http://www.physorg.com/ en-us Physorg.com internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Scientists in China are reporting discovery of unusual liver proteins, found only in males, that may help explain the long-standing mystery of why the hepatitis B virus (HBV) sexually discriminates -- hitting men harder than women. Their study has been published online in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research. http://www.physorg.com/news177772349.html Chemistry Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:20:01 EST news177772349 (PhysOrg.com) -- Even if you are not a cook, you might have wondered why a pinch of flour (or any small particles) thrown into a bowl of water will disperse in a dramatic fashion, radiating outward as if it was exploding. Pushpendra Singh, PhD, a mechanical engineering professor at NJIT who has studied and written about the phenomenon, has not only thought about it, but can explain why. http://www.physorg.com/news177616622.html Physics Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:30:05 EST news177616622 (AP) -- Like seeing-eye dogs for the blind, trained dogs are now being used to help autistic children deal with their disabilities. But some schools want to keep the animals out, and families are fighting back. http://www.physorg.com/news170091938.html Medicine & Health Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:53:02 EST news170091938 (AP) -- Thirteen-year-old Andrea Levy ticked off a mental list of rules to follow when her guest arrived: Greet her at the door. Introduce her to the family. Offer a cold drink. http://www.physorg.com/news170053709.html Medicine & Health Fri, 21 Aug 2009 06:40:01 EST news170053709 Dog breeds selected to work in visual contact with humans, such as sheep dogs and gun dogs, are better able to comprehend a pointing gesture than those breeds that usually work without direct supervision. A series of tests, described in BioMed Central's open access journal Behavioral and Brain Functions, should caution researchers against making simple generalizations about the effects of domestication and on dog-wolf differences in the utilization of human visual signals. http://www.physorg.com/news167633075.html Biology Fri, 24 Jul 2009 06:10:02 EST news167633075 Lions, giraffes, tigers, rabbits, bears, rhinos and even owls can go blind from cataracts, but an east German firm has an answer: custom-made "contact lenses". http://www.physorg.com/news166941175.html Biology Thu, 16 Jul 2009 06:20:03 EST news166941175 Researchers at The University of Texas School of Public Health have developed a game for HIV-positive youth, +CLICK, designed to reduce secondary transmission of the virus. http://www.physorg.com/news164980227.html Medicine & Health Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:51:09 EST news164980227 In a world-first breakthrough, University of New South Wales (UNSW) medical researchers have used stem cells cultured on a simple contact lens to restore sight to sufferers of blinding corneal disease. http://www.physorg.com/news163844569.html Medicine & Health Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:23:16 EST news163844569 (AP) -- Contact lens maker Bausch & Lomb Inc. had an overriding reason for going private in 2007: It wanted to handle a devastating recall of its flagship lens cleaner, its chief executive said, "without a lot of outside distraction." http://www.physorg.com/news162995611.html Medicine & Health Sun, 31 May 2009 13:33:39 EST news162995611 (PhysOrg.com) -- Fingerprints do not help primates grip, as previously thought, scientists have discovered. They actually reduce the friction needed to hold onto flat surfaces. Now Dr Roland Ennos and his team at The University of Manchester are trying to find out: why do we have them? http://www.physorg.com/news162822562.html Biology Fri, 29 May 2009 13:33:32 EST news162822562 While the majority of patients with common vision problems can find glasses or contact lenses fairly easily, others who suffer from diseases of the eye that affect the focus of light have more limited options and may simply have to learn to live with poor vision. http://www.physorg.com/news161441645.html Medicine & Health Wed, 13 May 2009 13:54:31 EST news161441645 Nocturnal geckos are among the very few living creatures able to see colors at night, and scientists' discovery of series of distinct concentric zones may lead to insight into better cameras and contact lenses. http://www.physorg.com/news160941503.html Biology Thu, 07 May 2009 18:59:15 EST news160941503 Contact lenses are great for sight, but do they have an impact on general eye health? Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Optometry are working to answer that question by analyzing tears. http://www.physorg.com/news160848590.html Medicine & Health Wed, 06 May 2009 17:10:39 EST news160848590 During the first week of class, the teens' eyes were downcast, their responses were mumbled and eye contact was almost nonexistent. By Week 12, though, these same kids were talkative, responsive and engaged. http://www.physorg.com/news158340517.html Medicine & Health Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:28:58 EST news158340517 You've probably been there. In a doctor's office, being advised to do what you dread - exercise. You get that feeling in your gut, acknowledging that, indeed, you should exercise but probably won't. Now imagine that the doctor is your optometrist. http://www.physorg.com/news157727040.html Medicine & Health Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:10:21 EST news157727040 (PhysOrg.com) -- Biofilms are everywhere - in dental plaque and ear canals, on contact lenses and in water pipelines - and the bacteria that make them get more resilient with age, finds a new study in FEMS Microbiology Letters. http://www.physorg.com/news156088573.html Biology Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:56:40 EST news156088573 Children wearing contact lenses felt better about how they look, their athletic abilities and acceptance by their friends than did children wearing eyeglasses in a recent study. http://www.physorg.com/news155188309.html Medicine & Health Mon, 02 Mar 2009 03:52:24 EST news155188309 A new study in Psychological Science reveals that nonverbal cues can give away a person's socioeconomic status (SES). Volunteers whose parents were from upper SES backgrounds displayed more disengagement-related behaviors compared to participants from lower SES backgrounds. In addition, when a separate group of observers were shown 60 second clips of the videos, they were able to correctly guess the participants' SES background, based on their body language. http://www.physorg.com/news152973534.html Medicine & Health Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:39:16 EST news152973534 History abounds with examples of dramatic social change occurring when a disadvantaged group finally stands up and says "Enough!". By recognizing their inequalities, members of disadvantaged groups can mobilize and attempt to bring about change. Traditional methods of improving relations between different racial and ethnic groups have focused on creating harmony between those groups. For example, "contact theory" proposes that bringing members of opposing groups together by emphasizing the things they have in common can achieve harmony by increasing positive feelings towards the other group. However, research has shown that positive contact not only changes attitudes, but can also make disadvantaged group members less aware of the inequality in power and resources between the groups. http://www.physorg.com/news152805621.html Medicine & Health Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:01:04 EST news152805621 Racial prejudice in Britain has been declining sharply in Britain since the 1980s thanks to the greater tolerance of younger generations - according to a new study. http://www.physorg.com/news146746099.html Other Sciences Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:48:19 EST news146746099 Materials engineers have created a new type of membrane that separates oil from water and, if perfected, might be used for environmental cleanup, water purification and industrial applications. http://www.physorg.com/news146228886.html Technology Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:08:06 EST news146228886 Exposure to prolonged temperature elevation reduces antifungal activity of a contact lens solution that was implicated in the epidemic of the eye infection Fusarium keratitis that occurred between 2004 and 2006, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. http://www.physorg.com/news145557725.html Medicine & Health Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:42:05 EST news145557725 Contact lenses increase the risk of infection with pathogenic protozoa that can cause blindness. New research, published in the November issue of the Journal of Medical Microbiology, shows that a high percentage of contact lens cases in Tenerife are contaminated with Acanthamoeba that cannot be killed by normal contact lens solution. http://www.physorg.com/news143712703.html Biology Mon, 20 Oct 2008 09:11:43 EST news143712703 (PhysOrg.com) -- Nerve cells constantly create new contact points to their neighbouring cells. This is how the basic structure of our brain develops. In adults, new contact makes learning and memory possible. However, not all contact between cells is useful - most of it is dismantled again very quickly. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology in Martinsried near Munich have now described a completely new technique with which nerve cells can evaluate the quality of the cells they contact in a very time- and energy-saving way. (Neuron, July 31, 2008) http://www.physorg.com/news138377586.html Medicine & Health Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:13:06 EST news138377586 Nail gun injuries decline with the use of safer triggers and training, but safety regulations are needed for residential carpenters, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center. http://www.physorg.com/news137949539.html Medicine & Health Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:18:59 EST news137949539 Gaze direction is significant for the processing of visual information from the human face. Researchers in an Academy of Finland funded research project have discovered that the visual system of the brain processes another person's face more efficiently when the person's gaze is straight ahead than when the gaze is averted. The research is part of the Academy's Research Programme on Neuroscience (NEURO). http://www.physorg.com/news137840073.html Medicine & Health Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:54:33 EST news137840073 "Smart" contact lenses that measure pressure within the eye and dispense medication accordingly could be made possible using a new material developed by biomedical engineers at UC Davis. http://www.physorg.com/news136655207.html Biology Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:46:47 EST news136655207 A new study of DNA from ancient and modern chickens has shed light on the controversy about the extent of pre-historic Polynesian contact with the Americas. http://www.physorg.com/news136544792.html Biology Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:06:32 EST news136544792 Even contact lenses are joining the trend to go green. Chemical engineering researchers at McMaster University have shown that a common fluid found in our bodies can be used as a natural moisturizing agent in contact lenses. http://www.physorg.com/news134743060.html Chemistry Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:37:40 EST news134743060