science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Δευτέρα 30 Ιουλίου 2012

Science News SciGuru.com

A better judge of character with oxytocin nasal spray?
Few regular users of strong painkillers
Bio-inspired nanoantennas for light emission
Researchers Study How to Avoid Charge Traps in Plastic Electronics
Braille Transcription Program Provides Ex-Offenders with Marketable Skills
Cylindrical cell structure parts may aid in targeting diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's

A better judge of character with oxytocin nasal spray?

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 06:06 AM PDT

Ingesting the hormone oxytocin via nasal spray improves the ability to read people’s facial expressions. These findings hold great promise for treatment of mental health disorders and drug addiction.

In other contexts, oxytocin is already well-known as the “bliss hormone”. The hormone is secreted upon stimulation by touch and is known to result in a feeling of calm and physical relaxation. It is also used to induce labour in childbirth and as an aid for women experiencing difficulties in breastfeeding.

Few regular users of strong painkillers

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 05:57 AM PDT

Fewer Norwegians than suspected take opioids such as Paralgin forte and morphine regularly. Those who do, however, use these strong painkillers over extended periods.

Each year roughly 10 per cent of the Norwegian population are given a prescription for opioids. Until recently, the number of these who can be considered regular users of such medications was unknown.

Bio-inspired nanoantennas for light emission

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 05:19 AM PDT

Just as radio antennas amplify the signals of our mobile phones and televisions, the same principle can apply to light. For the first time, researchers from CNRS and Aix Marseille Université have succeeded in producing a nanoantenna from short strands of DNA, two gold nanoparticles and a small fluorescent molecule that captures and emits light. This easy-to-handle optical antenna is described in an article published in Nature Communications on 17 July 2012.

Researchers Study How to Avoid Charge Traps in Plastic Electronics

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 04:55 AM PDT

Plastic electronics hold the promise of cheap, mass-produced devices. But plastic semiconductors have an important flaw: the electronic current is influenced by “charge traps” in the material. These traps, which have a negative impact on plastic light-emitting diodes and solar cells, are poorly understood.

Braille Transcription Program Provides Ex-Offenders with Marketable Skills

Posted: 29 Jul 2012 08:59 AM PDT

An enhanced training program designed to teach Braille transcription, computer skills and business techniques to soon-to-be-released offenders could expand the quantity of printed materials available for blind and visually-impaired persons – while providing ex-offenders marketable skills designed to reduce recidivism rates.

Cylindrical cell structure parts may aid in targeting diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's

Posted: 29 Jul 2012 08:50 AM PDT

Researchers are studying how components of cell structure function in order to determine viable ways to use them for fighting such ailments as cancer, Huntington’s, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s diseases.