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Lunatic Labs is a startup company by a mechanical engineer. While working on our own little projects Loony Labs keeps everyone current with science-related news, or just random science thoughts.
Dr. Jekyll
867 posts
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- September 6, 2016
- 01:26 PM
- 11 views
Body heat as a power source
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Electronics integrated into textiles are gaining in popularity: Systems like smartphone displays in a sleeve or sensors to detect physical performance in athletic wear have already been produced. The main problem with these systems tends to be the lack of a comfortable, equally wearable source of power. Chinese scientists are now aiming to obtain the necessary energy from body heat by introducing a flexible, wearable thermocell based on two different gel electrolytes.
... Read more »
Yang, P., Liu, K., Chen, Q., Mo, X., Zhou, Y., Li, S., Feng, G., & Zhou, J. (2016) Wearable Thermocells Based on Gel Electrolytes for the Utilization of Body Heat. Angewandte Chemie International Edition. DOI: 10.1002/anie.201606314
- September 5, 2016
- 02:34 PM
- 33 views
Drugs in the water? Don't blame the students
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
With nearly sixty percent of American adults now taking prescription medications--from antidepressants to cholesterol treatments--there is growing concern about how many drugs are flowing through wastewater treatment facilities and into rivers and lakes. Research confirms that pharmaceutical pollution can cause damage to fish and other ecological problems--and may pose risks to human health too.
... Read more »
Vatovec, C., Phillips, P., Van Wagoner, E., Scott, T., & Furlong, E. (2016) Investigating dynamic sources of pharmaceuticals: Demographic and seasonal use are more important than down-the-drain disposal in wastewater effluent in a University City setting. Science of The Total Environment. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.07.199
- September 4, 2016
- 03:25 PM
- 56 views
Parents' math skills 'rub off' on their children
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Parents who excel at math produce children who excel at math. This is according to a recently released study, which shows a distinct transfer of math skills from parent to child. The study specifically explored intergenerational transmission--the concept of parental influence on an offspring's behavior or psychology--in mathematical capabilities.
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Braham, E., & Libertus, M. (2016) Intergenerational associations in numerical approximation and mathematical abilities. Developmental Science. DOI: 10.1111/desc.12436
- September 3, 2016
- 03:04 PM
- 69 views
The Genesis Project: New life on exoplanets
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Can life be brought to celestial bodies outside our solar system, which are not permanently inhabitable? A new essay that has been published is trying to deal with this question. Over the last several years, the search for exoplanets has shown that very different types exist leading to new questions and a variety of possible answers.
... Read more »
Claudius Gros. (2016) Developing Ecospheres on Transiently Habitable Planets: The Genesis Project. Astrophysics and Space Science. arXiv: 1608.06087v2
- September 2, 2016
- 02:21 PM
- 78 views
Babies chew on subtle social, cultural cues at mealtime
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
At the dinner table, babies do a lot more than play with their sippy cups, new research suggests. Babies pay close attention to what food is being eaten around them - and especially who is eating it. The study adds evidence to a growing body of research suggesting even very young children think in sophisticated ways about subtle social cues.
... Read more »
Liberman, Z., Woodward, A., Sullivan, K., & Kinzler, K. (2016) Early emerging system for reasoning about the social nature of food. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(34), 9480-9485. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1605456113
- September 1, 2016
- 01:36 PM
- 111 views
Trauma's epigenetic fingerprint observed in children of Holocaust survivors
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
The children of traumatized people have long been known to be at increased risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and mood and anxiety disorders. However, there are very few opportunities to examine biologic alterations in the context of a watershed trauma in exposed people and their adult children born after the event.
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Yehuda, R., Daskalakis, N., Bierer, L., Bader, H., Klengel, T., Holsboer, F., & Binder, E. (2016) Holocaust Exposure Induced Intergenerational Effects on FKBP5 Methylation. Biological Psychiatry, 80(5), 372-380. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.08.005
- August 31, 2016
- 02:55 PM
- 110 views
Scientists show that a 'Superman' disguise could actually work
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Ever think it's silly that people don't recognize Clark Kent is actually Superman? Well as it turns out, glasses are actually a fairly good way to disguise yourself. In fact, researchers have shown that small alterations to a person's appearance, such as wearing glasses, can significantly hinder positive facial identification.
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Kramer, R., & Ritchie, K. (2016) Disguising Superman: How Glasses Affect Unfamiliar Face Matching. Applied Cognitive Psychology. DOI: 10.1002/acp.3261
- August 30, 2016
- 04:18 PM
- 85 views
Caffeine reverts memory deficits by normalizing stress responses in the brain
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
A new study describes the mechanism by which caffeine counteracts age-related cognitive deficits in animals. The international teams showed that the abnormal expression of a particular receptor - the adenosine A2A, target for caffeine - in the brain of rats induces an aging-like profile namely memory impairments linked to the loss of stress controlling mechanisms.
... Read more »
Batalha, V., Ferreira, D., Coelho, J., Valadas, J., Gomes, R., Temido-Ferreira, M., Shmidt, T., Baqi, Y., Buée, L., Müller, C.... (2016) The caffeine-binding adenosine A2A receptor induces age-like HPA-axis dysfunction by targeting glucocorticoid receptor function. Scientific Reports, 31493. DOI: 10.1038/srep31493
- August 29, 2016
- 02:49 PM
- 91 views
Use it or lose it: Stopping exercise decreases brain blood flow
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
We all know that we can quickly lose cardiovascular endurance if we stop exercising for a few weeks, but what impact does the cessation of exercise have on our brains? New research examined cerebral blood flow in healthy, physically fit older adults (ages 50-80 years) before and after a 10-day period during which they stopped all exercise.
... Read more »
Alfini, A., Weiss, L., Leitner, B., Smith, T., Hagberg, J., & Smith, J. (2016) Hippocampal and Cerebral Blood Flow after Exercise Cessation in Master Athletes. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00184
- August 28, 2016
- 02:29 PM
- 94 views
A visual nudge can disrupt recall of what things look like
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Interfering with your vision makes it harder to describe what you know about the appearance of even common objects, according to researchers. This connection between visual knowledge and visual perception challenges widely held theories that visual information about the world -- that alligators are green and have long tails, for example -- is stored abstractly, as a list of facts, divorced from the visual experience of seeing an alligator.... Read more »
Edmiston, P., & Lupyan, G. (2015) Visual interference disrupts visual and only visual knowledge. Journal of Vision, 15(12), 10. DOI: 10.1167/15.12.10
- August 27, 2016
- 01:27 PM
- 112 views
Researchers report new Zika complication
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
If zika didn't seem scary enough in the media, there is new data showing that there could be a new neurological complication of infection with the Zika virus.
... Read more »
Medina, M., England, J., Lorenzana, I., Medina-Montoya, M., Alvarado, D., De Bastos, M., Fontiveros, S., Sierra, M., & Contreras, F. (2016) Zika virus associated with sensory polyneuropathy. Journal of the Neurological Sciences. DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2016.08.044
- August 26, 2016
- 02:20 PM
- 130 views
Next steps in understanding brain function
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
The most complex piece of matter in the known universe is the brain. Neuroscientists have recently taken on the challenge to understand brain function from its intricate anatomy and structure. There is no sure way to go about it, and researchers in Madrid proposed a solution to the problem.
... Read more »
DeFelipe, J., Douglas, R., Hill, S., Lein, E., Martin, K., Rockland, K., Segev, I., Shepherd, G., & Tamás, G. (2016) Comments and General Discussion on “The Anatomical Problem Posed by Brain Complexity and Size: A Potential Solution”. Frontiers in Neuroanatomy. DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2016.00060
- August 25, 2016
- 02:50 PM
- 140 views
The relationship between low physical activity and psychotic symptoms
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Physical activity can help reduce cardiovascular disease and premature mortality in people with psychological problems. However, there is limited data on exercise in people with serious mental disorders, especially from low- and middle-income countries. This study explored whether complying with the World Health Organization recommendations of 150 minutes of moderate-vigorous exercise per week is related to psychotic symptoms or the diagnosis of a psychosis.
... Read more »
Brendon Stubbs, Ai Koyanagi, Felipe Schuch, Joseph Firth, Simon Rosenbaum, Fiona Gaughran, James Mugisha, & Davy Vancampfort. (2016) Physical Activity Levels and Psychosis: A Mediation Analysis of Factors Influencing Physical Activity Target Achievement Among 204 186 People Across 46 Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Schizophrenia bulletin . info:/10.1093/schbul/sbw111
- August 24, 2016
- 02:51 PM
- 154 views
How long do you want to live? Your expectations for old age matter
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Why do some people want to live a very long time, while others would prefer to die relatively young? In a latest study, a team of researchers investigated how long young and middle-aged adults in the United States say they want to live in relation to a number of personal characteristics. The results showed that more than one out of six people would prefer to die younger than age 80, before reaching average life expectancy.
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BOWEN, C., & SKIRBEKK, V. (2016) Old age expectations are related to how long people want to live. Ageing and Society, 1-26. DOI: 10.1017/S0144686X16000726
- August 23, 2016
- 02:31 PM
- 171 views
Too much activity in certain areas of the brain is bad for memory and attention
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Neurons in the brain interact by sending each other chemical messages, so-called neurotransmitters. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the most common inhibitory neurotransmitter, which is important to restrain neural activity, preventing neurons from getting too trigger-happy and from firing too much or responding to irrelevant stimuli.
... Read more »
McGarrity, S., Mason, R., Fone, K., Pezze, M., & Bast, T. (2016) Hippocampal Neural Disinhibition Causes Attentional and Memory Deficits. Cerebral Cortex. DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw247
- August 22, 2016
- 03:00 PM
- 129 views
Stroke-like brain damage is reduced in mice injected with omega-3s
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
A stroke can happen at any age, and as with anything that involves the brain, a few seconds can be life altering. Usually the rule is time lost is brain lost, but there might be some good news regarding that, researchers found that omega-3 fatty acids reduced brain damage in a neonatal mouse model of stroke.
... Read more »
Mayurasakorn, K., Niatsetskaya, Z., Sosunov, S., Williams, J., Zirpoli, H., Vlasakov, I., Deckelbaum, R., & Ten, V. (2016) DHA but Not EPA Emulsions Preserve Neurological and Mitochondrial Function after Brain Hypoxia-Ischemia in Neonatal Mice. PLOS ONE, 11(8). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160870
- August 21, 2016
- 02:53 PM
- 166 views
In cells, some oxidants are needed
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Within our bodies, high levels of reactive forms of oxygen can damage proteins and contribute to diabetic complications and many other diseases. But some studies are showing that these reactive oxygen species (ROS) molecules sometimes can aid in maintaining health--findings now boosted by a surprising discovery by researchers.
... Read more »
Hourihan, J., Moronetti Mazzeo, L., Fernández-Cárdenas, L., & Blackwell, T. (2016) Cysteine Sulfenylation Directs IRE-1 to Activate the SKN-1/Nrf2 Antioxidant Response. Molecular Cell, 63(4), 553-566. DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2016.07.019
- August 20, 2016
- 05:45 PM
- 169 views
'I miss you so much': How Twitter is broadening the conversation on death and mourning
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Death and mourning were largely considered private matters in the 20th century, with the public remembrances common in previous eras replaced by intimate gatherings behind closed doors in funeral parlors and family homes. But social media is redefining how people grieve, and Twitter in particular -- with its ephemeral mix of rapid-fire broadcast and personal expression -- is widening the conversation around death and mourning.
... Read more »
Nina Lyn Cesare, & Jennifer Lynn Branstad. (2016) Dying and Mourning in the Twittersphere. American Sociological Association. info:/
- August 19, 2016
- 03:34 PM
- 176 views
Cloth masks offer poor protection against air pollution
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Results of a new study by environmental health scientists suggest that inexpensive cloth masks worn by people who hope to reduce their exposure to air pollution vary widely in effectiveness and could be giving users a false sense of security, especially in highly polluted areas.
... Read more »
Shakya, K., Noyes, A., Kallin, R., & Peltier, R. (2016) Evaluating the efficacy of cloth facemasks in reducing particulate matter exposure. Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology. DOI: 10.1038/jes.2016.42
- August 18, 2016
- 04:07 PM
- 171 views
Neural stem cells control their own fate
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
To date, it has been assumed that the differentiation of stem cells depends on the environment they are embedded in. A research group now describes for the first time a mechanism by which hippocampal neural stem cells regulate their own cell fate via the protein Drosha.
... Read more »
Chiara Rolando,, Andrea Erni,, Alice Grison,, Robert Beattie,, Anna Engler,, Paul J. Gokhale,, Marta Milo,, Thomas Wegleiter,, Sebastian Jessberger, & Verdon Taylor. (2016) Multipotency of Adult Hippocampal NSCs In Vivo Is Restricted by Drosha/NFIB. Cell Stem Cell . info:/10.1016/j.stem.2016.07.003
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