Sunday 30 April 2017

Thinking strategically about study resources boosts students' final grades

(Association for Psychological Science) College students who participated in a self-administered intervention prompting them to reflect about their use of classroom resources had final grades that were higher than their peers, according to new findings published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qjHhEJ

Preschoolers' story comprehension similar for print and digital books

(New York University) The content of a children's book -- not its form as a print book or a digital book -- predicts how well children understand a story, finds a new study by NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pwi3jX

Alcohol is associated with higher risk of breast cancer in African-American women

(American Association for Cancer Research) Alcohol consumption was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer in a large study of African-American women, indicating that they, like white women, may benefit from limiting alcohol.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qjrfuR

The immune system may explain skepticism towards immigrants

(Aarhus University) There is a strong correlation between our fear of infection and our skepticism towards immigrants. New cross-national research from Aarhus BSS at Aarhus University explains why political discussions of immigration are so heated and why integration often fails.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pwbj5w

Common antibiotics linked to increased risk of miscarriage

(Canadian Medical Association Journal) Many classes of common antibiotics, such as macrolides, quinolones, tetracyclines, sulfonamides and metronidazole, were associated with an increased risk of miscarriage in early pregnancy, according to a new study published in CMAJ.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pw1c0h

Unemployment associated with 50 percent higher risk of death in heart failure patients

(European Society of Cardiology) Unemployment is associated with a 50 percent higher risk of death in patients with heart failure, according to research presented today at Heart Failure 2017 and the 4th World Congress on Acute Heart Failure.1 The observational study in more than 20,000 heart failure patients found that not being employed was linked with a greater likelihood of death than history of diabetes or stroke.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qhxlLT

Non-O blood groups associated with higher risk of heart attack

(European Society of Cardiology) Having a non-O blood group is associated with a higher risk of heart attack, according to research presented today at Heart Failure 2017 and the 4th World Congress on Acute Heart Failure.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pu37To

Saturday 29 April 2017

Intervention reduced suicide attempts among at-risk emergency department patients

(Brown University) Among suicidal patients, an intervention that included brief post-discharge phone calls significantly reduced the likelihood of a future suicide attempt, according to a clinical trial conducted at eight hospitals.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oTE7D5

Friday 28 April 2017

Study: Bonobos may be better representation of last common ancestor with humans

(George Washington University) A new study examining the muscular system of bonobos provides firsthand evidence that the rare great ape species may be more closely linked, anatomically, to human ancestors than common chimpanzees.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pdw4Eu

UTA professor's book explains complex world of public health, individual medical services

(University of Texas at Arlington) A book from a UTA associate professor explains why the United States has the health system it has.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oQY3qe

Overdose prevention and naloxone rescue among family members of people who use opioids

(Boston University Medical Center) Family members are often the ones who administer naloxone during an opioid overdose and should be considered as part of the larger response to help curb fatal overdoses. These findings demonstrate the important role that educating family members about overdoses and how to obtain and administer naloxone could play an important role in helping decrease the number of fatal opioid overdoses.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oUcXwF

UTA student wins UT System Regents award

(University of Texas at Arlington) UTA senior Frederick Tran won the 2017 Regents' Outstanding Arts and Humanities Award in Creative Writing, Short Fiction.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qfYY5g

UTA Libraries awarded grant to test maker literacies program

(University of Texas at Arlington) A UTA team will use an Institute of Museum and Library Services grant to identify and collaborate with three pilot sites to test the effectiveness of early-stage maker-based competencies, previously developed by a UTA task force, on undergraduate learning.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pdtMFj

Study examines state of social, personality psychology research

(University of Illinois at Chicago) University of Illinois at Chicago researchers conducted two studies to examine the state and quality of social and personality research and how practices have changed, if at all.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qePuu8

American College of Physicians praises blocked health insurance merger

(American College of Physicians) The American College of Physicians (ACP) today praised this morning's decision by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upholding a lower court ruling halting the proposed $54 billion insurance merger between Anthem and Cigna. The ruling over the potential impact on competition and insurance prices is a big "win" for patients and the physicians who care for them.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oGefiB

Testosterone makes men less likely to question their impulses

(California Institute of Technology) A new study shows that testosterone makes men less likely to realize when they're wrong.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qnApT7

No religion as a 'new religion'?

(Cluster of Excellence "Religion and Politics") Renowned sociologist Linda Woodhead assumes Hans Blumenberg Visiting Professorship at the Cluster of Excellence -- Research on the growing number of non-religious people in Europe and the USA -- in a public lecture on May 8: 'Is 'No Religion' the New Religion?'

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oER2xm

How do babies coordinate gestures and vocalization?

(University of the Basque Country ) Asier Romero-Andonegi, Aintzane Etxebarria-Lejarreta, Ainara Romero-Andonegi and Irati de Pablo-Delgado, lecturers and researchers at the UPV/EHU's Faculty of Education in Bilbao, have studied how 9 to 13-month-old babies tackle the shift from early babbling to the use of combinations of gestures and speech. The work The interrelation of gestures and vocalization in early communication functions: Evidence from Basque language has been published in the important linguistics journal Signos.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oSQJv1

Study finds primary school children get less active with age

(University of Bristol) There is an age-related decline in children's physical activity levels as they progress through primary school, according to a British Heart Foundation-funded study.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oSKebs

ICCP director Axel Timmermann receives Milutin Milankovic Medal

(Institute for Basic Science) ICCP Director Axel Timmermann receives Milutin Milankovic Medal of the European Geosciences Union (EGU).

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2poV7mE

Expert unravels disease that took the hearing of world-famous painter

(University of Maryland School of Medicine) Francisco Goya is the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th century. In 1793, Goya, then 46, came down with a severe, undiagnosed illness. His hearing never returned. Now, a hearing expert has developed a diagnosis. She thinks Goya likely suffered from an autoimmune disease.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oSXYTq

American Geriatrics Society voices opposition to amended American Health Care Act

(American Geriatrics Society) Following a review of the recently released MacArthur Amendment to the American Health Care Act (AHCA), the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) remains opposed to this legislation that would repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and which AGS experts believe would harm access to key health services for older adults, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pFRXxC

When the smoke clears... tobacco control in post-conflict settings

(ecancermedicalscience) In new research published today by King's College London - Institute of Cancer Policy and the Conflict & Health Research Group in the journal ecancermedicalscience, the difficulties of prioritizing preventable disease and long term health issues in post conflict zones are explored.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qm9OWL

Thursday 27 April 2017

Variations in tuition at public universities have grown, masking the cost of attendance

(New York University) Differences in undergraduate tuition rates by a student's degree program or year of study have become increasingly prevalent over the past 25 years, finds a study by New York University's Steinhardt School, Arizona State University, and the University of Louisville.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2p9Drg5

Slender face identified as novel marker for left-handedness

(University of Washington Health Sciences/UW Medicine) Individuals with a slender lower face are about 25 percent more likely to be left-handed. This unexpected finding was identified in 13,536 individuals who participated in three national surveys conducted in the United States. This association may shed new light on the origins of left-handedness, as slender jaws have also been associated with susceptibility to tuberculosis, a disease that has shaped human evolution and which today affects 2 billion people.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oQIL5r

Didactics to highlight physician experience in the ED the night of Orlando mass shooting

(Society for Academic Emergency Medicine) Two didactics presented by emergency physicians describe what it was like in the emergency department of Orlando Health's Orlando Regional Medical Center the night of the mass-casualty incident.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2p8ZqUl

Food insecurity can affect your mental health

(Elsevier Health Sciences) Food insecurity (FI) affects nearly 795 million people worldwide. Although a complex phenomenon encompassing food availability, affordability, utilization, and even the social norms that define acceptable ways to acquire food, FI can affect people's health beyond its impact on nutrition. A new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine determined that FI was associated with poorer mental health and specific psychosocial stressors across global regions (149 countries), independent of individuals' socioeconomic status.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oNMa42

AGS honors expert & emerging geriatrics leaders at 2017 Annual Scientific Meeting

(American Geriatrics Society) Celebrating its seventy-fifth anniversary in 2017, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) announced that it will honor more than 15 leading researchers, clinicians, educators, and emerging health professionals who have made outstanding contributions to high-quality, person-centered care for older adults. Awards will be presented at the AGS 2017 Annual Scientific Meeting, May 18-20, 2017 (pre-conference program on May 17), at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2p8rhEg

Dr. Sei Lee presented with 2017 Yoshikawa Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement

(American Geriatrics Society) The AGS today announced that Sei Lee, MD, MAS, Associate Professor in the Division of Geriatrics at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), will be honored with the 2017 Thomas and Catherine Yoshikawa Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement in Clinical Investigation. Dr. Lee will deliver a plenary presentation on individualizing preventive care for older men and women at the AGS 2017 Annual Scientific Meeting (May 18-20 in San Antonio, Texas).

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qjTWEc

Dr. Richard Allman to deliver prestigious 2017 Henderson Lecture

(American Geriatrics Society) The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) announced that Richard M. Allman, MD, Chief Consultant for Geriatrics & Extended Care Services, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), will deliver the prestigious Henderson State-of-the-Art Lecture at the AGS 2017 Annual Scientific Meeting (May 18-20; San Antonio, Texas). Dr. Allman's lecture, 'Building, Sustaining, and Promoting Age-Friendly Health Systems,' will focus on the role of leadership, research, education, and quality improvement in developing and maintaining better systems for older adult care.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pqNb6k

AGS honors Dr. Maura Brennan for commitment to training future leaders in geriatrics

(American Geriatrics Society) The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) today announced that Maura Brennan, MD, AGSF, FACP, FAAHPM, HMDC, a champion of education in geriatrics and Chief in the Division of Geriatrics, Palliative Care, and Post-Acute Medicine at Baystate Health in Springfield, Mass., will be honored with the 2017 Dennis W. Jahnigen Award.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qk1F4W

Dr. Barbara Resnick -- eminent nurse, researcher, mentor -- honored for commitment to geriatrics

(American Geriatrics Society) Barbara Resnick, PhD, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP, AGSF, a Past President of the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and a pillar for geriatrics research, education, and clinical practice, will be honored by her AGS peers this May with one of their highest accolades: the David H. Solomon Public Service Award.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pqWiUi

A little support from their online friends calms test-anxious students

(University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Reading supportive comments, 'likes' and private messages from social media friends prior to taking a test may help college students who have high levels of test-anxiety significantly reduce their nervousness and improve their scores, a new study by University of Illinois computer science researchers suggests.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qbDR48

Grant to model human memory and learning for machines

(University of California - Davis) A multi-university study led by a neuroscientist at UC Davis aims to vastly deepen understanding by developing a computer model of how the brain forms, stores and retrieves complex memories. The goal is that the model will have human-like abilities to remember, understand and learn from events.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qk1dUj

Crime and virtual punishment

(University of Utah) Students from the University of Utah have created a new mobile 'game' for the iPhone and Android devices that demonstrates how software algorithms used by many of the nation's judicial courts to evaluate defendants could be biased like humans. Justice.exe is a free app in which the player chooses the minimum or maximum sentence for a series of convicted criminals, and the software's algorithm eventually tries to predict how the player would punish criminals.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qcv5pi

Staking self-worth on the pursuit of money has negative psychological consequences

(University at Buffalo) Although people living in consumer-based cultures such as the US often believe that they will be happier if they acquire more money, the findings of a newly published paper by a University at Buffalo research team suggest that there may be downsides to this pursuit.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oQmXH7

Allina Health shares LifeCourse model at the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement

(Allina Health ) In an Allina Health study, the LifeCourse care model improved patient experience and reduced costs for people with serious illnesses. Researchers say the model is ready for replication.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oQyjuN

Sidney Kimmel Foundation concludes cancer research grant program with final recipients

(Sidney Kimmel Foundation ) After two decades and just under 300 award winners, The Sidney Kimmel Foundation has selected the final 15 research scientists and medical doctors from across the US to receive two-year grants totaling $200,000 each, as part of the prestigious Kimmel Scholars Program.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qcIG02

Dr. Fatima Sheikh named AGS Clinician of the Year

(American Geriatrics Society) The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) has named Fatima Sheikh, MD, CMD, MPH, Medical Director at FutureCare in Maryland and Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the 2017 AGS Clinician of the Year. Dr. Sheikh will be honored at the AGS 2017 Annual Scientific Meeting (May 18-20 in San Antonio, Texas).

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oQvREI

A new technique makes it possible to extract the DNA from hominids preserved in sediments

(Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)) The sediments forming the layers or strata at archaeological sites can be very rich in bone remains, but until now their possible fossil DNA content had not attracted the attention of paleoanthropologists. Now, a new technique developed by an international team, in which the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) has participated, allows the remains of groups of hominids in these sediments to be traced, even in caves or in strata which have no skeletal remains. The results are published in the latest issue of Science.

from EurekAlert! - Archaeology http://ift.tt/2p8jR41

Scythian horse breeding unveiled: Lessons for animal domestication

(Faculty of Science - University of Copenhagen) A new study led by Professor Ludovic Orlando and published in Science unveils the secrets of horse breeding by Iron Age Scythian nomads. The genomes reconstructed from 14 archaeological horses also provide important insights into the process of animal domestication, supporting changes in the neural crest development pathway as key to the emergence of common domestic traits and revealing major changes in breeding practice during the last 2,300 years.

from EurekAlert! - Archaeology http://ift.tt/2oNo3CI

Society for Academic Emergency medicine announces Annual Meeting plenary speakers

(Society for Academic Emergency Medicine) Emergency medicine academicians in six plenary presentations will explore a variety of subjects related to the practice of emergency medicine during a special plenary session to be held on the opening day of SAEM17 -- the annual meeting for the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) and the largest forum for the presentation of original education and research in academic emergency medicine, to be held May 16-19, 2017 at the Hyatt Regency Orlando.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qaRvEB

Can early experiences with computers, robots increase STEM interest among young girls?

(University of Washington) Girls start believing they aren't good at math, science and even computers at a young age -- but providing fun STEM activities at school and home may spark interest and inspire confidence. A study from the University of Washington's Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS) finds that, when exposed to a computer-programming activity, 6-year-old girls expressed greater interest in technology and more positive attitudes about their own skills and abilities than girls who didn't try the activity.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pqsWFH

Analysis: Gender differences in depression appear at age 12

(University of Wisconsin-Madison) An analysis just published online has broken new ground by finding gender differences in both symptoms and diagnoses of depression appearing at age 12.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pqb9i3

Legal marijuana stores lead to increases in property crime

(Ohio State University) Legal marijuana shops are linked to higher levels of property crime in nearby areas, according to a nearly three-year study in Denver.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2p81QTd

Strong parent connections enhance children's ability to develop healthy response to stress

(Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health) Children in low-income families have an increased chance of thriving when their caregiver relationships include certain positive characteristics, according to new research. Using data from more than 2,200 low-income families surveyed as part of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, researchers found that school-age children who reported high levels of parent involvement and supervision were more likely to report behaviors associated with positive emotional development and social growth.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oNleBx

The upside of worrying

(University of California - Riverside) Worry -- it does a body good. And, the mind as well. A new paper by Kate Sweeny, psychology professor at the University of California, Riverside, argues there's an upside to worrying.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pmswyg

Stem cells edited to fight arthritis

(Washington University School of Medicine) Using CRISPR technology, a team of researchers led by Farshid Guilak, PhD, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, rewired stem cells' genetic circuits to produce an anti-inflammatory arthritis drug when the cells encounter inflammation. The technique eventually could act as a vaccine for arthritis and other chronic conditions.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pDznX1

Why do we like our classes? And each other? Our brain waves tell us, new research shows

(New York University) The synchronization of brainwaves among students during class reflects how much they like the class and each other, a team of neuroscientists has found.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pDdp6g

Lutein and zeaxanthin isomers demonstrates improved psychological stress levels

(OmniActive Health Technologies) Lutein and zeaxanthin isomers -- known as the macular carotenoids -- are traditionally associated with eye health, but researchers at the University of Georgia found an interesting connection to their function in brain health, showing that they improved psychological stress levels and reduced serum cortisol. The LAMA II (an acronym for Lutein, Vision and Mental Acuity II) study was the subject of a recent paper, which was published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience, 2017 (Stringham, et al.).

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qj4hjK

MPSA honors fourteen research projects at the 75th Annual Conference in Chicago

(Midwest Political Science Association) The Midwest Political Science Association announced fourteen award recipients at its annual MPSA Business Meeting earlier this month at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago. Awards committees select the winners from among nominations made by chairs, discussants and section heads at the previous year's conference.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qbXlsj

Spatial epidemiology used to identify 3 key hepatitis C hotspots in Massachusetts

(Tufts University, Health Sciences Campus) Public health researchers from Tufts and colleagues conducted a spatial epidemiology study to identify hotspot clusters of hepatitis C infections in Massachusetts. The information may help to make the best use of funding for education, prevention, testing, and treatment.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oPJCmY

New eye test detects earliest signs of glaucoma

(Wellcome Trust) Researchers at University College London (UCL) and the Western Eye Hospital have developed a simple, inexpensive diagnostic tool DARC (Detection of Apoptosing Retinal Cells). In clinical trials it allowed for the first time visualization of individual nerve cell death in patients with glaucoma. Early detection means doctors can start treatments before sight loss begins. Initial clinical trials will be published in BRAIN. Ongoing trials are investigating the potential of the test for other neurodegenerative conditions.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pD8vq8

National mental-health survey finds widespread ignorance, stigma

(Michigan State University) Less than half of Americans can recognize anxiety. Most people don't know what to do about depression even when they spot it. And nearly 8 in 10 don't recognize prescription drug abuse as a treatable problem.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2plQqtu

Can yoga reduce symptoms of menstrual disorders?

(Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News) A systematic review of the published literature on yoga practice and common menstrual disorders found that all of the studies evaluated reported a beneficial effect and reduced symptoms.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pDatXk

How shifts in excitation-inhibition balance may lead to psychiatric disorders

(Elsevier) In a special issue of Biological Psychiatry titled 'Cortical Excitation-Inhibition Balance and Dysfunction in Psychiatric Disorders', guest editors Dr. Alan Anticevic and Dr. John Murray, both of Yale University, bring together seven reviews that highlight advancements in understanding the balance of excitatory and inhibitory signaling in the brain, and what might happen when it goes awry.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2plQMAr

Wanting more self-control could hinder our efforts to exert self-control, study finds

(Bar-Ilan University) A new study shows that, ironically, wanting to have more self-control could actually be an obstacle to achieving it. It appears that the mere existence of a desire for self-control undermines one's confidence and brings one to disengage from self-control challenges (regardless of one's actual level of self-control).

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oPEUFG

Bullies and their victims more likely to want plastic surgery

(University of Warwick) 11.5% of bullying victims have extreme desire to have cosmetic surgery, as well as 3.4% of bullies and 8.8% of teenagers who both bully and are bullied -- compared with less than 1% of those who are unaffected by bullying.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qbObMu

NETRF makes $4 Million in grants to advance research of a poorly understood cancer

(Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation) The Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation (NETRF) announced its largest research commitment ever to study neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), a widely misunderstood, commonly misdiagnosed cancer type, without adequately identified genomic drivers

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qbQv5T

The key to long female lives may be heterogeneity

(University of Southern Denmark) In sparrowhawks diversity in frailty and robustness helps females live longer.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2ppmQph

New blood test may better predict gestational diabetes

(Brigham and Women's Hospital) Researchers have found that a single measurement of GCD59, a novel biomarker for diabetes, at weeks 24-28 of gestation identified, with high sensitivity and specificity, women who failed the glucose challenge test as well as women with gestational diabetes. It was also associated with the probability of delivering a large-for-gestational-age newborn.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oAkoNh

Flawed forensic science may be hampering identification of human remains

(Australian National University) Research from The Australian National University (ANU) has cast doubt on a method used in forensic science to determine whether skeletal remains are of a person who has given birth.

from EurekAlert! - Archaeology http://ift.tt/2plFkVy

E-cigarettes do not promote cancer growth in lab tests

(Wiley) A new study found no evidence that a commercially available e-cigarette vapor promotes the development of cancer in laboratory cells. In contrast, smoke from a reference cigarette was positive for cancer-promoting activity at very low concentrations.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oA2quf

Twitter could have predicted the outcome of the Brexit vote

(University of Surrey) Leave campaigners were not only victorious in the June 2016 Brexit vote but also in the battle of the twittersphere, a new study in the British Journal of Politics and International Relations reports.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qa5rPm

Mental Qigong can be just as rewarding as its physical cousin

(Frontiers) New research in Frontiers in Psychology demonstrated through an extensive series of EEG measurements and statistical tests that mental practice of the dynamic Qigong technique Wu Qin Xi has the same effect on EEG brain activity as physical training of Qigong.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pCQlow

Flawed forensic science may be hampering identification of human remains

(Australian National University) Research from The Australian National University (ANU) has cast doubt on a method used in forensic science to determine whether skeletal remains are of a person who has given birth.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2plFkVy

Mother's family history could pose risk for preterm birth -- Ben-Gurion U. study

(American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev) The results of the study show that the medical history of a pregnant woman's mother and aunts should also be taken into account when considering the risk of pregnancy complications such as premature birth.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qiMA3T

Diagnosed autism linked to maternal grandmother's smoking in pregnancy

(University of Bristol) Scientists from the University of Bristol have looked at all 14,500 participants in Children of the 90s and found that if a girl's maternal grandmother smoked during pregnancy, the girl is 67 percent more likely to display certain traits linked to autism, such as poor social communication skills and repetitive behaviors.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pCGjDH

UTA history professor awarded Humboldt Fellowship for experienced researchers

(University of Texas at Arlington) Patryk Babiracki, an associate professor in the Department of History at The University of Texas at Arlington, was awarded a Humboldt Fellowship for Experienced Researchers from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2ozPULu

Latest advances in artificial intelligence for drug discovery to be presented at the NVIDIA GTC

(InSilico Medicine, Inc.) Insilico Medicine, Inc, is a big data analytics company specializing in applying the latest advances in deep learning to drug discovery, biomarker development and aging research. In the NVIDIA Graphics Technology Conference (GTC), the scientists from Insilico Medicine will present its latest progress on the applications of Generative Adversarial Networks to Drug Discovery in Oncology and Infectious Diseases.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oP8JX3

How do students with debt fare in community college?

(SAGE) Community college students who borrow up to $1,999 in student loans during their first two years of community college complete 17 percent fewer academic credits in that same time period than their peers who take out $2,000 to $3,999 in loans or do not take out any loans at all. This finding and more were published in a new study out today in The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science (a SAGE Publishing journal).

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pp4G6R

Amazentis announces successful phase 1A/1B study results for urolithin A in healthy elderly subjects

(Burns McClellan) Amazentis, an innovative life sciences company pioneering scientific breakthroughs in nutrition to manage health conditions linked to aging, announced today Phase 1 clinical data on the safety, bioavailability, and biological activity of Urolithin A in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial in healthy elderly individuals. These data are scheduled to be presented at the International Conference on Frailty and Sarcopenia Research taking place in Barcelona, Spain, April 27-29, 2017.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pC1eXC

Wednesday 26 April 2017

Unification could be good for North Korea, RAND report asserts

(RAND Corporation) A new RAND report identifies the likely concerns of North Korean elites about their possible fates under various unification scenarios and recommends actions that the Republic of Korea (ROK), also known as South Korea, could take now to help North Korean elites feel more positive about, or at least less resistant to, unification.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oyMith

New evidence finds standardized cigarette packaging may reduce number of people who smoke

(Wiley) A Cochrane Review published today finds standardized tobacco packaging may lead to a reduction in smoking prevalence and reduces the appeal of tobacco.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oKMmBr

System can 3-D print an entire building

(Massachusetts Institute of Technology) MIT researchers have developed a system that can 3-D print the basic structure of an entire building.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qgbHUN

Researcher says customized content on political websites hurts democracy

(University at Buffalo) Having it your way on political websites and seeing only the content that aligns with your beliefs is not good for democracy, according to Ivan Dylko, an assistant professor in the University at Buffalo's Department of Communication and an expert in the political effects of communication technology.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oNjGs0

Animal testing essential to medical progress but protocols could be improved

(Elsevier Health Sciences) The use of animals in biomedical research has long been the focus of campaigns by animal rights activists. Two leading scientists writing in the European Journal of Internal Medicine give their expert view of the importance of animal testing to medical progress and present ways it could be further improved to yield more useful clinical results.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pmGcva

Want to better comply with dietary guidelines, and save money? Cook dinner at home

(Oregon State University) The best culinary paths to better health are not always paved with cash, new research shows, and cooking at home can provide the best bang-for-the-buck nutritionally as well as financially.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2p50PeD

2017 Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting to showcase new discoveries in children's health

(American Academy of Pediatrics) The 2017 Pediatric Academic Societies 2017 Meeting takes place May 6-9 in San Francisco, giving thousands of researchers from across globe an opportunity to share and discuss their latest findings.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oKdmAQ

Youth binge drinking, cardiovascular disease possibly linked

(University of Illinois at Chicago) University of Illinois at Chicago researchers are conducting a study to determine whether binge drinking is related to cardiovascular disease in young adults who are not predisposed to the condition.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2p5ibIr

CSHL, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative collaborate to boost sharing of scientific research

(Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) CSHL announced a collaboration with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to help accelerate the understanding of life science for the benefit of human health and disease. New funding from CZI will support the development and expansion of CSHL's bioRxiv preprint service, a free platform that enables life science researchers to quickly and easily share drafts of papers before they are published in peer-reviewed research journals.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pjiTjT

UT Dallas researchers investigate technique to accelerate learning

(University of Texas at Dallas) Researchers at the Texas Biomedical Device Center (TxBDC) at The University of Texas at Dallas have been awarded a contract worth up to $5.8 million from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to investigate a novel approach to accelerate the learning of foreign languages.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oKaRi0

Bare bones: Making bones transparent

(California Institute of Technology) A new bone clearing technique is a breakthrough for testing osteoporosis drugs.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oxa6O3

Media portrayal of public shooters can perpetuate stereotypes

(University of Missouri-Columbia) Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Journalism have found that media portrayals of public shooters vary based on the race of the shooter, regardless of the circumstances of the shooting.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qfkZjU

Newly prescribed sleeping pills increase risk of hip fracture

(Cardiff University) Older people newly prescribed sleeping pills like benzodiazepines and 'Z-drugs' have over double the odds of a hip fracture in the first two weeks compared with non-users, according to a new study by researchers at Cardiff University and King's College London.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2q6IM6g

Simple treatment for severe bleeding could save lives of mothers around the world

(London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine) An inexpensive and widely available drug could save the lives of one in three mothers who would otherwise bleed to death after childbirth, according to a major study published in The Lancet and coordinated by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. The global trial of 20,000 women found that death due to bleeding was reduced by 31 percent if the treatment was given within three hours.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pmrO5S

Concise consent forms are effectively understood by clinical trial participants

(PLOS) Shortening consent documents makes no significant difference to how well potential research participants understand a clinical study, according to a study published April 26, 2017, in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Christine Grady from the NIH Clinical Center, US, and colleagues.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oMQVf9

Human forebrain circuits under construction -- in a dish

(NIH/National Institute of Mental Health) Neuroscientists have created a 3-D window into the human brain's budding executive hub assembling itself during a critical period in prenatal development. What's more, they used it to discover and experimentally correct -- in cultured human forebrain 'spheroids' -- defective cell migration caused by an autism-related disorder. The 'disease-in-a-dish' model replicates rudimentary circuitry that can reveal a person's brain's unique secrets -- even from when it was still under construction.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2ox4MdD

Paleontologists identify new 507-million-year-old sea creature with can opener-like pincers

(University of Toronto) Paleontologists have uncovered a new fossil species that sheds light on the origin of mandibulates, the most abundant and diverse group of organisms on Earth, to which belong familiar animals such as flies, ants, crayfish and centipedes. Named Tokummia katalepsis by the researchers, the creature documents for the first time the anatomy of early mandibulates, a sub-group of arthropods with specialized appendages known as mandibles, used to grasp, crush and cut their food.

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ER health promotion advocates help teens struggling with substance use get treatment

(Boston University Medical Center) Health promotion advocates in the pediatric emergency room serve as a vital resource for young people experimenting with substances and linking them with necessary resources and treatment, according to a new study out of Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH).

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qfaNIl

Food photos help Instagram users with healthy eating

(University of Washington) People are turning to Instagram as a place where they can log food intake and track healthy eating behaviors by posting photos of everything they eat -- and being held accountable by followers for sticking to their goals, a new study finds.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pzNbBY

More women with atrial fibrillation die after ER discharge than men

(University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry) A new study from the University of Alberta adds to the growing evidence that women with cardiovascular disease may receive different health care from men -- and experience worse outcomes.The study analyzing data from 21,062 Albertans discharged from hospital emergency rooms after presenting primarily for atrial fibrillation/flutter (AFF) showed that 1.3 per cent of women and 0.9 per cent of men died up to one month later. That translates to 40 per cent more women than men.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qfadtZ

Tel Aviv University study links cannabis use in adolescence to schizophrenia

(American Friends of Tel Aviv University) A new Tel Aviv University study points to cannabis as a trigger for schizophrenia. The research finds that smoking pot or using cannabis in other ways during adolescence may serve as a catalyst for schizophrenia in individuals already susceptible to the disorder.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2q5ZYc9

Researchers explore personalized pharmacotherapy to treat panic attacks

(Elsevier Health Sciences) Although drug therapy is the accepted first-line treatment for panic disorders (PDs), 17% to 64% of patients do not respond adequately and continue to exhibit one of the most common symptoms of PD, the panic attack (PA). In a comprehensive new analysis published in Personalized Medicine in Psychiatry, researchers carefully reviewed scientific data to establish whether a personalized treatment approach could help physicians prescribe the drug that will work most effectively for a specific patient.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qeZJe5

New study deems dairy 'excellent' source of protein for children

(University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences) Researchers at the University of Illinois are using pigs as a model to study the best way of evaluating protein quality in foods eaten by children, a method that was proposed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in 2011.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2p4cVVf

Rice's John Boles offers new exploration of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson

(Rice University) In a new book spanning more than 640 pages, Rice University's eminent scholar of the American South, John Boles, takes a fresh, nuanced look at one of America's most talented, enigmatic and complex Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson. Not since the 1970 book 'Thomas Jefferson and the New Nation' by Boles' mentor Merrill Peterson has a scholar published a comprehensive biography of the third president of the US.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pizwMt

Do medical marijuana laws promote illicit cannabis use and disorder?

(Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health) Illicit cannabis use and cannabis use disorders increased at a greater rate in states that passed medical marijuana laws than in other states, according to latest research. The new study is among the first to analyze the differences in cannabis use and cannabis use disorders before and after states passed medical marijuana laws, as well as differentiate between earlier and more recent periods and additionally examine selected states separately.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2p4a5zQ

Boston Medical Center unveils $15 million cogeneration plant to increase energy efficiency

(Boston University Medical Center) Boston Medical Center is now generating much of its own electricity and heat through a natural gas-fired, 2 megawatt combined heat and power plant. The $15 million cogen plant was made possible by a $3.7 million grant from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources' Community Clean Energy Resiliency Initiative. The Boston Public Health Commission partnered with BMC in securing the grant.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oLKg4J

The automation of art: A legal conundrum

(Frontiers) Deep Neural Networks are systems that are able to simulate human perception by 'memorizing' complex patterns on a mathematical level. One application for this is in the arts, where these systems are used for their creative potential. As DNN's become more popular, there is the danger of an unchecked proliferation of copyright protections, which risks stifling creativity. In order to prevent this, we should focus on the human element within the complex technological processes that engender automated art.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2p40nO1

Biogerontology Research Foundation CSO to chair Pharma AI track at BioDataWorld West 2017

(Biogerontology Research Foundation) BioDataWorld West is a conference focused on the intersection of big data and precision medicine, and this year marks the introduction of a new AI track organized in partnership with Merck, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. The conference will feature executives and department heads from many outstanding institutions including the FDA, NIH, Google, Merck, and SENS Research Foundation, as well as researchers and professors from Stanford University, UCSF, Ohio State University and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qeCSzm

Rationale and prospects of targeting bacterial 2-component systems

(Bentham Science Publishers) Antimicrobial resistance is a major societal problem as there are resistant bacteria to any antibiotic available, and they spread across countries and continents.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pl3wJA

Serious violence in England and Wales drops 10 percent in 2016

(Cardiff University) The number of people injured in serious violence dropped by 10 percent in 2016 compared to 2015, according to a national report on serious violence published by Cardiff University.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pll8Fo

New test assesses sperm function

(Wiley) Two new publications in the journal Molecular Reproduction and Development validate the usefulness of a test that determines if sperm can capacitate, a process that allows them to fertilize an egg.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pzh3hK

Teenagers can become disruptive if teachers use psychological pressure

(University of Kent) The study, which was led by Stephen Earl from the University's School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, discovered that psychological pressure from teachers can contribute to disengagement amongst teenage pupils under 14. Active disengagement behaviors include talking and making noise, with daydreaming in class amongst the more passive disengagement behaviors.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pyVVYS

Autism Speaks issues special report

(Autism Speaks) Autism Speaks today issued the first in a series of annual, in-depth reports on special topics in autism. 'Autism and Health: Advances in Understanding and Treating the Health Conditions that Frequently Accompany Autism' gathers into one comprehensive report the most authoritative research and the latest guidelines on treatment and support of children and adults with autism spectrum disorder.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qegJRD

New study shows youth violence on decline

(Boston University) Contrary to popular perception, a new study by Boston University professor Christopher Salas- Wright finds that youth violence is declining -- and at noteworthy rates. Between 2002 and 2014, Salas-Wright and his colleagues found a 29 percent decrease in the relative proportion of young people involved in violence in the United States. The study also reveals a persistent pattern of racial and ethnic disparities in youth violence.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pl0xRx

Impact of overtraining on the heart to be discussed at cardiovascular imaging meeting

(European Society of Cardiology) The impact of overtraining on the heart is set to be discussed at Europe's leading cardiovascular magnetic resonance meeting, to be held 25 to 27 May in Prague, Czech Republic, at the Clarion Congress Hotel Prague (CCHP).

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2q6UPna

Link discovered between immune system, brain structure and memory

(University of Basel) In two independent studies, scientists at the University of Basel have demonstrated that both the structure of the brain and several memory functions are linked to immune system genes. The scientific journals Nature Communications and Nature Human Behaviour have published the results of the research.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oIzCLy

Tuesday 25 April 2017

Providers who prescribe PrEP don't see most patients increasing risky sexual behavior

(George Washington University) A new study examining medical provider attitudes toward prescribing PrEP to prevent HIV found that those who already prescribe it do not see widespread increases in risky sexual behavior among their patients as a result.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2ouuori

Women with aortic aneurysms fare much worse than men, new study finds

(Imperial College London) Mortality rates for women undergoing surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysms are nearly twice those for men, a new study has found.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2p2m4xD

New insights on triggering muscle formation

(Sanford-Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute) A team of scientists led by Lorenzo Puri, M.D., Ph.D., has identified a previously unrecognized step in stem cell-mediated muscle regeneration. The study, published in Genes and Development, provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms that impair muscle stem cells during the age-associated decline in muscle function, and into the connection between accelerated muscle aging and muscular dystrophies.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pxblwC

Genes associated with resilience against brain pathology identified

(Rush University Medical Center) Researchers have discovered two genes, known as UNC5C and ENC1, that are associated with aging individuals having better memory and brain function than would be expected, given the amount of pathologies that accumulated in their brains. They reported their findings in an article published in the journal PLOS Medicine on April 24.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pwZT42

More small, clean-energy businesses will tap into Sandia technical expertise

(DOE/Sandia National Laboratories) The Department of Energy has chosen five more small, clean-energy businesses to work with Sandia National Laboratories to speed the commercialization of next-generation technologies and gain a global competitive advantage for the US.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pftHiQ

The fast and the crashed: Study shows collisions 5 times more likely for street racers

(University of Western Ontario) Ontarians who have street-raced at least once in the past year are five times more likely than other drivers to have crashed their vehicle at some point during those 12 months. This is the first Canadian survey to look systematically at the demographics and crash rates of adult street racers in Ontario.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qbpJXN

Religious people more likely to oppose reproductive technologies

(Rice University) As new and more effective human reproductive genetic technologies develop, people of faith are more likely to disapprove of these tools than nonreligious people, a new Rice University study found.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2q1CaGj

Afghanistan and Iraq veterans' opioid use similar to that of civilians

(RTI International) A new study by RTI International and Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, published in Pain, suggests that opioid use among Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn veterans is roughly comparable to that of the general US population.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qbkFmi

Political left, right similarly motivated to avoid rival views

(University of Illinois at Chicago) A new report from social psychologists at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Winnipeg suggests people on both sides of the political aisle are similarly motivated to dismiss monetary enticements in order to distance themselves from hearing or reading opposing ideals and information.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2ot2uvV

Tiffany & Co. Foundation grant to create knowlege-hub on colored gemstones

(University of Delaware) A new grant from The Tiffany & Co. Foundation will enable the University of Delaware's Saleem Ali to create a knowledge-hub on colored gemstones, including signature projects in Madagascar and South Asia focused on miner education and health and safety outreach. The $350,000 grant will also be used to target critical research necessary to surmount challenges facing individuals involved in colored gemstone mining and manufacturing.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oIVZRy

Estrogen alters memory circuit function in women with gene variant

(NIH/National Institute of Mental Health) Fluctuations in estrogen triggered atypical functioning in a key brain memory circuit in women with a common version of a gene. Brain scans revealed altered circuit activity linked to changes in the sex hormone in women with the gene variant while they performed a working memory task. The findings may help to explain individual differences in risk for, onset, severity, and course of mental disorders, which are often marked by working memory deficits.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2q3zP0n

Few researchers consider hearing loss in healthcare communication: Study

(New York University) Of the 67 papers reviewed, only 16 (23.9 percent) included any mention of hearing loss.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2ostoEo

Researchers map the evolution of dog breeds

(Cell Press) When people migrate, Canis familiaris travels with them. Piecing together the details of those migrations has proved difficult because the clues are scattered across the genomes of hundreds of dog breeds. However, in Cell Reports, researchers have used gene sequences from 161 modern breeds to assemble an evolutionary tree of dogs. The map of dog breeds, which is the largest to date, unearths new evidence that dogs traveled with humans across the Bering land bridge.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2peQjzT

Cognitive skills differ across cultures and generations

(Association for Psychological Science) An innovative study of children and parents in both Hong Kong and the United Kingdom reveals cultural differences in important cognitive skills among adolescents but not their parents. The results are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2osjlPw

Bad feelings can motivate cancer patients

(Concordia University) Feeling down is a common side effect of being diagnosed with cancer. Anxiety, guilt, and distress often come hand-in-hand with diagnosis and treatment.But a recent study by researchers from Concordia and the University of Toronto shows that these seemingly negative emotions can actually be good for patients.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oIcBcx

Who you are influences what you eat more than food shopping environment, study finds

(RAND Corporation) Much attention and effort has focused on providing healthy food outlets in areas considered 'food deserts' in order to improve a neighborhood's diet. But a new study finds that who a person is may matter more than where they shop in predicting their consumption of unhealthy food.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oIutDP

Unique womb-like device could reduce mortality and disability for extremely premature babies

(Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) A unique womb-like environment designed by pediatric researchers could transform care for extremely premature babies, by mimicking the prenatal fluid-filled environment to give the tiniest newborns a precious few weeks to develop their lungs and other organs.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qaYpc9

ISSCR 2017 highlights new discoveries in stem cell research and progress toward clinical therapies

(International Society for Stem Cell Research) Progress in stem cell research and its translation to the clinic will be the focus of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) annual meeting June 14-17 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Boston, Mass. More than 4,000 stem cell scientists, bioethicists, clinicians, and industry professionals from over 50 countries will share and discuss the latest discoveries and technologies within the field, and how they are advancing regenerative medicine.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2p0ZmGl

Facebook can function as safety net for the bereaved, study finds

(Northeastern University) Neuroscientists have long noted that if certain brain cells are destroyed by, say, a stroke, new circuits may be laid in another location to compensate, essentially rewiring the brain. Northeastern's William Hobbs has found that social networks respond similarly after the death of a close mutual friend, providing support during the grieving process.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oGDpsO

Enzyme treatment reduces alcohol-induced liver damage in mouse models

(Massachusetts General Hospital) Massachusetts General Hospital investigators report that an intestinal enzyme previously shown to keep bacterial toxins from passing from the gastrointestinal system into the bloodstream may be able to prevent or reduce the liver damage caused by excess alcohol consumption.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2peh0F8

Study finds new genetic variants associated with extreme old age

(Boston University Medical Center) The search for the genetic determinants of extreme longevity has been challenging, with the prevalence of centenarians (people older than 100) just one per 5,000 population in developed nations.But a recently published study by Boston University School of Public Health and School of Medicine researchers, which combines four studies of extreme longevity, has identified new rare variants in chromosomes 4 and 7 associated with extreme survival and with reduced risks for cardiovascular and Alzheimer's disease.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2q2mzJw

75 years of geriatrics expertise on display at 2017 AGS Annual Scientific Meeting

(American Geriatrics Society) More than 2,500 physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, social workers, long-term and managed care providers, healthcare administrators, students, and other geriatrics stakeholders will come together for a program built from more than 800 abstract submissions and inclusive of more than 100 events.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pe2I7l

Chemotherapy drug may increase vulnerability to depression

(King's College London) A chemotherapy drug used to treat brain cancer may increase vulnerability to depression by stopping new brain cells from growing, according to a new King's College London study out today in Translational Psychiatry.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2q18Ek4

Emergency care, prescribing, end-of-life care among highlights at #AGS17

(American Geriatrics Society) Potentially inappropriate medications, the future of Advance Care Planning (ACP), and improved emergency care for older adults are among headline presentations anchoring the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) 2017 Annual Scientific Meeting (#AGS17), to be held May 18-20 in San Antonio, Texas.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qabgv2

How to protect human rights: 40 policy recommendations for the EU

(KU Leuven) Fight people smuggling by offering more options for legal migration to the EU. Stop sending migrants back to regions where their human rights are at stake. These are just a few of the recommendations presented by FRAME, a large-scale research project on the EU and human rights that is coordinated by the Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies at KU Leuven (University of Leuven, Belgium).

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pvQXvN

Estimating wealth from outer space

(University of Konstanz) Cities and villages illuminated at night are common in wealthy regions such as Europe. This is different in developing countries: Satellite data shows that many dark spots are visible next to illuminated regions. Two political scientists from the University of Konstanz, Professor Nils Weidmann and Dr. Sebastian Schutte, evaluated satellite data of night light emissions and compared them with wealth estimates collected in large surveys.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2qaFDl0

What the age of your brain says about you

(Springer) Researchers used neuroimages of the brain to identify biomarkers that show how the structures of a person's brain age. Being able to predict someone's brain age could be a valuable tool to help clinicians make timely medical interventions, believes James Cole of Imperial College London in the UK. He is the lead author of a study in Springer Nature's journal Molecular Psychiatry that identified so-called brain-predicted age as a useful biomarker.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2orTDKM

Decrease in cardiovascular diseases benefits persons with diabetes

(University of Gothenburg) The incidence of cardiovascular diseases in Sweden has decreased sharply since the late 1990s. These are the findings of a study from Sahlgrenska Academy which included almost three million adult Swedes. In relative terms, the biggest winners are persons with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oI6qoE

Children with reading and spelling difficulties lag behind their peers despite special education

(University of Eastern Finland) The reading skills of children with reading and spelling difficulties (RSD) lag far behind the age level in the first two school years, despite special education received from special education teachers. Furthermore, the spelling skills of children who in addition to RSD had other learning difficulties also lagged behind their peers in the first two school years. The follow-up study was carried out at the University of Eastern Finland.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2orRCOK

Movie research results: Multitasking overloads the brain

(Aalto University) Previous research shows that multitasking, which means performing several tasks at the same time, reduces productivity by as much as 40%. Now a group of researchers specialising in brain imaging has found that changing tasks too frequently interferes with brain activity. This may explain why the end result is worse than when a person focuses on one task at a time.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oHYvHN

Facial expressions: How brains process emotion

(California Institute of Technology) New research from Caltech clarifies the once-mysterious role of the amygdala.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2orOS4g

New guideline published on uncommon risk of death in epilepsy

(American Academy of Neurology) There is an uncommon risk of death that people with epilepsy and their loved ones may not know about. The risk is called sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, or SUDEP. Now the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the American Epilepsy Society have co-developed a new guideline on SUDEP, published in the April 24, 2017, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, and presented at the 69th AAN Annual Meeting in Boston, April 22 to 28, 2017.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oI9d17

New method to grow womb lining and mimic menstrual cycle in the laboratory dish

(The Company of Biologists) Scientists have succeeded in growing three-dimensional cultures of the endometrium, the uterus' inner lining, in a dish. These so-called endometrial organoids promise to shed light onto the processes that occur during the monthly menstrual cycle and open up the possibility of studying diseases of the uterus.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2q2b3ho

GW study finds 33 percent of seafood sold in six DC eateries mislabeled

(George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health) Scientists at the George Washington University used a powerful genetic technique to test seafood dinners sold in six District restaurants and found 33 percent had been mislabeled.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pvw2cC

Toronto's subways expose passengers to more air pollution than Montreal, Vancouver systems

(University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering) A new study co-authored by U of T Engineering professor Greg Evans shows that subways increase our personal exposure to certain pollutants, even as they decrease overall emissions -- and that Toronto has the highest levels in Canada.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2q049WZ

Published data reveals new mechanism to inhibit oligomers, key driver of Alzheimer's

(The Yates Network) Peer-reviewed results published in the journal CNS Drugs elucidate a new molecular mechanism of action for tramiprosate, the active agent in Alzheon's Phase 3-ready drug candidate, ALZ-801. Scientists discovered that tramiprosate blocks production of neurotoxic beta amyloid oligomers by 'enveloping' the Aß42 amyloid peptide, and prevents its misfolding and aggregation. This enveloping prevents the self-assembly of misfolded amyloid monomers into toxic oligomers that cause neurotoxicity and clinical progression in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2orhnip

Study finds first molecular genetic evidence of PTSD heritability

(Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health) A large new study from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium provides the first molecular genetic evidence that genetic influences play a role in the risk of getting Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after trauma.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oGSjQp

Monday 24 April 2017

Parents' use of emotional feeding increases emotional eating in school-age children

(Society for Research in Child Development) Emotional eating is not uncommon in children and adolescents, but why youth eat emotionally has been unclear. Now a new longitudinal study from Norway has found that school-age children whose parents fed them more to soothe their negative feelings were more likely to eat emotionally later on. The reverse was also found to be the case, with parents of children who were more easily soothed by food being more likely to feed them for emotional reasons.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pcqCzX

Study of transgender preschoolers assesses preferences and identity

(Society for Research in Child Development) Gender may be the earliest identity and social category to emerge in development, research suggests, and acquiring knowledge about one's gender is considered a critical part of early childhood development. In one of the first examinations of early gender development among transgender preschoolers, a new study has found that these children were just as likely as nontransgender children to have preferences associated with their gender, and to have as strong and clear a sense of their gender identity.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2q0sOgP

Research from Sandia shows brain stimulation during training boosts performance

(DOE/Sandia National Laboratories) New research from Sandia published in Neuropsychologia shows that working memory training combined with a kind of noninvasive brain stimulation can lead to cognitive improvement under certain conditions. Improving working memory or cognitive strategies could be very valuable for training people faster and more efficiently.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oETjDJ

Nemours Research aims to find new way to improve type 1 diabetes compliance in adolescents

(Nemours) Only 21 percent of adolescents with type 1 diabetes maintain the recommended A1C levels, often related to psychological and behavioral impediments. Researchers from Nemours Children's Health System were awarded $1.8 million from the National Institutes of Health to develop and test a new Transdisciplinary Care Model, where an advanced practice nurse, psychologist, and dietitian will work together with the patient either in-person or through telemedicine visits to improve management of diabetes.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pZ12kT

'Alarmingly high' risk of death for people with opioid use disorder in general medical care

(Wolters Kluwer Health) Almost one-fifth of patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) in a large healthcare system died during a four-year follow-up period, reports a study in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pbpzAj

How fear of death affects human attitudes toward animal life

(University of Arizona) When reminded of death, humans become more likely to support the killing of animals, no matter how they feel about animal rights, University of Arizona researchers found. Psychology's terror management theory may explain why. The researchers' findings could also help scientists better understand the psychological motivations behind the murder and genocide of humans.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oEzPPA

Citizens can productively change politics by taking the law to court

(Santa Fe Institute) When public goods like clean water, air, and health care compete with funding for particular districts, citizen lawsuits can tilt the legislative process toward a middle ground.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oEyJUj

Grant among the first to address the mental health needs of Pacific Islanders

(University of California - Riverside) Although Pacific Islanders make up the third fastest growing racial group in the US, their mental health needs and attitudes regarding mental illness are poorly understood. Andrew Subica, an assistant professor of social medicine and population health in the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside, has received a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to conduct one of the first studies of mental health and mental illness among Pacific Islanders.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2paVyk6

Facing nightmare scenarios before discharge lifts confidence of parents of babies in NICU

(University at Buffalo) The key to improving confidence among parents of ill or premature infants may lie in simulated care, found new research led by University at Buffalo nursing researcher Deborah Raines.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2q7SGUE

ACP urges Congress to 'move away' from harmful changes to patient care in AHCA

(American College of Physicians) The American College of Physicians (ACP) today sent a four-page letter to leaders in both the House and Senate urging Congress to "move away" from the harmful changes to patient care that would occur if the American Health Care Act (AHCA) were to become law. Instead, the letter written on behalf of the 148,000-member organization, emphasized that Congress should work for bipartisan solutions to improve the Affordable Care Act (ACA) rather than repealing and replacing it.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2q7BoXA

The fading American dream: Economic mobility has nearly halved since 1940

(American Association for the Advancement of Science) The probability for children to attain a higher income than their parents has dropped dramatically -- from more than 90 percent for children born in 1940 to 50 percent for children born in the 1980s -- according to a new study analyzing US data.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oYuGp7

Military service boosts resilience, well-being among transgender veterans

(University of Washington) Transgender people make up a small percentage of active-duty US military personnel, but their experience in the service may yield long-term, positive effects on their mental health and quality of life. A study from the University of Washington finds that among transgender older adults, those who had served in the military reported fewer symptoms of depression and greater mental health-related quality of life.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pXarGZ

Most new to Medicaid have no other option if Affordable Care Act repealed

(Ohio State University) Almost everyone covered through Ohio's Medicaid expansion would have no other viable insurance option should the Affordable Care Act be repealed, a new study has found.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2ooenDc

The placebo effect can mend a broken heart too, CU Boulder study shows

(University of Colorado at Boulder) Feeling heartbroken from a recent breakup? Just believing you're doing something to help yourself get over your ex can influence brain regions associated with emotional regulation and lessen the perception of pain.That's the takeaway from a new University of Colorado Boulder study that measured the neurological and behavioral impacts the placebo effect had on a group of recently broken-hearted volunteers.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oESBY5

Pediatric clinic support boosts mental health for youth

(San Diego State University) A new study led by researchers at San Diego State University suggests that providing a brief behavioral therapy in the pediatric primary care setting is often better than referring to outpatient services for young people struggling with depression and anxiety. The brief intervention's benefits were especially noteworthy in Latino youth, more than three quarters of whom showed significant improvement.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pdML33

Brain circuit enables split-second decisions when cues conflict

(Massachusetts Institute of Technology) MIT researchers have identified a circuit in the brain that is critical for governing how we respond to conflicting environmental cues.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oE11hF

Hormone-influenced social strategies shape human social hierarchy, study shows

(University of Texas at Austin) In a game of chicken, the most aggressive players are fueled by testosterone and are more willing to harm others; and while it may be easy to demonize such hawkish behaviors, psychology researchers from The University of Texas at Austin say there is sound evolutionary reason for their existence.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pdphes

Russian scientists create new system of concrete building structures

(Peter the Great Saint-Petersburg Polytechnic University) Professor of the Institute of Civil Engineering of Peter the Great Saint-Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) Andrey Ponomarev and a graduate student Alexander Rassokhin developed a new construction technology. Scientists created several types of building blocks based on nanostructured high-strength lightweight concrete, reinforced with skew-angular composite coarse grids.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pWFi6t

Medicare recipients using rehabilitation services report major functional improvements

(University of Vermont) A new study showing significant patient-reported functional improvement among Medicare recipients who utilize rehabilitation services offers hope for America's 65-and-older set, which is expected to double by 2050. That's assuming Medicare -- the nation's largest federal health insurance program for seniors -- survives recent talk of its demise.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pdvqXY

Gallbladder cancer rates decreasing in men, not women; late-stage diagnosis on the rise

(University of Missouri-Columbia) Gallbladder cancer is a rare, but aggressive disease. A new study by University of Missouri School of Medicine researchers has found that gallbladder cancer rates have decreased in men in recent years but not in women. The researchers also found that more people are being diagnosed with late-stage disease.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pWL47W

Physicians vastly underestimate patients' willingness to share sexual orientation, study finds

(Johns Hopkins Medicine) A study that surveyed a national sample of emergency department health care providers and adult patients suggests that patients are substantially more willing to disclose their sexual orientation than health care workers believe.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pWRzHP

Study: Stressing about finances can be harmful to a baby's health

(MediaSource) It's normal for expectant moms to worry about how their new arrival will affect their family's budget -- but a new study shows how financial stress can affect the health of the baby. Researchers found that pregnancy-related anxiety was one reason why women experiencing financial stress deliver babies of lower birth weight.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pXUjHR

LGB and straight patients more willing to disclose sexual orientation than providers expect

(Brigham and Women's Hospital) A new publication from the EQUALITY Study highlights the discordant views of patients and providers on the topic of collecting SO information in the Emergency Department (ED). The results were published online in JAMA Internal Medicine on April 24, 2017.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pY5ZdE

After the death of a friend, healing in a human social network

(University of California - San Diego) The first large-scale study of recovery and resilience after a death in a friend group -- based on analysis of interactions in 15,000 anonymized networks on Facebook -- finds that when a friend dies, we get closer to that person's friends. The social network repairs itself in ways that keep our total connectedness the same.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oDSwTF

Growing body of evidence supports use of mind-body therapies in breast cancer treatment

(Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health) In newly updated clinical guidelines from the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO), researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and colleagues analyzed which integrative treatments are most effective and safe for patients with breast cancer. This systematic review adds to the growing literature on integrative therapies for patients with breast cancer and other cancer populations.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2p9NTCO

A cancer in the family: One spouse's diagnosis can lower household income

(University of Georgia) Caring for a husband or wife with cancer significantly diminishes family income, according to researchers from the University of Georgia, who tracked changes in employment and income among working-age couples in Canada.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pXQliG

'Race tests' may be fueling segregation in white evangelical churches

(Wiley) A new study explores why nominally welcoming churches remain racially segregated in the post-civil rights era. The reason may be due to clergy and congregants in white evangelical churches who execute what the authors term 'race tests' on incoming people of color.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2p9QNYc

Link found between financial strain and low-birth-weight babies

(Ohio State University) A financially strapped pregnant woman's worries about the arrival and care of her little one could contribute to birth of a smaller, medically vulnerable infant, a new study suggests.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oEg6QY

Mothers' relationship happiness may influence infant fussiness

(Penn State) How happy a mother is in her relationship and the social support she receives may affect the risk of infant colic, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oE98eY

MOOCs and books initiative launched by Springer and Federica Weblearning

(Springer) Springer is partnering with Federica Weblearning, which is an academic platform devoted to innovation, experimentation and the dissemination of multimedia distance learning. The collaboration allows authors and lecturers several options of preparing both a textbook and a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) on a particular topic. This initiative allows Springer to further strengthen its expertise in textbook publishing, and offer its authors and customers an enhanced pedagogical experience.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pXyDM1

Can household routines and self-regulation in early childhood prevent later obesity?

(Springer) Toddlers who go to bed at regular times, and are better able to control and regulate their own emotions, are less likely to develop into obese pre-teens. This is according to a study led by Sarah Anderson of The Ohio State University College of Public Health, in Springer Nature's International Journal of Obesity.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oDJRAt

Elsevier announces the launch of Personalized Medicine in Psychiatry

(Elsevier) Elsevier, the information analytics company specializing in science and health, today announced the launch of Personalized Medicine in Psychiatry, a new journal dedicated to advancing basic, clinical and therapeutic knowledge of personalized medicine in psychiatry.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pXKmtS

Women in a tenure committee may even make it more difficult for a woman to get a job

(Aalto University) Having women in scientific committees may decrease women's opportunities to get a nomination for a professor. According to a study by researchers in Aalto University, Finland, male evaluators become less favorable toward female candidates as soon as a female evaluator joins the committee. At the same time, female evaluators are not significantly more favorable toward female candidates.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oDEkLi

The economic elite still call the shots for financial policy

(University of Helsinki) According to a dissertation at the University of Helsinki, multinational elites continue to be committed to an interconnected global economy characterized by the free movement of the factors of production. The collapse of this liberal international order is still unlikely, despite recent geopolitical tensions and the rise of populist leaders, claims the study.MSocSc Markus Ojala's dissertation research focuses on the World Economic Forum and the Financial Times as central forums of elite communication. Ojala examined 11 years of issues of the Financial Times.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2onqctA

Stand Up To Cancer awards $1M to 4 research teams through Phillip A. Sharp Awards

(Entertainment Industry Foundation) SU2C awarded $250k to each of four teams of SU2C-affiliated scientists who have not previously worked together: René Bernards, Ph.D., Netherlands Cancer Institute, and Siwen Hu-Lieskovan, M.D., Ph.D., UCLA; Matthew Levy, Ph.D., Albert Einstein CoM and Cassian Yee, M.D., MD Anderson Cancer Center; David T. Ting, M.D., Massachusetts General Hospital and Shelley Berger, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania; and Matthew Vander Heiden, M.D., Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Melissa Skala, Ph.D., Morgridge Institute for Research.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oDInHu

Recommendation against inhaled flu vaccine is good -- for now

(University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences) Recent federal recommendations against offering the inhaled nasal influenza vaccine due to lack of effectiveness could lead to more flu illness in the US if the inhaled vaccine becomes effective again or if not having the choice of the needle-less vaccine substantially reduces immunization rates, according to a new analysis led by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oE3ppi

Alternating skimpy sleep with sleep marathons hurts attention, creativity in young adults

(Baylor University) Skimping on sleep, followed by 'catch-up' days with long snoozes, is tied to worse cognition -- both in attention and creativity -- in young adults, in particular those tackling major projects, Baylor University researchers have found.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pcXTxh

University of Louisville researchers find readiness of public access AEDs alarmingly low

(University of Louisville) Brad Sutton, M.D., and colleagues find that regions where there is a high degree of unregistered automated external defibrillators also show a much greater chance that these devices will fail if needed.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pcSIgP

Facebook plays vital role in reducing government corruption, researchers find

(Virginia Tech) In new research, Sudipta Sarangi of the Virginia Tech Department of Economics, analyzed data from more than 150 countries, showing the more Facebook penetrates public usage, the higher the likelihood of government corruption meeting protest.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2onq0dE

Research finds new info about higher number of male babies of Indian-born women in Canada

(St. Michael's Hospital) The researchers who reported last year that more male babies than expected were being born to Indian-born women living in Canada have now found the numbers are driven by women whose mother tongue is Punjabi and, to a lesser extent, Hindi.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pc9ZGF

Sunday 23 April 2017

Genetics are key to hormone therapy lowering risk of broken bones in older women

(University at Buffalo) Women at the highest genetic risk for fracture benefit the most from hormone therapy, according to a first-of-its-kind study led by researchers at the University at Buffalo.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2p7UU74

Nurse practitioners are not regularly assessing brain health and need standardized assessment tools to regularly conduct critical brain health assessments

(Amplify Public Affairs) WomenAgainstAlzheimer's and the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health are releasing survey findings showing that a significant number of nurse practitioners in women's health do not raise brain health issues with patients and need more education and tools to make brain health assessments a regular occurrence.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pVAUHx

Little kids' regular bedtimes and ability to regulate emotions may lessen obesity risk

(Ohio State University) Family structure including regular bedtimes, mealtimes and limited screen time appear to be linked to better emotional health in preschoolers, and that might lower the chances of obesity later, a new study suggests.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pVfTN6

Conservation not an effective tool for reducing infectious disease in people, study finds

(University of Washington) A new study finds that improved human health is not a benefit of conservation -- at least when health is measured through the lens of infectious disease. The paper analyzed the relationship between infectious diseases and their environmental, demographic and economic drivers in dozens of countries over 20 years.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pUKeeG

Altered immune cells may both contribute to preeclampsia and offer new hope for treatment

(Experimental Biology 2017) In a new study presented today at the APS annual meeting at Experimental Biology 2017, researchers have found that the immune system's natural killer (NK) cells activate and change in response to placental ischemia. Disrupting these altered cells seems to blunt some of the dangerous complications of the condition, including high blood pressure (hypertension) and inflammation in the mother and growth restriction in the fetus.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pqWzru

Timing and duration matters for school lunch and recess

(Experimental Biology 2017) Researchers find that the duration and timing of lunch and recess is related to food choices and the physical activity of school children. These findings could help schools make policies that promote healthier school lunches and increased physical activity during recess.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pTzIVn

Totally bizarre facts about the star-nosed mole

(Experimental Biology 2017) In a new synthesis of anatomy research, scientists showcase the surprising, record-breaking and just plain weird adaptations of the star-nosed mole. The animal eats faster and sports a more sensitive touch organ than any other mammal, is the first mammal known to smell underwater and offers fascinating insights about the brain-body interface.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pSYLoC

Saturday 22 April 2017

New research sheds light on treating bloodstream infections with fewer side effects

(European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases) Two presentations at the 27th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) from the INCREMENT study shed light on ways to treat bloodstream infections with fewer side effects and without the need for antimicrobials of 'last resort'. One of the studies is published simultaneously in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2q2hzkg

Could genetics influence what we like to eat?

(Experimental Biology 2017) Gene variants could affect food preferences in healthy people, according to a new study. The findings could lead to new strategies that make it easier for people to stick to an optimal diet.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2poR2S9

4 exciting advances in food and nutrition research

(Experimental Biology 2017) New discoveries tied to how food affects our body and why we make certain food choices could help inform nutrition plans and policies that encourage healthy food choices. The Experimental Biology 2017 meeting (EB 2017) will showcase groundbreaking research in food policy, nutrition and the biochemistry of food.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2p6wInJ

Four exciting diabetes and obesity research discoveries

(Experimental Biology 2017) With more than one-third of adults in the US considered obese, researchers are searching for new ways to treat obesity and associated health problems such as type 2 diabetes. The Experimental Biology 2017 meeting (EB 2017) will showcase new insights into the causes of obesity and research that could inform new strategies for losing weight.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pOW6ME

Friday 21 April 2017

Long-term treatment of decompensated cirrhosis with human albumin improves survival

(European Association for the Study of the Liver) Results from the ANSWER study showed that long-term administration of human albumin improves the survival rate of patients with decompensated cirrhosis. The study, presented at The International Liver Congress™ 2017 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, demonstrated that treatment with human albumin also improved the management of ascites (accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity) and quality of life, and reduced the incidence of severe complications of the disease and the need for hospitalization.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2q0Pqdw

Cold weather & fewer sun hours are associated with increased rates of alcoholic cirrhosis

(European Association for the Study of the Liver) New data presented at The International Liver Congress™ 2017 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, suggests that colder and less sunny regions of the world have higher rates of alcoholic cirrhosis, a disease caused by excessive drinking which results in irreversible scarring of the liver. An international team of scientists found that every increase in temperature of one degree Celsius was linked with a decrease in the alcohol-attributable fraction of cirrhosis of 0.3 percent.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2p5IE8X

Trial of fibrate therapy in primary biliary cholangitis shows treatment is well tolerated

(European Association for the Study of the Liver) The results of the BEZURSO study, found that bezafibrate in combination with UDCA normalized prognostic markers of liver disease in patients with PBC with an inadequate response to UDCA. The study, presented at The International Liver Congress™ 2017 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, showed that the bezafibrate and UDCA combination therapy was well tolerated, normalized prognostic biochemical parameters, improved fatigue and itching, and prevented progression of liver stiffness and ELF score, which are predictors of liver failure and mortality.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2q12gIF

Penn: 'Atlas for the end of the world' offers a path to protecting biodiversity

(University of Pennsylvania) In a forum on global urbanization, biodiversity and policy held at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design April 21, Richard Weller, Martin and Margy Meyerson Chair of Urbanism and Professor and Chair of Landscape Architecture, will present the results of a three-year research project entitled Atlas for the End of the World, which will be published online at http://ift.tt/2ocrCXP.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pNMNzv

Promising mouse model for a devastating genetic deficiency

(RIKEN) Researchers from the Global Research Cluster in Japan have developed a potential mouse model for the genetic disorder known as an NGLY1 deficiency. Published in the journal PLOS Genetics, the study describes how a second knockout produces mice that survive after birth and have symptoms that are analogous to humans with NGLY1-deficiency.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oZR5AJ

LSUHealthNO research shows fish oil component helps damaged brain & retina cells survive

(Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center) A team of researchers led by Nicolas Bazan, MD, PhD, Boyd Professor and Director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, has shown for the first time that NDP1, a signaling molecule made from DHA, can trigger the production of a protective protein against toxic free radicals and injury in the brain and retina.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pN5EdI

Two-dimensional melting of hard spheres experimentally unravelled after 60 years

(University of Oxford) After extensive research scientists from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Oxford have found experimental evidence of melting in two-dimensional substances. Findings from the study could be used to support technological improvements to thin film materials such as graphene.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oZHaLC

BMC receives W.K. Kellogg Grant to expand baby-friendly hospital initiative in Mississippi

(Boston University Medical Center) Boston Medical Center (BMC) has received a $1.5 million three-year grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to increase breastfeeding rates, reduce disparities and improve maternity care practices in Mississippi through the Mississippi Communities and Hospitals Advancing Maternity Practices (Mississippi CHAMPS) project.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pN4bEd

Making bins more convenient boosts recycling and composting rates

(University of British Columbia) Want to recycle or compost more? Try moving the bins closer, new UBC research suggests.The study shows that placing bins 1.5 meters away from suite doors drastically boosts recycling and composting rates by 141 per cent. The findings highlight how small changes in convenience can have a big impact on performance.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pMSo95

New digital map shows changing racial diversity of America

(University of Cincinnati) A UC geography professor built the most detailed map of racial diversity yet to study the way America's neighborhoods are changing.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pZtijN

Daring declaration

(Harvard University) After discovering a highly rare copy of the Declaration of Independence in a small records office in the south of England, Harvard researchers were able to date the document to the 1780s, and say it sheds light on the tumultuous politics of the era just after the Revolutionary War.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pLtyn3

New survey -- Snapchat & Instagram are most popular social media platforms among American teens

(NORC at the University of Chicago) A new nationally representative survey of American teenagers age 13-17 finds that teens have shifted their favored social media platforms and are now most likely to use Instagram and Snapchat. The study by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research also found that while almost all teens -- 91 percent -- use the regular text messaging tool on their mobile phones, 40 percent of teens also use messaging applications like Kik, WhatsApp, or Line on a smartphone.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2p3r6KX

Weight expectations: Context and distraction skew what we predict and remember

(Michigan Technological University) Context can alter something as basic as our ability to estimate the weights of simple objects. As we learn to manipulate those objects, context can even tease out the interplay of two memory systems and shows how distraction can affect multitasking.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pLwVdM

That's what friends are for

(British Psychological Society) Friendships play a vital role in helping people get through substantial challenges in life, according to a new study.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2obWTKw

AATS consensus statement helps manage treatment of coronary anomalies

(American Association for Thoracic Surgery) Researchers are still trying to fully understand anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA) and its relationship to adverse health outcomes in humans, especially children. Using the most up-to-date literature, as well as the input of leading experts in the field, the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) has released practical guidelines for the identification and treatment of AAOCA, including an overview of the latest data surrounding population-based risk.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pMeUig

Opioid addiction increases likelihood of death tenfold in general healthcare settings

(University of California - Los Angeles) People who are addicted to opioids and receiving their medical care in a general health care setting were more than 10 times as likely to die during a four-year period than people without substance abuse problems, UCLA researchers have found.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pM43oI

The protein CHIP unfurls anti-aging activity

(University of Cologne) Not only does our way of life determine how long we live but so too does our genetic material. Of particular importance here is a genetic program that is controlled by the insulin receptor. A team of researchers from the Universities of Cologne and Bonn has now discovered how protein aggregation affects this genetic program and thus triggers aging. The results have now been published in the journal 'Cell'.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oYNzq8

Nonlinear waves in bounded media

(World Scientific) Professors Mortell and Seymour give a step-by-step synopsis of their forty-five years of research on nonlinear waves. This is the first book to systematically address propagation and reflection of nonlinear hyperbolic and dispersive waves in bounded and stratified media. Acoustic oscillations in shaped resonators and the sloshing of fluids in tanks are important physical problems examined in detail.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oRcnlQ

ALIVER -- an EU funded project to develop a liver dialysis machine revealed at ILC 2017

(European Association for the Study of the Liver) The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) today announced that ALIVER will be unveiled at The International Liver Congress™ in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The €7.8 million project is funded by the EU Horizon 2020 research program. Work started on ALIVER on Jan. 1, 2017 and will end on Sept. 30, 2020.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2otAIvo

UAB performs Alabama's first transplant where cadaver liver is 'kept alive' outside body

(University of Alabama at Birmingham) A new clinical trial seeks to determine whether a machine that pumps warm, oxygenated blood in cadaver kidneys outside of the body can improve quality of the organ prior to transplant.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oRmYNF

Economists put price to resources damaged in BP oil spill

(University of California - San Diego) The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was the largest maritime oil spill in US history. Almost seven years to the day after the start of the environmental disaster, researchers have published a price tag of the damage done to natural resources: $17.2 billion.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oYpiAP

Origins of Indonesian hobbits finally revealed

(Australian National University) The most comprehensive study on the bones of Homo floresiensis, a species of tiny human discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2003, has found that they most likely evolved from an ancestor in Africa and not from Homo erectus as has been widely believed.

from EurekAlert! - Archaeology http://ift.tt/2oYmwLF

WHO's Global Hepatitis Report sets baseline to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030

(World Hepatitis Alliance) The World Hepatitis Alliance today welcomes the publication of the first-ever Global Hepatitis Report by the World Health Organization (WHO), which includes new data on the prevalence and global burden of viral hepatitis.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2otj8Yi

Thursday 20 April 2017

Blood donor screening for hepatitis E reveals incidence is higher than previously reported

(European Association for the Study of the Liver) Results from a study presented today found that the incidence of HEV RNA in asymptomatic blood donors from Germany is higher than previously reported. The study, presented at The International Liver Congress™ 2017 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, showed that 0.11 percent of donations tested were HEV RNA positive and that one of the asymptomatic HEV RNA positive donors had previously donated HEV RNA positive blood products, which were then transfused into nine immunocompromised patients.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oswmVa

Fecal microbiota transplants improve cognitive impairment caused by severe liver disease

(European Association for the Study of the Liver) A study presented today found that fecal transplantation of bacteria from one healthy donor into patients that suffer from hepatic encephalopathy, is safe and improves cognitive function compared with standard of care treatment for the condition. Presented at The International Liver Congress™ 2017 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, the study results also demonstrated that the number of hospitalizations following fecal transplantation plus antibiotics was two, compared to the standard of care arm, which was 11.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2oamBir

Saiful Chowdhury named ASMS 'emerging investigator' for work linked to cancer, aging

(University of Texas at Arlington) The American Society of Mass Spectrometry has named Saiful Chowdhury, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry at The University of Texas at Arlington, as one of the leading emerging investigators worldwide for his work developing new techniques using mass spectrometry to differentiate protein modifications linked to cancer and aging.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pHWR9Y

Summit to examine issues confronting Great Lakes

(University of Illinois at Chicago) 'Untrouble the Waters' features Great Lakes mayors, environmental advocates and community leaders who will address critical issues impacting the Great Lakes region.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2p0rBFi

Is soda bad for your brain? (and is diet soda worse?)

(Boston University) New research suggests that excess sugar -- especially the fructose in sugary drinks -- might damage your brain. Researchers at Boston University found that people who drink sugary beverages frequently are more likely to have poorer memory, smaller overall brain volume, and a significantly smaller hippocampus. A follow-up study found that people who drank diet soda daily were almost three times as likely to develop stroke and dementia when compared to those who did not.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2pI2lS9

Effects of alcoholism on the brain's reward system may be different in women than in men

(Massachusetts General Hospital) A collaborative study between researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston University School of Medicine has found evidence implying that alcoholism may have different effects on the reward system in the brains of women than it does in men.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2o8MBuu

Study shows hearing tests miss common form of hearing loss

(University at Buffalo) Traditional clinical hearing tests often fail to diagnose patients with a common form of inner ear damage that might otherwise be detected by more challenging behavioral tests, according to the findings of a University at Buffalo-led study published in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2or5THD