Futurity.org » University at Buffalo

Why bullies succeed on the job

Kevin Manne-Buffalo — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:20:09 +0000

U. BUFFALO (US) — Social skills may explain why bullies often achieve high levels of career success.

They use those skills to strategically abuse their coworkers, yet still receive positive evaluations from their supervisors, according to a recent study that is one of the first attempts to measure the relationship between being a bully and job performance.

Carnivorous plant trims its tiny genome

Charlotte Hsu-Buffalo — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:08:13 +0000

U. BUFFALO (US) — A carnivorous plant is slowly deleting noncoding or “junk” DNA from its genome, report researchers.

Genes make up about 2 percent of the human genome. The rest consists of noncoding DNA, and scientists have spent years puzzling over why this material exists in such voluminous quantities.

The new study offers an unexpected insight: the large majority of noncoding DNA, which is abundant in many living things, may not actually be needed for complex life, according to research set to appear in Nature.

Breast milk protein fights back superbugs

Charlotte Hsu-Buffalo — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:44:54 +0000

U. BUFFALO (US) — A protein complex found in human breast milk can help reverse the antibiotic resistance of some bacteria that cause dangerous pneumonia and staph infections, new research shows.

In petri dish and animal experiments, the protein complex—called Hamlet—increased bacteria’s sensitivity to multiple classes of antibiotics, including penicillin and erythromycin.

For infants, high-carb diet sets metabolism

Ellen Goldbaum-Buffalo — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:49:54 +0000

U. BUFFALO (US) — A diet rich in carbs early in life can cause weight gain later, according to a new study that suggests babies may be less prone to obesity if given solid foods later.

“This is the first time that we have shown in our rat model of obesity that there is a resistance to the reversal of this programming effect in adult life,” explains Mulchand S. Patel, professor of biochemistry and associate dean for research and biomedical education in the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Gene mutation causes ‘ion leak’ in anemia

Ellen Goldbaum-Buffalo — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:30:37 +0000

U. BUFFALO (US) — Scientists have found the cause of an inherited type of anemia, and say a peptide originally discovered in tarantula venom could be a potential treatment.

A genetic mutation that alters the kinetics of an ion channel in red blood cells has been identified is the culprit, according to a paper published this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Virus overcomes ‘enormous hurdle’ to survive

Charlotte Hsu-Buffalo — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:59:33 +0000

U. BUFFALO (US) — Researchers have uncovered a virus inside a host with a non-standard nuclear genetic code—one that differs from the standard genetic code that almost all living things use to produce proteins.

“The finding is significant because it shows that these viruses can overcome what appears to be an insurmountable change in the host genome,” says researcher Derek J. Taylor, professor of biological sciences at the University at Buffalo.

To trap a rainbow, slow down light

Cory Nealon-Buffalo — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 15:50:32 +0000

U. BUFFALO (US) — A new material that halts and absorbs light may lead to advances in solar energy, stealth technology, and other fields, experts report.

Researchers developed a “hyperbolic metamaterial waveguide” that halts and ultimately absorbs each frequency of light, at slightly different places in a vertical direction, to catch a “rainbow” of wavelengths. The technology is essentially an advanced microchip made of ultra-thin films of metal and semiconductors and/or insulators.

Cognitive problems for 1 in 3 kids with MS

Gregory Filiano-Stony Brook — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:05:54 +0000

STONY BROOK (US) — One of the largest studies to assess cognitive function of children with multiple sclerosis finds one-third have a cognitive impairment.

Researchers studied 187 children and adolescents with MS, and 44 who experienced their first neurologic episode (clinically isolated syndrome) indicative of MS. They found that 35 percent of the patients with MS and 18 percent of those with clinically isolated syndrome met criteria for cognitive impairment. All patients were younger than 18 with an average disease duration of about two years.

For health, lending a hand beats getting help

Patricia Donovan-Buffalo — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 17:27:36 +0000

U. BUFFALO (US) — Stressed-out people who assist others get significant health benefits, including lower mortality rates, a new study shows.

“This study offers a significant contribution to the research literature on the relationship between social environment and health, and specifically to our understanding of how giving assistance to others may offer health benefits to the giver by buffering the negative effects of stress,” says principal investigator Michael J. Poulin, assistant professor of psychology at the University at Buffalo.

The article, published in the American Journal of Public Health, points out that although it is established that social isolation and stress are significant predictors of mortality and morbidity, 20 years of studies and meta-analytical review have failed to establish that receiving social support from others buffers recipients against mortality after exposure to psychosocial stress.

China’s indoor air raises cancer risk for women

Ellen Goldbaum-Buffalo — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 19:46:40 +0000

U. BUFFALO (US) — Breathing indoor air in some Chinese cities carries significant cancer risks, especially for women, new research shows.

While around 60 percent of Chinese men smoke, only about 4 percent of women in China smoke, however women’s rates of lung cancer are among the highest in the world—about 21 cases per 100,000.