Despite the increased popularity of geek culture – movies based on comic books, videogames, virtual worlds – and the ubiquity of computers, the geek's close cousin, the nerd, still suffers from a negative stereotype in popular culture. This may help explain why women and minorities are increasingly shying away from careers in information technology, says Lori Kendall, a professor in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The popular stereotype of the nerd as the sartorially challenged, anti-social white male hasn't faded from our collective cultural consciousness, and is more prevalent than ever as a stock character in television shows, movies and advertisements.

The helpless behavior that is commonly linked to depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is preceded by stress-related losses of synapses—microscopic connections between brain cells—in the brain’s hippocampal region, researchers at Yale School of Medicine report in Biological Psychiatry. 
 
The team used a six-day treatment with the antidepressant desipramine to reverse helpless behavior and restore hippocampal synapses in rats. 
 

Economics is always called the dismal science, because it has science pretensions yet never makes accurate predictions.   The outlook, according to economists, is always rather bleak.

But given the current state of the economy, economists are downright ecstatic, because they can be relevant again.  And, in this case, it turns out they are a lot more optimistic than unemployed people are about the future.

You know when economists are cheery things must be pretty bad.   

SALT LAKE CITY, March 2 /PRNewswire/ --

Each day around the world over one billion people log on to the biggest global network of resources ever created, the Internet. Because of those that rely on the web for so much, everything is now catered to the web. Need to check your bank account balance, login and check it. Want to know the latest movie times, a few clicks of a mouse and you are there. In everything that those that surf the net do, profits are being made from millions of people around the world. The web surfer's contribution to the continued existence and growth of the Internet has gone unrecognized until now.

CORAL GABLES, Florida, March 2 /PRNewswire/ --

- Fourth Quarter Revenue Increased 51%

- Fourth Quarter Diluted EPS Increased 136%

- Record Annual Revenue and Net Income

MasTec, Inc. (NYSE: MTZ) today announced another record quarter and year for both revenue and net income. Fourth quarter earnings per diluted share increased 136% on a 51% increase in revenue compared with the prior year quarter and annual earnings per diluted share increased sharply, on a 33% increase in revenue over the prior year. Jose R. Mas, MasTec's President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, We had another terrific quarter and delivered solid financial results for the year. I am very proud of what our team has accomplished.

The hot buzz word in the health care reform sector is "comparative effectivness research," and the lay press is picking up on the partisan rumblings in Washington over this provision in the recent stimulus legislation. But what is CE research, and why should we care about the minutiae involved in the bickering of a bunch of Washington politicians?

In fact, we should care very much, as it could change the way physicians practice medicine and consumers use health care.

SANTA CLARA, California, March 2 /PRNewswire/ --

Align Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALGN) today announced the international availability of Invisalign Teen(TM) for non-adult, comprehensive orthodontic treatment. Invisalign Teen is based on the innovative technology and demonstrated effectiveness of the Invisalign(R) system, with new features to address patient compliance, natural eruption of permanent teeth, and root-movement control - issues that are common in treatment of younger patients. Invisalign Teen was launched in the U.S. and Canada in July 2008.

It’s been a while since Popeye taught us to eat our spinach; vegetables are due for a makeover.  “Whatever sparks their imagination seems to spark their appetite,” says Cornell researcher Colin Payne of a new study led by Brian Wansink of Cornell’s Food and Branding lab.  This research shows that children eat significantly more vegetables when their food has been excitingly renamed.

PHILADELPHIA, March 2 /PRNewswire/ --

Shunra Software (www.shunra.com), the market leading provider of network emulation and application development testing solutions, announced today that it has been selected as a Finalist in the Software Information Industry Association's 24th Annual CODiE Awards for Best Software Testing Solution.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090112/SHUNRALOGO )

HANNOVER, Germany (CeBIT), March 2 /PRNewswire/ --

- White-Label European Content and Application Delivery Platform is Launched and Demonstrated at Hall 14 Booth J16 at CeBIT (3-8 March 2009)

HANNOVER, Germany (CeBIT), March 2 /PRNewswire/ --

deCarta, the leading supplier of software and services for the Location-Based Services (LBS) industry, today announced its real-time, two-way European connected navigation solution for next-generation personal navigation devices and smartphones. The software and service will be available to consumer brands, automotive OEMs, in-vehicle service providers, mobile network providers and handset manufacturers from the end of March 2009.