Body

When the going gets tough, the materialistic go shopping

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Materialistic people experience more stress from traumatic events such as terrorist attacks and are more likely to spend compulsively as a result, according to an international study led by a Michigan State University business professor.

These possession-driven folks tend to have lower self-esteem than others, said Ayalla Ruvio, MSU assistant professor of marketing.

New genus of electric fish discovered in 'lost world' of South America

A previously unknown genus of electric fish has been identified in a remote region of South America by a team of international researchers including University of Toronto Scarborough professor Nathan Lovejoy.

Epigenetic changes observed in blood may point to early stages in Parkinson disease

Parkinson disease, a neurodegenerative disorder in which both genetic and environmental factors play important roles, has been associated with epigenetic changes (those molecular modifications that alter the behavior of genes without changing the DNA sequence). Because accurate diagnosis is not easy for this disease, scientists are continuously trying to identify early signs of the disease that enable treatment before major neurological damage occurs.

Unstable chromosomes linked to less favorable response to RT and surgery in prostate cancer patients

Atlanta, September 25, 2013 -- Detailed evaluation of a prostate cancer tumor biopsy may predict treatment outcomes for image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) or surgery for prostate cancer, according to research presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncology's (ASTRO's) 55th Annual Meeting. The study results indicate that patients who have abnormal levels of breaks at common fragile sites (CFSs), sites within the chromosomes that are sensitive to DNA damage, are more likely to have their cancer to return -- treatment failure.

Recent highlights in Molecular Biology and Evolution

Research from the University of Bath has found a greater number of 'escaping genes' on the X chromosome than have been previously detected, with implications for the understanding of mental impairment in humans.

Human females, unlike males, have two copies of the X chromosome. This double dose of the X chromosome presents an interesting genetic conundrum, namely what happens to the genes on this extra chromosome? If all of the genes were to be expressed then females would have twice the dose of the genes' products compared with males.

Tweets reveal news readership patterns around the world

Los Angeles, CA (September 25, 2013) For many international news followers, having a cup of coffee while reading the morning newspaper has turned into scrolling a Twitter feed to catch up on important news as it happens throughout the day.

Oldest existing lizard-like fossil hints at scaly origins

The fossilised remains of a reptile closely related to lizards are the oldest yet to be discovered.

Two new fossil jaws discovered in Vellberg, Germany provide the first direct evidence that the ancestors of lizards, snakes and tuatara (known collectively as lepidosaurs), were alive during the Middle Triassic period – around 240 million years ago.

The new fossil finds predate all other lepidosaur records by 12 million years. The findings are published in BMC Evolutionary Biology.

The 'in-law effect': Male fruit flies sleep around but females keep it in the family

Male fruit flies like to have a variety of sexual partners, whereas females prefer to stick with the same mate – or move on to his brothers.

An Oxford University study of mating preferences in fruit flies (Drosophila) has found that males and females respond to the sexual familiarity of potential mates in fundamentally different ways.

While male fruit flies preferred to court an unknown female over their previous mate or her sisters, female fruit flies displayed a predilection for their 'brothers-in-law'.

Abiraterone acetate delays quality of life decline in men with metastatic prostate cancer

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Abiraterone acetate, a recently FDA-approved drug used to treat men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, significantly delays progression of pain and quality of life deterioration when taken in conjunction with prednisone.

UK study shows improvements in life expectancy in type 1 diabetes which should now be reflected in life insurance and other rele

A study from the UK reveals that, in the population of Scotland, UK, life expectancy for people with type 1 diabetes has improved substantially, and this improvement should now be reflected in life insurance and other relevant policies for those with the condition. The research is by, Professor Helen Colhoun and Shona Livingstone, University of Dundee, UK, and colleagues on behalf of the Scottish Diabetes Research Network, and is presented at this year's annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Barcelona, Spain.

Having children lowers mortality in people with type 1 diabetes, but for women more than men

New research published at this week's annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Barcelona, Spain, shows that having children lowers mortality in people with type 1 diabetes, but for women more than men. The research is by Dr Lena Sjöberg, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, and National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland, and colleagues.

Genetic study pushes back timeline for first significant human population expansion

About 10,000 years ago, the Neolithic age ushered in one of the most dramatic periods of human cultural and technological transition, where independently, different world populations developed the domestication of plants and animals. The hunter-gatherers gave rise to herders and farmers. Changes to a more sedentary lifestyle and larger settlements are widely thought to have contributed to a worldwide human population explosion, from an estimated 4-6 million people to 60-70 million by 4,000 B.C.

How the gut got its villi

"You are not just a ball of cells," says Clifford Tabin, George Jacob and Jacqueline Hazel Leder Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School (HMS).

Fat and obesity gene also affects hip fracture

Australian researchers have demonstrated a strong association between the FTO (fat and obesity) gene and hip fracture in women. While the gene is already well known to affect diabetes and obesity, this is the first study to show that its high-risk variant can increase the risk of hip fracture by as much as 82%.

Study findings question frequency of bone mineral density testing for predicting fracture risk

A second bone mineral density (BMD) screening four years after a baseline measurement provided little additional value when assessing risk for hip or other major osteoporotic fracture among older men and women untreated for osteoporosis, and resulted in little change in risk classification used in clinical management, findings that question the common clinical practice of repeating a BMD test every 2 years, according to a study in the September 25 issue of JAMA.