Posts Tagged ‘Duke University’
Science & Technology - Dec 9, 2009 14:54 - 0 Comments
Why King Kong failed to impress
DUKE (US)—Humans have the same receptors for detecting odors related to sex as do other apes and primates. But each species uses them in different ways, stemming from the way the genes for these receptors have evolved over time. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Dec 9, 2009 14:20 - 5 Comments
Childhood trauma lingers in mind, body
DUKE (US)—Negative experiences in childhood may alter not only an adult’s psychology but also physical health into middle age and beyond. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Dec 8, 2009 12:20 - 0 Comments
Neurons’ novel way of battling infections
NYU (US)—Biologists have determined how neurons combat viral infections, a discovery that may offer a path for treating viral encephalitis and related afflictions. (more…)
Science & Technology - Dec 3, 2009 12:21 - 0 Comments
Human speech is music to our ears
DUKE (US)—Humans may love music, biologically speaking, because it mimics the sounds of our own voices. Neuroscientists say the use of 12 tone intervals in the music of many human cultures is rooted in the physics of how our vocal anatomy produces speech and conveys emotion. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Dec 2, 2009 11:21 - 3 Comments
Neurons mature rapidly at birth
DUKE (US)—At the moment a newborn switches from amniotic fluid to breathing air, another profound shift occurs: nerve cells in the brain convert from hyperexcitability to a calm frame against which outside signals can be detected. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Nov 30, 2009 14:39 - 3 Comments
Big dose of x-ray after heart attack
DUKE (US)—Acute heart attack patients receive an average dose of radiation that is equal to 725 chest X-rays, or 30 percent of the recommended annual limit, during an average hospital admission, according to a new study. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Nov 12, 2009 17:38 - 4 Comments
Reading chemical memories of past drug use
VANDERBILT (US)—A research team is trying to determine if an individual’s white blood cells retain chemical memories of exposure to drugs—like cocaine and alcohol—that can be read reliably and unambiguously. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Nov 2, 2009 11:07 - 2 Comments
Nano-scale delivery may offer less toxic chemo
DUKE (US)—Going smaller could bring better results, especially when it comes to cancer-fighting drugs. Bioengineers have developed a simple and inexpensive method for loading cancer drug payloads into nano-scale delivery vehicles. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Oct 23, 2009 16:57 - 2 Comments
High lead levels linked to lower test scores
DUKE (US)—Exposure to lead in early childhood significantly contributes to lower performances on end-of-grade (EOG) reading tests among minority and low-income children. (more…)
Society & Culture - Oct 22, 2009 12:24 - 0 Comments
Testosterone tumbled in McCain’s male voters
DUKE (US)—Young men who voted for Republican John McCain or Libertarian candidate Robert Barr in the 2008 presidential election suffered an immediate drop in testosterone when the election results were announced. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Oct 19, 2009 14:57 - 1 Comment
House calls dial back blood pressure
DUKE (US)—Combining home-based blood pressure monitoring and telephone counseling significantly improves a person’s blood pressure control at a minimal cost. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Oct 15, 2009 18:04 - 7 Comments
Imagination helps kids cope with pain
UNC CHAPEL HILL (US)—Children with functional abdominal pain who combined the use of guided imagery with standard medical treatment were almost three times as likely to improve their pain problem, compared to children who received standard treatment alone. (more…)
Society & Culture - Oct 15, 2009 16:59 - 0 Comments
Giving away privacy by sharing online?
DUKE (US)—Millions of Internet users have been enjoying the fun—and free—services provided by advertiser-supported online social networks like Facebook. But are those users risking their privacy? (more…)
Health & Medicine - Oct 12, 2009 11:53 - 0 Comments
Molding cells to patch up broken hearts
DUKE (US)—By mimicking the way embryonic stem cells develop into heart muscle in a lab, bioengineers believe they have taken an important first step toward growing a living “heart patch” to repair heart tissue damaged by disease. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 8, 2009 15:29 - 0 Comments
Predicting when cells will be unpredictable
DUKE (US)—Scientists have discovered a quirky trait that makes some bacteria zig when others zag. The finding could help bioengineers fine-tune the development of synthetic “circuits”—designed to produce a myriad of useful proteins and chemicals. (more…)
Society & Culture - Oct 8, 2009 11:17 - 0 Comments
Shame motivates better than subsidy
DUKE (US)—Government subsidies persuade some people to change habits, but social shame works even better, suggests a recent study of efforts to reduce elevated childhood death and disease rates in rural India blamed on the microbial pathogens that cause diarrhea. (more…)
Science & Technology - Sep 28, 2009 18:21 - 1 Comment
Monkey brain signals mental wanderlust
DUKE (US)—Knowing when to stay with what’s familiar or when to search for something new can be tricky, especially for those with conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Using brain scans, researchers are able to predict when monkeys will switch from exploiting a known resource to exploring their options. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Sep 24, 2009 19:41 - 2 Comments
Mapping a baby’s retina for signs of blindness
DUKE (US)—New imaging technology may go a long way to improving diagnosis and treatment of a condition that causes blindness in premature babies. (more…)
