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. Both the developing brain and the aging brain can suffer from lead exposure. For older people, a buildup of lead from earlier exposure may be enough to result in greater cognitive problems after age 55, according to a follow-up study of adults exposed to lead at work. http://www.physorg.com/news150954580.html Medicine & Health Mon, 12 Jan 2009 03:49:40 EST news150954580 SanDisk Corporation today unveiled its third-generation family of solid-state drives (SSDs). Using multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash memory technology, SanDisk`s G3 Series establishes new benchmarks in performance and price-performance leadership in the SSD industry. http://www.physorg.com/news150657094.html Electronics Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:11:34 EST news150657094 (PhysOrg.com) -- As people age, memory and the ability to carry out tasks often decline. Scientists looking for ways to lessen that decline often have focused on the "gray matter" -- the cortical regions where high-level functions such as memory are located. http://www.physorg.com/news150562618.html Medicine & Health Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:56:58 EST news150562618 Most computers today store memory electronically, by maintaining a certain voltage. In contrast, a new kind of memory that stores data thermally, by maintaining temperature, is being investigated by researchers Lei Wang of the National University of Singapore and the Renmin University of China, and Baowen Li of the National University of Singapore and the NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering. http://www.physorg.com/news150556658.html Physics Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:17:38 EST news150556658 Oxytocin, a hormone involved in child-birth and breast-feeding, helps people recognize familiar faces, according to new research in the January 7 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. Study participants who had one dose of an oxytocin nasal spray showed improved recognition memory for faces, but not for inanimate objects. http://www.physorg.com/news150485262.html Medicine & Health Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:27:42 EST news150485262 SanDisk Corporation today unveiled its next-generation of flash memory-based solid-state drives (SSD) to support the evolving needs of designers, manufacturers and users in the exploding netbook market - SanDisk pSSD. The new SanDisk pSSD-P2 and SanDisk pSSD-S2 SSDs have capacity and performance for more full-featured netbooks which require a robust operating system. http://www.physorg.com/news150477991.html Electronics Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:26:31 EST news150477991 (PhysOrg.com) -- Storing and sending information using quantum phenomena is one of the hottest areas of research today; scientists across the globe are investigating how to make quantum communication possible for real-life applications. In a key step, a group of researchers was recently able to greatly improve the lifetime of a form of quantum memory. http://www.physorg.com/news150115833.html Physics Fri, 02 Jan 2009 10:50:33 EST news150115833 (PhysOrg.com) -- A new molecule important in a part of the memory that allows recognition of people has been identified by researchers at the University of Bristol. This type of memory is impaired at an early stage during Alzheimer`s disease and so it is hoped that understanding the function of this molecule may lead to better cures and treatments for this devastating disease. http://www.physorg.com/news149345656.html Medicine & Health Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:54:16 EST news149345656 The brain acts as a computer to both store information and process that information. In a computer, separate devices perform these roles; while a hard disk stores information, the central processing unit (CPU) does the processing. But the brain is thought to perform both these functions in the same cells - neurons - leading researchers to ask if distinct molecules within the brain cells serve these different functions. http://www.physorg.com/news149258043.html Medicine & Health Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:34:03 EST news149258043 (PhysOrg.com) -- The chronic pain from Fibromyalgia is devastating, but the suffering doesn't end there. According to a new study by the University of Alberta's Bruce Dick, people with the disease may have disruption in their memory because of the pain. http://www.physorg.com/news148912558.html Medicine & Health Fri, 19 Dec 2008 12:35:58 EST news148912558 MRI scans that detect shrinkage in specific regions of the mid-brain attacked by Alzheimer's disease accurately diagnose the neurodegenerative disease, even before symptoms interfere with daily function, a study by the Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) in Miami and Tampa found. http://www.physorg.com/news148844574.html Medicine & Health Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:42:54 EST news148844574 (PhysOrg.com) -- Go outside: It helps improve your focus -even when it's cold out. University of Michigan psychology research in the December issue of Psychological Science explored the cognitive benefits of interacting with nature and found that walking in a park in any season, or even viewing pictures of nature, can help improve memory and attention. http://www.physorg.com/news148663388.html Medicine & Health Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:23:08 EST news148663388 It turns out there's a scientific reason why older people tend to see the past through rose-coloured glasses. http://www.physorg.com/news148656955.html Medicine & Health Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:35:55 EST news148656955 Dr. Francois Bolduc keeps more than 300,000 fruit flies in a basement laboratory, where he manipulates their genes and then tests their mental abilities. He's called the "fly guy," and he may sound like a comic book villain, but Bolduc is no mad scientist. http://www.physorg.com/news148136563.html Medicine & Health Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:02:43 EST news148136563 A new study reveals a link between dysregulation of a common signaling pathway and repetitive behaviors similar to those associated with multiple neurological and neurodegenerative disorders including, autism spectrum disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, and Huntington's disease. The research, published by Cell Press in the December 11th issue of the journal Neuron, identifies a critical role for a molecule linked to immunosuppression in learning, memory, and repetitive behavior and may lead to the development of new treatments for perseverative behaviors. http://www.physorg.com/news148136253.html Medicine & Health Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:57:33 EST news148136253 A new study from the Abramson Cancer Center and Department of Psychiatry in the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine shows that smokers who carry a particular version of a gene for an enzyme that regulates dopamine in the brain may suffer from concentration problems and other cognitive deficits when abstaining from nicotine - a problem that puts them at risk for relapse during attempts to quit smoking. The findings, newly published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, pave the way to identify novel medications to treat nicotine addiction. http://www.physorg.com/news148063843.html Medicine & Health Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:50:43 EST news148063843 A group of scientists at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has fabricated a working computer chip that is almost completely clear -- the first of its kind. The new technology, called transparent resistive random access memory (TRRAM), is described in this week's issue of the journal Applied Physics Letters. http://www.physorg.com/news148062726.html Physics Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:32:06 EST news148062726 Imagine you are sitting in the back of a classroom, daydreaming about the weekend. Then, out of nowhere, the teacher calls upon you to come to the front the room and solve a math problem. In front of everyone. If just reading this scenario has given you sweaty palms and an increased heart rate, you are not alone. Many of us have experienced math anxiety and in a new report in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, University of Chicago psychologist Sian L. Beilock examines some recent research looking at why being stressed about math can result in poor performance in solving problems. http://www.physorg.com/news148048694.html Medicine & Health Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:38:14 EST news148048694 Stop and think for a moment. What do you remember about your breakfast this morning? One part of your brain will recall the smell of coffee brewing, while another will remember your partner's smile while walking out the door. How does the brain weave together these fragments, and how does it bring them back to conscious life? http://www.physorg.com/news147618156.html Medicine & Health Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:02:36 EST news147618156 Scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have determined that the immune-system protein interferon plays a key role in "teaching" the immune system how to fight off repeated infections of the same virus. http://www.physorg.com/news147506941.html Medicine & Health Wed, 03 Dec 2008 06:09:01 EST news147506941 Researchers using functional MRI (fMRI) have determined that the circuitry in the area of the brain responsible for suppressing memory is dysfunctional in patients suffering from stress-related psychiatric disorders. Results of the study will be presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). http://www.physorg.com/news147506479.html Medicine & Health Wed, 03 Dec 2008 06:01:19 EST news147506479 In one of the first instances of targeted drug design in psychiatric treatment, University of Pittsburgh researchers have found an experimental agent that shows promise in addressing working memory impairments that occur in schizophrenia. http://www.physorg.com/news147353305.html Medicine & Health Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:28:25 EST news147353305 Toshiba Corporation today reinforced its memory card line-up with the launch of a 16GB microSDHC card offering the largest capacity available in the market. At the same time, the company extended its range of industry-leading memory card solutions by adding ultra fast read write 8GB and 16GB SDHC cards to its line-up. Mass production of the new SDHC cards will start in December, with production of the new microSDHC slated to start in January 2009. http://www.physorg.com/news146932861.html Electronics Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:41:01 EST news146932861 Elpida Memory, Japan's leading global supplier of Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), today announced that it has completed development of a 50nm process DDR3 SDRAM. The new DRAM product features the lowest power consumption in the industry, 2.5Gbps ultra high speed and a 1.2V low voltage operation based on the industry's smallest chip size. http://www.physorg.com/news146930232.html Technology Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:57:12 EST news146930232 (PhysOrg.com) -- As technology continues to shrink, and as memory needs become more demanding, the industry dealing with microelectronics requires devices that are cost-efficient and lightweight. And, while organic materials have shown some promise, they still lack some of the essential qualities needed for application in a wide variety of fields. `The longest time that has lasted from organic memories,` Rodrigo Martins tells PhysOrg.com, `is about 5,000 seconds. This just doesn`t allow for practical use in many cases as a memory device.` http://www.physorg.com/news146905642.html Physics Wed, 26 Nov 2008 07:07:22 EST news146905642 A team at Rice University has determined that a strip of graphite only 10 atoms thick can serve as the basic element in a new type of memory, making massive amounts of storage available for computers, handheld media players, cell phones and cameras. http://www.physorg.com/news146497821.html Nanotechnology Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:50:21 EST news146497821 The more research they do, the more evidence Ohio State University scientists find that specific elements of marijuana can be good for the aging brain by reducing inflammation there and possibly even stimulating the formation of new brain cells. http://www.physorg.com/news146320102.html Medicine & Health Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:28:22 EST news146320102 Maybe you have an 85-year-old grandfather who still whips through the newspaper crossword puzzle every morning or a 94-year-old aunt who never forgets a name or a face. They don't seem to suffer the ravages of memory that beset most people as they age. http://www.physorg.com/news146062521.html Medicine & Health Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:55:21 EST news146062521 Computers are getting smaller and smaller. And as hand-held devices - from mobile phones and cameras to music players and laptops - get more powerful, the race is on to develop memory formats that can satisfy the ever-growing demand for information storage on tiny formats. http://www.physorg.com/news145627541.html Nanotechnology Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:05:41 EST news145627541 A collaborative study led by investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is giving what may be the first look at how interactions between genes underlie a key symptom of schizophrenia, impaired working memory. Functional imaging studies reveal how a combination of common variants in two genes is associated with reduced activity of important brain structures in schizophrenia patients but not in normal controls. The report has been released online in the Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. http://www.physorg.com/news145280437.html Medicine & Health Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:40:37 EST news145280437