Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for June 10, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Reprogramming immune system cells to produce natural killer cells for cancer- Many famous comets originally formed in other solar systems
- Stretching single molecules allows precision studies of interacting electrons
- Scientists Strive to Replace Silicon with Graphene on Nanocircuitry
- Warm-blooded sea reptiles of the Jurassic
- Exoplanet caught on the move (w/ Video)
- Robots designed to inspect power lines
- Formation of Saturn's ring moons explained
- World's Oldest Leather Shoe Found in Armenia
- Hackers obtain email addresses of iPad 3G owners
- Entropy study suggests Pictish symbols likely were part of a written language
- The Chance for Life on Io
- Helping the brain's messengers get from A to B
- Norwegian browser Opera aims to topple reigning Internet Explorer
- Study: Shrinking glaciers to spark food shortages
Space & Earth news
NASA aircraft to track Japanese spacecraft re-entry
(AP) -- A NASA flying observatory has left California on a mission to track a Japanese asteroid-sampling spacecraft as it returns to Earth on a course for Australia.
World Cup team jerseys made from recycled bottles
Nine teams competing in the World Cup will be wearing environmentally friendly jerseys made from recycled plastic bottles when the tournament kicks off in South Africa on Friday.
Expert: North Carolina's beaches cleaner than most
North Carolina's beach-goers generally enjoy clean water, but the ocean can become polluted after a heavy rainfall. Rachel Noble, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill water-quality expert, gives the straight poop on staying healthy at the beach.
Predicting amount of oil in contaminated soils
Scientists are reporting a new technique for mapping and testing oil-contaminated soils. Traditionally, samples need to be collected from the field and returned to a lab for extensive chemical analysis, costing time and money when neither is readily available during a clean-up operation. The new method can take measurements in the field and accurately predict the total amount of petroleum contaminants in moist, unprepared soil samples.
Global warming spells doom for Asia's rivers
The livelihood of thousands of Tibetans living on China's highest plateau is under threat as global warming and environmental degradation dry up water sources for three mighty Asian rivers, experts say.
Storm elves and sprites recorded on video
A team of Spanish researchers has made a high-speed recording of elves and sprites in storms, fleeting and luminous electric phenomena produced in the upper layers of the atmosphere. Their analysis of these observations has been published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.
New model is proposed to explain absence of organic compounds on surface of Mars
The ongoing search for evidence of past or present life on Mars includes efforts to identify organic compounds such as proteins in Martian soil, but their absence to date remains a mystery. A new theory to explain what happens to these carbon-based molecules is presented in an article published in Astrobiology.
Up to 40,000-plus barrels per day pouring into Gulf: US
As much as 40,000-plus barrels of oil per day are pouring from BP's ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico, a US official said Thursday, more than doubling the previous government estimate.
S.Korea rocket blows up minutes after blast-off (Update 2)
A South Korean rocket trying to put a satellite into orbit exploded Thursday less than three minutes after blast-off, dealing another blow to Seoul's dreams of joining Asia's space race.
Surprise NASA move may force shutdown of Constellation program
In a surprise move, NASA has told the major contractors working on its troubled Constellation moon rocket program that they are in violation of federal spending rules -- and must immediately cut back work by almost $1 billion to get into compliance.
Changing Chesapeake Bay acidity impacting oyster shell growth
Acidity is increasing in some regions of the Chesapeake Bay even faster than is occurring in the open ocean, where it is now recognized that increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide dissolve in the seawater thereby making it more acidic. These more acidic conditions in key parts of Chesapeake Bay reduce rates of juvenile oyster shell formation, according to new research published in the journal Estuaries and Coasts.
Study: Shrinking glaciers to spark food shortages
(AP) -- Nearly 60 million people living around the Himalayas will suffer food shortages in the coming decades as glaciers shrink and the water sources for crops dry up, a study said Thursday.
Planck Mission: Space Probe Peers Into Dark Cosmos
(PhysOrg.com) -- Imagine watching the birth of the universe -- the Big Bang -- from the outside. What would you have seen?
Model Helps Search for Moon Dust Fountains
(PhysOrg.com) -- In exploration, sometimes you find more than what you're looking for, including things that shouldn't be there. As the Apollo 17 astronauts orbited over the night side of the moon, with the sun just beneath the horizon right before orbital "sunrise," Eugene Cernan prepared to make observations of sunlight scattered by the sun's thin outer atmosphere and interplanetary dust from comets and collisions between asteroids. The idea was to have the moon block the brilliant direct sunlight so this faint glow, called Coronal and Zodiacal Light (CZL), could be seen. They should have seen a dim "hump" of light in the middle of the horizon that gradually grew in size and intensity until it was overwhelmed by sunrise. What came next was not supposed to happen.
The Chance for Life on Io
Jupiter's moon Io is the most volcanically active body in the solar system. Could it also be a habitat for life?
Formation of Saturn's ring moons explained
(PhysOrg.com) -- New computer simulations based on data collected by the Cassini spacecraft mission suggest five of Saturn's moons may have been formed only 10 million years ago, and researchers in France and England think new moons could still be formed because the processes that created the ring moons are still active.
Many famous comets originally formed in other solar systems
Many of the most well known comets, including Halley, Hale-Bopp and, most recently, McNaught, may have been born in orbit around other stars, according to a new theory by an international team of astronomers led by a scientist from the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Boulder, Colo.
Exoplanet caught on the move (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- Only 12 million years old, or less than three-thousandths of the age of the Sun, Beta Pictoris is 75% more massive than our parent star. It is located about 60 light-years away towards the constellation of Pictor (the Painter) and is one of the best-known examples of a star surrounded by a dusty debris disc [1].
Technology news
Second Life creator Linden Lab laying off staff
Linden Lab, creator of the online virtual world Second Life, said Wednesday it was laying off 30 percent of its staff.
S.Korean government website hit by cyber attacks
South Korea's intelligence service is investigating a major cyber attack on the main government website by hackers traced to China, officials said Thursday.
Professor to present vision for zero-carbon future for UK
A University of Nottingham professor is to outline his vision for a UK powered completely by renewable energy by 2030 in an open lecture taking place later this month.
NYC mayor shrugs off iPad e-mail address leak
(AP) -- Mayor Michael Bloomberg's e-mail address was exposed because of a security vulnerability with his new iPad, but the billionaire media mogul shrugged it off Thursday and said he didn't understand the fuss.
Clemson engineers to create model underground energy-storage facility
With a new twist on an old idea, two Clemson University environmental engineers are developing ways to store "waste" energy underground to cut heating and cooling costs and reduce carbon emissions.
Microsoft prices $1.15B convertible debt sale
(AP) -- Microsoft Corp. has priced its $1.15 billion convertible debt offering to institutional investors, and said it will use the proceeds to pay down short-term debt.
PTA joins with Facebook to promote Internet safety
(AP) -- The PTA and Facebook are joining forces to promote Internet safety through a set of tools and resources for kids, schools and parents.
Breaking down the web barriers bit by bit
(PhysOrg.com) -- Computers and the internet can enable you to communicate globally and provide access to vast stores of information -- provided you have the ability to access it. A system to remove barriers to the internet faced by people with disabilities is gaining ground.
Internet memorial site launched in Hong Kong
Even Hong Kong's dead cannot escape the Internet after the government Thursday opened the electronic gates on a brand new virtual graveyard.
Traffic technology for a cooperative commute?
(PhysOrg.com) -- Could chatty cars spearhead a peaceful revolution and traffic communications act as force to unite commuters instead of a curse to enrage them? Thanks to new 'intelligent traffic' technology developed by European researchers, we could be in for a more cooperative commute.
Google drops background images on homepage amid outcry (Update)
Google spruced up its homepage with images from artists, sculptors and photographers on Thursday, but dropped the feature after drawing the ire of users clamoring for the normally blank background.
Waste steel in the Gulf of Mexico
The huge tonnages of waste steel from decommissioned offshore oil and gas structures represents a serious problem for operators looking to recoup losses and avoid environmental harm. A way to calculate the weight of the problem has been developed by US researchers and described in the International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Technology.
SEMATECH Achieves Submicron 3D IC Bond Alignment Results in Integrated Bonding Tool Platform
Researchers from SEMATECH's 3D Interconnect program based at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering's (CNSE) Albany NanoTech Complex have reported advances in wafer-to-wafer bonding alignment accuracies through a series of tool and process hardening improvements.
Six Taiwan executives charged in US with price-fixing
Six employees of a Taiwanese maker of liquid crystal display (LCD) panels and its US subsidiary have been charged with price-fixing, the US Justice Department said Thursday.
Biofuel cell retrieves copper
(PhysOrg.com) -- Producing energy and recovering copper from waste water at the same time: this is what Wageningen University environmental technologists are doing with their new microbial fuel cell.
FBI investigating AT&T iPad security breach
(AP) -- The FBI said Thursday that it is investigating a data breach at AT&T that exposed the e-mail addresses of more than 114,000 owners of the Apple iPad, including government officials.
NY: Networking site Tagged.com ignored abuse rules
(AP) -- Child pornography was allowed to remain on social-networking site Tagged.com for nearly two months after undercover investigators posed as users and reported the content to the site's administrators, the state attorney general's office charged Thursday.
EU sets tight biofuel standards
(AP) -- The European Union's top energy official set out tough standards for producing biofuels sold in the EU, demanding producers meet strict environmental criteria.
Norwegian browser Opera aims to topple reigning Internet Explorer
No. 1 in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Belarus. It might not be a slogan to attract an avalanche of American Internet users, but the Norwegian company that makes the fastest Web browser you've never heard of sees a major opportunity in the United States and the rest of the world.
Game companies ready to show new ways to play
(AP) -- Video game makers are about to try to convince you that fancy 3-D screens, gesture-recognition cameras and ultra-sensitive motion controllers topped with brightly glowing spheres are what you need to have a good time.
Hackers obtain email addresses of iPad 3G owners
A shadowy hacking group obtained the email addresses of over 114,000 owners of Apple iPads by exploiting a vulnerability at US telecom giant AT&T, a Silicon Valley website reported on Wednesday.
Medicine & Health news
Vast geographic differences found in drug spending under Medicare
Widespread geographic variations exist in drug spending among Medicare beneficiaries, with some regions spending twice as much as others, according to a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health study. Published in the Online First June 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, and the first to explore regional drug spending under Medicare, the study also found that higher spending on drugs was not balanced by lower spending on other medical care services such as hospitalizations and visits to the doctor's office.
UK recommends against buying breast cancer drug
(AP) -- Britain's health watchdog on Thursday recommended against buying a breast cancer drug for patients with advanced disease.
AMA's position on coverage expansion was inconsistent with the views of most physicians
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that the majority of physicians and members of the American Medical Association (AMA) opposed the AMA's position on coverage expansions--the most contentious issue in the recent health care reform debate. The data are published in a letter in the June 9th issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Heart attacks declined 24 percent in northern California since 2000
Heart attacks declined by 24 percent within a large, ethnically diverse, community-based population since 2000, and the relative incidence of serious heart attacks that do permanent damage declined by 62 percent, according to a Kaiser Permanente Division of Research study in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Untangling the Mysteries of Alzheimer's Disease
(PhysOrg.com) -- Lary Walker, associate professor of neuroscience, discusses the most common cause of dementia -- Alzheimer's disease -- and a promising diagnostic tool to detect it. Walker also explains what happens to the brain when someone gets this disease, and why Alzheimer's is exclusive to humans.
Videoconferencing with family members enriches the lives of nursing home residents
Nursing home residents who used videoconferencing to keep in touch with family members felt it enriched their lives, according to a study in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.
Anxiety affects attention processes
A research conducted at the University of Granada, Spain, has identified the different effects of being of a nervous disposition and being anxious at a given moment on what happens around us. Being of a nervous disposition and being anxious at a given moment affects our attention to what happens.
Study shows Hodgkin lymphoma survivors lack post-treatment screening for other cancers
A population-based study of 2,071 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) survivors over 15 years has discovered that while many survivors had multiple X-rays and CT scans years after treatment was finished, they often did not receive recommended cancer screening tests.
Improving care for older adults
The Indiana Network for Patient Care (INPC), one of the highest volume health information exchanges in the United States, is expanding to include post-acute care facilities, bringing the benefits of secure health information exchange to a growing number of individuals who often have significant health care needs.
New study finds strong association between smoking and flat precancerous polyps
According to a new study, smoking was found to have a strong association with the presence of flat adenomas (precancerous polyps) in the colon and may explain the earlier onset of colorectal cancer in smokers, as well as the advanced stage with which they present when compared to nonsmokers. Flat adenomas are more difficult to detect and have more aggressive pathology than the typical raised type of polyp detected during colorectal cancer screening. The study appears in the June issue of GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE).
Gold, and lead, bring illness and death in Nigeria
(AP) -- Mound after tiny mound of red clay earth dots the cemetery on the outskirts of this impoverished Nigerian village where grieving parents come to pray.
Gout drug benefits kidney disease patients
A drug commonly used to treat gout may help maintain kidney disease patients' health, according to an analysis appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). The research is the first to show that allopurinol treatment in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) decreases inflammation, slows the progression of kidney disease, and reduces patients' risk of experiencing a cardiovascular event or being hospitalized.
Family carers share the illness experience of the dying patient
Family carers need to be supported throughout the whole illness of their loved ones as they witness and share much of the experience of the dying person, according to research published in the British Medical Journal today.
Scottish people 'living dangerously'
Almost the entire adult population of Scotland (97.5%) are likely to be either cigarette smokers, heavy drinkers, physically inactive, overweight or have a poor diet. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Public Health also found a strong association between the presence of several of these risk factors and low income.
Bone Marrow Stem Cells Accelerate Atherosclerosis
(PhysOrg.com) -- According to a new study at Columbia University Medical Center, excess numbers of stem cells in the bone marrow of mice accelerate the progression of atherosclerosis. Researchers found that large numbers of bone marrow stem cells create excessive numbers of white blood cells, which flock to cholesterol deposits on the artery wall (such as those shown here), enlarging and inflaming them.
Driving while distracted is a primary-care issue
It's time for physicians to talk to patients about driving while distracted, a problem that has risen to the rough equivalence of drunken driving thanks to the proliferation of phones that allow drivers to talk and text, Amy Ship, MD, a primary care physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center suggests.
Uninsured Americans have 50 percent higher odds of dying in hospital from heart attack or stroke
An analysis of over 150,000 hospital discharges has revealed that there are significant insurance related differences in hospital mortality, length of stay, and costs among working-age Americans (age 18-64 years) hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), stroke, or pneumonia. These three conditions are among the leading causes of non-cancer in-patient deaths in patients under 65 years old. The analysis is published today in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
Genome-wide study identifies factors that may affect vitamin D levels
An international research consortium has identified four common gene variants that are associated with blood levels of vitamin D and with an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency. The report from the SUNLIGHT consortium - involving investigators from six countries - will appear in The Lancet and is receiving early online release.
Asthma control? We've got an app for that
An online self-management tool for people with asthma has been shown to significantly improve their ability to reduce their symptoms. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Respiratory Research tested the system in 200 adults with asthma, finding significant effects in those whose asthma was either partly controlled or uncontrolled at the beginning of the trial.
New website to help stroke survivors learn to read again
(PhysOrg.com) -- A groundbreaking online tool launched today by University College London promises to help people whose sight has been damaged by stroke to learn to read again.
Model to Help Patients See How to Sound Out Words
(PhysOrg.com) -- Traditionally, speech-language pathologists have relied on a patient's sense of hearing to improve speech sounds. A team of researchers from UT Dallas is hoping to change that by creating a new high-tech tool that will allow patients to use their sense of sight to visualize the movements of the mouth during speech.
Frontal cortex dysfunction may contribute to compulsive sexual behavior
Sex "addiction" is a concept that has had particularly high visibility recently with the publicity associated with Tiger Woods. Persons with addictive or compulsive disorders frequently display an inability to inhibit behaviors once they become maladaptive, despite adverse consequences of their behavior. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a brain region involved in decision-making and behavioral flexibility, and it has been identified as a potential mediator of behavioral inhibition.
Engineer helps stroke patients regain motor functions in hands, arms
Helping stroke patients regain use of their hands and arms through innovative robotic and virtual reality-based video game therapies is the focal point of NJIT Associate Professor Sergei Adamovich, a biomedical engineer. Thanks to a $1.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Adamovich is developing better ways to rehabilitate people who have lost control of their hands, fingers, shoulders and elbows.
Is the current recession compromising hospital quality?
During past recessions, the financial stability of hospitals seemed to be nearly indestructible. But researchers at the University of Michigan Health System and St. Joseph Mercy Health System say the current national economic crisis may be an exception.
Botox eases nerve pain in certain patients
Made popular for its ability to smooth wrinkles when injected into the face, Botox — a toxin known to weaken or paralyze certain nerves and muscles — may have another use that goes beyond the cosmetic.
Do toddlers pick up gender roles during play?
The differences in mothers' and fathers' interactions with their children, particularly in play situations, may influence toddlers' associations of specific behaviors with male and female genders. According to Eric Lindsey from Penn State Berks in the US, and his colleagues, context, gender of the parent and gender of the child combine in a complex pattern to shape parent-child interaction. Their findings1 are published online in Springer's journal Sex Roles.
Researchers discover how mutations in presenilin gene cause early onset Alzheimer's disease
Researchers have discovered how mutations in the presenilin 1 gene cause early-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). The finding, reported online in the journal Cell, opens the door to developing novel treatments for this form of the mind-robbing disease and for the more common, late-onset form that develops later in life and affects millions of people worldwide.
Canadians track infectious disease threats at World Cup
Two Canadian researchers will be keeping a close eye on what hundreds of thousands of soccer fans take to the World Cup in South Africa _ and what they potentially bring home.
Youth clubs strengthen kids' self image to keep them out of trouble
When children belong to a youth club, they gain a stronger sense of who they are as a person, an Ohio State University study has revealed.
Witnessing Arrests May Increase Stress Risk in Children: Study
(PhysOrg.com) -- A University of Illinois at Chicago study says children in the nation's child welfare system who witnessed the arrest of a household member may have been psychologically traumatized by the arrest.
Researchers Identify New Steps in Spread of Malaria Parasite Through Bloodstream
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have observed two previously unknown steps in the spread of the malaria parasite through the bloodstream. And in laboratory cultures, the researchers interfered with one of these steps, raising the possibility that new drug treatments could be developed to combat the disease.
Highlight: The mama bear effect: oxytocin promotes 'tend and defend' response
A soldier and a mother may share some interesting brain chemistry, researchers report in the June 11 issue of Science.
Popular cancer drug can cause kidney damage
The widely used cancer drug bevacizumab may cause severe loss of protein from the kidney into the urine that can lead to significant kidney damage and can compromise the efficacy of cancer treatment, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The results suggest that physicians should monitor patients' kidney health when prescribing this angiogenesis inhibitor.
Clear association between obesity and vitamin D deficiency
(PhysOrg.com) -- A study conducted at Uppsala University has demonstrated that obese people often suffer from serious vitamin D deficiency and poor calcium metabolism. The findings have been published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. According to the researchers, the problem is underappreciated by the health care establishment.
Inexpensive drug to stop sight loss shown to be effective
An inexpensive, but unlicensed drug to help prevent severe sight loss in older people has been shown to be safe and effective, finds a study published in the British Medical Journal today.
Improving recovery from spinal cord injury
Once damaged, nerves in the spinal cord normally cannot grow back and the only drug approved for treating these injuries does not enable nerve regrowth. Publishing online this week in the Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine show that treating injured rat spinal cords with an enzyme, sialidase, improves nerve regrowth, motor recovery and nervous system function.
BRAF mutation confirmed as a strong target for cancer drugs
(PhysOrg.com) -- Research has added to the evidence that a genetic mutation found in over 60 per cent of malignant melanomas is an important target for drugs to treat the disease.
Major breakthrough will revolutionize the screening and treatment of genetic diseases
A research team led by Dr. Nada Jabado at the MUHC and Dr. Jacek Majewski at McGill University has proven for the first time that it is possible to identify any genetic disease in record time thanks to a powerful and reliable exome sequencing method. The exome, a small part of the genome (< 2%), is of crucial interest with regard to research on genetic diseases as it accounts for 85% of mutations. the results of the team's research have just been published in the journal Human Mutation.
Diabetes may double cancer risk in women
Type 2 adult-onset diabetes causes insulin-like hormones to circulate through the body. A new study finds this has a surprisingly positive effect on reducing the rate of prostate cancer in men, but is bad news for women: Type 2 diabetes may double the risk of female genital and other cancers.
Helping the brain's messengers get from A to B
In what has been hailed as a breakthrough, scientists from Columbia University Medical Center and Weill Cornell Medical College have outlined the molecular mechanism of membrane transport. The research shows how a protein transforms its shape to transport substances across the cell membrane in order to regulate transmission of the brain's messages across the synaptic gap from one neuron to another.
Researcher identifies links between hypertension, bipolar disorders
Nearly half of patients hospitalized with bipolar disorder may suffer from hypertension, and the younger a person is diagnosed with the psychiatric condition the more likely they are to develop high blood pressure, according to a recent Michigan State University study.
Contrary to Popular Models, Sugar Is Not Burned by Self-Control Tasks (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- Contradicting a popular model of self-control, a University of Pennsylvania psychologist says the data from a 2007 study argues against the idea that glucose is the resource used to manage self control and that humans rely on this energy source for will power.
Reprogramming immune system cells to produce natural killer cells for cancer
A team of researchers has developed a method to produce cells that kill tumour cells in the lab and prevent tumours forming in mouse models of cancer. Although the current work is in cells and mouse, if the research transfers to human biology, the new type of cell could be a new source for cell-based anticancer therapies.
Biology news
First definitive guide to Borneo's sharks and rays
(PhysOrg.com) -- Which island of South-East Asia has the most stingray species in the world? According to the new book 'Sharks and Rays of Borneo', the island of Borneo has 30 different stingrays: not surprising for the most biologically diverse region on the planet.
Experts identify biological control to contain fungus killer in Kenya's maize supply
As Kenya once again grapples with high levels of aflatoxin contamination, which has rendered at least 2.3 million bags of maize unfit for human and livestock consumption, international experts announced today that they have identified a local non-toxic form of the fungus responsible for aflatoxin that can be used to control contamination through a novel biological control approach, which is entirely safe and effective.
ARS Study Helps Farmers Make Best Use of Fertilizers
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new way to make topographic maps with radar can help farmers divert more of their resources to the highest-yielding parts of their fields, according to an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist.
New UF cell phone 'app' lets users identify pests with photos, text
(PhysOrg.com) -- Homeowners and pest control technicians have a new option for identifying bugs lurking in houses and other buildings -- and it's as close as a cell phone.
Mice help researcher study how cow's diet affects milk-fat content
(PhysOrg.com) -- A dairy nutritionist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences is conducting genetic research with mice to determine if cows can be influenced by diet to produce milk with a higher fat content.
Endangered crocodiles hatched in Cambodia
(AP) -- Conservationists in Cambodia are celebrating the hatching of a clutch of eggs from one of the world's most critically endangered animals.
Nuclear pores call on different assembly mechanisms at different cell cycle stages
Nuclear pores are the primary gatekeepers mediating communication between a cell's nucleus and its cytoplasm. Recently these large multiprotein transport channels have also been shown to play an essential role in developmental gene regulation. Despite the critical role in nuclear function, however, nuclear pore complexes remain somewhat shadowy figures, with many details about their formation shrouded in mystery.
Depth important in generating reef diversity
(PhysOrg.com) -- A study by University of Queensland researchers reveals that corals are more adapted to smaller ecological niches than previously thought, and provides new insights into the processes that generate diversity on coral reefs.
Flu's Evolution Strategy Strikes Perfect Balance
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have uncovered the flu's secret formula for effectively evolving within and between host species: balance. The key lies with the flu's unique replication process, which has evolved to produce enough mutations for the virus to spread and adapt to its host environment, but not so many that unwanted genomic mutations lead to the flu's demise (catastrophic mutagenesis). These findings overturn long-held assumptions about how the virus evolves.
With fungi on their side, rice plants grow to be big
By tinkering with a type of fungus that lives in association with plant roots, researchers have found a way to increase the growth of rice by an impressive margin. The so-called mycorrhizal fungi are found in association with nearly all plants in nature, where they deliver essential nutrients—specifically phosphate—to plants in return for sugar. The findings are nevertheless a surprise, according to researchers reporting online on June 10th in Current Biology, because there has been little evidence thus far to suggest that crop plants actually respond to the fungi.
Biologists identify genes regulating sleeping and feeding
In the quest to better understand how the brain chooses between competing behaviors necessary for survival, scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and New York University have isolated two genes in the fruit fly Drosophila that work together to mediate the need to sleep and the need to eat. The study, which appears in the online version of Current Biology, offers insights that may be used to understand sleep-and metabolism-related disorders in humans.
Sharks can really sniff out their prey, and this is how they do it
It's no secret that sharks have a keen sense of smell and a remarkable ability to follow their noses through the ocean, right to their next meal. Now, researchers reporting online on June 10th in Current Biology have figured out how the sharks manage to keep themselves on course.
Researchers discover mechanism that limits scar formation
Researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago have discovered that an unexpected cellular response plays an important role in breaking down and inhibiting the formation of excess scar tissue in wound healing.
Suspended animation protects against lethal hypothermia, study shows (w/ Video)
How is it that some people who apparently freeze to death, with no heart rate or respiration for extended periods, can be brought back to life with no long-term negative health consequences? New findings from the laboratory of cell biologist Mark B. Roth, Ph.D., of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, may help explain the mechanics behind this widely documented phenomenon.
Model explains rapid transition toward division of labor in biological evolution
The transition from colonies of individual cells to multicellular organisms can be achieved relatively rapidly, within one million generations, according to a new mathematical model, published June 10 in the open-access journal PLoS Computational Biology, that simplifies our understanding of this process.
This email is a free service of PhysOrg.com
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you no longer want to receive this email use the link below to unsubscribe.
http://www.physorg.com/profile/nwletter/
You are subscribed as mail@joashmabs.com
No comments:
Post a Comment