science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Κυριακή 29 Απριλίου 2012

Science News SciGuru.com

Study finds overweight teens who are satisfied with their bodies are less depressed, less prone to unhealthy behaviors
Tiny wasp may hold key to controlling kudzu bug
Blood samples show deadly frog fungus at work in the wild
lobSTR algorithm rolls DNA fingerprinting into 21st Century
Low-income moms under stress may overfeed infants

Study finds overweight teens who are satisfied with their bodies are less depressed, less prone to unhealthy behaviors

Posted: 28 Apr 2012 07:42 PM PDT

A study to be published in the June 2012 issue of Journal of Adolescent Health looking at the relationships between body satisfaction and healthy psychological functioning in overweight adolescents has found that young women who are happy with the size and shape of their bodies report higher levels of self-esteem. They may also be protected against the negative behavioral and psychological factors sometimes associated with being overweight.

Tiny wasp may hold key to controlling kudzu bug

Posted: 28 Apr 2012 07:28 PM PDT

University of Georgia researcher John Ruberson is looking for natural enemies of the kudzu bug in an effort to fight the pest's spread across the Southern states. A tiny Asian wasp may be the best option.

The kudzu bug was first spotted in Georgia in the fall of 2009. It feeds on kudzu, soybeans and other legumes and has become a nuisance to homeowners and a threat to international trade as an agricultural contaminant.

Blood samples show deadly frog fungus at work in the wild

Posted: 28 Apr 2012 06:01 PM PDT

The fungal infection that has killed a record number of amphibians worldwide leads to deadly dehydration in frogs in the wild, according to a new study by University of California, Berkeley and San Francisco State University researchers.

High levels of an aquatic fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) disrupt fluid and electrolyte balance in wild frogs, the scientists say, severely depleting the frogs’ sodium and potassium levels and causing cardiac arrest and death.

lobSTR algorithm rolls DNA fingerprinting into 21st Century

Posted: 28 Apr 2012 07:58 AM PDT

As any crime show buff can tell you, DNA evidence identifies a victim’s remains, fingers the guilty, and sets the innocent free. But in reality, the processing of forensic DNA evidence takes much longer than a 60-minute primetime slot.

Low-income moms under stress may overfeed infants

Posted: 28 Apr 2012 07:51 AM PDT

Efforts to prevent obesity among low-income infants should focus not only on what babies are being fed but also the reasons behind unhealthy feeding practices, according to a study to be presented Saturday, April 28, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston.

Adding cereal to bottles is one unhealthy practice that is discouraged by the American Academy of Pediatrics because it may lead to overfeeding and excess weight gain in infants.