http://www.physorg.com/ en-us Physorg.com internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Researchers have discovered a genetic variation that may contribute to how empathetic a human is, and how that person reacts to stress. In the first study of its kind, a variation in the hormone/neurotransmitter oxytocin's receptor was linked to a person's ability to infer the mental state of others. http://www.physorg.com/news177609171.html Medicine & Health Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:03:45 EST news177609171 A new study carried out at the University of Haifa has found that the hormone oxytocin, the "love hormone", which affects behaviors such as trust, empathy and generosity, also affects opposite behaviors, such as jealousy and gloating. "Subsequent to these findings, we assume that the hormone is an overall trigger for social sentiments: when the person's association is positive, oxytocin bolsters pro-social behaviors; when the association is negative, the hormone increases negative sentiments," explains Simone Shamay-Tsoory who carried out the research. http://www.physorg.com/news177245481.html Medicine & Health Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:20:01 EST news177245481 Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have uncovered a new genetic signature that correlates strongly with autism and which doesn't involve changes to the DNA sequence itself. Rather, the changes are in the way the genes are turned on and off. The finding may suggest new approaches to diagnosis and treatment of autism. http://www.physorg.com/news175374486.html Medicine & Health Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:09:37 EST news175374486 Researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, have demonstrated that prairie voles may be a useful model in understanding the neurochemistry of social behavior. By influencing early social experience in prairie voles, researchers hope to gain greater insight into what aspects of early social experience drive diversity in adult social behavior. The study is currently available online in a special edition of Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience that is focused on the long-term impact of early life experiences. http://www.physorg.com/news170946966.html Medicine & Health Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:16:55 EST news170946966 What do flocks of birds have in common with trust, monogamy, and even breast milk? According to a new report in the journal Science, they are regulated by virtually identical neurochemicals in the brain, known as oxytocin in mammals and mesotocin in birds. http://www.physorg.com/news169391813.html Biology Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:17:25 EST news169391813 (PhysOrg.com) -- Why does dishing with a girlfriend do wonders for a woman's mood? http://www.physorg.com/news163178026.html Medicine & Health Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:14:14 EST news163178026 Improving the environment in which rats are reared can significantly strengthen the physiological process of wound healing, according to a report in the online, open-access, peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE. http://www.physorg.com/news161412752.html Medicine & Health Wed, 13 May 2009 05:52:59 EST news161412752 Relationships are difficult and most of us probably think at some point that communicating positively with our partner when discussing stressful issues, like home finances, is an impossible task. What if there was a safe way to take the "edge" off these discussions? The biology of human social relationships is just beginning to emerge as groundbreaking research on social cognition conducted in animals is now informing research in humans. http://www.physorg.com/news160217238.html Medicine & Health Wed, 29 Apr 2009 09:47:37 EST news160217238 (PhysOrg.com) -- University of Notre Dame biologist Sunny Boyd's research is a little like "Match.com" for amphibians. Say you're a female tree frog looking for a mate--how do you choose among a number of potential suitors? http://www.physorg.com/news157138053.html Biology Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:28:52 EST news157138053 (PhysOrg.com) -- When a mother breastfeeds she is essentially protecting her child from herself, according to UQ researcher and developmental paediatrician, Dr Lane Strathearn. http://www.physorg.com/news151931908.html Medicine & Health Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:00:01 EST news151931908 Oxytocin, a hormone involved in child-birth and breast-feeding, helps people recognize familiar faces, according to new research in the January 7 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. Study participants who had one dose of an oxytocin nasal spray showed improved recognition memory for faces, but not for inanimate objects. http://www.physorg.com/news150485262.html Medicine & Health Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:27:42 EST news150485262