Scientists found that genetically altered mice with altered neuropeptide Y (NPY) levels exhibited changes in alcohol consumption behavior. Mice lacking NPY drank more, while those with high NPY levels consumed less and were more sensitive to the sedative effects of alcohol.
The Azithromycin and Cardiac Events Study (ACES) investigates the role of Chlamydia pneumoniae in atherosclerosis. Researchers aim to determine if antibiotics can prevent complications of coronary artery disease, enrolling approximately 4,000 volunteers.
The Implicit Association Test has been taken by over 33,000 people, revealing strong automatic racial and age preferences. The most popular test is the self-esteem test, which shows an automatic preference for 'me' relative to 'them'.
The University of Washington is launching a doctoral program in astrobiology, funded by a $2 million NSF grant. Students will study organisms living in extreme conditions on Earth to prepare for finding life on Mars and Europa.
A new tool, the Implicit Association Test, measures unconscious components of prejudice, revealing automatic preferences and biases. The test has been used to demonstrate prejudice towards various racial, ethnic, and gender groups, highlighting the need for self-awareness and understanding.
A recent study shows that calcitonin-salmon nasal spray significantly reduces the incidence of new spinal fractures in postmenopausal women with existing osteoporosis. The treatment, which is currently indicated for women over 5 years past menopause and without estrogen replacement therapy options.
The Aerosonde successfully completed the 2,000-mile, 26-hour trans-Atlantic flight, becoming the smallest aircraft to cross the Atlantic. The achievement marks a significant milestone in autonomous aviation and demonstrates the potential of unmanned aircraft as workhorses for the next century.
University of Washington psychologists found a connection between mothers' morning sickness and infant salt preference. Babies whose mothers experienced moderate to severe nausea had a stronger preference for salty solutions, suggesting dehydration may imprint taste preferences during pregnancy.
The new technology enables doctors to assess pubic arch interference in minutes, allowing for better treatment decisions. It also reduces the need for expensive CT scans, which can cost up to $500 and take a week or more to obtain results.
Researchers aim to prove robotic planes can operate autonomously over the Atlantic Ocean, improving weather forecasting. The autonomous aircraft will gather meteorological data for improved forecast accuracy and potentially detect severe weather.
The Stardust mission, launched in February, will be the first mission since Apollo to return samples of space material to Earth for analysis. The spacecraft will encounter Wild 2, a comet that alters course among the inner planets, and trap small particles from its coma.
A new study suggests that people can forget instances of childhood sexual abuse through normal means, rather than relying on repression or 'recovered memories'. Events that are not well understood or frequently thought about are more difficult to retrieve from memory. The researchers found that people's views of themselves can be a pow...
A team of physicists from the University of Washington has found evidence that subatomic particles known as neutrinos have mass. The discovery, made in a deep underground laboratory, suggests that muon-neutrinos are changing into other types, indicating they must have mass.
A new University of Washington cable television channel, Traffic TV, will broadcast real-time rush-hour traffic updates starting June 1. The service provides live video footage of traffic choke points and estimated travel speeds along area highways.
Despite initial evidence of HIV-1 infection, researchers found no conclusive cases of transient infection among exposed infants. The study suggests laboratory contamination or mislabeling as the cause of false positive test results.
Researchers have created transgenic mice that can see over a range of about 360 nanometers, more than humans or old world primates. The mice will be used to investigate scientific questions related to the nervous system's adaptability and how neurons connect to new information.
A new study from the University of Washington found that generalists are more likely to provide primary care to elderly Medicare patients, suggesting an approach at the center of most managed-care plans. Specialists tend to restrict themselves to medical problems specific to their specialty and rarely immunize their patients.
Researchers found that annual mammograms and clinical breast exams can lead to high false-positive rates, causing unnecessary anxiety and costly follow-up tests. The study suggests that up to 16 million US women may experience a false-positive result after 10 years of screening.
A comprehensive study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that weight loss, not weight gain, is associated with higher mortality rates in seniors. Women with a body mass index of 20 or lower had a significantly higher mortality rate than others.
Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a new test to assess rapid decision-making skills under heavy information load. The test, called the Abstract Decision Making task, was found to be predictive of performance in jobs such as emergency dispatching and air traffic control.
The American Society of Gene Therapy will hold its inaugural annual meeting from May 28 through May 31 in Seattle, featuring sessions on gene therapy vectors and various diseases. Over 1,500 scientists are expected to attend, with a focus on education and collaboration.
University of Washington researchers successfully use a modified virus to perform novel gene replacement, targeting mutated genes with high accuracy. The new method achieves efficient gene correction, allowing for precise control over the expression of the corrected gene.
A recent study by Patricia Kramer suggests that early human ancestors like Lucy walked at a slow speed, similar to a leisurely stroll, allowing them to conserve energy. This efficient walking style enabled them to gather food and reproduce without excessive energy expenditure, particularly important for primate females.
Researchers discovered a vast collection of ancient stone tools and fragments in the Sahara Desert, revealing clues about the seasonal inhabitants. The stone artifacts suggest that the nomads moved in specific patterns through the desert, possibly using cattle to transport heavy sandstone boulders.
A recent study published in JAMA found that only 3.3% of white women and 0% of black women with breast cancer had disease-related BRCA1 mutations. The researchers conclude that widespread screening is not necessary for the general American population, but may be beneficial for high-risk families.
A team of researchers has identified a defective gene, DFNA15, that causes progressive hearing loss in an Israeli family. The gene was pinpointed using a mouse model and is crucial for normal development of mouse hearing.
Researchers analyzed data from 60 medical groups in Washington state, finding that physician compensation type did not affect patient costs or utilization. However, factors such as patient age, gender, health plan benefit level, and physician age were identified as significant influencers of health service use.
Research shows that scarring from emotional abuse is more likely to trigger a battered wife's decision to leave her spouse. The study identifies two types of abusers: Pit Bulls and Cobras, with Cobras being characterized by a history of antisocial behavior and violence outside their marriages.
A new study published in the Journal of Marriage and the Family found that husbands' acceptance of influence from their wives and sharing power are crucial for successful marriages. The research, conducted over six years, showed that active listening techniques do not predict marital success and may even hinder conflict resolution.
Researchers have identified genetic and biological factors that influence a person's propensity toward obesity, suggesting a link between hormonal imbalances and weight gain. These findings may lead to tailored drug treatments, enabling physicians to detect predispositions and treat obesity with precision.
A new technique using electricity instead of chemicals to drive chemical separation processes could greatly reduce waste byproducts at the Hanford nuclear site. The method, being tested for large-scale cleanup efforts, has shown promise in reducing radioactive waste and hazardous byproducts.
A team of researchers at the University of Washington has discovered that dissolved organic matter in oceans can form polymer gels, which provide an unexpected mechanism for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This process could potentially play a significant role in mitigating the greenhouse effect.
A study of mathematically precocious young children found that boys significantly outperformed girls in math talent, with a gender disparity present from the start. Despite being enrolled in enrichment programs to foster their abilities, math-talented girls failed to catch up with their male counterparts in the first two years of school.
A study by University of Washington professors Virginia Berninger and Robert Abbott found that handwriting instruction, combined with composition practice, significantly improved writing accuracy and quality in first-graders. The research also showed a direct carry-over from handwriting to compositional skills throughout the elementary...
A new study by University of Washington researchers found that commitment is a crucial factor in keeping New Year's resolutions. The study, which surveyed over 264 subjects, found that people who made strong initial commitments and had coping strategies were more likely to succeed.
A new study reveals that Asian industrial smog is affecting the US West Coast, with 10% of ozone and pollutants coming from East Asia. The University of Washington's research station detected higher levels of pollutants such as nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone, which are likely to be lower in Asia just 30 years ago.
University of Washington geophysicist George Parks analyzed Louis Frank's ultraviolet camera images and concluded that the white snow in space is likely instrument noise. A closer examination of the data revealed statistical evidence supporting this finding, suggesting that the 'snowballs' are not actual cosmic phenomena.
Researchers detected intense X-rays in seven bursts, each lasting for half an hour, emanating from the Earth's upper atmosphere. The high-energy bursts were recorded during the day with no auroral activity overhead, posing a scientific mystery that scientists are struggling to explain.
A new University of Washington study finds that student evaluations often misrepresent instructors' abilities, favoring teachers of easier courses and penalizing those of tougher subjects. The researchers propose reforms to improve the evaluation system, such as incorporating measures of students' learning outcomes.
Scientists found that blocking melanocortin-4 receptors impaired leptin's ability to reduce food intake and promote weight loss. Activating the receptor may help treat obesity by overcoming leptin resistance, a common cause of excessive weight gain.
Researchers have discovered that individual neurons in the brain can be compared to tiny computers that analyze and integrate information from different sources. These findings have implications for improving hearing aids, sonar devices, and speech recognition systems.
Researchers at the University of Washington have developed technology to measure forces and torques in surgical procedures, enabling the creation of more realistic simulators. These enhanced simulators could drastically reduce training time and costs while improving performance.
A recent study by University of Washington professor Ana Mari Cauce found that homeless adolescents face rampant violence, abuse, and mental health issues on the streets. Despite these challenges, some children reported conditions on the streets to be better than living at home.
Researchers have found that the Earth's inner core is rotating at a faster rate than its outer layers, with estimates suggesting it rotates four to 12 times slower. The independent rotation is thought to be caused by convection in the molten iron outer core, which produces the Earth's magnetic field.
Researchers successfully cloned a gene responsible for inherited deafness in a large extended family in Costa Rica, revealing insights into hearing mechanisms. The autosomal dominant gene DFNA1 causes progressive hearing loss between ages 6 and 20, with the mutation tracing back to a common ancestor in 1713.
A clinical trial conducted at the University of Washington found that administering amiodarone to cardiac arrest victims improves resuscitation success rates by 26%, with a significant increase in hospital admissions among those not responding to shock treatment. The study suggests amiodarone as a potential game-changer for treating sh...
Researchers used tree-ring analysis to confirm a devastating 1700 earthquake along the Pacific Northwest coast triggered a tsunami that flooded coastal Japan. The study provides new evidence for the Cascadia subduction zone's role in earthquakes of magnitude 9.
Male sparrow brains grow larger when housed with females, with increases of 15-20% in brain regions controlling song production. Social cues influence the birds' breeding efforts and song behavior, revealing new insights into the avian brain's plasticity.
A study of genetically normal rats reveals that overfeeding during infancy can lead to changes in basic metabolism and reproductive issues in subsequent generations. The research, led by Elsie Taylor at the University of Washington, shows that even without genetic abnormalities, conditions during development can have lasting consequences.
The Western Journal of Medicine publishes a special issue on successful aging, featuring expert opinions on minimizing age-related decline, delaying onset of conditions that limit function, and maintaining mental alertness. The journal aims to provide patients with advice, skills, and treatments that promote healthy aging.