Volume 6, Number 10 March 5, 2007

Physical sciences and technology Detecting dark matter by pulsar observations Pulsars Paleoclimatology Ocean circulation and climate change Neutron stars The South Pole Telescope and the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect Quantum dots and and nanoparticles in biomarker detectors Gravitational waves as a test of inflation Global warming CO2 and climate change Use of nanoparticles for disease detection and therapy Autonomous vehicles Neural prostheses MCO dark matter Test of string theory Graphene Methane on Titan Large hadron collider Robotics Mock theta functions The black hole information paradox Link between neurons and nanoparticle films Superconductivity Spintronics Higgs boson Pioneer anomaly Galaxy dismemberment String theory predictions Nanotechnology DNA nanotechnology Carbon nanotubes Hurricanes and global warming Quantum computing Quantum phase transitions Organic transistors Glacial melting Life sciences Modern human evolution Structure of influenza virus polymerase Heat shock protein 90 as a cancer target Gene activity in cell division Viruses, chromosomal instability, and cancer Cancer biology Genes and intelligence Heart muscle development Spontaneous symmetry breaking in female chromosomes Brain plasticity Auditory and visual short-term memory Alternative splicing and cancer Cholesterol production Hominid extinction Online brain maps Ion channels Neurotransmitters outside of synapses Addictiveness of nicotine Impulsiveness and cocaine addiction Bacterial defenses against antibiotics and bacteriophages Human endogenous retroviruses Variation in gene expression levels Cambrian fauna Brain wiring diagram Calcium and neuron firing Memory and glycogen synthase kinase-3 Brain area size and performance Brain reward circuits Archaea genomes Macrophages Control of neuronal activity Health and medicine Cancer Novel cancer vaccine Avian flu Influenza genome sequencing Beneficial effects of soy for obesity, cholesterol control, and diabetes AIDS Stem cells Crohn's disease Honey antioxidants Prehypertension as a cardiovascular risk factor Tuberculosis Lupus Antioxidant supplements and mortality risks Limb regeneration Malaria Alcohol and longevity Diabetes Detecting pathogenic immune response Opiate withdrawal symptoms Estrogen signaling and metabolic syndrome Alzheimer's disease 1918 pandemic influenza Antioxidants in tomatoes Environmental influences on obesity Microsphere vaccine delivery system Antibiotic resistance and horizontal gene transfer Hepatitis C Stress and cortisol Sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease DNA nanoparticle gene therapy for Parkinson's disease Depression and the hippocampus Graves' disease Wnt mutation, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome Fat types, obesity, and diabetes Periodontitis and cardiovascular disease HDL cholesterol

Detecting dark matter by pulsar observations

1. February 26, 2007 - Pulsars may shed light on mysterious dark matter

Pulsars

1. February 26, 2007 - Scientist Discovers New Explanation For Pulsar's Spin

Paleoclimatology

1. February 26, 2007 - An Ancient Greenhouse Window Into The Future
2. February 27, 2007 - From Icehouse To Hothouse: Melting Ice And Rising Carbon Dioxide Caused Climate Shift

Ocean circulation and climate change

1. February 26, 2007 - A climate-change amplifying mechanism - also here

Neutron stars

1. February 26, 2007 - Neutron star field decay could impact what we know

The South Pole Telescope and the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect

1. February 26, 2007 - South Pole Telescope achieves first light
2. February 26, 2007 - New South Pole Telescope to Study Mysterious Dark Energy
3. March 1, 2007 - South Pole Telescope To Help Scientists Learn What The Universe Is Made Of And How It Got Here

Quantum dots and and nanoparticles in biomarker detectors

1. February 26, 2007 - Quantum Rods and Dots Image Cancer Cells
2. February 27, 2007 - Microbeads To Improve Identification Of Biomarkers In Body Fluids

Gravitational waves as a test of inflation

1. February 27, 2007 - Gravity waves to show birth of cosmos

Global warming

1. February 27, 2007 - Global warming debate over, time to act now: report
2. February 27, 2007 - Winter 'second warmest on record'
3. February 28, 2007 - A cool finding on global warming
4. March 1, 2007 - U.S. Needs To Plan For Climate Change-induced Summer Droughts
5. March 2, 2007 - Heatwave on the top of the world

CO₂ and climate change

1. February 27, 2007 - New Evidence Of Link Between Carbon Dioxide Emissions And Climate Change In Boreal Ecosystems

Use of nanoparticles for disease detection and therapy

1. February 27, 2007 - Sodas Stabilizes Gold Nanoparticles for Medical Use

Autonomous vehicles

1. February 27, 2007 - Enter 'Junior': Stanford Team's Next-generation Robot Joins DARPA Urban Challenge

Neural prostheses

1. February 27, 2007 - Harnessing The Brain's Plasticity Key To Treating Neurological Damage

MCO dark matter

1. February 27, 2007 - Limits set on size of dark matter clumps

Test of string theory

1. February 27, 2007 - String Theory Explains RHIC Jet Suppression

Graphene

1. February 28, 2007 - Atom-thick carbon transistor could succeed silicon
2. February 28, 2007 - Graphene steps up to silicon's challenge
3. March 2, 2007 - New Graphene Transistor Promises Life After Death Of Silicon Chip - also here, here
4. March 2, 2007 - When graphene meets negative refraction
5. March 4, 2007 - Physicists Pioneer New Super-thin Technology - also here, here
6. March 9, 2007 - Invisible For Electrons: Scientists Fabricate Ultra-thin Membranes - also here

Methane on Titan

1. February 28, 2007 - Titan's largest lake rivals Earth's Caspian Sea

Large hadron collider

1. February 28, 2007 - Secrets of universe eyed as collider core installed
2. February 28, 2007 - Slowly does it as giant magnet goes underground at CERN
3. February 28, 2007 - Milestone for giant physics lab
4. March 1, 2007 - Giant Particle Detector Magnet Goes Underground At CERN's Large Hadron Collider Accelerator

Robotics

1. February 28, 2007 - Second Humanoid Robot In France Welcomed
2. March 2, 2007 - Search and rescue robots team up for tricky tasks

Mock theta functions

1. February 28, 2007 - Mathematicians Unlock Major Number Theory Puzzle - also here, here, here, here
2. March 10, 2007 - Functional Family: Mock theta mystery solved
3. March 12, 2007 - A flash of insight brings answers
4. March 21, 2007 - Classic maths puzzle cracked at last

The black hole information paradox

1. February 28, 2007 - A hidden twist in the black hole information paradox - also here, here

Link between neurons and nanoparticle films

1. February 28, 2007 - First direct electric link between neurons and light-sensitive nanoparticle films created - also here, here

Superconductivity

1. March 1, 2007 - Physicists Another Step In The March Toward Better Superconductors
2. March 1, 2007 - Researchers Study Superconductivity, Magnetism in Novel Material
3. March 2, 2007 - New Insights Into High-temperature Superconductors - also here

Spintronics

1. March 1, 2007 - Delicate Relation Between Single Spins: Scientists Measure The Magnetic Interaction Between Single Atoms - also here, here

Higgs boson

1. March 2, 2007 - Higgs boson: Glimpses of the last 'missing' particle

Pioneer anomaly

1. March 2, 2007 - Computer sleuths try to crack Pioneer anomaly

Galaxy dismemberment

1. March 2, 2007 - Dismembered galaxy has 'last hurrah' of star birth
2. March 2, 2007 - Hubble Sees 'Comet Galaxy' Being Ripped Apart By Galaxy Cluster - also here, here
3. March 2, 2007 - Galaxy Ripped to Shreds

String theory predictions

1. March 2, 2007 - A Prediction from String Theory, with Strings Attached

Nanotechnology

1. March 2, 2007 - Nano-piezotronics: New Class Of Electronic Components Created By Bending Zinc Oxide Nanowires - also here, here
2. March 2, 2007 - Model simulates atomic processes in nanomaterials - also here
3. March 2, 2007 - Frozen lightning: NIST's new nanoelectronic switch - also here

DNA nanotechnology

1. March 2, 2007 - For low-cost DNA nanostructures, recycle sticky ends

Carbon nanotubes

1. March 2, 2007 - Nanotube formation captured on video - also here

Hurricanes and global warming

1. March 2, 2007 - New Evidence That Global Warming Fuels Stronger Atlantic Hurricanes - also here, here

Quantum computing

1. March 3, 2007 - Atom 'Noise' May Help Design Quantum Computers - also here, here

Quantum phase transitions

1. March 4, 2007 - Quantum Effects Make The Difference: Researchers Observe A New Phase Transition At Absolute Zero - also here, here

Organic transistors

1. March 4, 2007 - Economical And Flexible: Scientists Construct Complementary Circuits From Organic Materials - also here

Glacial melting

1. March 4, 2007 - Tibetans carry on as glaciers fall victim to global warming

Modern human evolution

1. February 26, 2007 - Early Europeans unable to stomach milk
2. February 26, 2007 - Evolution: It Does a Body Good
3. February 26, 2007 - Ancient DNA solves milk mystery
4. February 27, 2007 - Not Milk? Neolithic Europeans Couldn't Stomach the Stuff
5. March 1, 2007 - Early Europeans Unable To Stomach Milk

Structure of influenza virus polymerase

1. February 26, 2007 - First Glimpse Of Influenza Replication Machine

Heat shock protein 90 as a cancer target

1. February 26, 2007 - A New Target In The War On Cancer

Gene activity in cell division

1. February 26, 2007 - Scientists discover genes that can slow cell division and may fight cancer

Viruses, chromosomal instability, and cancer

1. February 27, 2007 - New Research Ties Harmless Viruses To Cancer

Cancer biology

1. February 27, 2007 - Protein Key To Organ Growth
2. February 27, 2007 - Researchers Identify Cell Pathway In Colon Cancer
3. February 28, 2007 - Cancer Cells Forming Blood Vessels Send Their Copper To The Edge - also here, here
4. March 3, 2007 - How common viruses can turn cells cancerous

Genes and intelligence

1. February 27, 2007 - Researchers Confirm Association Between Gene And Intelligence - also here

Heart muscle development

1. February 27, 2007 - Gene Required For Steps From Embryonic To Heart Muscle Cell

Spontaneous symmetry breaking in female chromosomes

1. March 27, 2007 - Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking in Women's Genes

Brain plasticity

1. February 28, 2007 - How the 'Plastic' Brain Rewires Itself
2. March 3, 2007 - Revealing The Machinery Underlying The 'Plastic' Juvenile Brain - also here, here

Auditory and visual short-term memory

1. February 28, 2007 - Short-term Memory: Auditory And Visual Memory Use Similar Neural Mechanisms

Alternative splicing and cancer

1. February 28, 2007 - Researchers Show RNA Splicing Factor May Be New Target For Cancer Therapy

Cholesterol production

1. February 28, 2007 - Primitive Yeast Yields Secrets Of Human Cholesterol And Drug Metabolism

Hominid extinction

1. February 28, 2007 - Birth Rate, Competition Are Major Players In Hominid Extinctions

Online brain maps

1. February 28, 2007 - Brain Maps Online - also here

Ion channels

1. February 28, 2007 - Phospholipids In The Cell Membrane Help Regulate Ion Channels

Neurotransmitters outside of synapses

1. February 28, 2007 - Brain works more chaotically than previously thought - also here

Addictiveness of nicotine

1. February 28, 2007 - New study demonstrates nicotine's role in smoking behavior - also here, here

Impulsiveness and cocaine addiction

1. March 1, 2007 - Predisposition to Addiction Found in Cocaine Study
2. March 1, 2007 - Just Doob It
3. March 5, 2007 - Addiction Breakthrough May Lead To New Treatments

Bacterial defenses against antibiotics and bacteriophages

1. March 1, 2007 - Single Gene May Defend Bacteria From Antibiotics And Infection

Human endogenous retroviruses

1. March 1, 2007 - Ancient Retrovirus Is Resurrected

Variation in gene expression levels

1. March 1, 2007 - Individuals and populations differ in gene activity levels, not just genes - also here

Cambrian fauna

1. March 2, 2007 - Spiky oddball prowled ocean half billion years ago - also here

Brain wiring diagram

1. March 2, 2007 - Deconstructing Brain Wiring, One Neuron At A Time

Calcium and neuron firing

1. March 2, 2007 - Calcium Is Spark Of Life, Kiss Of Death For Nerve Cells - also here

Memory and glycogen synthase kinase-3

1. March 2, 2007 - Enzyme Finding Sheds Light On How Memories Are Made And What Goes Wrong In Brain Disorders - also here

Brain area size and performance

1. March 2, 2007 - Size Of Brain Areas Does Matter -- But Bigger Isn't Necessarily Better - also here

Brain reward circuits

1. March 3, 2007 - Why 'Wanting' And 'Liking' Something Simultaneously Is Overwhelming

Archaea genomes

1. March 4, 2007 - Life Cycle Mapped Of Unique Organism In Extreme Environments

Macrophages

1. March 4, 2007 - Enabling Nerve Regeneration Means Evicting The Cleanup Crew - also here

Control of neuronal activity

1. March 4, 2007 - Rare Cell Prevents Rampant Brain Activity - also here, here

Cancer

1. February 26, 2007 - Compact lung-cancer breath test may be possible
2. February 26, 2007 - Colour Sensor Breath Test Can Detect Lung Cancer - also here
3. February 26, 2007 - Some prostate cancer treatments better than others
4. February 26, 2007 - Vitamin A may reduce stomach cancer risk
5. February 26, 2007 - Strong exercise may cut breast cancer risk
6. February 26, 2007 - Protein Identified That Regulates Effectiveness Of Taxol Chemotherapy In Breast Cancer
7. February 26, 2007 - Prostate cancer therapy may increase risk of death from heart disease in older men
8. February 27, 2007 - New Class Of Targeted Cancer Drugs Shows Promise In Slowing Progression Of Recurrent Prostate Cancer
9. February 27, 2007 - 'Bridge' Protein Spurs Deadliest Stages Of Breast Cancer
10. February 27, 2007 - Second Prostate Biopsy? Researcher Finds Way To Identify Which Men Need One
11. February 27, 2007 - Scientists Tout New Prostate Cancer Test - also here
12. February 27, 2007 - Novel Test Identifies Leukemia Patients Likely To Respond To New Therapy
13. February 27, 2007 - Toward Powerful New Anticancer Drugs With New Ways Of Targeting Tumors
14. February 27, 2007 - Aspirin Reduces Esophageal-cancer Risk In People With Most-aggressive Form Of Barrett's Esophagus
15. February 28, 2007 - Estrogen Gene Affects Risk Of Breast Cancer, But Not CVD
16. March 1, 2007 - Type 1 diabetes linked to pancreatic cancer risk
17. March 1, 2007 - Exercise Reduces Risk Of Developing Invasive Breast Cancer, Study Suggests
18. March 1, 2007 - Toward Genetically Guided Cancer Treatment: Gene Expression Test Reveals Critical Characteristics Of Breast Tumors
19. March 1, 2007 - Common Cold Virus May Kill Breast Cancer Cells - also here
20. March 2, 2007 - Childhood cancer survivors at risk of 2nd cancer
21. March 2, 2007 - New Pharmaceutical Drug Halts Progress Of Metastatic Kidney Cancer - also here
22. March 2, 2007 - Green Tea And COX-2 Inhibitors Combine To Slow Growth Of Prostate Cancer - also here, here
23. March 2, 2007 - Researchers Wake Up Viruses Inside Tumors To Image And Then Destroy Cancers - also here
24. March 2, 2007 - Insights into osteosarcoma in cats and dogs may improve palliative care - also here

Novel cancer vaccine

1. February 26, 2007 - Creating new life forms that may help eradicate cancer affecting women

Avian flu

1. February 26, 2007 - FDA Tests Bird-Flu Vaccine Effectiveness - also here
2. February 26, 2007 - Kuwait reports 20 cases of bird flu at zoo, farm
3. February 26, 2007 - U.S. experts to weigh Sanofi bird flu vaccine
4. February 27, 2007 - Kuwait confirms 12 new bird flu cases
5. February 27, 2007 - Sanofi bird flu vaccine wins expert backing
6. February 27, 2007 - Advisers Urge OK of Bird Flu Vaccine - also here
7. February 28, 2007 - Expert panel supports US bird flu vaccine
8. February 28, 2007 - Proposed Bird-Flu Vaccine Said a Stopgap - also here
9. February 28, 2007 - Are Some People Immune To Avian Flu?
10. March 1, 2007 - China reports new human bird flu case
11. March 1, 2007 - Health Experts Bet On Spread Of Bird Flu - also here

Influenza genome sequencing

1. February 26, 2007 - 2,000 Influenza Virus Genomes Now Completed And Publicly Accessible

Beneficial effects of soy for obesity, cholesterol control, and diabetes

1. February 26, 2007 - Anti-obesity Soya Could Help Prevent Diabetes - also here

AIDS

1. February 26, 2007 - Researchers Discover New Details About HIV-1 Entry And Infection
2. February 27, 2007 - Pfizer says maraviroc suppresses AIDS virus
3. February 28, 2007 - Hepatitis B drug boosts HIV-drug resistance
4. February 28, 2007 - Drug 'stops HIV's entry to cells'
5. March 1, 2007 - New AIDS drugs offer hope for long-term patients
6. March 1, 2007 - New HIV drugs on the way
7. March 1, 2007 - New AIDS drugs show early promise
8. March 2, 2007 - Widely Used Hepatitis B Drug Spurs HIV Drug Resistance - also here

Stem cells

1. February 26, 2007 - New Mouse Teeth, Whiskers Grown From Handful of Cells
2. February 27, 2007 - Liposuctioned Fat Stem Cells To Repair Bodies
3. February 28, 2007 - Bioengineer Advances Survival, Promise Of Adult Stem Cells - also here, here
4. February 28, 2007 - Failing Mouse Hearts Safely Regenerated With Programmed Embryonic Stem Cells - also here, here
5. March 1, 2007 - Scientists Develop New Procedure To Differentiate Human Embryonic Stem Cells - also here
6. March 2, 2007 - Treating male infertility with stem cells - also here

Crohn's disease

1. February 27, 2007 - U.S. clears use of Abbott drug for Crohn's disease

Honey antioxidants

1. February 27, 2007 - Honeydew Honeys Are Better Antioxidants Than Nectar Honeys

Prehypertension as a cardiovascular risk factor

1. February 27, 2007 - Prehypertension Is 'On The Map' Of Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Tuberculosis

1. February 27, 2007 - Smoking increases risk of TB infection, study finds
2. March 1, 2007 - Smoking May Be A Risk Factor For Tuberculosis

Lupus

1. February 27, 2007 - New insights into autoimmunity and depression - also here

Antioxidant supplements and mortality risks

1. February 27, 2007 - Antioxidants Don't Help You Live Longer - also here, here
2. February 28, 2007 - Use Of Some Antioxidant Supplements May Increase Mortality Risk - also here
3. February 28, 2007 - Vitamins 'could shorten lifespan'
4. February 28, 2007 - Anti-antioxidants: Analysis of many studies finds vitamins have no role in longer life

Limb regeneration

1. February 28, 2007 - Electrical tweaking helps tadpole grow new tail
2. February 28, 2007 - Electric switch could turn on limb regeneration
3. March 1, 2007 - Regenerative Medicine Advance: Frog Tadpole Artificially Induced To Re-grow Its Tail - also here

Malaria

1. February 28, 2007 - New parasite insight could aid anti-malaria fight

Alcohol and longevity

1. February 28, 2007 - Drinking a little wine linked to men's longer life
2. March 1, 2007 - Light Wine Intake Is Associated With Longer Life Expectancy In Men - also here

Diabetes

1. February 28, 2007 - Patients With Type 1 Diabetes Don't Wake In Response To Hypoglycemia
2. February 28, 2007 - Diabetes Risk Factors Develop Earlier In Women Than Men
3. March 1, 2007 - Canada diabetes epidemic predicts worse for world
4. March 2, 2007 - Low-fat dairy enhances weight loss in diabetics

Detecting pathogenic immune response

1. February 28, 2007 - New Study May Show How To Forestall A Fatal, Virus-caused Immune-system Meltdown

Opiate withdrawal symptoms

1. February 28, 2007 - Disrupting Brain's Stress System Intensifies Opiate Withdrawal

Estrogen signaling and metabolic syndrome

1. February 28, 2007 - Sex Hormone Signaling Helps Burn Calories

Alzheimer's disease

1. February 28, 2007 - New Therapeutic Target For Alzheimer's Could Lead To Drugs Without Side Effects

1918 pandemic influenza

1. February 28, 2007 - British diplomat's body from 1919 could yield bird flu clues
2. March 1, 2007 - Review Of 1918 Pandemic Flu Studies Offers More Questions Than Answers - also here, here
3. March 2, 2007 - Comparison Of Immune Response To 1918 And H5N1 Influeza Viruses Shows Similarities - also here
4. March 4, 2007 - Scientists to exhume diplomat's corpse for bird flu clues - also here

Antioxidants in tomatoes

1. March 1, 2007 - Unique Tomatoes Tops In Disease-fighting Antioxidants - also here
2. March 7, 2007 - Orange tomatoes pack bigger antioxidant punch

Environmental influences on obesity

1. March 1, 2007 - Programmed For Obesity: Early Exposure To Common Chemicals Can Permanently Alter Metabolic System

Microsphere vaccine delivery system

1. March 1, 2007 - Biodegradable Microspheres Deliver Time Release Vaccines, Stimulate Different Immune Response - also here

Antibiotic resistance and horizontal gene transfer

1. March 1, 2007 - Genome Sequence Shows What Makes Bacteria Dangerous - also here

Hepatitis C

1. March 1, 2007 - Key Protein For Hepatitis C Virus Entry Identified

Stress and cortisol

1. March 1, 2007 - Stress-related Adult Disease May Originate In Fetal Development

Sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease

1. March 1, 2007 - OSA increasingly associated with cardiovascular disease

DNA nanoparticle gene therapy for Parkinson's disease

1. March 1, 2007 - DNA nanoparticles hold promise in gene therapy for Parkinson's disease

Depression and the hippocampus

1. March 2, 2007 - Virtual-Reality Video Game Helps Link Depression To Specific Brain Area

Graves' disease

1. March 2, 2007 - Why Graves' Disease Attacks The Eyes: Study Uncovers Clues - also here

Wnt mutation, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome

1. March 2, 2007 - Rare mutation causes early heart disease and metabolic syndrome - also here

Fat types, obesity, and diabetes

1. March 2, 2007 - Study reveals how a specific fat type can protect against weight gain and diabetes

Periodontitis and cardiovascular disease

1. March 3, 2007 - Brushing teeth could prevent heart attacks and strokes
2. March 4, 2007 - Treatment For Gum Disease Could Also Help The Heart

HDL cholesterol

1. March 4, 2007 - What Makes Good Cholesterol So 'Good' For Us?

Copyright © 2007 by Charles Daney, All Rights Reserved