VJ does do well on tests of general knowledge, also called semantic memory.

"They explore much more of their environment. In a small area when you explore more you bump against more individuals," study researcher Raquel Monclus, of Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (though the study was done at the University of California, Los Angeles), told LiveScience. "They are the ones initiating the play more often than females from female-biased litters."

blocking opioid receptors completely eliminated these cardio-protective effects in exercising rats, suggesting that opioids are responsible for some of the cardiac benefits of exercise.

"Exploratory females seem to have the most to gain by choosing exploratory mates. We have shown previously that pairs of zebra finches that are both exploratory raise offspring in better condition than those that are mismatched or unexploratory. Similar patterns have been seen in other birds and fish. However, this is the first evidence that the personality of both partners plays a role in mate choice."

Boulé thinks that because both metformin and exercise act to lower glucose levels, the combination may have triggered a counter regulatory response by the body to prevent glucose levels dipping too much. "During exercise, glucagon concentrations increased in the blood (a hormone secreted by the pancreas that raises glucose levels) but when we combined exercise and metformin the glucagon levels were almost twice as elevated.

Heike Bücking, a professor at South Dakota State University, and her team grew the legume Medicago truncatula with three species of mycorrhizal fungi that contribute different levels of phosphorous to the plant. Over the span of a day, the researchers saw that the most generous species received the highest levels of carbon in return, suggesting the plants somehow monitor their nutrient intake and reward their fungal partners accordingly.

When the researchers exposed the children to a mildly stressful simulated telephone argument between their parents, distinct patterns of hormonal reactions emerged. Children exposed to high levels of interparental aggression at home showed different reactions to the telephone quarrel. Doves with parents who fought violently produced elevated levels of cortisol, a hormone that is thought to increase a person's sensitivity to stress. Hawks from such stressful home environments put the breaks on cortisol production, which is regarded as a marker for diminishing experiences of danger and alarm.

<2.5% have a genetic disposition

"Previous studies have shown that exposure to some organophosphate compounds cause hyperactivity and cognitive deficits in animals,"

Helicobacter pylori, which has been the dominant ancient organism of the human stomach since time immemorial, that it is disappearing. Helicobacter is becoming extinct. This is what has got me thinking in this area, because if Helicobacter can become extinct, so can other organisms.

studied the effects of a flavonoid in tangerines called Nobiletin.

The second group of mice, fed the exact same diet but with Nobiletin added,

Mice became much more sensitive to the effects of insulin. Nobiletin was shown to prevent the buildup of fat in the liver by stimulating the expression of genes involved in burning excess fat, and inhibiting the genes responsible for manufacturing fat.

Some of these are contained in medicines, including cancer treatments, pharmaceutical treatments, and pesticides used in agriculture. The research suggests that when they get into the water system, these chemicals may play a pivotal role in causing feminising effects in male fish

Found in some industrial chemicals and the contraceptive pill,