Volume 8, Number 20 May 18, 2009

Physical sciences and technology Planck and Herschel telescopes Virtual reality Hydrogen storage Global warming Equivalence principle test Ocean circulation Graphene Nanotechnology Water on Mars Blazars Quantum computing Terahertz technology Extrasolar planets Carbon nanotubes K-T mass extinction Superconductivity Graphene-carbon nanotubes Silicates in protoplanetary disks James Webb Space Telescope Artificial intelligence Robotics Fuel cells Active galaxies Cosmic rays Sea level rise Mott insulators Dark matter Quantum spin Hall effect Inflation and gravitational waves Life sciences Belligerence and reproductive success Evolutionary developmental biology Smallpox, NF-κB, and the immune sytem Photosynthesis Archaebacteria Genomics Cancer genomics Exobiology Estrogen, caspase-12, and inflammatory response Mitochondrial defects Origins of RNA Microbial small RNA Neanderthals Interleukin-21 and T cell crosstalk Epigenetics WIP1, NF-κB, and inflammation MicroRNA and embryonic development Circadian rhythm Mitochondiral dysfunction and aging Viroids Neuroscience, psychology, and behavior Daydreaming and problem solving Brain-imaging studies FGF2 and anxiety Movement and problem solving Decision making and learning Schizophrenia Cocaine, addiction, sirtuins, the nucleus accumbens, and gene expression Animal intelligence Sonic hedgehog and axon development Health and medicine Cancer Cancer biology Cardiovascular disease Tissue engineering Diabetes Stem cells Alzheimer's disease Gene therapy Vaccines Mathematical modeling of cancer MicroRNA and cancer T cell exhaustion, AIDS, and hepatitis C Modeling immune response to influenza Resveratrol Parkinson's disease Obesity Avian flu Polypharmacology AIDS Cancer stem cells Tuberculosis SiRNA drug delivery

Physical sciences and technology

Planck and Herschel telescopes

1. May 11, 2009 - Telescopes set to launch
2. May 11, 2009 - Planck Satellite ready to measure the Big Bang
3. May 11, 2009 - Supercooled and supersized technologies aboard Herschel and Planck
4. May 12, 2009 - Telescopes to probe the dawn of time
5. May 12, 2009 - Planck 'Time Machine' to Study Big Bang
6. May 12, 2009 - Powerful Herschel Telescope to See Cold, Early Universe
7. May 12, 2009 - New European Telescopes to Peer into Obscure Cosmic Corners
8. May 13, 2009 - Let the Planet Hunt Begin
9. May 13, 2009 - Herschel And Planck Flight Dynamics: It Really Is Rocket Science
10. May 13, 2009 - Two Spacecraft Set to Probe the Early Universe's Mysteries
11. May 14, 2009 - Planck and Herschel to Probe Inflation and Starbirth
12. May 14, 2009 - Ariane rocket launches two space observatories
13. May 14, 2009 - Herschel and Planck space telescopes lift off
14. May 14, 2009 - Calar Alto Mirrors In Space
15. May 14, 2009 - Europe launches cosmic explorers
16. May 14, 2009 - Telescopes ready for rocket ride
17. May 14, 2009 - Lift-off for European telescopes
18. May 14, 2009 - Two pioneering telescopes blast into space
19. May 15, 2009 - Space trio to give sharper view of cosmos
20. May 15, 2009 - Herschel, Planck cosmic explorers in flight: stunning images from ground and space
21. May 15, 2009 - European scientists launch new space telescope
22. May 15, 2009 - Herschel telescope, Planck observatory go into orbit

Virtual reality

1. May 11, 2009 - When virtual reality feels real - also here

Hydrogen storage

1. May 11, 2009 - High-pressure compound could be key to hydrogen-powered vehicles - also here

Global warming

1. May 11, 2009 - Scientists: No link cloud coverage and global warming - also here
2. May 12, 2009 - Any way you slice it, warming climate is affecting Cascades snowpack - also here
3. May 13, 2009 - Global Warming Inadvertently Curbed In Past By Lead Pollution, Scientists Find
4. May 14, 2009 - A new insight into the decline of the Arctic sea ice cover - also here
5. May 17, 2009 - First direct observations of biological particles in high-altitude ice clouds - also here
6. May 18, 2009 - Cloud ice crystals carry biological matter: research
7. May 18, 2009 - Researchers find bacteria in clouds

Equivalence principle test

1. May 11, 2009 - Equivalence principle in space test - also here

Ocean circulation

1. May 11, 2009 - Unique Survey Of Ocean Climate May Improve Climate Predictions
2. May 13, 2009 - Ocean Circulation Doesn't Work As Expected - also here
3. June 1, 2009 - Arctic seawater flows south along an unexpected route

Graphene

1. May 11, 2009 - Faster Computers, Electronic Devices Possible After Scientists Create Large-area Graphene On Copper
2. May 11, 2009 - Large graphene samples could boost carbon electronics
3. May 14, 2009 - Graphene Yields Secrets to Its Extraordinary Properties - also here
4. May 17, 2009 - Enabling graphene-based technology via chemical functionalization

Nanotechnology

1. May 11, 2009 - New Nanocrystals Show Potential For Cheap Lasers, New Lighting
2. May 14, 2009 - Discovery of non-blinking semiconductor nanocrystals advances their applications - also here
3. May 15, 2009 - Putting Photons to Work
4. May 15, 2009 - Self-assembly Of Building Blocks Of DNA Can Now Be Easily Controlled

Water on Mars

1. May 12, 2009 - Recent Rivers on the Red Planet
2. May 14, 2009 - Rivers Might Have Flowed Recently on Mars

Blazars

1. May 12, 2009 - Blazars shed light on black hole physics

Quantum computing

1. May 12, 2009 - Ion trap quantum computing

Terahertz technology

1. May 12, 2009 - Terahertz Waves Are Effective Probes For Integrated Circuit Heat Barriers

Extrasolar planets

1. May 12, 2009 - New Way Of Reading Light With Help Locate Earth-like Planets Around Other Stars
2. May 15, 2009 - Kepler Spacecraft Begins Search For Other Earth-like Worlds

Carbon nanotubes

1. May 12, 2009 - Nano-lamp illuminates quantum-classical boundary
2. May 14, 2009 - Controllable double quantum dots and Klein tunneling in nanotubes
3. May 14, 2009 - New Nanotube Coating Enables Novel Laser Power Meter

K-T mass extinction

1. May 13, 2009 - Asteroid impact may have gassed Earth

Superconductivity

1. May 13, 2009 - Europium discovery: New element found to be a superconductor - also here
2. May 20, 2009 - Europium's superconductivity demonstrated

Graphene-carbon nanotubes

1. May 13, 2009 - Researchers develop new method for producing transparent conductors - also here

Silicates in protoplanetary disks

1. May 13, 2009 - Spitzer Catches Star Cooking Up Comet Crystals - also here
2. May 13, 2009 - Comet crystals created in stellar burps

James Webb Space Telescope

1. May 13, 2009 - James Webb Space Telescope unfolds by animation

Artificial intelligence

1. May 13, 2009 - Game theory and machine learning offer better bidding strategies

Robotics

1. May 13, 2009 - Lost robot crosses city by asking directions
2. May 14, 2009 - Robot Navigates City by Asking for Directions

Fuel cells

1. May 14, 2009 - Cheaper fuel cell catalyst
2. May 14, 2009 - Going platinum: New catalyst could boost cleaner fuel use - also here

Active galaxies

1. May 14, 2009 - An Intriguing, Glowing Galaxy

Cosmic rays

1. May 14, 2009 - Cosmic-ray electron spectrum

Sea level rise

1. May 14, 2009 - Melting threat from West Antarctic Ice Sheet less than previously believed - also here
2. May 14, 2009 - Antarctic input to rising oceans 'overestimated'
3. May 14, 2009 - Ice sheet melt threat reassessed
4. May 14, 2009 - Flood risk from Antarctic ice 'overestimated'
5. May 14, 2009 - Study Halves Prediction of Rising Seas
6. May 14, 2009 - Researchers scale back forecast of sea level rise

Mott insulators

1. May 14, 2009 - Mott insulator stores light

Dark matter

1. May 15, 2009 - Dark Matter or Pulsars? Fermi is on the Case

Quantum spin Hall effect

1. May 15, 2009 - Super-efficient Transistor Material Predicted

Inflation and gravitational waves

1. May 15, 2009 - QUIET team to deploy new gravity-wave probe in June

Life sciences

Belligerence and reproductive success

1. May 11, 2009 - Making war not love
2. May 11, 2009 - Sometimes, Nice Guys Finish First
3. May 11, 2009 - Warriors do not always get the girl - also here

Evolutionary developmental biology

1. May 11, 2009 - Dogs, maybe not, but old genes can learn new tricks

Smallpox, NF-κB, and the immune sytem

1. May 11, 2009 - Scientists discover how smallpox may derail human immune system - also here

Photosynthesis

1. May 11, 2009 - Pliable proteins keep photosynthesis on the light path

Archaebacteria

1. May 11, 2009 - New Species Thrives In Extremely High Temperature And Pressure

Genomics

1. May 11, 2009 - Random Picks Better Than Complicated Process In Gene Identification

Cancer genomics

1. May 12, 2009 - Exome sequencing takes centre stage in cancer profiling

Exobiology

1. May 12, 2009 - Life in the universe? Almost certainly. Intelligence? Maybe not
2. May 16, 2009 - Telescopes poised to spot air-breathing aliens

Estrogen, caspase-12, and inflammatory response

1. May 12, 2009 - Women have a more powerful immune system than men - also here
2. May 13, 2009 - Women 'fight off disease better'

Mitochondrial defects

1. May 12, 2009 - Gene May 'Bypass' Disease-linked Mitochondrial Defects

Origins of RNA

1. May 13, 2009 - How RNA got started
2. May 13, 2009 - RNA world easier to make
3. May 13, 2009 - Life's First Spark Re-Created in the Laboratory
4. May 13, 2009 - Chemist Shows How RNA Can Be the Starting Point for Life
5. May 13, 2009 - Chemists see first building blocks to life on Earth
6. May 13, 2009 - Molecule of life emerges from laboratory slime
7. May 14, 2009 - New clue to origins of life on Earth

Microbial small RNA

1. May 13, 2009 - Big ocean, small RNAs
2. May 13, 2009 - RNA surprise with microbial ocean catch
3. May 14, 2009 - Small RNAs yield great amounts of data from ocean microbe samples - also here

Neanderthals

1. May 14, 2009 - Neandertals sophisticated and fearless hunters - also here

Epigenetics

1. May 14, 2009 - Scientists develop tool to study a deadly parasite’s histone code

WIP1, NF-κB, and inflammation

1. May 14, 2009 - Key protein regulating inflammation may prove relevant to controlling sepsis - also here

MicroRNA and embryonic development

1. May 15, 2009 - For different species, different functions for embryonic microRNAs - also here

Circadian rhythm

1. May 15, 2009 - Circadian rhythms studies reveal new temperature regulator and track clock protein across a day - also here

Mitochondiral dysfunction and aging

1. May 15, 2009 - Role for CISD2 gene in human disease and lifespan control - also here

Viroids

1. May 17, 2009 - Viroids: Molecular Vestiges Of The RNA World

Neuroscience, psychology, and behavior

Daydreaming and problem solving

1. May 11, 2009 - Brain's problem-solving function at work when we daydream - also here
2. May 13, 2009 - Daydreamers might solve problems faster
3. May 13, 2009 - Surprise! Daydreaming Really Works the Brain
4. May 14, 2009 - Daydreamers might solve problems faster

Brain-imaging studies

1. May 12, 2009 - Meditation increases brain gray matter - also here
2. May 12, 2009 - Age-related difficulty recognizing words predicted by brain differences
3. May 14, 2009 - Can you see the emotions I hear? Study says yes - also here
4. May 14, 2009 - Emotional speech leaves 'signature' on the brain
5. May 15, 2009 - Brain's organization switches as children become adults - also here

FGF2 and anxiety

1. May 12, 2009 - Brain chemical may play key role in anxiety
2. May 12, 2009 - Brain chemical reduces anxiety, increases survival of new cells - also here

Movement and problem solving

1. May 12, 2009 - Body movements can influence problem solving - also here

Decision making and learning

1. May 13, 2009 - Brain research shows past experience is invaluable for complex decision making - also here

Schizophrenia

1. May 13, 2009 - Cognition already seriously impaired in first episode of schizophrenia - also here

Cocaine, addiction, sirtuins, the nucleus accumbens, and gene expression

1. May 13, 2009 - Cocaine-linked genes enhance behavioral effects of addiction - also here

Animal intelligence

1. May 14, 2009 - Monkeys found to wonder what might have been - also here
2. May 14, 2009 - Monkeys Ponder What Could Have Been

Sonic hedgehog and axon development

1. May 15, 2009 - Identification of a key molecular pathway required for brain neural circuit formation - also here

Health and medicine

Cancer

1. May 11, 2009 - Weight 'fuels preventable cancer'
2. May 11, 2009 - City-dwellers have higher risk of late-stage cancer than rural residents - also here
3. May 11, 2009 - Study finds iron levels not predictive of survival for form of blood cancer - also here
4. May 11, 2009 - Surgery improves survival for prostate cancer patients younger than 50 - also here
5. May 12, 2009 - Formaldehyde raises risk of deadly cancers: study
6. May 12, 2009 - Abnormal cells in cervix raise cancer risk: study
7. May 12, 2009 - Women with previous abnormal cervical cells at higher risk for recurrence and invasive cancer - also here
8. May 12, 2009 - Worldwide success in treatment of liver tumors - also here
9. May 12, 2009 - Compact cancer-therapy particle-delivery system patented
10. May 12, 2009 - Genetic Research Work Opens Up New Horizons To The Design Of Customized Medicines Against Breast Cancer
11. May 12, 2009 - Study links formaldehyde to more common cancers
12. May 13, 2009 - Early Xeloda does not help in breast cancer: study
13. May 13, 2009 - Novel therapy may prove effective in treatment of 30 percent of cancers - also here
14. May 13, 2009 - Implant monitors tumors
15. May 13, 2009 - Study shows chemotherapy improves survival among older breast cancer patients - also here
16. May 13, 2009 - Lymphovascular Invasion Is Not An Independent Risk Factor For Breast Cancer Recurrence
17. May 13, 2009 - Hope of new prostate cancer test
18. May 13, 2009 - E.coli 'may stop cancer recovery'
19. May 14, 2009 - Wart virus makes for less deadly cancer: study
20. May 14, 2009 - Immunotherapy effective against neuroblastoma in children - also here
21. May 14, 2009 - Survival predictors may help customize treatment options for men with metastatic prostate cancer - also here
22. May 14, 2009 - Gene Signature May Predict Patient Response To Therapy For Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors
23. May 14, 2009 - Formaldehyde Exposure Associated With Risk Of Blood And Lymph System Malignancies
24. May 14, 2009 - Test may help predict colon cancer recurrence risk
25. May 15, 2009 - Study first to evaluate prevalence, impact of off label chemotherapy in breast cancer - also here
26. May 15, 2009 - Long-term study shows low oxygen levels in prostate tumors can predict recurrence
27. May 15, 2009 - Drug that targets vasculature growth attacks aggressive thyroid cancer - also here
28. May 15, 2009 - Two targeted therapies likely better than one in patients with aggressive lymphoma - also here
29. May 15, 2009 - Triple drug combination is promising option to treat metastatic HER2+ breast cancer
30. May 15, 2009 - Genetic marker may predict early onset of prostate cancer - also here
31. May 17, 2009 - Derivative Of Red Sea Coral May Fight Skin Cancer

Cancer biology

1. May 11, 2009 - A new epigenetic cancer
2. May 11, 2009 - Study identifies genetic cause of most common form of breast cancer - also here
3. May 12, 2009 - New research on the 'guardian of the genome'
4. May 12, 2009 - Molecular structure could help explain albinism, melanoma - also here
5. May 12, 2009 - Scientists identify gene in breast cancer pathway - also here
6. May 14, 2009 - Good fences make good neighbors - also here
7. May 14, 2009 - A surprise 'spark' for pre-cancerous colon polyps - also here

Cardiovascular disease

1. May 11, 2009 - Protein may be key to preventing aneurysms: study
2. May 11, 2009 - Heart protein regulates blood vessel maintenance
3. May 11, 2009 - Walking often and far reduces risks in heart patients - also here
4. May 11, 2009 - Women who follow blood pressure-lowering diet have reduced risk for heart failure
5. May 11, 2009 - Less than 1 in 5 heart problems are diagnosed before symptoms appear - also here
6. May 11, 2009 - Major New Treatment Target In Diseased Arteries
7. May 11, 2009 - Why Females Do Not Fare As Well As Men In Undergoing Angioplasty For Heart Attacks
8. May 11, 2009 - Palm Oil Not A Healthy Substitute For Trans Fats, Study Finds
9. May 12, 2009 - Decline in HRT use tied to fewer heart attacks
10. May 12, 2009 - Aspirin appears to help lower risk of stroke for patients with peripheral artery disease
11. May 12, 2009 - Women More Likely To Experience Non-Traditional Stroke Symptoms
12. May 12, 2009 - More Evidence For The Benefit Of Exercise In Cardiovascular Disease -- And Even In Heart Failure
13. May 13, 2009 - New research confirms milestone study on blood pressure meds - also here
14. May 13, 2009 - System That Regulates Blood Pressure Is Amiss In Some Healthy, Young African-Americans
15. May 14, 2009 - Heating heart with catheter better than drugs for common heart rhythm disorder
16. May 14, 2009 - Drug-eluting Stents Prove More Effective, Equally As Safe As Bare-metal Stents
17. May 14, 2009 - New EEG Trace Interpretation Method Predicts Neurological Recovery Of Cardiac Arrest Patients
18. May 14, 2009 - Heart Protein Regulates Blood Vessel Maintenance
19. May 15, 2009 - Common virus may cause high blood pressure: study
20. May 15, 2009 - Common virus could cause high blood pressure - also here
21. May 15, 2009 - Long-term study results validate efficacy of CT scans for chest pain diagnosis
22. May 15, 2009 - Diet Prescribed To Lower Blood Pressure Also Reduces Women's Risk Of Heart Failure
23. May 15, 2009 - Low And High Levels Of Hormone In Men With Heart Failure Associated With Increased Risk Of Death
24. May 15, 2009 - Aspirin Appears To Help Lower Risk Of Stroke For Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease
25. May 17, 2009 - Women With Hard To Diagnose Chest Pain Symptoms At Higher Risk For Cardiovascular Events

Tissue engineering

1. May 11, 2009 - New tissue scaffold regrows cartilage and bone - also here

Diabetes

1. May 11, 2009 - New evidence of how high glucose damages blood vessels - also here
2. May 11, 2009 - African Tea Offers Promising Treatment For Type-2 Diabetes
3. May 12, 2009 - Type 2 diabetes raises risk of pancreatitis: study
4. May 13, 2009 - Cardiac anomalies seen in poorly controlled diabetes
5. May 14, 2009 - Type 2 Diabetes Rears Its Ugly Head Long Before Diagnosis
6. May 14, 2009 - Old diabetes drug teaches experts new tricks - also here
7. May 14, 2009 - Blood Glucose Control More Important For Patients With Diabetes Than Previously Believed
8. May 15, 2009 - 'Super size' diet increases insulin resistance

Stem cells

1. May 11, 2009 - Bone marrow stem cell co-transplantation prevents embryonic stem cell transplant-associated tumors - also here
2. May 13, 2009 - For blood stem cells, the force is strong
3. May 13, 2009 - Embryo's heartbeat drives blood stem cell formation - also here
4. May 13, 2009 - Blood grows when it flows
5. May 14, 2009 - How an enzyme tells stem cells which way to divide - also here
6. May 14, 2009 - Stem cell transplant in mouse embryo yields heart protection in adulthood - also here
7. May 14, 2009 - Heartbeat key for blood growth in embryos
8. May 15, 2009 - Stem Cell Research Made Safer with Latest Discovery
9. May 19, 2009 - First heartbeats trigger blood formation

Alzheimer's disease

1. May 11, 2009 - Age-related eye disease may be associated with cognitive impairment - also here
2. May 11, 2009 - Compounds in spinal fluid associated with faster decline among individuals with mild dementia - also here
3. May 11, 2009 - How Deadly Pediatric Disorder Develops In Brain: Link To Alzheimer's Could Lead To First Treatment
4. May 11, 2009 - Chemical clue to dementia decline
5. May 13, 2009 - New tool can help predict Alzheimer's risks: study
6. May 13, 2009 - New tool can help predict risk of Alzheimer's in elderly - also here
7. May 13, 2009 - Connections Between Diabetes And Alzheimer's Disease Explored
8. May 13, 2009 - Warning Signs: A New Test to Predict Alzheimer's
9. May 14, 2009 - Is Alzheimer's Disease in Your Future? New Tool May Answer Question
10. May 15, 2009 - Heart disorder Alzheimer's link
11. May 17, 2009 - Heart Disorder Linked To Alzheimer's Disease
12. May 17, 2009 - Keep working 'to avoid dementia'
13. May 17, 2009 - Irregular Heartbeat Tied to Alzheimer's Disease

Gene therapy

1. May 11, 2009 - Immune Cells Hold Back Gene Therapy

Vaccines

1. May 12, 2009 - Analysis of flu virus could lead to better vaccines - also here
2. May 16, 2009 - Rational Design Of Vaccines: A Long But Essential Journey

Mathematical modeling of cancer

1. May 12, 2009 - Tumor Growth Predicted With Mathematical Model

MicroRNA and cancer

1. May 12, 2009 - MiR-196a Promotes The Metastases Of Tumors

T cell exhaustion, AIDS, and hepatitis C

1. May 13, 2009 - Immune exhaustion driven by antigen in chronic viral infection - also here

Modeling immune response to influenza

1. May 13, 2009 - Scientists develop mathematical model to predict the immune response to influenza - also here

Resveratrol

1. May 13, 2009 - Two Glasses Of Wine A Day Helps To Reduce Quantity Of Fat In Liver

Parkinson's disease

1. May 13, 2009 - Medicinal Plant, St John's Wort, May Reduce Neuronal Degeneration Caused By Parkinson's Disease

Obesity

1. May 14, 2009 - Study finds link between individual stress and adolescent obesity - also here

Avian flu

1. May 14, 2009 - Human noses too cold for bird flu
2. May 15, 2009 - Human nose too cold for bird flu, says new study - also here

Polypharmacology

1. May 15, 2009 - Determining success or failure in cholesterol-controlling drugs - also here

AIDS

1. May 16, 2009 - AIDS patients with serious complications benefit from early retroviral use, study shows
2. May 17, 2009 - Engineered antibodies fight AIDS virus in monkeys
3. May 17, 2009 - Novel vaccine approach offers hope in fight against HIV
4. May 17, 2009 - Scientists now trying to outflank HIV/AIDS virus
5. May 18, 2009 - Designer Antibodies Derail Monkey AIDS Virus

Cancer stem cells

1. May 15, 2009 - Study points toward relationship between cancer stem cells and prognosis in primary breast cancer

Tuberculosis

1. May 16, 2009 - LXR Proteins: New Target In The War On Tuberculosis?

SiRNA drug delivery

1. May 17, 2009 - The future of personalized cancer treatment: An entirely new direction for RNAi delivery - also here

Copyright © 2009 by Charles Daney, All Rights Reserved