US eager to begin formal beef talks with Japan “as soon as possible”

US wants quick start to beef talks with Japan
TOKYO – U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack pressed Japan on Friday for quick action in planned talks on easing access to its beef market, saying he would put together a negotiating team as soon as he gets home to Washington.
Vilsack agreed Thursday with this Japanese … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : US eager to begin formal beef talks with Japan “as soon as possible”.

More divisive voices expected as UN climate talks resume in Bonn

BONN – More divisive voices are expected to surface during the first round of UN climate talks, which open here from Friday, almost four months after the failed Copenhagen Summit.

Developing countries are adamant that the UN climate convention is the right forum for negotiating a global deal and want it done …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : More divisive voices expected as UN climate talks resume in Bonn.

Mechanism underlying ‘broken-heart syndrome’

WASHINGTON – Scientists have identified the mechanism underlying the so-called ‘broken-heart syndrome’.

Called Tako-Tsubo syndrome, or stress-induced cardiomyopathy, it is a rare disease, which at first used to be confused with the far more common (and dangerous) cardiac infarction or heart …. Original source  : Mechanism underlying ‘broken-heart syndrome’.

Chemical compound effective in destroying antibiotic-resistant biofilms

WASHINGTON – A chemical compound that, when used in conjunction with conventional antibiotics, is effective in destroying biofilms produced by antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria such as the Staphylococcus strain MRSA and …. Source  : Chemical compound effective in destroying antibiotic-resistant biofilms.

Migraine sufferers process visual cues poorly in messy environments

WASHINGTON – Migraine sufferers may process visual cues badly in an environment with a lot of visual distractions, says a new study.

In the study, published in the April issue of Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science (”Visual Noise …. Source article  : Migraine sufferers process visual cues poorly in messy environments.

Intel unveils mind-reading brain scans

NEW YORK – Intel Corp. has unveiled a software that uses brain scans to determine what people are thinking.

The new technology is apparently 90 percent accurate, reports The New York Daily News.
Although the “human brain” project is still in development, it could help the severely physically disabled to communicate … Read more >>>.

Idaho man resumes active life, thanks to ventricular assist device

WASHINGTON – An Idaho man with heart failure is all set to begin a new active life, all thanks to an Utah-made ventricular assist (VAD) device he was fitted with in an operation on March 17.

It was only …. Original source  : Idaho man resumes active life, thanks to ventricular assist device.

Ancestral research can open a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of secrets leading to family rifts

WASHINGTON – While researching their ancestral history, people can open a “Pandora’s Box” of secrets that may cause conflict and widen rifts in the family, says new research.ost people derive pleasure and satisfaction from researching their ancestry, however, for others it brings to light …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Ancestral research can open a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of secrets leading to family rifts.

Blood vessels made from stem cells to replace synthetic vascular bypass grafts

WASHINGTON – By using adult stem cells, scientists have created functional blood vessels that could one day replace synthetic grafts often required in various vascular bypass surgeries, new research has revealed.

Bypass surgery is used to open blocked arteries in one part of the … Read more »»».

Avatars with real eye movements can spot liars in the virtual world

LONDON – Don’t know if your friend in the virtual world is lying to you or not? Well, now avatars that can mimic our real-world eye movements can make it easier to spot if someone is telling the truth online.

Most virtual … Read more »».

Is 2-million-year-old African fossil the missing link in human evolution?

LONDON – Suggestions that the newly found hominin fossils in South Africa represent a transitional species in human evolution have created a furore among researchers.

A team from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg has revealed two remarkably well-preserved hominin fossils aged just under two million years old.
The fossils …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Scientists discover childhood deafness gene

LONDON – Dutch scientists have uncovered a gene associated with the type of deafness passed on through families – a finding which means treatments for inherited deafness are one step closer.

To come up with the finding, boffins looked at the genetics of families where several members were deaf and identified the PTPRQ gene as playing [..] Read the original article: here.

Brain-hormone circuit that helps police diabetes, female fertility unraveled

WASHINGTON – The hormones leptin and insulin work together in specific neurons in the hypothalamus region of the brain to affect both the regulation of blood sugar levels in the body and female fertility, say UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers.

“Many people, and even many physicians, think you develop diabetes that is solely secondary to obesity,” …. Original source  : Brain-hormone circuit that helps police diabetes, female fertility unraveled.

New hope for hepatitis C sufferers

LONDON – Telaprevir, a protease inhibitor, combined with standard hepatitis C treatment, cures a significantly higher number of difficult-to-treat patients than standard treatment alone, a new study has found.

The study has been published in the April issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
To reach the conclusion, a member of the international research team, Adrian …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : New hope for hepatitis C sufferers.

Astronauts take 1st spacewalk of Discovery mission, replacing space station’s old ammonia tank

Astronauts take 1st spacewalk of shuttle mission

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Two spacewalking astronauts disconnected an old empty ammonia tank outside the International Space Station on Friday and got a new one ready to put in its place.
It was the first of three spacewalks planned for Rick Mastracchio and Clayton Anderson, members of space shuttle Discovery’s …. Original article  : Astronauts take 1st spacewalk of Discovery mission, replacing space station’s old ammonia tank.

Researchers cure type 1 diabetes in mice

WASHINGTON – Scientists at University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, have successfully cured mice with type 1 diabetes using a sophisticated nanotechnology-based “vaccine”.

They have also slowed the onset of the disease in mice at risk for the disease.
The study, co-funded by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, provides new and important insights into understanding how to …. Read the original article  : Researchers cure type 1 diabetes in mice.

No link between dyslexia and lack of musical ability

WASHINGTON – Scientists in Belgium have found no link between dyslexia and a lack of musical ability.

What’s more, the scientists say, attempts to treat dyslexia with music therapy are unwarranted.
The boffins reported the finding in the current issue of the International Journal of Arts and Technology.
Cognitive neuroscientist Jose Morais of the Free University of Brussels … Read more »»».

Venus still geologically active

WASHINGTON – Venus is alive – geologically speaking, say researchers. t was ESA’s Venus Express that clearly indicated that Venus is geologically active.

Relatively young lava flows have been identified by the way they emit infrared radiation. The finding suggests the planet remains capable of volcanic eruptions.
“Now we have strong evidence right at the surface for …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Venus still geologically active.

Small asteroid to make harmless flyby past Earth

Small asteroid to zip harmlessly past Earth

PASADENA, Calif. – NASA scientists have updated information on the path of a newly discovered asteroid that is set to make a safe flyby past Earth.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena says the latest trajectory indicates that the closest approach for asteroid 2010 GA6 will be just slightly beyond …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Small asteroid to make harmless flyby past Earth.

BLM suspends 91K acres of oil, gas leases in Montana, Dakotas for greenhouse gas review

Oil and gas leases put on hold in Mont., Dakotas

BILLINGS, Mont. – Federal land managers are suspending an April 13 sale of 91,000 acres of oil and gas leases in Montana and the Dakotas until they can study how oil field activities contribute to climate change.
Thursday’s suspension comes three weeks after the Bureau of Land …. Read the original article  : BLM suspends 91K acres of oil, gas leases in Montana, Dakotas for greenhouse gas review.