Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for September 27, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Scientists develop new way to decipher hidden messages in symbols- Scientists use plasmonic nanobubbles in living organisms to detect, eliminate prostate cancer cells (w/ Video)
- Complexity not so costly after all, analysis shows
- Fungal spores travel farther by surfing their own wind (w/ Video)
- IBM breakthrough captures high speed measurements of individual atoms
- Right or left? Brain stimulation can change which hand you favor
- Single electron reader opens path for quantum computing
- Semiconductor could turn heat into computing power
- Solar cells thinner than wavelengths of light hold huge power potential
- Nanotechnology promises better catalytic converter
- Fundamental algorithm gets first improvement in 10 years
- Insecticides from genetically modified corn present in adjacent streams
- Learning curve goes digital
- Scientists freeze virus fragment in shape recognized by immune system
- Researchers discover a drug combination that shrinks tumors in vivo
Space & Earth news
Gigantic mirror for X-radiation in outer space
It is to become the largest X-ray telescope ever: The International X-Ray Observatory (IXO), which has been planned in a cooperation between NASA, ESA and Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency JAXA, will be launched into space in 2021 and provide the world with brand new information about black holes and, thus, about the origin of the universe. Its dimensions are gigantic: The surface of the mirror alone, which is to capture, for example, the cosmic X-radiation of black holes, will be 1300 m2 in size. It will consist of commercially available silicon wafers with pores of a few millimetres underneath. The quality of these "hidden" surfaces will be tested at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) with a monochromatic X-ray pencil beam. The new measuring device has been installed at PTB's synchrotron radiation laboratory at BESSY II in Berlin-Adlershof.
Soyuz crew admit to disappointment at delayed landing
Russian cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov admitted Monday to disappointment when he and his two crew had to return to the International Space Station after their Soyuz spaecraft failed to undock.
Multiple factors contribute to flooding
Extreme events, such as floods or droughts, are caused by multiple factors - and must therefore be studied from many different perspectives. This is what international experts on water and climate research call for in the current issue of a renowned scientific journal. The Doctoral Program "Water Resource Systems", which is funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, is considered a precursor for interdisciplinary approach in this field. Thanks to the interactive education it offers, graduates from the program are able to solve complex problems facing water research.
Image: Observe the Moon
This photograph shows the Laser Ranging Facility at the Geophysical and Astronomical Observatory at NASA's Goddard Spaceflight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The observatory helps NASA keep track of orbiting satellites.
Experts question BP's take on Gulf oil spill
(AP) -- Engineering experts probing the Gulf of Mexico oil spill exposed holes in BP's internal investigation as the company was questioned Sunday for the first time in public about its findings.
Elevated nitrogen and phosphorus still widespread in much of the nation's streams and groundwater
Elevated concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus, nutrients that can negatively impact aquatic ecosystems and human health, have remained the same or increased in many streams and aquifers across the Nation since the early 1990's, according to a new national study by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Tile drainage directly related to nitrate loss
Tile drainage in the Mississippi Basin is one of the great advances of the 19th and 20th centuries, allowing highly productive agriculture in what was once land too wet to farm. In fact, installation of new tile systems continues every year, because it leads to increased crop yields. But a recent study shows that the most heavily tile-drained areas of North America are also the largest contributing source of nitrate to the Gulf of Mexico, leading to seasonal hypoxia. In the summer of 2010 this dead zone in the Gulf spanned over 7,000 square miles.
Greening the high-street: big brands and the eco-revolution
Poisonous pesticides, soil pollution and water waste: high-street fashion has a lot to answer for in the environmental game. But can big brands use their global clout to drive the green revolution?
Innovative solution to the evolution of form proposed
A new paper published in the International Journal of Astrobiology is providing a unique account of the origin of forms in plant and animal body plans. The model is not based on genetic code or natural selection, and could provide new insights into the origin and evolution of life on our planet.
Scientist blasts official estimates on oil spill
A top scientist Monday contradicted US government claims that most of the oil that flooded into the Gulf of Mexico from BP's busted well has degraded, insisting that more than half remains.
Probing Question: What is a Near Earth?
In the 1997 movie "Contact" (based on the novel by Carl Sagan), actress Jodie Foster plays an astrophysicist devoted to SETI -- the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence. Despite doubting colleagues, she vigilantly monitors signals from radio telescopes aimed at thousands of nearby sun-like stars, hoping to receive a message from alien life forms. While the large dish telescope in the movie is real (the movie was filmed on location at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico), the contact isn't. So far, the skies remain silent.
Virgin to launch space tourism in 18 months: Branson
Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson said Monday that Virgin Galactic is on track to offer commercial space travel within 18 months, and that space hotels are next on the drawing board.
Rare oasis of life found on floor of Yellowstone Lake
(PhysOrg.com) -- Montana State University researchers have discovered a rare oasis of life in the midst of hundreds of geothermal vents at the bottom of Yellowstone Lake.
Urban gardeners beware: There may be lead in your soil and food
Not since victory gardens helped World War II era Americans on the home front survive food shortages have urban gardens been as necessary and popular as they are today. With more food production in cities, the safety of the produce grown there becomes increasingly important.
Landing site for Rosetta going South
Scientists have determined that ESA's Rosetta mission needs to deliver its lander to a site in the southern hemisphere of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. A site in this region will be the safest and most scientifically interesting according to the recent study.
Insecticides from genetically modified corn present in adjacent streams
In a paper published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Cary Institute aquatic ecologist Dr. Emma Rosi-Marshall and colleagues report that streams throughout the Midwestern Corn Belt are receiving insecticidal proteins that originate from adjacent genetically modified crops. The protein enters streams through runoff and when corn leaves, stalks, and plant parts are washed into stream channels.
Pan-STARRS discovers its first potentially hazardous asteroid
The Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) PS1 telescope has discovered an asteroid that will come within 4 million miles of Earth in mid-October. The object is about 150 feet in diameter and was discovered in images acquired on September 16, when it was about 20 million miles away.
Technology news
Rethinking renewables: A new approach to energy storage for wind and solar
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are leading a new $2 million study to help overcome a key bottleneck slowing the proliferation of large-scale wind and solar power generation.
Segway owner dies after falling off river cliff
(AP) -- A wealthy British businessman who owns the company that makes the two-wheeled Segway has been found dead in a river in northern England after apparently falling off a cliff on one of the vehicles, police said Monday.
SwRI-developed test rig performs well under wet gas condition
Engineers in Southwest Research Institute's (SwRI) Mechanical Engineering Division have successfully tested a two-stage centrifugal compressor for offshore production. A test loop designed and built at SwRI was used to evaluate the compressor's performance under wet gas conditions. The testing was conducted for a major energy producer.
French police dismantle mobile phone hacking ring
French police have busted a network of mobile phone hackers, a fraud worth millions of euros, and arrested nine people, including employees of cellular phone companies, investigators said Sunday.
Apple attracts most coverage of US tech firms: Pew study
Apple attracts more coverage from the mainstream US media than any other US technology company and most of it is positive, according to a study released on Monday.
Stuxnet worm rampaging through Iran: IT official
The Stuxnet worm is mutating and wreaking further havoc on computerised industrial equipment in Iran where about 30,000 IP addresses have already been infected, IRNA news agency reported on Monday.
Study: Electric cars hold greater promise for reducing emissions and lowering US oil imports
Electric cars hold greater promise for reducing emissions and lowering U.S. oil imports than a national renewable portfolio standard, according to research conducted by Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.
HP completes acquisition of 3PAR
US computer giant Hewlett-Packard said Monday it has completed its acquisition of data storage firm 3PAR for 2.35 billion dollars.
NBC shows to stream on Netflix
Netflix has reached a deal with NBC Universal to put "Saturday Night Live," "30 Rock," "Friday Night Lights," "Battlestar Galactica," "Monk" and other TV shows on its online instant streaming service, the companies announced Friday.
Phone apps keep transit riders on time
Allen Stern says he had a 40-minute wait between buses when he lived in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Using a free mobile app that became available about a year ago, he could at least tap into the Metropolitan Transit Authority with his cell phone and find out exactly how far away the next bus was from his stop.
There's a fund for that
Silicon Valley investor Matt Murphy is out to find the next great opportunity in mobile consumer technology. And he has $200 million at his disposal to pay for it.
Cyber crooks out for LinkedIn members' bank accounts
Cisco on Monday warned that crooks have inundated LinkedIn with emails crafted to trick members of the career-oriented social networking service into downloading software that loots bank accounts.
Showcase UAV demonstrates 'Flapless Flight'
(PhysOrg.com) -- A novel unmanned air vehicle (UAV) which showcases a wide range of new technologies has successfully demonstrated 'flapless flight' in the UK.
IBM buys Blade Network Technologies
US computer giant IBM said Monday it has acquired Blade Network Technologies, a California company that makes data switches for computer servers.
Let your fingers do the driving: If you don't hear directions, you can feel them (w/ Video)
If drivers are yakking on cell phones and don't hear spoken instructions to turn left or right from a passenger or navigation system, they still can get directions from devices that are mounted on the steering wheel and pull skin on the driver's index fingertips left or right, a University of Utah study found.
Report: US would make Internet wiretaps easier
Broad new regulations being drafted by the Obama administration would make it easier for law enforcement and national security officials to eavesdrop on Internet and e-mail communications like social networking Web sites and BlackBerries, The New York Times reported Monday.
Rain or shine, researchers find new ways to forecast large photovoltaic power plant output
(PhysOrg.com) -- Sandia National Laboratories researchers have developed a new system to monitor how clouds affect large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants. By observing cloud shape, size and movement, the system provides a way for utility companies to predict and prepare for fluctuations in power output due to changes in weather. The resulting models will provide utility companies with valuable data to assess potential power plant locations, ramp rates and power output.
Learning curve goes digital
Oklahoma State University professor Bill Handy has big plans for the Apple iPad this fall. If the text messages he has received since the school announced he would test the tablet-style e-reader in some courses are any indication, students are eager to get their hands on the devices, too.
BlackBerry CEO suggests route to eavesdropping
(AP) -- BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd. says it has no way of providing government officials with the text of encrypted corporate e-mails its devices serve up. But if the companies that employ BlackBerry phones want to hand over the encryption keys to their e-mail, it won't object.
Fundamental algorithm gets first improvement in 10 years
The maximum-flow problem, or max flow, is one of the most basic problems in computer science: First solved during preparations for the Berlin airlift, it's a component of many logistical problems and a staple of introductory courses on algorithms. For decades it was a prominent research subject, with new algorithms that solved it more and more efficiently coming out once or twice a year. But as the problem became better understood, the pace of innovation slowed. Now, however, MIT researchers, together with colleagues at Yale and the University of Southern California, have demonstrated the first improvement of the max-flow algorithm in 10 years.
Medicine & Health news
Unique gastroenterology procedure developed in adults shows promise in pediatrics
The use of device-assisted enteroscopy, a technique that allows complete examination of the small bowel, may be just as successful pediatrics as it has been in adult medicine, according to a study from Nationwide Children's Hospital.
Daycare puts children with lung disease at risk for serious illness
Exposure to common viruses in daycare puts children with a chronic lung condition caused by premature birth at risk for serious respiratory infections, according to a study from Johns Hopkins Children's Center published in the October issue of Pediatrics.
High death and disability rates due to fractures in Russia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe
Preliminary findings from an upcoming new report by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) show alarming projections and reveal the poor state of post-fracture care in the Russian Federation and many other countries in the region. The findings were announced today at a press conference in St. Petersburg at the IOF Summit of Eastern European and Central Asian Osteoporosis Patient Societies.
Medical profession needs special training to handle self-harm, says international review
Healthcare professionals are still not receiving the appropriate training and support they need to help people who self-harm and this can result in negative attitudes and inadequate levels of care.
Study shows patient-specific vaccines for metastatic melanoma may induce durable complete regression
Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian recently announced encouraging clinical study results for patient-specific vaccine therapy to treat metastatic melanoma. The study is ongoing, but the report concludes that patient-specific vaccines can sometimes induce durable complete regression of progressing soft-tissue melanoma metastases, as demonstrated in one particular patient who participated in the trial.
Controlling bone formation to prevent osteoporosis
Aging disrupts the balance between bone formation and bone destruction, resulting in osteoporosis, which is characterized by reduced bone mass and increased risk of fracture. Recent data have suggested that this imbalance is a result of a decrease in formation of bone forming osteoblast cells from mesenchymal cells upon aging. Instead, these cells form more fat cells.
Gut-invading worms turn enemy T cells into friends
Intestinal worms sidestep the immune system by inducing the development of suppressive T cells, according to a study published on September 27th in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.
Mobile software to improve health care accessibility
According to the United Nations Foundation, there are about 5 billion mobile-device subscribers worldwide. Two-thirds of those are in low- and middle-income countries, many of whose citizens lack easy access to health care and must travel great distances — often hundreds of miles — to the nearest medical clinic.
High mold count responsible for Chicago's dangerous air quality warning
Chicago's mold count today is more than 81,000 spores per cubic meter - well over the 50,000 spores p.c.m. threshold that signals a dangerous air quality warning. Today's mold count is the highest of the season and the highest in five years.
UCLA develops combat casualty care educational program for US armed forces
With American troops leaving Iraq and military efforts continuing in Afghanistan, UCLA has helped develop a first-of-its-kind educational program to train U.S. armed forces medical personnel in critical combat casualty care. The program will not only help advance military care, the program's developers say, but civilian care as well.
New guideline finds no evidence for a popular back procedure
As a patient safety best practice and endorsement of evidence-based medicine, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Board of Directors approved and released a clinical practice guideline, which found a strong recommendation against a popular procedure called vertebroplasty as a way to treat fractures in the spine. Clinical practice guidelines are one avenue the Academy uses to ensure that patients receive high quality care.
National Jewish Health receives patent for liposome-based vaccine
(PhysOrg.com) -- National Jewish Health has received a US patent for a new kind of vaccine, which uses a small lipid bubble to deliver an antigen and DNA adjuvant.
Mayo collaboration finds source of breast drug side effect
Mayo Clinic researchers and their international colleagues have discovered genetic variants that lead to severe arthritis for a subset of women when taking aromatase inhibitors to treat their breast cancer. This serious side effect is so painful that many women halt their lifesaving medication. The findings appear today in the online issue of Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Outcomes of communication about end-of-life care appear to differ between black and white patients
While both black patients and white patients appear to benefit from end of life discussions with their physician, black patients are less likely to experience end-of-life care that accurately reflects their preferences, according to a report in the September 27 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
Software downloaded during office visits could cut risk of ICD shocks
Software downloaded during a routine office visit cuts the risk of inappropriate shocks by 50 percent for patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD), according to research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Lifestyle intervention for overweight patients with diabetes provides long-term benefits
An intensive lifestyle intervention appears to help individuals with type 2 diabetes lose weight and keep it off, along with improving fitness, control of blood glucose levels and risk factors for cardiovascular disease, according to a report in the September 27 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
Preventive care poses dilemma for emergency departments, study finds
People go to emergency departments when they've broken a leg, been stabbed or otherwise need urgent care. But a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine finds that 90 percent of EDs nationwide also offer preventive-care services.
Partners of breast cancer patients are at risk of developing mood disorders
A new analysis finds that men whose partners have breast cancer are at increased risk of developing mood disorders that are so severe that they warrant hospitalization. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates that clinicians should address the mental health of cancer patients' loved ones.
Study finds rate of celiac disease is growing
Working to solve the puzzle of when people develop celiac disease has led researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine Center for Celiac Research to some surprising findings. They have found that the autoimmune disorder is on the rise with evidence of increasing cases in the elderly. An epidemiological study published September 27 in the Annals of Medicine supports both trends—with interesting implications for possible treatment and prevention.
Rewiring a damaged brain
Researchers in the Midwest are developing microelectronic circuitry to guide the growth of axons in a brain damaged by an exploding bomb, car crash or stroke. The goal is to rewire the brain connectivity and bypass the region damaged by trauma, in order to restore normal behavior and movement.
Computer model shows US vulnerable to MDR-TB epidemic
While the U.S. has made great progress in the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis, the nation has become more susceptible to potential epidemics of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), according a study led by Johns Hopkins researchers. Computer simulations show that as TB prevalence falls, the risk for more extensive MDR-TB increases. In addition, the simulation also showed that higher detection of TB cases without proper treatment of cases also increased risk. The study findings are published in the September 22 edition of the journal PLoS ONE.
Surgery found effective for patients with aggressive prostate cancer
In one of the first studies to focus exclusively on the outcomes after treatment for patients with high-risk prostate cancer, researchers have found that surgery provides high survival rates. Collaborating researchers at Mayo Clinic and Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia discovered that patients with the most aggressive forms of prostate cancer who had radical prostatectomy procedures had a 10-year cancer-specific survival rate of 92 percent and an overall survival rate of 77 percent.
Baby boomers raise midlife suicide rate
Baby boomers appear to be driving a dramatic rise in suicide rates among middle-aged people, a new study finds.
New sound recording device helps doctors study link between cough and reflux
Coughing episodes are closely related to gastroesophageal reflux symptoms in patients who experience chronic cough, irrespective of other diagnoses, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute. Gastroesophageal reflux occurs when the acid contents of the stomach back up, or reflux, into the esophagus. This typically produces heartburn, a burning sensation below the sternum where your ribs come together.
Interaction with neighbors: Neuronal field simulates brain activity
The appearance of a spot of light on the retina causes sudden activation of millions of neurons in the brain within tenths of milliseconds. At the first cortical processing stage, the primary visual cortex, each neuron thereby receives thousands of inputs from both close neighbors and further distant neurons, and also sends-out an equal amount of output to others.
LIMK plays a key role in cancer metastasis
Researchers have shown that LIM kinase (LIMK), an important regulator of actin cytoskeleton dynamics, plays a key role in cancer metastasis. The study appears online on September 27 in The Journal of Cell Biology.
Acupuncture not effective in stroke recovery
Acupuncture does not appear to aid in stroke recovery, according to a new study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
New powerful tool can visualize dynamic activity of electrical signals in neuronal populations
Information processing in the brain relies on the coordinated activity between populations of different types of neurons, each with distinct electrical properties and connections. Understanding how complex neuronal circuitry processes information is challenging, as it requires measuring the activity of groups of specified cells.
Sugary sports drinks mistakenly associated with being healthy: researchers
Children who practice healthy lifestyle habits such as eating fruits and vegetables and engaging in physical activity may be negatively impacting their health because they tend to consume large amounts of flavored and sports beverages containing sugar, according to research at The Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).
Family, culture affect whether intelligence leads to education
Intelligence isn't the only thing that predicts how much education people get; family, culture, and other factors are important, too. A new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, compares identical and fraternal twins in Minnesota and Sweden to explore how genetic and environmental factors involved in educational differ in countries with different educational systems. Family background can get an education even for people of low intelligence, the authors conclude -- but helps much more in Minnesota, than in Sweden.
Friends, family detect early Alzheimer's signs better than traditional tests
Family members and close friends are more sensitive to early signs of Alzheimer's dementia than traditional screening tests, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Chocolate milk is choc-full of goodness
(PhysOrg.com) -- Drinking chocolate milk can improve muscle recovery after prolonged exercise, a University of Connecticut study finds.
How to widen the hunt for targeted cancer therapy
(AP) -- Cancer is a tale of two sets of genetic code, your own and your tumor's - and tracing the unique areas of damage makes for a way to target treatment.
Mindfulness meditation may ease fatigue, depression in multiple sclerosis
Learning mindfulness meditation may help people who have multiple sclerosis (MS) with the fatigue, depression and other life challenges that commonly accompany the disease, according to a study published in the September 28, 2010, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Risk model based on Get with the Guidelines analysis can help
Using data from more than 270,000 hospital stroke admissions, scientists have identified how to predict which patients are at greatest risk of dying in the hospital after stroke. Before their study, well validated models to predict in-hospital death risk after stroke were lacking, the researchers reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Medical imaging may detect unrelated diseases in research participants
In about 40 percent of research participants undergoing medical imaging, radiologists may detect a tumor or infection unrelated to the study but that may be meaningful to the individual's health, according to a report in the September 27 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
No link between genetic ancestry, asthma response in African-Americans
Genetic ancestry has no discernible influence on how African American patients with asthma respond to medication, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.
Wider statin use could be cost-effective preventive measure, study finds
A new analysis suggests that broader statin use among adult patients may be a cost-effective way to prevent heart attack and stroke. The Stanford University School of Medicine study also found that using a popular test - a screening for high sensitivity C-reactive protein, or CRP - to identify patients who may benefit from statin therapy would be cost-effective, but only under certain scenarios.
Exercise associated with lower rate of fractures in elderly women
Home-based exercises followed by voluntary home training seem to be associated with long-term effects on balance and gait (manner of walking), and may help protect high-risk, elderly women from hip fractures, according to a report in the September 27 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
Why it's all a blur
Fake miniatures fool the brain, but only in photographs, say scientists. CSI and the BBC's new Sherlock Holmes have something in common, and it's not crime-fighting. Both TV series have used camera trickery to create the illusion of miniature scenes, a phenomenon explained for the first time by scientists this month.
Scientists discover gene linked to a common form of migraine
An international study led by scientists at Université de Montréal and University of Oxford, has identified a gene associated with common migraines. Their findings show that a mutation in the KCNK18 gene inhibits the function of a protein called TRESK. TRESK normally plays a key role in nerve cell communication. Published today in Nature Medicine, this study may have implications for people who suffer from recurrent headaches, which include more than six million Canadians.
How injured nerves grow themselves back
Unlike nerves of the spinal cord, the peripheral nerves that connect our limbs and organs to the central nervous system have an astonishing ability to regenerate themselves after injury. Now, a new report in the October 1st issue of Cell offers new insight into how that healing process works.
Scientists freeze virus fragment in shape recognized by immune system
One strategy for designing an HIV vaccine involves identifying the key viral surface structures, snipping them off and developing a method to present these fragments to the immune system. When some parts of the surface of HIV are removed, they change shape such that antibodies no longer recognize and bind to them. A research team led by investigators at the Vaccine Research Center at NIAID has developed a strategy to overcome this.
Researchers discover a drug combination that shrinks tumors in vivo
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and VCU Massey Cancer Center researchers have shown that the impotence drug Viagra, in combination with doxorubicin, a powerful anti-cancer drug, enhances its anti-tumor efficacy in prostate cancer while alleviating the damage to the heart at the same time.
Pine-bark extract has no effect on blood pressure, study finds
Add pine-bark extract to the list of dietary supplements that don't live up to their promises of improved health. A new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine shows that pine-bark extract had no effect in lowering blood pressure or reducing other risk factors for heart disease.
Right or left? Brain stimulation can change which hand you favor
(PhysOrg.com) -- Each time we perform a simple task, like pushing an elevator button or reaching for a cup of coffee, the brain races to decide whether the left or right hand will do the job. But the left hand is more likely to win if a certain region of the brain receives magnetic stimulation, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley.
Biology news
Black-eyed pea holds tasty promise for Africa
The black-eyed pea, one of the world's oldest cultivated vegetables, is also one of the most promising as a nutritious food product, according to researchers who gathered in Senegal on Monday.
People also have antiviral 'plant defences'
In addition to known antiviral agents such as antibodies and interferons, people also seem to have a similar immune system to that previously identified in plants. This is the result of research carried out by Esther Schnettler with which she hopes to obtain her doctorate at Wageningen University, The Netherlands, on 27 September. Together with the group of Professor Ben Berkhout of the Academic Medical Centre (AMC) in Amsterdam, Schnettler discovered that a protein used by plant viruses to bypass plant resistance can also impair the defence against HIV viruses in people. Schnettler's findings may open up new opportunities for improving health.
EU divided over GM crops
A controversial EU bid to allow member states to make their own decisions on whether or not to ban GM crops hit a fresh snag on Monday when Italy and France dug in their heels against the move.
Diving deeper into the gene pool
About ten years ago, the discovery of microRNAs — tiny cellular molecules that regulate our genetic code — unlocked a world of scientific possibilities, including a deeper understanding of human disease. One new analytical technology is "deep sequencing," which gives scientists the ability to discover invaluable information about human diseases at a genetic level. Now, Tel Aviv University researchers have developed the cutting-edge technology to better analyze these results.
Rapid test to save Indian vultures from extinction
Vulture population declined at a catastrophic rate on the Indian subcontinent over the past 15 years. In 2004 scientists identified the cause: the drug Diclofenac. Meanwhile the use of this anti-inflammatory agent in veterinary medicine has been banned. Due to the lack of a suitable detection method, the ban could so far not been enforced effectively. This gap is now being closed with a rapid test developed by German scientists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen.
Appeals court considers ban on stem cell research
(AP) -- The Obama administration has told an appeals court that a judge's order halting federal funding of stem cell research would result in destruction of valuable biological materials and set back taxpayer-funded work.
1000th protein structure released by Structural Genomics Consortium
The Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), an international public-private partnership that aims to determine three-dimensional structures of medically important proteins, announced the release into the public domain of its 1000th high-resolution protein structure.
Researchers find protein is a key tool in chromosomal repair kit
(PhysOrg.com) -- Yale University scientists have discovered how one protein plays a key role in repairing damage to chromosomes that can cause different types of cancer, they report in the September 26 online edition of Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.
Red light regulates nectar secretion
Flowering plants produce nectar to attract insect pollinators. Some plant species, such as Lima bean, also secrete nectar from so-called extrafloral nectaries to attract ants which in turn fend off herbivores. Scientists of the Max Planck Institute in Jena, Germany, have discovered that the production of extrafloral nectar is light dependent. They have shown that the plants are able not only to distinguish between day and night, but also to adapt their nectar secretion to current light conditions by using a special photoreceptor, the phytochrome.
Protein critical in malaria parasite development identified
Research led by The University of Nottingham has opened up a new area of malaria parasite biology which could lead to new methods of controlling the transmission of this deadly disease.
Complexity not so costly after all, analysis shows
The more complex a plant or animal, the more difficulty it should have adapting to changes in the environment. That's been a maxim of evolutionary theory since biologist Ronald Fisher put forth the idea in 1930.
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