http://www.physorg.com en-us The latest science and technology news (AP) -- Canada's national pharmacy regulation body is recommending that "morning-after" contraceptive pills be sold over the counter. http://www.physorg.com/news130142134.html Medicine & Health Fri, 16 May 2008 07:35:34 EST (AP) -- Americans spent $1.23 billion on video games, hardware and accessories in April, up 47 percent from a year earlier, even as the price of more essential items like food and gasoline soared. http://www.physorg.com/news130142092.html Technology Fri, 16 May 2008 07:34:52 EST (AP) -- The One Laptop Per Child project is about to find out whether Microsoft Corp., a rival the nonprofit group once derided, is the solution to its problems in spreading inexpensive portable computers to schoolchildren. http://www.physorg.com/news130141841.html Electronic Devices Fri, 16 May 2008 07:30:41 EST (AP) -- Construction on a huge reservoir meant to help restore the Everglades will be put on hold over a lawsuit brought by a group that fears the water could be diverted for other purposes. http://www.physorg.com/news130141789.html Space & Earth science Fri, 16 May 2008 07:29:49 EST (AP) -- A Japanese man who developed the world's smallest helicopter will take flight in the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci in tribute to the Renaissance genius' original idea. http://www.physorg.com/news130141314.html Technology Fri, 16 May 2008 07:21:54 EST (AP) -- Evidence is growing that vitamin D, which the skin makes from sunshine, is linked to lower risk of breast cancer and other cancers. But that doesn't mean it's good to get a golden tan - and certainly not a sunburn. http://www.physorg.com/news130141061.html Medicine & Health Fri, 16 May 2008 07:17:41 EST The human race was divided into two separate groups within Africa for as much as half of its existence, says a Tel Aviv University mathematician. Climate change, reduction in populations and harsh conditions may have caused and maintained the separation. http://www.physorg.com/news130091336.html General Science Thu, 15 May 2008 17:28:56 EST A new paper by North Carolina State University archaeologist Dr. Scott Fitzpatrick shows that Ferdinand Magellan`s historic circumnavigation of the globe was likely influenced in large part by unusual weather conditions - including what we now know as El Niņo - which eased his passage across the Pacific Ocean, but ultimately led him over a thousand miles from his intended destination. http://www.physorg.com/news130091224.html General Science Thu, 15 May 2008 17:27:04 EST Having found that whether bacteria stick to surfaces depends partly on how stiff those surfaces are, MIT engineers have created ultrathin films made of polymers that could be applied to medical devices and other surfaces to control microbe accumulation. http://www.physorg.com/news130091121.html General Science Thu, 15 May 2008 17:25:21 EST Using newly available data on worldwide cancer incidence, researchers at the Moores Cancer Center at University of California, San Diego and the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine have shown a clear association between deficiency in exposure to sunlight, specifically ultraviolet B (UVB), and breast cancer. http://www.physorg.com/news130091071.html Medicine & Health Thu, 15 May 2008 17:24:31 EST A team of Penn State researchers has developed a simple artificial cell with which to investigate the organization and function of two of the most basic cell components: the cell membrane and the cytoplasm--the gelatinous fluid that surrounds the structures in living cells. The work could lead to the creation of new drugs that take advantage of properties of cell organization to prevent the development of diseases. The team's findings will be published later this month (late May 2008) in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. http://www.physorg.com/news130090764.html General Science Thu, 15 May 2008 17:19:24 EST Contrary to long-held assumptions, high-salt diets may not increase the risk of death, according to investigators from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. They reached their conclusion after examining dietary intake among a nationally representative sample of adults in the U.S. The Einstein researchers actually observed a significantly increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) associated with lower sodium diets. They report their findings in the advance online edition of the Journal of General Internal Medicine. http://www.physorg.com/news130090368.html Medicine & Health Thu, 15 May 2008 17:12:48 EST Nine of 10 teen girls report experiencing sexual harassment, and majorities also say they have received discouraging comments about their abilities in school and athletics, according to a new study that appears in the May/June issue of the journal Child Development. http://www.physorg.com/news130089552.html Medicine & Health Thu, 15 May 2008 16:59:12 EST Sharp Corp. has achieved the world's highest power density, 0.3W/cc, for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) for mobile equipment. This new technology enables efficient power generation from a small cell volume. The use of this technology can make it possible to develop fuel cells that have almost the same volume but a longer continuous-use lifespan than lithium-ion batteries, which are the main type currently in use. http://www.physorg.com/news130087125.html Technology Thu, 15 May 2008 16:18:45 EST New observations from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter indicate that the crust and upper mantle of Mars are stiffer and colder than previously thought. http://www.physorg.com/news130086680.html Space & Earth science Thu, 15 May 2008 16:11:20 EST IBM today announced a research breakthrough in photovoltaics technology that could significantly reduce the cost of harnessing the Sun's power for electricity. http://www.physorg.com/news130086323.html Technology Thu, 15 May 2008 16:05:23 EST Some day, fuel cells may power your car and exhaust only water and perhaps carbon dioxide. More efficient and cleaner than an internal combustion engine, their emissions will be much lower. They may also run your home without the energy loss of power lines, or even power your laptop or cell phone. But not today or even tomorrow. http://www.physorg.com/news130085956.html General Science Thu, 15 May 2008 15:59:16 EST An ongoing sky survey using the Cornell-managed Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico has turned up a massive, fast-spinning binary pulsar with a mysterious elongated orbit, researchers say. The pulsar and its companion star challenge currently accepted views of binary pulsar formation and give researchers a new opportunity for understanding the fundamental properties of highly dense matter. http://www.physorg.com/news130085807.html Space & Earth science Thu, 15 May 2008 15:56:47 EST In an effort to better define and ultimately address fatigue more effectively, a qualitative study from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center has identified three primary themes - loss of strength or energy, major effects of fatigue and associated sensations - among patients being treated with standard radiation therapy. http://www.physorg.com/news130085382.html Medicine & Health Thu, 15 May 2008 15:49:42 EST In a finding that has the potential to change the way researchers think about the brain, scientists at Rockefeller University have found dendritic cells where they`ve never been seen before: among this organ`s neurons and connective cells. http://www.physorg.com/news130084962.html Medicine & Health Thu, 15 May 2008 15:42:42 EST