Volume 8, Number 30 July 27, 2009

Physical sciences and technology Large Hadron Collider Robotics Testing relativity in the lab Carbon nanotubes Quantum information James Webb Space Telescope Quantum dots Tests of Lorentz invariance Brain-machine interface Quantum communication Enceladus Quantum measurement Topological insulators Phase change digital storage Microfluidics Dwarf spheroidal galaxies Global warming Nanotechnology Dark matter Monolayer molecular grafting for semiconductors Reconfigurable computers Photovoltaics Fuel cells Graphene Life sciences Induced pluripotent stem cells Effects of calorie restriction on the immune system Tissue variation of DNA Partial penetrance and abrupt evolutionary change Protein structure determination Beta-interferon and immune response Imprinted genes Myosin V Planarian regeneration Modeling lymphocyte division and immune response Aging, p16, and p38MAPK MCLK1, oxidative stress, and aging Cell receptors and virus infection FAS, XIAP, and apoptosis Genetic engineering with zinc finger nucleases Liquid proteins Bcl6 and T cells Parasites and evolution of sex Bacterial programming using synthetic biology Neuroscience, psychology, and behavior Placebos Developmental systems theory Brain developmental plasticity Infant emotional perception Face recognition Synaptic signaling Genetics and behavior Brain white matter and learning Motor memory 3-D motion perception Schizophrenia MAOA, behavioral disorders, and regulation of serotonin and norepinephrine Bilingualism Brain simulation Brain-imaging studies Single-neuron encoding of concepts Stress, corticosterone, glutamate, and working memory Neuronal migration Antidepressants and neuron growth factors Cheating Astrocytes, neuronal survival, and regeneration Health and medicine Cancer Cardiovascular disease Lupus AIDS Gene therapy Stem cells C. difficile Stem cell treatment for Alzheimer's disease Nanobiotechnology PRCP, appetite, and weight control Alzheimer's disease Diabetes Cancer biology Obesity Hepatitis E Epigenetic factors in disease risk Hepatitis C P53 and cancer Malaria NK cells and biliary atresia Cancer stem cells Avian flu Celiac disease Antibiotic resistance Inflammatory bowel disease Rheumatoid arthritis Diabetes, inflammation, obesity, and the immune system

Physical sciences and technology

Large Hadron Collider

1. July 20, 2009 - LHC Suffers More Leaks, and Delays

Robotics

1. July 20, 2009 - Ski Robot Could Decipher the Art of Skiing

Testing relativity in the lab

1. July 20, 2009 - Testing relativity in the lab - also here
2. July 22, 2009 - Research looks at how light and matter behave around black holes, other celestial objects

Carbon nanotubes

1. July 20, 2009 - Carbon nanotubes and aptamers: Vew biosensor detects extremely low bacteria concentrations quickly, easily, reliably
2. July 23, 2009 - Nanotubes Weigh A Single Atom - also here
3. July 24, 2009 - 'Nano violin string' made of vibrating carbon nanotube - also here

Quantum information

1. July 20, 2009 - Quantum memory and turbulence in ultra-cold atoms - also here
2. July 28, 2009 - Controllable Formation Of Quantum Turbulence In Ultra-cold Atom Gas

James Webb Space Telescope

1. July 20, 2009 - Keeping a 'trained eye' on the James Webb Space Telescope

Quantum dots

1. July 20, 2009 - Coupling of Single Quantum Dots to Smooth Metal Films
2. July 23, 2009 - Monitoring Cancer Cell Changes With Quantum Dots
3. July 24, 2009 - Quantum dot research could lead to medical advances

Tests of Lorentz invariance

1. July 20, 2009 - Testing gravity's Lorentz invariance

Brain-machine interface

1. July 21, 2009 - Brain (minus machine) interface

Quantum communication

1. July 21, 2009 - Researchers Set New Distance Record for Quantum Key Distribution

Enceladus

1. July 22, 2009 - Evidence mounts for liquid interior of a Saturn moon
2. July 22, 2009 - Antifreeze Could Keep Saturn Moon Wet
3. July 22, 2009 - Evidence for ocean on Enceladus: Tiny Saturn Moon Could Be Targeted in Search for Extraterrestrial Life
4. July 23, 2009 - How Enceladus got its stripes

Quantum measurement

1. July 22, 2009 - Quantum measurements: Common sense is not enough - also here

Topological insulators

1. July 22, 2009 - A New Path of Conduction for Future Electronics

Phase change digital storage

1. July 22, 2009 - Beyond flash -- memories are made of this - also here

Microfluidics

1. July 22, 2009 - Music is the engine of new lab-on-a-chip device - also here
2. July 23, 2009 - Droplets move to microfluidic chamber music

Dwarf spheroidal galaxies

1. July 24, 2009 - Rotation may solve cosmic mystery
2. July 29, 2009 - Cosmic Dance Helps Galaxies Lose Weight - also here
3. July 29, 2009 - Big dwarf galaxies steal small ones' stars
4. August 4, 2009 - How Strange, Small Galaxies Lost Their Stars

Global warming

1. July 22, 2009 - Massive glacier in sub-Antarctic island shrinks by a fifth
2. July 23, 2009 - Study shows strong evidence that cloud changes may exacerbate global warming - also here
3. July 23, 2009 - Cloud feedback could accelerate global warming
4. July 23, 2009 - Could Climate Change Mean Fewer Clouds?
5. July 24, 2009 - Clouds in climate 'vicious cycle'

Nanotechnology

1. July 22, 2009 - First nanoscale mass spectrometer created - also here

Dark matter

1. July 23, 2009 - Physicists on the prowl for dark matter
2. July 24, 2009 - Ray of hope in dark-matter hunt

Monolayer molecular grafting for semiconductors

1. July 23, 2009 - New process could be boon to electronics manufacturer - also here

Reconfigurable computers

1. July 23, 2009 - Engineering researchers: Novo-G supercomputer fastest of its type in world - also here

Photovoltaics

1. July 23, 2009 - New generation of solar cells developed in Luxembourg promises efficiency - also here

Fuel cells

1. July 24, 2009 - Fuel cells, energy conversion and mathematics - also here

Graphene

1. July 26, 2009 - Scientists manipulate ripples in graphene, enabling strain-based graphene electronics - also here

Life sciences

Induced pluripotent stem cells

1. July 20, 2009 - Embryonic-like cells repair damaged mouse hearts
2. July 20, 2009 - Induced pluripotent stem cells repair heart, study shows - also here
3. July 21, 2009 - Embryo-like stem cells repair mouse hearts
4. July 23, 2009 - Chinese experts grow live mice from skin cells
5. July 23, 2009 - iPS cells yield live mice
6. July 23, 2009 - Living, Breeding Mice Grown From Skin Cells
7. July 23, 2009 - Mice made from induced stem cells
8. July 23, 2009 - Embryonic Stem Cell Substitute Passes Acid Test
9. July 23, 2009 - Reprogrammed mouse fibroblasts can make a whole mouse - also here
10. July 23, 2009 - Researchers produce cells they say are identical to embryonic stem cells
11. July 23, 2009 - Non-embryonic stem cells pass major hurdle in mice
12. July 23, 2009 - Fertile live mice grown from skin cells
13. August 3, 2009 - Scripps team manipulates skin cells to breed mice
14. August 4, 2009 - Fertile mice created from skin cells

Effects of calorie restriction on the immune system

1. July 20, 2009 - Eating fewer calories may not increase lifespan
2. July 21, 2009 - Calorie restriction may lengthen life, but opens door to infection

Tissue variation of DNA

1. July 20, 2009 - DNA may differ between tissues

Partial penetrance and abrupt evolutionary change

1. July 20, 2009 - Team shows how evolution can allow for large developmental leaps - also here

Protein structure determination

1. July 20, 2009 - Protein structures revealed at record pace - also here
2. July 24, 2009 - New Nanoparticles Could Revolutionize Therapeutic Drug Discovery

Beta-interferon and immune response

1. July 20, 2009 - The right messenger for a healthy immune response

Imprinted genes

1. July 20, 2009 - Researchers look to imprinted genes for clues to fetal growth restriction in cloned swine - also here

Myosin V

1. July 21, 2009 - Motor molecules use random walks to make deliveries in living cells - also here

Planarian regeneration

1. July 21, 2009 - International research team seeks to unravel flatworm regeneration - also here

Modeling lymphocyte division and immune response

1. July 21, 2009 - Cell division find prompts overhaul of immune response modeling - also here

Aging, p16, and p38MAPK

1. July 21, 2009 - Reducing p38MAPK levels delays aging of multiple tissues in lab mice

MCLK1, oxidative stress, and aging

1. July 22, 2009 - Bad mitochondria may actually be good for you - also here

Cell receptors and virus infection

1. July 22, 2009 - Eliminating cell receptor prevents infection in animal study - also here

FAS, XIAP, and apoptosis

1. July 22, 2009 - Critical link in cell death pathway revealed - also here

Genetic engineering with zinc finger nucleases

1. July 23, 2009 - Researchers create first targeted knockout rats using zinc finger nuclease technology - also here

Liquid proteins

1. July 23, 2009 - Chemists make liquid protein

Bcl6 and T cells

1. July 23, 2009 - Bcl6 gene sculpts helper T cell to boost antibody production - also here

Parasites and evolution of sex

1. July 23, 2009 - Parasites keep things sexy in 'hotspots' - also here

Bacterial programming using synthetic biology

1. July 24, 2009 - 'Bacterial Computers': Genetically Engineered Bacteria Have Potential To Solve Complicated Mathematical Problems - also here
2. July 24, 2009 - Bacteria make computers look like pocket calculators
3. July 26, 2009 - Researchers rapidly turn bacteria into biotech factories - also here
4. July 27, 2009 - Genome Engineering Goes High Speed
5. July 27, 2009 - Microbe Evolution Gets a Push
6. August 12, 2009 - Computer built from living bacteria

Neuroscience, psychology, and behavior

Placebos

1. July 20, 2009 - Scientists present first genetic evidence for why placebos work - also here

Developmental systems theory

1. July 20, 2009 - Nature? Nurture? Scientists say neither - also here

Brain developmental plasticity

1. July 20, 2009 - Scientists reveal secret of girl with 'all seeing eye'

Infant emotional perception

1. July 20, 2009 - Babies understand dogs

Face recognition

1. July 20, 2009 - Our brain looks at eyes first to identify a face

Synaptic signaling

1. July 20, 2009 - Tension in axons is essential for synaptic signaling, researchers report - also here

Genetics and behavior

1. July 20, 2009 - Gene variations can be barometer of behavior, choices - also here

Brain white matter and learning

1. July 21, 2009 - White matter helps brain learn

Motor memory

1. July 21, 2009 - Brain develops motor memory for prosthetics, study finds - also here

3-D motion perception

1. July 21, 2009 - Brain's center for perceiving 3-D motion is identified - also here

Schizophrenia

1. July 21, 2009 - A genetic basis for schizophrenia - also here
2. July 21, 2009 - Major NIMH research project to test approaches to altering the course of schizophrenia
3. July 26, 2009 - Scientists try to stop schizophrenia in its tracks

MAOA, behavioral disorders, and regulation of serotonin and norepinephrine

1. July 21, 2009 - Genetic marker linked to problem behaviors in adults with developmental disabilities - also here

Bilingualism

1. July 21, 2009 - Unraveling how children become bilingual so easily

Brain simulation

1. July 22, 2009 - Artificial brain '10 years away'

Brain-imaging studies

1. July 23, 2009 - Can brain scans read your mind? Neuroscientists provides new insights - also here
2. July 27, 2009 - Researchers develop 'brain-reading' methods - also here

Single-neuron encoding of concepts

1. July 23, 2009 - Oprah, Luke Skywalker and Maradona -- new study investigates how our brains respond to them - also here
2. July 23, 2009 - 'Oprah neuron' hints at nature of memory

Stress, corticosterone, glutamate, and working memory

1. July 23, 2009 - Short stressful events may improve working memory - also here

Neuronal migration

1. July 23, 2009 - New imaging studies reveal mechanics of neuron migration

Antidepressants and neuron growth factors

1. July 23, 2009 - Antidepressant Directly Stimulates Brain Growth Factor Receptors

Cheating

1. July 24, 2009 - All of us -- from slime mould to MPs -- are born to cheat

Astrocytes, neuronal survival, and regeneration

1. July 24, 2009 - Neuronal survival and axonal regrowth obtained in vitro - also here

Health and medicine

Cancer

1. July 20, 2009 - Weight loss surgery may cut cancer risk
2. July 20, 2009 - Gene linked to increasingly common type of blood cancer - also here
3. July 20, 2009 - New strategy in tumor treatment - also here
4. July 20, 2009 - Researchers identify genes linked to chemoresistance - also here
5. July 20, 2009 - Laser microsurgery for tongue cancer is as effective as invasive open surgery according to new study - also here
6. July 20, 2009 - New drug candidate prolongs the lives of pancreatic cancer patients - also here
7. July 20, 2009 - Molecules Discovered With A Higher Selective Ability To Exterminate Cancer Cells
8. July 20, 2009 - Potent cancer drug hopes raised
9. July 20, 2009 - Roche says Xeloda combo works in colon cancer - also here
10. July 21, 2009 - Colon cancer every 10 years OK for some at risk
11. July 21, 2009 - New way to kill cancer found using body's immune system
12. July 21, 2009 - Nanoparticles Image Breast Cancer
13. July 21, 2009 - Ovary removal may increase lung cancer risk - also here
14. July 21, 2009 - Evaluating more lymph nodes may not improve identification of late-stage colorectal cancer - also here
15. July 21, 2009 - Green Tea: Mixed Reviews For Cancer Prevention
16. July 21, 2009 - New DNA Vaccine Inhibits Deadly Skin Cancer In Mice
17. July 23, 2009 - Scientists discover key event in prostate cancer progression - also here
18. July 23, 2009 - Newly discovered gene fusion may lead to improved prostate cancer diagnosis - also here
19. July 24, 2009 - Early periods may reduce ovarian cancer survival
20. July 24, 2009 - Breast Cancer Research Highlights From The American Association Of Physicists In Medicine Meeting In Anaheim, July 26-30
21. July 26, 2009 - Breast Cancer Prognosis

Cardiovascular disease

1. July 20, 2009 - Salt may be culprit for uncontrolled blood pressure
2. July 21, 2009 - Adopting low-risk dietary and lifestyle factors related to lower incidence of high blood pressure
3. July 21, 2009 - Adhering to healthy lifestyle habits associated with reduced lifetime risk of heart failure - also here
4. July 21, 2009 - Heart disease: Research off the beating patch - also here
5. July 22, 2009 - Healthy diet and lifestyle cuts heart failure risk
6. July 22, 2009 - Longer life for milk drinkers, say researchers - also here
7. July 22, 2009 - Statins Normalize Vascular Lysyl Oxidase Down-regulation
8. July 22, 2009 - Improving Mouse Heart Function Following Heart Attack
9. July 22, 2009 - Risk Factors Of Cardiovascular Disease Rising In Poor, Young
10. July 23, 2009 - Factor fixes damaged hearts
11. July 23, 2009 - Heart, heal thyself
12. July 23, 2009 - Stem cells not the only way to fix a broken heart - also here
13. July 23, 2009 - 'New way' to repair heart damage
14. July 24, 2009 - One type of heart attack seen on decline in U.S.
15. July 24, 2009 - New drug may reduce heart attack damage - also here
16. July 24, 2009 - Stroke: One Disease, Two Effects
17. July 25, 2009 - Injection Reverses Heart-attack Damage
18. July 27, 2009 - More Evidence In Favor Of Healthy Lifestyle In Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease

Lupus

1. July 20, 2009 - Human Genome lupus drug success is classic biotech
2. July 21, 2009 - Lupus drug passes key test, researchers say

AIDS

1. July 20, 2009 - Vector did not kill HIV trial
2. July 20, 2009 - Mystery of HIV vaccine failure deepens
3. July 20, 2009 - Study offers insights into failed HIV-1 vaccine trial - also here
4. July 20, 2009 - Scientists gain insight into HIV vaccine failure
5. July 20, 2009 - Genetic variation associated with survival advantage in African-Americans with HIV - also here
6. July 20, 2009 - Research: No race disparities in risk of AIDS and death in HIV patients
7. July 20, 2009 - Earlier HIV antiviral treatment can be cost effective in areas of limited resources - also here
8. July 20, 2009 - South Africa launches AIDS vaccine clinical trials
9. July 21, 2009 - New method for HIV testing holds promise for developing world - also here
10. July 22, 2009 - Chimpanzees die from primate version of HIV
11. July 22, 2009 - Chimps get AIDS too
12. July 22, 2009 - Wild chimpanzees get AIDS-like illness
13. July 22, 2009 - New evidence: AIDS-like disease in wild chimpanzees
14. July 22, 2009 - Chimps can develop AIDS after all
15. July 22, 2009 - ART therapy for babies, mothers safely reduces HIV transmission - also here
16. July 22, 2009 - Scientists find HIV's 'missing link' in ill chimps
17. July 23, 2009 - Chimps Do Get "AIDS," Study Finds
18. July 23, 2009 - Infected chimps die from AIDS-like disease
19. July 23, 2009 - Chimpanzees Infected With SIV Do Develop And Die From AIDS, Contrary To Prevailing View
20. July 24, 2009 - In vitro antibody production enables HIV infection detection in window period -- key to safer blood - also here
21. July 24, 2009 - Fears over HIV vaccines laid to rest

Gene therapy

1. July 20, 2009 - Could science use the common cold to cure cystic fibrosis? - also here
2. July 22, 2009 - Common Cold Virus Efficiently Delivers Corrected Gene To Cystic Fibrosis Cells
3. July 23, 2009 - Cold virus may help treat cystic fibrosis
4. July 26, 2009 - Gene therapy and drug studies show promise for treatment of cystic fibrosis
5. July 31, 2009 - Gene Therapy Technique Cures Cystic Fibrosis in Culture Model

Stem cells

1. July 20, 2009 - Researchers discover genetic circuit that regulates behavior of stem cells - also here
2. July 20, 2009 - Students Embed Stem Cells in Sutures to Enhance Healing - also here
3. July 21, 2009 - Skin-like tissue developed from human embryonic stem cells - also here
4. July 23, 2009 - First stem cell transplant on Chilean leukemia patient
5. July 23, 2009 - Bone from Blood: Circulating Cells Form Bone Outside the Normal Skeleton, Study Finds - also here
6. July 26, 2009 - Scientists closer to making implantable bone material

C. difficile

1. July 20, 2009 - C. difficile spores spread superbug - also here

Stem cell treatment for Alzheimer's disease

1. July 20, 2009 - Neural stem cells offer potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease - also here

Nanobiotechnology

1. July 20, 2009 - Chasing tiny vehicles -- Microscope shows how nanoferries invade cells - also here
2. July 22, 2009 - Targeted Nanoparticles Boost Arsenic's Anticancer Punch
3. July 22, 2009 - New silver nanoparticle skin gel for healing burns - also here

PRCP, appetite, and weight control

1. July 20, 2009 - Discovery may open door to drug that cuts appetite and boosts energy - also here

Alzheimer's disease

1. July 20, 2009 - Promising new treatment for Alzheimer's suggested - also here
2. July 20, 2009 - Immunotherapy linked to lower risk of Alzheimer's disease - also here
3. July 20, 2009 - Immune therapy Alzheimer's hope
4. July 21, 2009 - New tests could aid early-Alzheimer's diagnosis
5. July 21, 2009 - Early testing for Alzheimer's
6. July 21, 2009 - Biomarkers may help predict risk of Alzheimer's disease in patients with mild cognitive impairment - also here
7. July 22, 2009 - Close caregiver relationship may slow Alzheimer's decline - also here
8. July 23, 2009 - Some blood pressure drugs may help protect against dementia, study shows - also here
9. July 30, 2009 - Caregiver closeness may slow Alzheimer's decline

Diabetes

1. July 20, 2009 - Researcher offers hope for male diabetes sufferers
2. July 20, 2009 - Discovery of genetic toggle switch inches closer to possible diabetes cure - also here
3. July 20, 2009 - Extreme glucose levels in diabetic patients with heart failure linked to increase risk of deaths - also here
4. July 21, 2009 - Insulin resistance linked to ulcer bacteria
5. July 22, 2009 - Peptide linked to glucose metabolism and neuronal cell survival - also here
6. July 23, 2009 - NZ researchers to implant pig cells in diabetics
7. July 26, 2009 - Common allergy drug reduces obesity and diabetes in mice - also here

Cancer biology

1. July 20, 2009 - Researchers discover new molecular pathway for targeting cancer, disease - also here
2. July 20, 2009 - One gene that contributes to breast cancer's aggressive behavior identified - also here
3. July 23, 2009 - Scientists discover gene mutation responsible for hereditary neuroendocrine tumor - also here
4. July 23, 2009 - Human cells secrete cancer-killing protein - also here
5. July 24, 2009 - Protein that promotes cancer cell growth identified - also here

Obesity

1. July 20, 2009 - Orexigen says Contrave obesity trials meet goals

Hepatitis E

1. July 21, 2009 - Atomic map of hepatitis E may reveal strategies to fight it - also here

Epigenetic factors in disease risk

1. July 21, 2009 - Nature or nurture? New epigenetic model blurs the line in the debate - also here
2. July 22, 2009 - Are We What Our Mothers Ate?

Hepatitis C

1. July 22, 2009 - Both hepatitis C drugs work about the same: study
2. July 22, 2009 - Hepatitis C: No overall difference in sustained viral response in most widely used treatments

P53 and cancer

1. July 22, 2009 - Protein plays three cancer-fighting roles

Malaria

1. July 22, 2009 - Vaccine blocks malaria transmission in lab experiments - also here

NK cells and biliary atresia

1. July 22, 2009 - Scientists link immune system's natural killer cells to infant liver disease - also here

Cancer stem cells

1. July 23, 2009 - Study provides documentation that tumor 'stem-like cells' exist in benign tumors - also here
2. July 23, 2009 - Stripping leukemia-initiating cells of their 'invisibility cloak' - also here

Avian flu

1. July 23, 2009 - 'Single-Shot' Vaccines May Protect Against H5N1 Influenza Virus

Celiac disease

1. July 24, 2009 - Celiac disease may strike elderly, too

Antibiotic resistance

1. July 24, 2009 - Resistance to antibiotics: When 1+1 is not 2 - also here

Inflammatory bowel disease

1. July 24, 2009 - Healthy fat link to bowel disease

Rheumatoid arthritis

1. July 24, 2009 - Rigel arthritis pill fails mid-stage study

Diabetes, inflammation, obesity, and the immune system

1. July 26, 2009 - Allergy drugs may fight diabetes, obesity
2. July 27, 2009 - Allergy meds slim down obese mice

Copyright © 2009 by Charles Daney, All Rights Reserved