Ohio State University
Use it or lose it, fitness experts tell us. Now a new study offers evidence that the adage really does ring true ? that a lack of exercise can not only cause physical setbacks, but also psychological setbacks as well. Researchers looked at the exercise habits of a group of older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a lung disease that kills some 120,000 people every year in the United States. All of the participants completed a 10-week exercise rehabilitation program, then were given a home exercise program to follow on their own.
Ultrasound therapy does nothing to help an injured skeletal muscle heal any faster, according to a new study conducted in rats. Although ultrasound is one of the most frequently prescribed treatments for one of the most common sport and athletic injuries ? skeletal muscle contusions ? there's really no good scientific evidence showing that it treats injured muscles effectively, said Steven Devor, the study's lead author and an assistant professor of sport and exercise sciences at Ohio State University.
It's no secret that exercise improves mood, but new research suggests that working out to music may give exercisers a cognitive boost. Listening to music while exercising helped to increase scores on a verbal fluency test among cardiac rehabilitation patients. "This is the first study to look at the combined effects of music and short-term exercise on mental performance," said Charles Emery, the study's lead author and a professor of psychology at Ohio State University.
Just because a married couple has a good relationship when a child is born is no guarantee the marriage will stay that way as their child grows older, a new study suggests. Researchers found that how a couple manages their parenting responsibilities when their child is 6 months old is related to the quality of their marriage when their child is 3. Couples who had a good relationship with each other when their child was an infant ? but had conflicts regarding parenting ? were more likely to have a poorer couple relationship when their child was 3.
A new study suggests that when over-the-counter medications fail to help children who suffer from chronic migraine headaches, those children may find relief with a drug traditionally prescribed to adults. Around one out of every 10 children experience chronic migraines, said Ann Pakalnis, a study co-author and a clinical associate professor of pediatrics and neurology at Ohio State University and Columbus Children's Hospital.
Certain ions bouncing around on the ocean's surface and in droplets formed by waves may play a role in increasing ozone levels in the air we breathe, new research suggests. These ions cover the surface of the sea in an ultra-thin blanket ? about one-millionth the thickness of a sheet of paper. Researchers call this region the "interface." Using a technique that employs highly accurate laser beams, chemists for the first time saw the actual structures formed by these halogen ions, or halides. They could see just how molecules of water surround these ions and also determine the halides' whereabouts within the interfacial area.
Stephen Hawking and Kip Thorne may owe John Preskill a set of encyclopedias. In 1997, the three cosmologists made a famous bet as to whether information that enters a black hole ceases to exist -- that is, whether the interior of a black hole is changed at all by the characteristics of particles that enter it. Hawking's research suggested that the particles have no effect whatsoever. But his theory violated the laws of quantum mechanics and created a contradiction known as the "information paradox." Now physicists at Ohio State University have proposed a solution using string theory, a theory which holds that all particles in the universe are made of tiny vibrating strings.
At 2.5 tons and 9 feet high, the truck that engineers are about to race across the Mojave Desert could literally crush the competition. And it would do so without a driver. The truck won't be squashing its rivals -- the purpose of the competition is to design vehicles that can drive autonomously and avoid obstacles, rather than run them over.
A series of studies in rats and mice suggests that short bouts of stress increase the skin's ability to fight infections and heal minor wounds. The immune response of animals exposed to acute stress ? about two hours of restraint ? was two to four times higher compared to non-stressed animals. This was true when the animals' skin was treated with chemical or protein antigens immediately after a stressful event. An antigen is any substance that the immune system reacts to by producing cells and antibodies.
A new study suggests that couples who live together before marriage may be less likely to eventually marry than previously believed. Only about 40 percent of cohabiting couples studied ended up marrying within four to seven years. And 42 percent of cohabiting couples disagreed about the future of their relationship, the study found. Moreover, contrary to popular belief, men with the best economic prospects and couples who were the most similar were not more likely than others to marry after living together.
Last fall, ecologists at Ohio State University cracked open an acorn they had found in an Ohio park and discovered a colony of extremely rare ants. They had uncovered Leptothorax minutissimus, an ant species that has been found in only four other areas of the eastern United States. "What makes this find special is the lifestyle of these ants," said Joan Herbers, an ant expert and a professor of evolution, ecology and organismal biology at Ohio State. L. minutissimus is a unique social parasite in that it lives entirely within the colonies of other ant species. But unlike parasitic slave-maker ants, which raid and virtually destroy the colonies of unsuspecting hosts, L. minutissimus appears to move in and live amiably with its host.
A study of muffler technology is giving American automakers new options for designing quieter cars. Engineers have tested a promising new muffler design that utilizes glass fiber, and are developing the computational tools manufacturers will need to optimize the design. The new design can often silence auto noise just as well as a typical muffler, but it can be lighter, less prone to corrosion, and help engines work more efficiently.
Some pundits have discussed recently whether President Bush's Iraq and economic policies have been failures ? and whether they might signal an overall failure of the Bush presidency. But not long ago many of these same pundits were praising Bush for his determined leadership. And if recent presidential history is any indication, it may be too soon to assess what Bush has accomplished, said John Kessel, a professor of political science at Ohio State University. Kessel recently discussed how Bush's policies are being assessed in light of a study he did that examined presidential successes and failures of nine recent presidents ? Eisenhower through Clinton. In that study, Kessel found that successful policies dominated failed policies by a ratio of three to two.
Engineers have designed a new diode that transmits more electricity than any other device of its kind, and the inspiration for it came from technology that is 40 years old. Unlike other diodes in its class, called tunnel diodes, the new diode is compatible with silicon, so manufacturers could easily build it into mainstream electronic devices such as cell phones and computers.
A report released yesterday by the National Research Council found that the nation's air transportation system is "in peril," as is the United States' dominance in world aviation. "In the past, we have been the world leader in aviation and aviation technology. But that leadership is eroding rapidly," said David Woods, who was a member of the report committee. Woods is a professor in the Institute for Ergonomics and co-director of the Cognitive Systems Engineering Lab at Ohio State University. "Without a coordinated national vision, the U.S. aviation system and industry are in peril of falling into the shadow of other parts of the world," he said.
