Volume 7, Number 17 April 28, 2008

Physical sciences and technology Quantum computing Methane and climate Gamma-ray Large Area Telescope Earthquakes Fullerenes Global warming Fuel cells Robotics Decoherence in Bose-Einstein condensates Dark matter Black holes Galaxy mergers Optoelectronics Quantum cryptography Water on Mars Superconductivity Hydrogen storage Gondwana break-up Carbon nanotubes Graphene Quantum Hall effect K/T mass extinction Nanotechnology Extrasolar planets Striations in ocean currents Life sciences Intelligence and rhythmic accuracy Cancer and stem cells Calorie restriction and aging Kinases without magnesium Brain-imaging studies Cancer biology Drug addiction Fusion of hematopoietic stem cells with neurons Neurotransmitter receptors Human Proteome Project Automated enzyme generation Stem cell tissue engineering Calcification of phytoplankton Environment and gene expression Polyandry and mate selection Plant proteomics Vaccinia virus and the immune system Epigenetic inheritance Working memory Innate immunity and NF-κB Adiponectin Early modern humans Pluripotency and the polycomb complex Speciation Proteasomes and memory Regulatory T cells Reproductive control of lifespan and insulin signaling Geometric structure of a genetic locus MicroRNA and cancer Recognition memory and synaptic plasticity Neuron coordination for muscle control Efficient coding and olfaction G protein-coupled receptor signaling Mitochondria and cell division Inhibition of mTOR signaling Health and medicine Human metabolism map Cancer Avian flu Cardiovascular disease Drug delivery Fat and health risks Tuberculosis Diabetes AIDS Anticholinergic drugs and dementia Parkinson's disease Malaria Autism Antidepressants Antigenic cartography Chocolate, cholesterol, and blood pressure Alzheimer's disease Inflammation, C-reactive protein, and cancer Exercise and aging Bipolar disorder Prions Stem cells Depression Hepatitis C C-reactive protein, leptin, and metabolic disorders Vaccine technology Gene therapy

Physical sciences and technology

Quantum computing

1. April 21, 2008 - Quarter Electrons May Enable Exotic Quantum Computer

Methane and climate

1. April 21, 2008 - Current Spike In Atmospheric Methane Mirrors Early Climate Change Events
2. April 24, 2008 - Hints of methane's renewed rise

Gamma-ray Large Area Telescope

1. April 21, 2008 - Powerful antenna attached to NASA's GLAST satellite

Earthquakes

1. April 21, 2008 - First contact to earthquake zone

Fullerenes

1. April 22, 2008 - Buckyballs give flash a boost

Global warming

1. April 22, 2008 - Arctic Ice More Vulnerable To Sunny Weather, New Study Shows - also here, here
2. April 23, 2008 - CO2, methane up sharply in 2007
3. April 23, 2008 - Greenhouse Warming is Classical
4. April 24, 2008 - Greenhouse Gases, Carbon Dioxide And Methane, Rise Sharply In 2007
5. April 24, 2008 - Ozone Hole Recovery May Reshape Southern Hemisphere Climate Change And Amplify Antarctic Warming - also here, here
6. April 24, 2008 - Greenhouse gases growing faster than ever, report says - also here
7. April 24, 2008 - Greenhouse gas levels rose in 2007: US agency - also here
8. April 25, 2008 - North Pole could be ice free in 2008
9. April 27, 2008 - Human warming hobbles ancient climate cycle
10. April 28, 2008 - Nature's carbon balance confirmed

Fuel cells

1. April 22, 2008 - Platinum Nanocube Makes Hydrogen Fuel Cells Cheaper And More Efficient

Robotics

1. April 22, 2008 - 'What Can I, Robot, Do With That?' - also here
2. April 26, 2008 - Next Step In Robot Development Is Child's Play

Decoherence in Bose-Einstein condensates

1. April 22, 2008 - Distinguishing decoherence in quantum systems

Dark matter

1. April 22, 2008 - Dark matter claims disputed
2. April 23, 2008 - Mining for dark matter
3. April 23, 2008 - Italian group claims to see dark matter - again
4. April 29, 2008 - Searching for an Elusive Particle, Physicists Take a Shot in the Dark

Black holes

1. April 23, 2008 - Black hole plasma jet reveals twisted magnetic fields
2. April 23, 2008 - Radio telescopes capture black hole mid-belch
3. April 23, 2008 - Black Hole Plasma Jet Spotted Tracing Corkscrew Path
4. April 23, 2008 - Follow That Cosmic Jet
5. April 23, 2008 - Radio telescope reveals secrets of massive black hole
6. April 23, 2008 - Astronomers get clear view of blazar
7. April 24, 2008 - Black hole captured mid-belch
8. April 24, 2008 - Secrets Of Massive Black Hole Unveiled: Workings Of Giant Galactic Particle Accelerators Discovered
9. April 24, 2008 - Catching a Glimpse of a Black Hole's Fury
10. April 24, 2008 - Black holes reveal more secrets
11. April 28, 2008 - Powerful Black Hole Jet Explained
12. April 29, 2008 - Examining the Throat of a Black-Hole Jet

Galaxy mergers

1. April 23, 2008 - Hubble telescope reveals a zoo of galaxy mergers
2. April 23, 2008 - Hubble telescope captures crashing galaxies
3. April 23, 2008 - Hubble's Colliding Galaxies
4. April 24, 2008 - Hubble Photographs Dozens of Colliding Galaxies
5. April 24, 2008 - Space institute reveals galactic 'interactions'
6. April 24, 2008 - A Portfolio of Colliding Galaxies
7. April 27, 2008 - Dramatic Collisions Trigger Bursts Of Star Formation - also here, here

Optoelectronics

1. April 23, 2008 - Photoluminescence In Nano-needles - also here
2. April 24, 2008 - Creating Faster Integrated Circuits by Slowing Light
3. April 27, 2008 - Light Research Opens Door For Optical Storage And Computing - also here, here

Quantum cryptography

1. April 23, 2008 - Secure Communications Via Space - also here

Water on Mars

1. April 23, 2008 - Glaciers Reveal Martian Climate Has Been Recently Active - also here, here
2. April 24, 2008 - Mars Features Resemble Hydrothermal Springs
3. April 28, 2008 - Mars Photos Appear to Show Dry Hot Springs

Superconductivity

1. April 23, 2008 - Phonons fail to explain high-temperature superconductivity

Hydrogen storage

1. April 24, 2008 - Silicon Nanotubes For Hydrogen Storage In Fuel Cell Vehicles - also here

Gondwana break-up

1. April 24, 2008 - Mystery Of Ancient Supercontinent's Demise Revealed

Carbon nanotubes

1. April 24, 2008 - Nanotubes Grown Straight In Large Numbers - also here, here
2. April 24, 2008 - 'Buckypaper' stretches in a strange way
3. April 25, 2008 - New Properties Discovered for Nanotube Sheets

Graphene

1. April 24, 2008 - Simulations may explain nanoparticles 'pinned' to graphene - also here

Quantum Hall effect

1. April 25, 2008 - Exotic Quantum State Of Matter Discovered - also here, here

K/T mass extinction

1. April 25, 2008 - Refining the date of the K/T boundary and the dinosaur extinction

Nanotechnology

1. April 26, 2008 - First Transistor Using Nanotechnology Is 50 Times More Energy Efficient Than Current Models

Extrasolar planets

1. April 26, 2008 - Plan To Identify Watery Earth-like Planets Develops - also here, here

Striations in ocean currents

1. April 26, 2008 - Scientists Reveal Presence Of Ocean Current 'Stripes' - also here
2. April 28, 2008 - The Oceans Finally Show Their Stripes

Life sciences

Intelligence and rhythmic accuracy

1. April 21, 2008 - Intelligence And Rhythmic Accuracy Go Hand In Hand

Cancer and stem cells

1. April 21, 2008 - Stem Cells: The Role Of Cancer-initiating Cells In Diagnosis And Treatment
2. April 24, 2008 - Stem Cell Type Supposed To Be Crucial For Angiogenesis And Cancer Growth Does Not Exist? - also here

Calorie restriction and aging

1. April 21, 2008 - How Dietary Restriction Slows Down Aging

Kinases without magnesium

1. April 21, 2008 - Protein shows talent for improvisation

Brain-imaging studies

1. April 22, 2008 - Drudgery really does numb the brain
2. April 22, 2008 - Dull jobs really do numb the mind
3. April 22, 2008 - Brain patterns predict mistakes
4. April 22, 2008 - Brain reacts to fairness as it does to money and chocolate
5. April 23, 2008 - Brain region lights up for power and profit
6. April 23, 2008 - Praise as good as cash to brain: study
7. April 23, 2008 - A Head for Social Hierarchy
8. April 23, 2008 - Praise = money?
9. April 24, 2008 - For the Brain, Cash Is Good, Status Is Better
10. April 24, 2008 - Praise or cash? Your brain doesn't care
11. April 24, 2008 - Human Brain Appears 'Hard-wired' For Hierarchy
12. April 24, 2008 - Reputation And Money: New Insights Into How The Brain Processes Social, Economic Reward

Cancer biology

1. April 22, 2008 - Effective Cancer Immune Therapy Through Order In The Blood Vessels - also here, here
2. April 22, 2008 - Cancer Cells Spread By Releasing 'Bubbles', According To New Study - also here
3. April 24, 2008 - Scientists Discover A Mechanism That Can Send Cells On The Road To Cancer - also here
4. April 25, 2008 - Viruses May Play A Role In Lung Cancer Development - also here, here
5. April 25, 2008 - Viruses found in lung tumours

Drug addiction

1. April 22, 2008 - Rat Study Suggests Why Teens Get Hooked On Cocaine More Easily Than Adults - also here, here

Fusion of hematopoietic stem cells with neurons

1. April 22, 2008 - Inflammation Triggers Cell Fusions That Could Protect Neurons, Research Shows - also here

Neurotransmitter receptors

1. April 22, 2008 - Data Transfer In The Brain: Newfound Mechanism Enables Reliable Transmission Of Neuronal Information

Human Proteome Project

1. April 23, 2008 - Biologists initiate plan to map human proteome

Automated enzyme generation

1. April 23, 2008 - Evolution on a chip

Stem cell tissue engineering

1. April 23, 2008 - Be still my beating stem cell heart
2. April 23, 2008 - Embryonic stem cells coaxed into key heart cells
3. April 23, 2008 - Heart Derived Stem Cells Develop Into Heart Muscle - also here, here
4. April 23, 2008 - Beating heart tissue grown in lab
5. April 24, 2008 - Advance made in growing heart cells
6. April 24, 2008 - Heart cells cultured in the lab

Calcification of phytoplankton

1. April 23, 2008 - Increasing Levels Of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Cause A Rise In Ocean Plankton Calcification
2. April 28, 2008 - Chalk one up for coccolithophores

Environment and gene expression

1. April 23, 2008 - Nurture Over Nature: Certain Genes Are Turned On Or Off By Geography And Lifestyle, Study Suggests - also here

Polyandry and mate selection

1. April 23, 2008 - Variety Is The Spice Of Life: Too Many Males, Too Little Time... - also here

Plant proteomics

1. April 24, 2008 - Plant proteins mapped

Vaccinia virus and the immune system

1. April 24, 2008 - Study shows how smallpox virus tricks healthy cells
2. April 25, 2008 - Dirty Rotten Poxviruses
3. April 25, 2008 - A step forward in virology - also here

Epigenetic inheritance

1. April 24, 2008 - Mechanism Of Epigenetic Inheritance Clarified - also here, here

Working memory

1. April 24, 2008 - Psychologists Demonstrate Simplicity Of Working Memory - also here, here

Innate immunity and NF-κB

1. April 24, 2008 - Researchers Link Master Regulator Of Innate Immunity To The Hypoxic Response - also here, here

Adiponectin

1. April 24, 2008 - Fat-cell Hormone Linked To Kidney Disease - also here

Early modern humans

1. April 24, 2008 - Human line 'nearly split in two'
2. April 24, 2008 - Study says near extinction threatened people 70,00 years ago - also here, here
3. April 25, 2008 - Early Human Populations Evolved Separately For 100,000 Years - also here, here

Pluripotency and the polycomb complex

1. April 24, 2008 - The black box of pluripotency

Speciation

1. April 25, 2008 - Salamanders formed new species despite interbreeding

Proteasomes and memory

1. April 25, 2008 - New Finding On How Memory Is Formed And Stored - also here

Regulatory T cells

1. April 25, 2008 - Specialized White Blood Cells Coordinate First Responders To Viral Infection - also here

Reproductive control of lifespan and insulin signaling

1. April 25, 2008 - Eliminating Germline Lengthens Fly Lifespan: Does Reproductive System Affect Human Aging? - also here

Geometric structure of a genetic locus

1. April 25, 2008 - First 3-D Image Of Antibody Gene Shown

MicroRNA and cancer

1. April 25, 2008 - Tumor Growth Blocked In Leukemia Animal Model: Two Suppressor Molecules Affect 70 Genes In Leukemia - also here

Recognition memory and synaptic plasticity

1. April 25, 2008 - Major Step Forward In Understanding How Memory Works

Neuron coordination for muscle control

1. April 25, 2008 - Study Breaks Ground In Revealing How Neurons Generate Movement - also here

Efficient coding and olfaction

1. April 25, 2008 - Researchers apply efficient coding principle to sense of smell - also here

G protein-coupled receptor signaling

1. April 27, 2008 - Proteins That Stop A Major Signaling Pathway Can Also Generate New Proteins - also here, here

Mitochondria and cell division

1. April 27, 2008 - Yeast Gives Rise To New Concept: Cell Fuel Is 'Brains' Behind Division - also here, here

Inhibition of mTOR signaling

1. April 27, 2008 - Ancient Signaling Pathway Tells Cells To Conserve Energy When Food Is Scarce - also here

Health and medicine

Human metabolism map

1. April 21, 2008 - World map of metabolism finds blood pressure clues
2. April 21, 2008 - Causes of disease can be revealed by metabolic fingerprinting - also here

Cancer

1. April 21, 2008 - Kidney cancer may be linked to multiple myeloma - also here
2. April 21, 2008 - Melanoma on scalp, neck most deadly, study finds
3. April 21, 2008 - Cholesterol drugs destroy esophageal cancer cells
4. April 21, 2008 - New Technologies Offer More Accurate Means Of Diagnosis And Monitoring Cancer
5. April 21, 2008 - Breast cancers behave differently before and after the age of 70
6. April 21, 2008 - Masturbation may prevent prostate cancer - also here
7. April 22, 2008 - Cisplatin not effective in anal cancer trial: study
8. April 22, 2008 - Chemotherapy Drug Fails To Improve Disease-free Survival; Results In More Colostomies
9. April 22, 2008 - Mammography benefits may have no age limit
10. April 22, 2008 - Mammography may be beneficial to all women, regardless of age - also here, here
11. April 22, 2008 - Most Lethal Melanomas Are On Scalp And Neck
12. April 22, 2008 - Survival rates appear lower for scalp and neck melanoma than for other sites - also here
13. April 22, 2008 - Pap Smears Still Needed, more interest in new tests, too - also here
14. April 23, 2008 - Melanoma Lurks In Larger Skin Lesions, Study Shows - also here, here
15. April 23, 2008 - Potential Viral Therapy Weapon For Difficult Cancers Is Safe And Effective In Study - also here
16. April 23, 2008 - Women 80 and Older Benefit from Mammography, but Few Are Screened - also here
17. April 23, 2008 - Study finds cisplatin less effective than standard treatment for patients with anal cancer
18. April 24, 2008 - New Cell Targets For Preventing Growth Of Breast And Other Tumors Identified - also here, here, here
19. April 24, 2008 - Primary Driver Of Stomach Cancer Development Identified - also here
20. April 25, 2008 - Food dyes may protect against cancer
21. April 25, 2008 - Early-onset osteoporosis linked to cancer risk
22. April 25, 2008 - Method For Clamping Down On A Cancer-promoting Enzyme Discovered
23. April 25, 2008 - Structure Of Protein That Repairs Damage To Cancer Cells Revealed - also here
24. April 25, 2008 - Coffee May Protect Against Breast Cancer, Study Shows
25. April 25, 2008 - New lymphoma therapies targets diverse and difficult cancer - also here, here
26. April 25, 2008 - Mutation database helps personalized treatment of lung cancer - also here
27. April 25, 2008 - Breast cancer subtypes originate from different biological pathways - also here
28. April 26, 2008 - Cancer Immunotherapy Reduces Risk Of Relapse After Surgery, Study Shows - also here
29. April 26, 2008 - New Genetic Techniques To Combat Lung Cancer - also here, here
30. April 27, 2008 - Protein test predicts invasive breast cancer

Avian flu

1. April 21, 2008 - South Korea has new bird flu case
2. April 21, 2008 - South Korea checks soldier for bird flu infection
3. April 22, 2008 - Bird flu resurfaces in northeast India

Cardiovascular disease

1. April 21, 2008 - Mutation Makes Good Medicine
2. April 21, 2008 - Genetic variant mimics effect of heart failure medications
3. April 21, 2008 - Heart defense is in the genes
4. April 23, 2008 - Many African-Americans Have A Gene That Prolongs Life After Heart Failure - also here
5. April 23, 2008 - Developmental Changes In Adolescence Raise Men's Heart Disease Risk, Study Shows - also here
6. April 23, 2008 - Novel Way To Prevent Cardiac Fibrosis Identified - also here
7. April 23, 2008 - How Exercise Changes Structure And Function Of Heart - also here
8. April 23, 2008 - Pistachios reduce inflammation, cardiovascular disease factors
9. April 24, 2008 - Healthy diet cuts teens' blood pressure
10. April 24, 2008 - Mitochondrial dysfunction and redox signaling in atrial tachyarrhythmia
11. April 25, 2008 - Gender difference in heart risks starts early
12. April 25, 2008 - Opening a channel for salt retention
13. April 25, 2008 - Mapping the genetic locus for triglycerides - also here

Drug delivery

1. April 22, 2008 - Stomach-proof gel hints at jab-free diabetes treatment
2. April 22, 2008 - Gel-like Material Shows Promise As Oral Insulin Pill For Diabetes - also here
3. April 28, 2008 - Insulin pill could replace injections for diabetes
4. May 2, 2008 - Insulin pills could cut the need for needles

Fat and health risks

1. April 22, 2008 - Large waist may raise death risk for women

Tuberculosis

1. April 22, 2008 - Research Priorities To Fight Drug-resistant Tuberculosis Described - also here, here
2. April 27, 2008 - Common Vitamin And Other Micronutrient Supplements Reduce Risks Of TB Recurrence, Study Suggests - also here

Diabetes

1. April 22, 2008 - One Reason Why Curative Transplants Might Fail In Type 1 Diabetics
2. April 23, 2008 - Blood pressure in diabetic kids needs watching
3. April 24, 2008 - Natural enzyme linked to heart risk in diabetics
4. April 25, 2008 - 'Low glycemic' diet helpful in diabetic youth
5. Aprill 26, 2008 - Important Markers Of High Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes Identified - also here, here

AIDS

1. April 22, 2008 - Uncovering The Secret Ways Of HIV: The HIV Protein Nef Impairs Blood Cell Development
2. April 25, 2008 - Scientists lose hope over AIDS vaccine

Anticholinergic drugs and dementia

1. April 22, 2008 - Using Anti-cholinergic Drugs May Increase Cognitive Decline In Older People

Parkinson's disease

1. April 22, 2008 - Advanced MRI Studies Provide New Insight On Early Parkinson's Disease

Malaria

1. April 22, 2008 - Mutation In Human Gene Helps Protect Against Fatal Malaria - also here, here
2. April 25, 2008 - Malaria fight hinges on drug first used by Vietcong
3. April 25, 2008 - Discovery To Hasten New Malaria Treatments, Vaccines For Children - also here
4. April 27, 2008 - Elusive Protein Protects Malaria Parasite From Heme - also here

Autism

1. April 22, 2008 - Vaccine Injury Case Offers a Clue to the Causes of Autism
2. April 24, 2008 - Neurofeedback May Help 'Retrain' Brainwaves In Children With Autism
3. April 25, 2008 - Autism Risk Linked To Distance From Power Plants, Other Mercury-releasing Sources
4. April 26, 2008 - Surprising Language Abilities In Children With Autism - also here, here

Antidepressants

1. April 23, 2008 - When one antidepressant doesn't work, another may

Antigenic cartography

1. April 23, 2008 - Maps Point the Way to Fighting the Flu Virus

Chocolate, cholesterol, and blood pressure

1. April 23, 2008 - Chocolate Bar Shown To Lower Cholesterol - also here

Alzheimer's disease

1. April 23, 2008 - One Protein, Opposite Effects: Beneficial In Alzheimer's Disease, Detrimental To Some Forms Of Dementia - also here
2. April 23, 2008 - New Insight Into The Development Of Alzheimer's Disease - also here
3. April 24, 2008 - German team finds new way to fight Alzheimer's
4. April 25, 2008 - Anesthesia And Alzheimer's Disease - also here, here

Inflammation, C-reactive protein, and cancer

1. April 23, 2008 - Protein That Helps Predict Prostate Cancer Survival Identified - also here

Exercise and aging

1. April 24, 2008 - Aerobic exercise helps turn back biological clock

Bipolar disorder

1. April 24, 2008 - Benefits Of Omega-3s Still Unclear For Bipolar Disorder

Prions

1. April 24, 2008 - First Atomic-level Look At A Protein That Causes Brain Disease

Stem cells

1. April 24, 2008 - Menstrual Blood: A Valuable Source Of Multipotential Stem Cells? - also here

Depression

1. April 24, 2008 - Laser Dissection Of Depression In The Brain
2. April 24, 2008 - Risk of depression dims hope for anti-addiction pills - also here, here
3. April 25, 2008 - Smokers Have A 41 Percent Higher Risk Of Suffering Depression - also here, here

Hepatitis C

1. April 25, 2008 - Positive Findings In Treating Patients With Advanced Hepatitis C, Study Shows - also here, here

C-reactive protein, leptin, and metabolic disorders

1. April 25, 2008 - Metabolic Genes Tied To Inflammatory Predictor Of Heart Disease And Stroke Risk - also here

Vaccine technology

1. April 25, 2008 - New technology for boosting vaccine efficiency - also here

Gene therapy

1. April 25, 2008 - Blind mice see the light
2. April 27, 2008 - Gene therapy improves sight in near-blind patients
3. April 27, 2008 - Gene therapy 'aids youth's sight'
4. April 28, 2008 - Gene therapy success 'reverses' blindness
5. April 28, 2008 - Gene therapy treats blindness
6. April 28, 2008 - Gene Therapy Improves Sight of Four Patients
7. April 28, 2008 - Gene therapy helps blind see the light
8. April 28, 2008 - Gene Therapy Improves Vision In Nearly Blind Patients - also here
9. April 28, 2008 - Gene therapy helps several blind patients see better
10. April 28, 2008 - Gene Therapy Experiments Improve Vision in Nearly Blind - also here, here, here
11. April 29, 2008 - Vision Partially Restored In Blind Mice

Copyright © 2008 by Charles Daney, All Rights Reserved