EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science

Saving the single cysteine: New antioxidant system found

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(University of Michigan) We've all read studies about the health benefits of having a life partner. The same thing is true at the molecular level, where amino acids known as cysteines are much more vulnerable to damage when single than when paired up with other cysteines.

Evolution of evolution: An NSF-sponsored webcast featuring Mohamed Noor

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(National Science Foundation) Please join the National Science Foundation on Monday, Nov. 23, at 10 a.m. ET for a live webcast featuring Darwin-Wallace Medal recipient Mohamed Noor of Duke University, who will answer media questions about current evidence for evolution and modern evolution theory.

Older problem drinkers use more alcohol than do their younger counterparts

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Ohio State University) Older adults who have alcohol dependence problems drink significantly more than do younger adults who have similar problems, a new study has found. The findings suggest that older problem drinkers may have developed a tolerance for alcohol and need to drink even more than younger abusers to achieve the effects they seek.

More than powerful! German research computer QPACE is the most energy efficient in the world

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres) At the 2009 Supercomputing Conference in Portland, Ore., the high-performance computer QPACE (QCD Parallel Computing on the Cell) was recognized today as the most energy-efficient supercomputer in the world. QPACE is at the head of the Green500 list, which provides a global ranking of energy-efficient supercomputers.

Possible link studied between childhood abuse and early cellular aging

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Brown University) Researchers from Brown University and Butler Hospital have determined that children who suffer physical or emotional abuse may be faced with accelerated cellular aging as adults. The findings are published online in the journal Biological Psychiatry. A print version of the article is also expected.

Researchers begin to decipher metabolism of sexual assault drug

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Michigan Technological University) It's a naturally occurring brain chemical with an unwieldy name: 4-hydroxybutyrate (4-HB). Taken by mouth, it can be abused or used as a date-rape drug.

Now, a team of Ohio and Michigan scientists have determined new routes by which 4-HB is metabolized by the body. "This is new and important information," said K. Michael Gibson, professor and chair of biological sciences at Michigan Technological University and a member of the research team.

Funeral industry workers exposed to formaldehyde face higher risk of leukemia

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Journal of the National Cancer Institute) Long durations of exposure to formaldehyde used for embalming in the funeral industry were associated with an increased risk of death from myeloid leukemia, according to a new study published online Nov. 20 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Parent training complements medication for treating behavioral problems in children with PDD

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(NIH/National Institute of Mental Health) Treatment that includes medication plus a structured training program for parents reduces serious behavioral problems in children with autism and related conditions, according to a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.

Projections of savings from health IT are baseless, Harvard researchers say

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Physicians for a National Health Program) The increased computerization in US hospitals hasn't made them cheaper or more efficient, Harvard researchers say, although it may have modestly improved the quality of care for heart attacks. The findings contradict claims by President Obama and many lawmakers that health information technology, including electronic medical records, will save billions and help make reform affordable. The study uses data from the most extensive survey ever undertaken of hospital computerization.

Dispensing prescription drugs in 3-month supplies reduces drug costs by a third

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(University of Chicago Medical Center) Purchasing prescription drugs in a three-month supply rather than a one-month supply has long been regarded as a way to save money. New research from the University of Chicago quantifies the savings for the first time.

Therapy 32 times more cost effective at increasing happiness than money

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(University of Warwick) Research by the University of Warwick and the University of Manchester finds that psychological therapy could be 32 times more cost effective at making you happy than simply obtaining more money. The research has obvious implications for large compensation awards in law courts but also has wider implications for general public health.

Workshop on economics, neuroscience and hormones

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(University of California - Davis) A workshop on "Neuroeconomics and Endocrinological Economics," to be held Nov. 20 and 21 at UC Davis, will be the first to bring together experts in neuroscience, economics and hormone physiology in one event, according to organizers.

Shifting blame is socially contagious

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(University of Southern California) Merely observing someone publicly blame an individual in an organization for a problem -- even when the target is innocent -- greatly increases the odds that the practice of blaming others will spread with the tenacity of the H1N1 flu.

Poverty measurement in the US: Income transfers alone won't eradicate poverty

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Wiley-Blackwell) Government-based poverty intervention through income transfers may skew poverty level measurement in US.

USC study to evaluate robots as exercise trainers

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(University of Southern California) The University of Southern California Center for Robotics and Embedded Systems is comparing virtual versus physical robots as exercise coaches for adults of all ages, with a particular focus on the elderly.

Case Western School of Medicine receives RWJF grant to establish a public health research network

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Case Western Reserve University) Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has received a Robert Wood Johnson grant to fund a Public Health Practice Based Research Network called the Ohio Research Association for Public Health Improvement. The grant, $90,000 over two years, was one of seven practice-based research networks awarded this year, making the School of Medicine one of only 12 networks in the country.

The developing child: Rating aggressive and delinquent behavior in pre-adolescence

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Wiley-Blackwell) A study published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry show that heavy criticism from a parent can increase aggressive behavior in some children.

Highlighting racial disparities increases coverage and effectiveness of health news

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(University of Missouri-Columbia) As media researchers search for better methods to reach audiences, a new University of Missouri study published in Public Relations Review has found that highlighting racial disparities in news releases increases coverage of health stories in black newspapers, which can improve health outcomes in populations at risk for disparities.

Why can't some people give up cocaine?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology) Drug dependency is a recurrent but treatable kind of addiction. However, not all people who are drug dependent progress in the same way once they stop taking drugs. A new study shows that, in the case of cocaine, a high score on the so-called "scale of craving," an antisocial personality type and previous heroin abuse are the factors most commonly involved in people falling back into the habit.

Dana Foundation and Johns Hopkins release neuroeducation book

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(DANA Foundation) Today, the Dana Foundation released Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts, and the Brain, its newest free education resource. The book, the culmination of a summit sponsored by the Johns Hopkins University School of Education's Neuro-Education Initiative, focuses on the convergence of neuroscientific research and teaching and learning, with an emphasis on the arts.

Finding more in 'most'

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(American Friends of Tel Aviv University) Prof. Mira Ariel of Tel Aviv University has scientifically quanitifed the common interpretation of the word "most," finding it to be a measurement of 80 to 95 percent of a sample.

Cigarettes harbor many pathogenic bacteria: Study

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(University of Maryland) Cigarettes are widely contaminated with bacteria, including some known to cause disease in people, concludes a new study conducted by a University of Maryland environmental health researcher and microbial ecologists at the Ecole Centrale de Lyon in France.The research team describes the study as the first to show that "cigarettes themselves could be the direct source of exposure to a wide array of potentially pathogenic microbes among smokers and other people exposed to secondhand smoke."

Surgery not linked to memory problems in older patients

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Washington University School of Medicine) For years, it has been widely assumed that older adults may experience memory loss and other cognitive problems following surgery. But a new study by School of Medicine researchers questions that assumption. In the 575 patients they studied, the investigators did not detect any long-term cognitive declines attributable to surgery.

Women can quit smoking and control weight gain

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Northwestern University) Many women don't quit smoking because they are afraid of gaining weight. That's because nicotine suppresses appetite and boosts a smoker's metabolism. But a new meta-analysis shows that women who quit smoking while receiving treatment for weight control are better able to control their weight gain and are more successful at quitting cigarettes. The finding disproves clinical guidelines that say trying to diet and quit smoking at the same time will sabotage efforts to ditch cigarettes.

Spanish biotechnology should focus on food and plant sectors to be more competitive

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology) Spain and Latin American countries have an opportunity to take the lead in two small biotechnology sectors. Researchers from the University of Valencia, working together with the IDICHUS Foundation, have studied the productive fabric of the Spanish biotechnology industry. Their conclusion is that Spain's food and plant sectors have more clout than those in English-speaking countries.