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New Study Suggests Link Between Estrogen, Blood Pressure

By Guest PostMay 28, 2011Healthanti oxidant resveratrol, blood pressure, brain, carrie northcutt, chronic exposure, effects of menopause, estrogen only hrt, hannah garver, heart failure, high blood pressure, hormone, huawei zhao, hypertension, joseph haywood, long term exposure to estrogen, madhan subramanian, michigan state university, mohankumar, p s mohankumar, priya balasubramanian, rostral ventrolateral medulla, stress in the body, superoxide, women

EAST LANSING, Mich. — While recent studies have shown long-term exposure to estrogen can be a danger to women – overturning physicians’ long-held beliefs that the hormone was good for their patients’ hearts – the process by which estrogen induces high blood pressure was unclear.

In a new study, Michigan State University researchers found long-term estrogen exposure generates excessive levels of the compound superoxide, which causes stress in the body. The buildup of this compound occurs in an area of the brain that is crucial to regulating blood pressure, suggesting that the estrogen-induced buildup causes increased blood pressure. (more…)

Virtual Workout Partners Spur Better Results

By Guest PostMay 23, 2011Science, Technologyabdominal muscles, deborah feltz, department of kinesiology, eye toy camera, health games research, health video games, kohler effect, lack of motivation, michigan state university, motivation, playstation 2, robert wood johnson foundation, same sex virtual partner, virtual partner

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Can’t find anyone to exercise with? Don’t despair: New research from Michigan State University reveals working out with a virtual partner improves motivation during exercise.

The study led by Deborah Feltz, chairperson of MSU’s Department of Kinesiology, is the first to investigate the Kohler effect on motivation in health video games; that phenomenon explains why inferior team members perform better in a group than they would by themselves. (more…)

Solar Cells more Efficient than Photosynthesis – for Now

By Guest PostMay 16, 2011Sciencebiofuels industry, carbon-based molecules, chemical bonds, critical since, david Kramer, ecosystem, environmental impact, g.l.kohuth, genetic engineering, michigan state university, new paper in science, organism, photosynthesis, photosynthesis of plants for biofuel, plants are less efficient than solar cells, solar cells, species of cyanobacteria, sun’s energy, washington university

EAST LANSING, Mich. — In a head-to-head battle of harvesting the sun’s energy, solar cells beat plants, according to a new paper in Science. But scientists think they can even up the playing field, says Michigan State University researcher David Kramer.

Plants are less efficient at capturing the energy in sunlight than solar cells mostly because they have too much evolutionary baggage. Plants have to power a living thing, whereas solar cells only have to send electricity down a wire. This is a big difference because if photosynthesis makes a mistake, it makes toxic byproducts that kill the organism. Photosynthesis has to be conservative to avoid killing the organisms it powers. (more…)

Research Maps Out Trade-offs Between Deer and Timber

By Guest PostMay 12, 2011Environmentchopping down trees, colorado state university, deer and timber, deer buffet, leverhulme early career fellow at king's college, london, megan matonis, michigan department of natural resources, michigan state university, michigan’s upper peninsula, northern hardwood forest, rain-drenched harvest gaps, study in forest ecology and management, sugar maples, u.s. department of agriculture

EAST LANSING, Mich. — In a sweeping study of a huge swath of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Michigan State University researchers document that in many places the sugar maple saplings that should be thriving following harvesting are instead ending up as a deer buffet. This means the hardwood forests are not regenerating.

Since the 1950s, sustainability in northern hardwood forests was achieved by chopping down trees in small clumps to naturally make room for new ones to spring up. Early experiments with single-tree and group selection logging found that desirable species like sugar maples did a great job of regenerating in the sunny, rain-drenched harvest gaps – theoretically eliminating the need to replant. (more…)

College Students Lack Scientific Literacy, Study Finds

By Guest PostJanuary 9, 20111 commentEducation, Sciencebiological principles, bioscience, carbon sequestration, charles andy anderson, climate change, college students, environmental problem, fundamental scientific, global climate change, introductory biology, laurel hartley, michigan state university, scientific basis, scientific carbon cycle, teaching the fundamentals, university of colorado, vice-versa

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Most college students in the United States do not grasp the scientific basis of the carbon cycle – an essential skill in understanding the causes and consequences of climate change, according to research published in the January issue of BioScience.

The study, whose authors include several current and former researchers from Michigan State University, calls for a new way of teaching – and, ultimately, comprehending – fundamental scientific principles such as the conservation of matter. (more…)

Latino Voters Expected to Influence Nov. 2 Election

By Guest PostNovember 1, 2010Culture, Politicsdemocratic candidates, democratic party, julian samora research institute, latinos, michigan state university, msu, non-latino voters, republicans, rubén martinez

Ruben Martinez is director of MSU's Julian Samora Research Institute. Image credit: Michigan State University

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Latinos still tend to favor Democratic candidates, although Latinos who identify themselves as Republicans are more likely to vote in the Nov. 2 midterm elections, a Michigan State University scholar says.

According to the 2010 National Survey of Latinos, 44 percent of Latino Republicans said they had given the election a lot of thought, compared to 28 percent of Latino Democrats.

“While Latinos in general are much more likely to support the Democratic Party, when it comes down to it, Latino Republicans may be more likely to show up at the polls on Tuesday,” said Rubén Martinez, director of MSU’s Julian Samora Research Institute.

According to the national survey data, Latinos generally favor Democrats, with nearly 66 percent of Latino registered voters saying they plan to support the Democratic candidate in their congressional district. In contrast, only 22 percent said they plan to support the Republican candidate in their district. (more…)

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