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Thursday, June 7, 2012

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News


Fish show autism-like gene expression in water with psychoactive pharmaceuticals

Posted: 06 Jun 2012 04:38 PM PDT

Psychoactive medications in water affect the gene expression profiles of fathead minnows in a way that mimics the gene expression patterns associated with autism spectrum disorder in genetically susceptible humans, according to new research.

Stealth behavior allows cockroaches to seemingly vanish

Posted: 06 Jun 2012 04:38 PM PDT

Cockroaches, known for their stealth behavior, have a strategy up their sleeve only recently discovered by biologists. They are able to quickly disappear under ledges by flinging themselves off at full speed, grabbing the edge with hook-like claws on their hind legs, and swinging like a pendulum to land upside down underneath. Such a behavior was reproduced by a six-legged robot using Velcro strips.

Too few salmon is far worse than too many boats for killer whales

Posted: 06 Jun 2012 04:34 PM PDT

Not having enough Chinook salmon to eat stresses out southern resident killer whales in the Pacific Northwest more than having boats nearby, according to hormone levels of whales summering in the waters between British Columbia and Washington.

Three types of fetal cells can migrate into maternal organs during pregnancy: Some mothers literally carry pieces of their children in their bodies

Posted: 06 Jun 2012 12:58 PM PDT

A pregnant woman's blood stream contains not only her own cells, but a small number of her child's, as well, and some of them remain in her internal organs long after the baby is born. Understanding the origin and identity of these cells is vital to understanding their potential effects on a mother's long-term health.

Baby's genome deciphered prenatally from parents' lab tests

Posted: 06 Jun 2012 11:28 AM PDT

Maternal blood sampled at 18 weeks into a pregnancy and a paternal saliva specimen contained enough information for scientists to map the fetus' whole genome. Fetal DNA is in a pregnant women's bloodstream starting a few weeks after conception. Scientists assessed many and more subtle variations in the fetus' genome, down to a one-letter change in the DNA code, compared to current tests that screen for only a few major genetic errors.

This is your brain on no self-control

Posted: 06 Jun 2012 11:27 AM PDT

MRI images show what the brain looks like when you do something you know you shouldn't.

Video games may be helpful in treating 'Lazy eye' in adults

Posted: 06 Jun 2012 10:22 AM PDT

Suppose someone told you that researchers had discovered that a major cause of vision loss is treatable, and that the most promising new treatment is—playing video games? It may sound far-fetched, but those are the conclusions of a new article.

Complex world of gut microbes fine-tune body weight

Posted: 06 Jun 2012 07:27 AM PDT

Gut microbes have a significant effect on nutrient absorption and energy regulation. The composition of microbial communities is shown to vary with age, body weight, and variety of food ingested; as well as in response to bariatric surgery for obesity, use of antibiotics and many other factors. Based on current findings, the authors suggest that therapeutic modification of the gut microbiome may offer an attractive approach to future treatment of nutrition-related maladies, including obesity and a range of serious health consequences linked to under-nutrition.

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