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• Long Commutes May be Hazardous to Health
• Psychiatric Medication Effects on Brain Structure
• Block its recycling system, and cancer kicks the can, according to new Penn study
• Getting a Grip on Memories
• Steelhead trout lose out when water is low in wine country
• Brighter, Smaller Probes to Uncover the Secret Lives of Proteins
• Weed-eating fish 'help protect jobs, livelihoods'
• H1N1 discovery paves way for universal flu vaccine
• Analytic thinking can decrease religious belief: UBC study
• New Study Published on Fertility Awareness among American University Students
• Looking for Earths by looking for Jupiters
• 70 percent of beaches eroding on Hawaiian islands Kauai, Oahu, and Maui
• Peak risk about 16 years old for teens misusing prescription drugs
• Researchers develop Internet music search engine
• Sunscreen Rules: Changes Simplify Label Language
• School based clinics boost adolescent vaccination rates
• Biomarkers can reveal IBS
• New research brings satellite measurements and global climate models closer
• A place to play: Researcher designs schoolyard for children with autism
• One Supernova Type, Two Different Sources

Long Commutes May be Hazardous to Health Posted: 08 May 2012 07:42 AM PDT As populations move even further away from urban centers, more people spend longer hours behind the wheel on their way to and from work. While sedentary behavior is known to have adverse effects on cardiovascular and metabolic health, the impact of long commutes by automobile are less understood. A new study has found that greater commuting distances are associated with decreased cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), increased weight, and other indicators of metabolic risk. The results are published in the June issue of American Journal of Preventive Medicine. read more

Psychiatric Medication Effects on Brain Structure Posted: 08 May 2012 07:38 AM PDT It is increasingly recognized that chronic psychotropic drug treatment may lead to structural remodeling of the brain. Indeed, clinical studies in humans present an intriguing picture: antipsychotics, used for the treatment of schizophrenia and psychosis, may contribute to cortical gray matter loss in patients, whereas lithium, used for the treatment of bipolar disorder and mania, may preserve gray matter in patients. read more

Block its recycling system, and cancer kicks the can, according to new Penn study Posted: 08 May 2012 07:31 AM PDT All cells have the ability to recycle unwanted or damaged proteins and reuse the building blocks as food. But cancer cells have ramped up the system, called autophagy, and rely on it to escape damage in the face of chemotherapy and other treatments. Now, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine; the Abramson Cancer Center; and the School of Arts and Sciences, at the University of Pennsylvania, have developed a potent new drug that clogs up the recycling machinery and kills tumor cells in mouse models. read more

Getting a Grip on Memories Posted: 08 May 2012 07:12 AM PDT Having a fat head may not be a bad thing, according to new findings at The Johns Hopkins University. As reported in the February 9 issue of Neuron, Hopkins researchers have made a significant discovery as to how adding fat molecules to proteins can influence the brain circuitry controlling cognitive function, including learning and memory. read more

Steelhead trout lose out when water is low in wine country Posted: 08 May 2012 07:00 AM PDT The competition between farmers and fish for precious water in California is intensifying in wine country, suggests a new study by biologists at the University of California, Berkeley. The findings, published in the May issue of the journal Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, link higher death rates for threatened juvenile steelhead trout with low water levels in the summer and the amount of vineyard acreage upstream. read more

Brighter, Smaller Probes to Uncover the Secret Lives of Proteins Posted: 08 May 2012 06:49 AM PDT Imagine tracking a deer through a forest by clipping a radio transmitter to its ear and monitoring the deer’s location remotely. Now imagine that transmitter is the size of a house, and you understand the problem researchers may encounter when they try to use nanoparticles to track proteins in live cells. read more

Weed-eating fish 'help protect jobs, livelihoods' Posted: 08 May 2012 06:26 AM PDT Jobs, livelihoods and ecotourism industries can benefit from having a diverse supply of weed-eating fish on the world’s coral reefs, marine researchers say. Despite their small size, relative to the sharks, whales, and turtles that often get more attention, herbivorous fish play a vital role in maintaining the health of coral reefs, which support the livelihoods of 500 million people worldwide, say researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University, and the Australian Institute of Marine Science. read more

H1N1 discovery paves way for universal flu vaccine Posted: 08 May 2012 06:19 AM PDT University of British Columbia researchers have found a potential way to develop universal flu vaccines and eliminate the need for seasonal flu vaccinations. read more

Analytic thinking can decrease religious belief: UBC study Posted: 08 May 2012 05:06 AM PDT A new University of British Columbia study finds that analytic thinking can decrease religious belief, even in devout believers. The study, which will appear in tomorrow’s issue of Science, finds that thinking analytically increases disbelief among believers and skeptics alike, shedding important new light on the psychology of religious belief. read more

New Study Published on Fertility Awareness among American University Students Posted: 07 May 2012 08:28 PM PDT A groundbreaking study lead by Chapman University professor Brennan Peterson, Ph.D. on fertility awareness of American college students will be  published in the May 5th edition of Human Reproduction—a top-tier international journal in reproductive biology.  It is the first such study on fertility awareness among American undergraduate university students. read more

Looking for Earths by looking for Jupiters Posted: 07 May 2012 02:15 PM PDT In the search for Earth-like planets, it is helpful to look for clues and patterns that can help scientist narrow down the types of systems where potentially habitable planets are likely to be discovered. New research from a team including Carnegie’s Alan Boss narrows down the search for Earth-like planets near Jupiter-like planets. Their work indicates that the early post-formation movements of hot-Jupiter planets probably disrupt the formation of Earth-like planets. Their work is published the week of May 7 by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. read more

70 percent of beaches eroding on Hawaiian islands Kauai, Oahu, and Maui Posted: 07 May 2012 01:48 PM PDT An assessment of coastal change over the past century has found 70 percent of beaches on the islands of Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, and Maui are undergoing long-term erosion, according to a U.S. Geological Survey and University of Hawaiʻi report released today.  read more

Peak risk about 16 years old for teens misusing prescription drugs Posted: 07 May 2012 01:37 PM PDT The peak risk for misusing prescription pain relievers occurs in mid-adolescence, specifically about 16 years old and earlier than many experts thought, according to a new study by Michigan State University researchers. The results, based on recent nationwide surveys of nearly 120,000 U.S. adolescents, suggest prevention programs may need to be introduced earlier, in childhood and early adolescence, said James C. Anthony of MSU's Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. read more

Researchers develop Internet music search engine Posted: 07 May 2012 12:11 PM PDT Can a computer be taught to automatically label every song on the Internet using sets of examples provided by unpaid music fans? University of California, San Diego, engineers have found that the answer is yes, and the results are as accurate as using paid music experts to provide the examples, saving considerable time and money.  read more

Sunscreen Rules: Changes Simplify Label Language Posted: 07 May 2012 12:05 PM PDT Sunscreen labels can be confusing and at times misleading. That’s why dermatologists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center applaud the upcoming U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) label changes that help consumers understand exactly what they’re buying. “This is good news because choosing the right sunscreen — and applying it correctly — can help protect your skin from harmful UV rays that can cause skin cancer,” said Carol Drucker, M.D., associate professor in MD Anderson’s Department of Dermatology. read more

School based clinics boost adolescent vaccination rates Posted: 07 May 2012 11:51 AM PDT New research from the University of Colorado School of Medicine shows that school-based health centers are highly effective in delivering comprehensive care, especially vaccines to adolescents. The study, published today in the journal Pediatrics, highlights the value of a `captive audience' in a school setting where students can be easily reminded to get recommended vaccinations. read more

Biomarkers can reveal IBS Posted: 07 May 2012 11:46 AM PDT Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is hard to diagnose as well as treat, but researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy have discovered a way of confirming the disorder using stool samples. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) causes chronic or recurring problems with pain and discomfort in the abdomen together with changes in bowel habits. The syndrome is common and is believed to be linked to dysfunction of the stomach and intestines, but our understanding of IBS is incomplete, making it difficult to diagnose and treat. Identified specific proteins read more

New research brings satellite measurements and global climate models closer Posted: 07 May 2012 11:36 AM PDT One popular climate record that shows a slower atmospheric warming trend than other studies contains a data calibration problem, and when the problem is corrected the results fall in line with other records and climate models, according to a new University of Washington study. The finding is important because it helps confirm that models that simulate global warming agree with observations, said Stephen Po-Chedley, a UW graduate student in atmospheric sciences who wrote the paper with Qiang Fu, a UW professor of atmospheric sciences. read more

A place to play: Researcher designs schoolyard for children with autism Posted: 07 May 2012 11:29 AM PDT A Kansas State University graduate student is creating a schoolyard that can become a therapeutic landscape for children with autism. Chelsey King, master's student in landscape architecture, St. Peters, Mo., is working with Katie Kingery-Page, assistant professor of landscape architecture, to envision a place where elementary school children with autism could feel comfortable and included. read more

One Supernova Type, Two Different Sources Posted: 07 May 2012 11:24 AM PDT The exploding stars known as Type Ia supernovae serve an important role in measuring the universe, and were used to discover the existence of dark energy. They're bright enough to see across large distances, and similar enough to act as a "standard candle" - an object of known luminosity. The 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for the discovery of the accelerating universe using Type Ia supernovae. However, an embarrassing fact is that astronomers still don't know what star systems make Type Ia supernovae. read more

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