Science News – Newsletter for February 5, 2011

Saturday, February 5, 2011

HPV vaccine also works for boys: Study

LONDON – A new multi-center study led by H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and UCSF has revealed that the vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV) can prevent 90 percent of genital warts in men when offered before exposure to the four HPV strains covered by the vaccine.

The four-year, international clinical trial, which also found a nearly …. Original article : HPV vaccine also works for boys: Study.

7 new species of fish discovered

WASHINGTON – Using modern genetic analysis, combined with traditional examination of morphology, scientists at the Smithsonian Institution and the Ocean Science Foundation have discovered that what were once thought to be three species of blenny in the genus Starksia are actually 10 distinct species.

Starksia blennies, small (less than 2 inches) fish with elongated bodies, … Read more >>>.

Dating site uses pictures, names of 250,000 unsuspecting Facebook users

LONDON – A dating site has taken the personal information of 250,000 Facebook users and reproduced it without their knowledge.

The creators of Lovely-faces.com, Paolo Cirio and Alessandro Ludovic, use the names and photos of Facebook members and then give users the option to “arrange a date” with the unsuspecting volunteers.

It then leads the users …. Source : Gaea News Network.

Jumping genes may tell why people have varied looks, disease risks

WASHINGTON – A Johns Hopkins study has identified ‘jumping genes’ in humans that may one day explain why people have such varied physical traits and disease risks.

Using bioinformatics to compare the standard assembly of genetic elements, the team revealed 1,016 new insertions of RIPs, or retrotransposon insertion polymorphisms, thereby expanding the catalog of insertions that … Original source on Gaea Times at : Jumping genes may tell why people have varied looks, disease risks.

New iPhone app lets you spot skin cancer

LONDON – Your iPhone can be turned into a skin cancer detection gadget with the help of a new product available on the market known as Handyscope.

The remarkable new tool plugs into the Apple smartphone and using an app converts it into a dermatascope – which doctors use when looking for melanoma.

The device uses …. Original article : New iPhone app lets you spot skin cancer.

Couples’ way of talking can predict relationship success

WASHINGTON – People who speak in similar styles are more compatible, according to a new study.

People tend to be attracted to, date, and marry other people who resemble themselves in terms of personality, values, and physical appearance. However, these features only skim the surface of what makes a relationship work. The ways that people talk … Read more »».

Unemployed people ’suffer from health problems more often’

WASHINGTON – A new study has shown that compared to people in employment, men and women who are unemployed suffer more often and longer from both physical and emotional complaints.

The GEDA study (Gesundheit in Deutschland Aktuell, or Current Health in Germany) was carried out in 2008-2009 by the Robert Koch Institute.

The results showed that …. Source article : Unemployed people ’suffer from health problems more often’.

Polygamous mice ‘have more fertile offspring’

WASHINGTON – A new study in mice has suggested that multiple partners may be the key to agile sperm that get the job done.

Researchers Renee Firman and Leigh Simmons at the University of Western Australia found that after only 12 generations, mice brought up in a polygamous mating group developed stronger and faster sperm and …. Source article on Gaea Times at : Polygamous mice ‘have more fertile offspring’.

Why aliens never get in touch with us

WASHINGTON – A team of scientists has said that no matter how much we try to contact extra terrestrial life, we may never get any response because we are going about it all wrong.

Humans began sending messages into space, starting in 1994 with transmission sent using the Arecibo radio telescope to a star cluster 25,000 … Read more : Why aliens never get in touch with us.

New study explains how brain knows what the nose smells

LONDON – We know that a scent picked up by nose receptors travels to the brain, but how the brain processes these smells has never been explained until now.

Stanford researchers used a new technique that makes it possible to map long-distance nerve connections in the brain.

The technique mapped for the first time the path that … Original source on Gaea Times at : New study explains how brain knows what the nose smells.

Kids who regularly text message ‘have better literacy skills’

LONDON – Scientists have claimed that children who are fluent at text messaging have better literacy skills than youngsters who do not use mobile phones.

Researchers discovered that rather than destroying their use of English, texting improves children’s ability to recognise rhymes and speech patterns.

The ten-year study, funded by the British Academy, examined the effect of … Read more : Kids who regularly text message ‘have better literacy skills’.

NASA to reveal first views of the entire Sun on super Sun-day

WASHINGTON – For the first time, NASA is all set to release of the first complete view of the Sun’s entire surface and atmosphere on at 11 a.m. EST on Sunday, Feb 6.

The views will enable significant advances in space weather forecasting for Earth, and improve planning for future robotic or crewed spacecraft missions throughout …. Original article on Gaea Times at : NASA to reveal first views of the entire Sun on super Sun-day.

‘World’s first astronomers’ Aborigines created a sundial 10,000yrs ago

LONDON – A new find from Australia has suggested that ancient Aboriginal tribes were the world’s first astronomers.

Scientists at Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in Canberra discovered a pile of old rocks laid out in a particular manner to map the progress of the sun – to create a primitive form of sundial.

“These …. Original source : ‘World’s first astronomers’ Aborigines created a sundial 10,000yrs ago.

Scientists find gene critical in protection against some heart diseases

WASHINGTON – Researchers at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine have found a gene which is critical to heart function.

In mice that were predisposed to dilated cardiomyopathy, the team found that the gene was absent.

The big discovery came when the researchers were able to prevent the mice from developing the disease … Original article on : Scientists find gene critical in protection against some heart diseases.

Google receives a staggering 75,000 job applications in one week

LONDON – As Google launches a huge recruitment spree, the Internet giant received as many as 75,000 job applications in a week, it has emerged.

Previously, the company, based in Mountain View, California, held a record for the highest number of job applications when they hired a raft of new workers in May 2007.

But the latest …. Source : Google receives a staggering 75,000 job applications in one week.

Social and emotional learning programs boost students’ skills

WASHINGTON – A new study has found that social and emotional learning programs improve students’ attitudes and behaviors, and in some cases, even boost academic performance.

Researchers at Loyola University Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago analysed more than 200 school-based social and emotional learning programs for the study.

In the first large-scale meta-analysis of … Read more >>>.

Stone-age era fertility artifact of ‘woman with spread legs’ found in Poland

WASHINGTON – A Stone-Age era artifact carved with multiple zigzags and what appears to be a woman with spread legs has been found in Poland.

The discovery suggests that fertility rituals may have been important to early Europeans.

Nearly 10,900 years old object, made out of a large elk antler and has been radiocarbon dated to, …. Read the original article : Stone-age era fertility artifact of ‘woman with spread legs’ found in Poland.