Science News – Newsletter for January 27, 2011

Fixing eyes on the horizon will make you steady on ship: Study

WASHINGTON – Motion of a ship at sea creates challenges for the body. So sea travellers are often told to look at the horizon to overcome the feelings of instability, but is there any truth in that advice?

Now, researchers at the University of Minnesota measured how much people sway on land and at sea … Read more »»».

Remains of Iron Age dog guarding ancient treasure unearthed

LONDON – Archaeologists have discovered the skeleton of a dog that has lain underground for 2,000 years, protecting a hoard of buried treasure.

The dog’s remains, about the same size as a retriever or Alsatian, were discovered at the site of one of Britain’s most important Iron Age excavations.

It is believed that an ancient tribe, the … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Remains of Iron Age dog guarding ancient treasure unearthed.

3-prong approach to protect your OS from attacks

WASHINGTON – Experts at North Carolina State University have devised a new three-pronged approach to restore an OS if it is attacked.

“Our approach has three components: attack detection; security fault isolation; and recovery,” said Dr. Yan Solihin.

The idea is to take a snapshot of the OS when it is functioning normally and then, if the …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Gulf spill study shows long-term toxic effect of dispersants

WASHINGTON – A new study from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution examines the impact the deep-water residue of oil and dispersant-which some say has its own toxic effects-might have had on environment and marine life in the Gulf.

Last year, nearly 800,000 gallons of chemical dispersant were injected directly into the oil and gas flow in … Original article on : Gulf spill study shows long-term toxic effect of dispersants.

Why flashy females are great mates

WASHINGTON – A new study from University of Puget Sound explains why contrary to most cases, female lizards of Arizona’s south-eastern mountains are more colourful than males.

The female striped plateau lizards are more colourful than males – displaying an orange patch on their throats during reproductive season – and the more colourful the female, the … Read more >>.

New finding shows promise in the fight against Alzheimer’s

WASHINGTON – Scientists have discovered a new target for the prevention of adverse immune responses, which have been identified as factors in the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

The discovery was made by researchers at the University of South Florida’s Department of Psychiatry and the Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair.

The CD45 molecule is …. Original article  : New finding shows promise in the fight against Alzheimer’s.

Low socioeconomic status ‘ups depression risk in rheumatoid arthritis patients’

WASHINGTON – Low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with higher risk of depressive symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a new study has confirmed.

Statistically significant differences in race, public versus tertiary-care hospital, disability and medications were found between depressed and non-depressed patients.

Mary Margaretten, from the Arthritis Research Group at the University of California, … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Low socioeconomic status ‘ups depression risk in rheumatoid arthritis patients’.

Greenland ice sheet is safer than scientists previously believed

LONDON – Scientists have suggested that hotter summers may not be as catastrophic for the Greenland ice sheet as previously feared and may actually slow down the flow of glaciers.

Their study explains how increased melting in warmer years causes the internal … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Greenland ice sheet is safer than scientists previously believed.

Why we should let daughters play outside, even if they get a little dirty

WASHINGTON – A new study has proposed how parents may be making their daughters prone to more diseases just because they don’t want them to get dirty when they are young.

Oregon State University philosopher Sharyn Clough has said that our society socializes young girls differently from young boys. In … Read more >>.

Potential therapeutic target for improving long-term memory identified

LONDON – Scientists have identified a therapy that may enhance memory and prevent the loss of long-term memory.

Led by Cristina Alberini, Professor of Neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, the research team evaluated how a protein called insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II), a gene expressed during brain development that declines with aging, impacts memory … Read more : Potential therapeutic target for improving long-term memory identified.

Facebook couples ‘end up in bed quicker’

NEW YORK – Facebook, texting and other social networking tools make new couples to jump into bed faster, reveals a new US survey.

According that third annual sex survey by Shape and Men’s Fitness magazines, nearly four out of five women and three of five men say that digital intimacy leads to having sex faster, reports …. Source article  : Facebook couples ‘end up in bed quicker’.

‘Difficult’ patients ‘more likely to report worse symptoms’

WASHINGTON – A new study has shown that ‘difficult’ patient-clinician encounters have a negative impact on patients’ health outcomes in the short-term.

Sheri Hinchey from the Tripler Army Medical Centre in Honolulu and Jeffrey Jackson from the Zablocki VA Medical Centre in Milwaukee carried the study.

A total of 750 adults who attended a primary care …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : ‘Difficult’ patients ‘more likely to report worse symptoms’.

Mechanism that controls 24-hour clock of all forms of life discovered

LONDON – Scientists have discovered the mechanism that controls the internal 24-hour clock of all forms of life from human cells to algae.ot only does the research provide important insight into health-related problems linked to individuals with disrupted clocks – such as pilots and shift workers – it also indicates that the 24-hour circadian clock …. Source  : Mechanism that controls 24-hour clock of all forms of life discovered.

Looking at horizon will make you steady on ship

WASHINGTON – Everybody who has been aboard a ship has heard the advice — if you feel unsteady, look at the horizon. Researchers have found truth in that advice — people aboard a ship are steadier if they fix their eyes on the horizon.

Thomas A. Stoffregen of the University of Minnesota has been … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Looking at horizon will make you steady on ship.

Cold nights, warmer days in Punjab, Haryana

CHANDIGARH – In spite of a slight rise in the mercury during the day time, cold conditions continue to prevail during night and early morning in Punjab, Haryana and its joint capital Chandigarh.

“We have recorded a slight rise in the mercury during day time in all parts of Punjab and Haryana. However, there has … Read more : Cold nights, warmer days in Punjab, Haryana.

Our genome more closely related to orangutans than chimps

WASHINGTON – Although orangutans and humans are more distantly related, some regions of our genomes are more alike than those of our closest living relative, the chimpanzee, suggests a new study.

The fossil record helped to establish evolutionary relationships and estimate divergence times of the primate branch leading to humans, but not until the advent of …. Source  : Our genome more closely related to orangutans than chimps.

Cheap, flexible plastic solar panels to end developing countries’ power woes

LONDON – A new technology that uses plastic solar panels that are cheap as well as flexible is set to light up everything, from buildings to bus shelters.

Plastic photovoltaics (PV) are cheaper, lighter and easier to install compared to the silicon solar panels and because of its pliability, it can be used almost everywhere.

“If you’ve …. Source article  : Cheap, flexible plastic solar panels to end developing countries’ power woes.

Food-borne bug causes fatal heart infection

WASHINGTON – Researchers have found that particular strains of a food-borne bug are able to invade the heart, causing serious and difficult-to-treat infections.

The bacteria Listeria monocytogenes is commonly found in soft cheese and chilled ready-to-eat products.
Listeria infections are usually mild, but for susceptible individuals and the elderly, it can infect the …. Original article  : Food-borne bug causes fatal heart infection.

Increasing efficiency could cut global power usage by over 70pc

LONDON – A new study from the University of Cambridge found that if we were to make existing technologies more efficient, it could reduce global power usage by over 70 percent.

Julian Allwood and colleagues analysed several buildings, vehicles and industry and after applying the ‘best practice’ efficiency changes to them, they found that introducing such … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Increasing efficiency could cut global power usage by over 70pc.

Facebook blames bug for Zuckerberg’s account ‘hacking’

LONDON – Social networking site Facebook has blamed ‘a bug’ for an odd posting purporting to come from founder Mark Zuckerberg

The cryptic message was posted to the Facebook fan page in the name of the 26-year old billionaire founder. It called for the site to become a “social business” with investment from its users.

The message … Read : Facebook blames bug for Zuckerberg’s account ‘hacking’.