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Pressure to Look more Muscular may Lead some Men to Consider Steroids

By Guest PostJune 6, 2011Healthbody-image concerns, bodybuilders, bonnie moradi, consider steroids, counselors recognize, cultural influences, first time objectification theory, journal of counseling psychology, professional athletes, psychology of men and masculinity, underlying issue, university of akron, university of florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Most people associate steroid use with oiled-up bodybuilders or professional athletes, but for some college-age men, steroids seem like the only way to measure up to the muscle-bound men in fitness magazines.

A survey of 270 male college students by Mike Parent, a University of Florida doctoral candidate in counseling psychology, showed that the same cultural influences that drive some women to feel dissatisfied with their bodies can also lead college-age men who highly value looking muscular to contemplate steroid use. Studies show that up to 5 percent of college-age men have used steroids, Parent said. (more…)

UF Researchers Link Oceanic Land Crab Extinction to Colonization of Hawaii

By Guest PostMay 16, 2011Nature, Sciencecarnivorous, christmas island, crab, crab extinction, ecological conditions, Garden of Eden, geograpsus grayi, geograpsus severnsi, gustav paulay, hawaiian islands, helen james, human era, indian ocean, john starmer, kauai, lizards, maui, new species of land crab, oahu, pacific islands, polynesians, university of florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida researchers have described a new species of land crab that documents the first crab extinction during the human era.

The loss of the crab likely greatly impacted the ecology of the Hawaiian Islands, as land crabs are major predators, control litter decomposition and help in nutrient cycling and seed dispersal. Their disappearance was caused by the arrival of humans to the islands and resulted in large-scale changes in the state’s ecosystem. Researchers said the full impact of the extinction on Hawaii is unknown, but they are certain it led to changes in the diversity of the food web, a continuing concern to conservationists studying species loss in other habitats. The study will be published online May 16 in PLoS ONE. (more…)

UF Study Finds Cats No. 1 Predator to Urban Mockingbird Nests

By Guest PostMay 9, 2011Nature, ScienceAmerican crow and swallow-tailed kite, blue jay, cat predation, christine_stracey, dominant nest predator, dominant predator, environmental indicators for metropolitan areas, florida museum of natural history of file photo, may 2011 issue of biological conservation, mockingbird eggs and nestlings, mockingbird nest predators, nesting mockingbirds, opossum, raccoon, scott robinson, squirrel, sylvester & tweety, university of florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A new University of Florida study shows cats are the dominant predator to mockingbird eggs and nestlings in urban areas, prompting conservationists to urge pet owners to keep felines indoors at night.

The findings challenge assumptions that urban areas are places of refuge for nesting mockingbirds, a species researchers say plays an important role in controlling insect pests and serving as environmental indicators for metropolitan areas. (more…)

UF Researchers Find Quiet Protein Speaks Loudly in Fight Against Cancer

By Guest PostMay 5, 2011Healthaubrey thompson, brahma, brm, cancer causing genes, cancer inhibiting properties, cancer therapy, carcinogens, cell adhesion, cells, david reisman, dna repair, geoffrey liu, hdac, histone deacetylase, lung cancer, oncogene, protein, race, sex, tumor growth, university of florida, university of toronto

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — When a movie character says, “It’s too quiet,” that’s usually a sign something bad may happen.

Now, University of Florida researchers have discovered that when variations of a certain protein in our cells are too quiet, it may add to the risk that someone will develop lung cancer. When scientists restored the protein to its normal, active self, its cancer-inhibiting properties reappeared. (more…)

UF Researchers Help Pinpoint Key Events in Ancient Plant Evolution

By Guest PostApril 14, 2011Scienceancient genome duplication, angiosperms, big bangs, cucumber plants, DNA, doug soltis, evolution of seed and flowering plants, flowering plants, genes, genomes, grape, jonathan wendel, modern genome complexity, organisms humans, pam soltis, papaya, poplar, rice, signal, university of florida, water lily

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Researchers from the University of Florida and six other institutions have unlocked some of the key foundations for the evolution of seed and flowering plants.

The study, to be published online Sunday in Nature, is the first to identify the occurrence of ancient genome duplication events and show the genomes of seed and flowering plants duplicated before each group of plants diversified. It introduces new factors for further molecular research on the organisms humans depend on for food, clothing and shelter. (more…)

Fossil Bird Study Describes Ripple Effect of Extinction in Animal Kingdom

By Guest PostMarch 9, 2011Scienceanimal kingdom, blackbird family, california, cowbird, david steadman, decline of panthers, domino effect, ecosystems, extinction, florida, fossil record, fossil study, grasslands, jessica oswald, mammals, mexican fossils, Mexico, negative impact, northern mexico, oceans, pandanaris convexa, rancho la brea fossil site, ripple effect, sediment, songbird species, sonora, térapa, trickle down effect, university of florida, wetlands

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A University of Florida study demonstrates extinction’s ripple effect through the animal kingdom, including how the demise of large mammals 20,000 years ago led to the disappearance of one species of cowbird.

The study shows the trickle-down effect the loss of large mammals has on other species, and researchers say it is a lesson from the past that should be remembered when making conservation, game and land-use decisions today. (more…)

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