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Science News Archive February 2012 - Page 7


Page 7 of 30

Fast-food menu calorie counts legally compliant but not as helpful to consumers as they should be

A study by Columbia University School of Nursing found that fast-food menu calorie counts are legally compliant, but the information is often unclear and difficult to interpret, particularly for low-income communities. The researchers developed a seven-item 'menu rating tool' to improve the usability of calorie postings.

SourceColumbia University Irving Medical Center·JournalJournal of Urban Health·DateFeb 23, 2012

Making droplets drop faster

Researchers at MIT have discovered new ways to pattern collecting surfaces to encourage droplets to form more rapidly, leading to improved efficiency in power plants and desalination systems. The findings also have potential applications in improving the performance of solar-power systems and computer chips.

Higher risk of autism among certain immigrant groups

A Swedish register study reveals that children born to certain immigrant groups have an increased risk of developing autism with intellectual disability. The study suggests that environmental factors may contribute to the development of autism, particularly for children whose mothers migrated just before or during pregnancy.

SourceKarolinska Institutet·JournalThe British Journal of Psychiatry·DateFeb 23, 2012

Underage drinking laws reduce future criminal behavior

A recent study found that strictly enforcing possession of alcohol under the legal age reduces the likelihood of teenagers engaging in alcohol-related crime as adults. Teens who experienced strict enforcement were arrested less frequently for vandalism and assaults as young adults compared to those with more lenient laws.

SourceSAGE·JournalSAGE Open·DateFeb 23, 2012

Voters overrate favorite candidates

A new study from Northwestern University suggests that people consistently believe their preferred candidate will win an election, even if they're behind in the polls. The false consensus effect, a psychological phenomenon, is thought to be driving this trend.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateFeb 23, 2012

Memory formation triggered by stem cell development

A study by RIKEN-MIT Center found that specific neurons in the dentate gyrus serve distinct roles in memory formation based on whether they were produced from young or old neural stem cells. This discovery could lead to new drug targets for treating memory impairments associated with PTSD and aging.

SourceRIKEN·JournalCell·DateFeb 23, 2012

Researchers confirm WIC breastfeeding rate data

Researchers verified that WIC administrative records accurately reflect breastfeeding practices among over 2000 low-income mothers. The study's findings provide a critical resource for nationwide breastfeeding surveillance and monitoring systems.

SourceSAGE·JournalJournal of Human Lactation·DateFeb 22, 2012

JCI online early table of contents: Feb. 22, 2012

Research identifies increased expression of Dyrk1a as a potential explanation for the increased risk of acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL) in children with Down syndrome. A candidate therapeutic target, small-molecule inhibitors of DYRK1A activity, have been proposed.

SourceJCI Journals·JournalJournal of Clinical Investigation·DateFeb 22, 2012

MOFs special review issue

Researchers analyzed over 4,000 studies on MOFs, concluding they have immense potential for various applications. The special issue of Chemical Reviews presents the latest advances and prospects for commercial applications of these materials.

SourceAmerican Chemical Society·JournalChemical Reviews·DateFeb 22, 2012

Broken hearts really hurt

Recent studies have found that physical and social pain are processed in the same brain regions, with shared emotional components. This overlap is validated by research, suggesting that people who experience social rejection may be more empathetic towards those with physical pain.

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalCurrent Directions in Psychological Science·DateFeb 22, 2012

Chronic stress in elephants can affect long-term behavior

Research on elephants in South Africa reveals chronic stress leads to 'refuge behavior,' changing space use and preferences. Higher physiological stress levels result in 20-43% lower land usage, highlighting the need for wildlife management projects to consider these effects.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS ONE·DateFeb 22, 2012

Research discovers potentially deadly fungus senses body's defenses to evade them

A research team has found that opportunistic fungi like Candida albicans can sense the immune status of host cells and adapt to evade immune system defenses. The study reveals that these fungi bind to a key immune signaling molecule, Interleukin 17A, allowing them to survive and even cause disease in immunosuppressed patients.

SourceLouisiana State University Health Sciences Center·JournalNature Communications·DateFeb 22, 2012

Ancient rock art found in Brazil

Researchers have discovered an extremely old anthropomorphic figure engraved in rock in Brazil, dating back to between 9,000 and 12,000 years ago. The find supports the hypothesis that humans settled the New World relatively early and suggests a diverse range of symbolic thinking among early American settlers.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS ONE·DateFeb 22, 2012

Climate change affects bird migration timing in North America

A recent study published in PLOS ONE found that climate change is affecting bird migration timing in North America, with species shifting their arrival times by as much as 3-6 days per degree Celsius. The study used citizen science data from amateur birdwatchers to analyze the effects of spring temperature warming on migration patterns.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS ONE·DateFeb 22, 2012

A faster way to catch cells

A new microfluidic device can isolate target cells much faster than existing devices, using a soft membrane with nanoscale pores to guide fluid and bring cells in contact with antibodies. This technology could be used for point-of-care diagnostics and personalized medicine applications, such as cancer diagnosis.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalBiophysical Journal·DateFeb 22, 2012

Education doesn't increase support for affirmative action among whites, minorities

A study by Geoffrey T. Wodtke finds that education does not increase support for affirmative action among whites and minorities, contradicting the common view that education is uniformly liberalizing. However, it does increase support for race-targeted job training. Education also has no effect on negative stereotyping among Asians.

SourceAmerican Sociological Association·JournalSocial Psychology Quarterly·DateFeb 22, 2012