Domesticated cattle in central and northern Europe are more closely related on the father’s side with the primordial oxen that once populated Europe than with the cattle that the first farmers brought with them up through Europe during the Great Migration. This provides a new picture of the transition from a hunting and gathering society to agrarian culture. The findings are being presented in an article by research from Uppsala University in Sweden in the latest issue of Proceedings of the Royal So
A crippling condition that can result in sufferers losing their fingers is to be investigated by scientists in one of the most detailed studies into the genetic causes of the disease ever carried out.
Dupuytren’s disease or contracture, a condition that affects the hands and sometimes the feet and penis, occurs gradually, beginning with a small, sometimes tender lump in the palm.
Over time, tough bands of tissue or cords can form that force the fingers, most commonly t
A new study suggests that hamsters may suffer from symptoms of anxiety and depression during the dark days of winter, just as some humans do.
Using a variety of tests, researchers found more symptoms of depression and anxiety in adult hamsters that were housed for weeks in conditions with limited daylight, as they would find in winter, when compared to hamsters who had days with longer daylight.
The research also examined whether hamsters that developed prenatally and the
The drug gefitinib (Iressa) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2003 under the agency’s accelerated approval program for the treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had failed two or more courses of chemotherapy. Consistent with the requirements of accelerated approval, the sponsoring company continued to study the drug to verify the expected clinical benefit. In December 2004, the FDA released a statement notifying the failure of a large cli
OHSU/VAMC study shows mice consuming fewer calories experience boost in essential neurochemical
A new Oregon Health & Science University and Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center study suggests that early-stage Parkinson’s disease patients who lower their calorie intake may boost levels of an essential brain chemical lost from the neurodegenerative disorder.
The study by Charles Meshul, Ph.D., associate professor of behavioral neuroscience in the OHSU Schoo
Discovery may result in faster ways to test immunotherapies
Using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, researchers at UCLA’s Jonsson Cancer Center were able to observe – in real time – how the immune system initially recognizes cancer and mobilizes to fight the disease.
The UCLA study is expected to lead to new ways to test immune-based therapies for cancer and other immune system-related diseases and to monitor human response to cancer treatments much more qui
Nanotubes are the poster children of the nanotechnology revolution. These tiny carbon tubes – less than 1/50,000 the diameter of a human hair – possess novel properties that have researchers excitedly exploring dozens of potential applications ranging from transistors to space elevators.
Nanotubes also produce light with a number of interesting properties, which have led researchers to propose various optical applications. One of the most promising is to use the tiny tubes as
A new study in mice gives hope that a combination of gene therapy and exercise may extend the lives of people who have Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a chronic and progressive illness that leads to paralysis and ultimately death. There are no known cures, and the only FDA-approved method for treating the disease is a drug that may extend life between three and six months, said Brian Kaspar, the study’s lead aut
When the going gets tough, older adults’ brains get going, according to new research by a University of Michigan professor studying how key regions of the brain click on when needed.
Several regions in the brain, especially in the frontal cortex, are involved in helping people meet the demands of a constantly changing environment. While earlier research focused on older adults’ failures to activate these regions, the new U-M research found that older adults can activate
Researchers at Northwestern University and Columbia University have found that “wiring” in female rat brain memory area expands and retracts in relation to the amount of estrogen present during the estrous/menstrual cycle.
A study describing this research will be presented on Nov. 14 by Aryeh Routtenberg, professor of psychology, neurobiology and physiology at Northwestern University, at the 2005 Society for Neuroscience Meeting in Washington, D.C.
Because this area of
A new study forthcoming in the December 2005 issue of the Journal of Consumer Research explores “range effect” and seeks to understand better what consumers do when faced with a range of price and quality options. Specifically, the authors found that offering a wide range of options causes consumers to gravitate towards extreme choices because it is easier for the consumer to discern difference.
“When two attributes have different levels of evaluability, extending the range of the b
Imagine an evening out with friends. You’ve enjoyed a phenomenal dinner, and the night is going great. You’re now faced with deciding on a dessert. You’ve been to this restaurant before and know that the tiramisu is reliable, but the cheesecake can be sometimes exceptional but other times sub par. Which do you pick?
According to forthcoming study in the December 2005 issue of the Journal of Consumer Research, you will most likely go for the cheesecake. When things are
Have you ever driven by one of those car lots where all of the cars facing the street are perpetually on sale? There’s always a “hot deal” to accompany those “low miles” or “one driver” lures. Alternatively, your favorite clothing store may almost never have sales. But when it does–between seasons perhaps–the prices plummet. Which product promotion better?
“One question facing managers who decide to promote a product periodically is whether to offer frequent but shallow or deep
The first nationwide study of pregnancy outcomes in women with rheumatic disease confirms that they experience greater pregnancy risks and longer hospital stays than the average pregnant woman. The findings from the Stanford University School of Medicine provide women who have these conditions with a better understanding of the risks they face if they become pregnant and underscores the need for physicians to monitor closely their care.
The author of the study, Eliza Chakravarty, MD, assis
“Extraneous emotional effects” influence how you evaluate products
It’s a sun-drenched weekend afternoon. You’re at a music store listening to demo CDs and happily watching the world go by outside the store’s window. Consequently, you leave the store with a load of CDs. But did the music grab you? Or was it the weather? A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research suggests you are the proud owner of those CDs not because you fell in love with them as much as because you wer
Researchers from the University of Cincinnati (UC) have found that eating or drinking sweets may decrease the production of the stress-related hormone glucocorticoid–which has been linked to obesity and decreased immune response.
“Glucocorticoids are produced when psychological or physical stressors activate a part of the brain called the ’stress axis,’” said Yvonne Ulrich-Lai, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of psychiatry. “These hormones help an indiv
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