Science News:
In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, it was noticed that there were cuts in the budget to the Environmental Protection Agency. The rationale was that we needed to shift more funds to the global and perpetual war...
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Posted on May 2, 2008 12:27 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Here at ScienceBlogs, we've regularly posted about the thorny issue of antibiotic overuse, and the subsequent antibiotic resistance. This is a good example of evolution in action; it's also a good reason why we need to study and understand evolution....
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Posted on April 15, 2008 8:57 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
GrrlScientist wrote a post last month about a potential genetic test for bipolar disorder. Read that first to get some background. Now, it turns out that a company is selling a testing kit that you can use yourself, in the...
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Posted on March 24, 2008 8:57 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
There is a new website, Encyclopedia of Life. It is an online resource that aims "to document all species of life on Earth." One featured species is Pissodes strobi (Peck), the White pine weevil. The site currently contains: About 25...
Posted on March 17, 2008 7:48 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Do cell phones decrease male fertility? Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic think so. According to Ashok Agarwal, et. al., greater use of cell phones is associated with decreased sprem count. Other factors, such as sperm motility, are diminished as well....
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Posted on February 18, 2008 8:07 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Deputy Dog has a post detailing "5 unbelievably cool research facilities." The one shown here is the Z Machine, at the Sandia National Lab in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Sandia Labs have more than one location.) This device produces X-rays. Sure,...
Posted on January 21, 2008 8:40 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Roche Molecular Diagnostics offers a test that can determine which type of genes a person has for enzymes that metabolize antidepressant medication. The test costs $ 300 to $400, and can be ordered by healthcare professionals, or by consumers. The...
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Posted on December 23, 2007 10:02 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
For years, universities have struggled to find ways to move esoteric technologies from the lab to the commercial sector. Now, scientists at UC Merced have begun to grapple with another problem: how to move technology from the toy shop into...
Posted on November 29, 2007 12:36 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Any time something related to a medical use for cannabis is found, it makes headlines. Mostly, the interest is generated by the relationship to an illegal drug. Sometimes, though, the media do a decent job of reporting the real issue....
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Posted on November 20, 2007 9:01 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Actually, the full headline is: Genetic test for suicidal ideation in patients using antidepressant drugs. A company called Neuromark has made available a genetic test that it claims can identify persons who would have an increased risk for suicide after...
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Posted on October 1, 2007 6:49 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
I just love things like this. An open-access article in PNAS reports on a previously-unknown method of signaling employed by squirrels. The squirrels have a way of enhancing a tail-flagging movement with an IR signal. The IR enhancement is...
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Posted on August 20, 2007 11:56 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
There is new information indicating that an oxytocin nasal spray could be used to treat shyness. Oxytocin is a peptide hormone best known for its role in childbirth and breastfeeding. These are known as peripheral actions, meaning they take...
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Posted on July 18, 2007 7:04 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
An editorial published in Nature indicates that security problems at US biodefense labs are widespread.
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Posted on July 15, 2007 12:08 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
We are most accustomed to seeing power generation windmills on dry land, here in the USA. In Europe, some are on land and some are offshore. They generally are considered eyesores. Myself, I think they are beautiful. I love to...
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Posted on July 9, 2007 12:02 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Speciation is the formation of new species of organisms. Often, the term is used to describe an event in the course of evolution in which one species gets divided into two groups, after which the process of genetic change occurs...
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Posted on July 7, 2007 10:10 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Problem: Flyaway cat hair. Backgound: Cats require brushing. If the cat has long hair, and the humidity is low, brushing the cat will release cat hair into the lower layer of the atmosphere. This hair will get on your clothes,...
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Posted on June 16, 2007 9:02 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Add this to the list of environmental worries: The generation of electricity is a highly water-intensive process. It takes three times as much water to produce the electricity needed for a home, than the water used in that home....
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Posted on April 18, 2007 12:07 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Dust Dampens Hurricane Formation I'm hardly an expert, but it appears that there is some evidence that the amount of dust in the air over the Atlantic is a factor in determining the severity of the hurricane season. More...
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Posted on April 17, 2007 11:48 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Not only that, but the genetically modified "organism" is an engineered HIV. At least, that is what researchers at Emory College in London are contemplating. Disabled Aids virus could provide cure for cystic fibrosis Mark Henderson, Science Editor March 19,...
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Posted on March 20, 2007 9:29 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Everyone's heard of blue lasers by now. Some people have them in their homes. The reason they are important, is that blue light has a shorter wavelength than the red lasers that were used in the first CD and DVD...
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Posted on March 15, 2007 9:04 AM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The playoffs are not even underway in the 2007 Science Spring Showdown, yet already the teams are maneuvering for any advantage they can get. The match-ups are so even, that everyone knows it is the intangibles that will make a...
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Posted on March 14, 2007 6:01 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
A while back, I wrote (twice) about the nettlesome issue of endocrine disruptors. A more detailed post was offered at Terra Sig. The reason this is a nettlesome problem is that it is an area with potentially huge implications, but...
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Posted on March 5, 2007 9:21 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
In case you did not know, there is going to be a lunar eclipse tomorrow night. By itself, that is not terribly unusual. What is unusual about this event, though, is that at some times and places, it will be...
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Posted on March 2, 2007 7:43 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Notice the prominent use of the word "potential." That is potential as in may or may not ever come to anything. As word of these potential treatments gets out, we can expect that unscrupulous persons will try to market things...
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Posted on January 10, 2007 7:32 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The big Pharma news of the day is that Pzifer is marketing (Slentrol®), a drug to help obese dogs lose weight. Dirlotapide, also known as N-{(1S)-2-[benzyl(methyl)amino]- 2-oxo-1-phenylethyl}-1-methyl-5-[4'-(trifluoromethyl)biphenyl- 2-carboxamido]-1H-indol-2-carboxamide, is definitely not recommended for humans: Slentrol (dirlotapide) Goes to the...
Posted on January 6, 2007 3:47 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The Richat Structure is not a structure in the usual sense. It is a natural feature located in the Sahara Desert of Mauritania. It is unusual because it is nearly circular. It was first observed from space, in 1965, by...
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Posted on January 6, 2007 7:46 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
NEJM has a very interesting article about the use of PET scans to differentiate between persons with normal cognitive function, those with mild cognitive dysfunction, and those with Alzheimer Disease (AD). Unfortunately, you need a subscription to view the full...
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Posted on December 27, 2006 8:14 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Usually, doctors post radiology quizzes with odd clinical findings, or sometimes odd things that people have swallowed, or gotten into their bodies through other means. But this particular image has nothing to do with medicine, or even traditional radiology. Rather,...
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Posted on December 6, 2006 7:58 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Rehabilitation of disused industrial sites has been a costly and contentious issue in urban planning. Sites that are mildly or moderately contaminated are called brownfields. Research is underway to see if some brownfields can be used to grow crops, specifically...
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Posted on November 18, 2006 6:58 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
I've quietly worried about this for a few years, but now I have company. Increased temperatures, combined with increased climate variability, could have a significant effect on human health worldwide. Diseases Appear on Rise With Temperature Nov 14, 5:51 PM...
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Posted on November 15, 2006 10:05 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
I've long been a fan of LED lighting, thinking that it holds a lot of promise for reducing electricity demands. Early on in the development of light emitting diodes, it became apparent that they produced a lot of light and...
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Posted on November 5, 2006 9:24 AM • 11 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Art Z over at Cheerful Curmudgeon links to an interesting story about subterranean bacteria that derive energy from radioactive uranium. "What really gets my juices flowing is the possibility of life below the surface of Mars," said Tullis Onstott,...
Posted on October 29, 2006 7:22 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
No, it is not the name of a new rock band. It is a phenomenon that is increasing in frequency in the world's oceans. The dead zones are areas with very low oxygen content, so low that nothing can live...
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Posted on October 19, 2006 9:33 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
There has been talk of this for a while. At first, I did not think it would be feasible, but it appears that progress is being made: Doc at a Distance By Jacob Rosen and Blake Hannaford Robot surgeons promise...
Posted on October 18, 2006 8:07 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
NASA is working on a new type of speech recognition. Rather than analyzing sounds, it detects nerve impulses in the throat. The user does not have to speak out loud. Instead, the user merely thinks about speaking, much as one...
Posted on October 15, 2006 9:12 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
N-[4(2-Amino-4-hydroxy-pteridin-6-ylmethylamino)-benzoyl]-L(+)-glutamic acid is the name of a vitamin. Since the full name is a bit awkward, it is more commonly known as folic acid, or folate. The common name is derived from the Latin word for leaf (follium). It...
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Posted on October 4, 2006 7:41 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
I am not feeling well today, so here is a low-overhead (for me) set of links. Anything thoughtful that goes up here yesterday, today, or tomorrow was written ahead of time, and scheduled. Anyway, here goes: Stem Cell Transplantation Safely...
Posted on September 25, 2006 4:09 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Frank O'Donnell, writing at TomPaine.com, has an article about the RWOS as applied to clean air regulation. It turns out that the EPA has developed new air quality standards for the control of particulate matter pollution. But the new rules...
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Posted on September 24, 2006 8:38 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
I find it interesting that one of the recipients of a Lasker Clinical Research Award this year was Aaron Beck. Dr. Beck is a psychiatrist. He is widely regarded as the originator of cognitive therapy. The rationale is outlined in...
Posted on September 20, 2006 9:08 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
I'll be curious to see if there turns out to be a parallel between what is happening now in the auto industry, and what happens in the future in the computing industry. We recently passed the 25th anniversary of...
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Posted on September 20, 2006 8:35 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The adjective extreme has been extremely overused in recent years. For example, I recently saw a sign in a gas station that advertised an Extreme Meal Deal: a hot dog, chips, and soda for $2.49. But Extreme Drug Resistant...
Posted on September 11, 2006 9:12 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The little guy pictured to the left is dapoxetine, a drug under development for the treatment of premature ejaculation. I wrote about this before, in the context of recent criticism of the pharmaceutical industry. Some have argued that the...
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Posted on September 9, 2006 7:22 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Via the Christian Science Monitor: Formerly a part of Yugoslavia, and on the brink of ethnic war only a few years ago, Macedonia has become what may be the first "wireless country" in the world. With $3.9 million from the...
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Posted on September 5, 2006 8:04 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Years ago, I read a paper in which the authors proposed a model, in which the immune system was conceptualized as a sensory organ for the central nervous system. They did not think of it as the primary purpose of...
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Posted on August 25, 2006 8:06 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The Washington Post today has an article on Brazil's milestone achievement: this year, their oil exports will equal or exceed their imports. This is significant for a few reasons. For one, it shows that it can be done, at least...
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Posted on August 20, 2006 11:39 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Scientific American has an article in which the author reviews research into the expertise of chess players. He ponders the questions of what makes an expert player an expert, how is the problem-solving strategy of an expert different from that...
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Posted on August 19, 2006 8:03 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
I just love this story. A long time ago, before ScienceBlogs even existed, people were out there in the wild, searching for a bird called the ivory-billed woodpecker. Grrlscientist has been keeping us updated on the search, and has...
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Posted on August 16, 2006 7:41 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
In 1969, after yet another arrest, Flint native John Sinclair was sentenced to 9.5 yrs in prison. The egregious disproportionality of the sentence led to rallying cries of FREE JOHN SINCLAIR! Last December, I went to a pub in...
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Posted on August 11, 2006 11:46 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
American Scientist has an article about the potential for controlling mosquito-borne diseases, by genetically modifying the insects to make then inhospitable to malaria and dengue. (Most of their articles are subscription-only, but this one is openly accessible.) I mention this...
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Posted on July 23, 2006 7:42 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
This is a follow-up to the post from a couple of days ago. It might not make a lot of sense unless you have read that post, or are otherwise familiar with the issues regarding genetically-modified crops. In general, there...
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Posted on July 19, 2006 8:12 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
A friend and colleague of mine drives around in a cute little VW bug powered by biodiesel. There's a peace sign on the front of it, which helps it get better mileage. But peace sign or not, there has been...
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Posted on July 14, 2006 12:00 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Sarah Berga, et. al. presented a paper at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Prague, about the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy for treatment of infertility. It this post, I elaborate on some of the details...
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Posted on June 27, 2006 5:25 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
In 2004, a company called Allerca started taking $250 deposits for cats that it intended to produce. It said that the cats would not provoke allergies in humans. In a CNN article: Cat allergies are caused by a potent protein...
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Posted on June 11, 2006 8:09 PM • 27 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
