New asthma program to specifically help teens

WASHINGTON – A teen-specific asthma program could help people in rural areas to manage their disease and avoid potentially fatal complications, Medical College of Georgia researchers say.

Black males have a death rate from asthma that is six … Read more »»».

Warfarin users more vulnerable to brain bleeding after stroke treatment

WASHINGTON – Warfarin users appear more likely to develop brain haemorrhage following stroke treatment with the anticoagulant, a new study has found.

The report, posted online, will be published in the May print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of …. Read the original article  : Warfarin users more vulnerable to brain bleeding after stroke treatment.

Clamshells may provide most detailed record yet of global climate change

LONDON – A team of scientists, who studied a haul of ancient Icelandic mollusks, has said that oxygen isotopes in clamshells may provide the most detailed record yet of global climate change.

Most measures of palaeoclimate provide data on only average annual temperatures, … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Clamshells may provide most detailed record yet of global climate change.

Obesity may protect against metabolic syndrome

WASHINGTON – While metabolic syndrome is apparently related to obesity, researchers have said that the link is not just negative.

Metabolic syndrome is characterised by-insulin resistance, high cholesterol, fatty liver, and a greater risk for diabetes, heart disease, and stroke- all of which are related to obesity.
But, Roger …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

New smartphone app exposes vulnerability to hackers

LONDON – Experts have developed a smartphone application called ‘WeatherFistBadMonkey’ to illustrate new threat ‘botnet’ that has hit the cyber world.

Derek Brown and Danny Tijerina at TippingPoint, a computer security firm in Austin, Texas, had first developed … Read more : New smartphone app exposes vulnerability to hackers.

‘Magnetic quantum dots’ could lead to faster and more efficient computers

SYDNEY – Reports indicate that an international team of scientists has developed a new type of semiconductor called ‘magnetic quantum dots’ that could lead to faster and more efficient computers with over double the average existing hard drive storage capacity.

According to a report in ABC …. Original article  : ‘Magnetic quantum dots’ could lead to faster and more efficient computers.

Minister: Israel wants to build nuclear plants to secure energy supplies, fight global warming

Israel wants to build nuclear power plants

PARIS – Israel’s infrastructure minister says his country wants to build nuclear power plants in cooperation with its Arab neighbors.
Uzi Landau says all nuclear plants built in Israel will be subject to strict safety and security controls.
He told a nuclear conference in Paris on Tuesday that “Israel has always … Read : Minister: Israel wants to build nuclear plants to secure energy supplies, fight global warming.

Consumer goods waste large quantities of water to be made

WASHINGTON – A new study has shown that consumer goods can take a large quantity of water to be made.

According to a report in Discovery News, the study, carried out by scientists at Carnegie Mellon University in the US, showed that industries use jaw-dropping amounts in … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Consumer goods waste large quantities of water to be made.

Breadth of cheekbones may convey males’ trustworthiness

WASHINGTON – You can know whether or not a man is trustworthy by the breadth of his cheekbones, claims a new study.

The study has been published in the journal Psychological Science.
In the research, lead researcher Michael Stirrat … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Breadth of cheekbones may convey males’ trustworthiness.

Scientists solve mystery of high-CO2 Ice Age

LONDON – A team of scientists has claimed to have solved the mystery about the so-called high level of carbon dioxide (CO2) present in the atmosphere during the big ice age 444 million years ago.

The Ordovician ice age happened 444 million …. Original article  : Scientists solve mystery of high-CO2 Ice Age.

How ‘cosmic electric toaster’ puffs up planets to gigantic size

LONDON – In a new study, scientists have explained how a planet-sized version of an electric toaster heats up some exoplanets to puff up to gigantic size.

More than 150 planets have been found orbiting closer to their host stars than Mercury is to the sun.
Many of these star-hugging gas … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : How ‘cosmic electric toaster’ puffs up planets to gigantic size.

New experiment shows how to see through opaque materials

WASHINGTON – A new experiment conducted by scientists has shown that it’s possible to see through opaque materials and detect objects hidden behind them.

Materials such as paper, paint, and biological tissue are opaque because the light that passes through them … Original article on : New experiment shows how to see through opaque materials.

Testosterone can make you nice as well as nasty

WASHINGTON – A researcher has shed light on how testosterone affects human behavior in a ‘pro-social’ situation – an environment where it is beneficial for a person to help someone else.

In an evaluation for Faculty of 1000, Robert Sapolsky highlights a study on testosterone …. Source  : Testosterone can make you nice as well as nasty.

“Molecular midwives” may have helped give birth to genetic material of life

WASHINGTON – Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have discovered that small molecules could have acted as “molecular midwives” in helping the building blocks of life’s genetic material form long chains and may have assisted in selecting the base pairs of the DNA double helix.

“Our hypothesis is that before there were protein enzymes to …. Original source  : “Molecular midwives” may have helped give birth to genetic material of life.

One good act really is the catalyst for three others

LONDON – Kindness is contagious, scientists have discovered. And good acts by a handful of individuals really can make a difference.

Professor James Fowler, of the University of California, and his colleagues have found that when a person receives a gift or favour they are more likely to be generous and give an even bigger gift …. Read the original article  : One good act really is the catalyst for three others.

‘Pain gene’ discovered

LONDON – Scientists have discovered a gene which may help explain why some people are more sensitive to and less able to tolerate pain.

Dr Geoffrey Woods, of Cambridge University, said that discovery of a gene responsible for pain could greatly increase the ability to conquer and control it.
“The search for effective analgesics (pain releaving drugs) …. Read the original article  : here.

Dogs can make out meaning of different growls

LONDON – Dogs can know what other canines mean when they growl- right from a rumble that says “back off” to playful snarls made in a tug-of-war game.

In 2008, Peter Pongracz, a behavioural biologist at Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary, monitored dogs’ heart rates to show that they seem to notice differences between barks … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Dogs can make out meaning of different growls.

Snake venom could advance drug discovery, understanding of diseases

WASHINGTON – Snake venom contains a protein that has the potential for new drug discovery and to advance understanding of disease mechanisms, according to researchers.

Called haditoxin, the novel protein was discovered in Professor Manjunatha Kini’s laboratory at the National University of Singapore.
Co-author of the paper Dr S. Niru Nirthanan, has characterised the pharmacological actions of …. Source  : Snake venom could advance drug discovery, understanding of diseases.

Bone marrow can harbour HIV-infected cells

LONDON – Researchers at University of Michigan have identified a new reservoir for hidden HIV-infected cells that can serve as a factory for new infections.

The findings indicate a new target for curing the disease so that those infected with the virus might not have to rely on AIDS drugs for a lifetime.
“Antiviral drugs have been …. Source  : Bone marrow can harbour HIV-infected cells.

Romantic break-up shatters a person’s self-concept

WASHINGTON – A romantic break-up does make an individual’s self-concept vulnerable to change, according to a study.

Self-concept is defined as a person’s sense of “me.”
Romantic partners develop shared friends, activities and even overlapping self-concepts.
The researchers used three studies to examine self-concept changes that can occur after a break-up.
They found that individuals have reduced self-concept clarity … Original article on : Romantic break-up shatters a person’s self-concept.