No Sponge In Human Family Tree: Sponges Descended From Unique Ancestor:
Since the days of Charles Darwin, researchers are interested in reconstructing the “Tree of Life”, and in understanding the development of animal and plant species during their evolutionary history. In the case of vertebrates, this research has already come quite a long way. But there is still much debate about the relationships between the animal groups that made their apparation very early in evolutionary history, probably in the late Precambrian, some 650 to 540 million years ago.
Beverage Consumption A Bigger Factor In Weight, Study Shows:
When it comes to weight loss, what you drink may be more important than what you eat, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Researchers examined the relationship between beverage consumption among adults and weight change and found that weight loss was positively associated with a reduction in liquid calorie consumption and liquid calorie intake had a stronger impact on weight than solid calorie intake.
Brain Cells Have ‘Memory’, Researcher Discovers:
As we look at the world around us, images flicker into our brains like so many disparate pixels on a computer screen that change every time our eyes move, which is several times a second. Yet we don’t perceive the world as a constantly flashing computer display.
As Good As It Gets: Octogenarian Muscles Don’t Get Stronger With Exercise, Study Finds:
Octogenarian women were unable to increase muscle mass after a 3-month weight lifting program targeted at strengthening the thigh muscle, according to a new study from the Journal of Applied Physiology. The results are surprising because previous studies have found resistance training capable of increasing muscle mass, even for people who are into their 70s. An increase in muscle size translates to an increase in strength.
Ecologists Question Effects Of Climate Change On Infectious Diseases:
Recent research has predicted that climate change may expand the scope of human infectious diseases. A new review, however, argues that climate change may have a negligible effect on pathogens or even reduce their ranges. The paper has sparked debate in the ecological community.
New Drug To Curb Smoking Shows Positive Results:
Research has shown that varenicline tartrate – a novel new drug specifically developed for smoking cessation – allows smokers to abstain from cigarettes significantly longer and more effectively than smokers using a placebo.
Diversity Linked To Increased Sales Revenue And Profits, More Customers:
Workplace diversity is among the most important predictors of a business’ sales revenue, customer numbers and profitability, according to research to be published in the April issue of the American Sociological Review.
Sleep Problems In Adults Linked To Increased Risk Of Suicidal Behaviors:
Adults who suffer chronic sleep problems may face an increased risk of suicidal behaviour, new research indicates.
Optical Illusions: Variety Makes Us Perceive Smaller Quantities:
Here’s another reason why dieters should avoid all-you-can-eat buffets: When faced with a large variety of items, consumers tend to underestimate how much of each item is present, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.
Drug Suppresses The Compulsion To Steal, Study Shows:
It appears that a drug commonly used to treat alcohol and drug addiction has a similar effect on the compulsive behavior of kleptomaniacs – it curbs their urge to steal, according to new research at the University of Minnesota.
Thirty-seven scientists from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and 20 other major research institutions in the U.S. and Europe have issued a major challenge to the neuroscience community. At long last, the time has come, they argue in a just-published paper, to assemble a comprehensive map of the major neural circuits in the mammalian brain.
We all know that people sometimes change their behavior when someone is looking their way. Now, a new study reported online on April 2nd in Current Biology shows that jackdaws–birds related to crows and ravens with eyes that appear similar to human eyes–can do the same.
Hermit Arthropods 500 Million Years Ago?:
When animals first crawled onto land, one of the greatest obstacles they had to contend with was figuring out how to breathe. No longer bathed in oxygen-rich marine waters, their gills would surely have dried out.
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Why is varenicline tartrate being called a “new” drug? How long after approval do drugs stop being “new”? I understand fully the need for new and further studies, but the headline doesn’t tout it as a new study.