2010 El Nino affecting North Pacific Ocean ecosystems adversely

WASHINGTON – Scientists at NOAA and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, US, have revealed that the ongoing El Nino of 2010 is affecting north Pacific Ocean ecosystems in ways that could affect the West Coast fishing industry.

Researchers … Read more »».

How brain cells are possessed and damaged by demons of dementia

WASHINGTON – A new study has shed light on how Amyloid-Beta found in cerebral plaques, typically present in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients, leads to neurodegeneration.

Researchers from EPFL’s (Ecole Polytechnique Fidirale de Lausanne) Laboratory of Neuroenergetics and Cellular Dynamics in Lausanne … Read more »»».

How plants identify and block invading bacteria

WASHINGTON – A new study is trying to understand how plants defend themselves from bacterial infections, which may help scientists understand how people and other animals could be better protected from such pathogens.

The study observed a specific bacteria that infects tomatoes but normally does not bother the common laboratory plant arabidopsis.
Researchers … Original article on : How plants identify and block invading bacteria.

Mini-thrusters may help satellites to search for exoplanets

WASHINGTON – The US Air Force is eyeing mini- thrusters or miniature, electric propulsion systems, to make it easier for their satellites to perform space maneuvers and undertake formidable tasks like searching for planets beyond our solar system.

With Air Force Office of … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Mini-thrusters may help satellites to search for exoplanets.

Choice of university degree not linked to personality traits

WASHINGTON – Personality does not have an influence when choosing a professional career, according to a new study.

The findings by researchers from the University of Cadiz (UCA) were based on interviews and questionnaires carried out on 735 secondary school students from the province …. Original source  : Choice of university degree not linked to personality traits.

Atlantic longarm octopus is ‘master of disguise’ of the seas

WASHINGTON – New observations suggest that the Atlantic longarm octopus is the master of disguise in the seas, as it has evolved a unique skin system that can instantaneously change its appearance and make it look like a flounder.

MBL Senior Scientist and cephalopod expert Roger Hanlon and … Original article on : Atlantic longarm octopus is ‘master of disguise’ of the seas.

Novel approach for leukaemia treatment discovered

WASHINGTON – An international team of scientists has discovered how leukaemia cells become ‘addicted’ to genes, which if targeted could prevent diseased cells from developing.

The team, led by Dr Veronika Sexl from the University of Vienna, conducted their research on acute lymphoid leukaemia (ALL) and chronic myelogenous …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Potential biomarkers for predicting colon cancer spread

WASHINGTON – A research team in China has identified two proteins present in the blood of people with colon cancer that may serve as the potential biomarkers for accurately predicting whether the disease will spread.

Surgery is the main method of treating the disease. However, half of colon cancer …. Original article  : Potential biomarkers for predicting colon cancer spread.

Preventing mosquitoes from urinating may help control disease spread

WASHINGTON – American researchers have discovered a new protein that may help control disease-spreading mosquitoes.

The study conducted by Cornell scientists has appeared in the March 4, 2010 issue of the American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.
The researchers identified a …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Japanese scientist develops ‘painless’ injection

LONDON – If you have always dreaded an injection, a Japanese researcher has given you a big reason to smile by developing a painless new vaccine delivery technique.

Kanji Takada, a professor of pharmacokinetics (the study of the absorption, distribution and fate of substances delivered to the …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Chile Earthquake: Earth’s Axis Shifts

WASHINGTON (GaeaTimes.com)- Richard Gross, a geophysicist working with the NASA, has reported that the massive earthquake that hit Chile last Saturday has brought about some permanent changes in the geography of the earth. The effects of the Chile earthquake are being compared to those that had been brought about by the earthquake that had … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Chile Earthquake: Earth’s Axis Shifts.

Antifreeze proteins can stop ice melt (Re-Issue)

WASHINGTON – A new study has found that the same antifreeze proteins that keep organisms from freezing in cold environments also can prevent ice from melting at warmer temperatures.

Researchers at the Ohio University and Queen’s University carried out the study.
Antifreeze proteins are found in insects, fish, bacteria and other organisms that need to survive in … Read more >>>.

Ancient ’space blast’ over Antarctica similar to Tunguska event of 1908

LONDON – A new research has suggested that a large space rock may have exploded over Antarctica thousands of years ago, showering a large area with debris, similar to the Tunguska event of 1908.

According to a report in BBC News, the evidence comes from accumulations of tiny meteoritic particles and a layer of extraterrestrial dust … Read more >>>.

Black holes may play important role in evolution of galaxies

WASHINGTON – New observations from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory indicate that “average” supermassive black holes may play an important role in the evolution of the galaxies in which they reside, as powerful winds blowing away from the vicinity of such a black hole may shape galaxies.

For years, astronomers have known that a supermassive black hole … Read more »».

Measuring pain from the outside may soon be a reality

LONDON – Scientists are working on developing a technique that may help them measure pain from the outside.

Tara Renton of King’s College London has come up with an alternative way of analysing functional MRI scans called arterial spin labelling (ASL) to measure how much oxygenated blood is flowing through particular areas.
Renton and her team scanned …. Source article  : Measuring pain from the outside may soon be a reality.

Hand-held home device could ease migraine sufferers’ pain

LONDON – A new hand-held device could prove to be an alternative treatment in relieving migraine sufferers from pain, a trial of the gadget has shown.

Experts from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York tested the safety and effectiveness of the device that can be used at home.
Boffins found 40 per cent of …. Read the original article  : here.

Through a glass, sparkly: Jewel-like curtains on windows would generate solar power

Solar energy with jewel-like curtains on windows

TROY, N.Y. – Cityscapes of glass-clad buildings gleaming in the sun make Anna Dyson think about wasted energy.
Dyson heads the Center for Architecture Science and Ecology, or CASE, a research consortium that wants to turn office windows into multifaceted solar power generators. Their “integrated concentrating dynamic solar facade” consists …. Source article  : Through a glass, sparkly: Jewel-like curtains on windows would generate solar power.

Climate change one big factor in malaria spread

WASHINGTON – Climate change has been found to be one of the biggest reasons behind malaria spread, but researchers have said that other factors such as migration and land-use changes are also likely to play a role.

The research aims to sort out contradictions that have …. Source  : Climate change one big factor in malaria spread.

A total of 160 species live inside our guts

LONDON – In what could be called as a big feat in microbial research, researchers have decoded all the bacterial genes found in the human gut-a total of 160 species.

The discovery has far-reaching implications for human health and well being, and could even be used to predict chronic …. Read the original article  : here.

China to launch second lunar probe in October

NEW DELHI – Reports indicate that China plans to launch the Chang’e-2, the country’s second lunar probe, in October this year.

“The satellite would be launched on a Long March 3-C carrier rocket,” said Liang Xiaohong, Party chief of the China Academy of …. Original article  : China to launch second lunar probe in October.