Month: March 2020

  • High-Sugar Diet Leads to Early Death in Flies Due to Uric Acid Buildup

    High-Sugar Diet Leads to Early Death in Flies Due to Uric Acid Buildup

    Flies fed with a high-sugar diet died earlier than expected because of uric acid buildup. High-sugar diets in humans have been linked to metabolic disorders, such as obesity and diabetes, and can shorten life expectancy by several years. This new study indicates that it is uric acid buildup that may be the cause of reduction…

  • Rural Babies Display More Negative Emotions Than Urban Babies

    Rural Babies Display More Negative Emotions Than Urban Babies

    Babies born to rural families display more negative emotions like anger and frustration than their urban counterparts. The researchers found, in contrast, that babies born in cities are less fussy and not as bothered by limits set by their caregivers. These findings were recently published in the Journal of Community Psychology by researchers from Washington…

  • Music Therapy Can Help Post-Heart Attack Patients

    Music Therapy Can Help Post-Heart Attack Patients

    Listening to music 30 minutes daily can help reduce anxiety, pain and subsequent heart problems after heart attacks. This finding was presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session Together with World Congress of Cardiology. 30 Minutes a Day of Music After heart attacks, patients experience pain episodes called early post-infarction angina. After…

  • COVID-19 Coronavirus Can Stay on Surfaces For Hours to Days

    COVID-19 Coronavirus Can Stay on Surfaces For Hours to Days

    Scientists have determined that the SARS-CoV-2 can remain on different surfaces from hours to up to three days. SARS-CoV-2 is the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The researchers found that this virus can stay on copper for 3 hours, or cardboard for up to 24 hours, and on plastic and stainless steel for up to 2…

  • Scents Can Trigger, Alter the Ways Memories Are Processed in Mice

    Scents Can Trigger, Alter the Ways Memories Are Processed in Mice

    Researchers have found that scents can trigger memories and alter the way they are processed in mice. This has possible therapeutic applications in humans. The researchers from Boston University recently published their findings in the April 2020 edition of the journal Learning and Memory. Systems Consolidation Theory of Memory The traditional theory known as “systems…

  • Evidence of Donkey Polo in Tang Dynasty China

    Evidence of Donkey Polo in Tang Dynasty China

    Archaeologists have found a Chinese noblewoman buried with her donkey so she could continue playing polo in the afterlife. Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis made the discovery and published their findings in the journal Antiquity. First Evidence of Donkey Polo This was the first physical evidence of donkey polo in Imperial China. Previously,…

  • Light Pollution and Traffic Noise Can Impact Wildlife

    Light Pollution and Traffic Noise Can Impact Wildlife

    Experts in ecology and physiology are collaborating to understanding how light and noise pollution affects wildlife. These researchers from around the world, including Utah State University, University of Glasgow and VU Amsterdam University are defining “sensory danger zones,” or areas where sensory pollutants influences animal activity. Their work was published in the journal Nature Ecology…

  • Pay Attention to Older People in Poorer Countries for COVID-19, Say Experts

    Pay Attention to Older People in Poorer Countries for COVID-19, Say Experts

    Some health experts are saying COVID-19 responses largely ignore the most at risk group: older people, especially those in poorer countries. These health experts stated this in an editorial in the journal British Medical Journal. The authors in the editorial included those from the University of East Anglia (UEA), London School of Hygiene & Tropical…

  • Flies Kept in Dark Lose Traumatic Long-Term Memory

    Flies Kept in Dark Lose Traumatic Long-Term Memory

    Fruit flies that were kept in the dark lost long-term memory of a traumatic stress they were exposed to. Scientist from Tokyo Metropolitan University also discovered the specific molecular mechanism that affected long-term memory in these flies. These findings may lead to novel treatments in humans in terms of treating, or even erasing traumatic memories.…

  • Hormones Can Trigger a Plant’s Defensive Response

    Hormones Can Trigger a Plant’s Defensive Response

    A hormone called jasmonic acid can trigger a plant’s defensive response through a complex communication network. This finding was reported by a research team from the Salk Institute. Their paper was published in the March 13, 2020 edition of the journal Nature Plants. Response Against Attacks and Trouble Plants have hormones just like humans and…