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Science News Archive November 2005 - Page 13


Page 13 of 16

Social learning in noncolonial insects?

Researchers found that wood crickets hide more when others have experienced danger and continue to do so after they are gone. This suggests that social learning is possible in insects without large brains, questioning the assumption that it requires superior cognitive abilities.

SourceCell Press·JournalCurrent Biology·DateNov 7, 2005

Success tastes sweet for scientists

Researchers at The University of Manchester and The University of Maryland School of Medicine have made a breakthrough in understanding what makes a substance taste sweet. They found that sugar interacts with two types of taste receptors on the tongue, while some synthetic sweeteners only interact with one receptor. This discovery has ...

SourceUniversity of Manchester·JournalCurrent Biology·DateNov 7, 2005

Study reveals surprising attitudes about research involving adults with Alzheimer's

A recent study found that 90% of adults with Alzheimer's disease would allow a family member to enroll them in studies with mild to medium risks. Surrogate decision-making for more invasive procedures like gene transfers and brain tissue sampling was also widely accepted, but participants were less willing to participate themselves. Th...

New study shows link between prolonged bottle-feeding and iron deficiency

A new study reveals a strong association between prolonged bottle-feeding and iron deficiency among Mexican-American infants, affecting up to 17% of this population. The longer children were bottle-fed, the higher their risk of iron deficiency, with 36.8% of Mexican American children still bottle-fed at 24-48 months.

SourceMedical College of Wisconsin·JournalArchives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine·DateNov 7, 2005

Link between maternal malaria, pregnancy history, and infant risk

Children whose mothers had placental malaria were more likely to get sick with the disease themselves. First-time mothers' infants showed a surprising lower risk of developing malaria, regardless of their mother's infection status. These findings suggest that both previous pregnancies and placental malaria impact infant susceptibility.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Medicine·DateNov 7, 2005

Finding the mind's eye

Researchers identified areas of the brain where neuronal activity decreases when objects are made invisible, suggesting a relationship between conscious experience and visual perception. The findings may advance understanding of the brain's interaction with the eye and its importance in medicine, neurology, and psychology.

SourceDartmouth College·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateNov 7, 2005

Common viruses may cause cancer

A recent study at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory found that certain viral infections may cause cancer by fusing cells, leading to aneuploidy and potentially tumor formation. The researchers discovered that specific gene mutations in human cells can make them more susceptible to this process.

SourceCold Spring Harbor Laboratory·JournalJournal of Cell Biology·DateNov 7, 2005

Anxiety disorders increase risk of suicidal thoughts and attempts

A recent study found that anxiety disorders more than doubled the risk of suicidal thoughts and tripled the risk of suicide attempts in individuals with mood disorders. The presence of any anxiety disorder in combination with a mood disorder was also associated with a higher likelihood of suicide attempts.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalArchives of General Psychiatry·DateNov 7, 2005

Malaria risk – it's not all in the genes

Researchers found that household-related factors account for a similar level of variation in susceptibility to malaria as host genetic factors. Children living in high-risk households had twice as many infections per year as those in low-risk households.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Medicine·DateNov 7, 2005

Markers found for bacterial vaginosis

Researchers have identified three newly recognized bacteria highly specific to bacterial vaginosis, a condition affecting up to 10% of pregnant women. The study aims to understand why lesbians and bisexual women are more likely to experience BV and develop strategies to prevent its recurrence.

SourceUniversity of Washington·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·DateNov 7, 2005

Small-bowel obstruction

Researchers found that patients with partial small-bowel obstruction who received oral therapy had a higher success rate of treatment without surgery (91% vs. 76%) and shorter hospital stays compared to those receiving standard care alone. The study suggests a new management strategy for similar patients, leading to reduced surgical in...

SourceCanadian Medical Association Journal·JournalCanadian Medical Association Journal·DateNov 7, 2005

Turning sensation into perception

A study by Romo and de Lafuente found that the medial premotor cortex plays a crucial role in sensory perception, particularly in touch. The researchers used macaque monkeys as subjects and found that activity in this region correlated with the intensity of the stimulus, regardless of whether the monkey consciously felt it or not.

SourceHoward Hughes Medical Institute·JournalNature Neuroscience·DateNov 6, 2005

Quantum chaos

Scientists have found experimental evidence of quantum chaos in a system with freely dispersing components. The researchers replicated an historical experiment, demonstrating photoelectric effect and observing Ericson fluctuations.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateNov 4, 2005

HIV-infected adults in Botswana respond positively to ARV therapy public treatment program

The study found that more than 95% of HIV-infected people in resource-poor nations can benefit from combination ARV treatment, leading to improved CD4 counts, decreased viral load, and weight gain. The results underscore the importance of monitoring drug tolerability and toxicity to ensure patients' quality of life and adherence rates.

SourceHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health·JournalJAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes·DateNov 4, 2005

A sense of place

A new study examines how publicly funded organizations used information and communications technologies to shape regional identities and overcome social, economic, and political problems. The research reveals the widespread adoption of ICTs in 'place-making' projects across Europe.

SourceUniversity of Chicago Press Journals·JournalCurrent Anthropology·DateNov 4, 2005

Study broadens understanding of enzymes linked to tumor promoting molecule

Researchers have discovered that sphingosine kinases SphK1 and SphK2 have opposing roles in regulating ceramide biosynthesis, with SphK2 potentially sensitizing cancer cells to chemotherapy. This finding may lead to the development of more effective chemotherapeutic agents targeting specific sphingosine kinase without affecting others.

SourceVirginia Commonwealth University·JournalJournal of Biological Chemistry·DateNov 4, 2005

The 'spread of our species'

Researchers suggest that modern human expansion in South Asia was a complex process, with evidence indicating diversity of behavioral responses and competition driving the demise of indigenous archaic hominids. The study challenges the idea of a sudden 'revolution' in modern human behavior 50,000 years ago.

SourceUniversity of Chicago Press Journals·JournalCurrent Anthropology·DateNov 4, 2005