Where we look often reveals our interests and intentions. Consequently, we often look toward others and follow their gaze to the objects to which they give visual attention. Like humans, monkeys pay attention to the eyes of individuals within their groups; in the laboratory, they respond more quickly to a target when they have seen another individual look at it. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center now demonstrate that social status strongly determines how monkeys deploy their atten
Shaped by much previous research, the prevailing view regarding sex-specific differences in the brain is that they are caused by circulating sex hormones, which are generated outside the brain and influence certain aspects of brain development, as well as brain function in adults. But new findings, reported by a team including Dr. Eric Vilain of UCLA, now reveal a new dimension to the influence of sex determination on brain function. The research shows that a single sex-specific gene plays a dir
Gone does not necessarily mean forgotten, especially in biology. A recent finding by researchers at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and colleagues from the University of Manchester have found new evidence that the ability to form previously lost organs–in this case, teeth–can be maintained millions of years after the last known ancestor possessed them.
Birds do not have teeth. However, their ancestors did–about 70–80 million years ago. The evolutionary loss of teeth correspond
By comparing the DNA of 150 pairs of men who share British surnames, researchers have shown that about a quarter of pairs are linked genetically.
The link is via the Y chromosome–the part of our genetic material that confers maleness and is passed, like many surnames, from father to son. A simple correspondence between name and Y chromosome could in principle connect all men sharing a surname into one large family tree. However, in reality the link may be weak for a number o
“About 40 percent of the American public is considered to be at moderate risk for heart disease,” says Iftikhar Kullo, M.D., of Mayo Clinic, the lead author of the study. “Nearly half the heart attacks come without warning, which means we need to do a better job of screening people. This test has that potential.”
The test, aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV), measures how fast the pulse wave travels down the aorta, the major artery arising from the heart. It is a potential screening
Researchers use high-tech acoustics to make marine-protected areas better
Rosenstiel School fisheries researchers will embark on state-of-the-art research at the end of February to track black and red grouper in the Dry Tortugas National Park to develop a better understanding of species’ movement and habitat require-ments, so they can help more efficiently design and assess future marine-protected areas. Through funding from the National Park Service and transportation support f
When spores sent through the mail in 2001 caused 11 people to contract anthrax – ultimately killing five of them – infectious disease specialists noted that the death rate was substantially lower than the historical mortality rate, which approached 100 percent. Many assumed that access to modern intensive care units and more powerful antibiotics made the difference.
But after completing the most comprehensive review of anthrax cases ever conducted, researchers at the Veterans Aff
A University of Bradford academic has received a five-year funding package from the European Union (EU) to carry out research into genetic susceptibilities to illnesses in children.
Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the University, Diana Anderson, is part of a 25 laboratory consortium across Europe that has been awarded a total of 13.6 million Euros, of which her laboratory in Bradford will receive around 557,000 Euros (around £400,000).
This funding comes from the E
Research into how volcanoes erupt led by Durham University’s Earth Sciences Department is taking volcanologists a step closer to being able to predict when and on what scale volcanoes will erupt.
In the three-year EU Erupt Project, funded by almost half a million euros of EU Framework 5 funding, scientists from seven European universities are working on four volcanoes. They have developed new techniques to examine what happens underground before a volcano erupts and how magma dev
Rotary tools will need increasingly high speeds in the future, for example, for drills used in medical technology or spindles used in machine tools. To drive these tools directly and efficiently requires an ultra-high-speed electrical drive system. Today, industrial motors achieve maximum speeds of 250,000 revolutions per minute, but researchers at ETH Zurich have now developed a drive system which achieves speeds of over 500,000 revolutions per minute, generating 100 watts of drive power and is n
How do we teach about religion in a multicultural Europe? What connections are there between religion and conflict, or between religion and welfare? These topical questions are the focus of two major EU projects to be led by Uppsala University, Sweden.
Two projects about religion in a multicultural society have been granted EU funding from the Sixth Framework Program and the Socrates Program, respectively. Both will be directed from Uppsala University. The first one is a research proj
Arthritis can be treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) but the incidence of gastrointestinal problems is significant, resulting in approximately 103,000 hospitalizations and 16,500 deaths per year in the United States. The alternative COX-2 inhibitors may reduce these adverse events, but some have been withdrawn from the market due to cardiovascular complications and other adverse effects. Several questions remain about the safety advantage of COX-2 inhibitors compared with no
Burglars often listen at windows and doors, leaving an earprint behind, which, just like a finger print, can be used to trace them. Lynn Meijerman is researching the value of ear prints as evidence in identifying criminals. She obtained her doctorate on 15th February, under the supervision of Professor George Maat.
In one out of every twenty burglaries the burglar leaves an earprint behind, at least this seems to be the case in and around Leiden. Fingerprints have long been accept
Leiden chemists in Science: Chemical reaction between hydrogen molecule and metal surface straightforward to calculate
The chemical reaction of hydrogen molecules (H2) with a platinum surface can be calculated much more straightforwardly than many researchers to date had thought. This is encouraging for research into hydrogen as a clean fuel and heterogeneous catalysis, which is where the reactions of molecules to metal surfaces plays a significant role. Chemists can now test the
E-commerce transactions are becoming more and more frequent in today’s fast-paced society. How about going one step further and making these transactions through your mobile phone, television set top box or even pen and diary based services. The technology breakthroughs achieved by the EUREKA Cluster Project A302 (Esp@ss-is) on smartcard platform development have improved the quality and the type of data that can be processed reducing even more the risks of identity theft.
In the past, a
Stockholm University breaks fresh ground as the new academic discipline of Fashion Studies is established and a new professorship is announced.
Critical analyses of fashion’s role in society have revealed its significance as a cultural phenomenon. Recent academic studies have cited fashion’s contributions to visual culture, gender studies, art history, material culture and cultural studies, crucially highlighting fashion as a key factor in the formation of identit
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