ScienceDaily: Mind & Brain News

Moderate alcohol consumption increases attractiveness Posted: 09 Mar 2015 06:15 PM PDT Consuming alcohol (equivalent to about a glass of wine) can make the drinker appear more attractive than when sober, according to new research. However, the effect disappears when more is consumed.

Eviction can result in depression, poorer health and higher stress Posted: 09 Mar 2015 02:48 PM PDT Eviction from a home can have multiple negative consequences for families -- including depression, poorer health and higher levels of stress -- and the side effects can persist for years, according to new research.

From brain tumors to memory: A very multifunctional protein Posted: 09 Mar 2015 02:48 PM PDT A protein called BAI1 involved in limiting the growth of brain tumors is also critical for spatial learning and memory, researchers have discovered. BAI1 is part of a regulatory network neuroscientists think is connected with autism spectrum disorders.

Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS: Scientists reveal structural secrets of nature's little locomotive Posted: 09 Mar 2015 01:06 PM PDT Scientists have determined the basic structural organization of a molecular motor that hauls cargoes and performs other critical functions within cells. The complex's large size, myriad subunits and high flexibility have until now restricted structural studies to small pieces of the whole.

Cooperative communities emerge in transparent social networks Posted: 09 Mar 2015 12:55 PM PDT An online experiment reveals that the overall level of cooperation in a group almost doubles when the previous actions of all its members are rendered transparent. When all social connections within the group are also made transparent, the most cooperative band together to form their own community -- ostracizing the less cooperative.

Teens, adults hazy on Washington marijuana law, study shows Posted: 09 Mar 2015 10:51 AM PDT Only 57 percent of Washington parents surveyed knew the legal age for recreational marijuana use and just 63 percent knew that homegrown marijuana is illegal under the law, a new study demonstrates.

Study of fruit fly 'brain in a jar' reveals mechanics of jet lag Posted: 09 Mar 2015 10:51 AM PDT Long the stuff of science fiction, the disembodied 'brain in a jar' is providing science fact for researchers, who by studying the whole brains of fruit flies are discovering the inner mechanisms of jet lag.

Blood-based genetic biomarkers identify young boys with autism Posted: 09 Mar 2015 10:46 AM PDT An international team of scientists reports finding a highly accurate blood-based measure that could lead to development of a clinical test for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk in males as young as one to two years old. The test could be done in community pediatric settings.

African-American cancer patients' depression symptoms under-recognized, study finds Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:41 AM PDT A researcher who has long examined quality-of-life issues in cancer patients wondered whether depression in African-American cancer patients has been under-recognized for treatment. Accurately assessing depression in cancer patients is difficult in general because the physical symptoms of cancer and depression -- low energy, lack of sleep and loss of appetite -- are so similar.

Societally-engaged adults see their lives as redemption stories Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:41 AM PDT Middle-aged Americans who show high levels of societal involvement and mental health are especially likely to construe their lives as stories of personal redemption, according to new research. And this redemption narrative was also stronger for adults who showed greater overall mental health and well-being.

Youth suicide rate in rural areas is nearly double the rate in cities Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:39 AM PDT The adolescent and young-adult suicide rate in the United States was almost twice as high in rural settings than in urban areas between 1996 and 2010, and new research suggests that the gap appears to be widening.

Who am I? New study links early family experiences, self-esteem with self-clarity Posted: 09 Mar 2015 06:33 AM PDT Although some children emerge from cold and neglectful family environments as adults with high self-esteem, a new study suggests these people may still be at a relative disadvantage in life, with a foggier sense of who they are. On the other hand, adults with low self-esteem who grew up in the same type of negative environment actually have relatively high self-clarity, according to the study's findings.

Smiles, word choice show what type of sexism men display Posted: 09 Mar 2015 06:32 AM PDT If you want to know what a man's true attitude towards the female sex is, carefully watch how he smiles and chats to her. This advice is gleaned from a new study. It sheds light on how sexism subtly influences social interaction between men and woman. Even though discrimination against women is thought to have decreased over the past six decades in the United States, instances of sexism are not difficult to find. Experts believe that such gender discrimination can be both hostile and benevolent.

What’s your genetic destiny? More than half of parents want to know disease risks for selves, kids Posted: 09 Mar 2015 06:25 AM PDT Would you want to know if you or your children had risk of hereditary cancer, a genetic risk for cardiovascular disease or carried the gene associated with developing Alzheimer’s disease?

Measuring the marketing effectiveness of asking versus telling Posted: 09 Mar 2015 05:30 AM PDT Most marketing campaigns are centered around advertisements that feature statements as the way to convey a message to targeted consumers. New research finds a question mark has advertising value too -- but only under certain conditions. The findings focus on the difference that arousal makes between an advertisement that uses a question mark and one that uses a period. The takeaway for the marketing and advertising industry is to know where your message is being seen.

Patient views of GP safety explored Posted: 09 Mar 2015 05:28 AM PDT GPs’ patients can feel alienated by lack of trust, impersonal processes and that this presents problems to improving their safety, a new report suggests. Authors interviewed 38 people recruited from nine practices in urban, small town and city locations in North West England. They were asked to share their views about their practice and to put these in the context of their safety.