Volume 6, Number 34 August 20, 2007

Physical sciences and technology Carbon nanotubes Plate tectonics Global warming Bose-Einstein condensates Petascale computing systems Quantum dynamics Nanotechnology Intersteller organic chemistry Hot young stars Earthquakes Star tails Magellanic Clouds TeraGrid Ocean currents and climate Quantum computing Dark matter Colossal magnetoresistance Earth's core Big bang Life sciences Gene regulation and human-chimpanzee differences Gene regulation and evolution Thyroid hormones and sleep regulation Brain networks for walking Alternative splicing Inflammation and ubiquitination Cancer biology Appetite control hormone Virus replication Evolution and canalization Brain-imaging studies Evolution and learning Quantitative perception in monkeys T cells Wnt, stem cells, and aging of muscles Meiosis Evolution of limbs MHC genes and mate selection Erasure of long-term memory Crow intelligence Fat metabolism and sirtuin proteins Neanderthals Neutrophils Synthesis of novel enzymes Introspection and metacognition Emotional memory and forgetting Nicotinic receptors and addiction Protein evolution Cooperative breeding in birds SNP analysis Long-term memory Osteichthye origins DNA replication Rate of bacterial mutation Synthetic biology Health and medicine Avian flu Allergies and the placebo effect Cardiovascular disease Multiple sclerosis vaccine Cancer Health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids Sepsis Alzheimer's disease Parkinson's disease Cancer and stem cells AIDS Nanoparticle drug delivery for cancer Autism Gene therapy Diabetes Diabetes and cardiovascular disease Antidepressant effects of omega-3 fatty acids Lupus HDL cholesterol Inhaled vaccine for anthrax Mathematical approach to disease clusters Prions Control of excessive immune response Stress and inflammation Nanoparticle drug delivery Antioxidants

Physical sciences and technology

Carbon nanotubes

1. August 13, 2007 - New Battery Resembles Paper
2. August 13, 2007 - Paper battery offers future power
3. August 13, 2007 - Researchers Develop Bendable Battery
4. August 13, 2007 - Paper holds the power
5. August 14, 2007 - Nanotubes turn paper into a power source
6. August 14, 2007 - Honey, I shrunk the battery
7. August 14, 2007 - Nanotubes guide phonons with ease
8. August 15, 2007 - Bendable Batteries: Storing Power In A Piece Of Paper - also here, here

Plate tectonics

1. August 13, 2007 - Keeping The Earth's Tectonic Plates Oiled - also here
2. August 14, 2007 - Tectonic Plates Act Like Variable Thermostat - also here, here

Global warming

1. August 13, 2007 - Climate Change And Permafrost Thaw Alter Greenhouse Gas Emissions In Northern Wetlands - also here, here
2. August 13, 2007 - Arctic sea ice set to hit new low
3. August 14, 2007 - 'Cool farms' mask the extent of global warming
4. August 14, 2007 - Man to warm planet despite natural coolers
5. August 15, 2007 - Earth records 7th warmest July on record
6. August 16, 2007 - Arctic sea ice expected to hit record low
7. August 17, 2007 - Record Low Arctic Sea Ice Predicted For 2007 - also here, here
8. August 18, 2007 - Loss of Arctic ice "disturbing" trend
9. August 20, 2007 - Arctic Sea Ice Shrinks to Record Low - also here, here, here, here
10. August 20, 2007 - Arctic Sea Ice Extent Hits Record Low

Bose-Einstein condensates

1. August 14, 2007 - Quantum Ferrofluid: A Bose-Einstein Condensate of Tiny Magnets

Petascale computing systems

1. August 14, 2007 - National Science Board Approves Funds For Petascale Computing Systems

Quantum dynamics

1. August 14, 2007 - Quantum Analog Of Ulam's Conjecture Can Guide Molecules, Reactions - also here, here

Nanotechnology

1. August 14, 2007 - Next up: 'The Nano Lisa'
2. August 17, 2007 - Researchers develop method for mass production of nanogap electrodes - also here, here

Intersteller organic chemistry

1. August 14, 2007 - Researcher Presents Origin-Of-Life Theory for Young Earth

Hot young stars

1. August 14, 2007 - Puzzle of Hot Young Stars Solved

Earthquakes

1. August 15, 2007 - Talc softens earthquake chafing
2. August 15, 2007 - Killer Quakes Kept in Check by Talc
3. August 16, 2007 - Scientists find clue to 'creeping' along San Andreas Fault - talc
4. August 16, 2007 - Talc may explain fault's slow creep
5. August 16, 2007 - Earthquakes can move faster than thought: study
6. August 16, 2007 - Talc keeps killer quakes at bay - also here
7. August 17, 2007 - For earthquakes 'speed kills' - also here
8. August 20, 2007 - Speedy Earthquake Rides "Sonic Boom"

Star tails

1. August 15, 2007 - Speeding-Bullet Star Leaves Enormous Streak Across Sky - also here, here
2. August 15, 2007 - Bizarre comet-like tail found behind star
3. August 15, 2007 - Shooting Bullet Star Leaves Vast Ultraviolet Wake
4. August 15, 2007 - Speeding-Bullet Star Leaves Enormous Streak Across Sky
5. August 15, 2007 - Mira's Marvelous Tail
6. August 15, 2007 - Long-Studied Giant Star Displays Huge Cometlike Tail
7. August 15, 2007 - The Star That Thinks It's a Comet
8. August 15, 2007 - A star with a tail
9. August 15, 2007 - Astronomers surprised by star with comet-like tail
10. August 15, 2007 - Star has comet-like tail
11. August 15, 2007 - Comet-like Tail Discovered Behind Speeding Star
12. August 15, 2007 - Colossal tail trails dying star
13. August 15, 2007 - Odd Star Sheds Cometlike Tail
14. August 16, 2007 - Speeding Star: Johnny Appleseed Of The Cosmos
15. August 16, 2007 - Giant star Mira leaves gifts
16. August 16, 2007 - Star Mira's comet-like tail stuns scientists
17. August 16, 2007 - Discovery of Vast Tail on Dying Star Promises Clues to Solar Birth
18. August 16, 2007 - Streaking star leaves sweeping tail in its wake
19. August 16, 2007 - Bizarre star with tail in whale

Magellanic Clouds

1. August 15, 2007 - Magellanic clouds 'just visiting'

TeraGrid

1. August 15, 2007 - NCAR Adds Resources To TeraGrid - also here, here

Ocean currents and climate

1. August 15, 2007 - Could Ocean Currents Change?
2. August 16, 2007 - Missing Deep Ocean Current 'Supergyre' Identified: Important In Climate Regulation - also here
3. August 16, 2007 - Fickle ocean current foils climate modellers
4. August 16, 2007 - Capturing the Atlantic's Capricious Currents
5. August 16, 2007 - Scientists track climate-driving Atlantic current
6. August 16, 2007 - Atlantic yields climate secrets
7. August 17, 2007 - Data on Atlantic flow are undercut
8. August 17, 2007 - Gulf Stream slowing may be normal variation

Quantum computing

1. August 15, 2007 - Ultrafast quantum computer uses optically controlled electrons
2. August 17, 2007 - Computing Breakthrough Could Elevate Security To Unprecedented Levels - also here, here

Dark matter

1. August 16, 2007 - Cosmic 'train wreck' defies dark matter theories
2. August 17, 2007 - 'Cosmic train wreck' stumps dark-matter physicists
3. August 17, 2007 - Dark Matter Mystery Deepens In Cosmic 'Train Wreck' - also here, here
4. August 17, 2007 - Galactic Collision Challenges Dark Matter Theories
5. August 17, 2007 - New Mystery of Invisible Matter Generated by Cosmic Collision
6. August 22, 2007 - "Cosmic Train Wreck" May Derail Theories of Dark Matter
7. August 25, 2007 - Separation Anxiety: Cosmic collision may shed light on dark matter

Colossal magnetoresistance

1. August 17, 2007 - New Clues to Mechanism for Colossal Mangetoresistance - also here
2. August 27, 2007 - Polaron melting heralds colossal resistance

Earth's core

1. August 17, 2007 - All change at the Earth's core - also here, here

Big bang

1. August 19, 2007 - How the big bang chilled out

Life sciences

Gene regulation and human-chimpanzee differences

1. August 13, 2007 - Gene Regulation, Not Just Genes, Is What Sets Humans Apart - also here
2. August 13, 2007 - The 1% Solution

Gene regulation and evolution

1. August 13, 2007 - Evolution Is Driven By Gene Regulation - also here

Thyroid hormones and sleep regulation

1. August 14, 2007 - What Is The Role Of Thyroid Hormones In Sleep Regulation? - also here, here

Brain networks for walking

1. August 14, 2007 - Independent Brain Networks Control Human Walking

Alternative splicing

1. August 14, 2007 - Unravelling New Complexity In The Genome - also here, here

Inflammation and ubiquitination

1. August 14, 2007 - How Key Protein Stops Inflammation - also here

Cancer biology

1. August 14, 2007 - Can We Stop Cancer Cells From Reading Their Own DNA?
2. August 16, 2007 - Gene Found That Suppresses Human Tumor Growth In Multiple Cancers
3. August 17, 2007 - Tumors use enzyme to recruit regulatory T-cells and suppress immune response - also here, here
4. August 19, 2007 - Protein 'Chatter' Linked To Cancer Activation - also here, here

Appetite control hormone

1. August 14, 2007 - What Controls How Much We Eat?

Virus replication

1. August 14, 2007 - Features of replication suggest viruses have common themes, vulnerabilities - also here
2. August 16, 2007 - Researchers discover new mechanism for viral replication - also here

Evolution and canalization

1. August 14, 2007 - Clones on task serve greater good, evolutionary study shows - also here

Brain-imaging studies

1. August 14, 2007 - Researchers find brain's 'ordering centre'
2. August 15, 2007 - Clinical Depression Linked To Abnormal Emotional Brain Circuits - also here, here
3. August 17, 2007 - Brain imaging reveals breakdown of normal emotional processing - also here, here

Evolution and learning

1. August 14, 2007 - Birds learn to fly with a little help from their ancestors - also here, here
2. August 15, 2007 - Birds' memories help them learn to fly

Quantitative perception in monkeys

1. August 15, 2007 - Monkeys learn to do arithmetic for peanuts

T cells

1. August 15, 2007 - Pro-death Proteins Required To Regulate Healthy Immune Function, Study Finds - also here

Wnt, stem cells, and aging of muscles

1. August 15, 2007 - Why Aging Muscles Heal Poorly - also here

Meiosis

1. August 15, 2007 - A Unique Arrangement For Egg Cell Division - also here, here

Evolution of limbs

1. August 15, 2007 - Conquest Of Land Began In Shark Genome - also here

MHC genes and mate selection

1. August 15, 2007 - Adaptation to parasites drive African fishes along different evolutionary paths

Erasure of long-term memory

1. August 16, 2007 - Erasing memory in rats gives dementia patients hope
2. August 16, 2007 - Long-term memory gets wiped

Crow intelligence

1. August 16, 2007 - Crows wield tools with human-like skill
2. August 16, 2007 - Crows Display Incredible Common Sense
3. August 20, 2007 - New Caledonian Crows Find Two Tools Better Than One

Fat metabolism and sirtuin proteins

1. August 16, 2007 - How Fat Is Produced And Stored: Sirtuin Protein Instrumental In Fat Production And Metabolism - also here

Neanderthals

1. August 16, 2007 - Why Humans Look Different From Neanderthals

Neutrophils

1. August 16, 2007 - Bursts Of Waves Drive Immune System 'Soldiers' Toward Invaders

Synthesis of novel enzymes

1. August 16, 2007 - New Way To Identify, Evolve Novel Enzymes - also here

Introspection and metacognition

1. August 16, 2007 - Toddlers Are Capable Of Introspection - also here, here

Emotional memory and forgetting

1. August 16, 2007 - The Memories You Want To Forget Are The Hardest Ones To Lose - also here

Nicotinic receptors and addiction

1. August 16, 2007 - Nicotinic receptors may be important targets for treatment of multiple addictions - also here, here

Protein evolution

1. August 16, 2007 - Scientists re-trace evolution with first atomic structure of an ancient protein - also here, here, here
2. August 17, 2007 - Structure of 450 million year old protein reveals evolution's steps
3. August 17, 2007 - Study maps evolution's tiny steps

Cooperative breeding in birds

1. August 16, 2007 - Mother's little helpers - also here
2. August 16, 2007 - Wrens With Little Help Lay Larger Eggs - also here, here, here
3. August 16, 2007 - Bird Nannies Give Mom a Break
4. August 17, 2007 - Uncertainty drives the evolution of 'cooperative breeding' in birds
5. August 17, 2007 - Uncertain rainy days make birds turn to family, study finds
6. August 17, 2007 - Savanna habitat drives birds, and perhaps others, to cooperative breeding - also here, here

SNP analysis

1. August 16, 2007 - Genetic phonetics could be the trick to sounding out DNA's meaning - also here

Long-term memory

1. August 17, 2007 - "Continuous Motor" Underlies Long-Term Memory Storage
2. August 17, 2007 - Process For Storing And Erasing Long-term Memories Discovered - also here

Osteichthye origins

1. August 17, 2007 - Fossil Fish Jaws Give Information On Our Own Remote Ancestors

DNA replication

1. August 17, 2007 - DNA Replication Behavior In Complex Organisms May Foreshadow Leaps In Genomic Discoveries - also here, here

Rate of bacterial mutation

1. August 19, 2007 - Bacteria Mutate Much More Than Previously Thought

Synthetic biology

1. August 19, 2007 - Artificial life likely in 3 to 10 years - also here, here, here, here

Health and medicine

Avian flu

1. August 13, 2007 - Indonesian woman in Bali may have died from bird flu
2. August 13, 2007 - Indonesian woman from Bali died of bird flu-official
3. August 13, 2007 - Indonesian woman is first bird flu death on Bali
4. August 14, 2007 - Four ducks found with H5N1 bird flu virus in France
5. August 16, 2007 - New target for anti-flu drug development - also here
6. August 17, 2007 - Glaxo bird flu vaccine can be stretched: study

Allergies and the placebo effect

1. August 13, 2007 - Placebo effect seen in kids during allergy testing

Cardiovascular disease

1. August 13, 2007 - Tape measure, not scale, key to knowing heart risk
2. August 13, 2007 - Pot belly linked to heart disease
3. August 14, 2007 - Gender Differences Found In Renal And Other Genes Contributing To Blood Pressure - also here
4. August 14, 2007 - Grapes, Soy And Kudzu Blunt Some Menopausal Side Effects
5. August 14, 2007 - Even low levels of weekly exercise drive down blood pressure
6. August 15, 2007 - Use Of Certain Lipid Measures Not More Effective In Predicting Coronary Heart Disease - also here, here
7. August 15, 2007 - Waist-to-hip Ratio May Better Predict Cardiovascular Risk Than Body Mass Index - also here
8. August 16, 2007 - Too much exercise may speed heart failure
9. August 16, 2007 - Cardio Exercise Benefits In Male Vs. Female Hearts - also here
10. August 16, 2007 - Air Pollution Linked To Cardiovascular Risk Indices In Healthy Young Adults - also here, here
11. August 16, 2007 - High Blood Pressure, Low Energy -- A Recipe For Heart Failure - also here
12. August 16, 2007 - Understanding hypertension in African Americans proves elusive - also here
13. August 17, 2007 - Whole grains may lower odds of high blood pressure
14. August 17, 2007 - Heavy drinking raises risk of stroke - Study - also here
15. August 17, 2007 - Specific antagonism lowers blood pressure - also here
16. August 19, 2007 - Antioxidants Show No Clear Benefit Against Cardiovascular Events, Death In High-risk Women - also here, here

Multiple sclerosis vaccine

1. August 13, 2007 - New vaccine may help MS patients, study finds
2. August 13, 2007 - MS vaccine handed safety boost
3. August 14, 2007 - DNA Vaccine Against Multiple Sclerosis Appears Safe, Potentially Beneficial - also here, here
4. August 14, 2007 - First human trial of DNA-based vaccine cheers MS researchers
5. August 18, 2007 - Calming Factor: DNA vaccine for MS passes initial test

Cancer

1. August 13, 2007 - Survival of second testicular cancer not lower
2. August 13, 2007 - New Cause Of Tamoxifen Resistance In Breast Cancer Cells Discovered - also here
3. August 13, 2007 - New cause of Tamoxifen resistance is found
4. August 13, 2007 - Physicians Test New Device For Diagnosing And Treating Prostate Cancer
5. August 13, 2007 - Prostate Cancer Survival In Most Asian Men Better Than Predicted Using Conventional Prognosis Factors
6. August 13, 2007 - Survival Differences By Race Most Apparent In Advanced Stages Of Breast Cancer - also here
7. August 14, 2007 - Decline in U.S. Breast Cancers Tied to Drop in Hormone Use
8. August 15, 2007 - 'Western' Diet Linked To Increased Risk Of Colon Cancer Recurrence - also here
9. August 15, 2007 - Diet high in meat, fat and refined grains linked to risk for colon cancer recurrence, death
10. August 15, 2007 - Diabetes Drug Kills Some Cancer Cells - also here
11. August 15, 2007 - Immune deficiency linked to a type of eye cancer
12. August 15, 2007 - Study ties colon cancer's return to diet
13. August 15, 2007 - Researchers link gestational diabetes to cancer
14. August 16, 2007 - Low Levels Of Key Protein May Indicate Pancreatic Cancer Risk - also here, here
15. August 16, 2007 - Reactivating A Critical Gene Lost In Kidney Cancer Reduces Tumor Growth
16. August 16, 2007 - Diabetes During Pregnancy Linked To Pancreatic Cancer Later - also here, here
17. August 16, 2007 - Obesity and lack of exercise could enhance the risk of pancreatic cancer
18. August 17, 2007 - First Biomarker Discovered That Predicts Prostate Cancer Outcome - also here, here
19. August 17, 2007 - Molecular Mechanisms In Multiple Myeloma Illluminated: Could Lead To More Effective Therapies
20. August 17, 2007 - Can cancer drugs combine forces? - also here, here
21. August 17, 2007 - Prophylactic cranial irradiation in small cell lung cancer significantly increases survival - also here
22. August 17, 2007 - A new radiation therapy treatment developed for head and neck cancer patients
23. August 17, 2007 - Breast cancer vaccine looks safe, study shows
24. August 18, 2007 - Breast Cancer: Unlocking Mechanisms That Silence Estrogen Receptor Gene Alpha - also here, here
25. August 19, 2007 - Obesity 'affects prostate risk'
26. August 19, 2007 - Compounds that color fruits and veggies may protect against colon cancer

Health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids

1. August 13, 2007 - Omega-3 Fatty Acids: A Way To Improve Heart Health

Sepsis

1. August 13, 2007 - Study begins to reveal clues to the cause and progression of sepsis - also here

Alzheimer's disease

1. August 13, 2007 - Draining Away Brain's Toxic Protein To Stop Alzheimer's - also here
2. August 16, 2007 - Blood-clotting protein may be new target for Alzheimer's drugs
3. August 17, 2007 - Effectiveness Of Mouse Breeds That Mimic Alzheimer's Disease Symptoms Questioned - also here

Parkinson's disease

1. August 14, 2007 - Fingering the Neural Perp in Parkinson's
2. August 14, 2007 - Loss Of Two Types Of Neurons Triggers Parkinson's Symptoms, Study Suggests - also here

Cancer and stem cells

1. August 14, 2007 - Newly Created Cancer Stem Cells Could Aid Breast Cancer Research - also here
2. August 14, 2007 - Team finds way to create cancer stem cells
3. August 17, 2007 - Stem Cell Subtypes Discovered: Could Lead To Improved Leukemia Treatments

AIDS

1. August 14, 2007 - FDA OKs 50th & 51st anti-retroviral drugs
2. August 15, 2007 - HIV triggers the 'opposite of cancer' in the brain
3. August 16, 2007 - AIDS Interferes With Stem Cells In The Brain
4. August 16, 2007 - HIV is a 'double hit' to the brain - also here
5. August 17, 2007 - HIV stops new brain cells from growing

Nanoparticle drug delivery for cancer

1. August 14, 2007 - Promising New Nanomedical Cancer Therapy Also Highlights Tech Transfer, Inventor Says

Autism

1. August 15, 2007 - Empathy makes you 'catch' a yawn
2. August 15, 2007 - Autistic kids don't catch yawns

Gene therapy

1. August 15, 2007 - Synthetic Viruses Aiming At Cancer Cells

Diabetes

1. August 15, 2007 - Mitochondrial DNA Variants Are Linked To Risk Factors For Type 2 Diabetes - also here
2. August 19, 2007 - Markers That May Predict Diabetes In Still-healthy People Identified - also here, here, here

Diabetes and cardiovascular disease

1. August 15, 2007 - Diabetes Appears To Increase Risk Of Death For Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes - also here
2. August 16, 2007 - Gender, Coupled With Diabetes, Affects Vascular Disease Development - also here
3. August 16, 2007 - Abnormal Fat Metabolism Underlies Heart Problems In Diabetic Patients - also here

Antidepressant effects of omega-3 fatty acids

1. August 16, 2007 - Review backs antidepressant effects of omega-3s

Lupus

1. August 16, 2007 - Preclinical Study Suggests Organ-transplant Drug May Aid In Lupus Fight - also here

HDL cholesterol

1. August 16, 2007 - Dominant Cholesterol-metabolism Ideas Challenged By New Research - also here, here
2. August 16, 2007 - Review Suggests Caution On Drugs To Raise 'Good' Cholesterol - also here
3. August 19, 2007 - Ability to cope with stress can increase 'good' cholesterol in older white men - also here, here

Inhaled vaccine for anthrax

1. August 17, 2007 - Vaccine breakthrough in war against anthrax
2. August 17, 2007 - Experimental anthrax vaccine is needle-free
3. August 17, 2007 - Easy-to-use Anthrax Vaccine Produces Immunity With Nanoparticles, Not Needles - also here, here

Mathematical approach to disease clusters

1. August 17, 2007 - Formula To Gauge Risk Of Disease Clusters Developed

Prions

1. August 17, 2007 - Newly Discovered Prion Protein May Offer Insight Into Mad Cow Disease - also here, here, here
2. August 26, 2007 - 'Shadoo' prion sheds light on BSE

Control of excessive immune response

1. August 17, 2007 - Key To Out-of-control Immune Response In Lung Injury Found - also here, here

Stress and inflammation

1. August 17, 2007 - New research shows how chronic stress worsens neurodegenerative disease course - also here, here

Nanoparticle drug delivery

1. August 17, 2007 - New nanotoxicology study delivers promising results - also here, here

Antioxidants

1. August 19, 2007 - Chemists discover new way antioxidants fight debilitating diseases

Copyright © 2007 by Charles Daney, All Rights Reserved