The Convergence of Science & Religion

Fewer calories = longer life? A new primate study says, yes

2009-07-11T19:13:00.005-06:00

Scientific American for July 9, 2009 reported on the effect on aging of eating fewer calories.

A 20-year-long rhesus monkey study, released today in Science, found that monkeys that consumed 30 percent less calories than average peers were one third as likely to get a age-related disease and were likely to live longer.

A ScienceNOW article is here.
A NewsDaily article is here
A Discover Blogs article is here.

Photo captures three planets by distant sun

2009-07-11T19:01:00.002-06:00

World Science for November 13, 2008 reported on photographs of three planets going around a nearby star.

Members of Marois’ group said they developed an advanced computer processing method that helped distinguish the planets from the starlight. Their findings appear in the Nov. 13 issue of Science Express, the advance online edition of the research journal Science.

Fruit And Vegetable Intake In Pregnant Women Reduces Risk Of Upper Respiratory Tract Infection

2009-07-11T18:48:00.003-06:00

ScienceDaily for July 11, 2009 reported on an effect of pregnant women eating fruits and vegetables.

URTIs include the common cold and sinus infections, which can lead to lower respiratory problems, such as asthma or pneumonia. Even though the majority of URTIs are uncomplicated colds, identifying ways to prevent their occurrence is important because colds are the most common reason for school and work absences. Eating nutritious foods, especially fruits and vegetables, improves immunity but hadn't previously been associated with reducing the risk of URTIs in pregnant women.

Language Skills In Your Twenties May Predict Risk Of Dementia Decades Later

2009-07-10T06:55:00.002-06:00

ScienceDaily for July 9, 2009 reported on lower Dementia later on when they as children had language skills.

People who have superior language skills early in life may be less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease decades later, despite having the hallmark signs of the disease, according to research published in the July 9, 2009, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Give Children Iron Supplements: They Don't Increase Malaria Risk, Study Suggests

2009-07-10T06:52:00.002-06:00

ScienceDaily for July 9, 2009 reported on iron supplements and susceptibility to Malaria.

"Based on our review, children should not be denied iron supplements, even if they are living in areas where malaria is prevalent," says lead researcher, Juliana Ojukwu of the Department of Paediatrics at the Ebonyi State University in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. "Iron is important for growth and development, and maintaining a healthy immune system."

Parents' Endorsement Of Vigorous Team Sports Increases Children's Physical Activity

2009-07-10T06:48:00.002-06:00

ScienceDaily, in an article for July 9, 2009 reported on the activity of children as a result of support from their parents.

Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and Duke University studied a sample of 681 parents of 433 fourth- and fifth-graders from 12 schools in Houston. They found that those parents who conveyed the importance of high-intensity team sports to their children had more active children. Both the boys and girls watched less TV and spent less time on their computers.

Easter Island Compound Extends Lifespan Of Old Mice: 28 To 38 Percent Longer Life

2009-07-10T06:35:00.003-06:00

ScienceDaily for July 9, 2009 reported on a drug-compound that extends the life of older mice.

On July 8, in the journal Nature, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and two collaborating centers reported that the Easter Island compound – called "rapamycin" after the island's Polynesian name, Rapa Nui – extended the expected lifespan of middle-aged mice by 28 percent to 38 percent. In human terms, this would be greater than the predicted increase in extra years of life if cancer and heart disease were both cured and prevented.

A ScienceNOW article is here.

Fathers Spend More Time With Children Who Resemble Them, Study Suggests

2009-07-09T09:24:00.002-06:00

In an article dated July 8, 2009, ScienceDaily reported on parenting that is biased by a resemblance between father and child.

The investment of a father in the care and education of a child is a decisive factor for the child's development, growth and even survival, particularly in countries with high infant mortality. As this behavior is transmitted from generation to generation, it can evolve by natural selection. Evolutionary theory predicts that men should have developed the capacity to recognise their biological children. This recognition of paternity can be made on the basis of physical resemblance.

Cancer Survivors At Greater Risk Of Birth Complications; Special Monitoring Needed

2009-07-09T09:19:00.001-06:00

ScienceDaily for July 8, 2009 reported on birth complications from mothers who were survivors of childhood cancer.

Dr. Lie Fong and colleagues studied data on the pregnancies of 40 women who had been treated for cancer during their childhood, the majority of them for leukaemia, but also for solid tumours. Six had had radiation treatment directly to the abdomen. The data were compared with those from a control group of more than 9,000 women who had not had cancer treatment. All data were obtained from The Netherlands Perinatal Register, a nationwide database of pregnancy outcomes. Data were matched for age at pregnancy, year and month of delivery, and the number of times the woman had given birth.

Exercise Helps Patients With Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Study Shows

2009-07-09T09:16:00.001-06:00

ScienceDaily for July 7, 2009 reported on exercise and fatty-liver disease.

NAFLD is the most common form of chronic liver disease in developed countries. It is associated with the metabolic syndrome, which also includes obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, and is characterized by elevated liver enzymes. Currently, patients with NAFLD are encouraged to alter their lifestyles, however the focus has been on weight loss through dietary changes. The effects of increasing physical activity alone have not been thoroughly investigated.

Scientists Reprogram Clearly Defined Adult Cells Into Pluripotent Stem Cells -- Directly And Without Viruses

2009-07-09T09:12:00.003-06:00

An article in ScienceDaily for July 8, 2009 reported on new developments of reprogramming adult cells into stem cells.

With their work, Ko and his colleagues wanted to establish clarity from the outset. To this end, they started by culturing a precisely defined type of cell, so-called germline stem cells (GSCs), from the testis of adult mice. In their natural environment, these cells can only do one thing: constantly generate new sperm. Moreover, their own reproduction is an extremely rare occurrence. Only two or three of them will be found among the 10,000 cells in the testis tissue of a mouse. However, they can be isolated individually and reproduced as cell lines with stable characteristics. Under the usual cell culturing conditions, they retain their unipotency for weeks and years. Consequently, all they can do is reproduce or form sperm.

Student Drinking: Changing Perceptions Reduces Alcohol Misuse

2009-07-09T09:07:00.001-06:00

ScienceDaily for July 8, 2009 reported on student perceptions of drinking.

Researchers analysed data from 22 trials that together included 7,275 college and university students, mostly studying in the US. They found that students who were provided with personalised feedback via the internet or individual face-to-face sessions drank less often and indulged in less binge drinking than those in control groups. Web-based feedback also resulted in significant reductions in blood alcohol content and alcohol related problems.

Students With Depression Twice As Likely To Drop Out Of College

2009-07-08T08:27:00.001-06:00

ScienceDaily for July 7, 2009 reported on depression and attending college.

However, the research also indicates that lower grade point averages depended upon a student's type of depression, according to Daniel Eisenberg, assistant professor in the University of Michigan School of Public Health and principal investigator of the study.

Team Sports Participation Reduces Likelihood Of Youths Becoming Established Smokers; Smoking In Movies Increases Risk

2009-07-08T08:22:00.000-06:00

An article in ScienceDaily for July 7, 2009 reported on teen smoking.

Anna M. Adachi-Mejia, Ph.D., of Hood Center for Children and Families, Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, N.H., and colleagues analyzed data from school- and telephone-based surveys that assessed movie smoking exposure and team sports participation in 2,048 youths from September 1999 through November 1999 and February 2006 through February 2007. Baseline movie smoking exposure was reported when respondents were ages 9 to 14 and team sport participation was assessed at ages 16 to 21 at follow-up. Movie smoking exposure was classified in quartiles with 0 to 522 smoking occurrences for the first quartile, 523 to 947 for the second, 948 to 1,649 for the third and 1,650 to 5,308 for the fourth.

Physical Reality Of String Theory Shown In Quantum-critical State Of Electrons

2009-07-08T08:15:00.003-06:00

ScienceDaily for July 7, 2009 reported on a use of string theory to describe a phenomenon in physics. [String theory is important to this blog because it gives a theoretical basis for a belief in other dimensions and universes]

String theory has come under fire in recent years. Promises have been made that have not been lived up to. Leiden theoretical physicists have now for the first time used string theory to describe a physical phenomenon -- the quantum-critical state of electrons leading to high-temperature superconductivity. Their discovery has been reported recently in the journal Science.

A World Science article is here.

New Evidence That Vinegar May Be Natural Fat-fighter

2009-07-07T12:48:00.001-06:00

ScienceDaily for July 7, 2009 reported on a link between vinegsr and control of fat.

Tomoo Kondo and colleagues note in the new study that vinegar has also been used as a folk medicine since ancient times. People have used it for a range of ills. Modern scientific research suggests that acetic acid, the main component of vinegar, may help control blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and fat accumulation.

Vitamin D Deficiency Is Widespread And On The Increase

2009-07-07T12:40:00.002-06:00

ScienceDaily for July 6, 2009 reported on vitamin D deficiencies.

A new report issued by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) and published in the scientific journal Osteoporosis International1, shows that populations across the globe are suffering from the impact of low levels of vitamin D. The problem is widespread and on the increase, with potentially severe repercussions for overall health and fracture rates.

Immune System Linked To Schizophrenia

2009-07-07T12:35:00.000-06:00

In an article dated July 6, 2009 ScienceDaily reported on a link between's ones immune system and Schizophrenia.

Now following on their earlier work that identified three gene locations that may be implicated in schizophrenia, researchers at UCLA and colleagues from around the world have, for the first time, identified additional genes that confirm what scientists have long suspected — that the immune system may play a role in the development of the disorder. Further, they have also identified genetic anomalies that disrupt the cellular pathways involved in brain development, memory and cognition, all markers of schizophrenia.

Caffeine Reverses Memory Impairment In Mice With Alzheimer's Symptoms

2009-07-07T12:31:00.001-06:00

ScienceDaily for July 6, 2009 reported on caffeine and Alzheimer's.

Back-to-back studies published online July 6 in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, show caffeine significantly decreased abnormal levels of the protein linked to Alzheimer's disease, both in the brains and in the blood of mice exhibiting symptoms of the disease. Both studies build upon previous research by the Florida ADRC group showing that caffeine in early adulthood prevented the onset of memory problems in mice bred to develop Alzheimer's symptoms in old age.

Being Overweight Or Obese In Mid-life Linked To Increased Risk Of Reduced Memory And Thinking Skills In Late Life

2009-07-07T12:11:00.002-06:00

ScienceDaily for July 6, 2009 reported on a link between being overweight and memory problems.

“The adverse effects of being overweight and obese are not limited to cardiac function, but also extend to brain function,” says Anna Dahl doctoral student at the School of Health Sciences, Jönköping. Several studies, including studies from the Swedish Twin Registry, have shown that individuals who are overweight or obese in mid-life are at an increased risk of suffering from dementia.

Understanding The Anticancer Effects Of Vitamin D3

2009-07-07T08:44:00.003-06:00

In an article dated July 7, 2009, ScienceDaily reported on possible a link between vitamin D and cancer.

One gene identified in this previous study was CST5, which is responsible for making the protein cystatin D. Now, a team of researchers, at the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain, and the Universidad de Oviedo, Spain, has studied this protein in detail and determined that it has tumor suppressor activity that likely accounts for some of the anticancer effects of the active form of vitamin D3.

Overweight Kids Experience More Loneliness, Anxiety

2009-07-06T08:37:00.000-06:00

ScienceDaily for July 3, 2009 reported on an effect on children of being overweight.

"We found that both boys and girls who were overweight from kindergarten through third grade displayed more depression, anxiety and loneliness than kids who were never overweight, and those negative feelings worsened over time," said Sara Gable, associate professor of human development and family studies in the MU College of Human Environmental Sciences. "Overweight is widely considered a stigmatizing condition and overweight individuals are typically blamed for their situation. The experience of being stigmatized often leads to negative feelings, even in children."

Researchers Describe The 90-year Evolution Of Swine Flu

2009-07-05T20:30:00.002-06:00

ScienceDaily for July 5, 2009 reported on research into the Swine flu.

The current H1N1 swine flu strain has genetic roots in an illness that sickened pigs at the 1918 Cedar Rapids Swine Show in Iowa, report infectious disease experts at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health in the New England Journal of Medicine. Their paper, published online June 29 and slated for the July 16 print issue, describes H1N1's nearly century-long and often convoluted journey, which may include the accidental resurrection of an extinct strain.

Dinosaur “Mummy” Reveals a Creature With Bird-Like Skin

2009-07-04T09:18:00.002-06:00

Discover Blogs reported on dinosaur skin.

The duck-billed dinosaurs have been giving up their secrets lately. Just yesterday researchers revealed new details of how hadrosaurs chewed their food, using a set of teeth that look like a “cranial cuisinart.” Today, paleontologists have put the hadrosaur’s skin on display, thanks to a “mummified” creature that shows the shape of its soft tissue and cell-like structures.

A related article from ScienceDaily is here.

Scientists Find Heart Stem Cells

2009-07-04T09:02:00.003-06:00

ScienceNOW for July 2, 2009 reported on heart stem cells.

The cells in question express a protein, called Islet 1, which is present in the early stages of fetal heart formation. In recent years, scientists have identified the cells in embryonic mouse hearts. And now, a team in the laboratory of Kenneth Chien, director of the Cardiovascular Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, has found the same cell type in human fetal hearts.

A Discover Blogs article is here.