Archive for July, 2008
Suckling infants trigger surges of trust hormone in mothers’ brains
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008
When a baby suckles at a mother's breast, it starts a chain of events that leads to surges of the "trust" hormone oxytocin being released in their mothers' brains.
Stress Hits Unexpectedly: His and Hers
Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008by Susan
In 2003 I was going through a difficult time and wrote a poem about how stress grabs us when we least expect it. Stress has been a big part of my depression and anxiety disease. It's something I frequently feel even though I'm past the worst of it. Maybe some of you can relate to my poem if you also have mental health issues that you are dealing with on a daily basis.
Stress
Stress can hit you in the middle of the day
It can wake you when you're dreaming and take your breath away
It can grab you somewhere like the grocery store
It can sneak right up behind you and make you feel unsure.
Stress can wring from you every ounce of mental strength
It can squeeze your very will away, It goes to any length
Stress can twist your thoughts into an awful mess
It ropes you in against your will and steals your very best
It hits you, grabs you, wrings and twists you till you can't go on
It leaves you when you least expect it, then you're glad it's gone.
Obsessive compulsive disorder linked to brain activity
Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008
Researchers have discovered that measuring activity in a region of the brain could help to identify people at risk of developing obsessive compulsive disorder
Human organ-on-a-chip
Monday, July 21st, 2008
Drug testing is an expensive business because of the huge cost of carrying out tests on animals and humans. This is why various researchers have been trying to develop "silicon guinea pigs" – microchips carved with wells and interconnecting grooves designed to mimic the structure of human organs.
The idea is that cells from a real organ, such as the liver, would be grown in these structures and then used to test the toxicity of various drugs.
But Wei Li, a mechanical engineer at the University of Washington in Seattle, says the trouble with silicon guinea pigs is that they are only two dimensional and may not allow the grown cells to realistically mimic a human organ.
To counter this drawback, Li has designed a three-dimensional guinea pig chip made of polymer. The chip contains various cavities connected by tubes that mimic the 3D structure of human tissue. Li believes the chip is a more realistic environment in which to grow human tissue and should provide a better environment for test new drugs.
Read the full organ-on-a-chip patent application.
The idea is that cells from a real organ, such as the liver, would be grown in these structures and then used to test the toxicity of various drugs.
But Wei Li, a mechanical engineer at the University of Washington in Seattle, says the trouble with silicon guinea pigs is that they are only two dimensional and may not allow the grown cells to realistically mimic a human organ.
To counter this drawback, Li has designed a three-dimensional guinea pig chip made of polymer. The chip contains various cavities connected by tubes that mimic the 3D structure of human tissue. Li believes the chip is a more realistic environment in which to grow human tissue and should provide a better environment for test new drugs.
Read the full organ-on-a-chip patent application.
Brain switch clues to drug addiction
Monday, July 21st, 2008
In the quest to find the biological route of drug addiction, research at Cambridge University is revealing what makes some people more vulnerable than others.
Hissing Cockroaches Are Popular, But They Also Host Potent Mold Allergens
Sunday, July 20th, 2008
ScienceDaily (Mar. 18, 2008) — Their gentle nature, large size, odd sounds and low-maintenance care have made Madagascar hissing cockroaches popular educational tools and pets for years. But the giant insects also have one unfortunate characteristic: Their hard bodies and feces are home to many mold species that could be triggering allergies in the kids [...]
Possible Link Between Baby Swimming And Breathing Problems In Children
Sunday, July 20th, 2008
ScienceDaily (Apr. 17, 2008) — Children with mothers who have allergies or asthma have an increased risk of wheezing in the chest if they take part in baby swimming before 6 months of age. This is shown in a new study using data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Study (MoBa) at the Norwegian Institute [...]
Early Life Exposure To Cats May Reduce Risk Of Childhood Allergies And Asthma Symptoms
Sunday, July 20th, 2008
ScienceDaily (May 22, 2008) — A study released by researchers at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, shows that cat ownership may have a protective effect against the development of asthma symptoms in young children at age five. The study, published by the Journal of [...]
Newly Described ‘Dragon’ Protein Could Be Key To Bird Flu Cure
Sunday, July 20th, 2008
ScienceDaily (July 16, 2008) — Scientists and researchers have taken a big step closer to a cure for the most common strain of avian influenza, or “bird flu,” the potential pandemic that has claimed more than 200 lives and infected nearly 400 people in 14 countries since it was identified in 2003.
Researchers at the U.S. [...]
Detecting Flu Viruses In Remote Areas Of The World
Sunday, July 20th, 2008
ScienceDaily (July 17, 2008) — Researchers in Ohio and New Mexico are reporting an advance in the quest for a fast, sensitive test to detect flu viruses — one that requires no refrigeration and can be used in remote areas of the world where new flu viruses often emerge. Their new method is the first [...]