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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
854 posts
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- August 18, 2015
- 02:35 PM
- 536 views
Nicotine changes marijuana’s effect on the brain
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
How scientists study the effects of marijuana on the brain is changing. Until recently marijuana research largely excluded tobacco users from its participant pool, but scientists have found reason to abandon this practice, uncovering significant differences in the brains of individuals who use both tobacco and marijuana and the brains of those who only use marijuana.... Read more »
Filbey, F., McQueeny, T., Kadamangudi, S., Bice, C., & Ketcherside, A. (2015) Combined effects of marijuana and nicotine on memory performance and hippocampal volume. Behavioural Brain Research, 46-53. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.07.029
- August 17, 2015
- 01:55 PM
- 556 views
How influential are peer reactions to posts on Facebook news channels?
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
An experiment to determine the effects of positive and negative user comments to items posted by media organizations on Facebook news channels showed, surprisingly, that the influence of user comments varied depending on the type and number of user comments. Negative comments influenced the persuasiveness of a news article, while positive comments did not, and a high number of likes did not have the expected bandwagon effect.... Read more »
Winter, S., Brückner, C., & Krämer, N. (2015) They Came, They Liked, They Commented: Social Influence on Facebook News Channels. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 18(8), 431-436. DOI: 10.1089/cyber.2015.0005
- August 17, 2015
- 01:35 PM
- 461 views
Study shows poor sleep contributes to MS-related fatigue
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
New research confirmed that sleep disturbances significantly contribute to MS-related fatigue, a common and often disabling symptom among individuals with MS. Review of the pertinent literature showed that sleep may be the dominant factor in fatigue in MS. This was also the finding in Dr. Strober’s study of 107 employed individuals with MS of whom 61% reported poor sleep.... Read more »
Strober, L. (2015) Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis: A Look at the Role of Poor Sleep. Frontiers in Neurology. DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2015.00021
- August 16, 2015
- 02:06 PM
- 499 views
The stomach is the way to a woman’s heart, too
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
You've heard that romance starts in the kitchen and not in the bedroom. Well, researchers at Drexel University finally have the science to support that saying - but not the way you might think. Researchers found that women's brains respond more to romantic cues on a full stomach than an empty one. The study explored brain circuitry in hungry versus satiated states among women who were past-dieters and those who had never dieted.... Read more »
Ely, A., Childress, A., Jagannathan, K., & Lowe, M. (2015) The way to her heart? Response to romantic cues is dependent on hunger state and dieting history: An fMRI pilot study. Appetite, 126-131. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2015.06.022
- August 15, 2015
- 01:26 PM
- 558 views
On Wikipedia, politically controversial science topics vulnerable to information sabotage
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Wikipedia reigns. It’s the world’s most popular online encyclopedia, the sixth most visited website in America, and a research source most U.S. students rely on. But Wikipedia entries on politically controversial scientific topics can be unreliable due to information sabotage.... Read more »
Wilson, A., & Likens, G. (2015) Content Volatility of Scientific Topics in Wikipedia: A Cautionary Tale. PLOS ONE, 10(8). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134454
- August 14, 2015
- 02:05 PM
- 480 views
Can your brain control how it loses control?
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
A new study may have unlocked understanding of a mysterious part of the brain — with implications for neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s. The results open up new areas of research in the pursuit of neuroprotective therapies.... Read more »
Reilly MA, Villarreal A, Maddess T, & Sponsel WE. (2015) Refined Frequency Doubling Perimetry Analysis Reaffirms Central Nervous System Control of Chronic Glaucomatous Neurodegeneration. Translational vision science , 4(3), 7. PMID: 26069866
- August 13, 2015
- 02:52 PM
- 518 views
Scientists discover what controls waking up and going to sleep
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Fifteen years ago, an odd mutant fruit fly caught the attention and curiosity of Dr. Ravi Allada, a circadian rhythms expert at Northwestern University, leading the neuroscientist to recently discover how an animal’s biological clock wakes it up in the morning and puts it to sleep at night. The clock’s mechanism, it turns out, is much like a light switch.... Read more »
Flourakis, M., Kula-Eversole, E., Hutchison, A., Han, T., Aranda, K., Moose, D., White, K., Dinner, A., Lear, B., Ren, D.... (2015) A Conserved Bicycle Model for Circadian Clock Control of Membrane Excitability. Cell, 162(4), 836-848. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.07.036
- August 12, 2015
- 12:54 PM
- 584 views
Cognitive decision making as the collapse of a quantum superstate
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Decision making in an enormous range of tasks involves the accumulation of evidence in support of different hypotheses. One of the enduring models of evidence accumulation is the Markov random walk (MRW) theory, which assigns a probability to each hypothesis. In an MRW model of decision making, when deciding between two hypotheses, the cumulative evidence for and against each hypothesis reaches different levels at different times, moving particle-like from state to state and only occupying a sin........ Read more »
Kvam, P., Pleskac, T., Yu, S., & Busemeyer, J. (2015) Interference effects of choice on confidence: Quantum characteristics of evidence accumulation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 201500688. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1500688112
- August 11, 2015
- 05:27 PM
- 418 views
Study details ‘rotten egg’ gas’ role in autoimmune disease
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
The immune system not only responds to infections and other potentially problematic abnormalities in the body, it also contains a built-in brake in the form of regulatory T cells, or Tregs. Tregs ensure that inflammatory responses don’t get out of hand and do damage. In autoimmune diseases, sometimes these Treg cells don’t act as they should.... Read more »
Yang, R., Qu, C., Zhou, Y., Konkel, J., Shi, S., Liu, Y., Chen, C., Liu, S., Liu, D., Chen, Y.... (2015) Hydrogen Sulfide Promotes Tet1- and Tet2-Mediated Foxp3 Demethylation to Drive Regulatory T Cell Differentiation and Maintain Immune Homeostasis. Immunity. DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2015.07.017
- August 11, 2015
- 02:23 PM
- 395 views
Research advances potential for test and vaccine for genital and oral herpes
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Findings from a pair of new studies could speed up the development of a universally accurate diagnostic test for human herpes simplex viruses (HSV), according to researchers at Johns Hopkins and Harvard universities and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The work may also lead to the development of a vaccine that protects against the virus.... Read more »
Lamers SL, Newman RM, Laeyendecker O, Tobian AA, Colgrove RC, Ray SC, Koelle DM, Cohen J, Knipe DM, & Quinn TC. (2015) Global Diversity within and between Human Herpesvirus 1 and 2 Glycoproteins. Journal of virology, 89(16), 8206-18. PMID: 26018161
- August 10, 2015
- 01:22 PM
- 369 views
Researchers resurrect ancient viruses in hopes of improving gene therapy
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
It sounds like the start of a horror movie, but Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear (MEE) have reconstructed an ancient virus that is highly effective at delivering gene therapies to the liver, muscle, and retina. This discovery could potentially be used to design gene therapies that are not only safer and more potent than therapies currently available, but may also help a greater number of patients.... Read more »
Zinn, E., Pacouret, S., Khaychuk, V., Turunen, H., Carvalho, L., Andres-Mateos, E., Shah, S., Shelke, R., Maurer, A., Plovie, E.... (2015) In Silico Reconstruction of the Viral Evolutionary Lineage Yields a Potent Gene Therapy Vector. Cell Reports. DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.07.019
- August 10, 2015
- 01:02 PM
- 531 views
Study of 83,000 veterans finds cardiovascular benefits to testosterone replacement
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
A Veterans Affairs database study of more than 83,000 patients found that men whose low testosterone was restored to normal through gels, patches, or injections had a lower risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from any cause, versus similar men who were not treated. The study also found that men who were treated but did not attain normal levels did not see the same benefits as those whose levels did reach normal.... Read more »
Sharma, R., Oni, O., Gupta, K., Chen, G., Sharma, M., Dawn, B., Sharma, R., Parashara, D., Savin, V., Ambrose, J.... (2015) Normalization of testosterone level is associated with reduced incidence of myocardial infarction and mortality in men. European Heart Journal. DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehv346
- August 9, 2015
- 03:03 PM
- 598 views
Music and the mind: Can music help people with epilepsy?
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
The brains of people with epilepsy appear to react to music differently from the brains of those who do not have the disorder, a finding that could lead to new therapies to prevent seizures, according to research.... Read more »
Christine Charyton et al. (2015) Music and the Brain: Can music help people with epilepsy?. American Psychological Association. info:/Other
- August 8, 2015
- 04:37 PM
- 633 views
Good for the relationship: A reframing of sexting
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
The practice of sexting may be more common than generally thought among adults. More than eight out of 10 people surveyed online admitted to sexting in the prior year, according to new research.... Read more »
Drouin, M., Vogel, K., Surbey, A., & Stills, J. (2013) Let’s talk about sexting, baby: Computer-mediated sexual behaviors among young adults. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(5). DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2012.12.030
Gordon-Messer, D., Bauermeister, J., Grodzinski, A., & Zimmerman, M. (2013) Sexting Among Young Adults. Journal of Adolescent Health, 52(3), 301-306. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.05.013
Klettke, B., Hallford, D., & Mellor, D. (2014) Sexting prevalence and correlates: A systematic literature review. Clinical Psychology Review, 34(1), 44-53. DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2013.10.007
- August 7, 2015
- 02:27 PM
- 480 views
Switching mouse neural stem cells to a primate-like behavior
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
When the right gene is expressed in the right manner in the right population of stem cells, the developing mouse brain can exhibit primate-like features. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) succeeded in mimicking the sustained expression of the transcription factor Pax6 as seen in the developing human brain, in mouse cortical progenitor cells. This altered the behavior of these cells to one that is akin to that of progenitors in the developing........ Read more »
Fong Kuan Wong, Ji-Feng Fei, Felipe Mora-Bermúdez, Elena Taverna, Christiane Haffner, Jun Fu, Konstantinos Anastassiadis, A. Francis Stewart, & Wieland B. Huttner. (2015) Sustained Pax6 Expression Generates Primate-like Basal Radial Glia in Developing Mouse Neocortex. PLOS Biology. info:/10.1371/journal.pbio.1002217
- August 7, 2015
- 01:00 PM
- 538 views
Excessive workout supplement use: An emerging eating disorder in men?
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
In an effort to build better bodies, more men are turning not to illegal anabolic steroids, but to legal over-the-counter bodybuilding supplements to the point where it may qualify as an emerging eating disorder, according to research presented at the American Psychological Association’s annual convention.... Read more »
Richard Achiro et al. (2015) Excessive Workout Supplement Use: An Emerging Eating Disorder in Men. American Psychological Association. info:/Other
- August 6, 2015
- 04:54 PM
- 367 views
Cellular zombies: Mutant cells that can’t copy DNA keep dividing when they shouldn’t
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Researchers at USC have developed a yeast model to study a gene mutation that disrupts the duplication of DNA, causing massive damage to a cell’s chromosomes, while somehow allowing the cell to continue dividing. The result is a mess: Zombie cells that by all rights shouldn’t be able to survive, let alone divide, with their […]... Read more »
Sabatinos, S., Ranatunga, N., Yuan, J., Green, M., & Forsburg, S. (2015) Replication stress in early S phase generates apparent micronuclei and chromosome rearrangement in fission yeast. Molecular Biology of the Cell. DOI: 10.1091/mbc.E15-05-0318
- August 5, 2015
- 03:14 PM
- 669 views
How to tell the difference between bipolar disorder and depression
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Many patients with bipolar disorder, a debilitating mental condition that can take a person from the sluggishness of severe depression to super-human energy levels, are often misdiagnosed as having major depressive disorder, or MDD. But now as an alternative to reliance on patient interviews, scientists are closing in on an objective test that could help clinicians distinguish between the two — and provide better treatment.... Read more »
Chen, J., Zhou, C., Liu, Z., Fu, Y., Zheng, P., Yang, D., Li, Q., Mu, J., Wei, Y., Zhou, J.... (2015) Divergent Urinary Metabolic Phenotypes between Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Disorder Identified by a Combined GC–MS and NMR Spectroscopic Metabonomic Approach. Journal of Proteome Research, 2147483647. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.5b00434
- August 5, 2015
- 02:44 PM
- 429 views
Mans best friend: Dogs process faces in specialized brain area
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Ever feel like your pet knows what you look like? While historically animals are depicted as, well slow… new research is proving otherwise. To pet owners this might not be big news, but scientists found that dogs have a specialized region in their brains for processing faces. The research provides the first evidence for a face-selective region in the temporal cortex of dogs.... Read more »
Dilks, D., Cook, P., Weiller, S., Berns, H., Spivak, M., & Berns, G. (2015) Awake fMRI reveals a specialized region in dog temporal cortex for face processing. PeerJ. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1115
- August 4, 2015
- 04:34 PM
- 556 views
Preventing addiction relapse by erasing drug-associated memories
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Recovering addicts often grapple with the ghosts of their addiction–memories that tempt them to relapse even after rehabilitation and months, or even years, of drug-free living. Now, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have made a discovery that brings them closer to a new therapy based on selectively erasing these dangerous and tenacious drug-associated memories.... Read more »
Young, E., Blouin, A., Briggs, S., Sillivan, S., Lin, L., Cameron, M., Rumbaugh, G., & Miller, C. (2015) Nonmuscle myosin IIB as a therapeutic target for the prevention of relapse to methamphetamine use. Molecular Psychiatry. DOI: 10.1038/mp.2015.103
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