Volume 5, Number 52 December 25, 2006

Physical sciences and technology Cosmic infrared background Galaxy evolution Planetary nebulae Alternative theories of gravity Lab-on-a-chip Global warming Nanotechnology The quantum spin Hall state Multiple star systems Ultrahigh energy cosmic rays Gamma-ray bursts Planets of red dwarfs Extrasolar planets Network data transfer speed record Carbon nanotubes White dwarfs Strange matter stars Distribution of earliest stars Optical buffers Ancient climate change and orbital rhythms Grid computing Black holes Life sciences Cloning Creativity Evolutionary origin of oogamy Evolution of iguanas Neural stem cells and aging Enhancement of memory in animal dreams Brain-imaging studies Human-chimp genome differences Brain Atlases How Francisella tularensis evades the immune system Microinversions and phylogenetic trees Deinococcus radiodurans Parthenogenesis in komodo dragons Cancer biology Attention and brain activity Crosstalk in gene regulation Aging Silent mutations Chloroplasts and endosymbiosis Mechanism of Toxoplasma infection Evolutionary adaptation Spindle neurons Variability in use of neurotransmitters Immunoglobulin G Archaea Neanderthals Iron regulatory protein Evolution of giraffe necks Health and medicine Cancer Nanoparticles for cancer imaging Malaria AIDS Genes, gender, and blood pressures Parkinson's disease Obesity and intestinal bacteria Alzheimer's disease Avian flu Stem cells Vitamin D and multiple sclerosis Atherosclerosis and gene expression Diabetes Antibiotics Stem cell therapy for cancer Tuberculosis

Cosmic infrared background

1. December 18, 2006 - Universe's Oldest Objects Emerge from the Background - also here, here, here
2. December 18, 2006 - Universe's First Objects Possibly Seen - also here, here, here
3. December 18, 2006 - NASA Telescope Picks Up Glow of Universe's First Objects - also here, here, here, here, here
4. December 19, 2006 - Earliest starlight detection disputed
5. December 19, 2006 - Scientists may have found Big Bang remnant
6. December 21, 2006 - Earliest cosmic fireworks could be stars - also here

Galaxy evolution

1. December 18, 2006 - Nature vs. Nurture Debate is Universal
2. December 31, 2006 - Do Galaxies Follow Darwinian Evolution?

Planetary nebulae

1. December 18, 2006 - Cosmos shines light on missing matter

Alternative theories of gravity

1. December 18, 2006 - Cosmic structure explained without dark matter

Lab-on-a-chip

1. December 18, 2006 - Steering Toward The Much-discussed Lab-on-a-chip

Global warming

1. December 19, 2006 - Spain set for warmest year on record
2. December 21, 2006 - Glaciers Adding More To Global Sea Rise Than Ice Sheets
3. December 22, 2006 - Indian, Chinese Team to Map Glacier Melt

Nanotechnology

1. December 19, 2006 - World's strongest nanowire
2. December 19, 2006 - First Nano-Welds Herald New Era of Electronics

The quantum spin Hall state

1. December 19, 2006 - Researchers Predict A New State Of Matter In Semiconductors

Multiple star systems

1. December 19, 2006 - Cosmic Gatherings: How Stars Get Hitched

Ultrahigh energy cosmic rays

1. December 19, 2006 - Tiny dip could point to cosmic-ray origins

Gamma-ray bursts

1. December 20, 2006 - Hybrids in the Universe?
2. December 20, 2006 - 'Black sheep' gamma-ray bursts refuse to conform
3. December 20, 2006 - Odd Gamma-Ray Burst Points to New Form of Stellar Suicide
4. December 20, 2006 - New Kind Of Black Hole Explosion Discovered
5. December 20, 2006 - Instead of a Big Bang, Some Stars Fade Quietly
6. December 21, 2006 - Stars meet a darker death
7. December 21, 2006 - Two cosmic bursts upset tidy association between long gamma-ray bursts and supernovae
8. December 21, 2006 - Astronomers discover new kind of black-hole explosion - also here
9. December 24, 2006 - New Type Of Massive Stellar Death
10. December 28, 2006 - New Way To Form Black Hole Uncovered

Planets of red dwarfs

1. December 20, 2006 - Life with a Red Dwarf

Extrasolar planets

1. December 20, 2006 - European Spacecraft To Detect Exoplanets Orbiting Around Other Stars And Probe Mysteries Of Stellar Interiors - also here
2. December 21, 2006 - COROT space mission ready to search out new planets and map the interior of stars
3. December 22, 2006 - COROT to scout for rocky planets around other stars

Network data transfer speed record

1. December 20, 2006 - Siemens says sets network speed record
2. December 20, 2006 - Researchers achieve transmission rates of 107 Gbits per second over a single fiber channel

Carbon nanotubes

1. December 21, 2006 - Nanotube coating promises ice-free windscreens

White dwarfs

1. December 21, 2006 - White dwarf shreds and vaporises asteroid
2. December 21, 2006 - Dying Star May Presage Our Solar System's Demise
3. December 22, 2006 - White Dwarf Hints at Our Solar System's End

Strange matter stars

1. December 21, 2006 - Stars Can Be Strange: Physicists Explore Strange Matter Hypothesis - also here

Distribution of earliest stars

1. December 21, 2006 - With Computers, Astronomers Show Predicted Present Day Distribution Of Elusive First Stars

Optical buffers

1. December 22, 2006 - Photons trapped by trick of the light

Ancient climate change and orbital rhythms

1. December 22, 2006 - Earth's Climate Changes in Tune with Eccentric Orbital Rhythms
2. December 22, 2006 - Researchers Identify A 'Heartbeat' In Earth's Climate

Neanderthals

1. December 22, 2006 - European Neanderthals Showed Significant Physical Differences From North To South

Grid computing

1. December 22, 2006 - New Chicago-Indiana computer network prepared to handle massive data flow - also here, here

Black holes

1. December 22, 2006 - Observatory to Research Black Hole Areas - also here, here

Cloning

1. December 18, 2006 - South Korean team produces three cloned dogs
2. December 18, 2006 - South Korean Scientist Eyes Disease Cures from Cloned Dogs
3. December 19, 2006 - More cloned puppies born
4. December 20, 2006 - S. Korean scientists to try monkey cloning
5. December 21, 2006 - South Korean Scientists Plan to Clone Monkeys

Creativity

1. December 18, 2006 - Happiness: Good for Creativity, Bad for Single-Minded Focus

Evolutionary origin of oogamy

1. December 18, 2006 - New Male-specific Gene In Algae Unveils An Origin Of Male And Female - also here, here

Evolution of iguanas

1. December 18, 2006 - Too mellow for our predatory world

Neural stem cells and aging

1. December 18, 2006 - Stem Cell Activity Deciphered In The Aging Brain - also here, here

Enhancement of memory in animal dreams

1. December 18, 2006 - In Memory-Bank 'Dialogue,' the Brain Is Talking to Itself
2. December 18, 2006 - Animals Dream in Pictures, Too - also here
3. December 19, 2006 - Memory Experts Show Sleeping Rats May Have Visual Dreams - also here

Brain-imaging studies

1. December 19, 2006 - Reading Shakespeare Has Dramatic Effect On Human Brain
2. December 19, 2006 - Feeling stressed? Try holding your husband's hand
3. December 20, 2006 - High-quality Marriages Help To Calm Nerves - also here
4. December 20, 2006 - Need For Immediate Reward Linked To More Active Brain Region
5. December 20, 2006 - Impulsiveness linked to activity in brain's reward center
6. December 21, 2006 - How Learning Influences Smell
7. December 24, 2006 - How Your Brain Helps You Become A Wine Expert

Human-chimp genome differences

1. December 19, 2006 - Human-Chimp Gene Gap Widens from Tally of Duplicate Genes
2. December 20, 2006 - Human-chimp Difference May Be Bigger - also here

Brain Atlases

1. December 19, 2006 - Beyond The Book: Software Automates Access To Brain Atlases

How Francisella tularensis evades the immune system

1. December 19, 2006 - Study Gives Clues About How Deadly Bacterium Gains Foothold - also here, here, here

Microinversions and phylogenetic trees

1. December 19, 2006 - Building Better Phylogenetic Trees - also here
2. December 30, 2006 - Genomic Variation Easier To Identify With 'Microinversions' Software - also here

Deinococcus radiodurans

1. December 19, 2006 - Hardy bug re-opens Mars debate

Parthenogenesis in komodo dragons

1. December 20, 2006 - Virgin birth expected for Komodo dragon in UK zoo - also here
2. December 20, 2006 - Dragon virgin births startle zoo keepers
3. December 20, 2006 - Virgin Dragon Prepares to Give Birth
4. December 20, 2006 - 'Virgin births' for giant lizards
5. December 20, 2006 - Virgin Birth Expected at Christmas -- By Komodo Dragon
6. December 21, 2006 - Dragon waits for virgin birth
7. December 21, 2006 - Virgin dragon prepares to give birth - also here

Cancer biology

1. December 20, 2006 - Run Amok Enzyme Causes Same Problems In Both Humans And Fruit Flies - also here, here

Attention and brain activity

1. December 20, 2006 - Paying attention sets off symphony of cell synchronization - also here

Crosstalk in gene regulation

1. December 20, 2006 - Molecular conversations trigger cell suicide in yeast

Aging

1. December 21, 2006 - Are Scientists Closer to Discovering a Fountain of Youth?
2. December 22, 2006 - Buildup Of Damaged DNA In Cells Drives Aging

Silent mutations

1. December 21, 2006 - Silent mutations speak up
2. December 22, 2006 - The Sound of a Silent Mutation

Chloroplasts and endosymbiosis

1. December 21, 2006 - Delving Into Chloroplasts' Past

Mechanism of Toxoplasma infection

1. December 21, 2006 - Single Protein Can Determine Severity Of Toxoplasma Infections - also here
2. December 25, 2006 - Protein key to parasite potency
3. December 26, 2006 - Dangerous Parasite Gains New Attention In Battles Against AIDS, Bioterrorism

Evolutionary adaptation

1. December 21, 2006 - Squirrels accurately predict bumper harvests
2. December 24, 2006 - Squirrels Winning At Outwitting Trees' Survival Strategy

Spindle neurons

1. December 22, 2006 - Neurons targeted by dementing illness may have evolved for complex social cognition - also here
2. December 22, 2006 - 'Social Dementia' Decimates Special Neurons
3. December 26, 2006 - Study Offers Window Into Human Behavior, Brain Disease - also here

Variability in use of neurotransmitters

1. December 22, 2006 - Electrical Activity Alters Language Used By Nerve Cells

Immunoglobulin G

1. December 22, 2006 - Key Antibody Links Cells' Capture And Disposal Of Germs

Archaea

1. December 22, 2006 - Nanoorganisms: Probe Of Acid Mine Drainage Turns Up Unsuspected Virus-sized Archaea

Iron regulatory protein

1. December 22, 2006 - Structure Of Iron Regulatory Protein-RNA Complex Solved - also here
2. December 22, 2006 - 3-D Holiday Gift Could Help Scientists Regulate Iron

Evolution of giraffe necks

1. December 23, 2006 - Giraffes Avoid Competing With Shorter Browsers - also here

Cancer

1. December 18, 2006 - Aromasin after tamoxifen ups breast cancer survival
2. December 18, 2006 - Genomic Tests Improve Prediction Of Breast Cancer Response To Chemotherapy, Hormonal Therapy
3. December 18, 2006 - Breast Cancer News Brings a Range of Reactions
4. December 19, 2006 - Olive oil may hinder cancer process - also here
5. December 19, 2006 - Asthma drug shows promise against pancreas cancer
6. December 19, 2006 - Promising Results For Patients With Aggressive, Recurrent Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Using New Oral Drug
7. December 19, 2006 - Estrogen Study Provides New Impetus For Development Of Colon Cancer Drugs - also here
8. December 19, 2006 - Study identifies characteristics of fast-growing skin cancers - also here
9. December 19, 2006 - Reduced Levels of Fat in the Diet May Decrease the Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence According to New Clinical Trial
10. December 20, 2006 - Experimental cancer drug attacks tumors in novel way
11. December 20, 2006 - Allergy Drug Slows Pancreatic Tumor Growth In Preclinical Studies - also here
12. December 21, 2006 - Drug Shown To Be Clinically Active Against Multiple Target Mutations In Two Types Of Leukemia And Myeloproliferative Disorders
13. December 21, 2006 - Researchers Discover Method in Mice to Restore Tamoxifen Sensitivity in Resistant Breast Cancer
14. December 21, 2006 - What Cures Your Aches Might Prevent Cancer: Seeking To Prevent Cancer Using Anti-inflammatory Medication
15. December 21, 2006 - More Common Associations Found Between BRCA1 And BRCA2 Mutations And Cancer
16. December 22, 2006 - Genetically Modified Cells Attack Tumors
17. December 22, 2006 - Weight Loss Cuts Prostate Cancer Risk
18. December 22, 2006 - Lose Weight, Reduce Prostate Cancer Risk?
19. December 23, 2006 - Olive oil 'can cut cancer risk'
20. December 24, 2006 - Protection Against Cancer May Begin During Pregnancy, Nursing - also here, here

Nanoparticles for cancer imaging

1. December 18, 2006 - Nanoparticles Designed for Dual-Mode Imaging

Malaria

1. December 18, 2006 - New malaria vaccine approach tested in mice
2. December 18, 2006 - Experimental vaccine blocks transmission of malaria in mice
3. December 18, 2006 - PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative announces partnership to develop novel malaria vaccine
4. December 18, 2006 - Malaria vaccine strategies get boost
5. December 19, 2006 - Malaria Vaccine Prompts Victims' Immune System To Eliminate Parasite From Mosquitoes - also here
6. December 19, 2006 - Stopping malaria before the bite

AIDS

1. December 18, 2006 - Effective HIV Control May Depend On Viral Protein Targeted By Immune Cells - also here, here
2. December 18, 2006 - Quality Not Quantity Important For Immune Response To HIV - also here, here

Genes, gender, and blood pressures

1. December 18, 2006 - Researchers Show Surprising Interaction Between Genes, Gender And Hypertension - also here

Parkinson's disease

1. December 19, 2006 - Higher Occurrence Of Parkinson's Linked To Low LDL Cholesterol - also here, here

Obesity and intestinal bacteria

1. December 20, 2006 - Battling bacteria in gut may influence weight gain
2. December 20, 2006 - Do Gut Bugs Make You Fat?
3. December 20, 2006 - Weight May Be Linked to Type of Bacteria - also here
4. December 21, 2006 - Scientists Link Weight to Gut Bacteria - also here
5. December 21, 2006 - Gut microbes may make you fat
6. December 21, 2006 - Relative Abundance Of Common Microbes Living In The Gut May Contribute To Obesity - also here
7. December 21, 2006 - Research Links Obesity to Mix of Bacteria in Digestive Tract

Alzheimer's disease

1. December 20, 2006 - Education -- the best pill of all for preventing Alzheimer's? - also here
2. December 20, 2006 - Short Mental Workouts May Slow Decline of Aging Minds, Study Finds
3. December 20, 2006 - Testosterone Therapy May Prevent Alzheimer's Disease - also here
4. December 20, 2006 - Androgen therapy may slow progress of Alzheimer's disease - also here
5. December 20, 2006 - New chemical gives insight into Alzheimer's - also here
6. December 21, 2006 - New insight gained into devastating brain ailment
7. December 21, 2006 - New imaging compound might 'see' Alzheimer's earlier - also here
8. December 21, 2006 - Scan may identify people at risk for Alzheimer's
9. December 22, 2006 - New Imaging Technique Identifies People At Risk For Alzheimer's Disease
10. December 22, 2006 - Scientists Develop A New Way To Target Alzheimer's Disease
11. December 22, 2006 - Pills not enough to treat Alzheimer's

Avian flu

1. December 20, 2006 - Vietnam Confirms Bird Flu Outbreak
2. December 21, 2006 - Warning: A Flu Pandemic Today Could Kill As Many As 80 Million People
3. December 21, 2006 - New Flu Pandemic Could Kill 81 Million - also here
4. December 22, 2006 - More Nigerian states hit by bird flu infection
5. December 22, 2006 - Recurrence Of A Flu Pandemic Similar To Infamous 1918 Flu Could Kill 62 Million - also here
6. December 22, 2006 - Flu 'could wipe out 62 million'
7. December 22, 2006 - World Death Toll Of a Flu Pandemic Would Be 62 Million
8. December 24, 2006 - Egypt reports two new human cases of bird flu
9. December 25, 2006 - Bird flu kills Egyptian teenager

Stem cells

1. December 20, 2006 - Stem cells used to create critical brain barrier in lab
2. December 22, 2006 - Researchers Use Stem Cells To Regenerate Parts Of Teeth - also here
3. December 26, 2006 - Don't Surrender Any More Teeth to the Tooth Fairy
4. January 3, 2007 - Stem cells regenerate teeth in pigs - also here, here

Vitamin D and multiple sclerosis

1. December 20, 2006 - Vitamin D linked to lower MS risk

Atherosclerosis and gene expression

1. December 21, 2006 - How blood flow dictates gene expression - also here, here

Diabetes

1. December 22, 2006 - Diabetes not linked to Alzheimer's in seniors

Antibiotics

1. December 23, 2006 - New drugs 'could halve treatment'

Stem cell therapy for cancer

1. December 24, 2006 - Researchers Find Stem-cell Therapy Effective In Targeting Metastatic Cancer - also here
2. December 26, 2006 - Stem Cells And Metastatic Cancer: Fatal Attraction? - also here, here

Tuberculosis

1. December 24, 2006 - Tuberculosis Bacillus Hides From Immune System In Host's Fat Cells - also here

Copyright © 2006 by Charles Daney, All Rights Reserved