Science News – Newsletter for February 20, 2011

Energy drinks linked to psychotic episodes in people with mental illness

SYDNEY – An expert has warned that caffeinated energy drinks may trigger a psychotic episode in people with mental illness.

The warning was issued after a 27-year-old schizophrenic Maori man had two separate psychotic events a week apart following his intake of the drink ‘Demon Shot’.

Professor David Menkes said these events took place at a time … Original source on Gaea Times at : Energy drinks linked to psychotic episodes in people with mental illness.

Health warning for kids over new 3D games console

LONDON – Experts have raised health concerns over the new 3D games console that creates 3D images without the need for glasses and goes on sale in Japan this week.

The Nintendo 3DS promises unique ‘eye-popping’ entertainment, but ends up giving nausea, sore eyes and dizzying headaches, reports the Independent.

Already it carries a list of health … Read more >>>.

Kepler space telescope listens to ‘music of the stars’

LONDON – The Kepler space telescope is significantly better at measuring the sizes and ages of stars – when it ‘listens’ to the sounds they make.

Bill Chaplin of the University of Birmingham told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science that Kepler was an exquisite tool for what is called … Read more : Kepler space telescope listens to ‘music of the stars’.

‘Man boobs’ much more common than previously thought: Study

SYDNEY – Man boobs are every man’s worst nightmare. And the condition that causes it may be occurring more frequently than previously thought, according to a new study.

Researchers from Andrology Australia and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute said that up to half of those afflicted by Klinefelter syndrome – a genetic condition caused by an … Read : ‘Man boobs’ much more common than previously thought: Study.

Drinking a glass of wine daily ‘helps ward off dementia’

LONDON – Scientists have found that a daily cocktail or glass of wine could help delay dementia.

Their research has shown that alcohol is an anti-inflammatory (inflammation promotes Alzheimer’s) and raises good HDL cholesterol, which helps ward off dementia.

Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Centre in North Carolina found that older people who … Read more »»».

Forget taking appointments, an online GP is just a click away

LONDON – In future, you may not need to take an appointment to see your doctor at the hospital. ritain’s first online GP service DrThom surgery in Central London is responding to hundreds of medical queries, which flood into their email inboxes daily, reports the Daily Mail.

It offers a remote diagnosis service for a …. Read the original article  : Forget taking appointments, an online GP is just a click away.

10 ways to keep your mind sharp revealed

WASHINGTON – If you don’t want your brain to lose its prowess as you age, better follow these tips.

Do something

Scientists are starting to think that regular aerobic exercise may be the single most important thing you can do for the long-term health of your brain. For mental fitness, aim for at least 30 minutes …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Misty morning in Delhi, showers likely

NEW DELHI – A cold morning greeted Delhiites Sunday while a veil of mist covered parts of the city as the minimum temperature settled at 10.3 degrees Celsius, a notch below the average for the season. The weatherman forecast rain towards the evening.

“The sky was partly cloudy, and misty in the morning. The temperature … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Misty morning in Delhi, showers likely.

What users should know about new internet protocols

BERLIN – Many web surfers don’t know it, but the introduction of new internet address standards might change the way they get online.

Since the supply of usable addresses governed by the IPv4 standard (internet protocol, version 4) has been exhausted, IPv6 has now been introduced. This will allow a previously impossible variety of addresses, …. Original article  : What users should know about new internet protocols.

New satellites to be able to predict earthquakes

LONDON – A team of British and Russian scientists have launched a project that could predict when and where earthquakes will occur, and thus save thousands of lives.

An agreement to work together on the project, that was signed in Moscow, says the TwinSat project involves the launch of two satellites – one is about …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : New satellites to be able to predict earthquakes.

Retire old monkeys, urges Anderson; animals fine, says AIIMS

NEW DELHI – With Hollywood celebrity Pamela Anderson taking up the cause of the ageing monkeys kept caged at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the premier health institute Saturday insisted the animals are kept in upgraded and humane conditions.

Firstly, we are yet to ascertain the …. Original article  : Retire old monkeys, urges Anderson; animals fine, says AIIMS.

Scientists enhance efficacy of TB vaccine

WASHINGTON – Researchers have improved the efficacy of the vaccine for tuberculosis.

The work was done by Nele Festjens and Nico Callewaert of VIB and Ghent University.

The new vaccine affords – as already proven in mice – better protection against the disease.

“Our vaccine is more effective because it is more quickly recognized by the immune …. Read the original article  : Scientists enhance efficacy of TB vaccine.

Infants raised in bilingual households can distinguish unfamiliar languages

WASHINGTON – A psychologist at the University of British Columbia has revealed that infants raised in households where Spanish and Catalan are spoken can discriminate between English and French just by watching people speak, even though they have never been exposed to these new languages before.

Janet Werker’s latest findings provide further evidence that exposure to … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Infants raised in bilingual households can distinguish unfamiliar languages.

8 in 10 web browsers vulnerable to hackers, criminals

LONDON – A research has found that as many as 8 in 10 web browsers are vulnerable to hackers and criminals because they are not kept up-to-date.

The vast majority of users are not following the basic precaution of installing patches for known security holes, making them a relatively easy prey for identity thieves and other … Read : 8 in 10 web browsers vulnerable to hackers, criminals.

How misfolded protein spreads from cell to cell, potentially spreading disease

WASHINGTON – A new study has found that one misfolded protein may be all that’s necessary to corrupt other proteins, forming large aggregations linked to several incurable neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington’s, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Stanford biology Professor Ron Kopito has shown that the mutant, misfolded protein responsible for Huntington’s disease can move from cell to … Read more »»».

Why innocent suspects may confess to a crime

WASHINGTON – A new Iowa State University study has examined why innocent suspects may confess to a crime.

In two experiments simulating choices suspects face in police interrogations, undergraduate subjects altered their behavior to confess to illegal activities in order to relieve short-term distress (the proximal consequence) while discounting potential long-term (distal) consequences.

“The thing about these …. Original source  : Why innocent suspects may confess to a crime.

Multiple approaches needed to solve world’s food problems

WASHINGTON – A Penn State biologist has said that researchers need to use all available resources in an integrated approach to put agriculture on a path to solve the world’s food problems while reducing pollution.

“Using resources more efficiently is what it will take to put agriculture on a path to feed the expected future population …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Multiple approaches needed to solve world’s food problems.

Africa’s SKA telescope to shed light on the’dark ages’

WASHINGTON – With significant scientific breakthroughs, Africa’s bid to build the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope – which will for the first time provide mankind with detailed pictures of the ‘dark ages’ 13.7 billion years back in time – is gaining momentum.

An important milestone was reached with the ‘detection of fringes’ in a joint very … Original source on Gaea Times at : Africa’s SKA telescope to shed light on the’dark ages’.

Depression increases over time for addiction-prone women

WASHINGTON – A new study led by University of Michigan Health System researchers has found that unlike alcohol problems and antisocial behavior, depression doesn’t decline with age in addiction-prone women in their 30s and 40s – it continues to increase.

The longitudinal analysis examined the influences of the women’s histories, family life and neighborhood instability [..] Read the original article: here.

New device to detect lung pathogens causing pneumonia

LONDON – Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a new sampling device that could prevent thousands of people worldwide from dying of pneumonia each year.

The new device called PneumoniaCheck is a solution to the problem of diagnosing pneumonia.

Pneumonia, an inflammation of the lungs, kills about 2.4 million people each year. The problem … Read more »»».