Health Inequalities Are A Growing ProblemGlobal health inequalities are substantial, growing, and influenced by economic, social and health-sector variables as well as geography, a study concludes in the recent issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Particularly disturbing findings from this study are that countries with high mortality in young children are making slow progress, gaps in adult mortality are becoming wider, and countries with the highest adult........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/29/2006 4:59:11 AM)
Painkillers May Threaten Power Of VaccinesWith flu-shot season in full swing and widespread anticipation of the HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, a new University of Rochester study suggests that using common painkillers around the time of vaccination might not be a good idea.
Researchers showed that certain nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), also known as cyclooxygenase inhibitors, react with the immune system in such a way that might reduce the effectiveness of........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/29/2006 4:56:38 AM)
Night Of The Living EnzymeInactive enzymes entombed in tiny honeycomb-shaped holes in silica can spring to life, scientists at the Department of Energys Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have found.
The discovery came after salvaging enzymes that had been in a refrigerator long past their expiration date. Enzymes are proteins that are not actually alive but come from living cells and perform chemical conversions.
To the research teams surprise, enzymes that........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/29/2006 4:42:42 AM)
Don't Understand Prescription Medicine Labels?When Michael Wolf paged though dusty, yellowing pharmacists logs from the 1890s at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, he found the following entry about a druggists encounter with a confused patient: Shake well, a patient apparently read out loud to the pharmacist from his prescription bottle label. Does that mean I shake myself".
It sounds like the punch line of a bad joke, but it wasnt. And the confusion experienced by........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/29/2006 4:25:57 AM)
Old Engravings Of Animals Are Charmingly StrangeMark Frauenfelder:
Bibliodyssey has an excellent gallery of 18th century engravings from 'Die Saugthiere in Abbildungen' at Ecole Nationale Veterinaire de Lyon (named as 'Histoire naturelle des quadrupedes'.
The absurd rendering of many of the animals comes about because the engravers/artists working on the project did not actually see the animals. They had to rely on descriptions and their imagination and, as was the fashion of the time,........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/28/2006 8:48:16 PM)
Big Magnet Ready To Face The Big QuestionsThe largest superconducting magnet ever built has successfully been powered up to its operating conditions at the first attempt. Called the Barrel Toroid because of its shape, this magnet is a vital part of ATLAS, one of the major particle detectors being prepared to take data at CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the new particle accelerator scheduled to turn on in November 2007. ATLAS will help researchers probe the big questions of the........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/28/2006 8:13:33 PM)
Boy Or Girl: How Brain Processes WordsBoys and girls tend to use different parts of their brains to process some basic aspects of grammar, according to the first study of its kind, suggesting that sex is an important factor in the acquisition and use of language.
Two neuroscientists from Georgetown University Medical Center discovered that boys and girls use different brain systems when they make mistakes like "Yesterday I holded the bunny". Girls mainly use a system that is for........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/28/2006 5:09:45 AM)
Perennial wheat researchAnnual wheat, which is traditionally grown in the Great Plains, is planted in the fall and dies after harvest in mid-summer. But Dr. Charlie Rush, Experiment Station plant pathologist, is testing some perennial lines of wheat bred in Washington state.
These perennial lines regrow after harvest and may survive for up to five years, Rush said. And eastern Washington is climatically similar to the Texas Panhandle, except it has harsher winters.........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/28/2006 4:45:38 AM)
Brains Respond Better To Name BrandsYour brain may be determining what car you buy before you've even taken a test drive. A new study gauging the brain's response to product branding has observed that strong brands elicit strong activity in our brains. The findings were presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
"This is the first functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) test examining the power of brands," said Christine........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/28/2006 4:36:30 AM)
Dramatic Shift In Marine Ecosystems Occurred 250m Years AgoThe earth experienced its biggest mass extinction about 250 million years ago, an event that wiped out an estimated 95% of marine species and 70% of land species. New research shows that this mass extinction did more than eliminate species: it fundamentally changed the basic ecology of the world's oceans.
Ecologically simple marine communities were largely displaced by complex communities. Furthermore, this apparently abrupt shift set a new........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/26/2006 7:58:08 AM)
New Meaning To Term 'Older Than Dirt'A especially resilient type of carbon from the first plants to regrow after the last ice age and that same type of carbon from all the plants since appears to have been accumulating for 11,000 years in the forests of British Columbia, Canada.
It's as if the carbon, which comes from the waxy material plants generate to protect their foliage from sun and weather, has been going into a bank account where only deposits are being made and........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/26/2006 7:36:41 AM)
Unique View Of Underwater EruptionA combination of luck and being in the right place at the right time allowed a University of Florida geologist and other researchers to capture and record an undersea volcanic eruption for the first time ever.
The eruption, which took place early this spring thousands of feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, is described in a paper set for release Thursday in Science Express, the journal Sciences online magazine.
Never before have........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/26/2006 7:07:54 AM)
Impact of climate change in AfricaAfrica is the continent that will suffer most under global warming. Past history gives us lessons on the likely effects of future climate change. Of greatest concern are the 'large infrequent disturbances' to the climate as these will have the most devastating effects. In a remarkable study from the Kenyan Tsavo National Park published recently in the African Journal of Ecology, Dr Lindsey Gillson uncovers evidence for a drought that coincided........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/26/2006 6:55:50 AM)
The Power Behind Insect FlightScientists from Rensselaer and the University of Vermont have discovered a key molecular mechanism that allows tiny flies and other "no-see-ums" to whirl their wings at a dizzying rate of up to 1,000 times per second. The findings were reported in last week's online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
"We have determined important details of the biochemical reaction by which the fastest known muscle........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/22/2006 5:12:51 AM)
FTC Halts Unlawful Spyware OperationsDefendants involved with operations that secretly downloaded spyware that changed settings on consumers' computers, have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that their practices violated federal law. The settlements bar secret software downloads in the future, bar the operators from exploiting security vulnerabilities to download software, and bar misrepresentations. In addition, the operators will give up a total of $50,000 in........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/22/2006 4:54:38 AM)
New Year Without Putting On PoundsYour leftover Halloween candy is almost gone from your cupboards, and the holiday season with all its sweet temptations has begun.
However, all those holiday parties and office gatherings laden with scrumptious food and drink don't have to mean the end of your weight loss plan. It's still possible to enjoy the bounty and not feel deprived of your favorite holiday dishes, says Connie Diekman, director of University Nutrition at Washington........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/22/2006 4:22:59 AM)
Historic Volcanic Eruption Shrunk the Mighty NileVolcanic eruptions in high latitudes can greatly alter climate and distant river flows, including the Nile, according to a recent study funded in part by NASA.
Researchers found that Iceland's Laki volcanic event, a series of about ten eruptions from June 1783 through February 1784, significantly changed atmospheric circulations across much of the Northern Hemisphere. This created unusual temperature and precipitation patterns that peaked in........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/21/2006 8:53:58 PM)
Does student achievement spur national economic growth?Educational policy discourse supports the idea that increases in science and mathematics achievement correlate to nation-wide economic gains. However, a thought-provoking new study from the American Journal of Education challenges the perceived causal links between educational achievement and economic growth. Francisco O. Ramirez (Stanford University) and his co-authors find that without the so-called "Asian Tigers," the correlation diminishes........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/21/2006 5:17:30 AM)
Origins of LifeThe origin of life lies in unique ocean reefs, and researchers from the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science have developed an approach to help investigate them better. A new article reported in the recent issue of Geology reveals how Dr. Miriam Andres' stromatolite investigation - the first of its kind - has begun to "fingerprint" ancient microbial pathways, increasing the understanding of how these reef-like........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/20/2006 5:17:42 AM)
Adolescent Girls More Active if Neighborhoods Have ParksAdolescent girls who live within half a mile of a public park are significantly more physically active than other girls, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill scientists have found.
The study observed that physical activity was higher for girls who lived within a mile of parks and showed highest levels among girls who lived less than one-half mile from a park, said Dr. Diane Catellier, a study investigator and research associate........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/20/2006 5:06:46 AM)
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New Drug Will Help SmokersResearchers in the Oregon Health & Science University Smoking Cessation Center are studying whether the newly FDA-approved drug varenicline (Chantix) - a drug they recently showed to be more effective than the smoking cessation drug bupropion (Zyban) in helping generally healthy smokers quit - also can help smokers with the devastating lung disease known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
COPD is the fourth leading cause of........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/30/2006 4:20:43 AM)
Why Do Black And Latino Boys Lag Behind In Math?Recent studies and public discussions have focused on female achievement in math, and an important new study in the recent issue of the American Journal of Education expands the literature to encompass racial disparity. Using new national data from the 1990s, Catherine Riegle-Crumb (University of Texas, Austin) explores how Black and Latino males fare in high school math classes compared to their female counterparts, finding that a tendency to........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/29/2006 4:53:27 AM)
Public School Or Private SchoolIn the first study to examine differences in learning gains at the kindergarten level, William Carbonaro (University of Notre Dame) finds that publicly schooled kindergarteners post the same or greater learning gains than privately schooled kindergarteners. These findings come as a surprise because, as Carbonaro writes in the recent issue of the American Journal of Education, Both the financial costs of private schooling and other........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/29/2006 4:48:52 AM)
Survival Of Many Universities At RiskThe survival of a number of developing country universities, particularly in Africa, is at risk if they are not quickly strengthened and geared to help address regional development problems through research, warns the head of advanced studies at the United Nations University.
Speaking at UNESCOs Paris headquarters Nov. 29, Prof. A.H. Zakri, Director of UNUs Yokohama-based Institute for Advanced Studies, appealed for international help to........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/29/2006 4:30:27 AM)
First ever Gamma Ray ClockAstronomers using the H.E.S.S. telescopes have discovered the first ever modulated signal from space in Very High Energy Gamma Rays - the most energetic such signal ever observed. Regular signals from space have been known since the 1960s, when the first radio pulsar (nicknamed Little Green Men-1 for its regular nature) was discovered. This is the first time a signal has been seen at such high energies - 100,000 times higher than previously........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/28/2006 8:22:09 PM)
How Old Is Too Old?Average paternal age is increasing in the UK (and USA) Growing evidence shows that the offspring of older fathers have an increased risk of some birth defects, some cancers, including breast , prostate and nervous system and schizophrenia. The public health implications have not been widely anticipated or debated. In October, in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health , a paper was published, "Advanced Paternal age: How old is too........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/28/2006 8:02:20 PM)
World's Smallest Piano WireResearchers from Delft University of Technology and FOM Foundation have successfully made and 'tuned' the world's smallest piano wire. The wires are made of carbon nanotubes that measure approximately 2 nanometers in diameter. The researchers have published an article on the subject this week in the scientific journal Nano Letters.
The researchers at the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft and the FOM Foundation (Fundamental Research on........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/28/2006 7:46:22 PM)
Smarter inventory control of spare partsSmarter storage of spare parts is now possible thanks to a new inventory model, based on extensive cooperation between different warehouses. This method ensures the integration of inventory control for all parts in stock at several warehouses. This way both the number of parts in stock and the waiting time for spare parts can be reduced, with theoretical savings of up to 50%. This is possible thanks to fundamental mathematical models developed........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/28/2006 5:06:29 AM)
First Robot-assisted Weight Loss Surgery UT Southwestern Medical Center surgeons are the first in North Texas to perform robotically assisted laparoscopic gastric-bypass and colon-resections surgeries.
The procedures were performed using DaVinci, a four-armed robot controlled by the surgeon via a joystick. DaVinci can provide better camera views and more precise surgical manipulations than are available in traditional laparoscopic surgeries.
The robot can offer easier access to........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/28/2006 4:20:44 AM)
Humpback Whale Brain CellsCetaceans, the group of marine mammals that includes whales and dolphins, have demonstrated remarkable auditory and communicative abilities, as well as complex social behaviors. A new study published online November 27, 2006 in The Anatomical Record, the official journal of the American Association of Anatomists,compared a humpback whale brain with brains from several other cetacean species and found the presence of a certain type of neuron........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/27/2006 4:47:28 AM)
Wheat Gene To Boost Foods' Nutrient ContentResearchers at the University of California, Davis; the U.S. Department of Agriculture; and the University of Haifa in Israel have cloned a gene from wild wheat that increases the protein, zinc and iron content in the grain, potentially offering a solution to nutritional deficiencies affecting hundreds of millions of children around the world.
Results from the study would be reported in the Nov. 24 issue of the journal Science.
"Wheat is........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/26/2006 7:52:40 AM)
Heat Flow Deep In EarthEarth's interior is not a non-cancerous world that only stores the geologic history of our planet. Geologists now see the normally assumed placid inner Earth as a dynamic environment filled with exotic materials and substances roiling under intense heat and pressures. It is an environment that continues to evolve in interesting ways and one that has an impact on what happens at its surface.
The latest evidence of this dynamic inner Earth is........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/26/2006 7:23:58 AM)
On the cutting edge: Carbon nanotube cutleryScientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU) have designed a carbon nanotube knife that, in theory, would work like a tight-wire cheese slicer. In a paper presented this month at the 2006 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition*, the research team announced a prototype nanoknife that could, in the future, become a tabletop tool of biology, allowing........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/23/2006 5:30:40 AM)
The 'Freakonomics of food'Do you hate Brussels sprouts because your mother did" Does the size of your plate determine how hungry you feel" Why do you actually overeat at healthy restaurants".
"You can ask your smartest friend why he or she just ate what they ate, and you wont get an answer any deeper than, 'It sounded good,'" says Brian Wansink, Ph.D.), author of "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think," and Professor and Director of the Cornell Food and........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/23/2006 5:27:10 AM)
NASA Nanotechnology Comes to MarketFinding affordable ways to make technology available to everyone is a common challenge. Now, NASA has done that with the process that creates "nanotubes".
A nanotube is a tiny, hollow, long, thin and strong tube with an outside diameter of a nanometer that is formed from atoms such as carbon. A hair from a person's head is around 50,000 nanometers wide. If you split a hair into 50,000 strands, that would be the width of a nanometer.
........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/22/2006 4:40:56 AM)
Safer Ways To Detect Uranium MineralsThe threat of 'dirty' bombs and plans to use nuclear power as an energy source have driven Queensland University of Technology scientists to discover a new, safer way of detecting radioative contamination in the ground.
Professor Ray Frost, from QUT's School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, has found a way of identifying, from a remote location, uranium deposits that have leached into the soil and water.
"The ability to be able to........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/21/2006 9:05:56 PM)
Ultra-Intense Laser Blast Creates True 'Black Metal'"Black gold" is not just an expression anymore. Scientists at the University of Rochester have created a way to change the properties of almost any metal to render it, literally, black.
The process, using an incredibly intense burst of laser light, holds the promise of making everything from fuel cells to a space telescope's detectors more efficient-not to mention turning your car into the blackest black around.
"We've been surprised by........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/21/2006 8:39:53 PM)
The Smell Of MoneyIt's not hard to recall the pungent scent of a handful of pocket change. Similar smells emanate from a sweat-covered dumbbell or the water emerging from an old metal pipe. Yet no one has been able to identify the exact chemical cause of these familiar odors.
Now, scientists supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) MUSES award and the UFZ Environmental Research Center in Gera number of have shown that these odor molecules come not........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/21/2006 8:33:22 PM)
Clues From Dragonfly About Human ObesityParasite-infected dragonflies suffer the same metabolic disorders that have led to an epidemic of obesity and type-2 diabetes in humans, reveal the findings of research conducted at Penn State University that are due would be reported in the 5 December 2006 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science and also in the PNAS early online edition at www.pnas.org on 21 November. The discovery expands the known taxonomic breadth of........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/21/2006 5:13:51 AM)
Monarch Butterfly Migration And Forest RestorationUSDA Forest Service (FS) research in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas suggests that decades of fire suppression have reduced the area's food supply for migrating monarch butterflies-and that restoration efforts that include prescribed burning can reverse this trend. Craig Rudolph and Ron Thill, research ecologists with the FS Southern Research Station (SRS), along with SRS ecologists Charles Ely, Richard Schaefer and J. Howard Williamson,........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/20/2006 5:12:35 AM)
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