science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Τρίτη 13 Νοεμβρίου 2012

Science News SciGuru.com

Speeding algorithms by shrinking data
Hormone combination effective and safe for treating obesity in mice
Sperm length variation is not a good sign
Once the conflict is over, solidarity in alliances goes out of the window
G proteins regulate remodelling of blood vessels
Thoughts in sleep perfect memory

Posted: 13 Nov 2012 07:37 AM PST

In computer science, the buzzword of the day is “big data.” The proliferation of cheap, Internet-connected sensors — such as the GPS receivers, accelerometers and cameras in smartphones — has meant an explosion of information whose potential uses have barely begun to be explored. In large part, that’s because processing all that data can be prohibitively time-consuming.

Hormone combination effective and safe for treating obesity in mice

Posted: 13 Nov 2012 06:45 AM PST

Scientists at Indiana University and international collaborators have found a way to link two hormones into a single molecule, producing a more effective therapy with fewer side effects for potential use as treatment for obesity and related medical conditions.

Sperm length variation is not a good sign

Posted: 13 Nov 2012 06:38 AM PST

A new study published online in the journal Human Reproduction finds that the greater the inconsistency in the length of sperm, particularly in the tail (flagellum), the lower the concentration of sperm that can swim well. The finding offers fertility clinicians a potential new marker for fertility trouble that might trace back to how a patient’s sperm are being made.

Once the conflict is over, solidarity in alliances goes out of the window

Posted: 13 Nov 2012 06:29 AM PST

It is not always wise to form an alliance while in a conflict or at war, especially when there is something to be shared afterward. Economists from the Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance have now shown by game theory experiments that, as soon as the enemy is gone, in-group solidarity of alliances vanishes rapidly. Former brothers in arms fight even more vigorously over the spoils of a victory than strangers do. During the conflict, they expend together only half the effort of their enemy.

G proteins regulate remodelling of blood vessels

Posted: 13 Nov 2012 06:22 AM PST

Blood vessels are extremely dynamic: depending on the external conditions, they can adapt their permeability for nutrients, their contractility, and even their shape. Unlike cardiac muscle cells, for example, the smooth muscle cells in blood vessels demonstrate a high degree of plasticity, so they can specialise or multiply as required, even repairing damage to the vessel wall. This vascular remodelling is evidently precisely regulated. Disruptions are extremely significant in conditions such as atherosclerosis or high blood pressure.

Thoughts in sleep perfect memory

Posted: 12 Nov 2012 07:00 AM PST

Sleep is beneficial to memory. A new study finds that sleep enhances consolidation of both gist and detail of experiences. So sleepless nights may not only wear you down, but may also leave your experiences less entrenched as memory.