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Sunday, February 16, 2014

ScienceDaily: Top News

ScienceDaily: Top News


LGB individuals living in anti-gay communities die early, study shows

Posted: 15 Feb 2014 09:25 AM PST

In the first study to look at the consequences of anti-gay prejudice for mortality, researchers found that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals who lived in communities with high levels of anti-gay prejudice have a shorter life expectancy of 12 years on average compared with their peers in the least prejudiced communities.

Responding to potential asteroid redirect mission targets

Posted: 15 Feb 2014 07:57 AM PST

One year ago, on Feb. 15, 2013, the world witnessed the dangers presented by near-Earth Objects (NEOs) when a relatively small asteroid entered Earth's atmosphere, exploding over Chelyabinsk, Russia, and releasing more energy than a large atomic bomb. Tracking near-Earth asteroids has been a significant endeavor for NASA and the broader astronomical community, which has discovered 10,713 known near-Earth objects to date. NASA is now pursuing new partnerships and collaborations in an Asteroid Grand Challenge to accelerate NASA's existing planetary defense work, which will help find all asteroid threats to human population and know what to do about them. In parallel, NASA is developing an Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) -- a first-ever mission to identify, capture and redirect an asteroid to a safe orbit of Earth's moon for future exploration by astronauts in the 2020s.

Growing number of chemicals linked with brain disorders in children

Posted: 14 Feb 2014 05:39 PM PST

Toxic chemicals may be triggering the recent increases in neurodevelopmental disabilities among children -- such as autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and dyslexia.

Scientists chip away at mystery of what lives in our mouths

Posted: 14 Feb 2014 05:38 PM PST

Scientists have pieced together sections of DNA from 12 individual cells to sequence the genome of a bacterium known to live in healthy human mouths. With this new data, the researchers were able to reinforce a theory that genes in a closely related bacterium could be culprits in its ability to cause severe gum disease.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia can reduce health care utilization, costs

Posted: 14 Feb 2014 12:20 PM PST

A new study is the first to show decreases in health care utilization and costs following brief treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.

Sleep apnea may contribute to fatigue in multiple sclerosis: Study

Posted: 14 Feb 2014 12:20 PM PST

A new study provides evidence that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is highly prevalent in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and it suggests that OSA may be a contributor to the fatigue that is one of the most common and debilitating symptoms of MS.

Another reason to not mix work, family: Money makes parenting less meaningful, study suggests

Posted: 14 Feb 2014 10:09 AM PST

Money and parenting don't mix. That's according to new research that suggests that merely thinking about money diminishes the meaning people derive from parenting. The study is one among a growing number that identifies when, why, and how parenthood is associated with happiness or misery.

What do women want? It depends on time of month

Posted: 14 Feb 2014 10:09 AM PST

A meta-analysis of research on changes in mate preferences across the menstrual cycle suggests that ovulating women have evolved to prefer mates who display sexy traits, such as a masculine body type, dominant behavior, certain body odors and masculine facial features, rather than traits that are generally desirable in a long-term mate.

New depression treatments reported

Posted: 14 Feb 2014 10:07 AM PST

New insights into the physiological causes of depression are leading to treatments beyond common antidepressants such as Prozac and Zoloft, according to an evidence-based report.

Rice seed treatments effective, worth investment: Study

Posted: 14 Feb 2014 10:07 AM PST

When every extra expense makes a difference in profitability, farmers often wonder which management decisions are worth the extra cost. Researchers studied rice seed treatments for effectiveness in managing crop pests.

Crab nebula of life: Extensive crab sequence dataset constructed

Posted: 14 Feb 2014 08:11 AM PST

Researchers have constructed the most complete and extensive crab sequence dataset to date. Their recalibrated crab gene tree using DNA and mitochondrial sequences from 140 species and 58 crab families provides some important new insights into the timing and diversity of crab evolution.

Blacks, Hispanics, older people not benefitting equally from better colon cancer treatment

Posted: 14 Feb 2014 08:11 AM PST

While new and better treatments have improved the odds of survival for patients diagnosed late stage colorectal cancer, that progress has been largely confined to non-Hispanic whites and Asians and those under age 65.

South African healthcare workers face greater risk for TB, HIV

Posted: 14 Feb 2014 08:11 AM PST

A large-scale survey of South African healthcare workers has revealed major gaps in workplace protection against tuberculosis, HIV and hepatitis.

Tinnitus study signals new advance in understanding link between exposure to loud sounds and hearing loss

Posted: 14 Feb 2014 06:21 AM PST

Research reveals why hearing loss is correlated with auditory signals failing to get transmitted along the auditory nerve.

Environmental impact of Ontario corn production assessed

Posted: 14 Feb 2014 04:55 AM PST

Researchers examined the energy use and greenhouse gas emissions associated with corn production in Ontario.

New research reinforces danger of drinking alcohol while pregnant

Posted: 14 Feb 2014 04:54 AM PST

Women who drink alcohol at moderate or heavy levels in the early stages of their pregnancy might damage the growth and function of their placenta – the organ responsible for supplying everything that a developing infant needs until birth - research shows. Placentas studied in a laboratory environment showed that drinking alcohol at moderate (2/3 standard drinks) to high (4-6 standard drinks) rates reduced the cell growth in a woman's placenta.

Fathers drinking: Also responsible for fetal disorders?

Posted: 14 Feb 2014 04:54 AM PST

Maternal exposure to alcohol in-utero is a known risk and cause of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). FAS children suffer significant problems such as retarded intellect, stunted growth and nervous system abnormalities, social problems and isolation. Until now, fathers have not had a causal link to such disabilities. Ground breaking new research has been revealed which shows dads may have more accountability.

Brains have switch board to guide behavior in response to external stimuli

Posted: 14 Feb 2014 04:54 AM PST

How do our brains combine information from the external world (sensory stimulation) with information on our internal state such as hunger, fear or stress? Scientists demonstrate that the habenula, a specific part in our brain consisting of neural circuits, acts as a gate for sensory information, thus regulating behavior in response to external stimuli.

Breast cancer drug found in bodybuilding supplement

Posted: 13 Feb 2014 03:48 PM PST

Researchers have found the breast cancer drug tamoxifen in samples of a widely available bodybuilding dietary supplement.

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