Science News – Newsletter for February 27, 2011

Hundreds of ascetics march to save Yamuna

MATHURA – Hundreds of sadhus (ascetics) and Lord Krishna devotees from Mathura have left for Allahabad to begin their long march to New Delhi against pollution in the Yamuna river.

The sadhus of Braj Mandal — Mathura, Vrindavan, Goverdhan and Barsana — will begin the march from Sangam in Allahabad to the national capital [..] Read the original article: here.

Teenage birds sing better in female’s presence

WASHINGTON – Teenage male songbirds seem to improve their performance in the presence of female birds, new research says.

The finding sheds light on how social cues could offer insights into the way humans learn speech and other motor skills, and opens the way for rehabilitating people with brain injuries.
Like humans, songbirds learn … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Teenage birds sing better in female’s presence.

Meet the man who cooks nitrogen-dipped burgers, ultrasonic French fries!

WASHINGTON – Nathan Myhrvold believes that cooking is not just an art, but a science too – meet the man who cooks nitrogen-dipped burgers and ultrasonic French fries.

Author of 2,400-page, 625-dollar self-published book, ‘Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking’, Myhrvold, a former technology chief for Microsoft, combines science and his culinary skills to … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Meet the man who cooks nitrogen-dipped burgers, ultrasonic French fries!.

Shaped pulses could make opaque film see-through

London, Feb 27 (ANI): A non-invasive technique for targeting cancer cells may soon become a reality, thanks to researchers who have found a new way of providing crystal clear vision through an opaque layer.

Some opaque materials allow small amounts of light through if they are in a thin enough layer. But as light passes through …. Source article  : Shaped pulses could make opaque film see-through.

Now, an iPhone app to find parking spots!

WASHINGTON – The headache of finding a parking space in a busy city may soon be eliminated by a new app available for iPhone users.

This 1.99-dollar app, called Parker, was created by San Francisco-based company Streetline in an attempt to bring the concept of parking into the 21st century, reports ABC News.

Parker works with a … Read : Now, an iPhone app to find parking spots!.

Shaped pulses could make opaque film see-through

LONDON – A non-invasive technique for targeting cancer cells may soon become a reality, thanks to researchers who have found a new way of providing crystal clear vision through an opaque layer.

Some opaque materials allow small amounts of light through if they are in a thin enough layer. But as light passes through the layer …. Read the original article  : Shaped pulses could make opaque film see-through.

Plankton shed light on Earth’s ancient atmosphere

WASHINGTON – Researchers have found that plankton play a large part in understanding the origin of Earth’s first breathable atmosphere.

In a study, Ohio State University researcher Matthew Saltzman and his colleagues show how plankton provided a critical link between the atmosphere and chemical isotopes stored in rocks 500 million years ago.

This work builds on the …. Original article  : Plankton shed light on Earth’s ancient atmosphere.

Web-based tool supports sustainable living choices

WASHINGTON – Those who want to live sustainably can now measure their impact on the environment. Scientists have created a Web-based tool that calculates an individual’s ‘nitrogen footprint.’

The device was developed by University of Virginia environmental scientist James N. Galloway; Allison Leach, a staff research assistant at U.Va.; and colleagues from the Netherlands and … Read more : Web-based tool supports sustainable living choices.

Tracking device can tell you where your kids are

LONDON – Would you like to have the security of being able to find your children whenever you want? Then read this.

A wristwatch with a built-in tracking device can tell you exactly where your kids are – and allow you to speak to them at the flick of a button.

Edinburgh-based former acting Lance Corporal Dean …. Original article  : Tracking device can tell you where your kids are.

Himachal to see more rain, snowfall

SHIMLA – Himachal Pradesh may see more rain and snowfall till Wednesday due to which the region’s cold wave will continue, an official said Sunday.

“Moderate snowfall and rain are likely to occur at many places until March 2,” a met department official said.
The higher reaches in Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti, Shimla, Kangra, Kullu … Read more >>>.

Infants, toddlers too suffer mental illness

WASHINGTON – A new research has shown that infants and toddlers can suffer serious mental health disorders, yet they are unlikely to receive treatment that could prevent lasting developmental problems.

One barrier to mental health care for young children is “the pervasive, but mistaken, impression that young children do not develop mental health problems and are … Original article on : Infants, toddlers too suffer mental illness.

Endurance exercise thwarts premature aging

WASHINGTON – A study by McMaster University researchers has found that endurance exercise may stop you looking and feeling old, it may even help you live longer.

“We have clearly shown that there is no substitute for the “real thing” of exercise when it comes to protection from aging,” said Mark Tarnopolsky, principal investigator of the … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Endurance exercise thwarts premature aging.

Can clams help clean oil-filled waters?

WASHINGTON – Researchers at Southeastern Louisiana University are studying the lowly Rangia clam, common in the waters of Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas and other brackish bodies of water, to determine whether they can help in cleaning oil-polluted waters.

The research is an outgrowth of the work that Phillip Voegel, assistant professor of chemistry, and one of … Read more »».

Oz women warned not to put motherhood on ice

SYDNEY – An increasing number of women are choosing to freeze their eggs for social reasons in the hope they will be able to have a child when they are older.

Now, experts in Australia have slammed fertility clinics in the country for giving false hopes to women whose fertility is declining, reports the Sydney …. Read the original article  : Oz women warned not to put motherhood on ice.

A cup of tea can improve brain power

LONDON – A new study has suggested that drinking tea not only improves brain power, but also reduces tiredness and increases alertness, thereby improving the performance.

For the study, Dutch researchers looked at the effect of key chemicals found in tea on the mental performance of 44 young volunteers, reports the Daily Mail.

The effects of these … Read more >>.

Study could lead to new ways of curtailing reproduction in harmful insects

WASHINGTON – A new study has suggested that insects continue to influence each other on molecular, cellular and physiological levels-even after the partners go separate ways once mating is done.

Mariana Wolfner, Cornell professor of molecular biology and genetics, said that molecules transferred from male to female fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) during mating cause a variety …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Study could lead to new ways of curtailing reproduction in harmful insects.

Scientists discover a new way insulin-producing cells die

WASHINGTON – Scientists in Italy and Texas have discovered a previously unknown cause of the death of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, a core defect in diabetes.

They discovered that the cells can die because of a toxic imbalance of a molecule secreted by other pancreatic cells

“Our study shows that neighboring cells called alpha cells … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Scientists discover a new way insulin-producing cells die.

Viral infection unlikely to advance deadly lung disease

WASHINGTON – A study conducted by researchers from the U.S., Korea and Japan has found that acute viral infection is not a primary cause of acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a progressive, deadly disease resulting in thickening and scarring of the lungs.

Previous studies had suggested viral infection might cause exacerbation of IPF in …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

How HIV reactivates after entering a dormant state

WASHINGTON – A new study, conducted by US researchers, enhances the current knowledge of how human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1), which causes AIDS, controls the cell cycle of cells that it infects.

The new findings offer insights into how the virus reactivates after entering a dormant state, called latency.

“As we better understand the biological events …. Original source  : How HIV reactivates after entering a dormant state.

Space shuttle Discovery docks with ISS for final time

Moscow, Feb 27 (IANS/RIA Novosti) “What took you guys so long?” the commander of the International Space Station (ISS) asked the crew of US space shuttle Discovery, after it successfully docked at the ISS for its 13th and final mission.

Discovery Commander Steve Lindsey performed the manoeuvre at 2.14 p.m., while the two spacecraft were …. Original article  : Space shuttle Discovery docks with ISS for final time.