Stars Can Be StrangeAs per the "Strange Matter Hypothesis," which gained popularity in the paranormal 1980's, nuclear matter, too, can be strange. The hypothesis suggests that small conglomerations of quarks, the infinitesimally tiny particles that attract by a strong nuclear force to form neutrons and protons in atoms, are the true ground state of matter. The theory has captivated particle physicists worldwide, including one of Washington University's own.
........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 12/18/2006 9:02:33 PM)
Frankincense Trees Overexploited For Christmas ScentCurrent rates of tapping frankincense - which according to the Bible was given to the baby Jesus by the three wise men at Christmas and which will feature in thousands of Nativity plays in coming days - are endangering the fragrant resin's sustained production, ecologists have warned. Writing in the recent issue of Journal of Applied Ecology, ecologists from the Netherlands and Eritrea say that over tapping the trees results in them producing........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 12/18/2006 4:55:48 AM)
Ebola-Outbreak Kills 5000 GorillasSince reports of ape die-offs first circulated widely in 2003, sceptics have doubted how large these die-offs were and whether Ebola was even the cause. The new study, led by Magdalena Bermejo of the University of Barcelona, allays these doubts because it was conducted in a closely monitored gorilla population where genetic tests confirmed Ebola as the cause of death. Bermejo and colleagues from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 12/15/2006 5:10:36 AM)
Scientists Make Liquid Crystal DiscoveryWhat do milk, paint, ink and liquid crystals have in common? Colloids. Findings of Kent State University scientists indicate that manipulating the size of colloids, micron-sized or nanometer-sized particles, can produce huge changes in the material properties of liquid crystals.
In a recently published article in the scholarly journal Physical Review Letters, the scientists illustrate that when the concentration and size of the colloids and........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 12/15/2006 4:51:26 AM)
Identification of carbon dioxide receptors in insectsMosquitoes don't mind morning breath. They use the carbon dioxide people exhale as a way to identify a potential food source. But when they bite, they can pass on a number of dangerous infectious diseases, such as malaria, yellow fever, and West Nile encephalitis. Now, reporting in today's advance online publication in Nature, Leslie Vosshall's laboratory at Rockefeller University has identified the two molecular receptors in fruit flies that........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 12/13/2006 8:01:12 PM)
Oysters Can Take Heat And Heavy MetalsPollution is bad for the sea life and so is global warming, but aquatic organisms can be resilient. However, even organisms tough enough to survive one major onslaught may find that a double whammy is more than their molecular biology can take.
A new study has found that even relatively low levels of heavy metal pollution can interfere with the metabolic processes of oysters, and that the effects of the pollution become particularly notable........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 12/13/2006 6:57:18 PM)
Squid-inspired Design For Underwater VehiclesInspired by the sleek and efficient propulsion of squid, jellyfish and other cephalopods, a University of Colorado at Boulder researcher has designed a new generation of compact vortex generators that could make it easier for scientists to maneuver and dock underwater vehicles at low speeds and with greater precision.
In addition, the technology - seemingly inspired by the plots of two classic sci-fi films - may soon allow doctors to guide........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 12/13/2006 5:04:54 AM)
Excavating Site Around First Baptist ChurchProvidence's First Baptist Church is the oldest Baptist church in America - but how was the area and its grounds used before The Meeting House was built in 1775? A group of Brown University students enrolled in Anthropology 160 are investigating that question while learning archaeological techniques, as they excavate the property surrounding this historical site.
Students at Brown University are conducting an archaeological dig on the........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 12/12/2006 4:56:48 AM)
Doha Talks High on PriorityThe leaders from the Asia Pacific Rim have declared that the revival of the held up round of world trade talks is their top most priority. This is a signal that it will be given priority over the US plan for free trade agreement. The Asia-pacific Economic Cooperation is a group of 21 members. The cooperation will wait till next year to mill over the long term APEC wide trade deal. This is a plan B in case Doha is a failure. The Doha round of........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 12/11/2006 5:12:30 AM)
Extreme LifeA host of record-breaking discoveries and revelations that stretch the extreme frontiers of marine knowledge were achieved by the Census of Marine Life in 2006, highlights of which were released recently.
They include life adapted to brutal conditions around 407ºC fluids spewing from a seafloor vent (the hottest ever discovered), a mighty microbe 1 cm in diameter, mysterious 1.8 kg (4 lb) lobsters off the Madagascar coast, a US school of........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 12/10/2006 6:21:41 PM)
Electronic Medical Record Triples Rate Of Osteoporosis ScreeningsUse of the Electronic Health Record tripled the rate of osteoporosis screenings in women who are at risk for the disease, according to a study conducted recently by a team of Geisinger Health System researchers.
About half of those who were screened were considered high-risk for the disease, the study found.
An estimated 10 million Americans suffer from the disease and the nation collectively spends about $18 billion per year on bone........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 12/8/2006 5:12:46 AM)
DaimlerChrysler Car-2-X CommunicationCar accidents have been a major problem for the motorists and have led to so much damage. For years, the attempts are being made to reduce this risk by implementing new technologies that enable drivers to sense the danger and avoid it. Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication System is one of them. DaimlerChrysler has introduced a similar but much efficient system "WILLWARN". The system uses "Car-2-X Communication" to transmit radio details collected........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 12/5/2006 8:05:08 PM)
Everyone Enjoys MysteriesNot everyone enjoys a murder mystery with a surprise ending, new research suggests.
People who have lower levels of self-esteem prefer crime and detective stories that confirm their suspicions in the end, while those with higher self-esteem enjoy a story that goes against expectations.
"Personality plays a role in whether a person wants to be confirmed or surprised when they read mysteries," said Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick, co-author of........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 12/5/2006 7:34:08 PM)
Test Fans the Flames for High-Rise Fire SafetyThe blow-torch-like flames erupting from the windows of an abandoned, 16-story Chicago apartment building on Nov. 10 were certainly dramatic to watch from the street below. However, for a team of researchers from the Chicago Fire Department (CFD), the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the real excitement was what was happening to the environment inside the building's corridors and........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 12/4/2006 5:04:48 AM)
Glucocorticoid, Skin Abnormalities And StressInhibiting glucocorticoid, a type of steroid, can prevent skin abnormalities induced by psychological stress, according to a new study from the recent issue of the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. The new study also shows how psychological stress induces skin abnormalities that could initiate or worsen skin disorders such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.
The study, "Glucocorticoid........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 12/1/2006 4:54:49 AM)
Obesity EpidemicsObesity is a major health problem in the United States. Currently over half of the total population in the United States is said to be obese or overweight. Incidence of obesity continue to increase in males and females. Of all U.S. women twenty years and older, more than 64 million are overweight and about 34 million are will fall in to the catagory of obese women.
Obesity is associated with marked health risks and higher death rates. Obese........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 12/1/2006 4:49:46 AM)
Preparing Food Helps Young Adults Eat BetterYoung adults who often purchase their own food and prepare meals at home eat fast food less often, eat more fruits and vegetables and have better overall diet quality than those who are not involved in planning and cooking their meals, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota.
The study surveyed more than 1,500 people ages 18 to 23 about their food purchasing and preparation habits and the quality of their diets. The........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 12/1/2006 4:19:19 AM)
Zebra stripesZebra stripes are typically black stripes on white background.These stripes are typically vertical on the head, neck, forequarters, and main body, with horizontal stripes at the rear and on the legs of the animal. The zebra crossing is named after the zebra's white on black stripes.
Zoologists believe that the stripes act as a camouflage mechanism. This is accomplished in several ways. First, the vertical striping helps the zebra hide in........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/30/2006 9:28:22 PM)
Fortified Milk For Preschool ChildrenConsumption of milk fortified with specific micronutrients-zinc, iron, selenium, copper, vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E-significantly reduces diarrhea and acute lower respiratory illness among children in developing countries, as per scientists from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Center for Micronutrient Research at Annamalai University in India. The study was published November 28, 2006, on the website of the........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/30/2006 5:16:30 AM)
First-Ever Stem Cell Transplant In Human BrainNeurosurgeons and physicians at Doernbecher Children's Hospital, Oregon Health & Science University, Nov. 14, performed the first transplant of purified human fetal neural stem cells into the brain of a study participant with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL), also known as Batten disease. NCL is a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorder that affects infants and children.
The transplant is the focus of a Phase 1 clinical trial to........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/30/2006 4:22:56 AM)
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A Laser Link With An AircraftArtemis, the European Space Agency Advanced Relay and Technology Mission Satellite, successfully relayed optical laser links from an aircraft in early December. These airborne laser links, established over a distance of 40 000 km during two flights at altitudes of 6000 and 10 000 metres, represent a world first.
The relay was set up through six two-way optical links between a Mystère 20 equipped with the airborne laser optical link LOLA........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 12/18/2006 9:05:52 PM)
Christmas Dinners Depend On Control Of Plant DiseasesThe British Society for Plant Pathology are asking you to spare a thought this Christmas for how plant diseases caused by pathogenic fungi, bacteria and viruses could affect your celebrations.
Why? Because the 12,000 tonnes or so of potatoes eaten have to be protected against the devastating potato blight, likewise Brussels sprouts from ring spot and white blister, carrots from cavity spot. Even the stuffing is under threat with blight of........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 12/18/2006 4:47:24 AM)
Japan Tobacco Agrees to Takeover GallaherJapan Tobacco Inc. has disclosed that it has approved to buy British cigarette maker Gallaher Group plc. For 7.5 billion pounds in cash. If the deal sails through it would mark the biggest ever foreign acquisition by a Japanese company. The prospective takeover will definitely lease a new life to the Japanese company as it would help checking declining sales in Japan and strengthen its position as the third largest tobacco company behind........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 12/17/2006 8:14:54 PM)
Punishment May Be Reduced To The Extreme CasesA number of current problems in human societies or states, such as the overexploitation of fish stock or the abuse of social welfare systems, represent a failure of co-operation. Such conflicts between social and individual interests over the use of resources, a phenomenon known as the "tragedy of the commons", could conceivably become a threat to the actual survival of humanity. One example of such a danger in our time is the unrestricted use........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 12/15/2006 5:05:54 AM)
gun 'buyback' doubled fall in Australian gun deathsThe chances of gun death in Australia dropped twice as steeply after 700,000 guns were destroyed in a national firearm 'buyback' and amnesty, reveals a decade long study in Injury Prevention.
The study tracks the 10 years following the introduction of gun law reform in Australia between 1996 and 1998.
The legislation was prompted by a firearm massacre in Tasmania in 1996, when 35 people were killed and a further 18 seriously wounded.
........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 12/13/2006 7:09:12 PM)
Tobacco Prevention Ads May BackfireTobacco company-sponsored anti-smoking advertising aimed at youths not only has no negative effect on teen smoking, it may actually encourage youngsters to smoke, as per a co-author of studyed by an Oregon State University researcher.
Results from the study also show that tobacco industry-sponsored prevention ads aimed at parents often have harmful effects on students, also increasing their likelihood of smoking.
"We suspected this the........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 12/13/2006 7:07:06 PM)
Lightning Fires Help Preserve Oak ForestsOak forests may be approaching extinction but lightning fires may play a vital role in their regeneration, according to Case Western Reserve University biologists.
Paul Drewa, assistant professor in Case's biology department, and graduate student Sheryl Petersen, suspect that these kinds of fires may provide a natural mechanism to deter encroachment of shade tolerant hardwoods, especially red maples that are crowding out oaks and other........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 12/13/2006 4:37:08 AM)
Is it true that no two snowflakes are alike?Snowflakes are one of the most recognizable and endearing symbols of winter. Their intricate shapes have been the inspiration for Christmas ornaments, jewelry and U.S. postage stamps. They are the subject of song, school projects and even scientific investigation, including a possible impact on global warming.
Jon Nelson, a researcher with Ritsumeikan University in Japan, has studied snowflakes for 15 years, and has some interesting insights........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 12/13/2006 4:25:45 AM)
At the Bucharest Luxury Show 2006The Rich Romanians could satiate their taste for luxury cars at the Bucharest Luxury Show 2006, as it is flooded with a jing-bang of Automotive Luxury at its best/worst. There are many things, which make a car standout from the crowd to get a dubbing of a luxurious Saloon. It could be the highest variants from any range of BMW, Mercedes, Rolls- Royce, Buggati Veyron etc. It could also be a high-price tag, although I do not support this........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 12/11/2006 5:10:36 AM)
Birth Pangs of Earth's CrustForsyth and Saal, professors of geology at Brown University, were returning from a research cruise to map an area of seafloor near the Galapagos Islands last April, along with seven Brown graduate students and four undergraduates. The cruise route took the ship right by a highly studied section of the mid-ocean ridge called the East Pacific Rise. The area had experienced an episode of seafloor spreading in 1991 and was being closely monitored........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 12/11/2006 4:53:53 AM)
Nike Plus iPod Sport KitThis holiday season, gift-givers may unwittingly give their favorite athlete a workout accessory that can double as a tracking device. Researchers in computer science and engineering at the University of Washington say there are serious privacy breaches posed by the gadget, which is marketed to runners but may be equally attractive to stalkers and thieves.
"It is easy for someone to use the Nike+iPod as a tracking device," says Scott........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 12/6/2006 8:02:19 PM)
Feeling sad about Iraq?The United States' involvement in Iraq has generated a lot of debate about the potential impact on American businesses abroad. Yet, very little systematic research has addressed the effect of geo-political conflicts on consumer decision-making. Now, a new study appearing in the recent issue of the Journal of Consumer Research, explores how our range of reactions to political events may affect purchasing. Notably, the researchers found that not........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 12/5/2006 9:13:59 PM)
Dreaming Of A Nanotech ChristmasWill parents put an iPod Nano or Head Nano Titanium tennis racket under the Christmas tree for their children this year? Will holiday revelers hang a Nano-Infinity stocking on their fireplace mantle for Santa Claus to fill? Just what does compel shoppers to either buy nanotechnology products, or avoid them because of real or imagined risks?
With over 350 manufacturer-identified nanotechnology consumer products available for purchase this........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 12/5/2006 4:43:30 AM)
Sony Launched Its Blu-ray Player, Just in Time for ChristmasWith the ability to play back just about all Blu-ray format discs (together with store-bought, write-once, and rewritable media) and featuring 1080p and HDMI outputs, the BDP-S1 player can play the DVDs as well. You will be able to own the hot Blu-ray player for about $600 (or $500 for the lower version).
If you are not in a mood to spend a big amount for the new arrival, PlayStation 3 can also play back Blu-ray movies presenting 1080p as........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 12/5/2006 4:26:38 AM)
Theory Of Oscillations May Explain Biological MysteriesNew mathematical studies of the interactions between oscillating biological populations may shed light on some of the toughest questions in ecology, including the number and types of species in an ecosystem, as per an article in the December 2006 issue of BioScience. The article, by John Vandermeer of the University of Michigan, shows how extensions of established theory suggest that a number of animal and plant populations oscillate in........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 12/1/2006 5:08:41 AM)
Weight Training Intensity And Growth Hormone LevelsA study reported in the recent issue of the American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism looked at different forms of growth hormone, used different testing methods, and varied weight training regimens. The research observed that the role of growth hormone in women's muscle development may be more complicated than previously thought.
"We observed that growth hormone was responsive to moderate and heavy exercise regimens having........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 12/1/2006 4:47:25 AM)
PTSD Drug Is No More Effective Than PlaceboGuanfacine, a medicine commonly prescribed to alleviate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, is no more effective than a placebo, according to a study led by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.
There was no benefit at all, and there were several adverse side effects, says lead author Thomas Neylan, MD, medical director of the PTSD treatment program at SFVAMC. People with symptoms of PTSD should probably stay away from........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 12/1/2006 4:39:48 AM)
Importance of ArchiologyOften archaeology provides the only means to learn of the existence and behaviors of people in the past. Many thousands of cultures and societies and millions of people have come and gone across the millennia of which there simply is little or no written record - no history - or for which written records may be misrepresentative or incomplete. Writing as it is known and understood today did not exist anywhere in the world until about 5000 years........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/30/2006 9:34:03 PM)
Mystery About Stradivarius Violins SolvedAnswering a question that has lingered for centuries, a team of researchers has proved that chemicals used to treat the wood used in Stradivarius and Guarneri violins are the reasons for the distinct sound produced by the world-famous instruments.
The conclusions, reported in the current issue of Nature magazine, have confirmed 30 years of work into the subject by Joseph Nagyvary, professor emeritus of biochemistry at Texas A&M University,........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/30/2006 5:09:18 AM)
Go To Church To Breathe Easier Going to church might help you breathe easier. A new study by Temple Universitys Joanna Maselko, Sc.D., found that religious activity may protect and maintain pulmonary health in the elderly.
Pulmonary function is an important indicator of respiratory and overall health, yet little is known about the psychosocial factors that might predict pulmonary function. At the same time, religious activity is emerging as a potential health promoting........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/30/2006 5:02:38 AM)
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