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Public Release: 2-Aug-2013
Why is orange the new black for female victims of trauma? How do pathways to jail vary for females who are victims of specific types of trauma? New research published in Psychology of Women Quarterly, a SAGE journal, pinpoints the types of trauma such as caregiver violence, witnessing violence, and intimate partner violence, that lead to specific types of offending later in life and offers explanations based on real experiences. Contact: Camille Gamboa Public Release: 2-Aug-2013
New drugs to find the right target to fight Alzheimer's disease The future is looking good for drugs designed to combat Alzheimer's disease. EPFL scientists have unveiled how two classes of drug compounds currently in clinical trials work to fight the disease. Their research suggests that these compounds target the disease-causing peptides with high precision and with minimal side-effects. The encouraging conclusions of their research have been published in the journal Nature Communications. Contact: Patrick Fraering Public Release: 1-Aug-2013
Burnt sugar derivative reduces muscle wasting in fly and mouse muscular dystrophy A trace substance in caramelized sugar, when purified and given in appropriate doses, improves muscle regeneration in an insect and mammal model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The substance, THI, protects the body's levels of a cell signal important in cell differentiation, proliferation, and migration. Fruit flies and mice with the muscular dystrophy gene both showed improvements in movement, and other reductions of symptoms. Contact: Leila Gray Public Release: 1-Aug-2013
August 2013 story tips from Oak Ridge National Laboratory The following are story ideas from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory for August 2013. Contact: Ron Walli Public Release: 1-Aug-2013
Why shopaholics overspend? Poor credit management, buying to boost mood, study says Why do shopping addicts keep spending even in the face of harmful financial, emotional and social consequences? A new study suggests poor credit management and a belief that new purchases will create a happier life fuel compulsive buying. Contact: Nan Broadbent Public Release: 1-Aug-2013
Cool heads likely won't prevail in a hotter, wetter world Researchers from Princeton University and the University of California-Berkeley report that even slight spikes in temperature and precipitation greatly increase the risk of personal and civil violence, and suggest that more human conflict is a likely outcome of climate change. Contact: Morgan Kelly Public Release: 1-Aug-2013
The when and where of the Y: Research on Y chromosomes finds new clues about human ancestry Using advanced analysis of DNA from Y chromosomes from men all over the world, scientists have shed new light on the mystery of when and how a few early human ancestors started to give rise to the incredible diversity of today's population. Contact: Kara Gavin Public Release: 1-Aug-2013
An app to lead the blind A smartphone app that keeps track of your location and distance walked from home or hotel and warns you when you are likely to be caught out after dark has been developed by researchers in Pakistan to help sufferers of the debilitating disease night blindness. The app can also help travelers with the disease pinpoint hotels should they find themselves too far from base to get home safely. Contact: Albert Ang Public Release: 1-Aug-2013
Does the ambulance service need more training in mental health issues? Ruth Elliot, Senior Lecturer in the department of Mental Health and Learning Disability at the University of Huddersfield, has published an article discussing the need for a national 'Mental Health Pathway' to enable paramedics to provide the appropriate care for people who present mental health issues. Contact: Megan Beech Public Release: 1-Aug-2013
Consumers don't understand health insurance, Carnegie Mellon research shows This fall, as part of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, Americans will have a greater range of health care insurance options to choose from, including, for many, state-based plans. But will they make the right decisions? That's doubtful, according to a new study led by Carnegie Mellon University's George Loewenstein. Contact: Shilo Rea Public Release: 1-Aug-2013
New insight into how brain 'learns' cocaine addiction A team of researchers says it has solved the longstanding puzzle of why a key protein linked to learning is also needed to become addicted to cocaine. Results of the study, published in the Aug. 1 issue of the journal Cell, describe how the learning-related protein works with other proteins to forge new pathways in the brain in response to a drug-induced rush of the "pleasure" molecule dopamine. Contact: Shawna Williams Public Release: 1-Aug-2013
Stray prenatal gene network suspected in schizophrenia Researchers have reverse-engineered the outlines of a disrupted prenatal gene network in schizophrenia, by tracing spontaneous mutations to where and when they likely cause damage in the brain. Some people with the brain disorder may suffer from impaired birth of new neurons in the front of their brain during prenatal development, suggest the researchers, who compared spontaneous mutations in 105 affected and 84 unaffected siblings, in families without previous histories of the illness. Contact: Jules Asher Public Release: 1-Aug-2013
A week's worth of camping synchs internal clock to sunrise and sunset, CU-Boulder study finds Spending just one week exposed only to natural light while camping in the Rocky Mountains was enough to synch the circadian clocks of eight people participating in a University of Colorado Boulder study with the timing of sunrise and sunset. Contact: Kenneth Wright Public Release: 1-Aug-2013
Threat of arrest and punishment may not deter illegal immigration Neither the threat of arrest nor punishment may significantly deter Mexicans from trying to enter the United States illegally, according to a new study. Contact: Daniel Fowler Public Release: 1-Aug-2013
Both parents experience highs and lows in sexuality after childbirth Partners of new mothers often experience shifts in sexuality, and these shifts are often unrelated to biological or medical factors pertaining to childbirth. The findings, which are published in a recent issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine, expand current understanding of postpartum sexuality, and may help health professionals as they counsel new parents. Contact: Amy Molnar Public Release: 1-Aug-2013
Neuroscientists find protein linked to cognitive deficits in Angelman syndrome A team of neuroscientists has identified a protein in laboratory mice linked to impairments similar to those afflicted with Angelman syndrome -- a condition associated with symptoms that include autism, intellectual disability, and motor abnormalities. Contact: James Devitt Public Release: 1-Aug-2013
2 dimensions of value: Dopamine neurons represent reward but not aversiveness The experiments reported here show that dopamine neurons are sensitive to the value of reward but not punishment (like the aversiveness of a bitter taste). This demonstrates that reward and aversiveness are represented as two discrete dimensions (or categories) in the brain. Contact: Lan Yoon Public Release: 1-Aug-2013
Climate strongly affects human conflict and violence worldwide, says study Shifts in climate are strongly linked to human violence around the world, with even relatively minor departures from normal temperature or rainfall substantially increasing the risk of conflict in ancient times or today, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and Princeton University. Contact: Kathleen Maclay Public Release: 1-Aug-2013
We each live in our own little world -- smellwise There are some smells we all find revolting. But toward a handful of odors, different people display different sensitivities. A pair of studies identifies the genetic differences that underpin the differences in smell sensitivity. The researchers tested 200 people for their sensitivity to 10 different chemical compounds. They then searched through the subjects' genomes for areas of the DNA that differed between people who could smell a given compound and those who could not. Contact: Mary Beth O'Leary Public Release: 1-Aug-2013
Prolactin reduces arthritis inflammation In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Carmen Clapp and colleagues at the National University of Mexico identify prolactin as a potential treatment for inflammatory joint disease. Contact: Corinne Williams Public Release: 1-Aug-2013
Feeling left out can lead to risky financial decisions, research finds People who feel isolated are more inclined to make risker financial decisions for bigger payoffs, according to new research presented at the American Psychological Association's 121st Annual Convention. Contact: Lisa Bowen Public Release: 1-Aug-2013
Trouble waking up? Camping could set your clock straight If you have trouble going to sleep at night and waking up for work or school in the morning, a week of camping in the great outdoors might be just what you need. That's according to evidence reported on August 1 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, showing that humans' internal biological clocks will tightly synchronize to a natural, midsummer light-dark cycle, if only they are given the chance. Contact: Mary Beth O'Leary Public Release: 1-Aug-2013
Being bullied throughout childhood and teens may lead to more arrests, convictions, prison time People who were repeatedly bullied throughout childhood and adolescence were significantly more likely to go to prison than individuals who did not suffer repeated bullying, according to a new analysis presented at the American Psychological Association's 121st Annual Convention. Contact: Lisa Bowen Public Release: 31-Jul-2013
Boomers hit hardest by 'Great Recession' A new study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research looks at California data on the uninsured between 2007 and 2009 and finds that of the approximately 700,000 Californians to lose health insurance during this time, a majority were between the ages of 45-64. Contact: Gwen Driscoll Public Release: 31-Jul-2013
Autism symptoms not explained by impaired attention Two aspects of attention -- reorienting focus and attending to social information -- do not seem to account for the diversity symptoms seen in autistic children, according to new research from Clinical Psychological Science. Contact: Lucy Hyde |