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Grilled, seared foods may add to waistlines, disease risk
Previously Unknown Mechanism Identified in Oncogene-Induced Senescence
Tsunami caused long-term ecosystem change in the Caribbean
Global carbon dioxide emissions reach new record high
Fish have enormous nutrient impacts on marine ecosystems, study finds
Research team recognizes predator-producing bacteria
Emotion in voices helps capture the listener’s attention, but in the long run the words are not remembered as accurately
Propaganda with feeling – music as an instrument of social purpose

Grilled, seared foods may add to waistlines, disease risk

Posted: 12 Dec 2012 07:22 AM PST

A steak slapped onto a hot barbecue will leave the meat with black grill lines that add flavor and aroma, but the chemicals contained in charred, seared and fried foods may over time kick-start the body's ability to add new fat cells and increase the risk of age-related diseases, a Purdue University study shows.

Over time, the human body shuts down the ability of young fat cells to mature and accumulate lipids. But grilling, searing and frying create glycated proteins, which result from proteins chemically bonding with sugar.

Previously Unknown Mechanism Identified in Oncogene-Induced Senescence

Posted: 12 Dec 2012 07:10 AM PST

Cell aging, or cellular senescence, has an important role in the natural physiological response to tumor development. Activated oncogenes are able to induce senescence, and recent findings have suggested that oncogene-induced senescence (OIS) could play a key role in future cancer therapy. Researchers have now identified a previously unknown mechanism in the regulation of OIS. This study is published online in advance of the January issue of The American Journal of Pathology.

Tsunami caused long-term ecosystem change in the Caribbean

Posted: 12 Dec 2012 07:05 AM PST

A detailed analysis of sediments from the island of Bonaire in the Caribbean presents convincing evidence for an extraordinary wave impact dating back some 3,300 years, even though no historical records of tsunamis exist for this island. Of particular interest are the consequences this large wave impact had on the island's ecosystem. The sediments studied by the scientists suggested that this tsunami entirely changed the coastal ecosystem and sedimentation patterns in the area. The work by Dr.

Global carbon dioxide emissions reach new record high

Posted: 12 Dec 2012 07:00 AM PST

The international Global Carbon Project consortium has announced that global carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere will reach a record high of 35.6 billion tons in 2012. The main reasons for the rise is the increase in carbon emissions caused by the combustion of fossil fuels. Scientists estimate that emissions from this source have increased by 2.6 percent compared to the previous year. The emissions thus exceed 1990 levels by almost 60 percent; 1990 is the base year for the Kyoto Protocol.

Fish have enormous nutrient impacts on marine ecosystems, study finds

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 04:32 PM PST

Fish play a far more important role as contributors of nutrients to marine ecosystems than previously thought, according to researchers at the University of Georgia and Florida International University. In a pair of papers in the journal Ecology, they show that fish contribute more nutrients to their local ecosystems than any other source-enough to cause changes in the growth rates of the organisms at the base of the food web.

Research team recognizes predator-producing bacteria

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 04:22 PM PST

Unique viruses called bacteriophages may play an important role in competition among bacterial strains, influencing the overall ecosystem of the human intestine, scientists at The University of Texas at Arlington and UT Southwestern Medical Center say.

Emotion in voices helps capture the listener’s attention, but in the long run the words are not remembered as accurately

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 12:56 PM PST

Does the emotion in our voice have a lasting effect? According to Annett Schirmer and colleagues from the National University of Singapore, emotion helps us recognize words quicker and more accurately straight away. In the longer term however, we do not remember emotionally intoned speech as accurately as neutral speech. When we do remember the words, they have acquired an emotional value; for example words spoken in a sad voice are remembered as more negative than words spoken in a neutral voice.

Propaganda with feeling – music as an instrument of social purpose

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 12:51 PM PST

Music speaks to the emotions and fulfils a range of functions. It can unite people, break down boundaries - and just as easily create them again. Take, for instance, a group of punk rockers poking fun at folk music fans: that in itself is relatively harmless. But it’s a different matter when music is used for political aims. A group of scientists working with historian Sven Oliver Müller at the Berlin-based Max Planck Institute for Human Development is studying the emotions triggered by music through the ages.