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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for October 21, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Researchers uncover privacy flaws that can reveal users' identities, locations and digital files- ARM deals efficiency ace with big.LITTLE and Cortex-A7
- Cerebellar neurons needed to navigate in the dark
- Biocomplexity researchers announce multi-scale model of early embryonic development in vertebrates
- Researchers create two-segment nanotubes with distinct semiconducting domains
- Fluoride shuttle increases storage capacity
- Research involving thyroid hormone lays foundation for more targeted drug development
- What you want vs. how you get it: New neuroconomics study
- Japanese Team Tokai wins the 3,021 km 2011 Veolia World Solar Challenge
- Plant defences - the mystery deepens
- How plants sense touch, gravity and other physical forces
- Researchers generate first complete 3-D structures of bacterial chromosome
- Your DNA may carry a 'memory' of your living conditions in childhood
- No simultaneous warming of Northern and Southern hemispheres as a result of climate change for 20,000 years
- Nearby planet-forming disk holds water for thousands of oceans
Space & Earth news
NOAA releases status on Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary marine resources
NOAA scientists have found that pressure from increasing coastal populations, ship and boat groundings, marine debris, poaching, and climate change are critically threatening the health of the Florida Keys ecosystem. Many historically abundant marine resources such as green sea turtles and coral habitat continue to be at risk with low rates of recovery.
Nigerians seek $1 billion from Shell for oil spills
A Nigerian tribal king filed a lawsuit in a US court seeking $1 billion from Royal Dutch Shell to compensate for decades of pollution that sickened his people and damaged their lands, his lawyer said.
Latest Cassini images of Enceladus on view
(PhysOrg.com) -- Raw, unprocessed images from the successful Oct. 19 flyby of Saturn's moon Enceladus by NASA's Cassini spacecraft provide new views of the moon and the icy jets that burst from its southern polar region.
Astronomer Squyres becomes NASA aquanaut
Cornell professor of astronomy Steven Squyres, the lead scientist for NASA's Rover mission to Mars, has just taken the plunge as a NASA aquanaut.
Space Image: When galaxies collide
(PhysOrg.com) -- This interacting pair of galaxies is included in Arp's catalog of peculiar galaxies as number 148. Arp 148 is the staggering aftermath of an encounter between two galaxies, resulting in a ring-shaped galaxy and a long-tailed companion.
Is another Earth out there?
(PhysOrg.com) -- In the search for another Earth, "the stage is only just coming into view" as new mega-telescopes come online, but there is plenty of room for amateurs with less sophisticated telescopes to help in the planet hunt, too, according to noted astronomer Greg Laughlin, who spoke at the University of Delaware on Wednesday, Oct. 19.
Bid to snuff out threat from old mines
Communities near old mine workings could benefit from moves to limit the harmful impact of slow-burning slagheap fires.
Expect a tough round of climate talks in Durban: S.Africa
The upcoming UN climate talks in South Africa will be "tough" despite progress in moving toward a new round of Kyoto Protocol commitments, South Africa's foreign minister said Friday.
Bolivia cancels controversial Amazon highway
Bolivian President Evo Morales announced Friday he was cancelling a controversial plan to build a highway through an Amazon ecological reserve that has triggered widespread protests.
Lawmakers to honor pioneering US astronauts
The first American astronaut to orbit the Earth and the first men to walk on the moon will receive the US Congress's highest honor at a ceremony on November 16, a top lawmaker announced Friday.
California adopts extensive 'cap-and-trade' plan
(AP) -- California formally adopted the nation's most comprehensive so-called "cap-and-trade" system Thursday, an experiment by the world's eighth-largest economy that is designed to provide financial incentives for polluters to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Europe sets sights again on Soyuz launch
Engineers were eyeing a second bid at the historic launch of a Soyuz rocket from Europe's space base in South America after a countdown was scrubbed by a refuelling hitch.
Weekend Orionid meteor shower
Earth is about to pass through a stream of debris from Halley's comet, source of the annual Orionid meteor shower. Forecasters expect more than 15 meteors per hour to fly across the sky on Saturday morning, Oct. 22nd, when the shower peaks.
Ozone depletion a bigger deal down under
The Earth's thinning ozone layer is synonymous with a singing and dancing seagull named Sid -- at least it is in New Zealand and Australia.
Paul Spudis' plan for a sustainable and affordable lunar base
It’s long been a dream to have a human settlement on the Moon, but in this age of budget cuts and indecisive plans for NASA’s future, a Moon base may seem too costly and beyond our reach. However, noted lunar scientist Dr. Paul Spudis from the Lunar and Planetary Institute and a colleague, Tony Lavoie from the Marshall Space Flight Center, have come up with a plan for building a lunar settlement that is not only affordable but sustainable. It creates a Moon base along with a type of ‘transcontinental railroad’ in space which opens up cislunar space – the area between Earth and the Moon – for development.
SpaceX completes crucial milestone toward launching astronauts
Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) is now one more step closer to sending astronauts to orbit. The commercial space firm announced today that it has completed a successful review of the company’s launch abort system (LAS). SpaceX’s LAS, dubbed “DragonRider” is designed differently than abort systems that have been used in the past.
GAIA - A billion eyes on the skies
It’s name is GAIA and it’s the perhaps the most ambitious project which has ever faced the European Space Agency. Scheduled to launch in 2013, this new breed of space telescope will stately progress to Lagrange Point 2, where it will spend the next five years. It’s mission? To create the largest and most precise three dimensional chart of our Galaxy by providing unprecedented positional and radial velocity measurements for about one billion stars in our Galaxy and throughout the Local Group.
US residents say Hawaii's coral reef ecosystems worth $33.57 billion per year
A peer-reviewed study commissioned by NOAA shows the American people assign an estimated total economic value of $33.57 billion for the coral reefs of the main Hawaiian Islands.
Nearby planet-forming disk holds water for thousands of oceans
(PhysOrg.com) -- For the first time, astronomers have detected around a burgeoning solar system a sprawling cloud of water vapor that's cold enough to form comets, which could eventually deliver oceans to dry planets.
EU launches its first satellite navigation system
A Russian rocket launched the first two satellites of the European Union's Galileo navigation system Friday after years of waiting for the start of the program billed as the main rival to the ubiquitous American GPS network.
No simultaneous warming of Northern and Southern hemispheres as a result of climate change for 20,000 years
However, Svante Björck, a climate researcher at Lund University in Sweden, has now shown that global warming, i.e. simultaneous warming events in the northern and southern hemispheres, have not occurred in the past 20 000 years, which is as far back as it is possible to analyse with sufficient precision to compare with modern developments.
Technology news
Hackers promise AFP photos in 'email scam'
A computer security firm warned on Friday that cybercriminals were attempting to exploit Agence France-Presse photos of slain Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi in an email scam.
Google+ slow and sure in challenge to Facebook
Google remains undaunted in its bid to create a flourishing online community that can go toe-to-toe with social networking powerhouse Facebook.
Newspaper website visits up despite paywalls: NAA
Traffic to US newspaper websites rose over the past year despite the introduction of paywalls by a number of outlets, the Newspaper Association of America (NAA) said Thursday.
Ericsson venture integral to Sony strategy: executive
Sony Corporation senior executive Kazuo Hirai said Friday the Japanese company wants to work more closely with its Swedish joint venture partner Ericsson on smart phone products.
Ex-News Corp. boss won't rule out buying Yahoo!
Former News Corp. boss Peter Chernin said Friday he will not rule out buying Yahoo! but suggested the time was not right, amid intense speculation on the future of the struggling US Internet giant.
Verizon 3Q earnings double on pension effects
Earnings doubled at Verizon Communications Inc. in the latest quarter due to pension accounting effects, but the bottom-line result masked a weak quarter in the local-phone division, which was hammered by a strike and a hurricane.
Germany warns Facebook over face-recognition app
Facebook has until November 7 to bring its facial recognition software into conformity with privacy laws in Germany and the European Union or face legal action, a government lawyer told AFP Friday.
The trouble with the media Cloud: If we can have everything, does it mean anything?
Why did they call it "The Cloud"? Couldn't they have chosen a better metaphor? Clouds burst. Clouds darken. Clouds disappear.
LinkedIn unimpressed as Facebook dives into job market
Facebook Inc. has struck a partnership with the U.S. Labor Department to help the unemployed find jobs.
Groupon seeks to raise up to $621 million from IPO
US online daily deals sensation Groupon said Friday that it hopes to raise as much as $621 million from its initial public offering, less than previously expected.
Hulu shows heading for Nintendo Wii and 3DS
Nintendo said Friday that online video service Hulu Plus will stream movies and television shows to Wii and 3DS videogame systems by the end of the year.
New approach to solar power with hybrid solar-thermoelectric systems
Systems to harness the sun's energy typically generate either electricity or heat in the form of steam or hot water. But a new analysis by researchers at MIT shows that there could be significant advantages to systems that produce both electricity and heat simultaneously.
Japanese Team Tokai wins the 3,021 km 2011 Veolia World Solar Challenge
(PhysOrg.com) -- The Japanese Tokai University Solar Car Team has won the Veolia World Solar Challenge, a 3,021 kilometer race between tiny cars relying on mostly solar power. Running between Darwin, a remote town in one of the most northern parts of Australia, and the city of Adelaide in the very south, the race bisects the continent and takes the drivers and their teams through some very hostile territory.
Researchers uncover privacy flaws that can reveal users' identities, locations and digital files
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly) and colleagues in France and Germany will soon notify Internet scholars of flaws in Skype and other Internet-based phone systems that could potentially disclose the identities, locations and even digital files of the hundreds of millions of users of these systems.
Medicine & Health news
Homicide, suicide outpace traditional causes of death in pregnant, postpartum women
Violent deaths are outpacing traditional causes of maternal mortality, such as hemorrhage and preeclampsia, and conflicts with intimate partner are often a factor, researchers report.
Elevated hormone levels add up to increased breast cancer risk
Post-menopausal women with high levels of hormones such as estrogen or testosterone are known to have a higher risk of breast cancer. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Breast Cancer Research looked at eight different sex and growth hormones and found that the risk of breast cancer increased with the number of elevated hormones - each additional elevated hormone level increased risk by 16%.
NIPPV linked to increased hospital mortality rates in small group of patients
Although increased use of noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation (NIPPV) nationwide has helped decrease mortality rates among patients hospitalized with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a small group of patients requiring subsequent treatment with invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) have a significantly higher risk of death than those placed directly on IMV, according to researchers in the United States who studied patterns of NIPPV use.
Talk of treaty ban on mercury concerns scientists
(AP) -- Scientists are warning officials negotiating a global treaty on mercury that banning the deadly chemical completely would be dangerous for public health because of the chemical's use in vaccines.
Tea epigallocatechin-3-gallate inhibits cell proliferation in breast cancer patients
(Medical Xpress) -- Erxi Wu, assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences, and Fengfei Wang, research associate of pharmaceutical sciences, co-wrote the article, "Anti-cancer activities of tea epigallocatechin-3-gallate in breast cancer patients under radiotherapy,” which will be published by Current Molecular Medicine.
Putting your foot in it: but shoes can make a difference
Researchers at the University of Melbourne have proven that a modified shoe can reduce knee load in people with knee osteoarthritis.
States with fertility treatment insurance coverage have fewer births
(Medical Xpress) -- Fourteen states now mandate partial or comprehensive health insurance coverage of fertility treatment. These mandates have resulted in more women using assisted reproductive technologies (ART).
Ways to reduce college drinking and risky sex
In a recent study conducted by scientists at the University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions involving 154 heavy-drinking college students whose sexual behavior put them at risk for HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), there were two expected findings and one surprise.
Nerve stimulation procedure can improve bowel control problems
An estimated 18 million adults suffer silently with a life-altering condition, known as bowel incontinence, because they believe the problem can’t be fixed.
Research project on psychopaths finds there is hope for treatment
Lindsay Sewall has spent the last three years studying a feared and misunderstood segment of the population: Psychopaths.
Elderly long-term care residents suffer cognitively during disasters
In a summer with unprecedented weather events, from tornados, floods, fires and hurricanes, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing found that physiological changes associated with aging and the presence of chronic illness make older adults more susceptible to illness or injury, even death, during a disaster.
Digital worlds can help autistic children to develop social skills
The benefits of virtual worlds can be used to help autistic children develop social skills beyond their anticipated levels, suggest early findings from new research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Researchers on the Echoes Project have developed an interactive environment which uses multi-touch screen technology where virtual characters on the screener act to children's actions in real time.
Next-generation allergy vaccines to be developed in Finland to create effective and safe desensitization therapies
VTT Ventures Oy has established a spin-off which develops next-generation allergy vaccines. The spin-off is called Desentum Oy, and its operations are based on a VTT patented technology. Years of research, testing and official approval cycles are still required before the vaccines are ready for launch.
Biggest ever study shows no link between mobile phone use and tumors
There is no link between long-term use of mobile phones and tumours of the brain or central nervous system, finds new research published in the British Medical Journal today.
Simple lifestyle changes can add a decade or more healthy years to the average lifespan
Vancouver − Health prevention strategies to help Canadians achieve their optimal health potential could add a decade or more of healthy years to the average lifespan and save the economy billions of dollars as a result of reduced cardiovascular disease, says noted cardiologist Dr. Clyde Yancy.
Feed a cold -- starve a tumor
The condition tuberous sclerosis, due to mutation in one of two tumor suppressor genes, TSC1 or TSC2, causes the growth of non-malignant tumors throughout the body and skin. These tumors can be unsightly and cause serious damage to organs. Growth of tumors in the brain may cause seizures and in the kidney, liver or heart, tumors can disrupt normal function, to the extent of causing the organ to fail. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Cell and Bioscience shows that the growth of glucose-dependent TSC-related tumors can be restricted by 2-deoxyglucose, which blocks glucose metabolism, but not by restricting dietary carbohydrates.
More African-Americans burdened by osteoarthritis in multiple large joints
New research suggests African Americans have a higher burden of multiple, large-joint osteoarthritis (OA), and may not be recognized based on the current definition of "generalized OA." African Americans were also more likely to have knee OA, but less likely to be affected by hand OA than Caucasians according to the findings reported today in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).
Largest study on cellphones, cancer finds no link
(AP) -- Danish researchers can offer some reassurance if you're concerned about your cellphone: Don't worry. Your device is probably safe.
Why do some athletes choke under pressure?
(Medical Xpress) -- Athletes know they should just do their thing on the 18th hole, or during the penalty shootout, or when they’re taking a 3-point shot in the last moments of the game. But when that shot could mean winning or losing, it’s easy to choke. A new article published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, looks at why paying too much attention to what you’re doing can ruin performance.
Psychologists defend the importance of general abilities
“What makes a great violinist, physicist, or crossword puzzle solver? Are experts born or made? The question has intrigued psychologists since psychology was born—and the rest of us, too, who may secretly fantasize playing duets with Yo Yo Ma or winning a Nobel Prize in science. It’s no wonder Malcolm Gladwell stayed atop the bestseller lists by popularizing the “10,000-hour rule” of Florida State University psychologist K. Anders Ericsson. Using Ericsson’s pioneering work—but omitting equally prominent, contradictory, research—Gladwell’s book Outliers argued that given a certain level of intelligence and a bit of luck, virtually anybody can get to Carnegie Hall—provided they practice, practice, practice.
Potential new treatments for a common childhood hearing disorder
Scientists from the Medical Research Council’s Mammalian Genetics Unit have identified a potential new treatment for ‘glue ear’ – a common inflammatory condition in children that can cause temporary, but often prolonged, hearing loss.
Road map to mental illness is being redrawn, reshaping categories and research targets
When psychiatrists diagnose mental illness, they turn to an unwieldy book called the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders," or DSM for short.
'Trading Places' most common pattern for couples dealing with male depression: study
(Medical Xpress) -- University of British Columbia researchers have identified three major patterns that emerge among couples dealing with male depression. These can be described as “trading places,” “business as usual” and “edgy tensions.”
Research eyes energy-saving fluoros
The global trend towards using fluorescent globes instead of incandescent ones as a strategy to beat climate change could be increasing eye disease, according to new research by scientists at The Australian National University.
Researchers review the microbiome and its possible role in cancers
In the October 20th edition of the journal Cell Host and Microbe, Drs. Claudia Plottel and Martin J. Blaser of the Departments of Medicine and Microbiology at NYU Langone Medical Center, and the Department of Biology at New York University, present a model for understanding how cancer evolves in humans based on an understanding of the bacteria living in our body, the microbiome.
New instrument helps researchers see how diseases start and develop in minute detail
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an established technique which over the years has made it possible for researchers and healthcare professionals to study biological phenomena in the body without using ionising radiation, for example X-rays.
Exceptional cognitive and physical health in old age leaves immunological fingerprint
Exceptional cognitive and physical function in old age leaves a tell-tale immunologic fingerprint, say researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. Likewise, older adults who have mild impairments bear a distinct immunologic pattern, too, according to findings published today in the PLoS One.
Women can self-test for HPV, easily and accurately
A team of German researchers has shown that women can accurately test themselves for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, the most common cause of cervical cancer. The research is published in the October Journal of Clinical Microbiology.
Biomarker detects graft-versus-host-disease in cancer patients after bone marrow transplant
A University of Michigan Health System-led team of researchers has found a biomarker they believe can help rapidly identify one of the most serious complications in patients with leukemia, lymphoma and other blood disorders who have received a transplant of new, blood-forming cells.
Newly discovered reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes
Waters polluted by the ordure of pigs, poultry, or cattle represent a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes, both known and potentially novel. These resistance genes can be spread among different bacterial species by bacteriophage, bacteria-infecting viruses, according to a paper in the October Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
Children with certain dopamine system gene variants respond better to ADHD drug
Children with certain dopamine system gene variants have an improved response to methylphenidate - the most commonly prescribed medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - in a finding that could help eliminate the guesswork from prescribing effective medications for children with ADHD.
Early origins of chronic mid-life diseases: Low birth weight and poverty have long-term effects
The seeds of vulnerability to asthma, heart disease and other chronic adult health problems are planted early in life, according to a study published online today in the American Journal of Public Health.
Blood-pressure-lowering drug after stroke aids recovery, study finds
A commonly prescribed blood pressure-lowering medication appears to kick start recovery in the unaffected brain hemisphere after a stroke by boosting blood vessel growth, a new University of Georgia study has found.
500,000 cholera cases expected in Haiti by end 2011: WHO
The World Health Organisation on Friday said the number of cholera cases in Haiti was expected to reach 500,000 by the end of the year.
Study refutes testosterone as 'fountain of youth'
A new study of older Western Australian men has revealed that testosterone might not be the fountain of youth.
Gene silencing paves way to new treatments for breast cancer
(Medical Xpress) -- Cancer Research UK scientists have discovered that switching off a gene called CERT makes breast cancer cells more sensitive to a range of drugs. The research is published in the Journal of Pathology.
Researchers find coupling of proteins promotes glioblastoma development
Two previously unassociated proteins known to be overly active in a variety of cancers bind together to ignite and sustain malignant brain tumors, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reports this week in the journal Cancer Cell.
First Ebola-like virus native to Europe discovered
A team of international researchers has discovered a new Ebola-like virus – Lloviu virus -- in bats from northern Spain. Lloviu virus is the first known filovirus native to Europe, they report in a study published in the journal PLOS Pathogens on Octobr 20th.
Иiologists describe key mechanism in early embryo development
New York University and University of Iowa biologists have identified a key mechanism controlling early embryonic development that is critical in determining how structures such as appendages -- arms and legs in humans -- grow in the right place and at the right time.
Weight of object not an issue when determining left or right-handedness
More than 90 per cent of the world’s population exhibit a strong preference for using their right hand, as opposed to their left, for grasping and lifting everything from car keys to coffee mugs. The cause of this near-global singularity is poorly understood scientifically but new research from The University of Western Ontario proves the perceived weight of an object is not a deciding factor.
Your DNA may carry a 'memory' of your living conditions in childhood
(Medical Xpress) -- Family living conditions in childhood are associated with significant effects in DNA that persist well into middle age, according to new research by Canadian and British scientists.
What you want vs. how you get it: New neuroconomics study
New research reveals how we make decisions. Birds choosing between berry bushes and investors trading stocks are faced with the same fundamental challenge - making optimal choices in an environment featuring varying costs and benefits.
Cerebellar neurons needed to navigate in the dark
(Medical Xpress) -- A new study by scientists in France has revealed that the cerebellum region of the brain plays an important role in the ability to navigate when visual cues are absent, and is the first study to show this kind of influence of the cerebellum on the hippocampus, which was already known to be involved in the kind of mental mapping needed for navigation.
Biology news
Failing to bridge the gap between test tubes, animals, and human biology
Reasoning used in many highly cited cancer publications to support the relevance of animal and test tube experiments to human cancer is questionable, according to a study by researchers from Université Libre de Bruxelles published in the open-access journal PLoS Computational Biology on October 20th 2011.
A new mechanism inhibiting the spread and growth of cancer found in motile cells
A revolutionary discovery regarding motile cancer cells made by research scientists at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and the University of Turku is challenging previous conceptions. The results have been published on July 25, 2011 in the Journal of Cell Biology, one of the most renowned journals in the field.
Expert: Hay test can lead to more efficient feeding during drought
An inexpensive hay test can offer the best guidance as to how much supplemental feed is required for a beef cattle herd, and at the same time, save ranchers money, according to a Texas AgriLife Research scientist.
Saint Lawrence seaway eels slipping into oblivion
Standing in tall rubber boots in mud smeared with gooey algae, Bruno Ouellet tugs on massive nets strewn across the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, hoping to snag just a few eels.
Nepal scientists to 'poo-print' tigers
Scientists in Nepal are to build up the world's first national DNA database of the endangered Bengal tiger by collecting and recording a unique genetic fingerprint from each adult's faeces.
Human norovirus in groundwater remains infective after two months
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers from Emory University have discovered that norovirus in groundwater can remain infectious for at least 61 days. The research is published in the October Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
How cells know when to tighten the belt
The epithelial cells that line the surface of tissues form a tightly sealed barrier, with individual cells joined together by structures called apical junctional complexes (AJCs). However, embryonic epithelium undergoes multiple physical rearrangements over development. For example, early in the formation of the brain and spinal cord, a subset of epithelial cells fold inward to form a groove that ultimately develops into a ‘neural tube’.
New insights into insulin resistance could lead to better drugs for diabetics
Research published in the October Molecular and Cellular Biology moves us closer to developing drugs that could mitigate diabetes.
Komodo dragon has 'pussycat' bite but plenty of punch
(PhysOrg.com) -- The world’s largest lizard – the Komodo Dragon – has an astonishingly weak bite, but a new study has revealed that the key to its killing power is a lethal combination of poison, brute strength, razor-sharp teeth and a “can-opener” biting technique.
Elaborate plumage due to testosterone?
(PhysOrg.com) -- In many bird species males have a more elaborate plumage than females. This elaborate plumage is often used to signal body condition, to intimidate rivals or to attract potential mates. In many cases plumage colouration also depends on the hormone testosterone. Christina Muck and Wolfgang Goymann from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Seewiesen have now investigated whether this also holds true for sex role reversed bird species. In barred buttonquails that live in Southeast Asia, females are polygamous and pair with several males that incubate the eggs and raise the young. However, not only the behaviour, but also secondary sexual ornaments that depend on the male hormone testosterone are reversed between sexes.
Biocomplexity researchers announce multi-scale model of early embryonic development in vertebrates
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at Indiana University's Biocomplexity Institute have developed a computational model for the intricate cellular dance that occurs during the earliest stages of animal development when embryonic segments called somites form. Somites eventually give rise to the internal scaffolding of life: For common earthworms that scaffolding is 100 or so body segments; in humans it's a segmented mass of cell layers in the early embryo that leads to the formation of muscles, vertebrae, limbs, ribs and the tailbone.
Plant defences - the mystery deepens
New research has brought us a step closer to untangling the complex reasons why certain plant species triumph over others.
How plants sense touch, gravity and other physical forces
At the bottom of plants' ability to sense touch, gravity or a nearby trellis are mechanosensitive channels, pores through the cells' plasma membrane that are opened and closed by the deformation of the membrane. Elisabeth Haswell, Ph.D., a biologist at Washington University in St. Louis, is studying the roles these channels play in Arabdopsis plants by growing mutant plants that lack one or more of the 10 possible channel proteins in this species.
Researchers generate first complete 3-D structures of bacterial chromosome
A team of researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Harvard Medical School, Stanford University and the Prince Felipe Research Centre in Spain have deciphered the complete three-dimensional structure of the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus's chromosome. Analysis of the resulting structure -- published this week in Molecular Cell -- has revealed new insights into the function of genetic sequences responsible for the shape and structure of this genome.
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