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Tech Post for 8-Sep-2008
Sep. 8th, 2008 02:43 pm"Junk" DNA may hold key to evolution of thumb and big toe - linked to tool use and upright posture respectively. The Yale research team identified at set of genes that they dubbed HACNS1 that, when introduced into mouse embryo, appeared to drive changes in the structure of the thumb and big toe. The researchers stress that the work is highly preliminary and they don't even know for sure if human-like structural changes would occur of the gene were to be spliced into mouse DNA.
Mentally taxing work linked to increase in food intake - despite the fact that the brain uses pretty much the same amount of energy whether working hard or at rest. The Quebec study compared the food intake, glucose and insulin levels, and cortisol levels among female students after one of three tasks: relaxing, mild mental exertion, and moderate mental exertion. They found that the caloric intake increased with the level of mental exertion, and that this was accompanied by increased glucose and insulin level instability, as well as higher cortisol levels that indicate an increase in stress levels.
Election kills Canadian DCMA bill - The announcement of an October 14th federal election is expected to kill the C-61 bill, known as the Canadian DCMA. It is expected that the bill will be resurrected in the event of a Conservative win.
First paper-based transistor - has been built by Portugese researchers who claim that it performs as well as transistors based on glass. The transistor was constructed by depositing, at room temperature, an inorganic semiconductor, the first used on a paper substrate, onto the surface. The porosity of paper presented a challenge to creating the transistor and still results in the current seepage when it is supposed to be "off". They plan to try using laminated paper to avoid the current leakage problem, and eventually hope to use the process to create cheap, disposable electronics.
Mentally taxing work linked to increase in food intake - despite the fact that the brain uses pretty much the same amount of energy whether working hard or at rest. The Quebec study compared the food intake, glucose and insulin levels, and cortisol levels among female students after one of three tasks: relaxing, mild mental exertion, and moderate mental exertion. They found that the caloric intake increased with the level of mental exertion, and that this was accompanied by increased glucose and insulin level instability, as well as higher cortisol levels that indicate an increase in stress levels.
Election kills Canadian DCMA bill - The announcement of an October 14th federal election is expected to kill the C-61 bill, known as the Canadian DCMA. It is expected that the bill will be resurrected in the event of a Conservative win.
First paper-based transistor - has been built by Portugese researchers who claim that it performs as well as transistors based on glass. The transistor was constructed by depositing, at room temperature, an inorganic semiconductor, the first used on a paper substrate, onto the surface. The porosity of paper presented a challenge to creating the transistor and still results in the current seepage when it is supposed to be "off". They plan to try using laminated paper to avoid the current leakage problem, and eventually hope to use the process to create cheap, disposable electronics.