ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Big advance against cystic fibrosis: Stem cell researchers create lung surface tissue in a dish
• Scientists redraw the blueprint of the body's biological clock
• Detecting breast cancer's fingerprint in a droplet of blood
• Breakthrough in IOP regulation in fight against glaucoma
• Baseball: Beanballs and the psychology of revenge
• Banned antibiotics found in poultry products
• Manipulating the immune system to develop 'next-gen' vaccines
• New stem cell line provides safe, prolific source for disease modeling and transplant studies
• Heightened sensitivity to cheap, high-calorie food is linked with obesity
• Tackling dyslexia before kids learn to read
• To prevent leukemia's dreaded return, go for the stem cells
• Nature and nurture: World‐first discovery sheds new light on congenital birth defects
• Disarming disease-causing bacteria
• Handheld plasma flashlight rids skin of notorious pathogens
• Asthma: A vaccination that works using intramuscular injection
• Why some pain drugs become less effective over time

Big advance against cystic fibrosis: Stem cell researchers create lung surface tissue in a dish Posted: 05 Apr 2012 07:48 PM PDT Stem cell researchers have taken a critical step in making possible the discovery in the relatively near future of a drug to control cystic fibrosis, a fatal lung disease that claims about 500 lives each year, with 1,000 new cases diagnosed annually.

Scientists redraw the blueprint of the body's biological clock Posted: 05 Apr 2012 07:44 PM PDT The discovery of a major gear in the biological clock that tells the body when to sleep and metabolize food may lead to new drugs to treat sleep problems and metabolic disorders, including diabetes.

Detecting breast cancer's fingerprint in a droplet of blood Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:16 AM PDT The earlier breast cancer is detected, the better the chance of successful treatment and long-term survival. However, early cancer diagnosis is still challenging as testing by mammography remains cumbersome, costly, and in many cases, cancer can only be detected at an advanced stage. Scientists have now developed a new microfluidics-based microarray that could one day radically change how and when cancer is diagnosed.

Breakthrough in IOP regulation in fight against glaucoma Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:15 AM PDT Medical researchers have gained new insight regarding the regulation of intraocular pressure (IOP) in glaucoma -- an irreversible blinding disease that causes progressive visual impairment due to optic nerve damage and is the leading cause of blindness worldwide.

Baseball: Beanballs and the psychology of revenge Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:15 AM PDT Baseball fans exhibit a high moral tolerance for a form of revenge not otherwise practiced in most of contemporary society: avenging a teammate who has been hit by a pitch by aiming a pitch at an opposing batter who was not previously involved. New research suggests that such systems of vicarious retribution, found throughout history, may not depend on an underlying assignment of moral responsibility.

Banned antibiotics found in poultry products Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:14 AM PDT Researchers have found evidence suggesting that a class of antibiotics previously banned by the US government for poultry production is still in use.

Manipulating the immune system to develop 'next-gen' vaccines Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:14 AM PDT The discovery of how a vital immune cell recognizes dead and damaged body cells could modernize vaccine technology by "tricking" cells into launching an immune response, leading to next-generation vaccines that are more specific, more effective and have fewer side-effects.

New stem cell line provides safe, prolific source for disease modeling and transplant studies Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:14 AM PDT Researchers have generated a new type of human stem cell that can develop into numerous types of specialized cells, including functioning pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin. Called endodermal progenitor cells, the new cells show two important advantages over embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells: they do not form tumors when transplanted into animals, and they can form functional pancreatic beta cells in the laboratory.

Heightened sensitivity to cheap, high-calorie food is linked with obesity Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:14 AM PDT A major reason for the dramatic increase in obesity may be a heightened sensitivity to heavily advertised and easily accessible high-calorie foods.

Tackling dyslexia before kids learn to read Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:14 AM PDT For children with dyslexia, the trouble begins even before they start reading and for reasons that don't necessarily reflect other language skills. This study for the first time reveals a causal connection between early problems with visual attention and a later diagnosis of dyslexia.

To prevent leukemia's dreaded return, go for the stem cells Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:14 AM PDT Researchers have found a way to stop leukemia stem cells in their tracks. The advance in mice suggests that a combination approach to therapy might stamp out chronic myeloid leukemia for good.

Nature and nurture: World‐first discovery sheds new light on congenital birth defects Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:12 AM PDT Scientists have made a landmark discovery that could help women minimize or even avoid the risk of having a baby born with congenital birth defects.

Disarming disease-causing bacteria Posted: 05 Apr 2012 06:29 AM PDT Scientists could produce new antibacterial treatments by disarming the molecular pumps bacteria use to bring disease-causing molecules in contact with animals and humans.

Handheld plasma flashlight rids skin of notorious pathogens Posted: 04 Apr 2012 06:00 PM PDT Scientists have developed a handheld, battery-powered plasma-producing device that can rid skin of bacteria in an instant.

Asthma: A vaccination that works using intramuscular injection Posted: 04 Apr 2012 07:29 AM PDT Asthma is a chronic inflammatory and respiratory disease caused by an abnormal reactivity to allergens in the environment. Of the several avenues of exploration that are currently being developed, vaccination appears to be the most promising approach. Scientists have now revealed an innovative vaccine against one of the allergens most frequently encountered in asthma patients.

Why some pain drugs become less effective over time Posted: 03 Apr 2012 02:19 PM PDT Researchers have identified how neural cells are able to build up resistance to opioid pain drugs within hours.

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ScienceDaily: Living Well News

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• New index identifies periods when global stock markets might decline
• Baseball: Beanballs and the psychology of revenge
• US students need new way of learning science
• Heightened sensitivity to cheap, high-calorie food is linked with obesity

New index identifies periods when global stock markets might decline Posted: 05 Apr 2012 11:22 AM PDT Researchers have found a way to measure the likelihood of global stock market losses by identifying periods in which shocks may be more likely to spread across many national markets. This "fragility index" identifies periods in which international equity markets are more susceptible to widespread pull-backs by identifying common risk exposures. The index identifies when systemic risk exposure is high in markets across multiple countries, and shows an increasing probability of a global stock market draw-down.

Baseball: Beanballs and the psychology of revenge Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:15 AM PDT Baseball fans exhibit a high moral tolerance for a form of revenge not otherwise practiced in most of contemporary society: avenging a teammate who has been hit by a pitch by aiming a pitch at an opposing batter who was not previously involved. New research suggests that such systems of vicarious retribution, found throughout history, may not depend on an underlying assignment of moral responsibility.

US students need new way of learning science Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:14 AM PDT American students need a dramatically new approach to improve how they learn science, says a noted group of scientists and educators.

Heightened sensitivity to cheap, high-calorie food is linked with obesity Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:14 AM PDT A major reason for the dramatic increase in obesity may be a heightened sensitivity to heavily advertised and easily accessible high-calorie foods.

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ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• New threat to birds posed by invasive pythons in Florida
• Initial stages by which giant gypsum crystals form
• Fasting for Lent forces hyenas to change diet

New threat to birds posed by invasive pythons in Florida Posted: 05 Apr 2012 07:48 PM PDT Scientists have uncovered a new threat posed by invasive Burmese pythons in Florida and the Everglades: The snakes are not only eating the area's birds, but also the birds' eggs straight from the nest. The results of this research add a new challenge to the area's already heavily taxed native wildlife.

Initial stages by which giant gypsum crystals form Posted: 05 Apr 2012 11:21 AM PDT Gypsum is a naturally occurring mineral which is often used in industrial processes and which in nature, if left alone for thousands of years, can grow into huge translucent, towering and eerie, crystals more than 10 meters tall. These are famed for their beauty in places such as the Cave of Crystals in Mexico. Nevertheless, the formation of gypsum has until now been largely unexplored.

Fasting for Lent forces hyenas to change diet Posted: 05 Apr 2012 04:52 AM PDT Many Christians give up certain foods for Lent, however ecologists have discovered these changes in human diet have a dramatic impact on the diet of wild animals. In Ethiopia, members of the Orthodox Tewahedo Church stop eating meat and dairy products during a 55-day fast before Easter. As a result, spotted hyenas too change their eating habits.

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The Cynical Girl: America Has Given Up: LAX Edition

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America Has Given Up: LAX Edition Posted: 05 Apr 2012 03:45 AM PDT American Airlines jacked me so hard. Last Friday, they claimed that air traffic control caused delays at ORD. Without any solution to my travel woes, they planned to ditch me in Chicago overnight with no connecting flight until the next afternoon. No promise of a hotel, either. “Not our fault.” And I have status on that airline. Okay, fine, not your fault? Fix it. Just bloody fix it. Well, they offered me a trip through LAX to RDU on Delta (thank god) with an eight-hour layover. Fine, okay, eight hours. I got a car. I drove around. I went to the beach. Then I went back to LAX and wept for humanity. First up, I have access to the Delta Sky Club and counted that as a blessing — except that it was filled with the freakiest people I’ve seen in a very long time. Take a look at this guy. He was snoring in a chair. Then he decided that the chair wasn’t comfortable so he sat on the table for about 20 minutes. Took a nap. Enjoyed the finer moments in life. Then he woke up, stumbled to a bar that is really just a self-service counter with vodka and Nutella, and got into an argument with another man who was wearing a 1980s ladies suit. Of course. Because shit is cray in Los Angeles. “Why won’t you serve me, god dammit!” “Sir, I don’t work here.” “God dammit…” It went on & on. Hilarious but kind of sad. “Who’s on first? You’re drunk!” That kind of exchange makes me laugh and count my blessings. In the meantime, some hipster dudes from Minneapolis caught the whole thing on an iPhone. They started to upload it. I said, “Yeah, uh, you probably don’t want to do that. Doesn’t seem nice. But if you do, I want a copy.” I’m already thinking of this post. One dude says, “Well… we might not publish it… but if we do, here’s our card.” Hm. Then one of those very same hipster dudes sits down and starts strumming on his guitar. Oh, right okay, that’s not less obnoxious than the drunk guy yelling at a man in a very ugly suit. And just like hearing Dave Matthews on the radio when I’m really in the mood for NPR, listening to this man’s sweet and soothing jam session didn’t bother me or invade my personal space at all. Thank you, buddy. Really. So the Sky Club cleared out around 9:30 PM and I went to my gate. Scored an upgrade (thank you, Delta) but the gate was a mess. An alarm kept going off and nobody seemed to care. I asked the agent, “How often does this happen?” She said, “Every night.” It’s deafening. Watch the video. Listen to the noise. Now go back and look at all the lazy, slow, sad, tired, exhausted people just sitting around like beached whales while this alarm goes off. Nobody runs. No sense of urgency. LAX could be on fire and the people are like, “Nah, I’m good. Lemme just sit here and give up on life.” Also, how loud does a noise have to be in order to qualify as an occupational hazard? I bet a union steward knows. Finally, I boarded my flight to RDU. Who’s got a seat in first class with me? The drunk guy from the Sky Club. And he was feeling pretty good about life. What the hell does this guy do for a living that he’s in first class? And what the hell has happened to this country? Maybe America hasn’t given up, and maybe these are #firstworldproblems, but think of all the workers + managers + executives who come together EVERY SINGLE DAY and make hundreds of poor decisions — from worker safety to noise control to a lack of staffing of a Delta Sky Club to the staffing of an American Airlines phone bank with disempowered employees — that leads to a hellish and freakish flight home. And think of all the rude and selfish people who are looking out for themselves when they arrive at an airport. “I just want to get home.” Then let’s think about how we might beat the Chinese. Yeah, good luck with that.

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ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

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• Copper chains: Earth's deep-seated hold on copper revealed
• New index identifies periods when global stock markets might decline
• Controlling quantum tunneling with light: Novel particle opens door to taming mysteries of tunneling
• Initial stages by which giant gypsum crystals form

Copper chains: Earth's deep-seated hold on copper revealed Posted: 05 Apr 2012 12:29 PM PDT Earth is clingy when it comes to copper. Nature conspires at scales both large and small -- from the realms of tectonic plates down to molecular bonds -- to keep most of Earth's copper buried dozens of miles below ground. A new study gives new insight into the way continents form and could help locate new sources of copper.

New index identifies periods when global stock markets might decline Posted: 05 Apr 2012 11:22 AM PDT Researchers have found a way to measure the likelihood of global stock market losses by identifying periods in which shocks may be more likely to spread across many national markets. This "fragility index" identifies periods in which international equity markets are more susceptible to widespread pull-backs by identifying common risk exposures. The index identifies when systemic risk exposure is high in markets across multiple countries, and shows an increasing probability of a global stock market draw-down.

Controlling quantum tunneling with light: Novel particle opens door to taming mysteries of tunneling Posted: 05 Apr 2012 11:21 AM PDT Scientists have used light to help push electrons through a classically impenetrable barrier. While quantum tunneling is at the heart of the peculiar wave nature of particles, this is the first time that it has been controlled by light.

Initial stages by which giant gypsum crystals form Posted: 05 Apr 2012 11:21 AM PDT Gypsum is a naturally occurring mineral which is often used in industrial processes and which in nature, if left alone for thousands of years, can grow into huge translucent, towering and eerie, crystals more than 10 meters tall. These are famed for their beauty in places such as the Cave of Crystals in Mexico. Nevertheless, the formation of gypsum has until now been largely unexplored.

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