Volume 7, Number 3 January 21, 2008

Physical sciences and technology Black holes Supercomputers Intergalactic hydrogen Milky Way's black hole Semiconductor chip miniaturization Carbon nanotubes Polar ice melt Brain-computer interface Astrochemistry Graphene quantum dots Ekpyrotic cosmology DNA nanotechnology Galaxies Nanotechnology Internal tides and climate Solar cells Neutron stars and black holes Global warming Hollow-core optical fibers White dwarfs Crystal formation Mass patterns of supersymmetric particles Cosmic strings Life sciences Brain-imaging studies Epstein-Barr virus and cancer Cancer stem cells Integrins and T cell migration Auditory perception Yeast lifespan extension Cancer biology Antisense RNA and cancer Evolution of sleep Human genome Aggression MicroRNA and cancer Mathematical model of fruit fly eyes Evolutionary developmental biology Nuclear pore complex Cloned human blastocysts Innate immune system Mast cells and allergies Postponment of senescent aging Sheep genetics P53 and molecular evolution Selector gene for the cerebral cortex Protein movement Tissus plasminogen activator Detection of visual or auditory changes Human heart simulation Messenger RNA quality control SNPs and RNA splicing variation Face recognition and crowding Health and medicine Heart regeneration Cardiovascular disease Hepatitis C Cancer Multiple sclerosis Avian flu AIDS Metabolic syndrome Diabetes Lithium and dopamine signaling Crohn's disease Cholesterol-lowering drugs Nanobiotechnology Schizophrenia Alzheimer's disease Hepatitis B Vaccines Dopamine and depression Stem cells Parkinson's disease Genes affecting obesity and body weight Influenza vaccine Malaria Psoriasis Type 1 diabetes Protein suppression of ghrelin Adipose tissue and inflammation Insulin and resistin Autism Lupus

Physical sciences and technology

Black holes

1. January 14, 2008 - Photons orbit black hole 'roulette wheel'
2. January 15, 2008 - Black Holes Spin Near Speed of Light
3. January 18, 2008 - 'Monsters' blamed for extreme chaos in black holes

Supercomputers

1. January 14, 2008 - Britain's fastest supercomputer unveiled

Intergalactic hydrogen

1. January 14, 2008 - View Of New Hydrogen Clouds In The M81 Group Of Galaxies

Milky Way's black hole

1. January 14, 2008 - Radio Telescopes' Sharp Vision Yields Rich Payoffs
2. January 17, 2008 - Milky Way's black hole probed closer than ever before

Semiconductor chip miniaturization

1. January 14, 2008 - Pushing The Limits Of Computer Chip Miniaturization

Carbon nanotubes

1. January 14, 2008 - Scientists create darkest material
2. January 15, 2008 - New material pushes the boundary of blackness
3. January 16, 2008 - Nanotubes yield the blackest black
4. January 16, 2008 - 'Darkest ever' material created
5. January 23, 2008 - Blacker Than Black: Darkest Manmade Material Ever Made - also here, here
6. January 23, 2008 - Nanotubes are the new black
7. February 5, 2008 - The Darkest Material Ever Made

Polar ice melt

1. January 14, 2008 - Antarctica lost more ice in last 10 years: study
2. January 15, 2008 - Mapping of Greenland may aid understanding of sea-level mystery
3. January 15, 2008 - Greenland thaw seen biggest in 50 years
4. January 16, 2008 - Record Warm Summers Cause Extreme Ice Melt In Greenland - also here, here
5. January 17, 2008 - Greenland glaciers dumping ice into Atlantic at faster pace
6. January 18, 2008 - Alaska Glacier Speed-up Tied To Internal Plumbing Issues, Says Study - also here, here

Brain-computer interface

1. January 15, 2008 - Monkey Think, Robot Do
2. January 15, 2008 - Monkey's Thoughts Propel Robot, a Step That May Help Humans
3. January 17, 2008 - Robot walks with monkey's brain
4. January 17, 2008 - Monkey's Thoughts Make Robot Walk from Across the Globe

Astrochemistry

1. January 15, 2008 - Life's Ingredients Detected In Far Off Galaxy - also here, here
2. January 18, 2008 - Life-forming chemicals in distant galaxy
3. February 5, 2008 - Building Blocks of Life Detected in Distant Galaxy

Graphene quantum dots

1. January 15, 2008 - Graphene quantum dot may solve some quantum computing problems

Ekpyrotic cosmology

1. January 15, 2008 - Ekpyrotic cosmology resurfaces

DNA nanotechnology

1. January 16, 2008 - DNA 'fabricator' constructs walking DNA

Galaxies

1. January 16, 2008 - Unlocking Galactic Mysteries, Star Formation, Dark Matter

Nanotechnology

1. January 16, 2008 - Scientists Create Carbon Nanopipettes That Are Smaller Than Cells And Measure Electric Current - also here, here

Internal tides and climate

1. January 17, 2008 - Internal Waves Moving Across The Pacific Ocean Affect Global Climate System

Solar cells

1. January 17, 2008 - Research Project Aims To Make Solar Energy Technology Cheaper - also here

Neutron stars and black holes

1. January 17, 2008 - Neutron Stars Can Be More Massive, While Black Holes Are More Rare - also here, here
2. January 17, 2008 - Overweight Neutron Stars?

Global warming

1. January 17, 2008 - 2007 Was Tied As Earth's Second Warmest Year - also here, here
2. January 18, 2008 - Human activities contribute to California's global warming
3. January 19, 2008 - Warning on rising Med Sea levels
4. January 20, 2008 - Report warns of rise in Mediterranean

Hollow-core optical fibers

1. January 17, 2008 - Discovery cuts cost of next generation optical fibers - also here

White dwarfs

1. January 18, 2008 - Planet diet helps white dwarfs stay young and trim

Crystal formation

1. January 18, 2008 - Materials' Crystal Properties Illuminated By Mathematical 'Lighthouse' - also here, here

Mass patterns of supersymmetric particles

1. January 18, 2008 - Method Developed To Identify Sparticles In Big Bang Conditions - also here

Cosmic strings

1. January 18, 2008 - Could the Universe be tied up with cosmic string? - also here
2. January 21, 2008 - Were cosmic strings seen in big bang afterglow?
3. January 23, 2008 - Cosmic radiation strings physicists along

Life sciences

Brain-imaging studies

1. January 14, 2008 - High Prices Just Feel Good
2. January 15, 2008 - Inflated price tags key to wine pleasure
3. January 15, 2008 - High price makes wine more pleasurable
4. January 15, 2008 - The higher the price, the more we like it
5. January 18, 2008 - Rapid effects of intensive therapy seen in brains of patients with OCD

Epstein-Barr virus and cancer

1. January 14, 2008 - Unique Role Of Cell Death Protein TRADD In Viral Signaling
2. January 18, 2008 - Tricky Virus Exploits Host Cell Mechanism To Convert Healthy Cell Into Cancer Cell - also here

Cancer stem cells

1. January 14, 2008 - Stem Cells Make Bone Marrow Cancer Resistant To Treatment
2. January 17, 2008 - Bull's eye target for child leukemia found: study
3. January 17, 2008 - Tracking Leukemia's Starting Point
4. January 17, 2008 - Twins yield leukaemia stem cells
5. January 17, 2008 - Cancer stem cell marker also drives transcription in normal cells
6. January 17, 2008 - Leukaemia cell culprit discovered
7. January 18, 2008 - Scientists Uncover Role Of Cancer Stem Cell Marker: Controlling Gene Expression - also here, here
8. January 24, 2008 - Leukemia-causing Cells Found

Integrins and T cell migration

1. January 14, 2008 - New Way To Block Destructive Rush Of Immune Cells Found - also here, here

Auditory perception

1. January 14, 2008 - Lend Me Your Ears, And The World Will Sound Very Different - also here, here
2. January 15, 2008 - Auditory Neurons In Humans Far More Sensitive To Fine Sound Frequencies Than Most Mammals

Yeast lifespan extension

1. January 14, 2008 - Life Expectancy Of Yeast Extended To 800 In Yeast Years, No Apparent Side Effects - also here
2. January 14, 2008 - Organism Lives 10 Times as Long After Genetic Tinkering
3. January 28, 2008 - Yeast Life Extended Ten Times; Offers Hope for Humans

Cancer biology

1. January 15, 2008 - Cells That Promote Formation Of Lethal Lung Metastases Identified
2. January 15, 2008 - Fruit Flies All Aglow Light The Way To Cancer Prevention
3. January 18, 2008 - Eye Cancer Gene's Role In Retinal Development Defined - also here, here
4. January 18, 2008 - New Pathway Provides More Clues About BRCA1 Role In Breast Cancer - also here, here

Antisense RNA and cancer

1. January 15, 2008 - RNA Shown To Silence Cancer Suppressor Gene

Evolution of sleep

1. January 15, 2008 - Snoozing Worms Help Explain Evolution Of Sleep - also here

Human genome

1. January 15, 2008 - Human Gene Count Tumbles Again

Aggression

1. January 15, 2008 - Aggression As Rewarding As Sex, Food And Drugs, New Research Shows - also here

MicroRNA and cancer

1. January 16, 2008 - Molecules Might Identify High-risk Acute-leukemia Patients - also here, here

Mathematical model of fruit fly eyes

1. January 16, 2008 - Mathematical Model Of Fruit Fly Eyes Created - also here

Evolutionary developmental biology

1. January 16, 2008 - Mice Given Bat-like Forelimbs Through Gene Switch - also here

Nuclear pore complex

1. January 16, 2008 - New model of a nuclear pore complex is based on crystal structure of its key component

Cloned human blastocysts

1. January 17, 2008 - First cloned human embryo created from skin cell
2. January 17, 2008 - U.S. company claims cloned humans and made stem cells
3. January 17, 2008 - California company sees fertile ground in stem cells
4. January 17, 2008 - Human Embryos Cloned From Skin Cells
5. January 17, 2008 - US team makes embryo clone of men
6. January 17, 2008 - Scientists Make Human Embryo Clones - also here, here, here, here, here
7. January 17, 2008 - Human embryos cloned from adult cells
8. January 18, 2008 - First 'proven' human cloned embryo
9. January 22, 2008 - Cloned Human Embryo Created From Skin Cells

Innate immune system

1. January 17, 2008 - New Player In Innate Immune Response Discovered - also here

Mast cells and allergies

1. January 17, 2008 - How Allergic Reactions Are Triggered - also here, here

Postponment of senescent aging

1. January 17, 2008 - How Some Plants And Animals Appear To Defy The Aging Process

Sheep genetics

1. January 18, 2008 - Fading black sheep cast light on evolution
2. January 18, 2008 - Secret Of Scottish Sheep Evolution Discovered - also here

P53 and molecular evolution

1. January 18, 2008 - Evolution Of Human Genome's 'Guardian' Gives People Unique Protections From DNA Damage - also here

Selector gene for the cerebral cortex

1. January 18, 2008 - Discovery Of 'Creator' Gene For Cerebral Cortex Points To Potential Stem Cell Treatments - also here

Protein movement

1. January 18, 2008 - Shedding Light On Protein-drug Interactions - also here, here

Tissus plasminogen activator

1. January 18, 2008 - How The Brain Regulates Blood Flow To Neurons: Powerful Enzyme Could Play Key Role In Alzheimer's Disease - also here

Detection of visual or auditory changes

1. January 18, 2008 - The human brain: Detective of auditory and visual change - also here, here

Human heart simulation

1. January 18, 2008 - World's biggest heart model simulated

Messenger RNA quality control

1. January 18, 2008 - Researcher in RNA biology makes waves by challenging current thinking - also here, here

SNPs and RNA splicing variation

1. January 20, 2008 - Tiny Genetic Differences Have Huge Consequences - also here

Face recognition and crowding

1. January 20, 2008 - Face Facts: People Don't Stand Out In A Crowd - also here, here

Health and medicine

Heart regeneration

1. January 13, 2008 - Hopes of custom-built organs as scientists create beating heart
2. January 14, 2008 - Scientists regrow heart - and it beats
3. January 14, 2008 - U.S. scientists create beating hearts in lab
4. January 14, 2008 - Beating heart created in laboratory
5. January 14, 2008 - Building a New Heart From Old Tissue
6. January 14, 2008 - Beating Heart Created In Laboratory: Method May Revolutionize How Organ Tissues Are Developed - also here
7. January 14, 2008 - 'Spare part heart' beats in lab

Cardiovascular disease

1. January 14, 2008 - Small brain bleeds tied to blood pressure
2. January 14, 2008 - Calcium build-up predicts heart attacks
3. January 14, 2008 - Can Your Brain Control Your Blood Pressure?
4. January 14, 2008 - Heart Tests Offer New Options For Diagnosis
5. January 14, 2008 - Twin Studies Reveal Genetic Components Leading To Cardiac Disease
6. January 15, 2008 - Fish Oil May Be Helpful To Some And Harmful To Others - also here, here
7. January 15, 2008 - Aspirin in Heart Attack Prevention: How Much, How Long?
8. January 15, 2008 - Study: Celecoxib can cause arrhythmias
9. January 16, 2008 - Study suggests heart risk from calcium supplements
10. January 16, 2008 - Celecoxib Can Adversely Affect Heart Rhythm, Study Suggests
11. January 16, 2008 - Calcium pills 'raise heart risk'
12. January 16, 2008 - Calcium pills bad for heart? Not so fast
13. January 17, 2008 - Lipoic Acid Could Reduce Atherosclerosis, Weight Gain - also here
14. January 17, 2008 - Calcium Supplements May Increase Heart Attacks In Older Women
15. January 18, 2008 - Increased risk of heart attack or stroke for patients who are resistant to aspirin - also here, here
16. January 18, 2008 - Immune therapy 'cuts heart risk'
17. January 19, 2008 - Depression And Anxiety Can Double Chances Of Heart Ailments - also here, here

Hepatitis C

1. January 14, 2008 - Schering says hepatitis drug matches Roche drug
2. January 18, 2008 - Hepatitis C Virus Affects Many Organs And Tissues, Not Just Liver - also here, here

Cancer

1. January 14, 2008 - Older patients found to need less chemo with MabThera
2. January 14, 2008 - U.S. FDA clears new genetic breast cancer test
3. January 15, 2008 - Hormones raise breast cancer risk quickly: study
4. January 16, 2008 - More genes linked to prostate cancer
5. January 16, 2008 - How Does Fu-Zheng-Jie-Du-Decoction Act On PTEN Expression In Hepatocellular Carcinoma? - also here
6. January 16, 2008 - New Significance Of LVD And Angiogenic MVD Is Identified In Human Primary SCRC - also here
7. January 16, 2008 - Combined Hormone Replacement Therapy Increases Risk Of Lobular Breast Cancer Fourfold After Just 3 Years Of Use - also here, here
8. January 16, 2008 - Proteomics Prove Accurate in Identifying Liver Cancer, Study Suggests - also here
9. January 16, 2008 - Certain Hormonal Dietary Supplements Might Promote Prostate Cancer Progression, Study Finds - also here, here, here
10. January 16, 2008 - Findings Point To Molecular 'Achilles Heel' For Half Of Breast Cancer Tumors - also here, here
11. January 16, 2008 - Acrylamide In Food May Increase Risk Of Breast Cancer, New Findings Suggest
12. January 16, 2008 - Why men are more prone to liver cancer - also here
13. January 16, 2008 - Five-year U.K. breast cancer trial starts
14. January 16, 2008 - Hormone therapy raises cancer risk
15. January 16, 2008 - Black women get cancer 'earlier'
16. January 16, 2008 - Gene Combo May Hike Prostate Cancer Risk
17. January 17, 2008 - Virus may cause rare but deadly skin cancer
18. January 17, 2008 - Genes Key To High Liver Cancer Rates In Men
19. January 17, 2008 - Blood Test Can Gauge Prostate Cancer Risk, Study Shows
20. January 17, 2008 - Indian Medicinal Plant May Combat Liver Cancer - also here, here
21. January 17, 2008 - Gene markers located for hereditary prostate cancer
22. January 18, 2008 - NICE guidelines on breast cancer follow-up need urgent revision - also here
23. January 18, 2008 - Diet and lifestyle critical to recovery, says study - also here
24. January 18, 2008 - Plant pathogen yields substance to fight neuroblastoma - also here, here
25. January 18, 2008 - New gene test for prostate cancer at hand
26. January 18, 2008 - Combined radiation seed, chemotherapy wafer implants show promise in treating cancerous brain tumors
27. January 18, 2008 - Lifestyle 'a big impact on drugs'
28. January 19, 2008 - Further Breakthroughs For Breast Cancer Patients - also here
29. January 19, 2008 - Newly Discovered Virus Linked To Deadly Skin Cancer - also here
30. January 20, 2008 - Effects of Antioxidant Supplements On Cancer Are Mixed
31. January 20, 2008 - Discovery Major Step Forward In Treating Leukemia

Multiple sclerosis

1. January 14, 2008 - Study finds why some benefit from MS drug
2. January 17, 2008 - Genetic Differences May Help Explain Response To Multiple Sclerosis Treatment - also here, here

Avian flu

1. January 14, 2008 - Indonesian woman dies of bird flu: health official
2. January 15, 2008 - India confirms new bird flu outbreak is H5N1 strain
3. January 15, 2008 - India confirms new bird flu outbreak is H5N1 strain
4. January 15, 2008 - Indonesian teenage girl dies of bird flu
5. January 15, 2008 - India reports fresh bird flu outbreak
6. January 16, 2008 - India culls chickens after bird flu
7. January 16, 2008 - Fourth swan tests positive for H5N1 bird flu in UK
8. January 17, 2008 - India and Bangladesh struggle to rein in bird flu spread
9. January 17, 2008 - Bird flu may be spread indirectly, WHO says
10. January 17, 2008 - Bird flu strikes several farms in Bangladesh
11. January 17, 2008 - Bird flu spread through India
12. January 18, 2008 - H5N1 bird flu virus hits ducks, geese in northern Iran
13. January 18, 2008 - Ukraine finds H5N1 bird flu in Crimea
14. January 18, 2008 - Indonesian boy dies of bird flu
15. January 18, 2008 - Indonesia reports 97th bird flu death
16. January 18, 2008 - Ignorance of dangers hampers India bird flu fight
17. January 19, 2008 - Bird flu spreads to new districts in India's east - also here
18. January 19, 2008 - India struggles to contain bird flu as farmers resist cull
19. January 20, 2008 - India bird flu spreads as farmers resist cull

AIDS

1. January 14, 2008 - Cell Protein Found That Literally Nips HIV In The Bud - also here
2. January 16, 2008 - T-cell 'Nanotubes' May Explain How HIV Virus Conquers Human Immune System - also here
3. January 17, 2008 - Existing Antiretroviral Drugs May Thwart Vaginal HIV Transmission, Researchers Report - also here
4. January 18, 2008 - Researchers reveal HIV peptide's possible pathway into the cell - also here, here
5. January 19, 2008 - FDA Approves HIV Drug Etravirine - also here, here, here

Metabolic syndrome

1. January 14, 2008 - Overcoming Metabolic Syndrome

Diabetes

1. January 14, 2008 - Scientists Identify New Mechanism of Insulin Resistance
2. January 16, 2008 - Once-irrelevant Compound May Have Medical Role In Preventing Diabetes Complications

Lithium and dopamine signaling

1. January 14, 2008 - Researchers Discover How Lithium Works

Crohn's disease

1. January 14, 2008 - FDA OKs Tysabri to Fight Crohn's Disease - also here

Cholesterol-lowering drugs

1. January 14, 2008 - Cholesterol Drug Zetia Doesn't Cut Heart Attack Risk: Study - also here
2. January 15, 2008 - Vytorin takes a big hit
3. January 15, 2008 - Don't panic over heart drug news, U.S. group advises
4. January 15, 2008 - Drug Doesn't Slow Artery Clogs, Study Says
5. January 15, 2008 - Research finds Vytorin no better than generic drug
6. January 17, 2008 - New Questions on Treating Cholesterol

Nanobiotechnology

1. January 15, 2008 - Iron nanobeads can control immune system
2. January 16, 2008 - Nanoparticles Generate Supersonic Shock Waves to Target Cancer
3. January 16, 2008 - Nanotubes Help Advance Brain Tumor Research - also href
4. January 16, 2008 - Gold Nanoparticles Shine Brightly in Tumors

Schizophrenia

1. January 15, 2008 - Genes may interact with obstetric complications to boost schizophrenia risk
2. January 18, 2008 - Toxoplasma Infection Increases Risk Of Schizophrenia, Study Suggests - also here, here

Alzheimer's disease

1. January 16, 2008 - Study sees no Alzheimer's protection from statins
2. January 16, 2008 - New Method Developed To Identify Genetic Determinants Of Alzheimer's Disease - also here
3. January 17, 2008 - Portable Device Quickly Detects Early Alzheimer's - also here, here
4. January 17, 2008 - Cholesterol-lowering Drugs May Not Prevent Alzheimer's Disease, According To New Study - also here
5. January 17, 2008 - Engineered mice provide insight into Alzheimer's disease
6. January 18, 2008 - Altering brain's lipid metabolism reduces Alzheimer's plaques in mice - also here
7. January 18, 2008 - Evidence found for genes that affect risk of developing Alzheimer's disease - also here, here
8. January 18, 2008 - Alzheimer's molecule is a smart speed bump on the nerve-cell transport highway - also here, here

Hepatitis B

1. January 16, 2008 - Antiviral Treatment For Hepatitis B: Early Detection Of Lamivudine-resistant Mutants - also here, here

Vaccines

1. January 16, 2008 - Looking For Smaller, Cheaper, One-dose Vaccines - also here

Dopamine and depression

1. January 16, 2008 - Nature And Nurture Are Both To Blame For Depression, Study Says - also here

Stem cells

1. January 16, 2008 - Identification Of A Novel Neural Stem Cell Type - also here
2. January 19, 2008 - Mechanism That Controls Activation Of Stem Cells During Hair Regeneration Identified - also here
3. January 20, 2008 - Stem cells help mice with muscular dystrophy: study
4. January 20, 2008 - Stem Cell Research Aims To Tackle Parkinson's Disease - also here, here
5. January 21, 2008 - Muscular dystrophy stem cell hope
6. January 22, 2008 - Stem-cell Transplantation Improves Muscles In Muscular Dystrophy Animal Model, Researchers Report - also here

Parkinson's disease

1. January 16, 2008 - Unprecedented Method Predicts ALS, Parkinson's Disease - also here, here

Genes affecting obesity and body weight

1. January 16, 2008 - Body Weight Influenced By Thousands Of Genes - also here, here

Influenza vaccine

1. January 16, 2008 - Flu Vaccine: Cell Death Suppression Increases Efficacy Of M2 Vaccines - also here

Malaria

1. January 17, 2008 - Monkey Malaria Widespread In Humans And Potentially Fatal - also here, here
2. January 18, 2008 - Monkey malaria more widespread in humans: study

Psoriasis

1. January 17, 2008 - Psoriasis Drug Effective In Children And Adults, Study Suggests - also here

Type 1 diabetes

1. January 17, 2008 - Type 1 Diabetes Triggered By 'Lazy' Regulatory T-cells - also here, here

Protein suppression of ghrelin

1. January 18, 2008 - Study explains how protein keeps hunger at bay

Adipose tissue and inflammation

1. January 18, 2008 - Seeing Is Believing: Visualizing Inflammation In Fat Tissue

Insulin and resistin

1. January 18, 2008 - How Does Insulin Influence Resistin? - also here, here

Autism

1. January 18, 2008 - New Approach To Detect Autism Earlier

Lupus

1. January 18, 2008 - New genetic mutation that halts the development of lupus found - also here, here
2. January 20, 2008 - Gene studies home in on lupus cause

Copyright © 2008 by Charles Daney, All Rights Reserved