EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science
Sun Apr 24 04:23:10 EDT 2011
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Becoming a vampire without being bitten: A new study shows that reading expands our self-concepts - (Association for Psychological Science) "We read to know we are not alone," wrote C.S. Lewis. But how do books make us feel we are not alone?

IADR/AADR Journal of Dental Research releases studies on oral health inequalities in older people - (International & American Associations for Dental Research) The International and American Associations for Dental Research (IADR/AADR) have published two studies about oral health inequalities in older people and low income individuals. These articles, titled "Income-related Inequalities in Dental Service Utilization by Europeans Aged 50+" by Stefan Listl, and "Income Inequality and Tooth Loss in the United States" by Eduardo Bernabe and Wagner Marcenes, are published in the Journal of Dental Research, the official publication of the IADR/AADR.

Over range of ADHD behavior, genes major force on reading achievement, environment on math - (Case Western Reserve University) Researchers found that genes and environment both play a role in ADHD behavior and troubles with reading and math. But genes more so with reading, and the environment more so with math.

What motivates environmental activists, policymakers? asks new research center - (University of Maryland) A new University of Maryland research center will focus on the human side of environmental policymaking and activism -- one of the first of its kind in the field."Environmental legislation and community activism doesn't just spring up in a vacuum," said Dana R. Fisher, a University of Maryland sociology professor who directs the new Center for Society and the Environment.

UGA compound offers new hope for treatment of painful adult shingles - (University of Georgia) Researchers at the University of Georgia and Yale University have discovered a compound with the potential to be more effective than existing agents in treating the very painful blisters known as shingles -- a condition that affects up to 30 percent of Americans, mostly elderly, and for which no specific treatment exists.

Researchers create functioning synapse using carbon nanotubes - (University of Southern California) Engineering researchers at the University of Southern California have made a significant breakthrough in the use of nanotechnologies for the construction of a synthetic brain. They have built a carbon nanotube synapse circuit whose behavior in tests reproduces the function of a neuron, the building block of the brain.

Are dietary supplements working against you? - (Association for Psychological Science) Do you belong to the one-half of the population that frequently uses dietary supplements with the hope that it might be good for you?

Carnegie Mellon researchers build time machine to visually explore space and time - (Carnegie Mellon University) Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute have leveraged the latest browser technology to create GigaPan Time Machine, a system that enables viewers to explore gigapixel-scale, high-resolution videos and image sequences by panning or zooming in and out of the images while simultaneously moving back and forth through time.

Deaths from drug overdose decline 35 percent after the opening of supervised injection site - (Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health) Illicit drug overdose deaths declined dramatically after the establishment of North America's first supervised injection facility located in Vancouver, Canada. In the first peer-reviewed study to assess the impact of supervised injection sites on overdose mortality, researchers observed a 35 percent reduction in overdose deaths in the immediate vicinity of a pilot injection facility.

MIT: Development in fog harvesting process - (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Shreerang Chhatre is an engineer and aspiring entrepreneur at MIT who works on fog harvesting, the deployment of devices that, like the beetle, attract water droplets and corral the runoff. This way, poor villagers could collect clean water near their homes, instead of spending hours carrying water from distant wells or streams.

Severe obesity not seen to increase risk of depression in teens - (Massachusetts General Hospital) According to a new study, severely obese adolescents are no more likely to be depressed than normal weight peers. The study did find that white adolescents may be somewhat more vulnerable to psychological effects of obesity.

Religion continues to impact voter decision, MU study finds - (University of Missouri-Columbia) Church attendance in western democracies has declined; yet, a new University of Missouri study shows religious beliefs still influence people at the polls.

Meditation may help the brain 'turn down the volume' on distractions - (Massachusetts General Hospital) The positive effects of mindfulness meditation on pain and working memory may result from an improved ability to regulate a crucial brain wave called the alpha rhythm. This rhythm is thought to "turn down the volume" on distracting information, which suggests that a key value of meditation may be helping the brain deal with an often overstimulating world.

Lawn of native grasses beats traditional lawn for lushness, weed resistance - (University of Texas at Austin) A lawn of regionally native grasses would take less resources to maintain while providing as lush a carpet as a common turfgrass used in the South, according to a study by ecologists at The University of Texas at Austin's Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Happiest places have highest suicide rates says new research - (University of Warwick) The happiest countries and happiest US states tend to have the highest suicide rates, according to research from the UK's University of Warwick, Hamilton College in New York and the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

Standing up for athletes at risk - (American Friends of Tel Aviv University) A Tel Aviv University cardiologist has developed a new, inexpensive test for "sudden death syndrome" that's already being used by doctors in America -- and it can be done at the patient's bedside.

EPO doping helps combat cerebral malaria - (University of Copenhagen) Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have now discovered that EPO, the doping drug known from professional cycling, can significantly reduce cerebral malaria related deaths.

Antidepressants may not improve all symptoms of depression, UT Southwestern researchers find - (UT Southwestern Medical Center) Even people who show a clear treatment response with antidepressant medications continue to experience symptoms like insomnia, sadness and decreased concentration, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found after analyzing data from the largest study on the treatment of depression.

Nation's pediatric otolaryngologists to convene in Chicago, April 27-May 1 - (American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery) The American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology will hold its annual meeting, April 29-May 1, during the 2011 Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meetings -- a joint meeting of eight otolaryngological societies in Chicago, Ill. The meeting will feature dozens of scientific presentations highlighting research in progress in the field of otolaryngology -- head and neck surgery. The meetings will take place at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers and will house scientific sessions, as well as scientific and technical exhibits.

Prenatal exposure to common insecticide linked to decreases in cognitive functioning at age 7 - (Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health) Researchers from the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health at the Mailman School of Public Health report evidence of a link between prenatal exposure to the insecticide chlorpyrifos and deficits in IQ and working memory at age seven. This is the first study to evaluate the neurotoxicity of prenatal chlorpyrifos exposure on cognitive development at the time of school entry.

Prenatal exposure to certain pesticides may negatively impact cognitive development in children - (The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine) Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that exposure during pregnancy to a family of pesticides called organophosphates may impair child cognitive development. The findings are published online in Environmental Health Perspectives.

Kidney disease coupled with heart disease common problem in elderly - (American Society of Nephrology) Chronic kidney disease is common and linked with heart disease in the very elderly, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology.

USC research shows critical role of placenta in brain development - (University of Southern California) Research at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California's Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute shows for the first time that the human placenta plays an active role in synthesizing serotonin, paving the way to new treatment strategies that could mitigate health impacts such as cardiovascular disease and mental illness.

Discovery identifies elaborate G-protein network in plants - (Donald Danforth Plant Science Center) "The next step will be to try and engineer plants to express altered amounts of these G-proteins to see how they affect their overall growth and can enable them to better respond to stresses that may be involved in limiting crop yield," Pandey said.

Entrepreneurship urged to stimulate the economy - (SAGE Publications) Economists have been pointing to the growth in entrepreneurship and small business hiring as two ways the US economy can speed the recovery process. In his first ever Facebook town hall meeting, President Obama expanded upon this search for economic solutions as part of the White House's "Startup America" initiative. Recent articles show that researchers not only support these notions, but also break them down for the nation and the world.