Volume 8, Number 27 July 6, 2009

Physical sciences and technology String theory and quantum critical states Superconductivity Ωb-minus Brain-computer interface Water on Mars Herschel telescope Carbon nanotubes Earthquakes Distant galaxy clusters Robotic vision Global warming Microfluidics GEMS polarized x-ray mission Midsize black holes Plant regulation of CO2 Binary stars with protoplanetary disks Cold dust map of the Milky Way Grid computing Quantum communication Photovoltaics Photonic transistors M87's black hole Pulsars Quantum cryptography Planck telescope Quantum computing Planetary nebulae Cosmic strings Nanotechnology Life sciences Horizontal gene transfer in archaea Mitochondrial coupling Influenza viruses Flower evolution Aquatic animal evolution Induced pluripotent stem cells DNA repair T cells Innate immune system Reactivation of cancer-causing herpes virus Rapamycin and memory T cells Protein folding and longevity Salamander limb regeneration Heart progenitor cells Telomerase and Wnt signaling X chromosome inactivation Centromeres Circadian rhythm and salt balance Bioinformatics Evolutionary fitness strategies Inefficient transmission of H1N1 influenza virus Mitochondria, cancer, and evolution DNA insertion/deletion mutations Cholesterol regulation Mitotic spindle protein Evidence of early life Oxygenase enzymes and RNA splicing Fas and apoptosis MicroRNA and vascular muscle cells Interleukin-21 Neuroscience, psychology, and behavior Brain-imaging studies Histamine and alcohol consumption Neural stem cells and Notch receptors Language and categorization Unconsciously motivated behavior Nitric oxide signaling in the brain Autism Innate grammatical understanding Schizophrenia Wnt, neural stem cells, and oligodendrocytes Genetics of perfect pitch Biogenic amine-gated chloride channels Health and medicine Celiac disease Antioxidants Avian flu Rheumatoid arthritis Nanobiotechnology Cardiovascular disease Lupus Alzheimer's disease Cancer Cancer biology AIDS Diabetes Gene therapy C-reactive protein and heart disease Parkinson's disease Stress, cortisol, and cardiovascular disease Ghrelin and alcohol dependence Tuberculosis Metabolic syndrome Sleep and inflammation Stem cells Mathematical model of metastasis Antibiotics Testing of vitamin D and fish oil supplements Cancer stem cells Obesity

Physical sciences and technology

String theory and quantum critical states

1. June 29, 2009 - Physical reality of string theory demonstrated - also here, here, here

Superconductivity

1. June 29, 2009 - New insights, and a new angle, on high-temperature superconductivity

Ω_b-minus

1. June 29, 2009 - Fermilab's CDF observes Omega-sub-b baryon - also here
2. July 1, 2009 - Mass mismatch makes mystery for proton's strange cousin

Brain-computer interface

1. June 29, 2009 - Reading the brain without poking it
2. June 29, 2009 - Real-time Control Of Wheelchair With Brain Waves
3. June 29, 2009 - Toyota technology has brain waves move wheelchair
4. July 2, 2009 - Brain-Controlled Wheelchair Is "95 Percent Accurate"

Water on Mars

1. June 29, 2009 - Geological landforms indicate 'recent' warm weather on Mars
2. June 29, 2009 - Landforms on Mars Add to Evidence for Recent Water
3. July 2, 2009 - "Diamond Dust" Snow Falls Nightly on Mars
4. July 2, 2009 - Many characteristics of Mars, including ice, are similar to Earth
5. July 2, 2009 - Mars data published in Science this week - also here
6. July 2, 2009 - The Dirt on Mars Lander Soil Findings
7. July 2, 2009 - Details of Snowfall on Mars Explained

Herschel telescope

1. June 29, 2009 - Herschel Opens Its Infrared Eyes
2. July 1, 2009 - Herschel-Hubble spirals combined

Carbon nanotubes

1. June 29, 2009 - Nanotubes weigh the atom - also here

Earthquakes

1. June 29, 2009 - Radar lets NASA see beneath surface of faults

Distant galaxy clusters

1. June 30, 2009 - Largest ever survey of very distant galaxy clusters completed - also here
2. July 16, 2009 - Large survey of distant galaxy clusters

Robotic vision

1. June 30, 2009 - Human-like vision lets robots navigate naturally

Global warming

1. June 30, 2009 - Super-size deposits of frozen carbon threat to climate change - also here
2. June 30, 2009 - Particulate Pollution Combined With Airborne Soot Adds To Global Warming
3. June 30, 2009 - Permafrost melting a growing climate threat
4. July 1, 2009 - Permafrost melting a growing concern
5. July 1, 2009 - Earth's most prominent rainfall feature creeping northward
6. July 1, 2009 - The least sea ice in 800 years - also here

Microfluidics

1. June 30, 2009 - New lab-on-a-chip measures mechanics of bacteria colonies - also here

GEMS polarized x-ray mission

1. June 30, 2009 - Proposed NASA Mission Could Explore Twisted Space Around Black Holes

Midsize black holes

1. July 1, 2009 - New class of black holes discovered - also here
2. July 1, 2009 - New Class of Black Hole Found?
3. July 1, 2009 - New Class of Black Holes Discovered
4. July 1, 2009 - Finally, an Average Black Hole
5. July 1, 2009 - New Observations Suggest Mid-Size Black Holes Exist
6. July 1, 2009 - X-rays are smoking gun for middleweight black holes
7. July 1, 2009 - Astronomers Size Up a Candidate for Midsize Black Hole
8. July 1, 2009 - XMM-Newton discovers a new class of black holes
9. July 2, 2009 - Black holes: now available in size 'M'
10. July 3, 2009 - New Candidates for Midsize Black Holes
11. July 6, 2009 - Team May Have Found Intermediate Black Hole

Plant regulation of CO₂

1. July 1, 2009 - Plants Save the Earth from an Icy Doom - also here
2. July 2, 2009 - Green power saved earth from iceball fate
3. July 2, 2009 - Plant life saved Earth from an icy fate

Binary stars with protoplanetary disks

1. July 1, 2009 - Astronomers discover pair of solar systems in the making - also here

Cold dust map of the Milky Way

1. July 1, 2009 - Astronomer's new guide to the galaxy: Largest map of cold dust revealed - also here
2. July 6, 2009 - Where Tomorrow's Stars Will Be Born

Grid computing

1. July 1, 2009 - Data-Taking Dress Rehearsal Proves World's Largest Computing Grid is Ready for LHC Restart

Quantum communication

1. July 1, 2009 - Scientists develop novel ion trap for sensing force and light - also here

Photovoltaics

1. July 1, 2009 - Record-breaking solar cells are tailored to their location

Photonic transistors

1. July 1, 2009 - Laser light switch could leave transistors in the shade
2. July 2, 2009 - Single molecule switches light
3. July 3, 2009 - Optical Transistor Made From Single Molecule

M87's black hole

1. July 2, 2009 - VLBA Locates Origin of Superenergetic Bursts Near Giant Black Hole - also here, here, here
2. July 2, 2009 - Mysterious Light Originates Near A Galaxy's Black Hole
3. July 6, 2009 - Relativistic jets originate close to a black hole's pull
4. September 14, 2009 - Astrophysics: High Energy Galactic Particle Accelerator Located - also here

Pulsars

1. July 2, 2009 - Fermi Telescope reveals a population of radio-quiet gamma-ray pulsars - also here
2. July 7, 2009 - Dozens Of Newly Discovered Pulsars Probed By NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope

Quantum cryptography

1. July 2, 2009 - Researchers unite to distribute quantum keys - also here

Planck telescope

1. July 3, 2009 - Coolest spacecraft ever in orbit around L2 - also here
2. July 3, 2009 - Planck achieves ultra-cold state
3. July 7, 2009 - Coldest Known Object in Space Is Very Unnatural

Quantum computing

1. July 3, 2009 - Physicists Demonstrate Quantum Memory with Matter Qubits

Planetary nebulae

1. July 3, 2009 - Wild Fireworks Spotted in Space
2. July 6, 2009 - Fireworks Display In The Helix Nebula
3. July 20, 2009 - Scientists discovers 'firework' display in Helix Nebula

Cosmic strings

1. July 4, 2009 - Cosmic 'whips' may have left their mark

Nanotechnology

1. July 5, 2009 - Tubules 'Grown' From Droplets

Life sciences

Horizontal gene transfer in archaea

1. June 29, 2009 - A taskmaster transcription factor

Mitochondrial coupling

1. June 29, 2009 - Super-sleepers could help super-sizers - also here

Influenza viruses

1. June 29, 2009 - Dynasty: Influenza virus in 1918 and today - also here
2. June 30, 2009 - Researchers describe the 90-year evolution of swine flu - also here

Flower evolution

1. June 29, 2009 - Study of flower color shows evolution in action - also here

Aquatic animal evolution

1. June 29, 2009 - Natural-born divers and the molecular traces of evolution - also here

Induced pluripotent stem cells

1. June 29, 2009 - Safer stem cells for therapy
2. July 2, 2009 - Embryonic stem cells, reprogrammed skin cells have inherent differences - also here

DNA repair

1. June 29, 2009 - Researchers uncover process involved in DNA repair
2. July 2, 2009 - Methane-producing molecule can also repair DNA - also here
3. July 2, 2009 - DNA's repair system studied in hopes of better cancer treatments

T cells

1. June 29, 2009 - New control system of the body discovered

Innate immune system

1. June 29, 2009 - Chain Reaction Of The Immune System Frozen

Reactivation of cancer-causing herpes virus

1. June 30, 2009 - Scientists Tackle Viral Mysteries

Rapamycin and memory T cells

1. June 30, 2009 - Transplant drug turns traitor to tackle viruses

Protein folding and longevity

1. July 1, 2009 - Scientists find a biological 'fountain of youth' in new world bat caves - also here

Salamander limb regeneration

1. July 1, 2009 - Regenerated legs no big trick for salamanders
2. July 1, 2009 - Salamanders don't regrow limbs from scratch
3. July 1, 2009 - Limbs regrow without pluripotency
4. July 1, 2009 - Salamander Discovery Could Lead to Human Limb Regeneration
5. July 1, 2009 - Salamander cells remember their origins in limb regeneration
6. July 1, 2009 - Salamanders, regenerative wonders, heal like mammals, people - also here

Heart progenitor cells

1. July 1, 2009 - Human heart master cells identified
2. July 1, 2009 - How to fix a broken heart?
3. July 1, 2009 - Human cardiac master stem cells identified
4. July 2, 2009 - Scientists Find Heart Stem Cells
5. July 2, 2009 - Scientists find master heart cell
6. July 5, 2009 - Scientists find molecule that regulates heart size by using zebrafish screening model - also here

Telomerase and Wnt signaling

1. July 1, 2009 - Discovery pinpoints new connection between cancer cells, stem cells - also here

X chromosome inactivation

1. July 1, 2009 - New study rewrites textbook on key genetic phenomenon - also here
2. July 3, 2009 - First Evidence That Female Human Embryos Adjust The Balance Of X

Centromeres

1. July 1, 2009 - Portuguese scientists working on chromosome segregation - also here

Circadian rhythm and salt balance

1. July 1, 2009 - Clocking salt levels in the blood: A link between the circadian rhythm and salt balance - also here

Bioinformatics

1. July 1, 2009 - New e-science service could accelerate cancer research

Evolutionary fitness strategies

1. July 1, 2009 - Key to evolutionary fitness: Cut the calories - also here

Inefficient transmission of H1N1 influenza virus

1. July 2, 2009 - Study: H1N1 flu virus ill-suited for rapid transmission, but new strain bears watching, could mutate - also here
2. July 2, 2009 - Study: New flu inefficient in attacking people

Mitochondria, cancer, and evolution

1. July 2, 2009 - Scientists reveal connection between cancer and human evolution - also here

DNA insertion/deletion mutations

1. July 2, 2009 - Secrets revealed about how disease-causing DNA mutations occur - also here

Cholesterol regulation

1. July 2, 2009 - Newly discovered gene regulates balance of 'bad' cholesterol

Mitotic spindle protein

1. July 2, 2009 - Protein In The Envelope Enclosing The Cell Nucleus

Evidence of early life

1. July 2, 2009 - Biogenic Origin For Earth's Oldest Putative Microfossils

Oxygenase enzymes and RNA splicing

1. July 3, 2009 - Oxygen key to 'cut and paste' of genes - also here

Fas and apoptosis

1. July 3, 2009 - Gene's novel role may provide key to treating liver and neurodegenerative diseases - also here

MicroRNA and vascular muscle cells

1. July 3, 2009 - MicroRNAs hold promise for treating diseases in blood vessels - also here
2. July 19, 2009 - Genetic Factors That Hold Promise For Treatment Of Vascular Diseases

Interleukin-21

1. July 4, 2009 - Immunology: Interleukin-21 Keeps Defense Cells In Good Trim

Neuroscience, psychology, and behavior

Brain-imaging studies

1. June 29, 2009 - Studies of blind reveal how we think about other people
2. June 30, 2009 - Brain section multitasks, handling phonetics and decision-making - also here
3. June 30, 2009 - Imaging study shows decrease in empathic responses to outsiders - also here
4. July 1, 2009 - Brain's response muted when we see other races in pain

Histamine and alcohol consumption

1. June 29, 2009 - Histamine Affects Alcohol-related Behavior

Neural stem cells and Notch receptors

1. June 30, 2009 - Neural stem cell differentiation factor discovered - also here

Language and categorization

1. June 30, 2009 - Expressing comparisons is possible even without language, researchers find

Unconsciously motivated behavior

1. June 30, 2009 - When you don't know what you want - also here

Nitric oxide signaling in the brain

1. June 30, 2009 - Health Benefits Of Molecule Associated With Male Sexual Arousal Examined

Autism

1. June 30, 2009 - Problem pregnancy 'autism risk'

Innate grammatical understanding

1. July 1, 2009 - 2-year-olds possess grammatical insights

Schizophrenia

1. July 1, 2009 - Schizophrenia risk gets more complex
2. July 1, 2009 - Study shows that a combination of common genetic variations can lead to schizophrenia
3. July 1, 2009 - Gene variants linked to higher schizophrenia risk
4. July 1, 2009 - Gene clues to schizophrenia risk
5. July 2, 2009 - Schizophrenia Linked For First Time To Specific Chromosome Region
6. July 2, 2009 - Many Genetic Contributions To Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder Discovered
7. July 6, 2009 - Immune System Linked To Schizophrenia

Wnt, neural stem cells, and oligodendrocytes

1. July 1, 2009 - New clue into how brain stem cells develop into cells which repair damaged tissue
2. July 1, 2009 - MS study offers theory for why repair of brain's wiring fails - also here

Genetics of perfect pitch

1. July 2, 2009 - Perfect pitch study offers window into influences of nature and nurture - also here

Biogenic amine-gated chloride channels

1. July 2, 2009 - Researchers find new actions of neurochemicals - also here

Health and medicine

Celiac disease

1. June 29, 2009 - Recurrent month ulcers suggest celiac disease
2. July 1, 2009 - New study finds celiac disease 4 times more common than in 1950s - also here

Antioxidants

1. June 29, 2009 - Antioxidant may boost exercise endurance

Avian flu

1. June 29, 2009 - Will two flus mix in Indonesia? Experts worry - also here

Rheumatoid arthritis

1. June 29, 2009 - Rheumatoid arthritis drug clears hurdle
2. June 30, 2009 - Increased Levels Of Certain Cytokines And Chemokines Predict Onset Of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Nanobiotechnology

1. June 29, 2009 - Computer-Guided Nanoparticle Therapy Destroys Tumors
2. June 29, 2009 - Nanoscale 'Fountain Pen' Draws Therapeutic Nanodiamonds
3. June 30, 2009 - Carbon Nanotubes Continue To Show Promise in Battle Against Cancer

Cardiovascular disease

1. June 29, 2009 - Researchers show new antioxidant could help treat cardiovascular disease
2. June 29, 2009 - Early heart attack therapy with bone marrow extract improves cardiac function - also here
3. June 29, 2009 - New tool finds best heart disease and stroke treatments for patients with diabetes - also here
4. June 30, 2009 - Link found between history of periodontitis and cerebrovascular disease in men - also here
5. June 30, 2009 - Biomarkers' ability to improve prediction of cardiovascular risk is modest - also here
6. June 30, 2009 - Patients with moderate to severe periodontitis need evaluation for heart disease risk - also here
7. July 1, 2009 - Lack of sleep could be more dangerous for women than men - also here
8. July 1, 2009 - Lack of sleep 'hits women harder'
9. July 1, 2009 - Following The Dietary Guidelines May Slow Heart Disease In Women

Lupus

1. June 29, 2009 - Scientists find key culprits in lupus - also here

Alzheimer's disease

1. June 29, 2009 - Cognitive tests a 'first step' to Alzheimer's diagnosis
2. June 29, 2009 - Blood Flow In Alzheimer's Disease
3. June 30, 2009 - Intense X-rays expose Alzheimer's disease
4. July 1, 2009 - Alzheimer's research yields potential drug target - also here
5. July 1, 2009 - Blood stem cell growth factor reverses memory decline in mice - also here
6. July 2, 2009 - Solo life ups gene dementia risk
7. July 3, 2009 - Lower risk of dementia for married or cohabiting people
8. July 5, 2009 - Coffee 'may reverse Alzheimer's'
9. July 6, 2009 - Caffeine reverses memory impairment in Alzheimer's mice - also here

Cancer

1. June 29, 2009 - Report: Prostate cancer screening has yet to prove its worth - also here
2. June 29, 2009 - Purple sweet potato means increased amount of anti-cancer components - also here
3. June 29, 2009 - New biomarker method could increase the number of diagnostic tests for cancer - also here
4. June 29, 2009 - Second gene linked to familial testicular cancer - also here
5. June 29, 2009 - Variation In Polyp Detection Rates At Screening Colonoscopy
6. June 30, 2009 - Pfizer's Sutent fails in colon cancer, trial halted
7. June 30, 2009 - Hunt for Blood Test to Determine Melanoma Survival Rates - also here
8. June 30, 2009 - Metabolic factors may play a role in risk for breast cancer - also here, here
9. June 30, 2009 - Vegetarians 'avoid more cancers'
10. July 1, 2009 - PET-CT scanners reduce futile lung cancer surgery
11. July 1, 2009 - Study identifies biomarker that safely monitors tumor response to new brain cancer treatment - also here
12. July 1, 2009 - Study examines dietary influences of liver disease - also here
13. July 1, 2009 - Protein Linked To Change In Tissue That Surround And Support Breast Tumors
14. July 1, 2009 - Sound waves offer prostate hope
15. July 1, 2009 - Europe approves AstraZeneca lung cancer drug
16. July 2, 2009 - Birth weight appears associated with leukemia
17. July 2, 2009 - New drug hits leukemia early
18. July 2, 2009 - Predicting the return of prostate cancer: New study betters the odds of success - also here
19. July 2, 2009 - Risk of breast cancer and a single-nucleotide polymorphism - also here
20. July 2, 2009 - Hepatitis B virus mutations may predict risk of liver cancer - also here
21. July 2, 2009 - Prostate cancer patients disease free after 5 years likely to be disease free after 10 years - also here
22. July 2, 2009 - Study shows PET can measure effectiveness of novel breast cancer treatment - also here
23. July 2, 2009 - What The Immune System Reveals About Breast Cancer
24. July 3, 2009 - Prostate cancer screening still unproven: report
25. July 3, 2009 - Risk Of Liver Cancer In Women With Hepatitis B Virus Infection Varies With Number Of Pregnancies
26. July 5, 2009 - Researchers highlight new direction for drug discovery - also here
27. July 5, 2009 - Genetic clue to brain cancer risk

Cancer biology

1. June 29, 2009 - Novel epigenetic markers of melanoma may herald new treatments for patients - also here
2. June 29, 2009 - Scientists discover novel mechanism that increases colorectal cancer risk - also here
3. June 29, 2009 - A potent and selective anti-tumor agent on human gastric cancer
4. June 30, 2009 - Scientists discover new information on spreading of cancer - also here
5. July 1, 2009 - Genetically engineered mice yield clues to 'knocking out' cancer - also here
6. July 1, 2009 - Colorectal cancer: Researchers identify genetic markers for metastasis formation
7. July 1, 2009 - Newly appreciated membrane estrogen receptor important therapeutic target for breast cancer - also here
8. July 2, 2009 - Research reveals what drives lung cancer's spread - also here
9. July 2, 2009 - Study identifies how tamoxifen stimulates uterine cell growth and cancer - also here
10. July 3, 2009 - Harnessing Nanoparticles To Track Cancer Cell Changes
11. July 5, 2009 - Variations in 5 genes raise risk for most common brain tumors - also here

AIDS

1. June 29, 2009 - Defense molecules in mouth found to inhibit infections from HIV
2. June 30, 2009 - New non-drug fix for HIV?
3. July 3, 2009 - Lifespan Of HIV-infected Cells Might Be Shorter Than Previously Believed

Diabetes

1. June 29, 2009 - Low blood sugar in hospital linked to higher death risk
2. June 30, 2009 - Experiment seeks to head off Type 1 diabetes
3. July 1, 2009 - Interferon alpha can delay full onset of type I diabetes - also here
4. July 3, 2009 - 'Jumping gene' diminishes the effect of a new type 2 diabetes risk gene - also here

Gene therapy

1. June 29, 2009 - Synthetic Biology: Gene Therapy Gets Under The Skin
2. July 1, 2009 - Researchers testing virus-gene therapy combination against melanoma - also here

C-reactive protein and heart disease

1. June 30, 2009 - Study Refutes Protein's Role in Heart Attacks
2. June 30, 2009 - Study Dismisses Protein's Role in Heart Disease
3. July 7, 2009 - Current Search For Heart Disease Treatment May Not Be Fruitful

Parkinson's disease

1. June 30, 2009 - New findings on Parkinson's disease and effect on patient behavior - also here

Stress, cortisol, and cardiovascular disease

1. June 30, 2009 - Police work undermines cardiovascular health, comparison to general population shows

Ghrelin and alcohol dependence

1. June 30, 2009 - Discovery may provide new treatments for alcohol dependence - also here

Tuberculosis

1. June 30, 2009 - Risk of tuberculosis from arthritis medication examined - also here
2. June 30, 2009 - Scientists solve mystery about why HIV patients are more susceptible to TB infection - also here
3. June 30, 2009 - Measurements fail to identify TB patients who could benefit from shorter treatment course - also here
4. July 2, 2009 - Parkinson's drugs show promise in resistant TB
5. July 3, 2009 - Existing Parkinson's disease drug may fight drug-resistant TB - also here

Metabolic syndrome

1. July 1, 2009 - Lap-band weight-loss surgery can reverse metabolic syndrome in obese teens

Sleep and inflammation

1. July 1, 2009 - Sleep Duration Is Associated With Variations In Levels Of Inflammatory Markers In Women

Stem cells

1. July 1, 2009 - Cell transplantation and cardiac repair - also here

Mathematical model of metastasis

1. July 2, 2009 - Mathematical Model Predicts Factors Driving Tumor Invasion

Antibiotics

1. July 2, 2009 - Biological warfare in bacteria offers hope for new antibiotics

Testing of vitamin D and fish oil supplements

1. July 2, 2009 - Effectiveness of vitamin D, fish oil to be studied

Cancer stem cells

1. July 2, 2009 - New targeted therapy finds and eliminates deadly leukemia stem cells - also here

Obesity

1. July 5, 2009 - Mom's Weight During Pregnancy Affects Her Daughter's Risk Of Being Obese

Copyright © 2009 by Charles Daney, All Rights Reserved