Being Human

CHICAGO -- The tiny translucent egg nestled in the special laboratory gel was a mere 30 days old, but its four-week birthday caused researchers to quietly celebrate. This was the first time anyone had successfully grown a woman's immature egg cells, contained in a tiny sac called a follicle, to a healthy and nearly mature egg in the laboratory.

A team of Yale University researchers has discovered a “repulsive” light force that can be used to manipulate components on silicon microchips, meaning future nanodevices could be controlled by light rather than electricity.

By observing the global flow of news online, Cornell computer scientists have managed to track and analyze the "news cycle" -- the way stories rise and fall in popularity.

Washington, July 13, 2009 -- The American College of Physicians (ACP) today joined with two other physician groups to offer strong support for the Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) provisions included in the Tri-Committee health reform bill about to be considered in the House.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- A new study of the cognitive processes involved with honesty suggests that truthfulness depends more on absence of temptation than active resistance to temptation.

A new study identifies a group of individuals at increased risk for developing colon cancer and holds the promise for developing new tailored cancer treatments.

(New York, NY -- July 12, 2009) -- Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that a compound called NIC5-15, might be a safe and effective treatment to stabilize cognitive performance in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. The two investigators, Giulio Maria Pasinetti, M.D., Ph.D.

Vienna, July 12, 2009 -- Results from two large studies using DHA, an omega 3 fatty acid, were reported today at the Alzheimer's Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD 2009) in Vienna.

More and more children are participating and getting hurt playing sports each year. A new study presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Annual Meeting in Keystone, Colorado, (July 9-12) details the benefits and risks of repairing a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in young athletes under the age of 14.

What room in a theory of happiness is there for love?

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- A new Mayo Clinic study may help physicians differentially diagnose three common neurodegenerative disorders in the future. The study will be presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease on July 11 in Vienna.

KEYSTONE, CO (Saturday, July 11, 2009) -- Knee injuries are a common problem in collegiate and professional football, often hindering an individual's career length and future.

KEYSTONE, CO -- People with pain in the elbow or forearm from playing sports or just from common everyday activities, might be able to use a simple bar and strengthening exercise to alleviate pain, say researchers who are presenting their study results at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Annual Meeting in Keystone, Colorado, July 9th-12th.

Here is a very beautifully animated video put together by the spiffy fellows of Harvard and BioVisions.

http://labgeekblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/inner-life-of-cell.html

(The song is "The Man Who Doesn't Know Nothing" by Michael Elektrich)

On the heels of his discovery in Montana of the first trace fossil of a dinosaur burrow, Emory University paleontologist Anthony Martin has found evidence of more dinosaur burrows -- this time on the other side of the world, in Victoria, Australia.

They've been dubbed "grassoline" -- second generation biofuels made from inedible plant material, including fast-growing weeds, agricultural waste, sawdust, etc. -- and numerous scientific studies have shown them to be prime candidates for replacing gasoline to meet our transportation needs.

To understand the view, water has memory. You need to examine it's basic parts. Water has two hydrogen to one oxygen atom. It is the mass of these atom which is important due to the effect it causes.

PITTSBURGH, July 10 -- The secret to longevity may lie in an enzyme with the ability to promote a robust immune system into old age by maintaining the function of the thymus throughout life, according to researchers studying an "anti-aging" mouse model that lives longer than a typical mouse.

KEYSTONE, CO -- Replacing a joint in any part of the body often leads to a long recovery process and the possibility of not being able to return to a sport or activity.

The strain of influenza, A/H1N1, that is currently pandemic in humans has been shown to be infectious to pigs and to spread rapidly in a trial pig population.