Here is what we are reading today:
“Their relationship was established through DNA analysis by scientists from the Institute of Legal Medicine at Innsbruck Medical University.
The men have not been told about their connection to Oetzi. The DNA tests were taken from blood donors in Tyrol.”
“Some handprints accompanying the most famous ancient cave paintings of ice age mammals such as horses and mammoths—long attributed to males—may have actually belonged to women. That’s the conclusion of a new study, in which a researcher compared the silhouettes of 32 handprints found next to 12,500- to 40,000-year-old cave paintings in southern France and northern Spain.”
“”Our study investigated how resveratrol and radiotherapy inhibit the survival of melanoma cells,” said Michael Nicholl, assistant professor of surgery at the MU School of Medicine and surgical oncologist at Ellis Fischel Cancer Center in Columbia, Mo. “This work expands upon our previous success with resveratrol and radiation in prostate cancer. Because of difficulties involved in delivery of adequate amounts of resveratrol to melanoma tumors, the compound is probably not an effective treatment for advanced melanoma at this time.””
“Field biologists are increasingly turning to camera traps to collect data. The set-up is really simple: when an animal passes in front of a camera, an infrared sensor becomes activated, and the camera silently snaps a photo. Sometimes – especially for camera traps designed to detect nocturnal species – an infrared flash, invisible to most mammals and birds, is used.”
“Using real-time scans of the brain, recent Harvard Ph.D. Juan Manuel Contreras, Richard Clarke Cabot Professor of Social Ethics Mahzarin R. Banaji, and Psychology Professor Jason P. Mitchell found a brain region in which patterns of neural activity change when people look at black and white faces, and at male and female faces. The study is described in a paper published last month in the journal PLOS ONE.”
“The study, which is published in the journal Pediatrics, found that irregular bedtimes could disrupt natural body rhythms and cause sleep deprivation, undermining brain maturation and the ability to regulate certain behaviours.
Professor Yvonne Kelly (UCL Epidemiology & Public Health), said: “Not having fixed bedtimes, accompanied by a constant sense of flux, induces a state of body and mind akin to jet lag and this matters for healthy development and daily functioning.””
4 Comments
Sarahvais · October 17, 2013 at 5:51 am
In response to “wine derivative and cancer cure” I was interested to see that they put in a lot of research into this topic. You hear all of the time that a glass of wine a day is good for your health but I never remember hearing exactly how it is good for you. This research goes in depth and showed the effects on a very difficult topic of medicine today. The fact that reveratrol alone kills 44% of cancer cells is phenomenal. It clearly has some potent abilities and a potential for use in the future. Especially combined with other chemicals and drugs we have already in use I believe this could be powerful. The fact that they are considering it in brain tumors is also striking. THis would mean it has the ability to cross the blood brain barrier which is why treating brain tumors is so difficult. I can’t wait to see the progress they make with this!
neirani · November 3, 2013 at 8:52 pm
In response to “facial recognition”
Its very surprising to me that race and gender are the first thing we recognize when looking at new faces. Specifically, gender is less surprising due to genetic necessities of reproduction. However, I wonder if the prioritization of racial recognition is based on our social “nurturing” of identity. I would think other variables like age would be prioritized over race in understandings of identity and social interactions.
Alina Parga · November 20, 2013 at 11:24 pm
In response to “bedtimes and behavior problems in children”
I think that it is great that researchers have made this connections between irregular bedtimes and behavioral problems because the affects are pretty serious. These behaviors range from hyperactivity to emotional activity but what was great to hear was that these effects are reversible meaning that once a child starts having regular bedtimes they show positive changes in their behavior. I thought it was interesting that children who had irregular bedtimes or who went to bed after nine, came from more socially disadvantaged backgrounds. I am really interested on why this is and I feel like maybe these groups have parents working long hours and siblings being in charge of sleep times.
Alina Parga · November 20, 2013 at 11:45 pm
After reading “facial recognition” I was pleasantly surprised that I could completely relate with this article. One of the first things people ask me when they meet me is “What ethnicity are you?” because I guess it’s really hard to tell that I am Hispanic and not Asian. I have always wondered why that tends to be the first thing people that strangers want to know. It is refreshing to know that this due to a neural activity that humans have in common. I would definitely want to read more about why people have to automatic response to socially categorize people right off the bat.