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18922
“Dyslexia gets a break in Italy” brought to mind a remark I learned in grade school decades ago. It is: In English, the word fish can be spelled ghoti. That’s gh as in tough, o as in women, and ti as in nation: “ghoti” = “fish.” English can be difficult. Norman C. Peterson Sata Monica, […]
By Science News -
Dyslexia gets a break in Italy
Although dyslexia involves a common disruption of reading-related brain activity, the reading performance of people with dyslexia appears to improve if they use a language that has consistent spelling rules.
By Bruce Bower -
18921
Depression is a common symptom of magnesium deficiency. Heart attacks, including fatal heart attacks, are also a common symptom of magnesium deficiency. It is thus no surprise that depressed people have a higher-than-normal rate of fatal heart attacks. Bernard Rimland Autism Research Institute San Diego, Calif.
By Science News -
Depression linked to heart deaths
In a community sample, people suffering from moderate to severe depression exhibited an elevated death rate from heart disease over a 4-year study period, even if they had no discernable heart disease to begin with.
By Bruce Bower -
Gene found for chloroplast movement
Scientists have found the gene that directs chloroplasts to dance out of a cell's shaded edges to soak up the sun or back into that shade when the light is too intense.
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DNA-cutting enzyme looks like scissors
One type of restriction enzyme not only cuts a DNA strand but also looks like a pair of scissors.
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Distressed amoebas can call for help
Amoebas having trouble dividing produce a chemical signal that draws other amoebas to the scene.
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EarthPOPs in the butter
Governments may be able to monitor trends in the release and transport of persistent organic pollutants by sampling butter.
By Janet Raloff -
EarthLeaden calcium supplements
Consuming calcium along with lead limits, and may prevent, the body's absorption of the toxicant.
By Janet Raloff -
18920
I was disappointed in “Blood relatives.” It ignored the pioneering work by people at the company Somatogen, now known as Baxter Hemoglobin Therapeutics. They first published work on a recombinant hemoglobin for use as a blood substitute in Nature in 1990. Later, they demonstrated definitively that many of the problems associated with blood substitutes were […]
By Science News -
Health & MedicineBlood Relatives
After decades of research, several companies are about to release the first line of artificial blood products.
By Linda Wang -
18919
Your recent article on oxygen deprivation interested me greatly. As a jump pilot (hauling skydivers), I visit moderately high altitudes regularly. On a typical busy day, I may go to 14,000 feet 20 times. Granted that I don’t stay there very long, but I wonder if the harmful effects are cumulative. Peter Danes San Diego, […]
By Science News