Volume 6, Number 52 December 24, 2007

Physical sciences and technology Sea level rise Active galaxies Nanotechnology Galaxy clusters Optical communications Phase transitions in magnetite Photonic crystals Gamma-ray bursts Rapid star formation in an early galaxy Large Hadron Collider Graphene Solar cells Stellar flares Plasmonics Water on Mars Greenhouse gases Fundamental constants Triple galaxy merger Pulsar-wind nebulae Superconductivity Extrasolar planets Supernova remnants Superexchange in an optical lattice Cosmic inflation Lab model of big bang Dark energy Hydrogen storage COROT results Glacial melting Earthquakes Nanolasers Quark color transparency Resistive RAM Microelectromechanical systems Quantum cryptography Life sciences Simian arithmetic ability Cancer biology Temperature sensation Fat storage in cells Dopamine, neural signaling, and neurodegenerative diseases Vesicular recycling Membrane proteins Cell contractile rings Sparsity of neural coding Proteomics MicroRNA and cancer Muscle regeneration Speech perception Neural plasticity Naive T cells Genomics MicroRNA and cancer stem cells Brain-imaging studies Neanderthals Autophagy and phagocytosis GABA and learning Plasmid segregation and antibiotic resistance Regulation of Wnt Topoisomerase II Anti-retrovirus genes Cancer stem cells Co-operative breeding Dynamic connectivity of olfactory neurons Induced pluripotent stem cells Health and medicine Avian flu Tuberculosis Cancer Metabolic syndrome Diabetes Crohn's disease Psoriasis Sleep and obesity Low-carbohydrate diets Muscular dystrophy and RNA splicing defects AIDS Cardiovascular disease Gene therapy Fragile X syndrome Stem cells Ulcerative colitis Engineered blood vessels Inflammatory diseases Antioxidants RNAi therapy Vascular dementia Obesity and RNA splicing differences Malaria Parkinson's disease Omega-3 fatty acids and depression Vitamin B12 and folate Nanoparticle cancer detection Myasthenia gravis

Physical sciences and technology

Sea level rise

1. December 16, 2007 - Seas could rise twice as high as predicted: study
2. December 17, 2007 - Study suggests future sea-level rises may be even higher than predicted - also here
3. December 17, 2007 - Lessons From an Interglacial Past
4. December 17, 2007 - Rising seas 'to beat predictions'

Active galaxies

1. December 17, 2007 - Galaxy fires powerful particle beam at neighbour
2. December 17, 2007 - "Bully" black hole blasts nearby galaxy: NASA
3. December 17, 2007 - Galaxy Blasts Neighbor with Deadly Jet
4. December 17, 2007 - Black hole 'bully' blasts galaxy
5. December 18, 2007 - Bully galaxy zaps neighbour
6. December 18, 2007 - "Death Star" blasting galactic neighbour
7. December 18, 2007 - 'Death Star' Black Hole Fires At Neighboring Galaxy - also here
8. December 18, 2007 - Caught on Tape: Death Star Galaxy - also here, here

Nanotechnology

1. December 17, 2007 - A 40-Hour Laptop Battery?
2. December 20, 2007 - New Nanowire Battery Holds 10 Times The Charge Of Existing Ones - also here, here

Galaxy clusters

1. December 17, 2007 - Hidden Cosmic Giant: New Cluster Of Galaxies Discovered

Optical communications

1. December 17, 2007 - Light speed communications for supercomputers
2. December 20, 2007 - Team develops tiny optical switch
3. December 21, 2007 - Ultra High Speed Internet On The Horizon
4. December 21, 2007 - Utra-fast Fibre Lasers, Dopey Photons... What's Next? - also here

Photonic crystals

1. December 17, 2007 - Photonic crystal bends light round corners
2. December 20, 2007 - 'Nanocavity' Sensor Detects Virus-Sized Particles

Phase transitions in magnetite

1. December 18, 2007 - New Property Found In Ancient Mineral Lodestone - also here, here

Gamma-ray bursts

1. December 18, 2007 - Intergalactic 'Shot In The Dark' Shocks Astronomers - also here, here
2. December 18, 2007 - A Gamma-Ray Burst Out of Nowhere
3. December 18, 2007 - Baffling Cosmic Explosion Comes Out of Nowhere
4. December 19, 2007 - Cosmic explosion detonates in empty space
5. December 20, 2007 - Cosmic explosion is shot in the dark
6. December 21, 2007 - LIGO Sheds Light on Cosmic Event
7. January 30, 2008 - Intergalactic 'Shot in the Dark' Shocks Astronomers - also here

Rapid star formation in an early galaxy

1. December 18, 2007 - New View of Distant Galaxy Reveals Furious Star Formation

Large Hadron Collider

1. December 18, 2007 - CMS tracking detector successfully installed - also here
2. December 21, 2007 - The Midnight Ride of the CMS Tracking Detector - also here
3. December 21, 2007 - Physicists contribute to state-of-the-art detector installed in Switzerland

Graphene

1. December 19, 2007 - Carbon electrodes could slash cost of solar panels
2. December 19, 2007 - Graphene nanoislands go magnetic
3. December 20, 2007 - Advances Pave Way For Powerful Carbon-based Electronics - also here, here

Solar cells

1. December 19, 2007 - Nano Flakes May Revolutionize Solar Cells - also here
2. December 19, 2007 - Carbon electrodes could slash cost of solar panels
3. December 19, 2007 - V-shaped solar cells could lead to better efficiency

Stellar flares

1. December 19, 2007 - 'Solar Flare' Detected From Star 150 Light Years Away - also here

Plasmonics

1. December 19, 2007 - 2-D Invisibility Cloak For Visible Light Created

Water on Mars

1. December 19, 2007 - 'Active glacier found' on Mars
2. December 20, 2007 - Red Planet Still Packs Surprises

Greenhouse gases

1. December 19, 2007 - Ancient Warming Caused Huge Spike in Temps, Study Says

Fundamental constants

1. December 20, 2007 - Two constants to rule us all

Triple galaxy merger

1. December 20, 2007 - Triple Cosmic Collision Of Galaxies Stuns Astronomers - also here

Pulsar-wind nebulae

1. December 20, 2007 - Suzaku Explains Cosmic Powerhouses - also here, here

Superconductivity

1. December 20, 2007 - Physicists find new explanation for superconductivity's 'glue'
2. December 21, 2007 - Quest For A New Class Of Superconductors - also here, here

Extrasolar planets

1. December 20, 2007 - To curious aliens, Earth would stand out as living planet - also here, here
2. December 21, 2007 - Alien astronomers could discern Earth's features

Supernova remnants

1. December 20, 2007 - Litterbugs of the Universe Busted
2. December 21, 2007 - 10,000 Earths' Worth Of Fresh Dust Found Near Star Explosion - also here
3. December 21, 2007 - Scientists Find Source of Cosmic Dust

Superexchange in an optical lattice

1. December 20, 2007 - Superexchange spotted in optical lattice

Cosmic inflation

1. December 21, 2007 - No Dice for Slow Roll?

Lab model of big bang

1. December 21, 2007 - A lab model of the early Universe
2. January 4, 2008 - Cosmic strings in a test tube?

Dark energy

1. December 21, 2007 - Dark energy a furphy, says new paper

Hydrogen storage

1. December 21, 2007 - Hydrogen Storage For Cars?

COROT results

1. December 21, 2007 - COROT surprises a year after launch - also here, here

Glacial melting

1. December 21, 2007 - Global warming causing China's glaciers to melt quickly: survey

Earthquakes

1. December 21, 2007 - Soft, green rock plays role in earthquakes: study

Nanolasers

1. December 21, 2007 - The Library Of Congress In Your Wrist Watch? - also here

Quark color transparency

1. December 21, 2007 - Transparent Nuclei

Resistive RAM

1. December 23, 2007 - Next-generation RAM: Remembering The Future

Microelectromechanical systems

1. December 23, 2007 - A Taste Of Microscopic Machines To Come

Quantum cryptography

1. December 23, 2007 - Cryptic Messages Boost Data Security

Life sciences

Simian arithmetic ability

1. December 17, 2007 - Monkeys add up like we do
2. December 18, 2007 - Monkeys and college students as good at mental math - also here
3. December 19, 2007 - Monkeys surprisingly skilled at arithmetic
4. December 19, 2007 - Researchers: Monkeys Can Do Mental Math
5. December 20, 2007 - Monkeys Can Perform Mental Addition - also here

Cancer biology

1. December 17, 2007 - Sperm clue to 'disease immunity'
2. December 19, 2007 - Sperm's Immune-protection Properties Could Provide Link To How Cancers Spread
3. December 21, 2007 - Why Don't We Get Cancer All The Time? - also here

Temperature sensation

1. December 18, 2007 - Scientists trace the roots of feeling cold
2. December 18, 2007 - Cold feeling traced to source - also here
3. December 19, 2007 - Shivering: Body's Wiring For Sensing, Responding To Cold Explained - also here

Fat storage in cells

1. December 18, 2007 - How Fat Is Stored In Cells: Fundamental Discovery

Dopamine, neural signaling, and neurodegenerative diseases

1. December 18, 2007 - Crawling Worms May Illuminate Dopamine's Role In Human Aging Diseases

Vesicular recycling

1. December 18, 2007 - Breakthrough Technology Observes Synapse In Real Time, Supporting Theory Of Vesicular Recycling
2. December 21, 2007 - Key Enzyme Helps Keep The Synapse On Track - also here

Membrane proteins

1. December 18, 2007 - Molecular Code Broken For Drug Industry's Pet Proteins

Cell contractile rings

1. December 18, 2007 - How Molecular Muscles Help Cells Divide
2. December 19, 2007 - Scientists Discover How Cells Build a 'Machine' for Cell Division

Sparsity of neural coding

1. December 19, 2007 - The power of a single neuron
2. December 22, 2007 - Single brain cell's power shown

Proteomics

1. December 19, 2007 - Protein Fingerprinting Made Easy

MicroRNA and cancer

1. December 19, 2007 - Virus Discovered Using Same Tools As Host Cell

Muscle regeneration

1. December 19, 2007 - Molecular Signal That Helps Muscle Regenerate Discovered

Speech perception

1. December 19, 2007 - Where the brain makes sense of speech
2. December 20, 2007 - New Brain Mechanism Identified For Interpreting Speech

Neural plasticity

1. December 20, 2007 - Signaling Neurons Make Neighbor Cells "Want In"

Naive T cells

1. December 20, 2007 - New Strategy Suggested For Protecting Aging Americans Against Infectious Disease - also here

Genomics

1. December 20, 2007 - New Gene Prediction Method Capitalizes On Multiple Genomes - also here

MicroRNA and cancer stem cells

1. December 20, 2007 - Scientists Identify And Repress Breast Cancer Stem Cells In Mouse Tissue - also here, here

Brain-imaging studies

1. December 20, 2007 - Jingle Bells Not Merry For Tone-deaf Individuals - also here
2. December 20, 2007 - New Neuroimaging Study Identifies 'Brain Signature' For Cigarette Cravings - also here
3. December 20, 2007 - Twins study shows genetic basis for face and place recognition
4. December 21, 2007 - Scientists identify brain abnormalities underlying key element of borderline personality disorder
5. December 22, 2007 - Twin Study Indicates Genetic Basis For Processing Faces, Places - also here

Neanderthals

1. December 21, 2007 - Neanderthals sewed too little, too late

Autophagy and phagocytosis

1. December 21, 2007 - Link Between Cellular Defense Processes Found, Showing How Cancer Cells Survive - also here

GABA and learning

1. December 21, 2007 - Fruit Flies Learn and Remember Better When Lacking One Receptor

Plasmid segregation and antibiotic resistance

1. December 21, 2007 - DNA-protein Complex Crucial To Spread Of Antibiotic Resistance Among Bacteria Solved - also here

Regulation of Wnt

1. December 21, 2007 - Certain diseases, birth defects may be linked to failure of protein recycling system - also here, here

Topoisomerase II

1. December 21, 2007 - First Look at an Enzyme Target for Antibacterial and Cancer Drugs

Anti-retrovirus genes

1. December 21, 2007 - Gene Neighbors May Have Taken Turns Battling Retroviruses - also here

Cancer stem cells

1. December 21, 2007 - Cancer stem cells: know thine enemy - also here, here

Co-operative breeding

1. December 21, 2007 - A helping hand from the grandparents

Dynamic connectivity of olfactory neurons

1. December 22, 2007 - Neuronal Circuits Able To Rewire On The Fly To Sharpen Senses

Induced pluripotent stem cells

1. December 23, 2007 - Researchers get embryonic stem cells from skin

Health and medicine

Avian flu

1. December 17, 2007 - H5N1 bird flu hits Benin, home of Voodoo ritual
2. December 17, 2007 - WHO Urges Vigilance As Bird Flu Spreads - also here
3. December 17, 2007 - Large bird flu cluster emerges
4. December 18, 2007 - WHO probes Pakistan's first bird flu death
5. December 18, 2007 - Indonesia says long battle ahead against bird flu
6. December 18, 2007 - Mixed scenario seen behind Pakistan birdflu spread
7. December 18, 2007 - Pakistanis, WHO check if bird flu passed by people
8. December 19, 2007 - Pakistan says no threat of bird flu pandemic
9. December 21, 2007 - WHO says only limited human H5N1 spread in Pakistan
10. December 23, 2007 - Jordan on alert for bird flu

Tuberculosis

1. December 17, 2007 - Older antibiotic might speed TB treatment
2. December 20, 2007 - Older Antibiotic Gains New Respect As Potent Treatment For Tuberculosis - also here, here
3. December 21, 2007 - Researcher seeks clues to how tuberculosis infects cells

Cancer

1. December 17, 2007 - Arimidex most effective in breast cancer study
2. December 17, 2007 - HER-2-positive breast cancer tied to hormone status
3. December 17, 2007 - Combo therapy with Tykerb fights brain metastases
4. December 17, 2007 - Survival Shortened When ER/PR Negative Breast Cancer Spreads To The Brain, Studies Show
5. December 18, 2007 - Biomarkers in blood aid lung cancer diagnosis
6. December 18, 2007 - Do everyday foods influence risk of prostate cancer?
7. December 18, 2007 - Lung cancer 'link to lack of sun'
8. December 19, 2007 - Depression might influence breast cancer risk
9. December 19, 2007 - High dairy in childhood linked with cancer risk
10. December 19, 2007 - Device can spot cancer cells in blood: U.S. study
11. December 19, 2007 - Green tea may cut prostate cancer risk: Japan study
12. December 19, 2007 - Microchip-based Device Can Detect Rare Tumor Cells In Bloodstream - also here
13. December 19, 2007 - What Factors Are Associated With Survival In Advanced Laryngeal Cancer? - also here
14. December 19, 2007 - A Faster, Simpler Test For Disease Biomarkers - also here
15. December 19, 2007 - Firefly genes allow testing of new therapy against lymphoma
16. December 20, 2007 - Anti-malarial Drug Prevents Cancer In Mice, Study Shows - also here
17. December 20, 2007 - Researchers Train The Immune System To Deliver Virus That Destroys Cancer In Lab Models - also here
18. December 20, 2007 - iNOS expression may links chronic biliary inflammation to malignant transformation
19. December 21, 2007 - Allergies may protect against pancreatic cancer
20. December 21, 2007 - Light powered platinum more targeted and 80 times more powerful than similar cancer treatments - also here, here
21. December 21, 2007 - Hormone may be new drug target for preventing lymphedema, tumor spread
22. December 23, 2007 - Lack Of Sunlight May Increase Lung Cancer Risk

Metabolic syndrome

1. December 17, 2007 - Walking packs huge health punch, study confirms
2. December 19, 2007 - Moderate Exercise Cuts Rate Of Metabolic Syndrome - also here

Diabetes

1. December 17, 2007 - Novartis's Galvus gets positive EU opinion
2. December 19, 2007 - Cancer and arthritis therapy may be promising treatment for diabetes - also here
3. December 21, 2007 - Diabetes risk is more nurture than nature: study

Crohn's disease

1. December 17, 2007 - Crohn's disease different in boys than in girls

Psoriasis

1. December 17, 2007 - Some psoriasis linked to higher death rates: study
2. December 17, 2007 - Severe Psoriasis Associated With Increased Risk Of Death - also here

Sleep and obesity

1. December 17, 2007 - Short Sleep Times In Patients With Chronic Medical Diagnoses Linked To Obesity

Low-carbohydrate diets

1. December 17, 2007 - Researchers Nix Low-carb Diet

Muscular dystrophy and RNA splicing defects

1. December 17, 2007 - Surprising findings related to myotonic muscular dystrophy reported

AIDS

1. December 17, 2007 - Approval for once-a-day HIV pill

Cardiovascular disease

1. December 17, 2007 - Study: Timing of Pills Might Matter - also here
2. December 18, 2007 - Treatment With SN Reduces Injury To The Brain Following Stroke, Study Suggests
3. December 18, 2007 - New Strategy To Cut Heart Attack Risk Is Effective In Initial Test - also here, here
4. December 18, 2007 - Cardiology: Stressed-out Hearts Put MEF2D To Work
5. December 18, 2007 - FDA approves a new beta blocker
6. December 19, 2007 - Mutant gene identified as villain in hardening of the arteries - also here
7. December 19, 2007 - High-Fat, High-Carb Meal More Destructive to the Obese
8. December 19, 2007 - Heart attack risk from smoking due to genetics
9. December 21, 2007 - Researchers reveal missing link in a heart disease pathway - also here
10. December 21, 2007 - New insights into deadly heart rhythm disorder - also here
11. December 21, 2007 - Top 10 research advances include studies on genetics and stem cell research, stents

Gene therapy

1. December 18, 2007 - Boy develops leukemia after gene therapy in UK
2. December 18, 2007 - 'Bubble boy' develops leukaemia
3. December 20, 2007 - New Gene Therapy Heals Growth Deficiency Disorder In Live Animal

Fragile X syndrome

1. December 19, 2007 - Gene engineering corrects Fragile X in mice
2. December 19, 2007 - Fragile X fixed in mice
3. December 20, 2007 - Fragile X syndrome partly cured in mice
4. December 20, 2007 - Inherited Retardation And Autism Corrected In Mice - also here
5. December 20, 2007 - Fragile X retardation syndrome corrected in mice
6. December 20, 2007 - Genetic fix 'corrects fragile X'

Stem cells

1. December 19, 2007 - "Virgin" birth stem cells may offer tissue bank
2. December 20, 2007 - New Way To Sort Stem Cells Discovered - also here, here
3. December 21, 2007 - Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines Created That Avoid Immune Rejection - also here

Ulcerative colitis

1. December 19, 2007 - Discontinued drug helps ulcerative colitis

Engineered blood vessels

1. December 19, 2007 - Engineering Blood Vessels That Could Be Used In Human Body - also here, here
2. December 26, 2007 - Artificial blood vessels 'closer'

Inflammatory diseases

1. December 19, 2007 - New Genetic Variation That Affects A Child's Risk Of Getting Kawasaki Disease Discovered

Antioxidants

1. December 19, 2007 - Consumer Demand For Antioxidants Has Outpaced Scientific Knowledge

RNAi therapy

1. December 19, 2007 - RNA interference therapy heals growth deficiency disorder in a live animal

Vascular dementia

1. December 19, 2007 - Moderate exercise may stall vascular dementia

Obesity and RNA splicing differences

1. December 20, 2007 - Link Uncovered Between Variation In Humans With Extreme Body Mass And Abnormal Splicing - also here

Malaria

1. December 20, 2007 - Sea Cucumber Protein Used To Inhibit Development Of Malaria Parasite - also here, here, here, here
2. December 21, 2007 - Breakthrough In Rapid Malaria Detection Reported - also here, here
3. December 21, 2007 - Researchers have evidence a vaccine against malaria will reduce infection and disease rates
4. December 23, 2007 - Sea cucumber 'new malaria weapon'

Parkinson's disease

1. December 21, 2007 - Depletion Of One Antioxidant Linked To Parkinson's In Mice

Omega-3 fatty acids and depression

1. December 21, 2007 - Can Omega-3 Fatty Acids Help Depression?

Vitamin B12 and folate

1. December 21, 2007 - Vitamin B-12 Function May Be Diminished By Excessive Folate - also here, here

Nanoparticle cancer detection

1. December 23, 2007 - Gold nanoparticle probes may allow earlier cancer detection

Myasthenia gravis

1. December 23, 2007 - How Muscle Weakness Caused By Myasthenia Gravis Can Be Stopped, According To New Research - also here

Copyright © 2007 by Charles Daney, All Rights Reserved