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.