Picture a teaspoon of powdered sugar. As fine a substance as it is, there still are tremendous differences in the sizes of its individual particles. Some are so small, they move around randomly and are invisible to the naked eye.
Now, let’s say you wanted to choose only particles of a certain size from those in the spoon. Traditional technology and scientific techniques can separate quantities of particles of different sizes down to a few microns, but beyond that, it’s no
Two large, randomised, placebo-controlled studies presented at the inaugural conference of the World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM; Berlin, Germany) in October demonstrate that pramipexole delivered both short-term and sustained efficacy in patients suffering from Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)1,2 enrolled in these trials.
New data from a randomized, placebo-controlled “withdrawal” study1 show that discontinuation of pramipexole leads to rapid worsening of RLS in patients who had pre
Most people can rather efficiently walk and chew gum at the same time, but when it comes to more complicated “multi-tasking” – like driving and talking on a cell phone – there is a price to pay.
And no one, it seems, is immune.
“There is a cost for switching from one task to another and that cost can be in response time or in accuracy,” said
Mei-Ching Lien, an assistant professor of psychology at Oregon State University. “Even with a seemingly simple task, structu
For a mathematician, Joseph Biello spends a lot of time thinking about the weather. But the UC Davis assistant professor isn’t looking out the office window. He is using mathematical theory to build a model of the Madden-Julian Oscillation, a tropical weather pattern that influences drought and rainfall in the western U.S.
The Madden-Julian Oscillation was discovered in 1972 when researchers looked closely at meteorological data. It lasts 30 to 60 days and appears as cl
Patent foramen ovale may be ’innocent bystander,’ not source of stroke
Mayo Clinic researchers have found that — contrary to current thinking by some in the medical community — a patent foramen ovale (PFO), a small hole between the two upper chambers of the heart, does not predestine an individual to a stroke later in life. Findings will appear online on Friday, Dec. 9 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
“In the general population, it doe
“Making Living Mountains”
The European Charter for Mountain Quality Food Products was launched on Wednesday 7 December under the protection of Joseph DAUL, Chairman of the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee of the European Parliament and in presence of Jacques BARROT, Commissioner for Transport and Vice-President of the European Commission.
The Charter was signed by 48 states, regions and organisations from 11 countries, among the signatories present at the Europe
Two field-vole species, which are outwardly indistinguishable, behave differently towards human beings. Results of experiments carried out by the specialists of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Lomonosov Moscow State University connect these differences with the exploratory behavior of field-voles. Timorous and incurious common voles (Microtus arvalis) prefers country life, and inquisitive European ground voles (Arvicola terrestris) readily move
When fighting cancerous growths, it is very important to use internal cellular mechanisms on top of various external impacts on the tumor. Among internal mechanisms is cells’ ability for “suicide” – programmed cell death, which is called apoptosis. The cells resort to apoptosis when something is irreparably broken in them and the cells need to perform self-destruction to avoid causing damage to the entire organism. Apoptosis is executed by intracellular protease enzymes (they are called caspa
Unfortunately, reactions going with extensive calorification and/or participation of unstable components and reaction products are not infrequent in chemistry. Here lies potential hazard of chemical manufacturing. Even minor deviations from technology and simply changes in reagents’ storage or transportation conditions, to say nothing about hazard situations, for instance, sudden power outages, may result in unexpected consequences. Therefore, emergency events evolution in the most inconceivable si
We are regularly confronted with genetically modified foods, be it in the news or on our plates. In what way are GM crops different from conventional crops? What is known about their possible risks for human health or the environment?
– Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report summarised by GreenFacts –
GreenFacts has faithfully summarised FAO’s “State of Food and Agriculture in 2003-2004” and published it in a reader-friendly Three-Level Structure of increasing detail at:
An experimental model, developed by scientists from VNIIEF in Sarov and their colleagues, ophthalmologists from ‘Mikrokhirugiya Glaza’ [Optical Microsurgery] means that it is possible, quite literally, to see the world with someone else’s eyes. Financial support was given to the researchers for the creation of a model of the human eye by the International Science and Technology Center.
‘The actual initiators of the project were the Moscow-based developers of new artificial crystalline l
New NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) Chief Executive Jonathan Kestenbaum visits Scotland today to unveil a series of investments and initiatives designed to drive innovation in Scotland.
NESTA is announcing a range of initiatives designed to have impact at a key stage of the innovation process: through early stage business support and seed investment. These include:
· Two investments worth a total of £200,000 to young technology compan
Environmental damage in the Baltic can have negative effects on the important species bladderwrack (kelp) and thereby on the entire ecosystem. This in turn would have a severe economic impact on fishing. This is shown in a study presented by Mid Sweden University in Sweden.
Bladderwrack is one the few marine algae that can survive in the low salt content of the Baltic. It is counted as one of the ecologically most important species in the Baltic, where bladderwrack constitutes a ma
After some 400 years of relative stability, Earth’s North Magnetic Pole has moved nearly 1,100 kilometers out into the Arctic Ocean during the last century and at its present rate could move from northern Canada to Siberia within the next half-century.
If that happens, Alaska may be in danger of losing one of its most stunning natural phenomena – the Northern Lights.
But the surprisingly rapid movement of the magnetic pole doesn’t necessarily mean that our plane
The pretty yellow bush lupine is no pushover for freeloading bacteria
Many, if not all, plants maintain relationships with bacteria, and like any hardworking homeowner, they have developed ways to get rid of freeloaders, University of California, Berkeley, biologists have found.
In a study of a coastal California lupine that harbors nitrogen-fixing bacteria in its roots, UC Berkeley researchers have shown that the roots respond differently to bacteria that efficiently prod
Berkeley Lab Scientist Studies Possible Precursors in Micro-quakes
A geophysicist from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has identified possible seismic precursors to two recent California earthquakes, including the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake that wreaked havoc throughout the Bay Area.
After sifting through seismic data from the two quakes, Valeri Korneev found a spike in the number of micro-earthquakes followed by a perio
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