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Science News for August 7, 1997


Music Videos Glamorize Tobacco And Alcohol Use

Research found that music videos on MTV portrayed tobacco use (25.7%) and alcohol consumption (26.9%) more frequently than other networks, with a significant association between sexuality and alcohol use. The study also highlighted the importance of media in shaping adolescents' attitudes towards smoking and drinking.

SourceAtrium Health Wake Forest Baptist·JournalAmerican Journal of Public Health·DateAug 7, 1997

Stealth Caterpillar Evades Trees' Detection

Researchers at Penn State discovered that forest tent caterpillars can evade trees' defense mechanisms by defoliating branches too rapidly for the tree to respond. This social eating pattern may be their protection against a tree's natural defenses, making them chemically invisible to the tree.

SourcePenn State·DateAug 7, 1997

Single Mechanism Seen To Underlie Group Of Neurodegenerative Diseases: Mutant Proteins Form Insoluble Masses In The Nuclei Of Neurons

Scientists have discovered a common mechanism underlying neurodegenerative diseases, where mutant proteins accumulate in nuclear spaces, recruiting normal proteins and disrupting cellular processes. This finding suggests a single disease mechanism may be responsible for several afflictions.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania School of Medicine·JournalNeuron·DateAug 7, 1997