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Paleontologists find extinction rates higher in open-ocean settings during mass extinctions

November 19, 2009

Arnie Miller, University of Cincinnati professor of paleontology in the McMicken College of Arts & Sciences, and co-author Michael Foote of the University of Chicago publish their research in the Nov. 20 issue of Science with their paper, "Epicontinental Seas Versus Open-Ocean Settings: The Kinetics of Mass Extinction and Origination."

BoarCroc, RatCroc, DogCroc, DuckCroc and PancakeCroc

November 19, 2009

WASHINGTON -- A suite of five ancient crocs, including one with teeth like boar tusks and another with a snout like a duck's bill, have been discovered in the Sahara by National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Paul Sereno.

Common pain relief medication may encourage cancer growth

November 18, 2009

Although morphine has been the gold-standard treatment for postoperative and chronic cancer pain for two centuries, a growing body of evidence is showing that opiate-based painkillers can stimulate the growth and spread of cancer cells.

High-precision measurements confirm cosmologists' standard view of the universe

November 2, 2009

A detailed picture of the seeds of structures in the universe has been unveiled by an international team co-led by Sarah Church of the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, joint

Protein critical for insulin secretion may be contributor to diabetes

October 26, 2009

A cellular protein from a family involved in several human diseases is crucial for the proper production and release of insulin, new research has found, suggesting that the protein might play a rol

Satellite reveals surprising cosmic 'weather' at edge of solar system

October 16, 2009

The first solar system energetic particle maps show an unexpected landmark occurring at the outer edge of the solar wind bubble surrounding the solar system. Scientists published these maps, based mostly on data collected from NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer satellite, in the Oct. 15 issue of Science Express, the advance online version of the journal Science.

Technology brings new insights to one of the oldest Middle Eastern languages still spoken

October 15, 2009

New technologies and academic collaborations are helping scholars at the University of Chicago analyze hundreds of ancient documents in Aramaic, one of the Middle East's oldest continuously spoken and written languages.
http://mindonline.uchicago.edu/media/news/Persepolis_v4_CMIG

Comfort food: Chocolate, water reduce pain response to heat

October 13, 2009

People often eat food to feel better, but researchers have found that eating chocolate or drinking water can blunt pain, reducing a rat's response to a hot stimulus. This natural form of pain relief may help animals in the wild avoid distraction while eating scarce food, but in modern humans with readily available food, the effect may contribute to overeating and obesity.

Animal research deserves defending, say our members

October 5, 2009

In a recent commentary, We must face the threats, in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers Dario Ringach and David Jentsch spoke out against animal rights extremism. They urged the scientific community to stand together and fight misconceptions about experiments using animals.

Study shows that color plays musical chairs in the brain

October 1, 2009

Color is normally thought of as a fundamental attribute of an object: a red Corvette, a blue lake, a pink flamingo. Yet despite this popular notion, new research suggests that our perception of color is malleable, and relies heavily on biological processes of the eye and brain.

Lack of social interaction affects health outcomes of breast cancer

September 29, 2009

PHILADELPHIA -- Social environment can play an important role in the biology of disease, including breast cancer, and lead to significant differences in health outcome, according to results of a study published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Social isolation worsens cancer

September 29, 2009

Using mice as a model to study human breast cancer, researchers have demonstrated that a negative social environment (in this case, isolation) causes increased tumor growth. The work shows -- for the first time -- that social isolation is associated with altered gene expression in mouse mammary glands, and that these changes are accompanied by larger tumors.

Use of statins favors the wealthy, creating new social disparities in cholesterol

September 24, 2009

PHILADELPHIA -- Since the introduction of statins to treat high cholesterol, the decline in lipid levels experienced by the wealthy has been double that experienced by the poor.

Rich people don't need friends

September 16, 2009

In a paper evaluated by f1000 Medicine, six studies tested relationships between reminders of money, social exclusion and physical pain.

Genes may explain why children who live without dads have earlier sex

September 14, 2009

Previous research has found that children raised in homes without a biological father have sex earlier than children raised in traditional nuclear families. Now a new study that used a novel and complex design to investigate why this is so challenges a popular explanation of the reasons.



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