Volume 7, Number 33 August 18, 2008

Physical sciences and technology Earth's core Nanotechnology Global warming Large Hadron Collider Star forming regions Metamaterials Graphene Carbon nanotubes Dark matter Quantum entanglement Magnetoresistive random access memory Hurricanes and global warming Synthetic telepathy High-temperature superconductivity Carbon nanotubes Sloan Digital Sky Survey Brain-computer interfacing Block copolymer patterned media for data storage Ocean acidification Enceladus Milky Way Virtual reality Plastic spin transistors Life sciences Corticosterone, neurotransmission, and synaptic plasticity Teleomeres Transposon suppression in germ cells Evolution and the second law of thermodynamics Cancer biology Confidence and decision making Embryonic development Human mitochondrial DNA mutations Hearing and visual perception Neural cilia and neurogenesis Disgust and the insula MicroRNA Reward dependence and endorphins Antigens and cell membranes Arsenic metabolism in bacteria Furin, T cells, and autoimmunity DNA repair, DNA repeats, and speciation Bacterial diversity Sleep, episodic memory, and emotion Rtt109 and DNA repair Streptococcus, neutrophils, and IL-8 GDNF and memory Unconscious decision making Bacterial protection from viruses Cellular circadian clock Face perception Brain size and evolution Evolution of transfer RNA 1918 influenza antibodies Metagenomics Health and medicine Diabetes Cardiovascular disease Alzheimer's disease Hepatitis B Avian flu Tissue engineering AIDS RNA interference for cholesterol control Aging and exercise Cancer Obesity Prions Fat, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease Anxiety and dopamine Medulloblastoma NMDA glutamate receptors, memory, and addiction relapse Cholera epidemic model Alcoholism Nanobiotechnology BDNF, neurogenesis, and antidepressants Tuberculosis Stem cells Schizophrenia Autoimmune disease Cocaine addiction and dopamine Parkinson's disease Bipolar disorder

Physical sciences and technology

Earth's core

1. August 11, 2008 - Did iron cyclones give Earth a wonky core?
2. August 13, 2008 - Long-sought seismic waves confirm models of Earth's structure
3. August 15, 2008 - New insights into centre of the Earth

Nanotechnology

1. August 11, 2008 - Nanowires From DNA: Project Opens Up New Possibilities For Modified Chain Molecules
2. August 12, 2008 - Flexible Nanoantenna Arrays Capture Abundant Solar Energy - also here, here

Global warming

1. August 11, 2008 - North Pole could lose summer ice
2. August 15, 2008 - Climate Change Caused Widespread Tree Death In California Mountain Range, Study Confirms - also here
3. August 15, 2008 - Antarctic Climate: Short-term Spikes, Long-term Warming Linked To Tropical Pacific
4. August 15, 2008 - NASA study improves ability to predict aerosols' effect on cloud cover - also here, here

Large Hadron Collider

1. August 11, 2008 - LHC sees first protons
2. August 13, 2008 - Large Hadron Collider passes first proton test

Star forming regions

1. August 11, 2008 - Hubble Snaps New Star Birth Photos During 100,000th Orbit

Metamaterials

1. August 11, 2008 - Invisibility cloak within sight

Graphene

1. August 12, 2008 - World's Thinnest Balloon Developed: Just One Atom Thick - also here
2. August 13, 2008 - Graphene flakes stiffen up
3. August 15, 2008 - New Nanomaterial Makes Plastic Stiffer, Lighter And Stronger

Carbon nanotubes

1. August 12, 2008 - Carbon Nanotube-Coated Electrodes Improve Brain Readouts
2. August 14, 2008 - Bouncy Cell Phones And Car Bumpers May Be Workable With Springy Nanotubes - also here
3. August 15, 2008 - True properties of carbon nanotubes measured - also here, here

Dark matter

1. August 13, 2008 - Physicists await dark-matter confirmation

Quantum entanglement

1. August 13, 2008 - Quantum strangeness breaks the light barrier
2. August 13, 2008 - Any alternative to quantum weirdness would require faster-than-light communication
3. August 13, 2008 - Quantum Physics Gets "Spooky"
4. August 13, 2008 - Entanglement remains a mystery
5. August 13, 2008 - Physicists spooked by faster-than-light information transfer
6. August 14, 2008 - Physicists Seek Answers to Quantum Correlations

Magnetoresistive random access memory

1. August 13, 2008 - Spin flip trick points to fastest RAM yet

Hurricanes and global warming

1. August 13, 2008 - Global Warming Will Do Little To Change Hurricane Activity, According To New Model - also here, here

Synthetic telepathy

1. August 13, 2008 - Scientists to study synthetic telepathy
2. August 15, 2008 - Military funds mind-reading science - also here, here

High-temperature superconductivity

1. August 14, 2008 - New Theory For Latest High-temperature Superconductors - also here, here

Sloan Digital Sky Survey

1. August 15, 2008 - Biggest 3D galaxy map to probe dark energy's history

Brain-computer interfacing

1. August 15, 2008 - Towards Zero Training For Brain-computer Interfacing - also here, here

Block copolymer patterned media for data storage

1. August 15, 2008 - Self-assembling polymer arrays improve data storage potential - also here, here

Ocean acidification

1. August 15, 2008 - Rising ocean acidity slows marine fertilisation: study

Enceladus

1. August 15, 2008 - Cassini spacecraft reveals location of icy geysers on one of Saturn's moons

Milky Way

1. August 16, 2008 - Milky Way keeps tight grip on its neighbour
2. August 16, 2008 - Eleven new streams of stars found in Milky Way
3. August 16, 2008 - Milky Way's Halo Loaded with Star Streams
4. August 27, 2008 - Milky Way map shows complex outer galaxy

Virtual reality

1. August 16, 2008 - Virtual Applications Reach Out To Real World
2. August 18, 2008 - Virtual Reality Gets Real

Plastic spin transistors

1. August 17, 2008 - Toward Plastic Spin Transistors - also here, here

Life sciences

Corticosterone, neurotransmission, and synaptic plasticity

1. August 11, 2008 - Stress Hormone Found To Regulate Brain Neurotransmission

Teleomeres

1. August 11, 2008 - Eroded Telomeres Are Behind A Rare Premature Aging Syndrome

Transposon suppression in germ cells

1. August 11, 2008 - Maelstrom quashes jumping genes - also here

Evolution and the second law of thermodynamics

1. August 11, 2008 - Evolution as Described by the Second Law of Thermodynamics

Cancer biology

1. August 12, 2008 - Cancer Survival Secrets Uncovered - also here, here
2. August 15, 2008 - Rheb's role in cancer - also here, here
3. August 15, 2008 - Cancer signatures uncovered - also here, here
4. August 17, 2008 - By Amplifying Cell Death Signals, Scientists Make Precancerous Cells Self-destruct - also here, here

Confidence and decision making

1. August 12, 2008 - Neuroscientists Glimpse How The Brain Decides What To Believe - also here, here

Embryonic development

1. August 12, 2008 - Molecular Switch Helps Decide Cell Type In Early Embryo Development - also here, here

Human mitochondrial DNA mutations

1. August 12, 2008 - Large Reservoir Of Mitochondrial DNA Mutations Identified In Humans - also here, here

Hearing and visual perception

1. August 12, 2008 - Sound Adds Speed To Visual Perception - also here, here

Neural cilia and neurogenesis

1. August 12, 2008 - Researchers Discover Tiny Cellular Antennae Trigger Neural Stem Cells - also here

Disgust and the insula

1. August 13, 2008 - Why real and imagined disgust have the same effect
2. August 18, 2008 - Why An Exciting Book Is Just As Thrilling As A Hair-raising Movie

MicroRNA

1. August 13, 2008 - Single MicroRNA That Controls Blood Vessel Development Identified - also here, here
2. August 13, 2008 - Tiny Molecule Helps Control Blood-vessel Development - also here

Reward dependence and endorphins

1. August 13, 2008 - Nature Or Nurture: Are You Who Your Brain Chemistry Says You Are? - also here, here

Antigens and cell membranes

1. August 13, 2008 - First reported video of cell's recognition of danger through its protein response

Arsenic metabolism in bacteria

1. August 14, 2008 - Arsenic-eating bacteria rewrite evolutionary history
2. August 14, 2008 - Newly discovered bacteria hint at how early life may have survived in a no-oxygen atmosphere
3. August 14, 2008 - Arsenic and old...photosynthesis?
4. August 14, 2008 - Arsenic-munching bacteria found
5. August 15, 2008 - New 'arsenic-breathing' bacteria found
6. August 18, 2008 - Using a Poison to Turn Sunlight into Food

Furin, T cells, and autoimmunity

1. August 14, 2008 - Novel Mechanism That Controls The Development Of Autoimmunity Discovered - also here, here

DNA repair, DNA repeats, and speciation

1. August 14, 2008 - How DNA Repairs Can Reshape Genome, Spawn New Species - also here, here

Bacterial diversity

1. August 14, 2008 - Microbes, By Latitudes And Altitudes, Shed New Light On Life's Diversity - also here, here

Sleep, episodic memory, and emotion

1. August 14, 2008 - Sleep Selectively Preserves Emotional Memories - also here, here

Rtt109 and DNA repair

1. August 14, 2008 - Researchers Solve Structure Of An Enzyme Vital For DNA Repair

Streptococcus, neutrophils, and IL-8

1. August 14, 2008 - How Flesh-eating Bacteria Attack The Body's Immune System - also here, here

GDNF and memory

1. August 15, 2008 - Protein improves old rats' ability to form new memories

Unconscious decision making

1. August 14, 2008 - Decision-making 'myth debunked'

Bacterial protection from viruses

1. August 15, 2008 - 'Flu Vaccination' Protects Bacteria Against Virus

Cellular circadian clock

1. August 15, 2008 - Snooze Button For Body's Circadian Clock - also here

Face perception

1. August 15, 2008 - Direct Gaze Enhances Face Perception - also here, here

Brain size and evolution

1. August 15, 2008 - Big-brained Animals Evolve Faster - also here, here

Evolution of transfer RNA

1. August 17, 2008 - Surprising Details Of Evolution Of Protein Translation Revealed - also here, here

1918 influenza antibodies

1. August 17, 2008 - 1918 flu antibodies resurrected from elderly survivors - also here, here, here
2. August 17, 2008 - Bird flu hopes from 1918 victims
3. August 17, 2008 - Immune cells show long-term memory
4. August 18, 2008 - Remembrance of viruses past
5. August 18, 2008 - A Blight to Remember
6. August 18, 2008 - Antibodies still protect 1918 flu survivors - also here
7. August 18, 2008 - Survivors of 1918 flu pandemic protected with a lifetime immunity to virus

Metagenomics

1. August 17, 2008 - Cataloguing invisible life: Microbe genome emerges from lake sediment - also here, here
2. August 18, 2008 - Analysis of Lake Washington microbes shows the power of metagenomic approaches

Health and medicine

Diabetes

1. August 11, 2008 - Brain trouble tied to diabetes duration, severity
2. August 12, 2008 - Benefits of weight loss maintained in diabetes
3. August 12, 2008 - Cognitive Problems Associated With Diabetes Duration And Severity - also here, here
4. August 13, 2008 - Levels Of C-reactive Protein In The Blood Do Not Cause Diabetes
5. August 13, 2008 - Losing Weight Soon After Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis Doubles Positive Outcomes - also here, here
6. August 13, 2008 - Overweight Hispanic Children At Significant Risk For Pre-diabetes, According To New Study - also here
7. August 14, 2008 - Combo of diabetes drugs may increase mortality
8. August 14, 2008 - Spices may lessen consequences of high blood sugar
9. August 15, 2008 - High PCB exposure tied to diabetes risk

Cardiovascular disease

1. August 11, 2008 - Healthy lifestyle cuts stroke risk: study
2. August 12, 2008 - Looking for heart disease? The eyes have it
3. August 12, 2008 - Outcomes after stroke poorer in older patients
4. August 12, 2008 - Birth During A Recession Raises Risk Of Fatal Cardiovascular Disease At Advanced Age - also here
5. August 13, 2008 - Drugs, angioplasty give similar life quality: study
6. August 13, 2008 - Drugs treat heart pain nearly as well as stents, study says - also here, here
7. August 13, 2008 - Drugs as good as stents for many heart patients
8. August 14, 2008 - Red Bull drink lifts stroke risk: Australian study
9. August 14, 2008 - Large waistlines associated with stroke risk
10. August 14, 2008 - Smoking doubles stroke risk in younger women
11. August 15, 2008 - Heart disease risk soars with obesity, diabetes
12. August 15, 2008 - Blood Pressure Response To Daily Stress Provides Clues For Better Hypertension Treatment - also here

Alzheimer's disease

1. August 11, 2008 - Brain imaging may allow Alzheimer's diagnosis
2. August 11, 2008 - Physical frailty linked to dementia pathology
3. August 12, 2008 - Physical Frailty May Be Linked To Alzheimer's Disease - also here
4. August 12, 2008 - PET Scans May Help Assess Presence Of Brain Plaques Related To Alzheimer's Disease - also here
5. August 13, 2008 - Signs Of Alzheimer's Disease May Be Present Decades Before Diagnosis - also here
6. August 13, 2008 - Study points to new test for Alzheimer's
7. August 16, 2008 - Potatoes May Hold Key To Alzheimer's Treatment - also here

Hepatitis B

1. August 11, 2008 - Gilead wins OK to promote drug for hepatitis B
2. August 15, 2008 - Hepatitis B Genotypes And Mutants May Influence Liver Cancer Risk

Avian flu

1. August 11, 2008 - New bird flu strain found in Nigeria, UN's FAO says
2. August 12, 2008 - New bird flu threat could be H9N2, researchers say
3. August 12, 2008 - H9N2 avian flu strain has pandemic potential
4. August 12, 2008 - Wild birds maybe caused new flu strain: Nigeria
5. August 12, 2008 - New bird flu strain detected in Nigeria: FAO
6. August 13, 2008 - More than 80 pct of Indonesia bird flu cases die
7. August 14, 2008 - Pandemic Potential Of H9N2 Avian Influenza Viruses - also here, here
8. August 14, 2008 - Hope over 'quick' bird flu test
9. August 15, 2008 - H9N2 bird flu threat understated in humans

Tissue engineering

1. August 11, 2008 - Lab-grown tendons gradually fade to bone
2. August 17, 2008 - Hydrogels provide scaffolding for growth of bone cells

AIDS

1. August 11, 2008 - 'Adapter plug' to turn antibodies into HIV killers
2. August 11, 2008 - Technological Crystal Ball Boosts AIDS Survival
3. August 12, 2008 - "Elite" HIV wife may hold secret to AIDS vaccine
4. August 13, 2008 - Latent HIV purged
5. August 13, 2008 - Why Some Infected With HIV Remain Symptom Free Without Antiretroviral Drugs - also here

RNA interference for cholesterol control

1. August 11, 2008 - Injected RNA molecule lowers LDL in rats and monkeys
2. August 11, 2008 - Designer RNA Fights High Cholesterol, Researchers Find - also here

Aging and exercise

1. August 11, 2008 - Want to live a long life? Run
2. August 11, 2008 - Running Slows The Aging Clock, Researchers Find - also here
3. August 11, 2008 - Running 'can slow ageing process'
4. August 12, 2008 - Are Running Shoes the Fountain of Youth?
5. August 12, 2008 - Joggers outpace an early grave
6. August 13, 2008 - Running slows aging process

Cancer

1. August 11, 2008 - Heavy Atoms Can Help Destroy Tumor Cells
2. August 11, 2008 - Scientists in potential leukaemia breakthrough
3. August 12, 2008 - Breast cancer recurrence seen as low after 5 years
4. August 12, 2008 - Study sees benefit in prostate cancer surgery
5. August 13, 2008 - Radiation can zap cancer that has spread: study
6. August 13, 2008 - One-sided gene action boosts cancer risk
7. August 13, 2008 - Targeted Radiation Therapy Can Control Limited Cancer Spread - also here
8. August 13, 2008 - Experimental Chemotherapy Regimen Shows Promise In Treating Advanced Lung Cancer - also here
9. August 13, 2008 - Gene's Newly Explained Effect On Height May Change Tumor Disorder Treatment - also here, here
10. August 13, 2008 - Breast Cancer Patients Still Have Risk Of Relapse After 5 Years Of Systemic Therapy
11. August 13, 2008 - Prostatectomy Improves Outcome Of Some Men With Prostate Cancer Over Watchful Waiting - also here
12. August 13, 2008 - Scientists Use Old Enemy To K.O. Cancer - also here
13. August 13, 2008 - Cheap drug hope for breast cancer
14. August 13, 2008 - Breast cancer: Risk of relapse low after surviving 5 years
15. August 14, 2008 - New antibody drug helps cells kill blood cancer
16. August 14, 2008 - Crucial genetic factor in colorectal cancer found
17. August 14, 2008 - Adenocarcinoma Of The Esophagus Increasing In White Men And Women
18. August 14, 2008 - Gene 'clue' to colorectal cancer
19. August 15, 2008 - Inhibitors Of The Molecule PI3K Throw One Form Of Leukemia A CurveB-ALL
20. August 15, 2008 - Sequential Doxorubicin And Zoledronic Acid Have Powerful Anti-Tumor Effect In Vivo
21. August 15, 2008 - Risk Assessment Plays Key Role In Long-term Treatment Of Breast Cancer - also here, here
22. August 15, 2008 - Major Genetic Cause Of Colon Cancer Found, Linked To Unequal Gene Activity
23. August 15, 2008 - Scientists discover major genetic cause of colorectal cancer - also here
24. August 15, 2008 - Prototype test for predicting clinical outcome for melanoma patients - also here, here
25. August 15, 2008 - Antibody Drug Unleashes Tumor-Killer T Cells
26. August 16, 2008 - Experiments could lead to new treatments for neuroblastoma - also here, here
27. August 17, 2008 - Helping Tumor Cells Not To Stick To The Wound During Surgical Removal

Obesity

1. August 11, 2008 - Human Obesity Genes Revealed Based On Fly Experiments - also here, here
2. August 12, 2008 - Clumsy young 'face obesity risk'
3. August 13, 2008 - Poor Coordination In Childhood Linked To Obesity In Later Life - also here, here
4. August 14, 2008 - Craving fatty food? Blame it on childhood illness
5. August 14, 2008 - MSG Use Linked To Obesity - also here, here
6. August 14, 2008 - Ear infections 'link' to obesity
7. August 15, 2008 - Chronic Ear Infections Linked To Increased Obesity Risk - also here, here
8. August 20, 2008 - Surveys shows link between chronic childhood ear infections and preference for fatty foods, obesity
9. August 20, 2008 - Childhood ear infections may predispose to obesity later in life - also here

Prions

1. August 11, 2008 - Investigation Of Prion Folding On Cell Membranes
2. August 16, 2008 - Resistant Prions: Can They Be Transmitted By Environment As Well As Direct Contact?

Fat, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease

1. August 11, 2008 - Fit and fat: Study shows it's possible
2. August 11, 2008 - Some Obese People Don't Risk Heart Disease, Diabetes; Some Normal-Weight People Do
3. August 11, 2008 - Obese people not always unhealthy
4. August 12, 2008 - Obese people can be healthy: study
5. August 12, 2008 - Obesity Not Always Linked To Higher Cardiovascular Risk
6. August 12, 2008 - Some Obese Individuals Appear 'Metabolically Healthy,' Without Increased Cardiovascular Risk
7. August 12, 2008 - Half of overweight adults may be heart-healthy - also here, here

Anxiety and dopamine

1. August 11, 2008 - Genes May Make Some People More Prone To Anxiety - also here, here

Medulloblastoma

1. August 12, 2008 - Key To Treating Cancer May Be Finding Its Original Cell - also here
2. August 12, 2008 - Childhood Brain Tumor Traced To Normal Stem Cells Gone Bad - also here
3. August 13, 2008 - Cancer Cells With A Long Breath: Seeking Origin Of Brain Tumors In Children - also here, here

NMDA glutamate receptors, memory, and addiction relapse

1. August 12, 2008 - Hacking Memory to Break Drug Addiction
2. August 13, 2008 - Halting retrieval of drug-associated memories may prevent addiction relapse - also here
3. August 14, 2008 - 'Erasing' Drug-associated Memories May Stop Drug Addiction Relapses - also here, here

Cholera epidemic model

1. August 13, 2008 - A New View of Why Cholera Won't Go Away

Alcoholism

1. August 13, 2008 - Kill-joy pill could help treat alcoholism

Nanobiotechnology

1. August 13, 2008 - Coated Film As A Bacteria Killer
2. August 13, 2008 - Nano Vaccine For Hepatitis B Shows Promise For Third World - also here, here
3. August 15, 2008 - Slipping Through Cell Walls, Nanotubes Deliver High-potency Punch To Cancer Tumors In Mice - also here, here
4. August 15, 2008 - Dual-Mode Nanoparticles Image Tumors Using MRI and PET
5. August 15, 2008 - Study Details How Platinum Nanocages 'Cook' Cancer Cells

BDNF, neurogenesis, and antidepressants

1. August 14, 2008 - Sensitivity To Antidepressants Linked With TrkB-mediated Neural Proliferation - also here, here

Tuberculosis

1. August 14, 2008 - Extensively Drug-resistant Tuberculosis Found In California - also here, here
2. August 16, 2008 - Synthetic Biology Is Bearing Fruit: Blockers Against Blockers

Stem cells

1. August 14, 2008 - Protein Key To Control, Growth Of Blood Cells - also here, here

Schizophrenia

1. August 14, 2008 - Molecular Switch Boosts Brain Activity Associated With Schizophrenia

Autoimmune disease

1. August 14, 2008 - Protein Complementarity May Offer New Insights Into Autoimmune Diseases - also here, here

Cocaine addiction and dopamine

1. August 14, 2008 - Cocaine-induced Synaptic Plasticity Linked To Persistent Addictive Behaviors - also here, here
2. August 16, 2008 - Mechanism Behind Cocaine Craving Identified
3. August 22, 2008 - Cocaine: How addiction develops - also here

Parkinson's disease

1. August 15, 2008 - Preventing Protein Clumping Characteristic Of Parkinson's Disease With Baker's Yeast - also here, here
2. August 15, 2008 - Lessons from yeast: A possible cure for Parkinson's disease? - also here

Bipolar disorder

1. August 17, 2008 - Study links genetic traits to bipolar disorder
2. August 17, 2008 - Largest study of its kind implicates gene abnormalities in bipolar disorder - also here, here

Copyright © 2008 by Charles Daney, All Rights Reserved