The A﹠P Professor Science & Education Updates - Issue #225

Life Science

Scientists have argued for decades over whether humans have pheromones, chemical compounds that trigger aggression and mating in insects and other animals. Although the notion has great popular appeal—search Amazon for “pheromone” and you’ll get the idea—there’s scant evidence for this kind of signal in our species.

A new study could change that. Researchers have identified an odorless compound emitted by people—and in particular babies—called hexadecanal, or HEX, that appears to foster aggressive behavior in women and blunt it in men.

A systematic review released today in BMJ Global Health reports unsafe listening practices in adolescents and young adults from using personal listening devices (such as phones or digital music players) and going to loud clubs and gigs are common, and could be a major factor contributing to hearing loss.

In fact, the authors estimate the pumping tunes could be placing up to 1.35 billion young people at risk of hearing loss worldwide.

Recent research shows that males outlive females 25 to 50 percent of the time.

A new study in an animal model of aging indicates a potential reason for why women who have early menopause or other genetic conditions affecting the reproductive system are more prone to develop cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and dementia.

The new study, led by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC and published in the journal Aging Cell, found that disrupting a process called meiosis in C. elegans reproductive cells caused a decline in the worms’ health and triggered an accelerated aging gene signature similar to that of aging humans.

Findings could have implications for new avenues of research for a range of neurodegenerative diseases including ALS and Alzheimer's.

Sperm count among men worldwide is falling at an accelerated rate after halving over the last 40 years, a large new study said Tuesday, calling for action to stop the decline.

A newly developed vaccine blocks the ability of the opioid Fentanyl's ability to enter the brain, thus blocking the drug's "high".

Teaching & Learning

Full-time faculty pay is dipping more than it ever has, and inequities continue to plague the profession, according to a new report from the American Association of University Professors. Full-time faculty wages decreased 5 percent in 2021-22, and women earned just 81.9 percent of what their male colleagues earned. Meanwhile, adjuncts’ pay is as low as $2,979 per course at public associate’s institutions.

Trying to multitask can not only hurt our productivity, but also our ability to learn. Fortunately, there is an alternative way to boost your efficiency: single-tasking.

TAPP News & Notes

The temperature of mitochondria | Immune role of platelets | The odd shape of the Golgi apparatus| Green pens for grading