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- September 7, 2012
- 10:39 AM
- 214 views
Green Tea Good For Your Brain
by Mark Fonseca Rendeiro in United Academics
Good news green tea drinkers, researchers in China have found that properties of green tea are good for your brain in ways you may have never expected. ... Read more »
Yanyan Wang, Maoquan Li, Xueqing Xu, Min Song, Huansheng Tao, & Yun Bai. (2012) Green tea epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) promotes neural progenitor cell proliferation and sonic hedgehog pathway activation during adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Journal of Molecular Nutrition . DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201200035
- September 6, 2012
- 09:08 AM
- 214 views
Green Tea Good for Your Brain
by Mark Fonseca Rendeiro in United Academics
Do you love green tea and drink it often? Well there’s some good news for you, according to new research published in the journal of Molecular Nutricion and Food Research, green tea is good for brain cells, specifically for memory and spatial learning.... Read more »
Yanyan Wang, Maoquan Li, Xueqing Xu, Min Song, Huansheng Tao, & Yun Bai. (2012) Green tea epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) promotes neural progenitor cell proliferation and sonic hedgehog pathway activation during adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Journal of Molecular Nutrition . DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201200035
- September 4, 2012
- 05:00 AM
- 314 views
Religious or Non-Religious: Who is More Likely to Be a Good Samaritan?
There is a stereotype that religious people make good samaritans, but are they really any more likely than their less religious counterparts to help others in need?... Read more »
Saslow, L. R.,, Willer, R.,, Feinberg, M.,, Piff, P. K.,, Clark, K.,, Keltner, D.,, & Saturn, S. R. (2012) My Brother's Keeper? Compassion Predicts Generosity More Among Less Religious Individuals. Social Psychological and Personality Science. . DOI: 10.1177/1948550612444137
Darley, J. M., & Batson, C. Daniel. (1973) "From Jerusalem to Jericho": A study of situational and dispositional variables in helping behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 27(1), 100-108. info:/
- August 31, 2012
- 11:49 AM
- 360 views
Welfare hiding right in front of us
by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?
Hi there Mia!When you address someone as I did above, do you put a comma between “there” and “Mia”? Maybe this is a grammar question for a grammar website (or I could just Google it), but I’m wondering if people put that comma in? I used to put in the comma, but then I was told it sounded like, “Hi there (paauuse) Mia!"(source)HI! How awesome to have those definitions out in the open. Prior to my program in Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare, I hadn't considered that welfare could be defined or explicitly explored through the scientific method. But, when welfare’s in the title of your program, it’s bound to come up (but why the word animal 2 times! Was that really necessary?) I find that in general conversations, we talk about and around welfare: "How are you doing? How's your dog doing? How are you feeling," even though we might not necessarily realize that the responses are welfare-based in nature.WSPA made a Concepts in Animal Welfare online course (available to anyone for free). I particularly like how they describe thinking about welfare. If someone asks you how you are feeling, at the moment, your welfare might be mighty fine in some areas but not so groovy in others. Our welfare, and the welfare of others, moves on a continuum.(source)Maybe this person should get a new chair and open or close a window. So I think about welfare along this continuum from really good to middle-of-the-road to not-so-good, and different factors can come out in different places. Then, on top of everything, we have to consider welfare from the perspective of the other. For example, if I just broke my leg falling down the stairs, I’m probably going to freak the #@!&@*!! out. But if a rabbit hurts himself, we might not know anything has happened because as a prey species, it's not in his best interest to freak the #@!&@*!! out. It’s not to say that he doesn’t experience pain, he just wasn’t built to make a big scene like I will. If the rabbit in pain made a scene, that could attract attention and he could end up someone's easy dinner. Best to hide it. But for me, maybe it’s adaptive to make a big scene so that someone will come help me? Or, maybe the big scene has the opposite effect and makes other people want to stay away? Or maybe a lawyer would see me in my state of chaos and distress and weigh the benefits of helping me against the risk of a possible lawsuit. Humans are complicated...What's interesting about dogs is that less-than-awesome welfare states can sometimes be hidden right in front of us. (source)A while back, I attended an outdoor, end-of-summer dog event called WoofStock. Dogs and people meandered about. It was hot. I saw a crowd of people, and I went over (because that's what we do). A man was carrying a Pug, and boy was that tongue hanging out of that dog's mouth. Everyone was cramming in to look at the, “Oh-So-Cute” dog! I was left wondering, Why isn’t he walking around like all the other dogs? He too has the gift of 4 legs. I researched brachycephalic dogs, and found that through decades of breeding, we have created (and maintained) a dog who can have difficulty breathing and whose tongue doesn’t fit in its mouth. I pulled the research together and wrote a blog post on Dog Spies called, Where Should Dogs Put Their Tongues? I hope you agree that I don't think it's "pick on pug" day. I'm just looking at the question of welfare from three different directions: (1) how do dogs look; (2) what do we find aesthetically pleasing and (3) do certain physical attributes offer particular challenges?Sometimes what we humans like and find attractive & aesthetically pleasing is not in dogs' best interests. For example, what's the welfare of the above Pug? Some might look at this dog and say, What a cute face! But is he enjoying where his tongue is?Bye for now!Julie... Read more »
Oechtering G., Schlüter C., & Lippert J. (2010) Brachycephaly in dog and cat: a "human induced" obstruction of the upper airways. Pneumologie, 64(07), 452. DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1255513
Asher Lucy, Diesel Gillian, Summers Jennifer F., McGreevy Paul D., & Collins Lisa M. (2009) Inherited defects in pedigree dogs. Part 1: Disorders related to breed standards. The Veterinary Journal, 182(3), 411. DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2009.08.033
- August 30, 2012
- 06:23 PM
- 350 views
I'll show you mine if you show me yours!
by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?
Yep - that adult (green coat) having more fun than any kid? That's me.Hey Julie,We had a fun weekend, there were miniature trains involved, so how can that be anything other than fabulous? I hope you did too! Can I firstly say – !!!! – how awesome is EthoSearch?! Thank you SO MUCH for sharing that with me – I can’t believe I didn’t know about it and will certainly be starting any conversations with new students in my research group with “Hi, I’m Mia, and here is the link for EthoSearch – you’re welcome”. It’s a GREAT resource.(source)So you’d like me to define ‘animal welfare’, would you? Great question! I’ll show you mine if you show me yours! I’m not sure I have a one line response, but allow me to ‘think out loud’ if you will... I think it’s fair to say that there’s no single universal definition of ‘animal welfare’. I think this is partly because our understanding of how and what animals experience is changing over time and partly because different people emphasise different aspects of animal experiences so their 'angle' on/of animal welfare will also differ.(source)It is a term with its roots in philosophy and ethics and I was lucky enough to share great conversation over dinner with Peter Sandøe earlier this year. Sandøe trained as a philosopher and is currently a Professor of bioethics in Denmark. You can hear the public lecture (and see the PowerPoint presentation) that he gave in March 2012, titled ‘Animal Welfare – where does science end and ethics begin?’ via the Animal Welfare Science Centre/RSPCA Australia. It’s a fabulous presentation and well worth taking the 45min if this is a topic of interest to you.When I refer to thoughts about the definition of ‘animal welfare’ used by people who have been working in this field far longer than me, I find:Broom (who, incidentally, I can happily vouch for as a master of the conference dance floor!):“The welfare of an individual is its state as regards its attempts to cope with its environment”. If coping can be achieved easily with little effort and resource, energy and time use – welfare is considered OK. If it fails to cope or coping takes much time/energy/resources, then welfare is obviously poor.... Read more »
Broom D.M. (1986) Indicators of poor welfare. British Veterinary Journal, 142(6), 526. DOI: 10.1016/0007-1935(86)90109-0
Dawkins Marian Stamp. (2008) The Science of Animal Suffering. Ethology, 114(10), 945. DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2008.01557.x
Stafford Kevin. (2006) The Welfare of Dogs. (Book). DOI: 10.1007/1-4020-4362-7
- August 22, 2012
- 08:30 AM
- 412 views
An Ancient Egyptian Mummified Cat
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
In Ancient Egypt, cats were revered. It is thought that cats were first domesticated in Egypt about 10,000 years ago. The first mummified cats were buried with their owners. Over time customs changed, and mummified cats were made as offerings to the feline goddess, Bastet. From 332BC to 30BC, cats were bred specifically to be used as offerings, and cat mummies were available at different price points, ranging from ones containing a few bones, to more elaborate mummies containing the entire cat.Engraving of a cat on the outer walls of an ancient temple at Edfu, EgyptA team of Italian scientists led by Giacomo Gnudi at the University of Parma, in Italy, recently performed a radiological examination of a cat mummy. The mummy is part of the University’s Ancient Egyptian collection, and was bought in the 19th century. Apparently cat mummies were so abundant at this time that 180,000 were shipped to Liverpool in the UK to be turned into fertilizer.The wrappings were decorated with geometric patterns and with depictions of eyes in black ink. The mummy was found to have the entire skeleton of a cat, with open growth plates on the bones suggesting that it was between 4-6 months old. This means it was probably bred specifically to be used as a mummy. A bone had been broken so that the tail could be positioned close to the body. The cat was in a sitting position, and the chest had also been compressed. This meant the body took up as small a space as possible. It is likely that a substance called natron was applied to promote the drying out process, and then the cat was put into a seating position; the compression of the chest could have been caused by the bandages. There was also a hole in the skull and partial dislocation of some of the skull bones. It is not known if this resulted from the way the cat was killed, or if it was part of the mummification process. The radiological examination showed that this is an important artefact, since it is of a full cat in elaborate wrappings. The mummy was an offering to Bastet.ReferencesGnudi, G., Volta, A., Manfredi, S., Ferri, F. and Conversi, R. (2012) Radiological investigation of an over 2,000-year-old Egyptian mummy of a cat. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 14(4), 292-294.The British Museum Highlights Mummy of a Cat... Read more »
Gnudi, G., Volta, A., Manfredi, S., Ferri, F., & Conversi, R. (2012) Radiological investigation of an over 2,000-year-old Egyptian mummy of a cat. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 14(4), 292-294. DOI: 10.1177/1098612X11432237
- August 14, 2012
- 10:28 PM
- 272 views
Do pick-up tactics really work?
by eHarmony Labs in eHarmony Labs Blog
Hey baby, are you from Tennessee? Because you’re the only ten I see!... Read more »
Hall, J. A., & Canterberry, M. (2011) Sexism and assertive courtship strategies. Sex Roles, 840-853. DOI: 10.1007/s11199-011-0045-y
- August 12, 2012
- 02:37 PM
- 266 views
Human embryonic (knowledge) germ(ination) cells
by Lee Turnpenny in The Mawk Moth Profligacies
On the acknowledged difficulties of deriving and culturing human embryonic germ cells, in light of some informative new data...... Read more »
Pashai N, Hao H, All A, Gupta S, Chaerkady R, De Los Angeles A, Gearhart JD, & Kerr CL. (2012) Genome-wide profiling of pluripotent cells reveals a unique molecular signature of human embryonic germ cells. PloS one, 7(6). PMID: 22737227
- August 8, 2012
- 07:09 AM
- 359 views
Gay or Straight? You Can Tell By the Eyes
by United Academics in United Academics
Researchers have discovered a new way to measure where a person’s sexual response falls on the spectrum from gay to straight: pupil dilation.... Read more »
Rieger G, & Savin-Williams RC. (2012) The eyes have it: sex and sexual orientation differences in pupil dilation patterns. PloS one, 7(8). PMID: 22870196
- August 8, 2012
- 06:34 AM
- 290 views
Music Goes Olympic – Music as Legal Dope for Sprinters
by United Academics in United Academics
Who needs performance-enhancing drugs when there's music?... Read more »
H. Chtouro. (2012) The effects of music during warm-up on anaerobic performances of young sprinters. Science . DOI: 10.1016/j.scispo.2012.02.006
- July 31, 2012
- 06:25 PM
- 221 views
Who should make the first move?
by eHarmony Labs in eHarmony Labs Blog
When it comes to online dating, who should make the first move? You or them? ... Read more »
Rosen, L. D., Cheever, N. A., Cummings, C., & Felt, J. (2008) The impact of emotionality and self-disclosure on online dating versus traditional dating. Computers in Human Behavior, 24(5), 2124-2157. DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2007.10.003
- July 30, 2012
- 11:17 AM
- 257 views
support for a national clean energy standard
by Paul in Energy and the Future
I wanted to bring your attention to some recent articles that I hope are not limited access articles. In any case, they make two points: 1. The American public overwhelmingly supports a national clean energy standard, even when knowing it … Continue reading →... Read more »
Michael Hanemann. (2012) Policy: Public support for clean energy. Nature Climate Change. DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1640
- July 27, 2012
- 03:35 AM
- 473 views
Olympic Science: The Long Jump to Conclusions
by Duncan Hull in O'Really?
If Science were an Olympic sport, which events would scientists excel at?... Read more »
Cressey Daniel, & Callaway Ewen. (2012) Science at the Olympics: Team science. Nature, 487(7407), 292. DOI: 10.1038/487290a
Thompson Helen. (2012) Performance enhancement: Superhuman athletes. Nature, 487(7407), 289. DOI: 10.1038/487287a
Noakes Timothy, & Spedding Michael. (2012) Olympics: Run for your life. Nature, 487(7407), 296. DOI: 10.1038/487295a
Enriquez Juan, & Gullans Steve. (2012) Olympics: Genetically enhanced Olympics are coming. Nature, 487(7407), 297. DOI: 10.1038/487297a
Loza-Coll Mariano A. (2012) Piled too high. Nature, 486(7403), 431. DOI: 10.1038/nj7403-431a
- July 25, 2012
- 08:46 AM
- 366 views
Beware: Attraction in Cross-Sex Friendship Is Common
by United Academics in United Academics
Researchers asked pairs of male and female friends to rate their attraction to each other in a confidential questionnaire. They found that men – single or in a relationship – reported greater attraction to (and desire to date) their friend than women did, regardless of their female friend’s current relationship status.... Read more »
April Bleske-Rechek, Erin Somers, Cierra Micke, Leah Erickson,, Lindsay Matteson,, Corey Stocco,, Brittany Schumacher,, & Laura Ritchie. (2012) Benefit or burden? Attraction in cross-sex friendship. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. DOI: 10.1177/0265407512443611
- July 25, 2012
- 03:51 AM
- 418 views
Embarrassing Conditions: So What if You Are Blue?
by United Academics in United Academics
The world is full of of embarrassing conditions you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. Every week, Carian discusses one. This week: Argyria.... Read more »
Wadhera A, & Fung M. (2005) Systemic argyria associated with ingestion of colloidal silver. Dermatology online journal, 11(1), 12. PMID: 15748553
- July 24, 2012
- 08:48 PM
- 171 views
Social Networking Use and Your Relationship
by eHarmony Labs in eHarmony Labs Blog
So you’ve been dating your new love for over a month now and they still haven’t changed their online relationship status even though you have. No biggie right? According to psychology researchers, this may have some implications. ... Read more »
Papp LM, Danielewicz J, & Cayemberg C. (2012) "Are we Facebook official?" Implications of dating partners' Facebook use and profiles for intimate relationship satisfaction. Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking, 15(2), 85-90. PMID: 21988733
- July 20, 2012
- 06:59 PM
- 311 views
Social Media Communicating Crises
by United Academics in United Academics
Protestors take to the streets and refuse to disperse until a dictator steps down. A massive earthquake strikes and the resulting tsunami puts an entire coast line at risk of mass destruction. A gunman walks into a theater and opens fire on members of the audience. Each major crisis these days is immediately followed by tweets, mobile videos, and other social media reports put out by most anyone on the scene or on the other side of the world... Read more »
Gerald Lewis, & Gitanjali Laad. (2012) Role of Social Media in Crisis Communication. Gerald Lewis Publications. info:/
- July 19, 2012
- 05:48 PM
- 156 views
Talk Your Way into Better Sex!
by eHarmony Labs in eHarmony Labs Blog
Is your sex life unsatisfying? Read on to find out how to solve this tricky dilemma. ... Read more »
Mary P. Kelly, Donald S. Strassberg,, & and Charles M. Turner. (2004) Communication and Associated Relationship Issues in Female Anorgasmia. Journal of Sex , 263-276. DOI: 10.1080/00926230490422403
- July 17, 2012
- 09:46 AM
- 395 views
Embarrassing Conditions: Screaming in the Rain
by United Academics in United Academics
The world is full of of embarrassing conditions you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. Every week, Carian discusses one. This week: aquagenic urticaria.
Most people don't like to go outside when it's pouring. You become wet and cold, which is not that pleasant. But actually, these feelings of discomfort are nothing compared to what people suffering aquagenic urticaria experience when they are caught in the rain.... Read more »
Hoon Park,, Hee Su Kim,, Dong Soo Yoo,, Jin Woo Kim,, Chul Woo Kim,, Sang Seok Kim,, Jong Ik Hwang,, Jun Young Lee,, & Yoon Jeong Choi,. (2011) Aquagenic Urticaria: A Report of Two Cases. Annals of Dermatology. DOI: 10.5021/ad.2011.23.S3.S371
- July 13, 2012
- 07:57 AM
- 439 views
Female Cyclists' Sex Life Depends on Handlebar Position
by United Academics in United Academics
Researchers discovered a link between decreased genital sensation and low handlebars.... Read more »
Partin, S.N., Connell, K.A., Schrader, S., LaCombe, J., Lowe, B., Sweeney, A., Reutman, S., Wang, A., Toennis, C., Melman, A.... (2012) The Bar Sinister: Does Handlebar Level Damage the Pelvic Floor in Female Cyclists?. The Journal of Sexual Medicine. DOI: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2012.02680.x
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