science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Παρασκευή 28 Φεβρουαρίου 2014

Science News SciGuru.com

Why Autism Is More Common in Males
Early atherosclerotic plaques regress when cholesterol levels are lowered
By Zooming in on Arteries, Researchers Get to the Root of Pulmonary Hypertension
Mouse Brain Atlas Maps Neural Networks to Reveal How Brain Regions Interact
Supplement Added to a Standard Diet Improves Health and Prolongs Life in Mice
Male Goat Essence Really Turns the Females On

Posted: 28 Feb 2014 07:26 AM PST

Males are at greater risk for neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), than females, but the underlying reasons have been unclear. A large cohort study published by Cell Press on February 27th in the American Journal of Human Genetics provides compelling evidence in support of the ”female protective model,” which proposes that females require more extreme genetic mutations than do males to push them over the diagnostic threshold for neurodevelopmental disorders.

Early atherosclerotic plaques regress when cholesterol levels are lowered

Posted: 28 Feb 2014 07:18 AM PST

Early but not advanced forms of atherosclerotic plaques in the vessel wall disappear when the levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol are lowered, according to a study in mice from Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. The findings, published in PLoS Genetics , indicate that preventative cholesterol-lowering treatment could prevent more advanced, clinically relevant plaque to develop.

By Zooming in on Arteries, Researchers Get to the Root of Pulmonary Hypertension

Posted: 27 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

You might think building muscle is a good thing, but that's often not so in the case of blood vessels in adults. In fact, excess smooth muscle is a root problem in many vascular diseases, as it causes arteries to constrict and blood pressure to rise. Now, an in-depth analysis of arterioles in mice with pulmonary hypertension explains how those misplaced smooth muscle cells develop.

Mouse Brain Atlas Maps Neural Networks to Reveal How Brain Regions Interact

Posted: 27 Feb 2014 07:11 AM PST

Different brain regions must communicate with each other to control complex thoughts and behaviors, but relatively little is known about how these areas organize into broad neuronal networks. In a study published by Cell Press February 27th in the journal Cell, researchers developed a mouse whole-brain atlas that reveals hundreds of neuronal pathways in a brain structure called the cerebral cortex.

Supplement Added to a Standard Diet Improves Health and Prolongs Life in Mice

Posted: 27 Feb 2014 06:53 AM PST

Activating a protein called sirtuin 1 extends lifespan, delays the onset of age-related metabolic diseases, and improves general health in mice. The findings, which appear online February 27 in the Cell Press journal Cell Reports, point to a potentially promising strategy for improving health and longevity.

Male Goat Essence Really Turns the Females On

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:30 PM PST

Anyone who has ever spent time around goats knows they have a certain smell. By carefully analyzing eau de male goat, researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on February 27 have now identified a novel, citrus-scented ingredient that speaks directly to the females. It acts on female goats' brains to turn their reproductive systems on.