Futurity.org » University of Missouri

Cholesterol drug may block exercise benefits

Jesslyn Chew-Missouri — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:11:53 +0000

U. MISSOURI (US) — Experts urge doctors to reconsider statins for obese patients after finding the cholesterol drug may block some benefits of exercise.

Statins, the most widely prescribed drugs worldwide, are often suggested to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease in individuals with obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of medical disorders including excess body fat and/or high levels of blood pressure, blood sugar, and/or cholesterol.

Researchers, however, found that simvastatin, a generic type of statin previously sold under the brand name Zocor, hindered the positive effects of exercise for obese and overweight adults. The study appears in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Come on, get happy, crank up the music

Timothy Wall-Missouri — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:34:43 +0000

U. MISSOURI (US) — You really can convince yourself to be happier, especially if you’re listening to an upbeat song while doing so.

“Our work provides support for what many people already do—listen to music to improve their moods,” says lead author Yuna Ferguson, who performed the study while she was a doctoral student in psychological science at the University of Missouri.

Ape pelvis fills gap in evolution puzzle

Christian Basi-Missouri — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:22:07 +0000

U. MISSOURI (US) — Experts say the pelvis from an 11.9 million-year-old ape skeleton suggests the primate probably lived near the beginning of the great ape evolution.

Researchers who unearthed the fossil specimen of the ape skeleton in Spain in 2002 assigned it a new genus and species, Pierolapithecus catalaunicus. They argued that it could be the last common ancestor of modern great apes: chimpanzees, orangutans, bonobos, gorillas, and humans.

Ashley Hammond, a Life Sciences Fellow in the department of pathology and anatomical sciences at the University of Missouri, used a tabletop laser scanner attached to a turntable to capture detailed surface images of the fossil, which provided her with a 3D model to compare the Pierolapithecus pelvis anatomy to living species.

The economics of declining birth rates

Timothy Wall-Missouri — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:25:42 +0000

U. MISSOURI (US) — Economic changes have the greatest effect on reducing family size, and thus slowing population growth, compared to other factors, a new study shows.

Researchers say understanding the causes of declining birth rates may lead to improved policies designed to influence fertility and result in reduced competition for food, water, land, and wealth.

“Improvements in economic development, such as higher educational attainment, increasing employment in the formal labor market, and the shift away from agriculture, seem to have a doubly powerful effect because they not only raise individuals’ standards of living, but also correlate to declining fertility rates, according to the results of our study,” says Mary Shenk, assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Missouri.

Test quickly detects if food is contaminated

Timothy Wall-Missouri — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:55:59 +0000

U. MISSOURI (US) — Food safety and bioterrorism defense may benefit from an improved toxin detection test that researchers are hoping will boost the economy, too.

The technique could make food contamination testing more rapid and accurate. The detection test also could accelerate warnings after bioterrorism attacks. A report on the method is published in Biosensors and Bioelectronics.

“Quickly stopping the spread of toxins saves lives, whether those toxins are from natural processes or enemy attacks,” says lead author Sangho Bok, postdoctoral fellow working under the supervision of Shubhra Gangopadhyay in the University of Missouri’s College of Engineering.

Kids with autism get hooked on video games

Jesslyn Chew-Missouri — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:11:04 +0000

U. MISSOURI (US) — Children and teens with autism are more likely to become preoccupied with video games and TV than their typically developing siblings, research reveals.

“Many parents and clinicians have noticed that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are fascinated with technology, and the results of our recent studies certainly support this idea,” says Micah Mazurek, an assistant professor of health psychology and a clinical child psychologist at the University of Missouri.

Drug may boost memory in adults with autism

Jesslyn Chew-Missouri — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:32:12 +0000

U. MISSOURI (US) — A drug commonly used to treat high blood pressure and anxiety may improve the working memory of people with autism, new research shows.

Previously, researchers found that the drug, propranolol, could improve the language abilities and social functioning of people with an ASD.

Selfishness can spread to the socially minded

Timothy Wall-Missouri — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:16:34 +0000

U. MISSOURI (US) — Individuals don’t want to be “suckered” into giving if others in the group get away without helping, new research suggests.

Numerous studies have provided evidence that people are less likely to help when in groups, a phenomenon known as the “bystander effect.” Those studies examined situations where only one person was needed to take action to help another.

Anthropologists recently found that even when multiple individuals can contribute to a common cause, the presence of others reduces an individual’s likelihood of helping. This research has numerous applications, including possibly guiding the fundraising strategies of charitable organizations.

‘Pool ball’ cancer therapy cuts side effects

Timothy Wall-Missouri — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:22:50 +0000

U. MISSOURI (US) — A new form of radiation therapy put cancer into remission in mice without the usual side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, researchers report.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cancer kills more than 500,000 people in the United States each year.

‘Invisible whiskers’ make crocs super sensitive

Christian Basi-Missouri — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 18:36:29 +0000

U. MISSOURI (US) — Nerves on crocodilians’ faces are so sensitive that they can detect when a single drop hits the water several feet away, say researchers who measured the nerve bundle.

Researchers say the discovery will help clarify how today’s animals, as well as dinosaurs and crocodiles that lived millions of years ago, interact with the environment around them.