http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. When it comes to sex, animals of all shapes and sizes tend behave in predictable ways. There may be a chemical reason for that. New research from Rockefeller University has shown that chemicals in the brain—neuropeptides known as vasopressin and oxytocin—play a role in coordinating mating and reproductive behavior in animals ranging from humans to fish to invertebrates. http://phys.org/news270461086.html Biology Fri, 26 Oct 2012 09:05:02 EST news270461086 Researchers have discovered that a form of oxytocin—the hormone responsible for making humans fall in love—has a similar effect on fish, suggesting it is a key regulator of social behaviour that has evolved and endured since ancient times. http://phys.org/news269013095.html Biology Tue, 09 Oct 2012 14:51:47 EST news269013095 Oxytocin, the "love hormone" that builds mother-baby bonds and may help us feel more connected toward one another, can also make surly monkeys treat each other a little more kindly. http://phys.org/news244991363.html Biology Thu, 05 Jan 2012 13:09:30 EST news244991363 A new study from the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry finds that mothers who feed their babies breast milk exclusively, as opposed to formula, are more likely to bond emotionally with their child during the first few months after delivery. The breastfeeding mothers surveyed for the study showed greater responses to their infant's cry in brain regions related to caregiving behavior and empathy than mothers who relied upon formula as the baby's main food source. This is the first paper to examine the underlying neurobiological mechanisms as a function of breastfeeding, and to connect brain activity with maternal behaviors among human mothers. http://phys.org/news222514374.html Medicine & Health Wed, 20 Apr 2011 10:33:08 EST news222514374 (PhysOrg.com) -- Oxytocin is a hormone produced by the hypothalamus in the brain, and has been shown to make people trust each other more and promote feelings of love. But this hormone has now been found to have limits, since it promotes love and trust only towards people of the same "in-group" and not towards people who are seen as different. Psychologists have therefore concluded it is involved in ethnocentrism. http://phys.org/news214031963.html Medicine & Health Wed, 12 Jan 2011 06:50:01 EST news214031963 (PhysOrg.com) -- There are no differences between heterosexuals and homosexuals or between women and men in terms of the brain systems regulating romantic love, according to new UCL research published in the latest issue of PLoS One. http://phys.org/news213381600.html Medicine & Health Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:40:15 EST news213381600 Researchers have found that the naturally-occurring hormone and neurotransmitter oxytocin intensifies men's memories of their mother's affections during childhood. The study was published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. http://phys.org/news210269524.html Medicine & Health Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:00:01 EST news210269524 It is standard practice in Swedish delivery rooms to use oxytocin to stimulate a labour that has been slow to start or has grind to a halt for a few hours. However, it is also fine to wait for a further three hours in first-time mothers, reveals a thesis from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. http://phys.org/news209129850.html Medicine & Health Tue, 16 Nov 2010 11:37:37 EST news209129850 New human research suggests the chemical oxytocin — dubbed the "cuddle hormone" because of its importance in bonding between romantic partners and mothers and children — also influences feelings of well-being and sensitivity to advertising. Additional animal research shows that oxytocin may relieve stress and anxiety in social settings and may be more rewarding than cocaine to new mothers. The findings were presented at Neuroscience 2010, the Society for Neuroscience's annual meeting and the world's largest source of emerging news about brain science and health. http://phys.org/news209038598.html Medicine & Health Mon, 15 Nov 2010 10:17:13 EST news209038598 Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that the naturally-occurring hormone oxytocin selectively improves social cognitive abilities for less socially proficient individuals, but has little effect on those who are more socially proficient. The study was published today in Psychological Science. http://phys.org/news204289578.html Medicine & Health Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:06:33 EST news204289578 (PhysOrg.com) -- Caesarian sections are becoming more and more common in the United States. Does this increase matter to the mother? Her baby? Neonatologist Dr. Lucky Jain, says it does indeed matter. http://phys.org/news203783839.html Medicine & Health Wed, 15 Sep 2010 15:50:01 EST news203783839 Giving birth in an alternative setting within a hospital ? like a bed-free birthing room or one designed to be "homelike"? is just as safe for healthy women as laboring in a traditional hospital bed and women who use these rooms are nearly twice as likely to be satisfied with their birth experiences, according to an updated Cochrane review. http://phys.org/news203172561.html Medicine & Health Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:00:01 EST news203172561 Oxytocin (OT) is a hormone that plays an important role in social behavior—it has even been nicknamed "the love hormone" and "liquid trust." Increased levels of OT have been associated with greater caring, generosity, and trust. But does OT increase people's trust in just anybody or does it act more selectively? http://phys.org/news201867173.html Medicine & Health Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:30:01 EST news201867173 The hormone oxytocin has come under intensive study in light of emerging evidence that its release contributes to the social bonding that occurs between lovers, friends, and colleagues. Oxytocin also plays an important role in birth and maternal behavior, but until now, research had never addressed the involvement of oxytocin in the transition to fatherhood. http://phys.org/news201519302.html Medicine & Health Fri, 20 Aug 2010 11:00:01 EST news201519302 (PhysOrg.com) -- Monkeys in enduring relationships show a surprising correspondence in their levels of oxytocin, a key behavioral hormone, according to research published online June 28 in the journal Hormones and Behavior. http://phys.org/news198239763.html Biology Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:10:01 EST news198239763 A soldier and a mother may share some interesting brain chemistry, researchers report in the June 11 issue of Science. http://phys.org/news195407098.html Medicine & Health Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:45:24 EST news195407098 "Reach out and touch someone" — good advertising slogan, or evolutionary imperative? How about both? http://phys.org/news192826102.html Medicine & Health Tue, 11 May 2010 19:48:51 EST news192826102 Many women have no doubt been waiting a long time for this: the neuropeptide oytocin enhances male empathy. This substance also increases sensitivity to so-called "social multipliers", such as approving or disapproving looks. This is revealed in a study conducted by scientists at Bonn University and the Cambridge Babraham Institute, which has now appeared in the Journal of Neuroscience. http://phys.org/news191761448.html Medicine & Health Thu, 29 Apr 2010 12:04:22 EST news191761448 (PhysOrg.com) -- Asphyxia results from an inadequate supply of oxygen to the fetus during labour and delivery. Although rare, it can lead to perinatal brain injury and perinatal death. Now, a new study from Karolinska Institutet shows that infants of women who received substandard care during labour had a three-fold increased risk of asphyxia at birth. http://phys.org/news191055560.html Medicine & Health Wed, 21 Apr 2010 08:30:05 EST news191055560 Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are developmental disorders usually diagnosed in childhood. Children with ASDs have impairments in social interactions and communication, and a tendency towards repetitive behaviors. A hallmark of autism is a difficulty in understanding and reciprocating the emotion of others. Although behavioral therapies can improve some symptoms of autism, there is currently no effective treatment for these problems. http://phys.org/news189946895.html Medicine & Health Thu, 08 Apr 2010 12:40:01 EST news189946895 Receiving soothing massages for eight weeks after the death of a loved one can provide much-needed consolation during an intense, stressful period of grieving, according to a study in the April issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing. http://phys.org/news188647559.html Medicine & Health Wed, 24 Mar 2010 11:06:18 EST news188647559 Autism is a disease characterized by difficulties in communicating effectively with other people and developing social relationships. The team led by Angela Sirigu at the Centre de Neuroscience Cognitive (CNRS, France) has shown that the inhalation of oxytocin, a hormone known to promote mother-infant bonds and social relationships, significantly improved the abilities of autistic patients to interact with other individuals. To achieve this, the researchers administered oxytocin to 13 autistic patients and then observed their social behavior during ball games and during visual tests designed to identify ability to recognize faces expressing different feelings. Their findings, published in PNAS on 15 February 2010, thus reveal the therapeutic potential of oxytocin to treat the social disorders from which autistic patients suffer. http://phys.org/news185555373.html Medicine & Health Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:20:01 EST news185555373 a steroid that can inhibit the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine - as the main constituent of pomegranate seed extract. The research suggests that pomegranate extract could be used as a natural stimulant to encourage the uterus to contract during labour. http://phys.org/news183808080.html Medicine & Health Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:00:01 EST news183808080 (PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, are challenging long-held beliefs that human beings are wired to be selfish. In a wide range of studies, social scientists are amassing a growing body of evidence to show we are evolving to become more compassionate and collaborative in our quest to survive and thrive. http://phys.org/news179512429.html Other Sciences Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:34:54 EST news179512429 Researchers have discovered a genetic variation that may contribute to how empathetic a human is, and how that person reacts to stress. In the first study of its kind, a variation in the hormone/neurotransmitter oxytocin's receptor was linked to a person's ability to infer the mental state of others. http://phys.org/news177609171.html Medicine & Health Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:03:45 EST news177609171 A new study carried out at the University of Haifa has found that the hormone oxytocin, the "love hormone", which affects behaviors such as trust, empathy and generosity, also affects opposite behaviors, such as jealousy and gloating. "Subsequent to these findings, we assume that the hormone is an overall trigger for social sentiments: when the person's association is positive, oxytocin bolsters pro-social behaviors; when the association is negative, the hormone increases negative sentiments," explains Simone Shamay-Tsoory who carried out the research. http://phys.org/news177245481.html Medicine & Health Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:20:01 EST news177245481 Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have uncovered a new genetic signature that correlates strongly with autism and which doesn't involve changes to the DNA sequence itself. Rather, the changes are in the way the genes are turned on and off. The finding may suggest new approaches to diagnosis and treatment of autism. http://phys.org/news175374486.html Medicine & Health Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:09:37 EST news175374486 Researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, have demonstrated that prairie voles may be a useful model in understanding the neurochemistry of social behavior. By influencing early social experience in prairie voles, researchers hope to gain greater insight into what aspects of early social experience drive diversity in adult social behavior. The study is currently available online in a special edition of Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience that is focused on the long-term impact of early life experiences. http://phys.org/news170946966.html Medicine & Health Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:16:55 EST news170946966 What do flocks of birds have in common with trust, monogamy, and even breast milk? According to a new report in the journal Science, they are regulated by virtually identical neurochemicals in the brain, known as oxytocin in mammals and mesotocin in birds. http://phys.org/news169391813.html Biology Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:17:25 EST news169391813 (PhysOrg.com) -- Why does dishing with a girlfriend do wonders for a woman's mood? http://phys.org/news163178026.html Medicine & Health Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:14:14 EST news163178026