Dawn begins its long journey to the stars by Nina Gotzmannova

If you are expecting child in the near future, you can consider naming the baby Dawn. If not, or your plans is to have a baby in several years, another pick for you & Vesta for girl and Ceres for boy. Little bit unusual? Maybe. But they will be highly popular. Dawn is the name of spacecraft, which was launched to space on Thursday and Vesta and Ceres are the names of two asteroids, which will Dawn explore. It is the first space mission with an intention to orbit two asteroids. Dawn, a robotic space probe, has a difficult target to reach. It will travel to the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars and then explore two asteroids. In October 2011 it should arrive to Vesta and in February 2015 to dwarf planet Ceres. The mission will finish in July 2015. This two space objects were not chosen randomly. Not only they are the biggest members of the asteroid belt, but both have unusual characteristics that can help the scientist to reveal some of the secrets about the early solar system. Vesta is dry and rocky, while Ceres is covered with ice. Both were formed in the same time, about 4.5 billion years ago. The 3 billion-mile journey had finally begun after years of delays and postponement. It was originally scheduled to start in December 2003. It was renewed back in February 2004 and then until September 2006 underwent a roundabout of canceling and approving. Finally the start date was set on 20 June, but due to bad weather and some technical conditions it was postponed until this Thursday. On 27 September Dawn finally begins its long journey to the stars. On the voyage to the asteroids are also 360.000 people. Virtually, of course. From September 2005 to November 2006 people could send their name to NASA and have it written in a microchip, which is now on Dawn. So everyone can feel like a space tourist now.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070927/ap_on_sc/asteroid_mission;_ylt=AhFsvh9p6zozVFjV1xeLiF2s0NUE

by Nina Gotzmannova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Wine grape genes mapped by Delia Cruceru

A group of scientists from France and Italy, funded by the France's Agriculture Ministry, deciphered the complete genetic code for pinot noir grapes, being the first fruit ever to be genetically mapped. The researchers from the French-Italian Public Consortium for Grapevine Genome Characterization published their findings in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature, saying that they identified almost half a billion chemical building blocks of the grape's DNA. The study reveals that for the red wine more than 100 of its genes are dedicated to producing tannins and terpenes, important components for anti ageing effects. This could be a first step in developing new flavors for the wine, as well as making it more resistant to mildew and insects, but it might take a while until this new knowledge will be applied for wines. "The research is genetic confirmation of what Burgundy and pinot noir lovers have known for centuries, which is that pinot noir is exquisitely sensitive to where and how it is grown," Allen Meadows of burghound.com, a leading Burgundy critic said. "Pinot-based wines produced in say Burgundy, while similar, are still distinctly different from those produced in California, Oregon or New Zealand." Andre Barlier, assistant director of Viniflhor, a government-funded agency to support French wine, doubts that French winemakers, which are very conservative, will apply the new method as they are fond of their traditionally ways. "I don't think it will have an impact in the short term," Barlier said.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070927/ap_on_re_eu/france_grape_genome;_ylt=AqLoSXo9Yg1KgEl3CGATOwWs0NUE

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Vietnam houses new plant, animal species by Delia Cruceru

Scientist from conservation group World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announced Wednesday that they have discovered 11 new species of plants and animals in Vietnam, including a snake, two butterflies and five orchid varieties. The species were found in the Thua Thien Hue Province, a region known as the Green Corridor. The species are exclusive to tropical forests in Vietnam's Annamites Mountain Range. "You only discover so many new species in very special places, and the Green Corridor is one of them," said Chris Dickinson, WWF's chief technical adviser in the region. "These latest discoveries could be just the tip of the iceberg." The new snake species is a white-lipped keelback, reaching almost 80 cm in length and it lives near streams and it feeds with frogs or other small animals, having a beautiful yellow-white stripe that sweeps along its head and red dots cover its body. The butterflies are the eighth species discovered in the Thua Thien Hue Province and includes a skipper, a butterfly with quick, darting flight habits, from the genus Zela and another one that is a new genus in the subfamily of Satyrinae. The orchid species are very strange because they are leafless, being very unusual for orchids, containing no chlorophyll, which means they don't need light for growing. The region will be protected from illegal hunting, logging, and development by the local authorities.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070926/ap_on_sc/vietnam_new_species;_ylt=ArPa6FYaY2QZ2PSu.DRTLV.s0NUE

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Tutankhamun is ‘Michael Jackson" of the mummies by Nina Gotzmannova

King Tutankhamun is a legend between mummies since the discovery of his thumb in 1922. Now he gained a reputation of being an ancient Michael Jackson. It can't be determined, if he was black or white. The scientist still don't have a 100% proof of his skin tone, although they said King Tut was most likely white. And the black activist in US doesn't like it. The dispute about the skin tone King Tut begins when Zahi Hawass, a world famous Egyptologist gave a lecture in Philadelphia early this month and said that Tutankhamun was not black. Demonstrationists attacked his talk and also attacked an exhibition in Philadelphia, where King Tut is portrayed with light skin. Objections about poor Egyptian boy were strongest in 2005 in Los Angeles, where annoyed visitors of an Egyptian exhibition asked for removing a statue of Tutankhamen, because he wasn't pictured as a black emperor. The exhibition is now on its way to London. Hawass claims, that residents of ancient Egypt were not Africans despite they lived in Africa and certainly they were not Arabs. Their skin tone was therefore lighter. In 2005 was made a CT scan of the mummy, which revealed facts about the physical characteristics about the young pharaoh. The color of his body wasn't included. It is just not possible to determine the exact skin tone, because the skin of the mummy is not in a condition to reveal anything. Also the ancient people in North Africa had a range of skin tones, from fair to ebony black. For the statue of Tutankhamun was chosen a medium skin tone, on halfway between black and white to satisfy everyone. But Hawass has made a new discovery in the pharaoh thumb this week. He discovered eight baskets of 3,000 year old fruit and twenty containers with so far not revealed content. It all was supposed to serve King Tut in his afterlife.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070925/wl_africa_afp/egyptarchaeologytutankhamunrace;_ylt=AtIRmjlIxyj8592IKgCOk9Cs0NUE

by Nina Gotzmannova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Germs taken to space come back deadlier by Delia Cruceru

A research conducted by the International Space Station (ISS) that is to be published in PNAS Online Early Edition, reveals the effects of a microgravity trip in space on Salmonella, a bacteria known for causing food poisoning on Earth. Astronauts from NASA took vials of Salmonella on a 2006 Space Shuttle STS-115 to see how space travel affects germs. Cheryl Nickerson and colleagues at the Centre for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, Arizona State University discovered after feeding mice with the space germ they were three times more likely to get sick and died quicker than others fed identical germs that had remained behind on Earth. "Wherever humans go, microbes go, you can't sterilize humans. Wherever we go, under the oceans or orbiting the earth, the microbes go with us, and it's important that we understand ... how they're going to change," Nickerson explained. They founded that the ISS Salmonella had an altered expression of 167 genes compared to Earth samples. Researchers don't know exactly why that happened but they presume it's a force called fluid shear, meaning that fluids flow over the outer membranes of bacteria differently in low gravity. "There are areas in the body which are low shear, such as the gastrointestinal tract, where, obviously, salmonella finds itself," she said. "So, it's clear this is an environment not just relevant to space flight, but to conditions here on Earth, including in the infected host." They also identified a protein called Hqf that appears to be responsible for the increased virulence of the space salmonella.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070925/ap_on_sc/germs_in_space;_ylt=ArsD0ZWWRy2n2xNtJPR1ykKs0NUE

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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NASA Dawn probe to set off on solar system discovery by Delia Cruceru

The space probe Dawn is set to be launched Thursday, announced NASA. The craft was postponed from Wednesday to Thursday due to weather issues and weekend fueling delays. Dawn will head towards the dwarf planets Ceres and Vesta, the two largest asteroids orbiting the sun, in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, to study how the solar system was born. The craft measures 1.64 meters (yards) long and 1.27 meters (yards) wide and it weights 747 kg. At first Dawn will orbit around Vesta in October 2011 then it will head to orbit Ceres in February 2015 traveling a total distance of 3.1 billion miles (5.1 billion kilometers). The second objective of the craft is to find out what kind of elements form terrestrial planets such as Earth, Mars, Mercury, Venus and Ceres. Vesta was discovered by the German astronomer Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers on March 29, 1807 and it was named by the mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss after the Roman virgin goddess of home and hearth. Ceres was discovered at January 1, 1801, by Giuseppe Piazzi and it was named after the Roman goddess Ceres-the goddess of growing plants, the harvest, and of motherly love. Dawn will be equipped with ion propulsion engines that use electrical charge to accelerate ions from xenon fuel, consuming little fuel. It will also carry a high definition camera and two spectrometers.

related story: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20070924/tsc-us-space-astronomy-e123fef_2.html

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Rising seas likely to flood U.S. history by Delia Cruceru

In 100 years many historical sites and populated places from around America will be below sea with one meter or 39 inches, according to scientists at the University of Arizona, who relied on data from the U.S. Geological Survey. The lead author of the February report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in Paris, a climatologist from the University of Victoria, Andrew Weaver said "We're going to get a meter and there's nothing we can do about it. It's going to happen no matter what â€" the question is when." But not only the sea level rise will be the problem, hurricanes and powerful storms are threatening too. Jonathan Overpeck, director of the Institute for the Study of Planet Earth at the University of Arizona said that the sea level will rise in just the lower 48 states and it would put about 25,000 square miles under water. This year's flooding from New York subways will become something usual, both runways to the LaGuardia Airport would be partly underwater. Scientists even predict that the sea will inundate Battery Park City, and waves will touch the base of the new Freedom Tower. "This is no joke," said Malcolm Bowman, who leads a storm surge research group at Stony Brook University.. "With a three-foot headstart, even a medium-sized storm surge could wipe out tens of thousands of homes in low-lying parts of Brooklyn and Long Island." Part from cities like Boston, Miami, New Orleans, San Francisco and Texas will become history leaving nothing for the future, only pictures.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070923/ap_on_sc/rising_seas;_ylt=AtldQ1MBLyxOvt8R2iw5Yoes0NUE

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Another feathered dinosaur revealed by Nina Gotzmannova

Maybe you have never heard of a prehistoric animal called Velociraptor, but for sure you have seen Jurassic Park and remember the big terrifying animal, which seems to a dangerous killer. His size was increased in the movie and it had several different biological features, which the director Steven Spielberg turned into something more dramatic. Nowadays it's revealed that he forgot about something else. He forgot the feathers. Scientists were always convinced that velociraptor had feathers although they didn't have any proof of their theory. The latest finding in Mongolia confirmed the theory and showed tangible evidence. On the velociraptor forearm were found quill knobs, where the feathers were fixed. It's known that birds are descendants of dinosaurs. Now also velociraptor can be added to this group although he never could fly. His forearms were short and his body was too large for his small wings to lift it. The scientists suppose the feathers had another meaning such as temperature controlling, covering their nests while brooding or increasing the speed while running and climbing. Jurassic Park produced several false images of this almost innocent prehistoric animal. Velociraptor vas pictured in the movie like a big killer, in fact it was only three feet tall and weighed about 30 pounds. He was a predator, but only killed animals in his size range. He was also portrayed as a super-clever dinosaur, smarter than dolphins or whales. In reality he didn't belong between the intelligent species. His skull was only 10 inches long and according to scientists, he wasn't smarter than a big cat.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070920/ap_on_sc/feathered_raptor;_ylt=Arr9ierGlryXQPJKv5Tib56s0NUE

by Nina Gotzmannova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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New drugs will act on specific cell components by Corina Ciubotaru

A recent U.S. study shows that it is possible to create a drug that can slow down the aging process by acting directly on the cells. They contain tiny organs called mitochondria that are responsible for the energy output and that sustain cellular life even if other components of the cell are destroyed. If cells are fed low-calorie food that is still high in nutrients, the mitochondria begin to produce more NAD, a substance that in turn stimulates enzymes made by genes known as SIRT3 and SIRT4. Under the action of these substances, the cells become stronger and the energy output increases, while the aging process is slowed. In the study, the number of cells dying for others to take their place in the regeneration process was also smaller, so scientists now think these genes will be targeted by future drugs capable of curing several illnesses. Diabetes, cancer and osteoporosis are only some of the diseases associated with old age that may be alleviated through these new generation pills that would act by producing beneficial stress on the cells. But whether or not they're going to make us live 200 years, remains to be seen. The company that released the results, named Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, had previously researched genes SIRT1 and SIRT2 and found their involvement in cell replacement. A drug named SRT501 was released to target these genes and now the development of a new type is underway, in light of the recent findings. The study was published in the journal Cell on September 21st.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070920/sc_nm/aging_drugs_dc;_ylt=Aoisktee2nrHktF1W.t1T5.s0NUE

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Peruvian meteorite illness is slowly disapearing by Nina Gotzmannova

The Earth got a new visitor. Quickly it came, put himself into soft piles of ground in Peru and began to cause troubles. The meteorite which has crashed on 15 September near Lake Titicaca in Peru made almost two hundred Peruvians sick with unknown disease. Teams of experts confirmed that it really is a meteorite, but they are not sure if the "spherical rock" is the reason of the weird illness. The villager living nearby the place where meteorite crashed smelled a sulfurous odor an hour after the crash and said it started headaches and upset stomachs. Other peasants reported they felt dizzy, nauseate, they vomit and have diarrhea. They believe the meteorite had caused the strange illness. The scientists are currently examining the 8 meter (26 foot) deep, 20 meter (65 foot) wide crater of the meteorite. It is muddy and full of water, which was boiling after the crash and the steam possibly caused the illness. The rock itself is not poisoned or radioactive. It is made of chondrite, which is not dangerous and is the most common material meteorites are made from. Doctors in the village took blood, urine and hair samples for further examination, though they not believe the "visitor from heaven" had caused the illness. Some members of the Peruvian medical team suppose it may be psychosomatic, meteor experts assume the reason is the dust it raised. Similar cases appeared in Peru in 2002 and 2004, but the presence of the meteorite was never proved. Officials from the health department in disease-stricken state confirmed that 200 people suffered from strange ailment, but their symptoms are slowly disappearing. Anyway, the government officials asked local people not to touch the meteorite itself. The real reason of the illness is still unknown.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070919/ap_on_sc/peru_meteorite;_ylt=Ar3TXJQJKcEF_rFeoioXZ3ys0NUE

by Nina Gotzmannova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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New fossils in Georgia raised many questions by Nina Gotzmannova

The Earth revealed another of its secrets. Recently found remains of three adults and a teenager in Georgia opened more questions than answered. The rare finding may fill the gap in human evolution, but with its extraordinary features it may create absolutely new theory. The skeletons were found near of Georgian town of Dmanisi, a famous archeological location. Its history as major medieval Georgian commercial center determined the place as a popular archeological location. But the latest finding is the eldest; age of the remains is 1.77 million years. The fossils are the oldest hominis found outside Africa. It is still unclear to archeologists whether the skeletons are relatives of Homo erectus or Homo habilis. Their spines are human-like, their feet have well developed arches, the small gap between size of males and females put them into Homo erectus category. But their also have in common many features as Homo habilis has, such as brain-to-body mass ratio or their body size. Similar fossils were found in 1999 and 2001 in Dmanisi and they were assigned into special category of human ancestors called Homo georgicus. This specie would be the relative of both Homo habilis and Homo erectus, something like an offspring of two different hominine species with different features of two stages of human evolution. The former theories stated that Homo erectus develop from Homo habilis, the newer said is more likely Homo habilis and Homo erectus sprang from the same ancestors and co-existed together. There have been other discoveries in Africa approving this theory. A Homo erectus scull that is 1.55 million years old and a Homo habilis jaw that is 1.44 million years old extended the time period when the species coexisted together. It's less likely they were family; most possibly they were just neighbors.

related story: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20070919/tsc-science-paleontology-anthropology-ge-c2ff8aa_1.html

by Nina Gotzmannova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Mystery illness strikes after meteorite hits Peruvian village by Delia Cruceru

A fireball crossing the Andean sky Saturday night, that was believed to be a crashing plane turned out to be a meteorite that crashed into a field near Carancas, a populated highland wilderness near Lake Titicaca on the border with Bolivia. But it's a tricky one because people that went to investigate encountered noxious gases that made the villagers ill, vomiting and complaining about headaches. The meteorite leaved a crater of 30 meters wide and six meters deep with boiling water inside. "Boiling water started coming out of the crater and particles of rock and cinders were found nearby. Residents are very concerned," said local health department official Jorge Lopez. Geologists from Peru's Geophysics Institute are expected to arrive at the site to determine what exactly is there and to present a report on Thursday. Lopez said that villagers felt ill because of the gases, seven policemen that went there became ill and had to be given oxygen before being hospitalized. A meteor expert from Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Massachusetts, Ursula Marvin said the health problems are not caused by the meteorite itself but the dust it raised. She added that a meteorite "wouldn't get much gas out of the Earth." "It's a very superficial thing." Marvin said.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070918/sc_afp/peruhealthoffbeat;_ylt=Aj5i6yYjxxteDqnRYY2s52ms0NUE

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Scientists living under the ocean invite people to join them by Nina Gotzmannova

Living under the ocean is not a science fiction dream anymore. Team of six scientists, called also "aquanauts", will spent nine days in the only underwater research facility in the world. Starting this Monday, ocean floor 60 foot below the surface will be their home, place to sleep or eat. Thanks to cameras and audio equipment, built into their helmets, for the first time world can join and watch the ocean life and life of scientists under the ocean in the real-time view. Aquanauts will stay in a laboratory called Aquarius Reef Base. This unique facility contains bunk beds, showers, food and kitchen appliances, computers and all necessary stuff the scientists may need. It allows them to dive and spend nine hours in the water researching in compare with surface dives, lasting only one or two hours. After the dive they must spend next seventeen hours inside the Aquarius to slowly decompress. After this time they can continue their work without the need of a decompression chamber, one of the diving requirements. Several schools in USA will be connected straight to the aquanauts. Other schools or individuals interested in marine exploration can join the scientists on their webpage (oceanslive.org). The underwater team will study sponge biology and coral reef changes. Due to pollution and ecosystem changes there is less corals and more algae, soft aquatic organisms. Sponges, other marine animals, are known for filtrating water trough their bodies and producing fertilizers. The scientists in the Aquarium want to investigate how this activity is affecting the worldwide amount of corals.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070917/ap_on_sc/undersea_lab;_ylt=AqHL1rt4mD5bZgiAzzSIQDSs0NUE

by Nina Gotzmannova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Arctic ice is melting three times faster than expected by Corina Ciubotaru

We should all be concerned: the polar ice is melting and the consequences could be huge. Wildlife may disappear, ocean levels will rise and all of our planet will suffer. For now though, it's still all an economic problem. The Northwest Passage along Canada, Alaska and Greenland has opened up due to Arctic ice melting, allowing ships to bypass the Panama Canal and shorten trips between Asia and Europe. This, in turn, is an important issue that sparked controversy among the countries that could control the region, like Canada and the United States, as the Arctic is believed to contain around 25% of the world's undiscovered oil and gas reserves. Beside the two North American countries, Norway, Russia and Denmark are also competing for control of the area and its reserves. Still, the passage can not yet be used to its full possibilities because the ice is not melted all year round so the area isn't very predictable and safe. It could cut travel time between Japan and The Netherlands by a third by going around the Suez Canal. It is now believed the entire polar ice could melt by 2030, way sooner than was previously predicted. Spring comes sooner now in some parts of Greenland and this is a major problem for the people in the region, who depend on the ice to survive. The ice in Arctic regions is melting three times as fast than originally thought and environmentalists seem to have little success in their efforts to change mentalities.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070916/ap_on_sc/northwest_passage;_ylt=AtJcccPucqbWsYbDpp6q5iSs0NUE

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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The kilogram is getting smaller by Corina Ciubotaru

Here's something you don't hear every day: the kilogram is becoming lighter. All of the world's measurement units have prototypes but the kilogram's is the only one that hasn't yet adapted to our computerized society. It's still a tubular piece of 90% platinum â€" 10% iridium alloy that seems to be changing weight when compared to its six copies also held at the BIPM (Bureau International des Poids et Mesures) near Paris and it's unclear to scientists if the kilogram is becoming lighter or the copies are getting heavier. The prototypes have been created in the 1880's with the original still being held today as the unit against which all other national copies are measured. The 80 national copies are sent regularly for checking and these are the only moments when the original is taken out of its safe but it looks like all the cleaning and contamination that occurs every time it is used has lead to its decay. This alteration has no meaning to the general public, as the difference between the original and the average weight of the copies is only 50 micrograms. Still, scientists intend to replace the tube with a sphere made of Silicon-28 isotope crystal which will have a fixed mass. It is estimated that the number of silicon atoms that go into a kilo will be 10 to the power of 24. The problem has been on specialists' minds for years, as measurements in physics can not be truly exact when the measurement unit varies in weight.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070912/ap_on_re_eu/shrinking_kilogram;_ylt=ApiqUYHjYAqyE6tYk3X86BCs0NUE

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Radio frequencies help burn salt water by Delia Cruceru

A new remarkable discovery has been made in the water science. An Eerie cancer researcher found out by mistake that if you expose salt water to radio frequencies it would burn. The researcher, John Kanzius initially tried to desalinate seawater with a radio frequencies generator which he developed for treating cancer, but soon he found out that the generator burns the hydrogen gas at almost 3000 degrees Fahrenheit. Rustum Roy an independent scientist from Penn State University confirmed the discovery by replicating the burning in to the university laboratories. "The radio frequencies act to weaken the bonds between the elements that make up salt water, releasing the hydrogen, "Roy said. "Once ignited, the hydrogen will burn as long as it is exposed to the frequencies." The discovery is now "the most remarkable in water science in 100 years," according to Roy. If they can figure out a way to use the water, which is the most abundant resource on earth, as fuel to cars or other machines that would mean the ending of energy problems. Now they're trying to convince the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense to fund their researching. "We will get our ideas together and check this out and see where it leads," Roy said. "The potential is huge."

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070910/ap_on_sc/burning_seawater;_ylt=AuvuIXAD2baF3oumYn3qe_Gs0NUE

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Exercise may generate new blood vessels by Delia Cruceru

A new study presented at the European Society of Cardiology meeting revealed that exercises help in creating new blood vessels. The initiators of this study, a team from the Leipzig University in Germany, gathered a small group of 37 persons to study them. Dr. Robert Hollriegel from the team discovered that people with serious heart failure who rode a bike for up to 30 minutes a day for four months produced new stem cells in their bones. Also in their muscles appeared new blood vessels. The study revealed that people who didn't exercise had no change in their vessels or muscles. According to the study if you exercise regularly, the physical activity will determine the heart to send 10 times the normal amount of blood to the muscles being used, then the stem cells are dispatched to relieve this stress and may repair any damaged parts, helping you to adapt to the stress and building new blood vessels and strengthening muscles. "People think that if they have heart failure, then they're at the end of the road and they can't exercise," said Dr. Freek Verheugt, a cardiologist at the University of Nymegen in the Netherlands. "But this study shows that exercise can work to produce new blood vessels, even in patients with serious heart disease." Doctors should now prescript to exercise the same way they prescript to patients drugs, said Dr. Francois Carre of Rennes University Hospital in France.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070905/ap_on_he_me/heart_exercises;_ylt=Anopa7CQ_4z5DzcgRBET2u.s0NUE

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Early risers risk heart problems, a study says by Corina Ciubotaru

A recent study shows that waking up early in the morning may lead to heart disease. Researchers claim that early risers have trouble with their tension and they pose higher risk of strokes, but the findings also point out that they are older people. Heart disease can occur for a number of reasons, including stress, genetic conditioning and high cholesterol levels. Other illnesses, such as diabetes, can influence the normal functioning of one's heart, while smoking and obesity also have strong effects on a person's heart by increasing the blood pressure and clogging arteries. The best way to prevent the heart from getting sick is to take care of what we eat and drink and make regular physical exercise. An aspirin each day seems to have good effects in your heart functioning, acting as a blood thinner, so the risk of blood clots is lowered. But aspirin can also lead to stomach problems so a doctor's advice is recommended before starting to take the drug regularly. Women are inclined to develop heart disease 7 or 8 years later than men and are more likely to die after suffering a heart attack than men, although the reasons for this are not known. Heart attacks kill more women over 65 than all types of cancer and by that age, women have as high a risk as men to develop a heart condition. We should remember that people who wake up early each day are the ones with the most stressful jobs, so their sleep patterns shouldn't be regarded as the only habit responsible for their health.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070906/hl_afp/healthjapansleep;_ylt=AtyT2S9szf2p.nahKQPDPUys0NUE

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

PocketNews is a new real-time news broadcaster delivering the latest and hottest news right to your pocket ! With global clients who want to be kept up to date, PocketNews is everyone's way of keeping in touch with the World.

Childhood TV viewing can cause teenage problems by Delia Cruceru

A study published in the September issue of Pediatrics and led by Robert John Hancox of the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, reveals that watching TV more than two hours a day during childhood increases the likelihood of attention problems in adolescence. "I wouldn't advocate that watching TV is a good thing," said Tara Stevens, assistant professor of educational psychology at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. She published in 2006 a study finding no link between television viewing and hyperactivity disorder. "I'm just not sure there's a direct relationship between having a disorder and watching TV. I don't think that's definitive. This is one important piece to the argument, but it is still not the end," she added. The study authors determined that if a child between the ages of 5 and 11 watches more than two hours of television daily will increase attention problems in adolescence, with each hour of television viewing increasing the risk of "high adolescent attention problems". "Childhood TV viewing was associated with attention difficulties regardless of what you watch as an adolescent," Robert Hancox explained. "The amount of TV watched between 5 and 11 predicted problems between ages 13 and 15 regardless of what you watch between 13 and 15."

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070904/hl_nm/attention_television_dc;_ylt=AqASAu8fsOIazsIXKzYBik6s0NUE

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

PocketNews is a new real-time news broadcaster delivering the latest and hottest news right to your pocket ! With global clients who want to be kept up to date, PocketNews is everyone's way of keeping in touch with the World.

Fate of a couple is sealed with first kiss by Delia Cruceru

Scientist from Albany University United States decided to study the psychological implications behind the first kiss. According to the study for a woman the first kiss means "rich and complex exchange" of romantic and chemical clues that pass between partners as their lips touch. A good kisser will be regarded as a partner that is worth persevering and a bad kisser will not be invited the second time. But it seems that men consider kissing less important, for them of hormonal information but it's mostly regarded as a preliminary to sex. Dr Gordon Gallup, of the University at Albany in the United States, said: "The information conveyed by a kiss can have profound consequences for romantic relationships, and can even be a major factor in ending one. "While many forces lead two people to connect romantically, the kiss - particularly the first one - can be a deal-breaker." The study, that was published in the online journal Evolutionary Psychology says that for a woman it can bring aspects of her partner's health and hygiene as she is interested on a long term relation. "Females place a greater emphasis on kissing for making mate assessments," the researchers reported. "Our data shows that females are more likely to base evaluations of their partner's kissing ability on chemical clues, ie, the breath and taste.

related story: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article2374362.ece

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

PocketNews is a new real-time news broadcaster delivering the latest and hottest news right to your pocket ! With global clients who want to be kept up to date, PocketNews is everyone's way of keeping in touch with the World.

A team of scientists has discovered the gene that makes us tall by Corina Ciubotaru

A group of scientists have discovered a gene that influences our height by a centimeter. It was decided that the gene's name should be HMGA2 and the analysis results show that it makes people taller by one centimeter when it is found in pairs in the "tall" version. The "short" version in pairs is responsible for people being one centimeter shorter. But it's not only height it influences. Genes like this also play a role in a person's organ development and in the development of cancer cells, so this discovery may lead to other important finds in the area. It has already been proven that taller people pose higher risks of developing prostate, bladder and lung cancer and now doctors will be able to tell if a person's increasing height is due to normal gene make-up or a disease. Tall and short people are each prone to certain medical conditions such as cancer for tall people and heart disease for short people. The finds come after the team of scientists analyzed the entire genomes of 5,000 white Europeans who also gave information about their height and weight. But the height is a complex characteristic that isn't influenced by only one gene. Several genes are involved in the process of making us little or big and over time, science will find what each of them influences most. Only then will genetics really take off as the way future humans make their babies: will they want to leave the child as he was naturally formed, or begin to shape him before he even leaves the woom?

related story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6975865.stm

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

PocketNews is a new real-time news broadcaster delivering the latest and hottest news right to your pocket ! With global clients who want to be kept up to date, PocketNews is everyone's way of keeping in touch with the World.

Scientists are starting to discover the secrets of red algae by Corina Ciubotaru

When you think of a large body of water like an ocean, not only does the blue water in itself come to mind, but you also think of what's beneath: fish, algae and corals. And even though most fish are harmless, corals can hurt you and even algae can be harmful if you're not careful. For example, the red algae; some of them produce a substance that can prove harmful and that scientists have only begun to understand. During very hot days, oceans turn red around the shores, being smothered with red algae which endanger both people and marine life. A few of the thousands of species become poisonous when ingested and during the night when there is no sunlight, they begin consuming oxygen to feed and they end up leaving the water hard for fish to breathe in. Researchers at MIT have duplicated the process by which red algae create their toxin and are confident their findings will help protect marine life in case of other "red tides", as the occasional formations are named. Associate professor Timothy F. Jamison, along with a graduate student, has created the process in a laboratory and released the results in a journal called Science. The findings can also help find cures for cystic fibrosis; the only substance that worked against this disease was brevenal, one of the chemicals found to be secreted by the red algae. Organisations like General Medical Sciences, Merck Research Laboratories, Boehringer Ingelheim and MIT were the sponsors of the research led by Mr. Jamison.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070830/ap_on_sc/red_tide;_ylt=As5WiHBcMIP6k1P6q4npvsus0NUE

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

PocketNews is a new real-time news broadcaster delivering the latest and hottest news right to your pocket ! With global clients who want to be kept up to date, PocketNews is everyone's way of keeping in touch with the World.