My picks from ScienceDaily

New Species Of Lizard Found In Borneo:

Chris Austin, assistant curator of herpetology at LSU's Museum of Natural Science, or LSUMNS, and adjunct professor in biological sciences, recently discovered a new species of lizard while conducting field research in Borneo.

Sleep Disturbances, Nightmares Are Common Among Suicide Attempters:

In the first known report of its kind, a study published in the January 1st issue of the journal SLEEP finds that sleep disturbances are common among suicide attempters, and that nightmares are associated with suicidality.

Narcolepsy May Be Caused By Environmental Exposures:

In a possible contradiction to common belief that a person's body mass index, immune responses and stressful life events are factors that may cause narcolepsy, a comprehensive review published in the January 1st issue of the journal SLEEP finds that, as with other diseases characterized by selective cell loss, narcolepsy may be caused by environmental exposures before the age of onset in genetically susceptible individuals.

High Aflatoxin Levels In Wild Bird Feed:

Wild birdseed contained higher levels of aflatoxins and other mycotoxins than any other kind of pet food analyzed in studies done around the world, a new review of those studies reports in an article scheduled for the Dec. 27 issue of ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

More like this

There is a new study in Sweden that was just published showing a relationship between sleep disturbances, mainly nightmares, and suicide attempts. Most (89 percent) patients reported having at least one type of sleep problem, with difficulty falling asleep as the most common problem (73 percent…
Red Pepper: Hot Stuff For Fighting Fat?: Food scientists in Taiwan are reporting new evidence from laboratory experiments that capsaicin -- the natural compound that gives red pepper that spicy hot kick -- can reduce the growth of fat cells. The study is scheduled for the March 21 issue of the ACS…
The latest issue of Archives of Internal Medicine is devoted to sleep. The articles are freely available. Here is the press release: Incorporate Sleep Evaluation Into Routine Medical Care, Expert Says Sleep is an integral part of health, and assessment of sleep habits should be a standard part of…
Greenland's Constant Summer Sunlight Linked To Summer Suicide Spike: Suicide rates in Greenland increase during the summer, peaking in June. Researchers speculate that insomnia caused by incessant daylight may be to blame. Karin Sparring Björkstén from the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, led a…