October 18, 1997
News of the Week:
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. Kohler, M., and S. Moya-Sola. 1997. Ape-like or hominid-like? The positional behavior of Oreopithecus bambolii reconsidered. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 94(Oct. 14):11747.
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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. Jacques, P.F., et al. 1997. Long-term vitamin C supplement use and prevalence of early age-related lens opacities. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 66(October):911. Mares-Perlman, J.A. Contribution of epidemiology to understanding relations of diet to age-related cataract. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 66(October):739. Fackelmann, K.A. 1992. Studies smoke out the risk of cataracts. Science News 142(Aug. 29):134. Raloff, J. 1986. Vitamin C at work in the eye. Science News 129(June 28):410. Wickelgren, I. 1989. Vitamins C and E may prevent cataracts. Science News 135(May 20):308.
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El Nino cooks up unusual hurricane season
The ocean warming has helped Pacific hurricanes and hindered Atlantic storms. Hurricane information is available at the National Hurricane Center's website, http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.html. Monastersky, R. 1997. El Nino gathers steam in the Pacific. Science News 152(Aug. 2):75.
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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. Schmelz, M. . . . H.E. Torebjork. 1997. Specific C-receptors for itch in human skin. Journal of Neuroscience 17(Oct. 15):8003. Ezzell, C. 1992. A peppery preventive for pain. Science News 142(Nov. 14):333. Greaves, M.W., and P.D. Wall. 1996. Pathophysiology of itching. Lancet 348(Oct. 5):9032.
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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. 1997. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory press briefing on Mars Pathfinder. Pasadena, Calif. 1997. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory press briefing on Mars Global Surveyor. Pasadena, Calif. Cowen, R. 1997. Global Surveyor arrives at Mars. Science News 152(Sept. 20):182.
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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. Gordillo, M.C., and D.M. Ceperley. 1997. Superfluidity in H2 films. Physical Review Letters Oct. 20. Peterson, I. 1996. Superfluidity finding earns physics Nobel. Science News 150(Oct. 19):247. ______. 1994. Swirls of superfluid flow. Science News 145(April 9):239. _____. 1992. 'Baked Alaska' cooked up in liquid helium. Science News 142(July 18):38. ______. 1990. Quantum swirls in superfluid helium. Science News 138(Aug. 25):118.
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Leptin linked to onset of monthly cycles
Concentrations of the hormone leptin in the blood are linked to the age of girls at menarche. Matkovic, V., et al. 1997. Leptin is inversely related to age at menarche in human females. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 82(October):3239. Barash, I.A., et al. 1996. Leptin is a metabolic signal to the reproductive system. Endocrinology 137:3144. Chehab, F.F., et al. 1997. Early onset of reproductive function in normal female mice treated with leptin. Science 275:88. Cheung, C.C., et al. 1997. Leptin is a metabolic gate for the onset of puberty in the female rat. Endocrinology 138(February):855. Frisch, R.E., and J.W. McArthur. 1974. Menstrual cycles: Fatness as a determinant of minimum weight for height necessary for their maintenance or onset. Science 185(Sept. 13):949. Frisch, R.E., and R. Revelle. 1970. Height and weight at menarche and a hypothesis of critical body weights and adolescent events. Science 169:397. Travis, J. 1997. Does leptin trigger puberty? Science News 151(Jan. 25):58. ______. 1995. Mouse obesity cured by hormone. Science News 148(July 29):68.
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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. Travis, J. 1996. Gone Fishing! Science News 150(Dec. 7):360.
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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. Klicka, J., and R.M. Zink. 1997. The importance of recent ice ages in speciation: A failed paradigm. Science 277(Sept. 12):1666. Mlot, C. 1997. Stalking the ancient dog. Science News 151(June 28):400.
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Biomedicine
Teens, insulin, and heart disease
Insulin resistance in teens may indicate high risk of heart disease. Sinaiko, A.R., et al. 1997. Relation of insulin resistance to cardiovascular risk factors in normotensive 5th-8th grade students. American Heart Association's 51st annual conference on high blood pressure. Washington, D.C. Fackelmann, K. 1989. Hidden heart hazards. Science News 136(Sept. 16):184.
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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. Sherif, K., H. Kushner, and B. Falkner. 1997. Androgen balance in African American women. American Heart Association's 51st annual conference on high blood pressure. Washington, D.C.
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Pitting viruses against each other
Viruses engineered to infect only cells already infected by HIV may have therapeutic uses. Mebatsion, T. . . . K. Conzelmann. 1997. A CXCR4/CD4 pseudotype rhabdovirus that selectively infects HIV-1 envelope protein-expressing cells. Cell 90(Sept. 5):841. Nolan, G.P. 1997. Harnessing viral devices as pharmaceuticals: Fighting HIV-1's fire with fire. Cell 90(Sept. 5):821. Schnell, M.J. . . . J.K. Rose. 1997. Construction of a novel virus that targets HIV-1-infected cells and controls HIV-1 infection. Cell 90(Sept. 5):849.
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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. Spillantini, M.G., et al. 1997. Alpha-synuclein in Lewy bodies. Nature 388(Aug. 28):839. Travis, J. 1997. Parkinson's disease gene mutation found. Science News 151(June 28):396.
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Environment
Lacing food with an estrogen mimic
Polycarbonate plastics can leach a hormonelike pollutant into foods and drinks. Biles, J.E., et al. 1997. Determination of bisphenol-A in reusable polycarbonate food-contact plastics and migration to food-simulating liquids. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 45(September):3541. Raloff, J. 1996. Estrogenic agents leach from dental sealant. Science News 149(April 6):214. _____. 1995. Additional source of dietary 'estrogens.' Science News 147(June 3):341. _____. 1994. That feminine touch. Science News 144(Jan. 22):56. _____. 1994. The gender benders. Science News 144(Jan. 8):24. _____. 1993. Plastics may shed chemical estrogens. Science News 144(July 3):12.
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A pollutant that can alter growth
Prenatal exposure to a building block of some plastics can subtly alter growth and reproductive development in mice. Howdeshell, K.L., F.S. vom Saal, et al. 1997. Prenatal exposure to an environmentally relevant dose of bisphenol A accelerates puberty in female mice. Estrogens in the Environment IV. Arlington, Va. Biles, J.E., et al. 1997. Determination of bisphenol-A in reusable polycarbonate food-contact plastics and migration to food-simulating liquids. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 45(September):3541. Raloff, J. 1996. Estrogenic agents leach from dental sealant. Science News 149(Apr. 6):214. _____. 1995. Additional source of dietary 'estrogens.' Science News 147(June 3):341. _____. 1994. That feminine touch. Science News 144(Jan. 22):56. _____. 1994. The gender benders. Science News 144(Jan. 8):24. _____. 1993. Plastics may shed chemical estrogens. Science News 144(July 3):12.
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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. Heine, S.J., and D.R. Lehman. 1997. The cultural construction of self-enhancement: An examination of group-serving biases. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 72(June):1268. ______. 1997. Culture, dissonance, and self-affirmation. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 23(April):389. Kitayama, S., et al. 1997. Individual and collective processes in the construction of the self: Self-enhancement in the United States and self-criticism in Japan. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 72(June):1245. Shweder, R.A., et al. 1997. The big three of morality (autonomy, community, divinity) and the big three explanations of suffering. In Morality and Health, A. Brandt and P. Rozin, eds. New York: Routledge and Kegan Paul. Shweder, R.A., et al. In press. The cultural psychology of development: One mind, many mentalities. In Handbook of Child Psychology, 5th edition, William Damon, ed.
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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. Cannistra, L.B., S.M. Davis, and A.G. Bauman. 1997. Valvular heart disease associated with dexfenfluramine. New England Journal of Medicine 337(Aug. 28):636. Connolly, H.M., et al. 1997. Valvular heart disease associated with fenfluramine-phentermine. New England Journal of Medicine 337(Aug. 28):581. Sternberg, S. 1996. Weight loss pills linked to lung ailment. Science News 150(Aug. 31):134.
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Table of Contents - 10/18/97