Weekly Wakeup

NEWS IN BRIEF:

LONDON, ENGLAND - If ringing in the New Year feels like a gong banging in your head, chances are you drank too much alcohol celebrating New Year's Eve, and you're not alone. Scientists have studied few of the common treatments for hangovers found at your local drugstore. However, you can avoid headaches this holiday by learning the facts about alcohol: a cup of coffee won't sober you up, popping Tylenol can be bad for your liver, and the hair of the dog will only prolong your pain. "The severity of a hangover is related to the blood alcohol level you reach, how rapidly you drink, and the amount you drink," said Dennis Twombly, program director of the Division of Neuroscience and Behavior at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). "After the alcohol has been cleared from the system, a hangover can last for 8 to 24 hours, depending on how much you've consumed." Hangovers cost the United States more than $148 billion annually in worker absenteeism and poor job performance, according to a study by researchers at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Francisco Calif. But sleeping off a hangover is the best way for your body to cope during those painful hours.

TOKYO, JAPAN – Brain scans have given scientists a clue about how we create a mental image of our own future. Researchers say that specific areas of the brain are active when thinking about upcoming events. The Proceedings of the Academy of Sciences study could help doctors trying to understand damage inflicted by strokes, injuries or diseases. The findings tally with damage spotted in the brains of patients who have lost the ability to 'think ahead'. Much of our everyday thought depends on our ability to see ourselves partaking in future events. The brain remains the most poorly understood organ of the body, but the use of MRI scans to examine the way they work has taken off in recent years. When patients or volunteers are placed in the functional MRI scanner and asked to think or move in a particular way, specific areas of the brain 'light up' on the scan image, corresponding with increased electrical activity in those regions. The technique has developed to the extent that scientists can almost know what patients are thinking about simply by looking at the brain areas they are using. The latest project looked at one of the qualities thought to be unique to humans - the ability to create a mental picture of events that have not yet happened.

RURAL RETREAT, USA - One of the newest arrivals at Kirk Heldreth's dairy farm is drawing crowds. A calf with two faces was born Dec. 27 at Heldreth Dairy Farm, and word has spread in southwest Virginia as residents flock to his farm. The animal is normal from its tail until its unusually large head. The calf breathes out of two noses and has two tongues, which move independently, according to Heldreth. There appears to be a single socket containing two eyes where the heads split. "It's the craziest thing I've ever seen," the dairyman said. During the calf's birth, Heldreth said he first thought there were two calves. The calf has two lower jaws, but only one mouth. Heldreth feeds her through a tube, and acknowledges he probably can't maintain that feeding schedule for long. The calf was the product of artificial insemination, which was supposed to create a genetically superior specimen. "Genetically, this is one of my better calves," he said. Bob James, a professor in the dairy science department at Virginia Tech and Heldreth's former teacher, said such births are unusual. "In my 25 years, I've seen it maybe two or three times, but it's pretty rare," he said. James said the abnormality could be caused by a developmental problem or a genetic quirk. Heldreth said the calf doesn't appear to have any other physical ailments or complications. "It's as healthy as can be," he said. Heldreth expects many more people will be curious enough to stop by. "I'll just have to tie the dogs extra tight," he said.
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