MSNBC led with a new study reporting how Stinky farts may help regulate blood pressure. Seems that a smelly rotten-egg gas (scientific name – hydrogen sulfide) in farts controls blood pressure, at least in mice. This gas, made natural in cells lining the mice’s blood vessels, apparently relaxes the blood vessels which, in turn, helps prevent hypertension (high blood pressure). Wow, wonder if this will open up a whole new avenue of treatments for hypertension based on ’stinky farts”?

Meanwhile, the Telegraph wrote about how Drinking too much coffee ‘could shrink women’s breasts’,  based on a recent Swedish study which focused on the caffeine consumption and breast size of 300 women. After recording the number of cups of coffee per day a woman drank and measuring the size of her bust, the study concluded ‘too much caffeine can affect the hormones in their bodies, scientists believe, playing havoc with their bust size.’  Honestly, I’m not making this up.

And last, but not least, FoxNews wrote about Researchers Brewing Up a Cancer-Fighting Beer.  At Rice University in Houston, researchers are trying to find a way to add resveratrol, the same compound that is said to give red wine its health benefits, to beer. It’s probably going to take some genetic engineering, but they’re determined to produce a good tasting, cancer fighting beer for your drinking pleasure. Only in Texas!

Post from: Healthbolt

But what about lying around in bed for three months and getting paid $5000 a month for doing so?

Well, according to Wired Science that’s just what NASA is asking people to volunteer for.

NASA is running a ‘Bed Rest Study’ at it’s Human Test Subject Facility at Johnson Space Center to examine the effects of microgravity on the human body.

Want to know more – check out this Q&A with a NASA Scientist about the study.

It might sound like a dream but it could easily turn into a nightmare…

On the other hand, if you combined it with the Getting Paid to Eat Chocolate research, it might just be worth it!!!

Post from: Healthbolt

Sounds bizarre but researchers at the University of Washington are hoping that Foldit, a new computer game will help uncover the key to medical mysteries ranging from Alzheimer’s Disease to vaccines.

There are more than 100,000 different kinds of proteins in the human body. These proteins form cells, make up the immune system, and determine the speed of chemical reactions.

Scientists already know the genetic sequence of many of the proteins but not how they fold up into the complext shapes that play the crucial biological roles within the human body.

This is where Foldit comes in.

This computer game will allow players to manipulate on-screen images of protein chains and attempt to predict their folding patterns. Points are earned for every chemically stable folded protein they create. The more they create, the more they earn. The reward – maybe one day the Nobel Prize in Medicine according to the game’s creators.

In recent game trials, hundreds of players were provided with 40 protein puzzles (the folding solutions already known to the game makers) to solve and most of the players were able to find the correct structure faster than the computer could.

The next step is to provide players with proteins with unknown folding patterns and let them do the research in protein structure prediction through game playing.

Sounds like a unique form of scientific outsourcing.

This might be the one computer game that parents will encourage their children to play…

You can download it here.

(Source)

Post from: Healthbolt