Earth

Montreal, May 13, 2019 -- Regardless of how much you exercise or how balanced your diet is, controlling your weight is more brain-related than you might have thought. In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers from the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) show for the first time in mice that the acyl-CoA-binding protein, or ACBP, has a direct influence on the neurons that allow rodents and humans to maintain a healthy weight.

AUSTIN, Texas - Scientists have uncovered new evidence that heated political discourse over proposed laws involving marginalized groups, such as debates about the rights of LGBT people, can contribute to an increase in bullying linked to students' identity in schools. It is the largest study to date to examine the link.

We are more envious of someone else's covetable experience before it happens than after it has passed, according to research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

Two sniffling chimps could be one too many for a wild chimpanzee community susceptible to respiratory disease outbreaks, report Morris Animal Foundation-funded researchers at the University of Minnesota. The team's findings were a result of their development of a syndromic surveillance system to noninvasively and preemptively detect a potential outbreak of respiratory disease. The study recently was published in EcoHealth.

Repetition can be useful if you're trying to memorize a poem, master a guitar riff, or just cultivate good habits. When this kind of behavior becomes compulsive, however, it can get in the way of normal life--an impediment sometimes observed in psychiatric illnesses like Tourette's syndrome and autism spectrum disorders. Now, Rockefeller scientists have identified a brain circuit that underlies repetition in worms, a finding that may ultimately shed light on similar behavior in humans.

NASA's Aqua satellite used infrared light to analyze the strength of storms in Tropical Cyclone Lili as it moved through the Southern Indian Ocean. Infrared data provides temperature information, and the strongest thunderstorms that reach high into the atmosphere have the coldest cloud top temperatures.

NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed over the Southern Indian Ocean and captured a visible image of newly formed Tropical Cyclone Lili, located north of the coast of Australia's Northern Territory.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology or ABM issued a Strong Wind Warning for the following areas: Beagle Bonaparte Coast, North Tiwi Coast, Arafura Coast and Roper Groote Coast. There is no tropical cyclone warning currently in effect.

Mitochondria in neurons are the powerhouses that generate energy to execute cellular functions and regulate neuronal survival under conditions of stress. Collaborative research by Prof. Vidita Vaidya and Prof. Ullas Kolthur-Seetharam groups at TIFR, along with Dr. Ashok Vaidya, at Medical Research Centre, Kasturba Health Society, has demonstrated an unusual function for the neurotransmitter serotonin, in the generation of new mitochondria--a process called mitochondrial biogenesis--in neurons, accompanied by increase in cellular respiration and ATP, the energy currency of the cell.

Ordinarily, you won't encounter a radiation thermometer until somebody puts one in your ear at the doctor's office or you point one at your forehead when you're feeling feverish. But more sophisticated and highly calibrated research-grade "non-contact" thermometers--which measure the infrared (heat) radiation given off by objects without touching them--are critically important to many endeavors besides health care.

Adults with lupus who report having had adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as abuse, neglect and household challenges, report higher disease activity, depression and poorer overall health compared to those without such experiences, according to a study by researchers at UC San Francisco.

Young adults who experienced maltreatment during childhood are more prone to use e-cigarettes, according to a study published in The American Journal on Addictions.

The Eurasian otter typically eats fish, but amphibians, which are in global decline, are also part of its diet, especially when fish are scarce. In a Mammal Review study, researchers identified bones of amphibians in otter faeces from southern Italy to determine which types of amphibians are typically eaten. They also reviewed 64 studies of otter diet.

What really matters in caring for babies may be different than commonly thought, says Lehigh University researcher Susan S. Woodhouse, an expert on infant attachment. In new research, she finds that caregivers need only "get it right" 50 percent of the time when responding to babies' need for attachment to have a positive impact on a baby.

Globally, alcohol intake increased from 5.9 litres pure alcohol a year per adult in 1990, to 6.5 litres in 2017, and is predicted to increase further to 7.6 litres by 2030. This is likely to be caused by increased alcohol use in low- and middle-income countries as they become wealthier.

Between 2010-2017, the most notable increases in alcohol drinking occurred in India and Vietnam, compared with significant decreases in Azerbaijan, Russia, the UK, and Peru.

Fewer than half of men and women in Britain aged 16-44 have sex at least once a week, reveals a large study published by The BMJ today.

The data show a general decline in sexual activity in Britain between 2001 and 2012, with the steepest declines among the over 25s and those who are married or living together.

There is evidence that regular sexual activity is beneficial to health and wellbeing, but a recent decline has been seen in several high-income countries in the proportion of people who are sexually active, and how often they have sex.