Science & Technology

Too much TV could lead to depression A study out of the University of Pittsburgh reports that watching television during one’s adolescence could lead to depression down the road.

If you ever wondered what made Cuties,the box of mandarin oranges found at Safeway and Costco,so delicious,it could depend on what time of the year you buy them.

Free ride over for carbon dioxide absorption in oceans,scientists say The world’s oceans have long been helping to cushion the effects of climate change by absorbing massive amounts of the greenhouse gascarbon dioxide.This buffering process,however,is taking its toll on the oceans,which are experiencing a dangerous rise in acidity due to the dissolving gas.

Octuplets born in SoCal A Southern California woman gave birth to six boys and two girls in five minutes. The second-known set of octuplets born in the United States arrived on Monday at Kaiser Permanente in Bellflower,Calif.,a Los Angeles suburb.The babies were born between10:43and10:48a.m.,and their weights range from1pound and15ounces to3pounds and4ounces.

You can thank intestinal bugs for the change in a weaning baby’s diaper contents. Research shows that beneficial or “healthy” bacteria living in babies’ guts thrive on unique sugars found in breast milk, then wane once the diet switches to solid food. According to a recent UC Davis study, the genetic sequence of one of these bugs provides clues for understanding how breast milk nurtures the win-win relationship between healthy bacteria and babies.

Ever think that the brain can play tricks? Assistant Professor Karen Zito of the UC Davis neuroscience department knows that it can.

Parking lots are going to be a little dimmer nowadays – unless you walk underneath them. Michael Siminovitch, a design program professor and director of the UC Davis California Lighting Technology Center, and his team have developed a light technology that is motion sensitive in the hopes of saving valuable energy.

Today The role of microRNAs in liver regeneration Holger Willenbring,M.D– UC San Francisco Noon to1p.m.,1005Genome and biomedical sciences facility Sponsored by California Institute for Regenerative Medicine Stem Cell Training Program

UC Berkeley awarded $15 million grant to study population growth The UC Berkeley School of Public Health has recently been awarded $15 million to study the influence population growth has on the global environment, international conflict and public health.

Before taking a sip of bottled water,UC Davis‘ Frank Loge probably thinks about more than just drinking it. A professor of civil and environmental engineering,Loge examines every aspect of the hydrogen oxygen combo – from the sky to the ground,from waste to our mouths and everything in between.

UC Davis engineers,plant scientists and geneticists are heading a Chevron-sponsored project to develop the Jatropha curcas plant as a crop for biodiesel production in California.The three-year collaborative research program,now nearing its first year of completion,focuses on plant domestication,yield improvements and harvest optimization.Oil extracted from jatropha seeds can be processed to fuel diesel engines while the plant’s remnants can be used to power electricity plants and create other practical byproducts including fertilizer.

Today Silk Footprints ofEmbiids:Does One Size Fit All? Janice Edgerly-Rooks,professor of biology– Santa Clara University 122Briggs Hall,12:10to1p.m. Sponsored by entomology