Science News – Newsletter for November 7, 2010

‘Miracle’ eye implant ‘to lighten blind people’s lives’

LONDON – Thousands of blind people may now get their sight back-thanks to a ‘miracle’ eye implant developed by British surgeons.

The 15-minute procedure involves implanting a tiny device so small that it can barely be seen in the eye.

The surgery, being carried out at Manchester Royal Infirmary, has been designed to prevent glaucoma, which is … Original article on : ‘Miracle’ eye implant ‘to lighten blind people’s lives’.

Oysters could disappear in next 100 years due to ‘acidic oceans’

LONDON – Oysters and mussels could disappear over the next century because the oceans are becoming increasingly acidic.

Dr John Baxter, the co-editor of an international report into the acidification of the world’s seas, said increasing levels of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere by industrialised countries was gradually changing the acid level of waters …. Source article  : Oysters could disappear in next 100 years due to ‘acidic oceans’.

How laughter can make some snooze 100 times a day!

LONDON – Laughter may be the best medicine, but for some, it’s nothing less than a disorder – a sleep disorder called narcolepsy can send a person into an instant slumber without warning if you laugh.

People with this order suffer temporary muscle weakness when they experience emotions such as surprise, fear and the exhilaration that …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : How laughter can make some snooze 100 times a day!.

Festive mood in Rajasthan village that spoke to Obama

AJMER – A Rajasthan village Sunday was in a festive spirit, with villagers dancing to drum beats, as they got to talk to US President Barack Obama in Mumbai – thanks to a video-conference link.

The upbeat villagers of Kanpura, 30 km from this town known for the shrine of Sufi saint Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin … Read more : Festive mood in Rajasthan village that spoke to Obama.

Largest clinical trial confirms new drug for worldwide malaria treatment

LONDON – The largest clinical trial ever conducted has concluded that the drug artesunate should now be the preferred treatment for the disease in both children and adults everywhere in the world.

Professor Nick White of the Wellcome Trust-Mahidol University-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Programme in Bangkok, Thailand, and his colleagues conducted the trial called African Quinine … Read more »».

Cheryl Cole and David Beckham have the ‘most perfect faces’

LONDON – David Beckham and Cheryl Cole have been voted as having the ‘most perfect faces’ in a poll.

Researchers asked 100 volunteers to produce an image of an attractive male or female face using police e-fit techniques, and then combined them into one male face and a female face.

Cole’s facial proportions were found to be … Read : Cheryl Cole and David Beckham have the ‘most perfect faces’.

In they fly, in thousands, keeping winter date with Kashmir (Letter from Kashmir)

SRINAGAR – As mallards, pintails, pochards and thousands of other migratory birds fly in, filling up the sky and the picturesque locales of the valley with their winter cackle, many Kashmiris are hoping they will be harbingers of peace.

“We have around 300,000 migratory birds in the Hokarsar bird reserve at present and more are …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : In they fly, in thousands, keeping winter date with Kashmir (Letter from Kashmir).

Five evacuation teams deployed in Andhra

NEW DELHI – As cyclone ‘Jal’ neared Andhra Pradesh’s coastline, five evacuation teams were deployed in the state as a safety measure, a National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) official said Saturday.

Five teams of 45-50 rescue operators each reached the low-lying districts of Andhra Pradesh Saturday morning. They have started the evacuation process there, …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Frequent fliers prone to ‘radiation poisoning from space solar flare’

LONDON – If you’re a frequent airline traveler, you are probably at a greater risk of developing cancer due to high radiation levels from the Sun.

Experts have warned that long-term radiation poisoning from ’solar space storms’ or flare activity from the Sun can …. Original source  : Frequent fliers prone to ‘radiation poisoning from space solar flare’.

Google better at advising teachers than Scotland’s curriculum body

LONDON – Leading education academics have concluded that the Internet search engine Google offers better advice to teachers than Scotland’s curriculum body.

The verdict comes as the Scottish Government admitted it was “abolishing” Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) rather than simply merging it with the school inspectorate HMIe.

Sue Ellis, a reader in literacy and language at …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Google better at advising teachers than Scotland’s curriculum body.

Pregnancy-related morning sickness could be hereditary

WASHINGTON – Women whose sisters experienced extreme morning sickness, are 17 times more likely to develop the condition, suggests a new study.

Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is an extreme form of nausea and vomiting that endangers their lives and often forces them to reluctantly terminate their pregnancies.

Researchers from UCLA and the University of Southern California traced both … Read : Pregnancy-related morning sickness could be hereditary.

How fear takes centre-stage in climate change debates

WASHINGTON – We have apparently been forced to fear climate change and it isn’t that bad as it seems to be, says researcher.

Historian Matthias Dorries has revealed the role of fear in our understanding of climate change.

He examined the cultural significance of fear and how it became a central presence in current debates over climate [..] Read the original article: here.

Protein study sheds light on insulin response and cancer cell growth

WASHINGTON – The United States and Japanese researchers have identified a key step in metabolic pathways linked to diabetes and cancer.

TORC 2 activates a protein called Akt, which plays a crucial role in how cells respond to insulin, said Kazuo Shiozaki, of the University of California.

Normally, insulin triggers fat and muscle cells to take up … Read : Protein study sheds light on insulin response and cancer cell growth.

NASA spacecraft takes look at comet from closest

LONDON – NASA’s Deep Impact craft flew within 435 miles (700 km) of comet Hartley 2 — the closest ever any man-made object got to such a celestial body.

The images at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California reveal a peanut-shaped comet. It is the fifth time that a comet’s core has been viewed …. Source article  : NASA spacecraft takes look at comet from closest.

Obesity rates in US to reach 42 percent: Experts

WASHINGTON – Harvard University researchers have estimated that America’s obesity epidemic won’t plateau until at least 42 percent of adults are obese.

The estimate has been derived by applying mathematical modeling to 40 years of Framingham Heart Study data.

The work runs counter to recent assertions by some experts that …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Obesity rates in US to reach 42 percent: Experts.

‘They all look alike’ effect is down to the brain

LONDON – A team of psychologists at the University of Glasgow, UK, has finally found why people so often have trouble telling those of a different race apart.hey have identified the brain mechanism that is responsible for this ‘other-race effect’, and hope their findings …. Original source  : ‘They all look alike’ effect is down to the brain.

Discovery shows promise against severe side effect of chemo drug

WASHINGTON – A way to eliminate a debilitating side effect associated with one of the main chemotherapy drugs used for treating colon cancer has been found by a team of scientists.

The strategy used in their preclinical research-inhibiting an enzyme in bacteria of the digestive tract-could allow patients to …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

First step to developing a test for MND

WASHINGTON – Scientists have identified a common signature of nerve damage in the brains of Motor Neurone Disease (MND) patients.

The study was funded by the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association, in collaboration with the Medical Research Council (MRC).

These are [..] Read the original article: here.

Secret of bacteria’s immune system unlocked

LONDON – Scientists have just unlocked the secret of bacteria’s immune system.

The team led by Professor Sylvain Moineau of Universiti Laval’s Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Bioinformatics showed that this mechanism, called CRISPR/Cas, works by selecting foreign DNA segments and inserting them into [..] Read the original article: here.

Keyhole bowel cancer surgery is safe and effective: Study

LONDON – A new research by University of Leeds has suggested that laparoscopic or ‘keyhole’ surgery is a safe, effective way of removing bowel tumours and should be offered to all patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer.

The study involved around 400 patients with colon … Original source on Gaea Times at : Keyhole bowel cancer surgery is safe and effective: Study.