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A.
Testing Different Therapies for a Hard-to-Treat
Type of Depression
Narrator:
This is Science Today. There's a type of depression
in late life called major depression with executive
dysfunction. Older people who suffer from this are
significantly depressed and have trouble making
decisions. Patricia Arean, a psychiatrist at the
University of California, San Francisco, says these
patients don't typically respond well to antidepressants.
Arean:
If you look at who responds and who doesn't,
the people who tend not to respond or who make a
partial response are people with this presentation.
Narrator:
Arean and her colleagues are testing the effectiveness
of two types of psychotherapy to treat these patients
- problem solving and supportive therapy.
Arean:
We have funding from the National Institute
of Mental Health for five years to basically screen
and assess older patients, people over the age of
65, who have depression. They have a 50-50 chance
of ending up getting supportive therapy or problem
solving therapy. They get twelve weeks of therapy
and then we follow them for six months after treatment
to see what their outcomes are like.
Narrator:
For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
B.
Trees that May Cause Allergic Reactions
Narrator:
This is Science Today. As many allergy sufferers know
all too well, between now and early winter, a variety
of weeds and grasses will continue to release allergy-causing
pollens. While many people believe these plants to
be the prime culprits behind allergic reactions, trees
can also share the blame. Dennis Pittenger, a horticulture
expert at the University of California, Riverside,
says trees can cause rashes or severe itching, either
from touching them or inhaling their pollen. Pittenger
describes some of the trees that cause these reactions.
Pittenger:
Box elder - many of the alders, the white alder, the
red alder in particular, birches can be allergenic
to people. Oaks, many of the oaks, people have a problem
with oaks, pines in some cases. Ash, particularly
olive - many people are aware of that, but also sycamores
and cottonwoods can cause problems, along with elms.
Narrator:
If you
suspect trees may be behind your allergic reactions
and would like to pinpoint which ones, check with
your doctor or an allergist for testing. For Science
Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
C.
Encouraging
Kids to Make New Food Choices
Narrator:
This is Science Today. If your child is a picky eater,
chances are like many adults, your child may be burned
out by traditional food fare. Nutrition expert Joanne
Ikeda of the University of California, Berkeley, says
there are ways to encourage kids to expand their dietary
choices. The key is to recognize that, like adults,
children will resist suddenly going from the familiar
to the unfamiliar.
Ikeda:
And so, what a parent needs to do is present the new
food not just one time, but two or three times and
it's important not to coerce the child to try it,
but then to have again maybe a week later and there
it is -now it's not so new.
Narrator:
Of course, another method is by setting an example.
Ikeda:They
learn by watching what adults do. So it's much more
important for you to do what you want the child to
do than it is for you to say a whole lot about it.
And in fact, siblings have a big effect. If brother
and sister are eating this food, there's a greater
chance that little brother or sister are going to
pick up this habit.
Narrator:
For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
D.
A New Method of Analyzing Rocks from Outer Space
Narrator:
This is Science Today. Researchers may have discovered
a new way to tell whether pieces of rock from outer
space came from planets with water. Benjamin Gilbert,
an earth and planetary science researcher at the University
of California, Berkeley says when they shrink semiconducting
materials, like zinc sulfide, down to nanoparticle
size and add water, the entire crystal structure rearranges.
Gilbert:
If other nanoparticles are as sensitive to water as
we've shown that these zinc sulfate nanoparticles
can be, then nanoparticles wherever they exist, even
on this planet, or actually in other planets, their
structure and properties may also be dependent on
the presence of water or not.
Narrator:
Gilbert says that understating how the characteristics
of specific nanomaterial vary with environment could
also lead to their use as sensors for evidence of
metabolism on other planets.
Gilbert:
One interesting idea is that the observation of
nanoparticles in nature may be an indication of microorganism
metabolism. So that's really the link of where the
existence of life may come into the production of
nanoparticles.
Narrator:
For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
E.
New Insight into the Longevity of Identical Twins
Narrator:
This is Science Today. Social relationships and networks
have been shown to improve both health and longevity.
According to Malcolm Zaretsky, a molecular and cell
biologist at the University of California, Berkeley,
when it comes to identical twins, their genetic similarities
makes a close relationship even more beneficial.
Zaretsky:
Now perhaps there is something happens to identical
twins when they are very young because they are so
similar that they modify each other's brains in such
a way that it does not happen with fraternal twins.
Narrator:
Zaretsky
says that the close and frequent communication among
identical twins can provide a beneficial influence
on their behavior and in turn, increase their life
spans.
Zaretsky:
When you are always in close contact with an individual
who is very much like you, the other person's behavior
probably affects you to a much greater extent than
if you weren't identical twins. And this could be
sort of a basis of competition and cooperation for
a better lifestyle, which continues into older age.
Narrator:
For Science
Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
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