Love and IQ
A loving mother may have a profound effect on her children’s intelligence, a new study says.
In the August issue of Nature Neuroscience, researchers from Canada’s McGill University describe how a very attentive group of mother rats – females who licked and groomed their infants more than the other mothers – produced offspring who found their way out of a maze faster than those rats whose moms were neglectful.
In a second experiment, the scientists switched the offspring, so that the rats born to neglectful moms were raised by more attentive ones, and vice versa. Both groups scored well in subsequent tests – suggesting that biological damage may be reversed by nurturing.
Sperm saga
Researchers are beginning to unlock the mysteries of how sperm mature – paving the way to making effective male contraceptives and possibly treating sterility and infertility.
In a recent article for Science magazine, researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College claim that a key enzymatic protein in the testis and sperm spurs the sperm on its search for the egg.
By blocking or inhibiting this enzyme, known as sAC (for soluble adenylyl cyclase), scientists may well come up with an effective male contraceptive. Alternately, should researchers find that infertile or sterile men have less sAC than their fertile counterparts, they may be able to treat them or their sperm to make them fertile.
Vinegar virtue
Homely Vinegar isn’t just for salads anymore.
Lately, books and Web sites have been promoting it as a non-medicinal way to lower cholesterol levels, clear stuffed sinuses, fight allergies and help you lose weight.
While medical experts remain dubious – even the Vinegar Institute, which touts the stuff, says there’s no basis for any medical claims – they do agree that what vinegar does well is kill bacteria in other foods.
It’s also a nifty household cleanser, since it dissolves soap scum, rust and stains as well as many expensive, chemical-based cleansers do.