Volume 8, Number 1 January 5, 2009

Physical sciences and technology Supersolidity Nanotechnology Dark matter Scarcity of dry land 2.5 Gya Superconductivity Ocean acidification Galaxy collisions Quantum memory Squeezing light Large Hadron Collider Water on Mars Star formation in molecular clouds Life sciences Facial expressions of emotion Novelty-seeking and dopamine Neanderthals Speciation Brain-imaging studies Health and medicine Cancer Genetics of 1918 influenza Cardiovascular disease Avian flu Hepatitis C Cancer biology Inflammation Pterostilbene and aging Stem cells Neuron death Nanobiotechnology MicroRNA and cancer Diabetes Alzheimer's disease High-fat diet and circadian rhythm Cognitive impairment and blood glucose levels Gene therapy Parkinson's disease HMGCR and cholesterol Multiple sclerosis Cancer stem cells Inflammatory bowel disease

Physical sciences and technology

Supersolidity

1. December 29, 2008 - How Helium Can Be Solid And Perfect Liquid At Same Time, Now Explained By Computer-assisted Physics

Nanotechnology

1. December 29, 2008 - New 'Nanowelding' Technique for Building Electronic Nanostructures
2. January 2, 2009 - The Gold Standard: Nanoparticles Used To Make 3-D DNA Nanotubes - also here, here
3. January 2, 2009 - Using light to move and trap DNA molecules
4. January 5, 2009 - Nano 'Tractor Beam' Traps DNA

Dark matter

1. December 29, 2008 - Astronomers Aim to Grasp Mysterious Dark Matter

Scarcity of dry land 2.5 Gya

1. December 30, 2008 - Ancient Earth was a barren waterworld

Superconductivity

1. January 1, 2009 - Crystallographers Use Computers To Find New Superconductor

Ocean acidification

1. January 1, 2009 - Ocean Acidification Hits Great Barrier Reef

Galaxy collisions

1. January 2, 2009 - Galaxies' collision history revealed

Quantum memory

1. January 2, 2009 - Scientists Extend the Lifetime of Quantum Memory

Squeezing light

1. January 2, 2009 - Physicists are first to 'squeeze' light to quantum limit - also here, here

Large Hadron Collider

1. January 2, 2009 - Collider head's repair confidence

Water on Mars

1. January 2, 2009 - Mystery stone circles may point to water on Mars

Star formation in molecular clouds

1. January 4, 2009 - New Visualization Techniques Yield Star Formation Insights: Gravity Plays Larger Role Than Thought - also here, here

Life sciences

Facial expressions of emotion

1. December 29, 2008 - Smiles and scowls 'in our genes'
2. December 30, 2008 - Facial Expressions Of Emotion Are Innate, Not Learned - also here, here

Novelty-seeking and dopamine

1. December 30, 2008 - Fewer Dopamine Receptors Makes for Risky Business
2. December 31, 2008 - Risk Takers, Drug Abusers Driven By Decreased Ability To Process Dopamine - also here, here
3. December 31, 2008 - Evidence of 'risk-taking' brain

Neanderthals

1. December 30, 2008 - Competition, Not Climate Change, Led To Neanderthal Extinction, Study Shows - also here, here

Speciation

1. January 1, 2009 - Longstanding Theory Of Origin Of Species In Oceans Challenged

Brain-imaging studies

1. January 4, 2009 - Expectant Brains Help Predict Anxiety Treatment Success - also here, here

Health and medicine

Cancer

1. December 29, 2008 - Lung cancer link to food additive
2. December 29, 2008 - Processed food may fuel lung tumors: Korean study
3. December 29, 2008 - Ovarian Cancer: Obese and non-obese patients have same overall survival - also here, here
4. December 29, 2008 - FDA approves new prostate cancer drug
5. December 30, 2008 - High insulin levels may increase breast cancer risk
6. December 30, 2008 - No cancer risk reductions seen with antioxidants
7. December 30, 2008 - Antioxidants fail again in cancer prevention study
8. December 30, 2008 - Molecule That Targets Brain Tumors Identified - also here, here
9. December 30, 2008 - Common Food Additive Found To Increase Risk And Speed Spread Of Lung Cancer - also here, here
10. December 30, 2008 - Young blood fights cancer
11. December 30, 2008 - Marinating 'may cut cancer risk'
12. December 30, 2008 - Beer marinade cuts steak cancer risk
13. December 31, 2008 - Esophageal cancer linked to osteoporosis drugs
14. December 31, 2008 - Study points to way of stopping lung cancer spread
15. December 31, 2008 - Why Prostate Cancer Patients Fail Hormone Deprivation Therapy - also here
16. December 31, 2008 - New Light On Anti-tumor Mechanisms Of Scutellaria Barbata - also here
17. December 31, 2008 - High Insulin Level Is An Independent Risk Factor For Breast Cancer
18. December 31, 2008 - Grape extract kills cancer cells
19. December 31, 2008 - Test could offer lung cancer clue
20. January 1, 2009 - Surgery underused for esophagus cancer: study
21. January 1, 2009 - Grape-seed Extract Kills Laboratory Leukemia Cells, Proving Value Of Natural Compounds - also here, here
22. January 2, 2009 - Cough medicine ingredient may treat prostate cancer
23. January 2, 2009 - Family History Of Prostate Cancer Does Not Affect Some Treatment Outcomes - also here, here
24. January 2, 2009 - Inherited Factors Play Important Role In Breast Cancer Progression According To New Study In Mice
25. January 2, 2009 - Molecular imaging enables earlier, individualized treatment of thyroid cancer - also here
26. January 4, 2009 - Vitamins C And E And Beta Carotene Again Fail To Reduce Cancer Risk In Randomized Controlled Trial - also here

Genetics of 1918 influenza

1. December 29, 2008 - Researchers unlock secrets of 1918 flu pandemic
2. December 31, 2008 - Genes That Made 1918 Flu Lethal Isolated - also here, here

Cardiovascular disease

1. December 29, 2008 - Key gene linked to high blood pressure identified
2. December 30, 2008 - Common gene variant linked to high blood pressure identified - also here, here
3. December 30, 2008 - High vitamin C linked to lower BP in young women
4. December 30, 2008 - Stroke deaths unexplained by customary risk factors
5. December 30, 2008 - "White-coat" hypertension not benign in diabetics
6. December 30, 2008 - 'Blood pressure gene' affects 20%
7. December 31, 2008 - Headache before stroke more common in migraineurs
8. January 1, 2009 - Smokers with stroke in the family 6 times more likely to have stroke too - also here, here
9. January 3, 2009 - Genetic variation may lead to early cardiovascular disease - also here, here

Avian flu

1. December 29, 2008 - Bird flu found in poultry in northern Vietnam
2. December 30, 2008 - Hong Kong-born baby girl contracts mild form of bird flu
3. January 3, 2009 - India's West Bengal reports fresh bird flu outbreak
4. January 4, 2009 - Bird flu re-surfaces in crowded Indian state
5. January 4, 2009 - New bird flu cases revive fears of human pandemic - also here

Hepatitis C

1. December 29, 2008 - May Hepatic Granulomas Be Part Of The Histological Spectrum Of Chronic Hepatitis C? - also here

Cancer biology

1. December 30, 2008 - Many studies needed to tie genes to cancer: study
2. December 30, 2008 - Inflammation Contributes to Colon Cancer - also here, here, here
3. December 30, 2008 - Few DNA Repair Genes Maintain Association With Cancer In Field Synopsis
4. December 31, 2008 - Small Molecules, Large Effect: How Cancer Cells Ensure Their Survival
5. December 31, 2008 - In lung cancer, silencing one crucial gene disrupts normal functioning of genome - also here, here
6. December 31, 2008 - Lung cancer cells activate inflammation to induce metastasis - also here, here
7. January 2, 2009 - Dormant cancer cells rely on cellular self-cannibalization to survive - also here, here
8. January 3, 2009 - Novel Pathway Involved In Therapy-resistant Cancers Discovered
9. January 3, 2009 - Scientists Pull Protein's Tail To Curtail Cancer - also here

Inflammation

1. December 30, 2008 - Potential New Molecule To Prevent Inflammation

Pterostilbene and aging

1. December 30, 2008 - Berry Compound Reduces Aging Effect

Stem cells

1. December 30, 2008 - Brain Birth Defects Successfully Reversed Through Stem Cell Therapy - also here, here

Neuron death

1. December 30, 2008 - Matrix fragments trigger fatal excitement - also here

Nanobiotechnology

1. December 30, 2008 - Gold nanoparticles for controlled drug delivery - also here
2. January 4, 2009 - Nano device 'times drug release'

MicroRNA and cancer

1. December 30, 2008 - Study links molecule to muscle maturation, muscle cancer - also here

Diabetes

1. December 31, 2008 - Diabetes can slow the brain, study finds
2. January 1, 2009 - Risk of diabetes in pregnancy higher in some women
3. January 1, 2009 - Type 1 Diabetes: Pancreatic Cell Transplants Engineered To Evade Immune Response - also here, here

Alzheimer's disease

1. December 31, 2008 - Moderate Drinking Can Reduce Risks Of Alzheimer's Dementia And Cognitive Decline, Analysis Suggests - also here, here
2. December 31, 2008 - Scientists make strides toward defining genetic signature of Alzheimer's disease - also here

High-fat diet and circadian rhythm

1. December 31, 2008 - Another Reason To Avoid High-fat Diet: It Can Disrupt Our Biological Clock, Say Researchers - also here, here

Cognitive impairment and blood glucose levels

1. December 31, 2008 - Blood Sugar Linked To Normal Cognitive Aging - also here, here

Gene therapy

1. December 31, 2008 - Gene Therapy Reversed Heart Damage In Rats With Heart Failure

Parkinson's disease

1. January 2, 2009 - Toxicity Mechanism Identified For Parkinson's Disease - also here, here

HMGCR and cholesterol

1. January 3, 2009 - Single Letter In Human Genome Points To Risk For High Cholesterol

Multiple sclerosis

1. January 4, 2009 - Immune Molecule Decreases Severity Of Multiple Sclerosis-like Disease In Mice

Cancer stem cells

1. January 4, 2009 - Researchers develop novel glioblastoma mouse model - also here, here

Inflammatory bowel disease

1. January 4, 2009 - New genetic markers for ulcerative colitis identified - also here, here
2. January 9, 2009 - Identification of genetic markers for ulcerative colitis could lead to treatment - also here

Copyright © 2009 by Charles Daney, All Rights Reserved