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Science News Archive January 2014 - Page 28


Page 28 of 28

Under pressure

A recent study found that guide dogs experience the most tension on their chest when wearing a harness, with pressure equivalent to up to 10% of their weight. Flexible harnesses are recommended to minimize stress and promote healthy exercise for guide dogs.

SourceUniversity of Veterinary Medicine -- Vienna·JournalThe Veterinary Journal·DateJan 2, 2014

Environment affects an organism's complexity

Researchers found that complex landscapes led to more complex organisms due to the cost of morphological complexity. The study used a program to simulate the evolution of virtual creatures in various landscapes.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Computational Biology·DateJan 2, 2014

Roses are red -- why some petunias are blue

Scientists discover novel proton-pumping pathway in plant cells that allows for hyperacidification of vacuoles, resulting in blue flower colors. This breakthrough could lead to new color varieties and applications in fruit and wine production.

SourceCell Press·JournalCell Reports·DateJan 2, 2014

Odor receptors discovered in lungs

Scientists have found odor receptors in lung tissue that can detect cigarette smoke and other irritants, triggering a response to constrict airways. These receptors, called pulmonary neuroendocrine cells, may be responsible for the chemical hypersensitivity characteristic of respiratory diseases such as COPD.

SourceWashington University in St. Louis·JournalAmerican Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology·DateJan 2, 2014

Want a good night's sleep in the new year? Quit smoking

New research published in The FASEB Journal found that tobacco smoke disrupts the circadian clock function in both lungs and brains, leading to reduced productivity, mood disorders, and depression. Quitting smoking may improve sleep quality and cognitive function by targeting a specific pathway involving the anti-aging molecule SIRT1.

Study on pregnancy and alcohol fails to take psychological factors into account

A recent study by Janni Niclasen found that children of mothers who consumed small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy showed improved emotional and behavioral outcomes at age seven. However, the study also highlighted the importance of considering psychological factors such as attachment between mother and child. The research, conduct...

SourceUniversity of Copenhagen·JournalJournal of Epidemiology and Community Health·DateJan 2, 2014

Novel noninvasive therapy prevents breast cancer formation in mice

A novel breast-cancer therapy has been developed that partially reverses the cancerous state in cultured breast tumor cells and prevents cancer development in mice. The therapy uses a sophisticated method to identify genes that drive cancer and blocks them using RNA interference, offering new hope for early-stage treatment without surg...

SourceWyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard·JournalScience Translational Medicine·DateJan 1, 2014

Alcohol, tobacco, drug use far higher in severely mentally ill

Researchers analyzed nearly 20,000 people with severe psychiatric illness, finding that 30% engaged in binge drinking, 75% were regular smokers, and 50% used marijuana regularly. These findings are concerning because individuals with severe mental illness tend to die younger due to health problems caused by chronic substance use.

SourceWashU Medicine·JournalJAMA Psychiatry·DateJan 1, 2014