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Friday May 18th 2012

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Experts call for clinical trials to test non-skeletal benefits of vitamin D

The Endocrine Society’s new scientific statement published online today represents the first comprehensive evaluation of both the basic and clinical evidence related to the non-skeletal effects of vitamin D. The statement addresses current research regarding the associations of vitamin D with immune function, hypertension, stroke, skin conditions and maternal/fetal health.

Posted on 18 May 2012 | 4:00 am

With fat: What’s good or bad for the heart, may be the same for the brain

According to new research from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, one “bad” fat — saturated fat — was found to be associated with worse overall cognitive function and memory in women over time. By contrast, a “good” fat — mono-unsaturated fat was associated with better overall cognitive function and memory.

Posted on 18 May 2012 | 4:00 am

Foul-mouthed characters in teen books have it all, study finds

Analysis of bestselling teen novels finds that readers come across nearly 7 instances of profanity per hour spent reading, and the characters who cuss have money, good looks and social influence.

Posted on 18 May 2012 | 4:00 am

A new category of heel: The customer service saboteur

There are jerks, and then there are jerks.Joel Anaya has given them a fair amount of study, focusing on that very special jerk who can take a routine service experience — dining out, paying at a cash register, air travel — and make it a nightmare.Anaya has even coined a term for it — “customer service sabotage” — and discerned seven different categories of rude customers who can be a serious liability for the service industry.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 4:00 am

Technology convergence may widen the digital divide

Technology is helping communication companies merge telephone, television and Internet services, but a push to deregulate may leave some customers on the wrong side of the digital divide during this convergence, according to a Penn State telecommunications researcher.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 4:00 am

Visualizing the imprints of past and present Earth dynamics

New Lithosphere articles posted online May 16, 2012, report on (1) seismic anisotropy measured beneath 14 broadband stations in southeastern India; why geoscientists should persist in their efforts to reach and study such spectacular sub-sea geologic features as the Mariana Trench (recently explored by film director James Cameron) and how “land geologists” can help this effort by studying on-land equivalents like ophiolites; and (3) pressures and melting temperatures of sediments deeply buried in Earth’s mantle.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 4:00 am

Specialized care by experienced teams cuts death and disability from bleeding brain aneurysms

A U-M neurosurgeon co-authors new national guidelines for treatment of subarachnoid hemorrhage, a type of “bleeding stroke.”

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 4:00 am

Professor uses diamond to produce graphene quantum dots and nano-ribbons of controlled structure

Kansas State University researchers have come closer to solving an old challenge of producing graphene quantum dots of controlled shape and size at large densities, which could revolutionize electronics and optoelectronics.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 4:00 am

Abundance of rare DNA changes following population explosion may hold clues to common diseases

Scientists have taken a first step toward understanding how rare genetic differences among people contribute to leading chronic illnesses. One-letter DNA code changes occur frequently in human genomes, but each variant is usually found in only a few individuals. This phenomenon is consistent with the population explosion of the past 5,000 years. Studying the evolution of rare genetic variants and their health impact is critical as low cost, rapid sequencing enters clinical use. Such information would help doctors interpret personal genomes.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 4:00 am

Religion is a potent force for cooperation and conflict, research shows

Across history and cultures, religion increases trust within groups but also may increase conflict with other groups, according to an article in a special issue of Science.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 4:00 am

Science News Headlines – Yahoo! News

Get the latest Science news headlines from Yahoo! News. Find breaking Science news, including analysis and opinion on top Science stories.

Ancient Turtle Was as Big as Small Car

Ancient Turtle Was as Big as Small CarA turtle the size of a small car once roamed what is now South America 60 million years ago, suggests its fossilized remains.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 9:08 pm

Unneeded Erection Pills Can Mess With Users’ Heads

Young men who take erectile dysfunction drugs for fun may damage their sex lives, a new study suggests.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 8:48 pm

US forecasters say heat will stay on this summer

The Gladiator Fire burns in the Bradshaw Mountains in Prescott National Forest, Ariz. on Wednesday, May 16, 2012. Authorities are worried that flames from the Gladiator Fire will get past a fire line that's about a mile west of the historic mining town of Crown King, fire incident spokeswoman Loretta Benavidez said Tuesday night. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, David Wallace) MARICOPA COUNTY OUT; MAGS OUT; NO SALESAnd the heat goes on. Forecasters predict toasty temperatures will stretch through the summer in the U.S. And that’s a bad sign for wildfires in the West.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 8:43 pm

Monster Sunspot’s Solar Flare Strong Enough to Confuse Satellites

Monster Sunspot's Solar Flare Strong Enough to Confuse SatellitesAn enormous sunspot unleashed a powerful solar flare late Wednesday (May 16), triggering a radiation storm intense enough to interfere with some satellites orbiting Earth, space weather experts said.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 8:30 pm

Small Earthquakes May Cause Surprisingly Big Tsunamis

Small Earthquakes May Cause Surprisingly Big TsunamisMysterious small tremors in the most earthquake-prone areas on Earthmay be the cause of surprisingly large tsunamis, researchers say.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 8:03 pm

Commercial rocket will fly to the space station

FILE - In this June 4, 2010 file photo, a halo forms around the top of the SpaceX Falcon 9 test rocket as launches from complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla. A launch scheduled for Saturday, May 19, 2012, will mark for the first time, a private company will send its own rocket to the orbiting International Space Station, delivering food and ushering in a new era in America's space program. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)For the first time, a private company will launch a rocket to the International Space Station, sending it on a grocery run this weekend that could be the shape of things to come for America’s space program.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 7:55 pm

Sunday Solar Eclipse: How to Safely Photograph the ‘Ring of Fire’

Sunday Solar Eclipse: How to Safely Photograph the 'Ring of Fire'On Sunday, May 20, the western half of the United States will be treated to a spectacular annular eclipse as the sun sets in the western sky.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 6:08 pm

Human Genome adopts rights plan to ward off Glaxo

(Reuters) – Human Genome Sciences Inc said on Thursday it adopted a stockholder rights plan as the biotechnology company defends itself against a $2.6 billion hostile takeover bid by drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline Plc. Human Genome said its board determined the $13-a-share bid by the British drugmaker was inadequate and undervalued the company and it recommended stockholders not tender their shares. Glaxo, however, said it plans to proceed with its tender offer and restated its preference to complete the acquisition on a friendly basis. …

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 5:51 pm

Human Genome adopts rights plan to ward off Glaxo

The Human Genome Sciences Laboratories and Offices building is seen in Rockville, Maryland(Reuters) – Human Genome Sciences Inc said on Thursday it adopted a stockholder rights plan as the biotechnology company defends itself against a $2.6 billion (1.6 billion pounds) hostile takeover bid by drug maker GlaxoSmithKline Plc . Human Genome said its board determined the $13-a-share bid by the British drug maker was inadequate and undervalued the company and it recommended stockholders not tender their shares. Glaxo, however, said it plans to proceed with its tender offer and restated its preference to complete the acquisition on a friendly basis. …

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 5:49 pm

Space Spiders and Wine: Weird Science Launching on Private Space Capsule

Space Spiders and Wine: Weird Science Launching on Private Space CapsuleThe first private spacecraft ever to launch toward the International Space Station will be carrying a host of student science experiments when it blasts off Saturday (May 19), including projects looking at spiders in space and how microgravity affects wine.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 2:13 pm