Volume 7, Number 49 December 8, 2008

Physical sciences and technology Paleoclimatology Extrasolar planets Dark matter Superconductivity Global warming Molecular chirality Greenhouse gases Supernovae Photonic metamaterials Jupiter's core Earth's mantle Brown dwarfs Large Hadron Collider Terahertz technology Controlled fusion Quantum computing SETI Photovoltaics Quantum communication Quantum dots Life sciences Early modern humans Dictyostelium aggregation Myelin sheath Proteomics database PPAR-γ and heart regulation Cytoplasmic small RNA Developmental biology Cholesterol regulation Memory and DNA methylation Epigenetic silencing in plants RNA and mosquito-hosted viruses Microbial commensals Brain-imaging studies Interferon and virus-related immunity Speciation Divergent transcription Cooperation and punishment Induced pluripotent stem cells Memory Bacterial virulence factors Cooperation and influence Immune system tolerance Cytokinesis Metabolic optimization Rules for gene expression Nucleolar dominance Synthetic biology Sortase A Histone demethylation Human skin microbiome Dendritic cells Cell type plasticity Cell migration Origins of life Health and medicine AIDS Autism Cardiovascular disease Malaria Avian flu Diabetes Cancer Schizophrenia Cancer biology Multiple sclerosis Prions Depression and body fat disribution Adropin and fat metabolism Nanobiotechnology Obesity Cancer stem cells Hepatitis C Parkinson's disease Depression Inflammatory bowel disease Cell senescence, inflammation, and cancer Differential gene expression and disease Gene therapy Alzheimer's disease Stem cells Drug delivery Alcohol and omega-3 fatty acids Inflammation Lipins and fat metabloism Melatonin and diabetes Genetics of metabolic indicators

Physical sciences and technology

Paleoclimatology

1. December 1, 2008 - Modern day scourge helped ancient Earth escape a deathly deep freeze - also here

Extrasolar planets

1. December 1, 2008 - Planet Found Orbiting Puffed-Up Star
2. December 4, 2008 - Unique Extrasolar Planet Orbits Fast-rotating Hot Star - also here
3. December 4, 2008 - Students Find Planet Outside Our Solar System

Dark matter

1. December 1, 2008 - Is a new force at work in the dark sector?
2. December 4, 2008 - Universe's dark matter mix is 'just right' for life

Superconductivity

1. December 2, 2008 - Can triniobium tin shrink accelerators?
2. December 2, 2008 - Disappearing Superconductivity Reappears -- In 2-D - also here
3. December 3, 2008 - Superconductor switches on and off
4. December 3, 2008 - First superconducting transistor promises PC revolution

Global warming

1. December 2, 2008 - Rare Mineral Can Track Ancient Climates, And Foretells Major Meltdown - also here
2. December 2, 2008 - Accelerated Melting Of Continental Icepacks Is Major Reason For Rise In Sea Level Between 2003 And 2008
3. December 5, 2008 - Shrinking Glaciers Reveal Hidden Forests And A Warmer Climate

Molecular chirality

1. December 2, 2008 - Possible Mechanism For Creating 'Handedness' In Biological Molecules - also here

Greenhouse gases

1. December 3, 2008 - Arctic tundra emits methane even in winter
2. December 3, 2008 - Methane Even Escapes from Freezing Permafrost
3. December 3, 2008 - Methane bursts from frozen tundra
4. December 3, 2008 - Greenhouse gases hit modern-day highs
5. December 9, 2008 - Arctic tundra releases annual methane 'burp'
6. December 11, 2008 - Methane, Potent Greenhouse Gas, Flowing Into The Atmosphere From Tundra Much Faster Than Expected

Supernovae

1. December 3, 2008 - Astronomers revisit a blast from the past
2. December 3, 2008 - New Light Shed on Ancient Exploding Star
3. December 3, 2008 - 'Echoes' shine a light on Tycho Brahe's supernova
4. December 3, 2008 - Light 'echoes' solve mystery of famous supernova
5. December 3, 2008 - Ancient Supernova Explosion Glimpsed Anew
6. December 4, 2008 - Astronomers Resurrect 16th-Century Supernova
7. December 4, 2008 - Ancient supernova mystery solved
8. December 4, 2008 - Study illuminates star explosion from 16th century
9. December 12, 2008 - Tycho's Supernova in Reruns

Photonic metamaterials

1. December 3, 2008 - Breakthrough Made in Metamaterial Optics

Jupiter's core

1. December 4, 2008 - New Model of Jupiter's Core Ignites Planet Birth Debate

Earth's mantle

1. December 4, 2008 - Why Is The Earth’s Mantle Conductive? - also here

Brown dwarfs

1. December 4, 2008 - Brown Dwarfs Really Do Form Like Stars - also here

Large Hadron Collider

1. December 4, 2008 - Large Hadron Collider gears up for July restart
2. December 5, 2008 - "Big Bang" collider repairs to cost up to $29 million
3. December 5, 2008 - First LHC Proton Collisions Postponed Further
4. December 5, 2008 - LHC further delayed
5. December 5, 2008 - Warning system could protect Europe's giant atom-smasher
6. December 5, 2008 - LHC will restart end of June 2009
7. December 5, 2008 - Collider 'needs warning system'
8. December 5, 2008 - Search for Higgs boson hit by huge repair bill
9. December 6, 2008 - Large Hadron Collider to get helium leak warning system after breakdown

Terahertz technology

1. December 5, 2008 - Opening Up The Last Part Of Electromagnetic Spectrum

Controlled fusion

1. December 5, 2008 - New Insights On Fusion Power - also here, here

Quantum computing

1. December 5, 2008 - Quantum computing: Entanglement may not be necessary
2. December 5, 2008 - Lamb shift spotted in solid qubit

SETI

1. December 5, 2008 - Search for alien engineering comes up dry - so far

Photovoltaics

1. December 5, 2008 - New Process Lets Companies Crank Out PV Panels

Quantum communication

1. December 7, 2008 - New record for information storage and retrieval lifetime advances quantum networks - also here, here

Quantum dots

1. December 7, 2008 - 'Strained' quantum dots show new optical properties - also here, here

Life sciences

Early modern humans

1. November 1, 2008 - The Long Road to Modernity
2. November 3, 2008 - Humans 80,000 Years Older Than Previously Thought?

Dictyostelium aggregation

1. December 1, 2008 - Dictyostelium Cells Shown To Lay 'Breadcrumb Trail' As First Step In Multicellular Formation - also here, here

Myelin sheath

1. December 1, 2008 - Claudin 11 stops the leaks in neuronal myelin sheaths - also here

Proteomics database

1. December 1, 2008 - Powerful online tool for protein analysis provided - also here

PPAR-γ and heart regulation

1. December 2, 2008 - Protein Found To Set the Heart's Cadence
2. December 2, 2008 - What makes the heart 'tick-tock' - also here

Cytoplasmic small RNA

1. December 2, 2008 - New RNA Processing Mechanism And New Class Of Small RNAs

Developmental biology

1. December 2, 2008 - Genetic Patterning in Fruit Fly Development Identified - also here, here

Cholesterol regulation

1. December 2, 2008 - Clues about controlling cholesterol rise from yeast studies - also here

Memory and DNA methylation

1. December 2, 2008 - Memories may be stored on your DNA

Epigenetic silencing in plants

1. December 3, 2008 - Epigenetics: Plants Display 'Molecular Amnesia' - also here, here

RNA and mosquito-hosted viruses

1. December 3, 2008 - How Mosquitoes Avoid Succumbing To Viruses They Transmit - also here

Microbial commensals

1. December 3, 2008 - Research in twins defines shared features of the human gut microbial communities: variations linked to obesity - also here, here

Brain-imaging studies

1. December 3, 2008 - Stress-related disorders affect brain's processing of memory - also here

Interferon and virus-related immunity

1. December 3, 2008 - Interferon needed for cells to 'remember' how to defeat a virus - also here

Speciation

1. December 4, 2008 - Funny Smell May Have Split Bee Species

Divergent transcription

1. December 4, 2008 - Proteins that read DNA backwards
2. December 4, 2008 - Reversing the conventional DNA wisdom

Cooperation and punishment

1. December 4, 2008 - The Fear Factor
2. December 5, 2008 - The benefits of punishment

Induced pluripotent stem cells

1. December 4, 2008 - What's Good For The Mouse Is Good For The Monkey: Skin Cells Reprogrammed Into Stem Cells - also here

Memory

1. December 4, 2008 - Unlocking the mysteries of memory - also here

Bacterial virulence factors

1. December 4, 2008 - Structure of a virulent pathogen revealed - also here

Cooperation and influence

1. December 5, 2008 - The Influence of Influence in Prisoner's Dilemma

Immune system tolerance

1. December 5, 2008 - Study Offers Insights About Development Of Human Immune System

Cytokinesis

1. December 5, 2008 - New Insight On Wonder Of Cell Division - also here

Metabolic optimization

1. December 5, 2008 - Metabolic reactions: Less is more in single-celled organisms - also here, here

Rules for gene expression

1. December 5, 2008 - Model unravels rules that govern how genes are switched on and off - also here, here

Nucleolar dominance

1. December 5, 2008 - Researchers solve piece of large-scale gene silencing mystery - also here, here

Synthetic biology

1. December 5, 2008 - Scientists get closer to creating artificial life: study

Sortase A

1. December 5, 2008 - Scientists drill holes through deadly bacteria's Kevlar-like hide - also here

Histone demethylation

1. December 5, 2008 - Novel Histone Demethylase Protein Complex Discovered - also here, here

Human skin microbiome

1. December 6, 2008 - Diversity of human skin bacteria revealed

Dendritic cells

1. December 7, 2008 - Immune Cells Reveal Fancy Footwork - also here

Cell type plasticity

1. December 7, 2008 - Reprogrammable Cell Type Depends On Single Gene To Keep Its Identity - also here

Cell migration

1. December 7, 2008 - Cell Movements Totally Modular, Study Shows - also here

Origins of life

1. December 7, 2008 - Meteorites Hitting Early Earth's Oceans May Have Helped Spawn Life
2. December 7, 2008 - Meteorites Could Have Thickened Primordial Soup
3. December 8, 2008 - Meteorites laid groundwork for early life
4. December 8, 2008 - Meteor impacts may have sparked life on Earth

Health and medicine

AIDS

1. December 1, 2008 - First days after HIV infection may hold vaccine key
2. December 1, 2008 - Routine HIV Screening For All Patients, American College of Physicians Recommends - also here, here
3. December 1, 2008 - New HIV Cases Could Be Reduced By 95 With Universal Voluntary Testing And Immediate Treatment, Mathematical Model Shows
4. December 2, 2008 - Discovery Of Virus In Lemur Could Shed Light On AIDS - also here
5. December 2, 2008 - Virus ancestor to HIV older than believed
6. December 2, 2008 - 'Test and treat everyone' to vanquish HIV
7. December 3, 2008 - HIV Dementia: How Major HIV Strains Affect The Brain Differently - also here, here
8. December 4, 2008 - Why some people are immune to AIDS
9. December 5, 2008 - Extraordinary Immune Cells May Hold The Key To Managing HIV - also here
10. December 5, 2008 - Well-armed immune cells help long-term nonprogressors contain HIV - also here
11. December 6, 2008 - Exploring Gene Therapy To Fight AIDS - also here, here

Autism

1. December 1, 2008 - Brains of autistic slower to react to sounds: study
2. December 1, 2008 - Brain's Magnetic Fields Reveal Language Delays In Autism - also here, here
3. December 1, 2008 - Brain waves show sound processing abnormalities in autistic children
4. December 1, 2008 - Brains of autistic children slower at processing sound
5. December 2, 2008 - Brain waves are window into autism language woes

Cardiovascular disease

1. December 1, 2008 - Evidence growing for vitamin D-heart health link
2. December 1, 2008 - Coronary CTA: Non-invasive, Low Cost Alternative For 'Intermediate Risk' Patients - also here
3. December 1, 2008 - Cardiac CT Can Effectively Assess Coronary Artery Disease, Large Study Illustrates - also here
4. December 2, 2008 - Heart rhythm risk seen in women's alcohol drinking
5. December 2, 2008 - Lack Of Vitamin D Could Spell Heart Trouble - also here
6. December 2, 2008 - If Cheaper is Better to Treat Hypertension Then Why Aren't More Patients Prescribed Low Cost Diuretics
7. December 2, 2008 - Innovative MRI-based technique
8. December 2, 2008 - Aggressive lowering of cholesterol has positive impact in atherosclerosis
9. December 3, 2008 - Binge-drinking may raise stroke risk
10. December 3, 2008 - Some 'Good Cholesterol' Is Actually Bad, Study Shows - also here
11. December 3, 2008 - Mini Heart Attacks Lessen Damage From Major Ones - also here, here
12. December 5, 2008 - Fruit Fly Research May Lead To Better Understanding Of Human Heart Disease - also here, here
13. December 5, 2008 - Study finds treatment fails to improve common form of heart failure - also here, here
14. December 5, 2008 - Apple or pear shape is not main culprit to heart woes - it's liver fat - also here, here

Malaria

1. December 1, 2008 - Novartis malaria drug safe, effective: FDA

Avian flu

1. December 1, 2008 - New Vaccines Protect Against Asian H5N1 Influenza A Viruses In Domestic Ducks
2. December 2, 2008 - Bird flu makes mallards thin, study finds

Diabetes

1. December 1, 2008 - Vitamin K Linked To Insulin Resistance In Older Men
2. December 4, 2008 - More Data On Key Genes In Diabetes
3. December 4, 2008 - Genetic Screening No Better Than Traditional Risk Factors For Predicting Type 2 Diabetes
4. December 5, 2008 - New Screening Tool To Identify Patients With Prediabetes - also here, here

Cancer

1. December 1, 2008 - Prostate cancer spurs new nerves - also here, here
2. December 1, 2008 - Study unmasks how ovarian tumors evade immune system - also here, here
3. December 1, 2008 - Breast cancer in men: Mammography and sonography findings - also here
4. December 1, 2008 - Dual-head gamma camera increases ability to detect breast tumors not seen on mammography - also here
5. December 1, 2008 - IDO2 an active enzyme to target in pancreatic cancer
6. December 2, 2008 - Pooled Data Towards Cervical Cancer Cure
7. December 2, 2008 - HER2 Levels May Aid In Treatment Selection For Metastatic Breast Cancer - also here, here
8. December 2, 2008 - Delays In Radiation Therapy Lead To Increased Breast Cancer Recurrence, Analysis Shows - also here, here
9. December 2, 2008 - Eating Eggs When Pregnant Affects Breast Cancer In Offspring - also here
10. December 2, 2008 - New mammography technology effective in detecting breast cancer - also here, here
11. December 2, 2008 - Ovarian cancer subtypes are different diseases: Implications for biomarker studies - also here
12. December 2, 2008 - Gene 'may ward off lung cancer'
13. December 3, 2008 - Cervical cancer chemo easier on black women: study
14. December 3, 2008 - Study Supports New Standard Of Treatment For Women With Advanced Ovarian Cancer - also here, here
15. December 3, 2008 - Scientists Home In On Origins Of Childhood Kidney Cancer
16. December 3, 2008 - Drop In Cancer Deaths Tied Primarily To Gains In Behavior And Screening - also here, here
17. December 3, 2008 - Gene Which Protects Against Lung Cancer Identified - also here
18. December 3, 2008 - Screening For Colorectal Cancer Detects Unrecognized Disease
19. December 3, 2008 - New breast imaging technology targets hard-to-detect cancers - also here, here
20. December 3, 2008 - Prostate cancer drug reduces testosterone levels in as little as 3 days - also here
21. December 3, 2008 - Broccoli compound targets key enzyme in late-stage cancer - also here
22. December 3, 2008 - Best treatments for long-term survival in brain tumor patients identified
23. December 4, 2008 - Study sheds light on breast cancer drug failure
24. December 4, 2008 - European origin may up Latinas' breast cancer risk
25. December 4, 2008 - Potential New Drug Target For Chronic Leukemia
26. December 4, 2008 - Preoperative Radiation May Improve Survival Rates In Advanced Rectal Cancer Patients - also here, here
27. December 4, 2008 - Novel basis identified for tamoxifen failure - also here
28. December 5, 2008 - Genetic Breakdown In Fanconi Anemia May Have Link To HPV-associated Cancer - also here, here
29. December 5, 2008 - Blood Scanner Detects Even Faint Indicators Of Cancer - also here, here
30. December 5, 2008 - Photoacoustics useful in cancer research
31. December 6, 2008 - Genentech drug boosts leukemia patient survival
32. December 6, 2008 - Novel Treatments Show Improvements In Survival And Response Rates For Leukemia And Lymphoma - also here
33. December 7, 2008 - Compound lights up spreading cancer cells
34. December 7, 2008 - Research On The Effects Of Stem Cell Source And Patient Age On Transplantation Outcomes - also here
35. December 7, 2008 - Lenalidomide Safe As Single Therapy For Elderly Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Patients, Study Suggests - also here
36. December 7, 2008 - European Ancestry Increases Breast Cancer Risk Among Latinas - also here
37. December 7, 2008 - PET Is Most Powerful Imaging Tool In Cancer Management, Nationwide Study Confirms - also here
38. December 7, 2008 - New Drug For Skin Cancer Approaching Commercialization
39. December 7, 2008 - Older Age Doesn't Affect Survival After Bone Marrow Transplant - also here

Schizophrenia

1. December 1, 2008 - New study shows potential of rational drug design in schizophrenia
2. December 2, 2008 - Experimental Drug May Address Working Memory Impairments That Occur In Schizophrenia

Cancer biology

1. December 1, 2008 - Surprise discovery made in cancer research
2. December 3, 2008 - Curbing Hormones' Effects In Obese Patients Could Aid Against Breast Cancer - also here
3. December 4, 2008 - Gene Required For Radiation-induced Protective Pigmentation Also Promotes Survival Of Melanoma Cells
4. December 4, 2008 - Researchers Discover New Enzyme in Cancer Growth - also here, here
5. December 4, 2008 - Single cancer cell 'poses danger'
6. December 5, 2008 - Gene packaging tells story of cancer development - also here, here

Multiple sclerosis

1. December 1, 2008 - Protection from the own immune system
2. December 3, 2008 - Multiple sclerosis seen associated with headache
3. December 3, 2008 - Vaccine Against Multiple Sclerosis? Mouse Experiment Yields Promising Results

Prions

1. December 2, 2008 - Is An Anchor Responsible For Mad Cow Disease (BSE) Infections?
2. December 4, 2008 - Fat Cells Also Linked to Prion Infection
3. December 5, 2008 - Prion infectivity found in white and brown fat tissues of mice - also here
4. December 6, 2008 - New Mouse Model Of Prion Disease: Mutant Proteins Result In Infectious Prion Disease In Mice - also here, here

Depression and body fat disribution

1. December 2, 2008 - Symptoms Of Depression Associated With Increase In Abdominal Fat - also here

Adropin and fat metabolism

1. December 2, 2008 - Secreted protein sends signal that fat is on the way - also here

Nanobiotechnology

1. December 2, 2008 - Magnetic nanotags allow sensitive detection of cancer biomarkers

Obesity

1. December 3, 2008 - Obese children risk thyroid damage
2. December 3, 2008 - Diet May Regulate Obesity Health Risks, But Genes Decide, Says New Research
3. December 4, 2008 - Pediatric Obesity May Alter Thyroid Function And Structure - also here, here
4. December 4, 2008 - Child obesity 'may harm thyroid'

Cancer stem cells

1. December 3, 2008 - Melanoma in mice casts doubt on scarcity of cancer stem cells
2. December 3, 2008 - Scientists probe limits of 'cancer stem-cell model'; Melanoma does not fit the model - also here

Hepatitis C

1. December 3, 2008 - Treatment For Advanced Hepatitis C Doesn't Work, Researchers Find - also here
2. December 4, 2008 - No benefit of extended hepatitis C therapy for some
3. December 5, 2008 - Interferon as long-term treatment for hepatitis C not effective, report HALT-C researchers - also here, here

Parkinson's disease

1. December 3, 2008 - Drug Treatment For Parkinson's Disease Can Help Confirm Suspected Diagnosis, Neurologist Says

Depression

1. December 3, 2008 - New Online Test For Depression - also here
2. December 3, 2008 - Nearly 5 Percent Of U.S. Population Suffers From Persistent Depression Or Anxiety - also here, here
3. December 3, 2008 - Web test could help beat the blues

Inflammatory bowel disease

1. December 3, 2008 - Crohn's Disease Surgeries Make Steady Advances

Cell senescence, inflammation, and cancer

1. December 3, 2008 - Cellular senescence a double-edged sword - also here
2. December 5, 2008 - Escape Cancer, But Age Sooner? The Dark Side Of The Tumor Suppressing Process - also here

Differential gene expression and disease

1. December 4, 2008 - New Approach Improves Prioritization Of Disease-associated SNPs - also here

Gene therapy

1. December 4, 2008 - Gene Therapy Corrects Sickle Cell Disease In Laboratory Study - also here, here

Alzheimer's disease

1. December 4, 2008 - Treating Sleep Apnea In Alzheimer's Patients Helps Cognition - also here
2. December 4, 2008 - Dipeptide blocks the formation of toxic amyloid β-peptide aggregates in mice
3. December 5, 2008 - New Study Identifies Link Between Alzheimer's Disease Biomarkers In Healthy Adults - also here, here
4. December 5, 2008 - Maintaining the brain's wiring in aging and disease - also here, here
5. December 7, 2008 - Cold Sore Virus Linked To Alzheimer's Disease: New Treatment, Or Even Vaccine Possible - also here
6. December 8, 2008 - Cold sores 'an Alzheimer's risk'

Stem cells

1. December 4, 2008 - Novel Human Stem Cell-based Model Of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Opens Doors For Rapid Drug Screening - also here
2. December 5, 2008 - New 'Control Knobs' For Stem Cells: Changes In Membrane Voltage Control Timing Of Differentiation - also here, here
3. December 5, 2008 - Dormant Stem Cells For Emergencies - also here, here
4. December 5, 2008 - Bone marrow-derived stem cells may offer novel therapeutic option for skin disorder - also here, here
5. December 5, 2008 - Some blood-system stem cells reproduce more slowly than expected - also here
6. December 6, 2008 - Scientists Prove Endothelial Cells Give Rise To Blood Stem Cells - also here

Drug delivery

1. December 4, 2008 - Tiny 'paddleboat' could ship drugs around the body

Alcohol and omega-3 fatty acids

1. December 5, 2008 - A Little Wine Boosts Omega-3 In The Body: Novel Mechanism For A Healthier Heart Found - also here, here

Inflammation

1. December 5, 2008 - Vitamin E shows possible promise in easing chronic inflammation - also here, here

Lipins and fat metabloism

1. December 5, 2008 - Protein function may hold key to cures

Melatonin and diabetes

1. December 5, 2008 - Clock-gene variants linked to diabetes
2. December 7, 2008 - Body clock linked to diabetes and high blood sugar - also here, here
3. December 7, 2008 - Lack of Sleep Has Genetic Link with Type 2 Diabetes
4. December 8, 2008 - 'Body clock gene' diabetes clue
5. December 8, 2008 - Of Dreams and Diabetes
6. December 8, 2008 - Discovery of new gene associated with diabetes risk suggests link with body clock - also here

Genetics of metabolic indicators

1. December 7, 2008 - The genetic heart of the lipids
2. December 7, 2008 - Genes for 9 health indicators - also here
3. December 7, 2008 - New genes present drug targets for managing cholesterol and glucose levels - also here
4. December 14, 2008 - Eleven New Gene Sites Linked To Cholesterol, Triglyceride Levels - also here
5. December 15, 2008 - New Gene Variants Present Opportunities In Nutrigenomics - also here

Copyright © 2008 by Charles Daney, All Rights Reserved