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Dieting - Not All Fats Are Created Equal

Dec 08 2008 | comment(s)

Eating saturated fats from butter, cream and meat, as well as trans fats found in hydrogenated oils can boost our risk of cardiovascular disease, while consuming mono-unsaturated fat can be good for our heart.

Yet what's the effect of all these fats on our weight? Are some better than others?

"Research on animals and some clinical trials show that not all fats have the same effect on weight," says Nadiah Moussavi, a Master's student from the Université de Montréal Department of Nutrition. "Few epidemiological studies exist on the subject and the results of those are contradictory."

Women And Sex - Condoms Decrease Pleasure, Says Kinsey Institute Study

Dec 08 2008 | comment(s)

New data from The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University demonstrate that many women think condoms undermine sexual pleasure, but those who use both hormonal contraception and condoms report higher overall sexual satisfaction.

The study authors suggest that this inconsistency reflects how women think about their contraceptive method when asked questions about two different aspects of sexuality -- sexual enjoyment and overall sexual satisfaction.

When considering overall sexual satisfaction, which goes beyond the immediate sexual moment and includes factors such as sexual self-esteem and relationship satisfaction, women who used both condoms and hormonal methods reported the highest levels of sexual satisfaction.

What Happens To Santa When Kids Reach The Age Of Reason?

Dec 08 2008 | comment(s)

Having kids believe there's a jolly man in a red suit who visits on Christmas Eve doesn't turn out to be very detrimental, according to a new analysis by Serge Larivée, although some parents can feel they're outright lying to their children and a small percentage of kids feel that way toward their parents.

"When they learn the truth, children accept the rules of the game and even go along with their parents in having younger children believe in Santa," says Larivée, a psycho-education professor at the Université de Montréal. "It becomes a rite of passage in that they know they are no longer babies."

Not Just Hormones - Food Can Affect Cells Also, Says Study

Dec 07 2008 | comment(s)

Every living thing is composed of cells and, via receptor proteins on their outer surface, cells communicate with each other and with the outside world. Receptors are found on skin cells (pain and pressure receptors, for example) as well as on the cells of other tissues and organs.

Population Study Finds Genetic Variants For 9 Metabolic Traits

Dec 07 2008 | comment(s)

A new genome-wide study examines genetic variants associated with nine metabolic traits and is the first to draw out novel variants from a population unselected for current disease. The traits are indicators for common disease such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, blood pressure, inflammation and lipid levels.

Cohorts are followed throughout their lives, gathering lifelong information about their health: these data will help researchers to dissect the complex causes of common disease, whether genetic or environmental. The current study might indicate genetic variants that influence early development of disease, informing public health measures.

Genetic Heart Of Lipids: Study Finds Six Genetic Variants Associated With 'Bad' Cholesterol

Dec 07 2008 | comment(s)

A new study presages a real aim of genetics: to look at whole populations to in order determine the significance of individual genetic variants for individual health. A research team says they found six novel genetic variants that are associated with lipid levels, a common indicator of heart or artery disease.

The power of 'genetic microscopes' has increased because the methods are in place to study many thousands of DNA samples. This study, involving over 20,000 samples and researchers from a dozen European countries, is the first to find such lipid–gene links by looking at the general population, rather than patients.

Rodar à Esquerda

Dec 07 2008 | comment(s)

(Publicado no jornal O Primeiro de Janeiro a 29/11/2007)

Natural Selection Is Group Selection!

Dec 07 2008 | comment(s)

The debate over gene selection versus group or multi-level selection continues unabated in biological circles, and no end appears in sight. Despite a resurgence of interest in group selection, the gene-only theorists refuse to concede an inch of ground, but I fear the high tide of gene selection is on the ebb and will never dominate again.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Forensics - What The Eyes Can Tell Us About The Time Of Death

Dec 07 2008 | comment(s)

A future episode of CSI or your favorite crime drama may have an interesting new way to establish time of death, thanks to the work of a team of researchers from the University of Santiago de Compostela. Based on the analysis of several substances from the vitreous humour of the eye of cadavers, they write in the journal Statistics in Medicine, they have developed a piece of software that makes it possible to establish precisely the post mortem interval (PMI), information that will make the work of the police and the courts of justice easier.

The Mysterious Mobility Of Rooted Plants

Dec 07 2008 | comment(s)

The wild pea pod is big and heavy, with seemingly little prayer of escaping the shade of its parent plant.

And yet, like a grounded teenager who knows where the car keys are hidden, it manages – if it has a reasonable chance of escape.

University of Florida researchers working at the world's largest experimental landscape devoted to wildlife corridors – greenways that link woods or other natural areas — have discovered the pea and similar species share, given a clear shot, a mysterious ability for mobility. Though their seeds are neither dispersed by birds nor borne by the wind, they are nevertheless far more likely to slalom down corridors than slog through woods.

Leishmaniasis Now On Film - The Inner Workings Of The Immune System

Dec 07 2008 | comment(s)

For the first time in Australia, scientists at Sydney's Centenary Institute have filmed an immune cell becoming infected by a parasite and followed the infection as it begins to spread throughout the body.

Professor Wolfgang Weninger, head of the Immune Imaging program at the Centenary Institute, says the discovery was made possible using high powered multi-photon microscopy which allows real cells to be viewed in real time.

What is Science 2.0? HHMI's Take

Dec 07 2008 | comment(s)

Via Larry at Sandwalk, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute is excited about Facebook, YouTube, and Blogs.

What does this have to do with science? Like Larry, I'm still skeptical of what impact this has on what I do in the lab:

Consciousness, Meditation And The Dalai Lama

Dec 06 2008 | comment(s)

Speaking of science and religion, I got significantly annoyed by a short piece in Nature magazine by Michael Bond (13 November 2008). Bond reviews two recent books on Buddhism and science: “Mind and Life: Discussions with the Dalai Lama on the Nature of Reality,” by Pier Luigi Luisi, and “Buddhism and Science: A Guide for the Perplexed,” by Donald S. Lopez.

All about eye evolution

Dec 06 2008 | comment(s)

The most recent issue of Evolution: Education and Outreach is now available free online. This is a special issue devoted to the evolution of eyes. You may recognize some of the names in the table of contents, as several of these authors are also bloggers. Enjoy.

Evolution: Education and Outreach
Volume 1 Issue 4
The evolution of eyes
Edited by T. Ryan Gregory

Editorial

Older Men Dating Younger Women Gets A Science Study - And We Get To Make Fun Of It

Dec 06 2008 | comment(s)

Middle-aged men want younger women and don't mind talking about their own positive qualities to get them, according to research at Gothenburg University and Oxford University that studied 400 matchmaking ads to see how men and women choose partners.

There's no shortage of ideas about how men and women choose their partners. Among the more established myths is that men place more emphasis on attractive appearance, whereas resources and social status are more important to women. By examining romantic advertisements, researchers at the University of Gothenburg and the University of Oxford say they were able to test how valid these presumed preferences are when modern individuals choose partners.

Four Former Presidential Science Advisors On The Importance Of Science In The White House

Dec 06 2008 | comment(s)

Four living presidential science advisors, Democrats Drs. John H. Gibbons and Neal F. Lane and Republicans Drs. Edward E. David and John. P. McTague, have written an article called "Making a Critical Connection: Science Advice and the Next President", which highlights the need for the swift appointment of a science advisor whom President-elect Barack Obama trusts.

The Sociology Of Prayer

Dec 06 2008 | comment(s)

In times of economic distress and plenty, ninety percent of Americans pray, more than half of us once a day or more. We pray for big things—to stay healthy, to keep our jobs, and to strengthen our relationships. And we pray for small things—to find parking spaces and missing items. Some of us are sure God exists and others pray simply to cover the bases.

Don't Bet Your Heart On Apples Or Pears - Think About Liver Fat Instead

Dec 06 2008 | comment(s)

For years, pear-shaped people who carry weight in the thighs and backside have been told they are at lower risk for high blood pressure and heart disease than apple-shaped people who carry fat in the abdomen. But new findings from nutrition researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggest body-shape comparisons don't completely explain risk.

In two studies, they report excess liver fat appears to be the real key to insulin resistance, cholesterol abnormalities and other problems that contribute to diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Having too much fat stored in the liver is known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Mystery Chemical On Venus Gets A Better Look

Dec 06 2008 | comment(s)

New images taken by instruments on board ESA's Venus Express provide a unique insight into the windy atmosphere of our neighbouring planet and reveal that global patterns at the Venus cloud tops are the result of variable temperatures and cloud heights.

Using the spacecraft's ultraviolet and infrared cameras, the Venus Express team, including UK scientists, have been able to compare what the planet looks like at different wavelengths, allowing them to study the physical conditions and dynamics of the planet's atmosphere. These results appear today (4th December) in the journal Nature.

Mobile Phones Damage Memory In Rats - Study

Dec 06 2008 | comment(s)

Can radiation from cell phones affect memory?

The debate continues but in rat experiments done at the Division of Neurosurgery, Lund University, in Sweden, Henrietta Nittby studied rats that were exposed to mobile phone radiation for two hours a week for more than a year and says these rats had poorer results on a memory test than rats that had not been exposed to radiation.

The memory test consisted of releasing the rats in a box with four objects mounted in it. These objects were different on the two occasions, and the placement of the objects was different from one time to the other.