feed info

278,916 articles from PhysOrg

As in humans, sleep solidifies a bird's memories

Sleeping is known to help humans stabilize information and tasks learned during the preceding day. Now, researchers have found that sleep has similar effects upon learning in starlings, a discovery that will open up future research into how the brain learns and preserves information.

Drug that modifies gene activity could help some older leukemia patients

Older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) might benefit from a drug that reactivates genes that cancer cells turn off, according to research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and collaborating institutions. The researchers say the findings support further investigation of the drug, decitabine, as a first-line treatment for these patients, who have limited treatment...

E-reader Roundup At The 2010 CES

(PhysOrg.com) -- At the 2010 Las Vegas CES, many manufactures introduced their e-reader products in the hope to spark consumer interest in the e-book market. 2010 is going to prove to be an innovative year for e-book readers as color technology is going to play an important part in e-book readers this year.

New findings reveal loss of smell function may predict early onset of Alzheimer's disease

A study published in the January 13, 2010 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience links a loss of smell function in Alzheimer's disease (AD) model animals with amyloid ß (protein) accumulation in the brain, a distinguishing hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Research conducted by NYU Langone Medical Center suggests that olfactory dysfunction, a common symptom of AD, may serve as an early diagnostic...

Researchers developing nanoscale optical fibers to detect bioterrorist agents

(PhysOrg.com) -- In an age when bacterial agents may be intentionally released as method of terrorist attack, there is an increased need for quick diagnostic methods that require limited resources and personnel. Thomas Inzana, the Tyler J. and Frances F. Young Chair of Bacteriology in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech, has been awarded a grant from the...

Researchers identify protein needed to develop auditory neurons

Loss of spiral ganglion neurons or hair cells in the inner ear is the leading cause of congenital and acquired hearing impairment. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health found that Sox2, a protein that regulates stem cell formation, is involved in spiral ganglion neuron development. The study was published in the January 13...

Solar Scientists Use 'Magnetic Mirror Effect' to Reproduce IBEX Observation

(PhysOrg.com) -- Ever since NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer, or IBEX, mission scientists released the first comprehensive sky map of our solar system's edge in particles, solar physicists have been busy revising their models to account for the discovery of a narrow "ribbon" of bright emission that was completely unexpected and not predicted by any model at the time.

Tough first year for Yahoo's tough-talking CEO

(AP) -- Carol Bartz spent much of her first year as Yahoo Inc.'s chief executive rallying the troops and clearing the decks, often sounding like a salty drill sergeant as she vowed to whip the downtrodden Internet company back into shape.


TUESDAY 12. JANUARY 2010


'Longevity gene' helps prevent memory decline and dementia (w/ Video)

Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have found that a "longevity gene" helps to slow age-related decline in brain function in older adults. Drugs that mimic the gene's effect are now under development, the researchers note, and could help protect against Alzheimer's disease.

Beat Business Burn-Out

(PhysOrg.com) -- Recent reports show that job satisfaction rates in the U.S. are at the lowest level in more than two decades. The recession has caused employees and employers to tighten their financial belts. In many places work that was done by three or four colleagues is now being managed by one. As a consequence, stress, anxiety and job burn-out - made worse by unhealthy habits and poor...

Newer treatment for Achilles tendon disorder does not appear to be effective

An apparently increasingly used treatment method for a type of Achilles tendon disorder that includes injection of platelet-rich plasma into the tendon does not appear to result in greater improvement in pain or activity compared to placebo, according to results of a preliminary study published in the January 13 issue of JAMA.

Study casts doubt on caffeine link to tinnitus

(PhysOrg.com) -- New research has found giving up caffeine does not relieve tinnitus and acute caffeine withdrawal might add to the problem. This is the first study of its kind to look at the effect of caffeine consumption on tinnitus.

Study: Era of rapid growth in biomedical research over

After a decade of remarkable growth, total annual funding for biomedical research in the U.S. has decelerated and may have even fallen when adjusted for inflation. That is the conclusion of a study today published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The 'Nose' Knows

(PhysOrg.com) -- Some might say it's as plain as the nose on your face. But detecting toxic or dangerous chemicals in the microgravity environment of space takes a little extra "sniffing." That`s why ENose, or Electronic Nose, spent 10 months on the International Space Station testing whether the technology was useful to detect possible hazardous vapors.