Artificial Cells: Models Of Eel Cells Suggest Electrifying Possibilities (October 3, 2008) -- Researchers have applied modern engineering design tools to one of the basic units of life. They say that artificial cells could be built that not only replicate the electrical behavior of electric eel cells but in fact improve on them, possibly driving future implantable medical devices. ... > full story
Direct Recording Shows Brain Signal Persists Even In Dreamless Sleep (October 3, 2008) -- Neuroscientists have taken one of the first direct looks at one of the human brain's most fundamental "foundations:" a brain signal that never switches off and may support many cognitive functions. ... > full story
Why Does Lederhosen Conquer The Oktoberfest In Munich? (October 3, 2008) -- The beer's tapped and suddenly it seems the whole city is intoxicated: dirndls and lederhosen are becoming the ever more popular choice of outfit for going to the Oktoberfest -- and not only among the born-and-bred Munich inhabitants. Traditional garb is more popular than ever, especially among young visitors. But why are dirndls, lederhosen and other fancy dress outfits so highly in demand now, at the beginning of the 21st Century? ... > full story
Second Lumpectomy For Breast Cancer Reduces Survival Rates (October 3, 2008) -- A majority of women with breast cancer today are candidates for lumpectomy, allowing for conservation of most of their breast tissue. Results of a new study, however, show that a number of women whose cancer recurs in the same breast are treated with a second lumpectomy rather than a mastectomy, defying current treatment recommendations and cutting the number of years those women survive in half. ... > full story
Whether Combat Or Peacekeeping, PTSD Impacts Veterans' Well-being (October 3, 2008) -- Deployed peacekeeping veterans with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have significant impairments in health-related quality of life according to new research. The stud found anxiety disorders such as PTSD are associated with impaired emotional well-being, and this applies just as much to peacekeeping veterans as to combat veterans. ... > full story
Epstein-Barr Virus Protein Contributes To Cancer (October 3, 2008) -- Researchers have shown that the EBNA1 protein of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) disrupts structures in the nucleus of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells, thereby interfering with cellular processes that normally prevent cancer development. The study, published in PLoS Pathogens, describes a novel mechanism by which viral proteins contribute to carcinogenesis. ... > full story
Anabolic Steroids Provide A Competitive Edge In Power Lifting Years After Doping Has Ended (October 3, 2008) -- Steroid use has been suspected in sports where building muscle strength, rather than endurance, is paramount. Power lifting is such a sport. Researchers have examined the impact of anabolic steroid use in power lifters years after the athletes ceased taking the drugs. They have found that while physical traces of the drug no longer remained, changes in the shoulder and quadriceps still gave lifters an edge. ... > full story
Beta-blockers Reduce Mortality In Patients With COPD After Vascular Surgery (October 3, 2008) -- In the first study to directly examine the effects of beta-blockers on surgical patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), researchers have found that, contrary to previous thought, beta-blockers significantly reduce mortality in COPD patients. ... > full story
Smoking Increases Depression In Women, Australian Study Reveals (October 3, 2008) -- A new Australian study reveals that women who smoke are at greater risk of developing major depressive disorder. ... > full story
Musicians Use Both Sides Of Their Brains More Frequently Than Average People (October 3, 2008) -- Supporting what many of us who are not musically talented have often felt, new research reveals that trained musicians really do think differently than the rest of us. Psychologists have found that professionally trained musicians more effectively use a creative technique called divergent thinking, and also use both the left and the right sides of their frontal cortex more heavily than the average person. ... > full story
Brain Pathway Responsible For Obesity Found: Too Many Calories Send Brain Off Kilter (October 3, 2008) -- An overload of calories throws critical portions of the brain out of whack, reveals a new study. That response in the brain's hypothalamus -- the "headquarters" for maintaining energy balance -- can happen even in the absence of any weight gain, according to the new studies in mice. ... > full story
Remembrance Of Tussles Past: Paper Wasps Show Surprisingly Strong Memory For Previous Encounters (October 3, 2008) -- With brains less than a millionth the size of humans', paper wasps hardly seem like mental giants. But new research shows that these insects can remember individuals for at least a week, even after meeting and interacting with many other wasps in the meantime. ... > full story
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