Oxytocin may inhibit social phobia

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Swedish and British scientists have shown using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) that the hormone oxytocin can inhibit feelings of anxiety in specific individuals. Their discovery might lead to a better understanding and the improved treatment of psychiatric affections in which people feel distressed when meeting others, such as in cases of autism and social phobia.

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Editorial staff:

Jim Codex - jimatsciencecodex.com

Cameron English - cameronatsciencecodex.com

Daniel Ellis - danielatsciencecodex.com

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Everything’s Coming Up Corals

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Two University of Miami (UM) students have received prestigious Graduate Research Fellowships from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for their doctoral work on coral reefs. Rachel Silverstein and Nitzan Soffer will each receive three years of support for their work in the laboratory of Dr. Andrew Baker, an assistant professor in the Division of Marine Biology and Fisheries at UM’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. In addition, a third student entering Baker’s lab this fall, Ross Cunning, also received an Honorable Mention in the same national NSF competition.

Origin of "Breathable" Atmosphere on Earth Found

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Ohio State University geologists and their colleagues have uncovered evidence of when Earth may have first supported an oxygen-rich atmosphere similar to the one we breathe today.

The study suggests that upheavals in the earth’s crust initiated a kind of reverse-greenhouse effect 500 million years ago that cooled the world’s oceans, spawned giant plankton blooms, and sent a burst of oxygen into the atmosphere.

That oxygen may have helped trigger one of the largest growths of biodiversity in Earth’s history.

Belief in Witchcraft, Magic Serves 'Basic Human Need,' Professor Says

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Halloween is a time for children to dress up as witches, ghouls and goblins, but historically witchcraft was serious business, according to a Duke University professor.

Though people today might view witchcraft as mere superstition, it’s evident from anthropological literature that, for some people, the practice has served a basic human need, said Anne-Maria Makhulu, an assistant professor of cultural anthropology who studies the ongoing practice of witchcraft in Africa.

Inaugural Agrow Awards Ceremony Lauds Dow, Monsanto

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"I have learnt more about this remarkable industry this evening than I did when I was Minister for the Environment," claimed Gyles Brandreth, the celebrity, author and former politician hosting the inaugural Agrow Awards, held on October 16 in Glasgow.

Cancer care unaffected by lower Medicare reimbursements

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Patients perceive no significant change in the quality of care for cancer since the United States’ government passed the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) according to a study published in the November 15, 2007 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

Gryposaurus Monumentensis: The 'Arnold Schwarzenegger Of Duck-Billed Dinosaurs'

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The newest dinosaur species to emerge from Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument had some serious bite, according to researchers from the Utah Museum of Natural History (UNMH) at the University of Utah. “It was one of the most robust duck-billed dinosaurs ever,” said lead author Terry Gates. “It was a monster.”

Fuzzy Ethics: Saving Endangered Species By Making Hybrid Animals

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What began more than 50 years ago as a way to improve fishing bait in California has led a University of Tennessee researcher to a significant finding about how animal species interact and that raises important questions about conservation.

In the middle of the 20th century, local fishermen who relied on baby salamanders as bait introduced a new species of salamander to California water bodies. These Barred Tiger salamanders came into contact with the native California Tiger salamanders, and over time the two species began to mate.

Ranking The Top 20 Science Sites

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Recently we had a conversation about where we ranked among science sites. There are a few measurement services out there, and they all give different numbers ( none of which are truly accurate) plus they all seem to have their own method for determining 'reach' that goes beyond simple traffic.

We decided to compare all the science sites, including ones that are doing different things like articles, blogging and news releases, against each other, using the results from two traffic ranking services, one opt-in popularity service and one service that measures inbound links.