feed info

279,036 articles from PhysOrg

Pride, prejudice and the 'Darcin effect'

The pheromone that attracts female mice to the odour of a particular male has been identified. Named 'darcin' by researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Biology (after Darcy, the attractive hero in Jane Austen's novel "Pride and Prejudice"), this unusual protein in a male's urine attracts females and is responsible for learned preference for specific males.

The Medical Minute: Natural remedies for people with diabetes

(PhysOrg.com) -- Disease remedies using plant products fill the market, but most have not been tested well enough to be able to assure patients that they really work or that they are safe. Here is what is known about a few products that are often of interest to patients with diabetes.

Applied nuclear physics for biomedicine, nuclear security and basic science

In 2008 the Nuclear Science Division (NSD) of the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory launched the Applied Nuclear Physics program, headed by NSD's Kai Vetter upon his return to Berkeley after six years with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. One of the goals of Applied Nuclear Physics is to take experimental principles and equipment created for basic research...

Marmots can teach us about obesity

A nutrient that's common to all living things can make hibernating marmots hungry - a breakthrough that could help scientists understand human obesity and eating disorders, according to a new study by a Colorado State University biologist.

NASA Supercomputer Doubles Capability, Increases Efficiency

(PhysOrg.com) -- Pleiades, NASA`s supercomputing powerhouse, located at Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., placed sixth on the Top500 list of the world's most powerful, high-performance computers. The announcement was made June 1, 2010 at the 25th International Supercomputing Conference in Hamburg, Germany.

Probiotic found in breast milk helps alleviate symptoms of digestive disorders

Here's another reason to breast feed your baby: Canadian researchers have discovered how a probiotic found in breastmilk reduces or eliminates painful cramping in the gut. In a new research report published online in the FASEB Journal, these scientists use mice to show that a specific strain of Lactobacillus reuteri decreases the force of muscle contractions in the gut within minutes of exposure....


WEDNESDAY 2. JUNE 2010


Explained: Knightian uncertainty

The global economic crisis of the last two years has stemmed, in part, from the inability of financial institutions to effectively judge the riskiness of their investments. For this reason, the crisis has cast new attention on an idea about risk from decades past: "Knightian uncertainty."

More choline reduces Down syndrome dysfunction

(PhysOrg.com) -- In a mouse model of Down syndrome, pregnant and lactating mice that received additional choline had offspring that fared much better than those whose mothers did not receive choline, a new study finds.

Researchers Link Tooth Chipping in Fossils With Diets of Early Humans

(PhysOrg.com) -- George Washington University researchers have discovered a new method of linking tooth chips in fossils of early humans with their eating habits. Based on chip and tooth size, the research of anthropologists Paul Constantino and Peter Lucas suggests that early humans consumed large, hard foods such as seeds and nuts and occasionally used high bite forces to do so. Together with...

Spiral, barred, elliptical and irregular: Computers automatically classify galaxy shapes

(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at University College London and the University of Cambridge have developed machine-learning codes modelled on the human brain that can be used to classify galaxies accurately and efficiently. Remarkably, the new method is so reliable that it agrees with human classifications more than 90% of the time. The research will appear in a paper in the journal Monthly Notices...

A doctor's referral for better fitness

People visit physicians to get or stay healthy, but should questions about physical activity be a part of these visits, too -- every time? The American College of Sports Medicine and its Exercise is Medicine program think so. So does Indiana University physical activity expert NiCole Keith.