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191,281 articles from EurekAlert

Stealth behavior allows cockroaches to seemingly vanish

Cockroaches, known for their stealth behavior, have a strategy up their sleeve only recently discovered by UC Berkeley biologists. They are able to quickly disappear under ledges by flinging themselves off at full speed, grabbing the edge with hook-like claws on their hind legs, and swinging like a pendulum to land upside down underneath. Such a behavior was reproduced by a six-legged robot using...

Study predicts imminent irreversible planetary collapse

Using scientific theories, toy ecosystem modeling and paleontological evidence as a crystal ball, 18 scientists, including one from Simon Fraser University, predict we're on a much worse collision course with Mother Nature than currently thought. In 'Approaching a state-shift in Earth's biosphere,' a paper just published in Nature, the authors, whose expertise span a multitude of disciplines,...

Study reports seizure-freedom in 68 percent of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy patients

A 25-year follow-up study reveals that 68 percent of patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy became seizure-free, with nearly 30 percent no longer needing antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment. Findings published today in Epilepsia, a journal of the International League Against Epilepsy, report that the occurrence of generalized tonic-clonic seizures preceded by bilateral myoclonic seizures, and...

Study: Insomnia linked to hypertension

People with insomnia may now have one more thing to keep them up at night: an increased likelihood of developing hypertension, according to a study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. The study will be presented Tuesday, June 12, at the Sleep 2012 Conference in Boston.

Study: When highly skilled immigrants move in, highly skilled natives move out

In the first study to measure the temporary impact of highly skilled immigrants on native populations, University of Notre Dame and Fairfield University researchers found that when highly skilled immigrants move to a city or town, the US natives in that area who are also highly skilled tend to move away. However, the study found that the same immigrant group's presence decreases the chances that...

The real culprit behind hardened arteries? Stem cells, says landmark study

Vascular diseases are actually a type of stem cell disease, according to a new study by UC Berkeley scientists. The discovery challenges a long-standing belief that smooth muscle cells contribute to clogged blood vessels, and could revolutionize research into therapies for heart attacks and strokes, which account for one in three deaths in the United States.

To quit smoking, try eating more veggies and fruits

Eating more fruits and vegetables may help you quit smoking and stay tobacco-free for longer, according to a new study published online by University at Buffalo researchers.It is the first longitudinal study on the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and smoking cessation.

Too few salmon is far worse than too many boats for killer whales

Not having enough Chinook salmon to eat stresses out southern resident killer whales in the Pacific Northwest more than having boats nearby, according to hormone levels of whales summering in the waters of Puget Sound and the straits of Georgia and Juan de Fuca. In lean times, however, the stress level normally associated with boats becomes more pronounced, further underscoring the importance of...

Tracing the brain's connections

A team of researchers led by Associate Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology Naoshige Uchida are using a genetically-modified version of the rabies virus to create the first-ever comprehensive list of inputs that connect directly to dopamine neurons in two regions of the brain, the ventral tegmental area, known for processing reward, and the substantia nigra, known for motor control.

Why belly fat isn't all bad

A fatty membrane in the belly called the omentum appears to play an important role in regulating the immune system. The finding could lead to new drugs for organ transplant patients and patients with auto-immune diseases.

Wiring the brain, through experience

As reported on June 7 in the journal Neuron, a team of researchers led by Jeff Lichtman, the Jeremy R. Knowles Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology, has found that just days before birth mice undergo an explosion of neuromuscular branching. At birth, the research showed, some muscle fibers are contacted by as many as ten nerve cells. Within days, however, all but one of those connections...


TUESDAY 5. JUNE 2012


Air pollution linked to chronic heart disease

Cardiac patients living in high pollution areas were found to be over 40 percent more likely to have a second heart attack when compared to patients living in low pollution areas, according to Dr. Yariv Gerber of Tel Aviv University.

Anxious girls' brains work harder

In a discovery that could help in the identification and treatment of anxiety disorders, Michigan State University scientists say the brains of anxious girls work much harder than those of boys.