Eagle Eye Science

New study links the dimensions of a person's face with their sex drive Men and women with shorter, wider faces tend to be more sexually motivated and to have a stronger sex drive than those with faces of other dimensions. These are the findings from a study led by Steven Arnocky of Nipissing University in Canada. The research investigates the role that facial features play in sexual relationships and mate selection and is published in Springer's journal Archives of Sexual Behavior.

University of California - Los Angeles One of nature's fascinating questions is how zebras got their stripes. A team of life scientists has found at least part of the answer: The amount and intensity of striping can be best predicted by the temperature of the environment in which zebras live.

American Chemical Society In remote areas of the world, everyday items like electrical outlets and batteries are luxuries. Health care workers in these areas often lack electricity to power diagnostic devices, and commercial batteries may be too expensive. Today, researchers report a new type of battery -- made of paper and fueled by bacteria -- that could overcome these challenges.

British journal of Nutrition  Asthma is one of the most common respiratory conditions in the United States, affecting around 17.7 million adults and 6.3 million children. Promoting beneficial gut bacteria through the use of prebiotics could help ease asthma caused by physical activity, shows a new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

University of California - Los Angeles Relying on body mass index (BMI), a numerical measure of a person's height and weight, as a proxy for health incorrectly labels more than 54 million heavy Americans unhealthy when they are not, psychologists report. Many of these 'healthy obese' and 'healthy overweight' people may have to pay higher health insurance premiums..

Elsevier Health Sciences Recent studies have shown that added sugars, particularly those containing fructose, are a principal driver of diabetes and pre-diabetes, even more so than other carbohydrates. Clinical experts challenge current dietary guidelines that allow up to 25 percent of total daily calories as added sugars, and propose drastic reductions in the amount of added sugar, and especially added fructose, people consume.

Genetic Society of America  The masssive genome of the loblolly pine -- around seven times bigger than the human genome -- is the largest genome sequenced to date and the most complete conifer genome sequence ever published. This achievement marks the first big test of a new analysis method that can speed up genome assembly by compressing the raw sequence data 100-fold.

JOURNAL-Environmental Health Perspectives High exposure to outdoor lighting at night time may be a risk factor for breast cancer development, a new study suggests. From an analysis of almost 110,000 women, researchers found that those who resided in areas with high levels of outdoor light at night time were more likely to develop breast cancer compared with women who lived in areas with low levels of outdoor light during the night. Lead study author Peter James, of the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute at Harvard Medical School in Boson, MA, and colleagues published their findings in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives

Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences August 31, 2018 Researchers have developed a new printing technology that uses sound waves to control the size of liquid droplets independent of fluid viscosity. This approach could greatly broaden the types of liquids, including biopharmaceuticals, that can be printed drop-on-demand. The researchers used sound waves to generate a highly confined force at the tip of the printer nozzle, which pulls the droplet. The higher the amplitude of the sound waves, the smaller the droplet size.

University of florida  Pumpkin seed is a nutritious food with a high oil (50% w/w) and protein (35%) content that varies depending on cultivar. The high levels of unsaturated fatty acids (oleic and linoleic acids) in pumpkin seed oil provide health benefits that reduce risks of arteriosclerosis and heart-related ailments. Pumpkin seed contains significant levels of antioxidants (tocopherols and tocotrienols) that have been associated with a reduced risk of gastric, breast, lung, and colorectal cancer. Furthermore, phytosterols in pumpkin seed play a key role in lowering cholesterol levels and the treatment of enlarged prostate.

Study suggests immune cells rush through channels to get to injured tissue quickly August 27, 2018 NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Bone marrow, the spongy tissue inside most of our bones, produces red blood cells as well as immune cells that help fight off infections and heal injuries. According to a new study of mice and humans, tiny tunnels run from skull bone marrow to the lining of the brain and may provide a direct route for immune cells responding to injuries caused by stroke and other brain disorders.

August 27, 2018 MUNICH — The largest and longest placebo-controlled randomized trial of omega-3 fatty acid (as found in fish oil) supplementation has found no effect on serious vascular events, cancer, or mortality. The ASCEND trial was supported by grants to the University of Oxford from the British Heart Foundation. Solvay, Abbott, and Mylan provided the omega-3 fatty acids and placebo.

NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute A team of researchers says it has linked sensitivity to an allergen in red meat to the buildup of plaque in the arteries of the heart. While high saturated fat levels in red meat have long been known to contribute to heart disease for people in general, the new finding suggests that a subgroup of the population may be at heightened risk for a different reason -- a food allergen.

28 August 2018 Medscape  Preliminary data indicate that rates of three sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) — Chlamydia infection, gonorrhea, and syphilis — hit an all-time high in 2017, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC said that the United States is on track to have 1.7 million cases of Chlamydiainfection (up from 1.59 million in 2016), 555,608 cases of gonorrhea, and 30,644 cases of primary and secondary syphilis in 2017. Overall, that's 200,000 more cases of the three reportable STDs than in 2016, and it's the fourth year in a row that the United States has had a significant increase in those conditions. The early data indicate that from 2013 to 2017, the number of gonorrhea cases increased by 67% and syphilis cases nearly doubled, said Gail Bolan, MD, director of the CDC's Division of STD Prevention, in a call with reporters. A significant number of the syphilis cases — 17,736 — were in men who have sex with men. Th...

Academy of General Dentistry Consuming dairy products is vital to maintaining good overall health, and it's especially important to bone health. But there has been little research about how dairy products affect oral health in particular. However, according to a new study, consuming cheese and other dairy products may help protect teeth against cavities.

August 16, 2018 Penn State Eating white button mushrooms can create subtle shifts in the microbial community in the gut, which could improve the regulation of glucose in the liver, according to a team of researchers. They also suggest that better understanding this connection between mushrooms and gut microbes in mice could one day pave the way for new diabetes treatments and prevention strategies for people.

Helsingin yliopisto (University of Helsinki) Although listening to music is common in all societies, the biological determinants of listening to music are largely unknown. According to a new study, listening to classical music enhanced the activity of genes involved in dopamine secretion and transport, synaptic neurotransmission, learning and memory, and down-regulated the genes mediating neurodegeneration. Several of the up-regulated genes were known to be responsible for song learning and singing in songbirds, suggesting a common evolutionary background of sound perception across species

The world health organization Drinking coffee, tea and other beverages at temperatures hotter than 149 degrees Fahrenheit may lead to cancer of the esophagus. Coffee consumed at cooler temperatures may have benefits, scientists say, possibly lessening the risk of liver cancer.

University of Eastern Finland  Egg consumption may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, according to new research. Type 2 diabetes is becoming increasingly widespread throughout the world. Research has shown that lifestyle habits, such as exercise and nutrition, play a crucial role in the development of the disease. A new study has found that egg consumption was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes as well as with lower blood glucose levels. Men who ate approximately four eggs per week had a 37 per cent lower risk of type 2 diabetes than men who only ate approximately one egg per week. This association persisted even after possible confounding factors such as physical activity, body mass index, smoking and consumption of fruits and vegetables were taken into consideration

Coventry University Researchers found that people who engaged in more regular sexual activity scored higher on tests that measured their verbal fluency and their ability to visually perceive objects and the spaces between them.

European Society of Cardiology Energy drinks can cause heart problems according to research. "So-called 'energy drinks' are popular in dance clubs and during physical exercise, with people sometimes consuming a number of drinks one after the other. This situation can lead to a number of adverse conditions including angina, cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) and even sudden death," researchers report.

University of California-Riverside Soybean oil accounts for more than 90 percent of all the seed oil production in the United States. Genetically modified soybean oil, made from seeds of GM soybean plants, was recently introduced into the food supply on the premise that it is healthier than conventional soybean oil. But is that premise true? Just barely, say scientists. Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have tested a genetically-modified (GM) soybean oil used in restaurants and found that while it induces less obesity and insulin resistance than conventional soybean oil, its effects on diabetes and fatty liver are similar to those of conventional soybean oil.

May 3, 2018 Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis School of Science When a baby is taken from its mother for even a brief period early in life, this traumatic event significantly alters the future, adult function of the brain, according to a new animal model study. These changes in the brain are similar to disturbances in brain structure and function that are found in people at risk for neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia

Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California Considered a safe and highly effective contraception method, intrauterine devices (IUDs) may also be quietly offering protection against the third-most common cancer in women worldwide. A new study from the Keck School of Medicine of USC has found that IUD use is associated with a dramatic decrease in the incidence of cervical cancer.

March 18, 2018 The Endocrine Society A new birth control pill for men appears to be safe when used daily for a month, with hormone responses consistent with effective contraception, study researchers say. Their study results, in 83 men, will be presented Sunday at ENDO 2018, the Endocrine Society's 100th annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

Published on 01 Sep 2018 Three out of four women who suffer the severe form of morning sickness that afflicted the Duchess of Cambridge do not experience it in subsequent pregnancies, according to a Finnish study. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2onIbgT

July 28, 2018 Queensland University of Technology A world-first study concludes men can and do suffer from postcoital dysphoria (PCD) which results in feelings of sadness, tearfulness or irritability following sex. While the condition had been recognized in women, no studies had previously identified the phenomenon among males

Vulvovaginal atrophy, along with vaginal dryness and other symptoms caused by the loss of estrogen associated with postmenopausal status, are major contributors to dyspareunia. Fortunately, a range of effective treatments are available. For women who want to avoid systemic hormone therapy, intravaginal estrogens come in several formulations. "There is also a new nonestrogen vaginal product called prasterone (Intrarosa®)—a good solution for women who don't want estrogen. Prasterone is a synthetic dehydroepiandrosterone, a hormone precursor that is converted peripherally to androgens, which exert local effects on the vaginal mucosa. Prasterone has been shown to improve symptoms, including vaginal atrophy, dyspareunia, burning, itching, and dryness, compared with placebo. Another alternative to hormone therapy is ospemifene (Osphena®), approved in 2013 for treatment of moderate to severe dyspareunia associated with vulvar and vaginal atrophy of menopause. Ospemifene is an oral ...

Frontiers Physical exercise has an anti-aging effect on the hippocampus region of the brain -- an area that controls memory, learning and balance. A new study, comparing different forms of exercise -- dancing and endurance training -- undertaken by elderly volunteers for eighteen months, shows that both can have an anti-aging effect on the brain, but only dancing corresponded to a noticeable difference in behavior. This difference is attributed to the extra challenge of learning dancing routines.

University of York The findings, based on the study of infants aged between five months and two years old, suggest that babies may be born with a predisposition to move rhythmically in response to music. The research was conducted by Dr Marcel Zentner, from the University of York's Department of Psychology, and Dr Tuomas Eerola, from the Finnish Centre of Excellence in Interdisciplinary Music Research at the University of Jyvaskyla.

Texas Biomedical Research Institute A group of scientists at Texas Biomedical Research Institute have zeroed in on a new defense against HIV-1, the virus that causes AIDS. Led by Ruth Ruprecht, M.D., Ph.D., the team used an animal model to show for the first time that an antibody called Immunoglobulin M (IgM) was effective in preventing infection after mucosal AIDS virus exposure. Worldwide, an estimated 90% of new cases of HIV-1 are caused through exposure in the mucosal cavities like the inside lining of the rectum or vagina.

Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology  A study published online in The FASEB Journal, involving mice, suggests that EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate), the most abundant catechin and biologically active component in green tea, could alleviate high-fat and high-fructose (HFFD)-induced insulin resistance and cognitive impairment. Previous research pointed to the potential of EGCG to treat a variety of human diseases, yet until now, EGCG's impact on insulin resistance and cognitive deficits triggered in the brain by a Western diet remained unclear. Journal Reference: Yashi Mi, Guoyuan Qi, Rong Fan, Qinglian Qiao, Yali Sun, Yuqi Gao, Xuebo Liu. EGCG ameliorates high-fat– and high-fructose–induced cognitive defects by regulating the IRS/AKT and ERK/CREB/BDNF. The FASEB Journal, 2017; fj.201700400RR DOI: 10.1096/fj.201700400RR

Drug activates neutrophils instead of T cells, leading to cancer clearance University of Chicago Medical Center Cabozantinib, an FDA-approved drug for patients with certain types of thyroid or kidney cancer, was able to eradicate invasive prostate cancers in mice by causing tumor cells to secrete factors that entice neutrophils -- the first-responders of the immune system -- to infiltrate the tumor. This novel approach, utilizing the innate immune system, produced near-complete clearance of invasive prostate cancers within 48 to 72 hours. Journal Reference: Akash Patnaik, Kenneth D. Swanson, Eva Csizmadia, Aniruddh Solanki, Natalie Landon-Brace, Marina P. Gehring, Katja Helenius, Brian M. Olson, Athalia R. Pyzer, Lily C. Wang, Olivier Elemento, Jesse Novak, Thomas B. Thornley, John M. Asara, Laleh Montaser, Joshua J. Timmons, Todd M. Morgan, Yugang Wang, Elena Levantini, John G. Clohessy, Kathleen Kelly, Pier Paolo Pandolfi, Jacalyn M. Rosenblatt, David E. Avigan, Huihui Ye, ...

Specialized droplets interact with bacteria and can be analyzed using a smartphone Source:Massachusetts Institute of Technology Researchers have come up with a new way to test food for bacterial contamination. The test is based on a novel type of liquid droplet that can bind to bacterial proteins. This interaction, which can be detected either by the naked eye or with a smartphone, could offer a much faster and cheaper alternative to existing food safety tests.

Using a unique, long-term data set from their country's military, Swedish investigators report that acne in late adolescence is associated with a statistically significant increased risk for prostate cancer compared with not having acne in the latter teen years. The analysis is the first prospective, large-scale, population-based study using clinically diagnosed acne to test the idea that the skin condition may be tied to prostate cancer. The study was published online December 4 in the International Journal of Cancer. The Swedish team reviewed long-term health data on 243,187 young men, almost all of whom were born in the mid-1950s and conscripted into the country's military as 18- and 19-year olds, during the 1970s. At the time, military service was mandatory in Sweden, but this requirement was dropped in the  1980s. Acne was one of many conditions evaluated and recorded at the time of conscription. Int J Cancer. Published online December 4, 2017.

Air pollution reduces global life expectancy by more than one year August 22, 2018 University of Texas at Austin Air pollution shortens human lives by more than a year, according to a new study from a team of leading environmental engineers and public health researchers. Better air quality could lead to a significant extension of lifespans around the world. Journal Reference: Joshua S. Apte, Michael Brauer, Aaron J. Cohen, Majid Ezzati, C. Arden Pope. Ambient PM2.5 Reduces Global and Regional Life Expectancy. Environmental Science & Technology Letters, 2018; DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.8b00360