Drinking 100 percent fruit juice linked with improved diet quality

WASHINGTON – Children and teens who drink 100 percent fruit juice have higher intakes of key nutrients compared to non-consumers, says a new study.

Two new studies from researchers at the Louisiana State University Agricultural Centre (LSUAC) and Baylor College of Medicine clearly highlight the benefits of drinking 100 percent fruit juice.
Researchers used …. Read the original article  : here.

Myth ‘debunked’: The blind have more acute sense of smell

WASHINGTON – An ongoing study has debunked the myth that the blind have a more acute sense of smell than the sighted.

According to the study by Mathilde Beaulieu-Lefebvre, a graduate student from the Universiti de Montrial Department of Psychology, vision loss simply makes blind people pay more attention to how they perceive …. Original source  : Myth ‘debunked’: The blind have more acute sense of smell.

Human brain reacts differently to different races

WASHINGTON – When dealing with people outside of one’s own race, the human brain fires differently, a new study has found.

The research out of the University of Toronto Scarborough explored the sensitivity of the “mirror-neuron-system” to race and ethnicity.
The … Read : Human brain reacts differently to different races.

Do the blind have more acute sense of smell?

TORONTO – Vision loss simply makes blind people pay more attention to how they perceive smells, a new research said, debunking the myth that the blind have a more acute sense of smell than the sighted.

“If you enter a room in which coffee is brewing, you will quickly look for the coffee machine. The blind …. Read the original article  : here.

Giant vegetarian dinos evolved all-terrain bodies to support mountain living

WASHINGTON – Some of the world’s largest dinosaurs moved to the hills and developed all-terrain bodies to support mountain living, concludes a new study.

The study has been published in the journal Paleobiology.
These dinosaurs were plant-eating titanosaurs.
According to Discovery News, palaeontologists Philip Mannion and Paul Upchurch at University … Read more : Giant vegetarian dinos evolved all-terrain bodies to support mountain living.

Chimps deal with death just like humans

WASHINGTON – Chimpanzees react to the death of a group member just like humans do when a close relative dies, say researchers.

“The findings we’ve described, along with other observations of how chimpanzees respond to dead and dying companions, indicate that their awareness of death is probably more … Read more : Chimps deal with death just like humans.

New species of monitor lizard discovered in Indonesia

WASHINGTON – Scientists have discovered a new species of monitor lizard, a close relative of the Komodo dragon.

Sam Sweet, a professor in the department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology at UCSB, and Valter Weijola, a graduate student at Abo Akademi University in [..] Read the original article: here.

Images from Planck space observatory reveal star formation processes

WASHINGTON – Star formation takes place hidden behind veils of gas and dust, but ESA’s Planck space observatory with its microwave eyes – can peer beneath that shroud to provide new insights into star-forming process.

The latest images released by the Planck team bring to light two …. Read the original article  : Images from Planck space observatory reveal star formation processes.

Australian prime minister announces 2-year delay of carbon pollution reduction laws

Australia postpones carbon pollution curbs

CANBERRA, Australia – Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced Tuesday a two-year delay in government plans to tax Australia’s worst industrial polluters – a move that puts legislative efforts to curb gases blamed for climate change on hold until after national elections.
The government had proposed annual limits on the amount of carbon …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Australian prime minister announces 2-year delay of carbon pollution reduction laws.

Dogs really can understand human emotions

MELBOURNE – Dogs can tell the difference between a happy and an angry person and a laugh from a cry, a New Zealand study claims.

To reach the conclusion, researchers at the University of Otago, in the South Island, put 90 Dunedin dogs through their paces – showing some recorded images of babies laughing, crying and …. Read the original article  : here.

Our bodies make their own morphine

WASHINGTON – Human bodies may possess the biochemical machinery to produce a small but steady amount of natural morphine, according to a new study.

In the study, it was shown that mice produce the “incredible painkiller”, and that humans and other mammals possess the same chemical road map for making it, said study co-author Meinhart Zenk, …. Original source  : Our bodies make their own morphine.

Technique to visualize ‘your brain on drugs’ developed

WASHINGTON – An imaging protocol that allows scientists to visualize the activity of the brain’s reward circuitry in both normal individuals and those addicted to drugs has been developed.

The technique by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory …. Original article  : Technique to visualize ‘your brain on drugs’ developed.

New program helps keep track of physical activity levels via mobile

WASHINGTON – A new program has been developed that helps people monitor their normal day-to-day physical activity using an everyday device like a cell phone or mp3 player.

Chinmay Manohar in the Department Endocrinology, Nutrition and Diabetes of the Mayo Clinic is the brain behind the device …. Source article  : New program helps keep track of physical activity levels via mobile.

How folic acid may help heal brain, spinal cord injuries

WASHINGTON – In a new study, researchers have explained how folic acid may help heal brain and spinal cord injuries.

Infants born to women who do not consume enough folic acid are at an increased risk of developing neural tube defects … Original article on : How folic acid may help heal brain, spinal cord injuries.

Depressed people ‘eat more chocolate’

WASHINGTON – The more clinically depressed you are, the more likely you’re to eat chocolate, concludes a new study.

The study has been published in the April 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
“A rich cultural tradition links chocolate consumption with putative mood … Read more >>>.

Heat wave toll rises to 17 in Orissa

BHUBANESWAR – Two middle-aged men have died of sunstroke in Orissa, taking the toll from heat wave to 17, an official said Tuesday.

The Kendrapada district administration confirmed two deaths Tuesday, the state revenue control room said.
A control room official said that Laxmidhar Nayak, 45, of Patkura village died April 13 and Natabara Mahalik, …. Source  : Heat wave toll rises to 17 in Orissa.

Nuclear safety needed to avoid Chernobyl like tragedy: UN

NEW YORK – The explosion of the nuclear reactor in Chernobyl, Ukraine, 24 years ago showed graphically the need to strengthen the safety and security of nuclear material and power plants, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Monday.

Ukraine, Belarus and Russia are organising a conference in April 2011, the 25th anniversary of the accident, to … Read more »»».

China to bring stricter law to prevent data leaks

BEIJING – A new law seeking to empower Chinese authority to prevent leaks of secret government data through internet has reached its final stage.

The proposed amendment to the Law on Guarding State Secrets was submitted for its third and final reading at the four-day session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, or … Read more »».

Supreme Court turns down Michigan’s plea to get involved in dispute over Asian carp

Supreme Court stays out of Asian carp dispute
LANSING, Mich. – After striking out with the U.S. Supreme Court, the state of Michigan and others favoring separation of the Lake Michigan and Mississippi River watersheds to prevent Asian carp from invading the Great Lakes must devise a new strategy.
The court on Monday refused to …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Supreme Court turns down Michigan’s plea to get involved in dispute over Asian carp.

Study: Chimpanzees’ reaction to death of a group member similar to humans

Researchers: Chimps deal with death like humans

LONDON – Rare video footage taken at a wildlife park has showed that chimpanzees react to the death of a group member just like humans do when a close relative dies, researchers said Monday.
Videos of a group of four chimpanzees at Scotland’s Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park showed … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Study: Chimpanzees’ reaction to death of a group member similar to humans.