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Mental Yin and YangOctober 18, 1997 | Volume 152 | Number 16 Cover: Fundamental aspects of mental functioning may respond to cultural influences, according to new studies. For instance, U.S. citizens accentuate personal strengths and self-esteem in defining themselves, whereas the Japanese seek out self-criticism that helps them fit into valued social groups. |
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TimeLine
Food for Thought
Ancient Ape Shuffles to Prominence
Upright walking, long considered a unique trait of the human evolutionary family, also evolved in an ancient ape that lived on a Mediterranean island.
More vitamin C means fewer cataracts
Long-term use of vitamin C supplements appears to protect the eyes from the clouding effects of exposure to sunlight and oxygen.
El Nino cooks up unusual hurricane season
The ocean warming has helped Pacific hurricanes and hindered Atlantic storms.
Scientists finally find where to scratch
Researchers in Europe report identifying a new kind of nerve fiber that is probably responsible for transmitting the sensation of itching.
Unlocking secrets of the Martian interior
Two spacecraft exploring Mars--one just beginning its mission, the other more than 2 months beyond its 30-day expected life--have gained new findings about the inside of the Red Planet.
Simulated hydrogen flows free of friction
A computer model show that molecular hydrogen can be made to form a superfluid at temperatures near absolute zero.
Leptin linked to onset of monthly cycles
Concentrations of the hormone leptin in the blood are linked to the age of girls at menarche.
It came from Earth: Green-blooded fish
Using a gene that bestows a glow on some jellyfish, investigators have made the blood cells of another aquatic animal, the zebrafish, shine a bright green.
Research Notes:
Biology
When North American birds diverged
The eastern and western variants of many North American songbirds seem to have gone their separate evolutionary ways much earlier than the last glacial period, which was thought to be responsible for the speciations.
Biomedicine
Teens, insulin, and heart disease
Insulin resistance in teens may indicate high risk of heart disease.
Heart risk and the sex hormones
The ratio of sex hormones correlates with high-risk factors for heart disease in black women, as it does in white and Hispanic women.
Pitting viruses against each other
Viruses engineered to infect only cells already infected by HIV may have therapeutic uses.
Parkinson's protein in brain clumps
Lewy bodies, the mysterious clumps found inside the brain cells of people with Parkinson's disease, contain a protein called alpha-synuclein whose gene is abnormal in some inherited cases of the disease.
Environment
Lacing food with an estrogen mimic
Polycarbonate plastics can leach a hormonelike pollutant into foods and drinks.
A pollutant that can alter growth
Prenatal exposure to a building block of some plastics can subtly alter growth and reproductive development in mice.
Articles:
Western notions of the mind may not translate to other cultures. New research suggests that a fondness for self-enhancement and other mental tendencies commonly observed in Western nations do not show up in Asian cultures that emphasize social connections among individuals.
How two federally approved weight-loss drugs crashed Diet drugs are taken off the market in the wake of medical reports linking them to heart valve damage.
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