MI weekly selection #241
Ravens can pre-plan, barter for rewards
Ravens have the cognitive ability to plan ahead and barter for rewards. Researchers tested ravens in a series of experiments and found they performed better at those tasks than great apes or human children.
An ordinary star
Our sun is just an ordinary star when compared with other stars in the universe. Researchers examined the sun’s solar cycle and found that its inner workings are the same as those of other stars.
Colon cancer tumors may grow more rapidly if certain bacterium is present
The bacterium Streptococcus gallolyticus gallolyticus may cause colon cancer tumors to grow more rapidly. “Somehow it can stimulate pathways that are important in cell proliferation,” said Yi Xu, a study author.
New cancer drug and antibody combination being tested on space station
Researchers are testing a new cancer treatment in the microgravity environment of the International Space Station. Cancer cells grow more like they do in the human body when they are grown in the microgravity of the station.
Assessing lifestyle changes in reducing Alzheimer’s risk
There is currently no effective treatment for Alzheimer’s, and how lifestyle affects the onset of the disease is poorly researched. Now, researchers at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California are enrolling 100 individuals ages 60 to 80 at risk for Alzheimer’s disease in a trial which will use PET and MRI to determine how physical and cognitive activity may benefit their brain health. The study aims to identify methods to delay Alzheimer’s onset by five or ten years.