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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...
Stress may delay brain development in early years
Stress may affect brain development in children -- altering growth of a specific piece of the brain and abilities associated with it -- according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Studies show new drug to be effective in treating skin cancer, Stanford researchers say
A new drug has been shown to be effective in treating and preventing the most common cancer in the United States: basal cell carcinoma skin cancer, according to a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine to be published June 7.
Study links PTSD to hidden head injuries suffered in combat
Even when brain injury is so subtle that it can only be detected by an ultra-sensitive imaging test, the injury might predispose soldiers in combat to post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study.
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...
Study: Why hot, humid air triggers symptoms in patients with mild asthma
The study, appearing in the June print issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, found that patients who inhaled an asthma drug before breathing in hot, humid air were able to prevent airway constriction that volunteers without asthma did not experience in the same environment.
The power of suggestion: What we expect influences our behavior, for better or worse
A lucky rabbit foot. A glass of wine. A pill. What do these things all have in common? Their effects -- whether we do well on a test, whether we mingle at the cocktail party, whether we feel better -- all depend on the power of suggestion.
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.
Tocilizumab is more effective than adalimumab at reducing signs and symptoms of RA
Data presented today at EULAR 2012, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, demonstrates that tocilizumab monotherapy is more effective than adalimumab monotherapy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis based on change from baseline in DAS28 at week 24.
Today's climate more sensitive to carbon dioxide than in past 12 million years
Until now, studies of Earth's climate have documented a strong correlation between global climate and atmospheric carbon dioxide; that is, during warm periods, high concentrations of CO2 persist, while colder times correspond to relatively low levels.
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.
UC Davis scientists find new role for P53 genetic mutation -- initiation of prostate cancer
A team of UC Davis investigators has found that a genetic mutation may play an important role in the development of prostate cancer.
Variations in sex steroid gene expression can predict aggressive behaviors
An Indiana University biologist has shown that natural variation in measures of the brain's ability to process steroid hormones predicts functional variation in aggressive behavior.
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.
Antioxidant shows promise as therapy for some features of autism
Promising new data in the treatment of autism was published Friday June 1 in an international journal, Biological Psychiatry. The research shows an antioxidant supplement, PharmaNAC, can help reduce irritability and repetitive behaviors in children with autism.
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.
Between the ear and brain, an orderly orchestra of synapses
The brain receives information from the ear in a surprisingly orderly fashion, according to a University at Buffalo study scheduled to appear June 6 in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Biomarker levels associated with increased risk of death following noncardiac surgery
Certain levels of the biomarker troponin T (a protein) measured in the first three days following noncardiac surgery are associated with an increased risk of death within 30 days, according to a study in the June 6 issue of JAMA.