Bryan Gibson of Central Michigan University, shows that at least for men, ruminating about the game can increase the potency of the game's tendency to lead to aggression long after the game has been turned off.

Father Absence Linked to Earlier Puberty Among Certain Girls

ScienceDaily for September 17, 2010 reported on the influence of absent fathers on daughters.

"The age at which girls are reaching puberty has been trending downward in recent decades, but much of the attention has focused on increased body weight as the primary culprit," said study lead author Julianna Deardorff, UC Berkeley assistant professor of maternal and child health. "While overweight and obesity alter the timing of girls' puberty, those factors don't explain all of the variance in pubertal timing. The results from our study suggest that familial and contextual factors -- independent of body mass index -- have an important effect on girls' pubertal timing."

Only 5% of Americans Engage in Vigorous Physical Activity on Any Given Day

ScienceDaily for September 15, 2010 reported on exercise in the American population.

On any given day, most U.S. adults report performing predominantly sedentary and light activities, according to a new study published in the October issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Overall only 5.07% report any vigorous intensity activity. The most frequently reported moderate activity was food and drink preparation.

Aerobic Exercise Relieves Insomnia

ScienceDaily for September 15, 2010 reported on exercise and insomnia.

The study is the first to examine the effect of aerobic exercise on middle-aged and older adults with a diagnosis of insomnia. About 50 percent of people in these age groups complain of chronic insomnia symptoms.

Mild Memory Loss Is Not a Part of Normal Aging, New Research Finds

ScienceDaily for September 15, 2010 reported on memory and aging.

Simply getting older is not the cause of mild memory lapses often called senior moments, according to a new study by researchers at the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center. The study, published in the September 15, 2010, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, found that even the very early mild changes in memory that are much more common in old age than dementia are caused by the same brain lesions associated with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

Even Very Low Dose of Regular Aspirin Wards Off Bowel Cancer, Study Finds

ScienceDaily for September 16, 2010 reported on aspirin and bowel cancer.

This protective effect is apparent after just one year and in the general population, not just those considered to be at risk of developing the disease, which is the second most common cause of cancer death in the world, killing almost half a million people every year.

Mammoth-Killer Impact Rejected

ScienceNOW for August 30, 2010 reported on a theory of an asteroid killing off mammoths.

Over the past 3 years, a loosely confederated group of researchers has argued that an asteroid or comet struck North America about 13,000 years ago, wiping out the woolly mammoth, the giant sloth, and other large animals. Experts say they have shot down most of the supposed evidence, but one finding remained: nano-scale diamond crystals that could have formed only under the extreme pressure of an impact. Now, a group of experts has dismissed this evidence as well, putting what many see as the final nail in the coffin of the mammoth-killer impact.

Evolution Rewritten, Again and Again

ScienceDaily for September 1, 2010 reported on fossiles and evolution.

This is especially true of the fossil record of human origins from their primate relatives. Even though early human fossils are immensely rare, and new discoveries make a big splash in the scientific literature and in the media, they sit randomly across the evolutionary tree of early humans. In other words, most discoveries of new fossil species simply fill in gaps in the fossil record that we already knew existed.

A World Science article is here.

Babies Born Past Term Associated With Increased Risk of Cerebral Palsy

ScienceDaily for September 1, 2010 reported on length of pregnancy and Cerebral Palsy.

Cerebral palsy (CP), the most common cause of physical disability in childhood, with limitations that persist throughout life, is characterized by nonprogressive disorders of movement and posture. "One of the strongest predictors of CP is preterm birth, with the risk of CP increasing steadily with earlier delivery. Although risk is lower among term births, about three-fourths of all infants with CP are born after 36 weeks. Within this range of term births, there are few data on the possible association of CP with gestational age," the authors write.

Infant's Gaze May Be an Early, but Subtle, Marker for Autism Risk

ScienceDaily for September 1, 2010 reported on a correlation between infrequent gazing by infants and risk of Autism.

Researchers found that, like the low risk group, the high-risk siblings exhibited typical levels of social gazing when their caregivers actively engaged them, such as pointing at the toy and expressing excitement. However, high-risk sibs spent less time looking to their caregivers and more time fixated on the non-social stimuli (toy or joystick) when the caregiver was not engaging them, which could indicate a disruption in development related to joint attention. Joint attention is often a core deficit for children with autism.

Increased Risk of Death in Men With Insomnia and a Short Sleep Duration

ScienceDaily for September 2, 2010 reported on sleep insomnia and death.

Compared to men without insomnia who slept for six hours or more, men with chronic insomnia who slept for less than six hours were four times more likely to die during the 14-year follow-up period (odds ratio = 4.33). Results were adjusted for potential confounders such as body mass index, smoking status, alcohol use, depression and obstructive sleep apnea. Further adjustments for hypertension and diabetes had little effect on the elevated mortality risk (OR = 4.00). No significant mortality risk was found in women with insomnia and a short sleep duration of less than six hours (OR = 0.36).

A National Geographic Daily News article is here.

Lower Blood Pressure May Preserve Kidney Function in Some Patients

ScienceDaily for September 2, 2010 reported on blood pressure and kidney disease.

Intensively treating hypertension in some African Americans with kidney disease by pushing blood pressure well below the current recommended goal may significantly decrease the number who lose kidney function and require dialysis, suggests a Johns Hopkins-led study publishing in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Stopping Smoking Cessation Treatments Too Soon May Reduce Odds of Success for 45 Percent of Smokers

ScienceDaily for September 2, 2010 reported on the effect of premature stopping of smoking.

Their findings published online in the journal Addiction suggest that current treatment theories that maintain any smoking after the planned target quit day predicts treatment failure need to be expanded to take into account a more dynamic quitting process. The team's analysis points to two types of successful quitters: those who quit immediately and remain abstinent through the end of treatment and those who are "delayed" in attaining abstinence but achieve success by the end of treatment.

Moderate Coffee Consumption Improves Aortic Distensibility in Hypertensive Elderly Individuals, Study Finds

ScienceDaily for September 1, 2010 reported on coffee and Aortic Distensibility.

Coffee consumption was particularly measured during the initial phase of the study because it is a deeply embedded social tradition within the Greek population, and also because of conflicting evidence of its impact on cardiovascular health. Doctor Christina Chrysohoou, the study coordinator, noted, "As far as the effect of coffee on hypertension is concerned, the pressor response to caffeine seems to be more pronounced in hypertensive or hypertension-prone subjects than in normo-tensive ones. For this reason, our study became focused on a sub-group of some 235 hypertensive subjects, and we measured the impact of daily coffee consumption using echocardiographic indices of aortic distensibility."

Diverse Diet of Veggies May Decrease Lung Cancer Risk

ScienceDaily for September 1, 2010 reported on veggies and cancer.

"Fruits and vegetables contain many different bioactive compounds, and it makes sense to assume that it is important that you not only eat the recommended amounts, but also consume a rich mix of these bioactive compounds by consuming a large variety," he said.

New Test Allows Individualized Profiles of Cigarette Smoking

ScienceDaily for August 25, 2010 reported on detection
of chemicals in cigarette smoke.

A test for one of the thousands of chemicals in cigarette smoke has the potential for more accurately estimating smokers' mouth level exposure and may have applications for developing custom-tailored quitting approaches for the more than 43 million people in the United States who still smoke, and hundreds of millions elsewhere, scientists say.

Distant Star's Sound Waves Reveal Cycle Similar to the Sun's

ScienceDaily for August 27, 2010 reported on sound waves from a distant star.

In a bid to unlock longstanding mysteries of the Sun, including the impacts on Earth of its 11-year cycle, an international team of scientists has successfully probed a distant star. By monitoring the star's sound waves, the team has observed a magnetic cycle analogous to the Sun's solar cycle.

School-Based Intervention Successfully Lowers Drinking Rates in at Risk Children

ScienceDaily for August 31, 2010 reported on drinking rates of children.

The coming weeks mark the return to school for many of our youngest citizens. Sadly the satisfaction of making new friends and obtaining good test scores may be overshadowed by the prospect of substance abuse for some school-aged adolescents. The previous decade has witnessed a two-fold increase in both alcohol consumption and intoxication by adolescents age 12 to 17.

Cinnamon Extracts May Reduce Risk of Diabetes and Heart Disease, Study Suggests

The study demonstrated that the water-soluble cinnamon extract improved a number of antioxidant variables by as much as 13 to 23 percent, and improvement in antioxidant status was correlated with decreases in fasting glucose, according to Anderson.

Fluoride in Water Prevents Adult Tooth Loss, Study Suggests

ScienceDaily for August 28, 2010 reported on fluoridation of water and teeth-loss.

Pollick said that roughly 75 percent of people served by public water systems have fluoride added. The process uses small amounts of the naturally occurring mineral to increase concentrations to no more than one part per million typically.

Secondhand Smoke May Provoke Inflammatory Response in Lungs

ScienceDaily for August 27, 2010 reported on secondhand smoke.

Second-hand smoke is associated with a number of diseases and conditions, including cancer,
heart disease, and emphysema. It is an irritant to lung tissue and blood vessels, but the processes through which the body reacts to second-hand smoke comprise a mystery scientists are only beginning to unravel.

Smoking Can Increase Depressive Symptoms in Teens, Study Finds

ScienceDaily for August 27, 2010 reported on smoking by teenagers and depression.

While some teenagers may puff on cigarettes to 'self-medicate' against the blues, scientists at the University of Toronto and the University of Montreal have found that smoking may actually increase depressive symptoms in some adolescents. Published in the journal Addictive Behaviors, the findings are part of the long-term Nicotine Dependence in Teens (NDIT) study based at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre.

Moms Who Don't Breastfeed More Likely to Develop Type 2 Diabetes, Study Finds

ScienceDaily for August 27, 2010 reported on breastfeeding and cancer.

"We have seen dramatic increases in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes over the last century," said Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, M.D., M.S., assistant professor of medicine, epidemiology, and obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. "Diet and exercise are widely known to impact the risk of type 2 diabetes, but few people realize that breastfeeding also reduces mothers' risk of developing the disease later in life by decreasing maternal belly fat."

Baby's First Full Diaper Can Reveal Mother's Smoking

ScienceDaily for August 27, 2010 reported on a method of determining if a mother smoked or inhaled secondary smoke during her pregnancy.

Meconium, the dark and tarry stools passed by a baby during the first few days after birth, can be used to determine how much the mother smoked, or if she was exposed to tobacco smoke during pregnancy.

Vitamin A Increases the Presence of HIV in Breast Milk, Studies Suggest

ScienceDaily for August 27, 2010 reported on vitamin A and breast milk.

Vitamin A and beta-carotene supplements are unsafe for HIV-positive women who breastfeed because they may boost the excretion of HIV in breast milk -- thereby increasing the chances of transmitting the infection to the child, a pair of new studies suggest.

Chronic Drinking Can Disrupt Circadian Rhythms

ScienceDaily for August 25, 2010 reported
on chronic drinking and our Circadian Rhythms.

Circadian rhythmicity is regulated by circadian clock genes, and animal studies have shown that chronic drinking can alter expressions in these genes. A new study has found that significantly lower levels of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) -- a molecule of RNA that helps to manufacture proteins -- in circadian clock genes in alcohol-dependent (AD) patients support a relationship between circadian clock gene dysregulation and drinking in humans.

Alcohol Dependence Damages Both Episodic Memory and Awareness of Memory

ScienceDaily for August 25, 2010 reported on damage to memory from alcohol.

Alcohol dependence (AD) has negative effects on cognitive processes such as memory. Metamemory refers to the subjective knowledge that people have of their own cognitive processing abilities, such as their monitoring and control of memory. A new study has found that AD has a negative impact on both episodic memory as well as metamemory.

BPA and Testosterone Levels: First Evidence for Small Changes in Men

ScienceDaily for August 26, 2010 reported on BPA and Testosterone levels in men.

Researchers analysed data from the InCHIANTI study, an Italian population sample. The team measured the amount of BPA excreted per day in urine samples. 715 adults aged between 20 and 74 years were studied. The study aimed to measure the daily BPA loads excreted by adults, and to examine statistical associations between the amount of BPA exposure and serum estrogen and testosterone concentrations.

Nicotine Binding to Receptor Linked to Breast Cancer Cell Growth

ScienceDaily for August 24, 2010 reported on vitamin D and our health.

While smoking is a well-known risk factor for a broad range of cancer types, non-nicotine components of tobacco have generally been thought to be the carcinogens, so little is known about how nicotine acts on cells to promote cancer cell growth. For breast cancer in particular, some large epidemiological studies have suggested that smoking is related to increased breast cancer risk, but they have not been accompanied by molecular biology studies on how that actually works.

Vitamin D Found to Influence Over 200 Genes, Highlighting Links to Disease

ScienceDaily for August 24, 2010 reported on vitamin D and our genes.

It is estimated that one billion people worldwide do not have sufficient vitamin D. This deficiency is thought to be largely due to insufficient exposure to the sun and in some cases to poor diet. As well as being a well-known risk factor for rickets, there is a growing body of evidence that vitamin D deficiency also increases an individual's susceptibility to autoimmune conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes, as well as certain cancers and even dementia.

Moderate Drinking: Health Benefits or Not?

ScienceDaily for August 24, 2010 reported on moderate drinking and mortality.

While moderate drinking -- one to less than three drinks per day -- is linked to a decrease in mortality in middle-aged and older adults, there is also concern that the health benefits of moderate drinking have been overestimated. A new study of the association between drinking and mortality during a 20-year period, which controlled for confounding factors such as previous problem drinking, confirms an association of moderate drinking and reduced mortality among older adults.

Minor Kidney Damage in People With Type 1 Diabetes Leads to Increased Mortality

ScienceDaily for August 25, 2010 reported on kidney damage and Type 1 Diabetes.

People with type 1 diabetes who have early and asymptomatic kidney damage, as indicated by small amounts of protein in the urine, are six times more likely to die compared to the general population, say researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. Their study, being presented at the 70th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association, also found that when kidneys remained normal over time, people with type 1 diabetes had no greater risk of death than their healthy counterparts.

Better Way to Grow Stem Cells Developed

ScienceDaily for August 23, 2010 reported on a new way to grow stem cells.
Human pluripotent stem cells, which can become any other kind of body cell, hold great potential to treat a wide range of ailments, including Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injuries. However, scientists who work with such cells have had trouble growing large enough quantities to perform experiments -- in particular, to be used in human studies. Furthermore, most materials now used to grow human stem cells include cells or proteins that come from mice embryos, which help stimulate stem-cell growth but would likely cause an immune reaction if injected into a human patient.

Eating Berries May Activate the Brain's Natural Housekeeper for Healthy Aging

ScienceDaily for August 24, 2010 reported on the eating of berries and healthy aging.

Scientists have reported the first evidence that eating blueberries, strawberries, and acai berries may help the aging brain stay healthy in a crucial but previously unrecognized way. Their study, presented at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), concluded that berries, and possibly walnuts, activate the brain's natural "housekeeper" mechanism, which cleans up and recycles toxic proteins linked to age-related memory loss and other mental decline.

New Evidence on How Cranberry Juice Fights Bacteria That Cause Urinary Tract Infections

ScienceDaily for August 25, 2010 reported
on cranberry juice and urinary-tract infections.

"A number of controlled clinical trials -- these are carefully designed and conducted scientific studies done in humans -- have concluded that cranberry juice really is effective for preventing urinary tract infections," said Terri Anne Camesano, Ph.D., who led the study. "That has important implications, considering the size of the problem and the health care costs involved."

Solar System Similar to Ours? Richest Planetary System Discovered

ScienceDaily for August 24, 2010 reported on an exoplanet system of 5 planets orbiting a star.

"We have found what is most likely the system with the most planets yet discovered," says Christophe Lovis, lead author of the paper reporting the result. "This remarkable discovery also highlights the fact that we are now entering a new era in exoplanet research: the study of complex planetary systems and not just of individual planets. Studies of planetary motions in the new system reveal complex gravitational interactions between the planets and give us insights into the long-term evolution of the system."

Young People Identify With an Online Community Almost as Strongly as With Their Own Family

ScienceDaily for August 23, 2010 reported on relationships among teenagers.

An international study of the users of teenage online community Habbo reveals that users identify more strongly with the online community than with their neighbourhood or offline hobby group. The study is based on a survey with 4299 respondents from United Kingdom, Spain and Japan. All three nationalities yielded similar results.

Drink Water to Curb Weight Gain? Clinical Trial Confirms Effectiveness of Simple Appetite Control Method

ScienceDaily for August 23, 2010 reported on the use of water to help one lose weight.

Has the long-sought magic potion in society's "battle with the bulge" finally arrived? An appetite-control agent that requires no prescription, has no common side effects, and costs almost nothing? Scientists report results of a new clinical trial confirming that just two 8-ounce glasses of the stuff, taken before meals, enables people to shed pounds. The weight-loss elixir, they told the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), is ordinary water.

Diabetes Can Cause a Sugar Coating That Smothers Body's Immune Defences, Researchers Find

ScienceDaily for August 23, 2010 reported on sugar and our immune system.

Research led by the Warwick Medical School at the University of Warwick has found that unhealthy glucose levels in patients with diabetes can cause significantly more problems for the body than just the well-known symptoms of the disease such as kidney damage and circulation problems. The raised glucose can also form what can be described as a sugar coating that can effectively smother and block the mechanisms our bodies use to detect and fight bacterial and fungal infections.

Alcohol Intake Increases Certain Types of Breast Cancer, Study Finds

ScienceDaily for August 23, 2010 reported on alcohol and breast cancer.

Although alcohol intake is an established risk factor for overall breast cancer, few studies have looked at the relationship between alcohol use and breast cancer risk by subtype of breast cancer. While some studies have shown alcohol use is more strongly related to risk of hormone receptor-positive (estrogen receptor and/or progesterone receptor-positive) breast cancer, not many have looked at breast cancer risk by histology, or whether a tumor is ductal -- in the milk ducts -- or lobular -- in the milk-producing lobules.

Eating Berries May Activate the Brain's Natural Housekeeper for Healthy Aging

ScienceDaily for August 24, 2010 reported on the eating of berries and aging.

Scientists have reported the first evidence that eating blueberries, strawberries, and acai berries may help the aging brain stay healthy in a crucial but previously unrecognized way. Their study, presented at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), concluded that berries, and possibly walnuts, activate the brain's natural "housekeeper" mechanism, which cleans up and recycles toxic proteins linked to age-related memory loss and other mental decline.

Green Leafy Vegetables Reduce Diabetes Risk, Study Finds

ScienceDaily for August 20, 2010 reported on food and diabetes.

The results reveal that eating one and a half extra servings of green leafy vegetables a day reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by 14%. However, eating more fruit and vegetables combined does not significantly affect this risk. Only a small number of studies were included in the meta-analysis and the benefit of fruit and vegetables as a whole for prevention of type 2 diabetes may have been obscured.

Italian Youths Who Drink With Meals Are Less Often Adult Problem-Drinkers

ScienceDaily for August 20, 2010 reported on drinking by youths.

In a paper published in the journal Addiction, Research and Theory,a research team led by Lee Strunin, PhD, a professor of community health sciences at BUSPH, detailed their study of the drinking patterns and histories of 160 Italian adolescents and young adults who identified themselves as regular or heavy drinkers. The authors concluded that the introduction of a moderate amount of alcohol in a family setting could prevent young people from binge drinking and nurture healthier drinking behaviors.

Cigarette Smoke Causes Harmful Changes in the Lungs Even at the Lowest Levels, Study Finds

ScienceDaily for August 20, 2010 reported on effects of cigarette smoke on our lungs.

"The genetic effect is much lower than those who are regular smokers, but this does not mean that there are no health consequences," says Dr. Crystal. "Certain genes within the cells lining the airways are very sensitive to tobacco smoke, and changes in the function of these genes are the first evidence of 'biological disease' in the lungs or individuals."

Headaches in Teens Tied to Overweight, Smoking and Lack of Exercise

ScienceDaily for August 19, 2010 reported on health of teenagers.

Teens who are overweight, get little exercise or who smoke may be more likely to have frequent headaches and migraines than teens with none of these factors, according to a study published in the August 18, 2010, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Even Modest Weight Gain Can Harm Blood Vessels, Researchers Find

ScienceDaily for August 19, 2010 reported on weight-gain.

Mayo Clinic researchers found that healthy young people who put on as little as 9 pounds of fat, specifically in the abdomen, are at risk for developing endothelial cell dysfunction. Endothelial cells line the blood vessels and control the ability of the vessels to expand and contract.

Stress in Middle Age Could Contribute to Late-Life Dementia

ScienceDaily for August 19, 2010 reported on stress and Dementia.

Psychological stress in middle age could lead to the development of dementia later in life, especially Alzheimer's disease, reveals research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Based on data from a study which followed women for 35 years, this is the first research in Sweden to indicate a link between stress and dementia.

Overweight American Children and Adolescents Becoming Fatter

ScienceDaily for August 19, 2010 reported on weight-gains in children.

Overweight American children and adolescents have become fatter over the last decade, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and National Institute on Aging (NIA). They examined adiposity shifts across socio-demographic groups over time and found U.S. children and adolescents had significantly increased adiposity measures such as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and triceps skinfold thickness (TST).

Moderate Drinking, Especially Wine, Associated With Better Cognitive Function

ScienceDaily for August 19, 2010 reported on drinking and cognitive functions.

A large prospective study of 5033 men and women in the Tromsø Study in northern Norway has reported that moderate wine consumption is independently associated with better performance on cognitive
tests. The subjects (average age 58 and free of stroke) were followed over 7 years during which they were tested with a range of cognitive function tests.

Smokers Trying to Give Up: Don't Stop Thinking About Cigarettes

ScienceDaily for August 18, 2010 reported on attempts to stop smoking.

Dr Erskine and his team set out to test whether smokers experienced behavioural rebound -- the phenomenon where trying not to think about something leads to an increase in the behaviour. Their previous research into eating behaviour and thought suppression showed that people trying not to think about chocolate subsequently ate much more than people who were deliberately thinking about it. However, previous studies only examined behavioural rebound over a period of five minutes, rather than days and weeks.

Brain Connections Break Down as We Age, Study Suggests

ScienceDaily for August 19, 2010 reported on aging effects on the brain.

It's unavoidable: breakdowns in brain connections slow down our physical response times as we age, a new study suggests.

Vitamin D May Treat or Prevent Allergy to Common Mold

ScienceDaily for August 18, 2010 reported on vitamin D and mold.

Research conducted by Dr. Jay Kolls, Professor and Chair of Genetics at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, and colleagues, has found that vitamin D may be an effective therapeutic agent to treat or prevent allergy to a common mold that can complicate asthma and frequently affects patients with Cystic Fibrosis. The work is scheduled to be published online August 16, 2010, ahead of the print edition of the September 2010 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.