Volume 8, Number 2 January 12, 2009

Physical sciences and technology Milky Way Milky Way mass Extrasolar planets Hubble parameter Carbon nanotubes Star formation near black holes Graphene Space elevator Brown dwarfs Supernovae Star-forming regions in early galaxies Lorentz invariance Hydrogen production Active galaxies Pulsars Black holes and galaxies Nanotechnology Levitation Cosmic radio background Fuel cells Water on Mars Superconductivity Global warming Gamma-ray bursts Axions and white dwarfs Life sciences Speciation Oxytocin and social cognition Species coexistence RNA polymerase Retroviruses Protein interaction mapping Brain-imaging studies DNA damage detection and repair CLK-1 and aging SIRT6 and NF-κB Ambiguous codons RNA self-catalysis Disease-related bacterial gene transfer Antibody adaptation Apoptosis Human microbiome Ribosome quality-control of proteins Neurogenesis, epigenetics, and memory Kinesin function Sleep and the immune system P53 and cell quiescence Neanderthals Baroreceptors and BDNF Flavoproteins Induced pluripotent stem cells Brain hormone regulation Regulation of fat metabolism Natural killer cells and immunological memory Reverse evolution Health and medicine Cancer biology Cancer Cardiovascular disease Diabetes Parkinson's disease Leptin and obesity Hepatitis A Avian flu Obesity Alzheimer's disease AIDS Anti-inflammatory drugs Age-related cognitive imairment Stem cells Tuberculosis COX2 inflammatory pain inhibition Cancer stem cells Inflammatory bowel disease Autism Nanobiotechnology PPAR-γ and obesity Synthetic HDL

Physical sciences and technology

Milky Way

1. January 5, 2009 - New high-resolution mosaic sharpens understanding of Milky Way's turbulent center
2. January 5, 2009 - Sharpest infrared image of Milky Way's core unveiled
3. January 7, 2009 - Hubble Views Galactic Core In Unprecedented New Detail - also here
4. January 9, 2009 - Astrophysicists Map Milky Way's Four Spiral Arms - also here, here

Milky Way mass

1. January 5, 2009 - Milky Way As Massive As 3 Trillion Suns
2. January 5, 2009 - Surprise! Milky Way Much More Massive
3. January 5, 2009 - Data Uncover Bigger Galaxy in Cosmos, and It's Ours
4. January 5, 2009 - Milky Way - the galaxy - not snack-sized anymore
5. January 5, 2009 - Milky Way 50 Percent Larger, Astronomers Discover
6. January 6, 2009 - Milky Way Doubles Its Mass
7. January 6, 2009 - Milky Way faster and heavier than thought
8. January 6, 2009 - Milky Way 'bigger than thought'
9. January 9, 2009 - Milky Way A Swifter Spinner, More Massive, New Measurements Show - also here

Extrasolar planets

1. January 5, 2009 - Dead Stars Tell Story of Planet Birth - also here
2. January 6, 2009 - Rocky Planet Births Are Common, Dead Stars Suggest
3. January 6, 2009 - Dead Stars Harbor Asteroids
4. January 6, 2009 - Alien asteroid dust hints at Earth-like planets
5. January 6, 2009 - Baby Jupiter's huge weight gain
6. January 7, 2009 - Fast-Forming Planets
7. January 8, 2009 - Magnetic fields could reveal exoplanets
8. January 9, 2009 - Exoplanets Dance in the Same Plane
9. January 9, 2009 - Jupiter-like Planets Could Form Around Twin Suns - also here, here
10. January 11, 2009 - Baby Jupiters Must Gain Weight Fast - also here

Hubble parameter

1. January 5, 2009 - Zeroing in on Hubble's constant

Carbon nanotubes

1. January 5, 2009 - A Better Way to Make Nanotubes
2. January 8, 2009 - Carbon nanotube 'ink' may lead to thinner, lighter transistors and solar cells

Star formation near black holes

1. January 5, 2009 - Surprise Star Formation Found Near Black Hole
2. January 6, 2009 - Tougher Than a Black Hole
3. January 6, 2009 - Stars Forming Just Beyond Black Hole's Grasp At Galactic Center - also here
4. January 8, 2009 - Stars born into Milky Way's violent centre
5. January 12, 2009 - Stellar nursery found close to black hole

Graphene

1. January 5, 2009 - Graphene transistor speeds up - also here

Space elevator

1. January 5, 2009 - Getting into space by broomstick

Brown dwarfs

1. January 6, 2009 - The Mystery of the Missing Brown Dwarfs
2. January 9, 2009 - Brown Dwarfs Don't Hang Out With Stars - also here

Supernovae

1. January 6, 2009 - Evolution, 3-D Animation of Cassiopeia A
2. January 6, 2009 - First 3D image of exploding star
3. January 7, 2009 - Fly Through a Supernova Remnant in 3-D
4. January 7, 2009 - Supernova's ghost caught expanding in new video
5. January 8, 2009 - Cassiopeia A Comes Alive Across Time And Space - also here, here
6. January 8, 2009 - Dead Exploded Star Resurrected in 3-D

Star-forming regions in early galaxies

1. January 6, 2009 - Unusually bright afterglow records what a galaxy was like soon after Big Bang
2. January 7, 2009 - Astronomers use gamma-ray burst to probe star formation in the early universe - also here

Lorentz invariance

1. January 6, 2009 - Possible Abnormality In Fundamental Building Block Of Einstein's Theory Of Relativity - also here
2. January 13, 2009 - Unification could be ripe for the picking

Hydrogen production

1. January 6, 2009 - New hydrogen production method could reduce need for fossil fuels

Active galaxies

1. January 6, 2009 - Active galaxies are different near and far - also here

Pulsars

1. January 6, 2009 - Fermi telescope unveils a dozen new pulsars - also here
2. January 7, 2009 - Many pulsars sport gamma-ray belts
3. January 9, 2009 - Surprising Trove of Gamma-Ray Pulsars
4. January 20, 2009 - Fast-Spinning Stars Get New Image

Black holes and galaxies

1. January 6, 2009 - Black Holes Preceded Galaxies, Discovery Suggests
2. January 7, 2009 - Black holes may precede galaxies, astronomers say
3. January 7, 2009 - In the Young Universe, Black Holes May Have Formed First
4. January 7, 2009 - Did black holes form before galaxies?
5. January 7, 2009 - The Pit in a Galaxy's Peach
6. January 7, 2009 - Which came first: galaxies or black holes?
7. January 7, 2009 - Black Holes Lead Galaxy Growth - also here, here, here
8. January 7, 2009 - Black holes 'preceded galaxies'
9. January 7, 2009 - Black holes grew up before galaxies
10. January 7, 2009 - Study: Black holes seem to form before galaxies
11. January 8, 2009 - Black Holes First, Galaxies Second
12. January 8, 2009 - Monster Black Holes Spawned Early Galaxies
13. January 8, 2009 - Black holes sprout galaxies, not vice versa
14. January 8, 2009 - Chicken-or-Egg Problem: Did Black Holes Form Before the Galaxies That Surround Them?
15. January 19, 2009 - How did early black holes get so big?

Nanotechnology

1. January 6, 2009 - Nanobot lets DNA legs do the walking
2. January 8, 2009 - Researchers control the assembly of nanobristles into helical clusters - also here
3. January 8, 2009 - Gallery: Nanobristles that twist and grip
4. January 9, 2009 - Scientists 'Write' With Atoms Using An Atomic Force Microscope

Levitation

1. January 7, 2009 - U.S. scientists learn how to levitate tiny objects
2. January 7, 2009 - Quantum force gets repulsive
3. January 7, 2009 - Levitation At Microscopic Scale Could Lead To Nanomechanical Devices Based On Quantum Levitation
4. January 7, 2009 - Researchers see exotic force for first time
5. January 7, 2009 - Repulsive quantum effect finally measured
6. January 8, 2009 - Casimir effect goes negative

Cosmic radio background

1. January 7, 2009 - Mystery Roar from Faraway Space Detected
2. January 7, 2009 - Mystery radio signal could be from universe's first stars
3. January 8, 2009 - Tuned In To New Noise from the Cosmos
4. January 8, 2009 - NASA Space Balloon Mission Tunes In To Cosmic Radio Mystery - also here, here
5. January 8, 2009 - Astronomers discover new radio signal using large balloon
6. January 8, 2009 - From far away, signals loud and clearer
7. January 9, 2009 - Scientists May Have Detected the Death Throes of the Universe's First Stars
8. January 10, 2009 - New Cosmic Background Radiation Found
9. January 12, 2009 - Mystery Cosmic Static May Cast Light on Formation of First Stars

Fuel cells

1. January 7, 2009 - World's smallest fuel cell promises greener gadgets

Water on Mars

1. January 8, 2009 - Odd-looking Martian Craters Indicate Hidden Ice

Superconductivity

1. January 8, 2009 - Iron-based superconductors really are different
2. January 9, 2009 - Scientists prove unconventional superconductivity in new iron arsenide compounds - also here, here

Global warming

1. January 8, 2009 - Croplands May Wither as Global Warming Worsens
2. January 10, 2009 - Scientists Refute Argument Of Climate Skeptics - also here
3. January 11, 2009 - Sea Level Rise Of One Meter Within 100 Years - also here, here
4. January 11, 2009 - Massive Greenland meltdown? Not so fast, say scientists

Gamma-ray bursts

1. January 9, 2009 - 11 billion year-old blast from the past captured by UWA Zadko Telescope

Axions and white dwarfs

1. January 10, 2009 - White dwarfs may hide a dark secret

Life sciences

Speciation

1. January 5, 2009 - Pink iguanas unseen by Darwin offer evolution clue
2. January 5, 2009 - Pink Iguana Species Discovered
3. January 5, 2009 - Pink iguana rewrites family tree
4. January 5, 2009 - Darwin missed 'earliest' Galapagos species
5. January 6, 2009 - Pink iguanas discovered on Galapagos Islands
6. January 7, 2009 - Pretty in pink: new iguana discovered
7. January 11, 2009 - Andes' Formation Was A 'Species Pump' For South America

Oxytocin and social cognition

1. January 6, 2009 - Familiar face? "Love" hormone may help, study says
2. January 6, 2009 - Haven't I Seen You Before?
3. January 7, 2009 - Could we reduce love to a pill? Maybe, says expert
4. January 7, 2009 - Is love just a chemical cocktail?
5. January 7, 2009 - Good memory for a face? Thank the love hormone
6. January 9, 2009 - Touching helps couples reduce stress
7. January 9, 2009 - Hormone Improves Human Ability To Recognize Faces But Not Places - also here, here
8. January 13, 2009 - Hormone helps us remember faces

Species coexistence

1. January 6, 2009 - Mathematicians show How Beetles Can Share a Niche

RNA polymerase

1. January 6, 2009 - Biologist Finds Plant Polymerases IV And V Are Really Variants Of Polymerase II - also here, here

Retroviruses

1. January 6, 2009 - Defensive Protein Killed Ancient Primate Retroviruses, Research Suggests

Protein interaction mapping

1. January 6, 2009 - Studies offer guide as protein interaction mapping comes of age - also here

Brain-imaging studies

1. January 7, 2009 - Why Smokers Struggle To Quit: New Findings
2. January 7, 2009 - Brain Circuit Abnormalities May Underlie Bulimia Nervosa In Women - also here

DNA damage detection and repair

1. January 7, 2009 - Mechanisms That Regulate DNA Damage Control And Replication Illuminated - also here
2. January 10, 2009 - Protein's Essential Role In Repairing Damaged Cells Revealed - also here, here

CLK-1 and aging

1. January 7, 2009 - Old Gastrointestinal Drug Slows Aging, Researchers Say - also here, here

SIRT6 and NF-κB

1. January 8, 2009 - Sirtuin Shown To Control Gene Activity
2. January 8, 2009 - Link between 2 aging pathways in mice uncovered - also here

Ambiguous codons

1. January 8, 2009 - Two-faced codon rewrites genetics?
2. January 8, 2009 - Genetic Code Sees Double

RNA self-catalysis

1. January 8, 2009 - A never-ending dance of RNA
2. January 8, 2009 - Artificial molecule evolves in the lab
3. January 9, 2009 - Lifelike growths could be evolutionary find
4. January 10, 2009 - RNA That Replicates Itself Indefinitely Developed For First Time - also here, here

Disease-related bacterial gene transfer

1. January 8, 2009 - Dangerous New Method For Bacterial Toxin Transfer Discovered - also here, here
2. January 9, 2009 - Structure Mediating Spread Of Antibiotic Resistance Identified - also here

Antibody adaptation

1. January 8, 2009 - Our Antibodies Take 'Evolutionary Leaps' To Fight Microbes - also here, here

Apoptosis

1. January 8, 2009 - 'On Switch' For Cell Death Signaling Mechanism Discovered - also here

Human microbiome

1. January 9, 2009 - Understanding Extinct Microbes May Influence The State Of Modern Human Health - also here, here

Ribosome quality-control of proteins

1. January 9, 2009 - The Ribosome: Perfectionist Protein-maker Trashes Errors - also here, here

Neurogenesis, epigenetics, and memory

1. January 9, 2009 - Growth of new brain cells requires 'epigenetic' switch - also here, here

Kinesin function

1. January 9, 2009 - New protein function found - also here, here

Sleep and the immune system

1. January 9, 2009 - A good night's sleep protects against parasites

P53 and cell quiescence

1. January 9, 2009 - Research shows cell's inactive state is critical for effectiveness of cancer treatment - also here, here

Neanderthals

1. January 9, 2009 - Neanderthals might have made good blood donors

Baroreceptors and BDNF

1. January 10, 2009 - New Molecule In Blood-pressure Control System Discovered - also here

Flavoproteins

1. January 10, 2009 - Researchers First to 'See' Reactive Oxygen Species in Vital Enzyme - also here, here

Induced pluripotent stem cells

1. January 11, 2009 - Converting Adult Somatic Cells To Pluripotent Stem Cells Using A Single Virus - also here, here

Brain hormone regulation

1. January 11, 2009 - Protein that regulates hormones critical to women's health found in pituitary - also here, here

Regulation of fat metabolism

1. January 11, 2009 - Disabling enzyme allows mice to gorge without becoming obese, new study finds - also here, here

Natural killer cells and immunological memory

1. January 11, 2009 - Immune system: 'Natural killers' have a memory too
2. January 12, 2009 - How killer cells remember

Reverse evolution

1. January 11, 2009 - Reverse evolution in real-time - also here, here

Health and medicine

Cancer biology

1. January 5, 2009 - Cancer cells 'cheat suicide call'
2. January 5, 2009 - Scientists find a gene that makes cancer spread
3. January 5, 2009 - Gene tied to spread of breast cancer is found, study says
4. January 7, 2009 - Cell Biologists Identify New Tumor Suppressor For Lung Cancer - also here, here
5. January 8, 2009 - Researchers identify novel regulatory mechanism in inflammatory signaling of immune cells
6. January 9, 2009 - 'Relocation' Plan Of Metastatic Cancer Cells Uncovered - also here
7. January 9, 2009 - Breast Cancer Gene Linked To Disease Spread Discovered - also here, here
8. January 9, 2009 - Structure Of Key Breast Cancer Target Enzyme Unraveled - also here

Cancer

1. January 5, 2009 - Study sheds light on deadly childhood cancer
2. January 6, 2009 - Coffee may protect against oral cancers
3. January 6, 2009 - Diet tied to survival in breast cancer patients
4. January 6, 2009 - Obesity Linked To Elevated Risk Of Ovarian Cancer - also here, here
5. January 6, 2009 - Vitamins get 'F' in cancer prevention
6. January 7, 2009 - Study unlocks mystery of child leukemia relapse
7. January 7, 2009 - Breast cancer in men often detected late
8. January 7, 2009 - European boost for particle therapy
9. January 7, 2009 - Absence Of CLP Protein Can Be Indicative Of Oral Cancer - also here
10. January 7, 2009 - New Insight Into Aggressive Childhood Cancer - also here
11. January 7, 2009 - New Hope For Cancer Comes Straight From The Heart - also here, here
12. January 7, 2009 - Gene Abnormality Found To Predict Childhood Leukemia Relapse - also here
13. January 7, 2009 - Melanoma doubles risk of new cancer: study
14. January 7, 2009 - Skin cancer 'ups new cancer risk'
15. January 7, 2009 - Study Links Obesity to Ovarian Cancer
16. January 8, 2009 - Hormone therapy may cut colorectal cancer risk
17. January 8, 2009 - Hormone therapy associated with reduced colorectal cancer risk - also here, here
18. January 8, 2009 - Prognostic Test for Breast Cancer May Not Detect All Tumor Types
19. January 8, 2009 - Chemopreventive Agents In Black Raspberries Identified - also here, here
20. January 8, 2009 - Maslinic acid provides a natural defense against colon cancer
21. January 8, 2009 - Novel prostate cancer vaccine taking aim at cancer cell 'sweet spot'
22. January 9, 2009 - Young Blood Fights Cancer
23. January 9, 2009 - Why bladder cancer is deadlier for some - also here, here
24. January 10, 2009 - Molecular Imaging Enables Earlier, Individualized Treatment Of Thyroid Cancer
25. January 10, 2009 - Olive Skins Provide Natural Defense Against Colon Cancer, Study Suggests
26. January 10, 2009 - High insulin levels raise risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women - also here, here
27. January 11, 2009 - Researchers discover new genes that fuse in cancer - also here
28. January 11, 2009 - Implant raises cellular army to attack cancer

Cardiovascular disease

1. January 5, 2009 - Heart Blockage: Practical Tool For Physicians, Patients, Payers Offered - also here, here
2. January 5, 2009 - Similar long-term mortality risks in men with type 2 diabetes and men with cardiovascular disease
3. January 6, 2009 - Study shows how sleep apnea may cause stroke
4. January 6, 2009 - Study Helps Explain Connection Between Sleep Apnea, Stroke And Death - also here, here
5. January 7, 2009 - Viagra's Other Talents: Help A 'Signaling' Protein Shield The Heart From High Blood Pressure Damage - also here
6. January 7, 2009 - Traditional Risk Assessment Tools Do Not Accurately Predict Coronary Heart Disease - also here
7. January 8, 2009 - Longer sleep tied to worse cholesterol in seniors
8. January 8, 2009 - New Tests Needed To Predict Cardiovascular Problems In Older People More Accurately - also here, here
9. January 8, 2009 - Older Women Who Are More Physically Fit Have Better Cognitive Function - also here, here
10. January 8, 2009 - FDA backs Vytorin after finishing study review
11. January 9, 2009 - Angina: New Drug Gets Right To The Heart Of The Problem - also here
12. January 10, 2009 - Artery highlighter could reveal heart attack risk
13. January 10, 2009 - 'Stroke Belt' Deaths Tied To Non-traditional Risk Factors - also here

Diabetes

1. January 6, 2009 - Adult-onset Diabetes Slows Mental Functioning In Several Ways, With Deficits Appearing Early - also here
2. January 7, 2009 - Hope of insulin cell transplant
3. January 8, 2009 - Low-carb Diets Prove Better At Controlling Type 2 Diabetes - also here, here

Parkinson's disease

1. January 6, 2009 - Study backs deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's
2. January 6, 2009 - Parkinson's Brain Surgery Works in Older Patients, Too
3. January 6, 2009 - Brain pacemaker helps Parkinson's, but with risks
4. January 9, 2009 - Deep Brain Stimulation Treatment For Advanced Parkinson's Disease Patients Provides Benefits, Risks - also here
5. January 11, 2009 - Brain disorder suggests common mechanism may underlie many neurodegenerative diseases - also here, here

Leptin and obesity

1. January 6, 2009 - Study raises hope for obesity treatment
2. January 10, 2009 - Obesity: Reviving The Promise Of Leptin - also here, here

Hepatitis A

1. January 6, 2009 - Hepatitis A vaccine gives long-lasting protection

Avian flu

1. January 6, 2009 - China confirms woman died of bird flu in Beijing
2. January 6, 2009 - Bird flu re-emerges in China and Vietnam, one dead
3. January 7, 2009 - China finds no bird flu outbreak after new death
4. January 7, 2009 - China issues bird flu alert after woman dies
5. January 7, 2009 - Bird flu infects poultry in 2nd province in Vietnam
6. January 7, 2009 - Study: Excessive use of antiviral drugs could aid deadly flu
7. January 7, 2009 - China alert over bird flu death
8. January 8, 2009 - Vietnam bird flu patient's sister had same symptoms
9. January 8, 2009 - Avian Flu Becoming More Resistant To Antiviral Drugs - also here

Obesity

1. January 6, 2009 - Teens Girls Smoke Now, Pay Later With Larger Waistlines As Adults
2. January 6, 2009 - Study: Exercise Won't Cure Obesity
3. January 8, 2009 - Control Of Blood Vessels A Possible Weapon Against Obesity - also here
4. January 8, 2009 - Six Newly Discovered Genes For Obesity Have A Neural Effect - also here
5. January 9, 2009 - Physical Activity May Not Be Key To Obesity Epidemic - also here

Alzheimer's disease

1. January 6, 2009 - Collagen VI may help protect the brain against Alzheimer's disease - also here
2. January 7, 2009 - Scientists See Brain Aging Before Symptoms Appear - also here
3. January 8, 2009 - New study supports statin's anti-dementia effects
4. January 8, 2009 - Destroying amyloid proteins with lasers - also here, here
5. January 9, 2009 - Alzheimer's risk upped in senior smokers
6. January 10, 2009 - Protein That Protects Against Alzheimer's? - also here
7. January 11, 2009 - Variants in gene on X chromosome associated with increased susceptibility to Alzheimer's - also here, here
8. January 12, 2009 - Women-only gene link to dementia

AIDS

1. January 6, 2009 - Prolonged nevirapine in breast-fed babies prevents HIV infection but leads to drug-resistant HIV - also here, here

Anti-inflammatory drugs

1. January 7, 2009 - Quest For Specific Anti-inflammatory Treatment - also here

Age-related cognitive imairment

1. January 7, 2009 - Source of cognitive decline in aging brains

Stem cells

1. January 8, 2009 - New drug combo may boost stem cell production
2. January 8, 2009 - Testes Stem Cells Can Change Into Other Body Tissues - also here, here
3. January 8, 2009 - 'Scrawny' Gene Keeps Stem Cells Healthy - also here
4. January 8, 2009 - Scientists call up stem cell troops to repair the body using new drug combinations - also here
5. January 8, 2009 - Drugs unlock the body's own stem cell cabinet
6. January 8, 2009 - Revolutionary stem cell therapy boosts body's ability to heal itself
7. January 9, 2009 - Researchers Unlock Molecular Origin of Blood Stem Cells - also here, here
8. January 9, 2009 - Body repair 'could be ramped up'

Tuberculosis

1. January 8, 2009 - Rethinking TB
2. January 8, 2009 - Findings turn events in early TB infection on their head, may lead to new therapy - also here

COX2 inflammatory pain inhibition

1. January 9, 2009 - Nerve Cells In The Brain And Spinal Cord Sense Pain Caused By Physical Insult

Cancer stem cells

1. January 9, 2009 - Scientists Can Now Differentiate Between Healthy Cells And Cancer Cells - also here, here

Inflammatory bowel disease

1. January 9, 2009 - For fats, longer may not be better - also here, here
2. January 10, 2009 - Gene That Increases Susceptibility To Crohn's Disease Discovered - also here

Autism

1. January 9, 2009 - New Study: Autism Linked to Environment
2. January 11, 2009 - California's Autism Increase Not Due To Better Counting, Diagnosis - also here, here

Nanobiotechnology

1. January 10, 2009 - Smaller, Brighter Probe Tailored For Molecular Imaging And Tumor Targeting Created

PPAR-γ and obesity

1. January 11, 2009 - On A High-fat Diet, Protective Gene Variant Becomes Bad Actor - also here

Synthetic HDL

1. January 11, 2009 - Synthetic HDL: New Weapon To Fight Cholesterol Problems - also here, here
2. January 12, 2009 - Researchers make synthetic HDL cholesterol: study

Copyright © 2009 by Charles Daney, All Rights Reserved