Volume 5, Number 51 December 18, 2006

Physical sciences and technology Global warming Video conferencing Hydrogen storage Earthquakes Carbon nanotubes Photonic crystals Phase-change random-access memory Underwater deposits of methane hydrates Spintronics Water on Mars Solar cells Very high-speed transistors 45nm semiconductor technology Resistance random-access memory Network data transfer speed record Laser wakefield accelerators Solar system formation Global warming and hurricanes Nanotechnology Top quark Detection of dark matter and dark energy Seismographic research of Earth's crust Grid computing Virtual reality Brain-computer interface Entanglement between quantum dots Large Hadron Collider Life sciences Cancer biology Development of patterning Archaea Hybrid sterility Brain-imaging studies Mirror neurons Short-term memory of faces Creativity Synaesthesia Cellular underpinnings of regeneration Nitric oxide and formation of neural connections Innate immune systems Parthenogenesis Nitrogen-fixing extremeophiles Stem cell biology Parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells MicroRNA regulation of oncogenes Control of chromosome-spindle connection in mitosis Health and medicine Cancer Stem cells and cancer Tissue "printing" Avian flu Gene therapy Alzheimer's disease Alcohol and longevity Folic acid and cardiovascular health Malaria Stem cells Flu vaccines Antiviral drugs for influenza Campylobacter jejuni infection Orexin and alcohol addiction Nanofluidic system for cancer diagnosis Tuberculosis Neutrophil migration toward inflammation and infection Diabetes

Global warming

1. December 11, 2006 - Climate experts search for answers in the oceans
2. December 11, 2006 - Arctic clear for summer sailing by 2040
3. December 12, 2006 - Arctic Ice Faces Accelerated Meltdown
4. December 12, 2006 - Abrupt Ice Retreat Could Produce Ice-free Arctic Summers By 2040
5. December 12, 2006 - Arctic sea ice 'faces rapid melt'
6. December 12, 2006 - Scientists uncover new evidence of Arctic ice melt
7. December 12, 2006 - NASA provides new perspectives on the earth's changing ice sheets - also here
8. December 12, 2006 - Glaciers adding more to global sea rise than ice sheets - also here
9. December 14, 2006 - 2006 was Earth's sixth warmest year on record
10. December 14, 2006 - 2006 to be sixth-warmest year on record: U.N. agency
11. December 14, 2006 - 2006 set to be sixth warmest on record: UN weather agency
12. December 14, 2006 - 2006 sets British heat records
13. December 14, 2006 - Oceans may rise over 4 1/2 feet by 2100 - also here
14. December 14, 2006 - Global sea levels projected to rise faster than expected
15. December 14, 2006 - Sea-level rise could be greater than IPCC predictions, warns physicist
16. December 14, 2006 - Sea level rise 'under-estimated'
17. December 15, 2006 - 2006: Drought, floods, and broken records
18. December 15, 2006 - Overconfidence Leads To Bias In Climate Change Estimations - also here
19. December 15, 2006 - Location is key for trees to fight global warming
20. December 16, 2006 - Climate Change Melts Kilimanjaro's Snows - also here, here
21. December 18, 2006 - 2006 Is Sixth Warmest Year On Record, Estimates Show

Video conferencing

1. December 11, 2006 - Video technology allows casting in real time

Hydrogen storage

1. December 11, 2006 - Ethylene Suggested For Hydrogen Storage - also here

Earthquakes

1. December 11, 2006 - Scientists Offer New Model For Forecasting The Likelihood Of An Earthquake - also here
2. December 14, 2006 - Discovery Sheds New Light On Cause Of Earthquakes - also here, here
3. December 15, 2006 - US scientists unveil new earthquake tracking system

Carbon nanotubes

1. December 11, 2006 - Growing Gardens Of Identical Carbon Nanotubes
2. December 12, 2006 - DNA-like ice 'seen' inside carbon nanotubes
3. December 13, 2006 - Self-assembling Nano-ice Discovered -- Structure Resembles DNA

Photonic crystals

1. December 11, 2006 - Artificial Butterfly: Wing Scales Provide Template For Complex Photonic Structures

Phase-change random-access memory

1. December 11, 2006 - Promising New Memory Chip Technology Demonstrated by IBM, Macronix & Qimonda Joint Research Team - also here
2. December 11, 2006 - Alloy Holds Out Promise of Speedier Memory Chip - also here

Underwater deposits of methane hydrates

1. December 12, 2006 - Shallow fuels bring bad news

Spintronics

1. December 12, 2006 - Mechanical Motion Used To 'Spin' Atoms In A Gas - also here

Water on Mars

1. December 13, 2006 - Water, Water Everywhere on Mars

Solar cells

1. December 13, 2006 - How Plastic Solar Cells Turn Sunlight Into Electricity - also here

Very high-speed transistors

1. December 13, 2006 - World's Fastest Transistor Approaches Goal Of Terahertz Device - also here
2. December 14, 2006 - Beyond Silicon: New Transistor Technology May Power Next Microelectronic Devices - also here

45nm semiconductor technology

1. December 13, 2006 - AMD and IBM Detail Early Results Using Immersion and Ultra Low-K in 45nm Chips

Resistance random-access memory

1. December 13, 2006 - Sharp Develops Basic Technology for RRAM, Next-Generation Nonvolatile Memory

Network data transfer speed record

1. December 13, 2006 - Physicists Set New Record for Network Data Transfer - also here

Laser wakefield accelerators

1. December 13, 2007 - Creating monoenergetic electron beams on a tabletop

Solar system formation

1. December 14, 2006 - Comet Material Points to a Strange Birth
2. December 14, 2006 - Comet grain confirms early solar system mixed it up
3. December 14, 2006 - First Comet Dust On Earth Reveals Clues To Solar System
4. December 14, 2006 - Comet born of our own Sun
5. December 14, 2006 - 'Cosmic freezer' yields unique discovery
6. December 14, 2006 - Space Probe Brought Real Stardust Back to Earth
7. December 14, 2006 - Researchers Find Surprise in Makeup of a Comet
8. December 14, 2006 - Compositions of Stardust Impact Tracks and Terminal Particles in Aerogel by Hard X-ray Microprobe at SSRL
9. December 15, 2006 - Stardust Findings Override Some Commonly Held Astronomy Beliefs
10. December 15, 2006 - Comet Dust: European Synchrotron Radiation Facility Helps Reveal Solar System's Origin
11. December 15, 2006 - A Hot, Crazy Start to the Solar System
12. December 15, 2006 - New analysis suggests planets were formed from a giant mix - also here
13. December 15, 2006 - Comets hold life chemistry clues
14. December 15, 2006 - Synchrotrons Help Reveal the Nature of Comets - also here, here
15. December 16, 2006 - 'Cosmic Freezer' Yields Unique Discovery
16. December 17, 2006 - Plucking Comet Dust From Stardust Collectors - also here, here
17. December 17, 2006 - Comet Particles Tell New Story About Birth Of Solar System - also here
18. December 18, 2006 - ESRF helps reveal the origin of the Solar System
19. December 22, 2006 - Unlocking The Frozen Secrets Of Comet Wild 2 - also here
20. December 24, 2006 - Research Laboratory Scientists Analyze Comet Wild 2 Samples

Global warming and hurricanes

1. December 14, 2006 - Global warming link to hurricanes likely but unproven

Nanotechnology

1. December 14, 2006 - Nano-cables convert light into electricity

Top quark

1. December 14, 2006 - Physicists Detect Subatomic 'Top Quark' -- Without Its Antimatter Partner - also here, here
2. December 15, 2006 - World's Most Powerful Particle Collider Finds Evidence Of Rare Single Top Quark - also here

Detection of dark matter and dark energy

1. December 14, 2006 - Giant Radio Telescope Imaging Could Make Dark Matter Visible - also here, here

Seismographic research of Earth's crust

1. December 14, 2006 - Researchers hope to use quakes to unlock secrets about Earth's crust

Grid computing

1. December 14, 2006 - Physicist takes zeolite design into 21st Century using teragrid - also here, here

Virtual reality

1. December 14, 2006 - A little virtual something for under the tree

Brain-computer interface

1. December 15, 2006 - Researchers Demonstrate Direct Brain Control Of Humanoid Robot - also here

Entanglement between quantum dots

1. December 15, 2006 - Researchers closer to mastering the 'spookiness' of quantum mechanics

Large Hadron Collider

1. December 16, 2006 - Particle accelerator to be ready in '07
2. December 17, 2006 - Preparing For The Biggest Experiment On Earth

Cancer biology

1. December 11, 2006 - Cancer Immunoresistance Linked To Loss Of Tumor Suppressor Gene - also here
2. December 11, 2006 - Evolution And The Workaround: Do Aggressive Cancers Pile Up Extra Chromosomes As Genomic 'Backup' Systems? - also here
3. December 11, 2006 - Family helps doctors trace pancreatic cancer gene
4. December 12, 2006 - A Genetic Culprit for Pancreatic Cancer
5. December 12, 2006 - First Familial Pancreatic Cancer Gene Identified
6. December 12, 2006 - Inheritance Outside DNA: Screening For Colon Cancer By Analyzing Our Non-DNA Epigenetic Inheritance
7. December 12, 2006 - Novel Regulatory Mechanism Identified For Key Tumor Suppressor P53
8. December 13, 2006 - Mutant Mouse Provides Insights Into Breast Cancer - also here
9. December 13, 2006 - Team discovers a gene that causes familial pancreatic cancer - also here
10. December 15, 2006 - Boost for new cancer therapies - also here
11. December 15, 2006 - Study Explains How NSAIDs Halt Cancer Growth

Development of patterning

1. December 11, 2006 - Perfect Hair Is in the Genes
2. December 12, 2006 - Why Hair Grows--or Doesn't--All in a Row

Archaea

1. December 11, 2006 - From Hot Springs To Rice Farms, Scientists Reveal New Insights Into The Secret Lives Of Archaea

Hybrid sterility

1. December 11, 2006 - Geneticists discover genes that make fruit fly hybrids sterile

Brain-imaging studies

1. December 12, 2006 - Don't Get Hysterical: New Research Proves Reality of Mental Block on Sensation
2. December 12, 2006 - Hysteria Is All in Your Head
3. December 12, 2006 - Brain Images Show Hysteria Not An Imaginary Disorder
4. December 13, 2006 - Mandarin Language Is Music To The Brain - also here
5. December 14, 2006 - Novel Brain Areas Associated With The Recognition Of Gender, Ethnicity And The Identity Of Faces

Mirror neurons

1. December 13, 2006 - Laugh And The Whole World Laughs With You: Why The Brain Just Can't Help Itself
2. December 13, 2006 - Study shows out laughter is contagious
3. December 13, 2006 - Why the Giggles Make Us Smile

Short-term memory of faces

1. December 12, 2006 - Why We 'Never Forget A Face'

Creativity

1. December 13, 2006 - Night owls are more creative

Synaesthesia

1. December 13, 2006 - The Most Beautiful Painting You've Ever Heard

Cellular underpinnings of regeneration

1. December 13, 2006 - Scientists Discover Early Key To Regeneration - also here, here, here

Nitric oxide and formation of neural connections

1. December 13, 2006 - Gas On Your Mind: Snail's Brain Provides Insights Into Human Learning - also here

Innate immune systems

1. December 13, 2006 - Worms produce surprise insight into human fever

Parthenogenesis

1. December 14, 2006 - Virgin Births Lead to Transplantable Stem Cells
2. December 14, 2006 - Stem Cells Gotten From Unfertilized Eggs - also here
3. December 15, 2006 - Virgin birth produces stem cells

Nitrogen-fixing extremeophiles

1. December 14, 2006 - Deep sea yields record-breaking bug
2. December 15, 2006 - Microbe Fixes Nitrogen At A Blistering 92 C, May Offer Clues To Evolution Of Nitrogen Fixation

Stem cell biology

1. December 14, 2006 - Embryonic Stem Cells Do Better On Bumpy Nanoscale Mattress - also here
2. December 15, 2006 - Stem Cells Get A Grip

Parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells

1. December 15, 2006 - Researchers Create Genetically Matched Embryonic Stem Cells For Transplantation

MicroRNA regulation of oncogenes

1. December 15, 2006 - Pair Of MicroRNA Molecules Controls Major Oncogene In Most Common Leukemia - also here, here

Control of chromosome-spindle connection in mitosis

1. December 17, 2006 - Two Central Mysteries In Genome Inheritance Solved - also here

Cancer

1. December 11, 2006 - Sibling link to brain tumour risk revealed
2. December 11, 2006 - Younger siblings up the odds of brain cancer
3. December 11, 2006 - Report Calls For Improved Monoclonal Antibodies Against Solid Tumors
4. December 11, 2006 - Individualizing Treatment For Multiple Myeloma Patients - also here
5. December 11, 2006 - Drug Combination Proves Effective Against Myeloma In Phase I Trial
6. December 11, 2006 - Researchers Discover Method In Mice To Restore Tamoxifen Sensitivity In Resistant Breast Cancer
7. December 11, 2006 - Hour of daily exercise cuts bowel cancer risk
8. December 11, 2006 - An hour a day of exercise cuts colon cancer risk
9. December 11, 2006 - Studies at cancer conference show new therapies changing outlook for blood cancer patients
10. December 11, 2006 - Cancer Center collaborating to find new tools to fight leukemia
11. December 11, 2006 - Exercise can reduce a smoker's lung cancer risk
12. December 11, 2006 - Two more reasons to exercise, studies find - also here, here, here
13. December 11, 2006 - AVN944 inhibits IMPDH & induces apoptosis-related biomarkers in patients with hematologic cancers
14. December 11, 2006 - Cancer aids demystify the treatment puzzle
15. December 12, 2006 - For prostate cancer, action may beat waiting
16. December 12, 2006 - Breast cancer may be sexually transmitted
17. December 12, 2006 - Antibody Extends Life Of Mice With Breast Cancer - also here
18. December 12, 2006 - New Biomarker Predicts Effectiveness Of Breast Cancer Drugs
19. December 12, 2006 - New Year's Resolution No. 1: Prevent Cancer, Use Olive Oil - also here
20. December 12, 2006 - Higher Physical Activity Associated With Reduced Risk Of Breast Cancer
21. December 13, 2006 - Recreational workouts may ward off breast cancer
22. December 13, 2006 - Low-protein diet might reduce cancer risk
23. December 13, 2006 - Number Of Siblings Predicts Risk Of Brain Tumors
24. December 13, 2006 - Drug Combination Slows Progression Of Treatment Resistant Bone Marrow Cancer - also here
25. December 13, 2006 - Stool DNA Testing For Colon Cancer
26. December 13, 2006 - A Fisheye View Of The Deadliest Breast Cancer - also here
27. December 13, 2006 - Treating prostate cancer in elderly men associated with longer survival, compared to non-treatment
28. December 13, 2006 - Older men treated for early prostate cancer live longer than those who are not - also here
29. December 13, 2006 - Prostate-cancer study: Rethink watch, wait
30. December 14, 2006 - Cancer drug helps early lung cancer patients
31. December 14, 2006 - Drug That Chokes Off Tumor Blood Vessels Offers New Hope To Lung Cancer Patients - also here
32. December 14, 2006 - International Trial Of Novel Breast Cancer Drug
33. December 15, 2006 - Exercise may reduce smokers' lung cancer risk
34. December 15, 2006 - Synthetic marijuana helps cancer patients
35. December 15, 2006 - Drug Shows Promise As Therapy For Inflammatory Breast Cancer
36. December 15, 2006 - Herceptin Plus Chemotherapy Significantly Increases Disease-free Survival In Breast Cancer - also here, here
37. December 15, 2006 - Decline In Breast Cancer Cases Likely Linked To Reduced Use Of Hormone Replacement - also here, here
38. December 15, 2006 - Breast Cancer Drop Tied to Hormones
39. December 15, 2006 - Breast cancer drop linked to HRT
40. December 15, 2006 - Breast cancer rates fall
41. December 15, 2006 - 'Clumping' protein linked to return of ovarian cancer - also here, here
42. December 16, 2006 - Lower-fat diet cuts breast cancer recurrence
43. December 16, 2006 - Low-Fat Diets May Help Some Dodge Cancer - also here
44. December 16, 2006 - Researchers Find Two Biomarkers With Potential To Predict Breast Cancer Spread - also here, here
45. December 16, 2006 - Certain Types Of Cancer Becoming More Common, While Rates Of Others Decreasing - also here
46. December 16, 2006 - Fitness 'cuts colon cancer risk'
47. December 17, 2006 - Hormones Used in Breast Cancer Fight
48. December 18, 2006 - Reduced Dietary Fat Intake May Decrease Breast Cancer Recurrence - also here

Stem cells and cancer

1. December 11, 2006 - Another Boost For Stem Cell Research
2. December 15, 2006 - Researchers Identify Genes That Allow Brain Cancer-causing Stem Cells To Resist Treatment - also here

Tissue "printing"

1. December 11, 2006 - Bio-ink printer makes stem cells differentiate
2. December 11, 2006 - "Inkjet" printer helps organize stem cells
3. December 11, 2006 - Engineers Make Muscle, Bone Cell Differentiation With Aid Of Ink-jet Printer - also here

Avian flu

1. December 11, 2006 - South Korea says third bird flu case confirmed
2. December 14, 2006 - N. Korea May Have Anti-Bird Flu Vaccine - also here, here
3. December 15, 2006 - Europe backs Glaxo's pandemic flu vaccine

Gene therapy

1. December 11, 2006 - Gene therapy may relieve impotence
2. December 12, 2006 - Pioneers in field of functional genomics work toward gene therapy for vision defects - also here

Alzheimer's disease

1. December 12, 2006 - Scientists take key step toward Alzheimer's test
2. December 12, 2006 - Protein 'Bar Code' In Spinal Fluid Could Lead To First Diagnostic Test For Alzheimer's Patients - also here
3. December 12, 2006 - Possible Fingerprint of Alzheimer's Found - also here, here
4. December 15, 2006 - Antioxidants Decrease Disease In Fruit Fly Model Of Alzheimer's Disease

Alcohol and longevity

1. December 12, 2006 - Alcohol in moderation may extend life - also here, here,
2. December 13, 2006 - Further Evidence That Alcohol, When Consumed In Moderation, Reduces Risk Of Death
3. December 14, 2006 - Moderate Drinking May Help Older Women Live Longer - also here

Folic acid and cardiovascular health

1. December 12, 2006 - Folic acid won't cut heart, stroke risk, study says
2. December 13, 2006 - Folic Acid Supplementation Does Not Appear To Reduce Risk Of Cardiovascular Diseases - also here

Malaria

1. December 12, 2006 - Genetic Map Offers New Tool For Malaria Research - also here

Stem cells

1. December 12, 2006 - Clinical study results using Aldagen's product to isolate cord blood stem cells presented at ASH
2. December 12, 2006 - Stem cells found in adult hair follicles may provide alternative to embryonic stem cells - also here, here
3. December 14, 2006 - Stem Cells Patch Holes in Brain without Prompting
4. December 14, 2006 - Stem Cells Repair Damaged Brains in Mice
5. December 14, 2006 - Neural Stem Cells Lend The Brain A Surprising Capacity For Self-repair - also here
6. December 14, 2006 - Stem cell study reveals cells' capability in mouse brain tissue repair

Flu vaccines

1. December 13, 2006 - Flu shot doesn't need perfect virus match
2. December 14, 2006 - Flu Shot Effective Against Drifted Influenza, Nasal Spray Vaccine Less So

Antiviral drugs for influenza

1. December 13, 2006 - Novel Peptide Targets Viral Cells And May Inhibit Influenza Virus Infection

Campylobacter jejuni infection

1. December 13, 2006 - Leading Cause Of U.S. Food-borne Illness Makes Its Own Pathway Through Cells - also here, here

Orexin and alcohol addiction

1. December 13, 2006 - Research Offers Hope For Alcoholics
2. December 25, 2006 - Brain chemical linked to alcohol desire
3. December 25, 2006 - Chemical may stop alcohol craving

Nanofluidic system for cancer diagnosis

1. December 14, 2006 - Spelling Out Cancer On The Nanoscale: Nano-fluidic System Reads Oncoprotein Levels From Tiny Samples

Tuberculosis

1. December 14, 2006 - Scientists Find Potential Weapon Against Tuberculosis Infection - also here
2. December 15, 2006 - High levels of resistant TB in Russia, China
3. December 16, 2006 - Drug resistant TB 'more severe'
4. December 18, 2006 - Drug resistant TB cases higher than once estimated

Neutrophil migration toward inflammation and infection

1. December 15, 2006 - Researchers discover internal compass of immune cell - also here

Diabetes

1. December 15, 2006 - Breakthrough sheds light on cause of diabetes
2. December 15, 2006 - Canadian scientists reverse diabetes in mice
3. December 15, 2006 - Researchers reverse diabetes in mice - also here
4. December 15, 2006 - Researchers Find Trigger for Type 1 Diabetes - also here
5. December 15, 2006 - Breakthrough sheds light on cause of diabetes
6. December 15, 2006 - Linchpin Discovered In Insulin Metabolism; Gene Might Contribute To Type II Diabetes
7. December 17, 2006 - Sensory Nerve Discovery In Diabetes Opens Door To New Treatment Strategies

Copyright © 2006 by Charles Daney, All Rights Reserved