Science Blog - Science news straight from the source

Freedom and the Brain

mcole — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:40:27 +0000

Canada and the United States have celebrated their nation’s birthdays and freedom. The cost of such freedom has been and continues to be paid with significant sacrifice and loss of life. Freedom is a great gift and certainly one deserving the rich celebration every year.

Simple Ways to Improve Your Healthy Brain Lifestyle

mcole — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:39:09 +0000

To reduce unhealthy stress levels, take up yoga, meditate, laugh, exercise, or care for a pet.
The easiest way to challenge your brain is to choose a “word of the day” and then work the word into a conversation. Improving vocabulary is a great way to challenge your brain daily.

How about those Glial Cells

mcole — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:35:44 +0000

For many years neurons have been considered the main act within the cerebral cortex, responsible for our thoughts, emotions, and movements. Of interest is the fact that neurons only account for about 10% of human brain cells. Glial cells that account for the other 90% of brain cells have typically been thought to carry a supportive role to the neurons.

Vaccine near for Group A Streptococcus

lab.geek — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:18:14 +0000

Queensland Institute of Medical Research scientists are in the final stages of developing a vaccine for Group A Streptococcus (GAS) bacteria. Group A Strep, pictured on the right, is the cause of those annoying strep throat infections, as well as rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. A successful GAS vaccine would greatly increase the public health. Good luck QIMR researchers, may we see your vaccine soon!

Institute for Aging Research study finds delirium presentation predicts mortality

BJS — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:30:12 +0000

(Boston, Mass) -- The way certain patients present in the post-acute hospital setting with delirium, a common, preventable but life-threatening acute confusional state, predicts mortality, according to a study conducted by the Institute for Aging Research of Hebrew SeniorLife.

Cancerous Mondays

lab.geek — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:13:17 +0000

Nobody likes Mondays. Here is some cancer news to lift your mood.

Battle of the sexes benefits offspring, says research

BJS — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:30:32 +0000

Parents compensate for a lazy partner by working harder to bring up their offspring, but not enough to completely make up for the lack of parenting, says research by bird biologists at the University of Bath.

Researchers demonstrate reversible generation of a high capacity hydrogen storage material

BJS — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:30:24 +0000

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River National Laboratory have created a reversible route to generate aluminum hydride, a high capacity hydrogen storage material. This achievement is not only expected to accelerate the development of a whole class of storage materials, but also has far reaching applications in areas spanning energy technology and synthetic chemistry.