Health | Page 1056 of 1374 | SpiritIndia.com

Sibling relationships reflect family dynamics

New research on sibling relationships indicates that efforts to improve relationships among siblings need to take into account how all members of the family relate to each other. This study of 200 white, working- and middle-class families found that changes in parent-child relationships are associated with changes in sibling relationships. Among other findings, the study found that sibling discord peaks when the first-born child is about 13 and the second-born is about 10 years old.

Children’s sleep difficulties: Reports differ from children to parents

Elementary school-aged children report that they have sleep difficulties more often than their parents report think they do. A sample of 300 pairs of eight-year-old twins was studied to examine the genetic and environmental influences on sleep. The research suggests several explanations for the discrepancy between child and parent reported sleep difficulties in children. Overall, the findings reflect that both genetic and environmental influences are factors in a range of sleep problems.

Styles of conflict between parents have different implications for children and families

New research has added to our understanding of how conflict with parents affects children. The current research followed 212 families with six-year-old children across three years. The findings indicate that mothers’ and fathers’ parenting styles are affected differently by different types of conflict. Mothers were observed to be less supportive and involved with children when they experienced hostility with their partner, while fathers’ engagement with children was affected by withdrawal between partners.

Sandia researchers discover way to see how a drug attaches to a cell

Sandia National Laboratories researchers John Shelnutt and Yujiang Song have discovered a better way to see where a drug attaches to a cell through a new process that produces novel hollow platinum nanostructures.

Unraveling where chimp and human brains diverge

Six million years ago, chimpanzees and humans diverged from a common ancestor and evolved into unique species. Now UCLA scientists have identified a new way to pinpoint the genes that separate us from our closest living relative ? and make us uniquely human. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports the study in its Nov. 13 online edition.

Bird Flu :: Inexpensive test detects H5N1 infections quickly and accurately

Scientists from the University of Colorado at Boulder and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have developed an inexpensive “gene chip” test based on a single influenza virus gene that could allow scientists to quickly identify flu viruses, including avian influenza H5N1.

Ice-breaker Polarstern to explore uncharted seafloor

Huge areas of sea floor (around 3,250 km?) have been freed up by the collapse 4 years ago of the Larsen B platform along the Antarctic Peninsula. Polarstern, the research flagship of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, will shortly conduct the first major biological research there. Forty-seven scientists from more than a dozen different nationalities will focus on the biological characteristics of this blank spot, from November 2006 to January 2007.

Teen girls make better health choices with intervention program

For two consecutive years, researchers examined measures of cardiovascular fitness and self-esteem in sophomore girls attending Trenton Central High School and found students are making better health choices with an intervention program. Low Density Lipoprotein levels — the unhealthy cholesterol — also decreased significantly. WHF Teen Esteem is a gender-specific approach to teen girls’ health and wellness and is meant to be a replacement for traditional gymnastics and health classes.

Rand study says renewable energy could play larger role in US energy future

Renewable resources could produce 25 percent of the electricity and motor vehicle fuels used in the United States by 2025 at little or no additional cost if fossil fuel prices remain high enough and the cost of producing renewable energy continues falling in accord with historical trends, according to a Rand Corp. study issued today. The study was conducted within the Environment, Energy, and Economic Development program of Rand, a nonprofit research organization.

SimCity for real

Social policy makers and town planners will soon be able to play “SimCity” for real using grid computing and e-Science techniques to test the consequences of their policies on a real, but anonymous, model of the UK population.