Volume 8, Number 31 August 3, 2009

Physical sciences and technology Carbon nanotubes Compact galaxies Supercomputers Sea level rise Fullerenes Nanotechnology Earthquakes Dark matter Nanophotonics Global warming Supernovae gravitational waves Dirac monopoles in Bose-Einstein condensates Photovoltaics Microfluidics Cosmic rays Nanoscale lasers Betelgeuse Graphene Optical microresonator Anthropogenic ocean damage Top quarks Terahertz technology Solar system origins Plasmonics Large Hadron Collider Efimov states Supernova simulation Life sciences Early animals DNA damage and disease T cells Group B streptococcus and immune suppression Intercellular transmission of retroviruses Genetic variability of proteins of the innate immune system Natural killer cells Brown adipose tissue from skin cells Bacterial proteins Paleolithic human population growth Speciation Induced pluripotent stem cells Replacement of clonal by sexual bryozoans Atlastin and intracellular membrane fusion Protein folding DNA sequencing Climate and human brain size RNA polymerase II Monocytes Bacterial toxin-antitoxin system Regulation of RNA degradation Systems biology P38MAPK and aging Apoptosis Chromatin Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Transposons and piRNA Inhibition of RNA degradation Neuroscience, psychology, and behavior Autism Orexin and brain reward systems Dopamine, food reward, and weight gain Dopamine and risk taking Depression, cognitive function and sunlight Reward-effect learning and dopamine Learning from success Bipolar disorder Lucid dreaming and psychosis Endocytosis of synaptic vesicles Stress, corticosteroids, and habits Sex differences in visual processing Effects of amphetamines on gene expression THC and memory loss Health and medicine Cancer Connection between oral and general health Cardiovascular disease Nanobiotechnology Inflammatory bowel disease Parkinson's disease Drug discovery MicroRNA and cancer Cancer biology AIDS Stem cells Diabetes Alzheimer's disease Weight loss and depression Multiple sclerosis Malaria Spinal cord repair Mathematical oncology Opioid receptors and food consumption Mitochondrial disease and bacterial infection Organic food Appetite, leptin, and ghrelin Gene therapy Exercise and lipid levels Obesity Hepatitis B Rheumatoid arthritis Nanotech gene therapy for cancer Resveratrol and inflammation Anti-quorum-sensing control of bacteria Autoimmune disease Tuberculosis Lupus Hepatitis C Cancer stem cells The immune system and stroke damage

Physical sciences and technology

Carbon nanotubes

1. July 27, 2009 - Video shows nanotube spins as it grows - also here
2. July 28, 2009 - Nanotubes sharpen X-ray vision
3. July 28, 2009 - Teeny-tiny X-ray vision - also here
4. July 29, 2009 - Nanotubes take flight: Scientists use nanomaterials to grow flying carpets, 'odako' kites - also here

Compact galaxies

1. July 27, 2009 - Galaxy Zoo Hunters Help Astronomers Discover Rare 'Green Pea' Galaxies - also here
2. July 27, 2009 - Total Amateurs Discover 'Green Pea' Galaxies
3. July 28, 2009 - Nearby compact galaxies may shine light on early star formation
4. July 28, 2009 - New Galaxy Class Discovered

Supercomputers

1. July 27, 2009 - New supercomputer to reel in answers to some of Earth's problems - also here

Sea level rise

1. July 27, 2009 - New predictions for sea level rise - also here

Fullerenes

1. July 27, 2009 - Nanophysics: Serving up Buckyballs on a silver platter - also here

Nanotechnology

1. July 27, 2009 - Researchers Pressing on in Their Mission to Power the Nanodevices of Tomorrow
2. July 27, 2009 - One nano-step closer to weighing a single atom - also here

Earthquakes

1. July 27, 2009 - New study sheds light on earthquake hazard along San Andreas Fault

Dark matter

1. July 27, 2009 - Researchers Lead Race to Find Dark Matter

Nanophotonics

1. July 27, 2009 - New Optical Forces Revealed

Global warming

1. July 27, 2009 - Global Ocean Surface Temperature Warmest On Record For June
2. July 29, 2009 - Arctic tundra hotter, boosts global warming: expert
3. August 1, 2009 - Cosmic meddling with the clouds by seven-day magic - also here

Supernovae gravitational waves

1. July 27, 2009 - Supernova Starting Gun: Neutrinos

Dirac monopoles in Bose-Einstein condensates

1. July 28, 2009 - Physicists Propose a Method to Observe Dirac Monopoles

Photovoltaics

1. July 28, 2009 - Scientists Study How to Stack the Deck for Organic Solar Power - also here

Microfluidics

1. July 28, 2009 - 'Microfluidic Palette' May Paint Clearer Picture of Biological Processes - also here

Cosmic rays

1. July 28, 2009 - Large Area Telescope explores high-energy particles - also here

Nanoscale lasers

1. July 28, 2009 - Breaking barriers with nanoscale lasers - also here

Betelgeuse

1. July 29, 2009 - Sharpest views of Betelgeuse reveal how supergiant stars lose mass - also here, here
2. July 29, 2009 - Unveiling the True Face of a Mammoth Star
3. July 29, 2009 - Big Fat Star Sheds Pounds Like Crazy
4. July 29, 2009 - Sharp view of 'Orion's shoulder'
5. July 31, 2009 - Betelgeuse: A Hotheaded Superstar

Graphene

1. July 29, 2009 - Graphene Shows High Current Capacity and Thermal Conductivity - also here
2. July 31, 2009 - From graphene to graphane, now the possibilities are endless - also here

Optical microresonator

1. July 29, 2009 - Physicists develop multifunctional storage device for light - also here

Anthropogenic ocean damage

1. July 29, 2009 - Humans 'damaging the oceans': research - also here

Top quarks

1. July 29, 2009 - Making top quarks one at a time

Terahertz technology

1. July 30, 2009 - Closing the terahertz gap could lead to better nanodevices

Solar system origins

1. July 30, 2009 - Meteorite Dust Hints at Solar System's Origins

Plasmonics

1. July 30, 2009 - Plasmonics scores smoothness bull's eye

Large Hadron Collider

1. July 30, 2009 - Restart of big particle collider now November

Efimov states

1. July 30, 2009 - Ultracold trios tell us more about Efimov states

Supernova simulation

1. July 31, 2009 - Snapshots from inside an exploding star
2. August 3, 2009 - Snapshot: The guts of a dying star

Life sciences

Early animals

1. July 27, 2009 - Earliest animals lived in a lake environment, research shows - also here
2. July 28, 2009 - First Animals Evolved in Lakes, Not Oceans, Study Hints

DNA damage and disease

1. July 27, 2009 - Scientists track impact of DNA damage in the developing brain - also here

T cells

1. July 27, 2009 - Teasing apart T helper cells - also here
2. July 31, 2009 - New Zinc Research Suggests Novel Therapeutic Targets

Group B streptococcus and immune suppression

1. July 27, 2009 - Leading Pathogen In Newborns Can Suppress Immune Cell Function

Intercellular transmission of retroviruses

1. July 28, 2009 - Why retroviruses such as HIV love their neighbors - also here

Genetic variability of proteins of the innate immune system

1. July 28, 2009 - How pathogens have shaped genes involved in our immune system - also here

Natural killer cells

1. July 28, 2009 - How the body's frontline immune cells decide which cells to destroy - also here

Brown adipose tissue from skin cells

1. July 29, 2009 - Researchers find a way to make energy-using brown fat from skin cells
2. July 29, 2009 - Fight Fat With More Fat
3. July 29, 2009 - Creating Fat That Makes You Fit
4. July 29, 2009 - Scientists create energy-burning brown fat in mice - also here
5. August 1, 2009 - Using fat to fight the flab

Bacterial proteins

1. July 29, 2009 - Curves guide bacterial proteins

Paleolithic human population growth

1. July 29, 2009 - Study finds human population expanded during late Stone Age

Speciation

1. July 29, 2009 - Naming evolution's winners and losers

Induced pluripotent stem cells

1. July 29, 2009 - Reprogramming Human Cells Without Inserting Genes - also here

Replacement of clonal by sexual bryozoans

1. July 29, 2009 - Environmental change drives evolutionary change -- eventually - also here

Atlastin and intracellular membrane fusion

1. July 29, 2009 - Little-known protein found to be key player - also here

Protein folding

1. July 29, 2009 - New computer simulation helps explain folding in important cellular protein - also here

DNA sequencing

1. July 29, 2009 - The 15-Minute Genome: Faster, Cheaper Genome Sequencing On The Way

Climate and human brain size

1. July 29, 2009 - Did an ice age boost human brain size?

RNA polymerase II

1. July 30, 2009 - Gene transcribing machine takes halting, backsliding trip along the DNA - also here

Monocytes

1. July 30, 2009 - Unexpected reservoir of monocytes discovered in the spleen - also here
2. August 3, 2009 - Finally, the Spleen Gets Some Respect

Bacterial toxin-antitoxin system

1. July 30, 2009 - Bacteria pack their own demise - also here

Regulation of RNA degradation

1. July 30, 2009 - New location found for regulation of RNA fate

Systems biology

1. July 30, 2009 - Systems Biology Recommended As A Clinical Approach To Cancer

P38MAPK and aging

1. July 30, 2009 - Reducing Levels Of Specific Protein Delays Aging Of Multiple Tissues In Lab Mice

Apoptosis

1. July 30, 2009 - Important Insight Into Apoptosis Or Programmed Cell Death

Chromatin

1. July 31, 2009 - Engineer Provides Insights to Decades-Old DNA Squabble - also here

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

1. July 31, 2009 - Genes key to staph disease severity, drug resistance found hitchhiking together - also here

Transposons and piRNA

1. July 31, 2009 - How the cell represses mobile genetic elements

Inhibition of RNA degradation

1. August 1, 2009 - New Location Found For Regulation Of RNA Fate

Neuroscience, psychology, and behavior

Autism

1. July 27, 2009 - 'Cuddle chemical' helps autistics recognise emotions

Orexin and brain reward systems

1. July 27, 2009 - Just expecting a tasty food activates brain reward systems - also here

Dopamine, food reward, and weight gain

1. July 27, 2009 - Dopamine-related Activity Of Food Reward Circuits In The Brain And Weight Gain

Dopamine and risk taking

1. July 27, 2009 - Lazy gene favours adventurous choices

Depression, cognitive function and sunlight

1. July 28, 2009 - Darkness linked to 'brain drain' in depressed people - also here

Reward-effect learning and dopamine

1. July 28, 2009 - How the carrot approach facilitates learning - also here

Learning from success

1. July 29, 2009 - Why we learn more from our successes than our failures - also here

Bipolar disorder

1. July 29, 2009 - If bipolar disorder is over-diagnosed, what are the actual diagnoses? - also here

Lucid dreaming and psychosis

1. July 29, 2009 - New links between lucid dreaming and psychosis could revive dream therapy in psychiatry - also here

Endocytosis of synaptic vesicles

1. July 29, 2009 - Protein 'Tweek' rare but critical in synaptic process - also here

Stress, corticosteroids, and habits

1. July 30, 2009 - Stressed brains rely on habit
2. July 30, 2009 - Flustered Rats Stuck in a Rut
3. July 30, 2009 - Stress rewires the brain to make rats creatures of habit

Sex differences in visual processing

1. July 30, 2009 - Men better at distance vision due to hunter-gatherer past: study
2. July 31, 2009 - Men see big picture, women focus on detail
3. July 31, 2009 - Men better than women at distance vision

Effects of amphetamines on gene expression

1. July 31, 2009 - Drug-proof zebrafish reveal secrets of addiction - also here

THC and memory loss

1. August 1, 2009 - Scientists find cannabis trigger for forgetfulness
2. August 3, 2009 - How cannabis makes you forget
3. August 4, 2009 - How Marijuana Causes Memory Deficits

Health and medicine

Cancer

1. July 27, 2009 - Tiny ovarian tumors lurk for years, study finds
2. July 27, 2009 - Many prostate cancers grow too slowly to kill
3. July 27, 2009 - Surgery remans an option for advanced lung cancer - also here
4. July 27, 2009 - Could therapeutic vaccines treat hard to beat breast cancers? - also here
5. July 27, 2009 - Smoking increases potential for metastatic pancreatic cancer - also here
6. July 27, 2009 - In the modern post-PSA era, prostate cancer surgery may not be necessary for some patients - also here
7. July 27, 2009 - Genetic testing may be valuable in treating colorectal cancer - also here
8. July 27, 2009 - Colon capsule endoscopy diagnoses 64 percent of total polyps detected by conventional colonoscopy - also here
9. July 27, 2009 - Racial disparity of breast cancer deaths baffles researchers
10. July 28, 2009 - Ariad Pharma says breast cancer drug shows promise - also here
11. July 28, 2009 - Many prostate cancers don't need radical therapy
12. July 28, 2009 - Common household pesticides linked to childhood cancer cases in Washington area
13. July 28, 2009 - Tiny early-stage ovarian tumors define early detection challenge
14. July 28, 2009 - New drug for children with high-risk leukemia - also here
15. July 28, 2009 - MEK4, genistein and invasion of human prostate cancer cells - also here
16. July 28, 2009 - Study shows cancer vaccines led to long-term survival for patients with metastatic melanoma - also here
17. July 28, 2009 - Team uses artificial intelligence to diagnose metastatic cancer - also here
18. July 29, 2009 - Throat cancer from HPV proves treatable
19. July 29, 2009 - Study questions Pap smears for under-25s
20. July 29, 2009 - Physician trust, early screening reduces disparities for prostate cancer - also here
21. July 29, 2009 - EphA2-targeted therapy delivers chemo directly to ovarian cancer cells - also here
22. July 29, 2009 - Low prevalence of HPV infection may be tied to poor prognosis for blacks with head and neck cancer - also here
23. July 29, 2009 - EU backs broader label for Avastin in breast cancer
24. July 30, 2009 - Exercise matters long after cancer diagnosis
25. July 30, 2009 - New method predicts which brain tumors will respond to drug - also here
26. July 30, 2009 - Researchers identify new drug target for Kaposi's sarcoma - also here
27. July 30, 2009 - Study links virus to some cases of common skin cancer - also here
28. July 30, 2009 - Mayo researchers find race has role in incidence, survival of rare brain tumor - also here
29. July 30, 2009 - Scientists show Schistosoma haematobium direct link to tumours
30. July 30, 2009 - SAMe is effective in preventing formation of primary liver cancer in rats - also here
31. July 31, 2009 - Jury's still out on green tea for preventing cancer
32. July 31, 2009 - Racial disparities for one type of tumor disappear
33. July 31, 2009 - AIDS patients face higher risk of HPV-related cancers as immunosuppression grows
34. July 31, 2009 - Antibody targeting of glioblastoma shows promise in preclinical tests - also here
35. August 1, 2009 - Drug cuts diabetics' pancreatic cancer risk: study
36. August 1, 2009 - Common diabetic therapy reduces risk of pancreatic cancer, study finds - also here
37. August 1, 2009 - All-biologic Regimen Efficacious And Well-tolerated In Elderly Lung Cancer Patients, Study Suggests
38. August 1, 2009 - Breast Cancer Hormone Receptor Status And Risk Of A Second Primary Tumor
39. August 1, 2009 - Feeding cancers softens them up for attack
40. August 2, 2009 - Experts find new targets to stop breast cancer
41. August 2, 2009 - Variation in prostate stem cell antigen gene raises bladder cancer risk - also here
42. August 2, 2009 - Study finds that lung cancer patients respond to erlotinib following cetuximab therapy - also here
43. August 2, 2009 - Differences identified in treatments of of patients with second primary lung cancers versus primary lung cancer - also here
44. August 2, 2009 - Lung Cancer: Diagnostic Tools And Innovative Therapies Improve Patient Prognosis
45. August 2, 2009 - Epigenetic Signature Changes In Low Oxygen Levels May Contribute To Prostate Cancer Development
46. August 2, 2009 - Flawed gene link to ovary cancer

Connection between oral and general health

1. July 27, 2009 - Tooth decay, bleeding gums may herald chronic ills

Cardiovascular disease

1. July 27, 2009 - Have high blood pressure? Aim for 140/90: study
2. July 27, 2009 - High blood pressure may lead to 'silent' strokes - also here
3. July 27, 2009 - Heart failure: Women different than men
4. July 27, 2009 - Dairy for children 'extends life'
5. July 28, 2009 - High pressure raises silent stroke risk
6. July 28, 2009 - Some evidence that diets high in calcium and dairy products in childhood may lower mortality
7. July 28, 2009 - High calcium level in arteries may signal serious heart attack risk - also here
8. July 29, 2009 - Freshly crushed garlic better for the heart than processed - also here
9. July 29, 2009 - Reducing Salt Intake Can Lower Blood Pressure
10. July 30, 2009 - Food additive may one day help control blood lipids and reduce disease risk - also here
11. July 30, 2009 - Cardiovascular risk after ischemic attack predicted by ultrasound - also here
12. July 31, 2009 - New chemical imaging technique could help in the fight against atherosclerosis, suggests research - also here

Nanobiotechnology

1. July 27, 2009 - Nanodiamonds deliver insulin for wound healing - also here
2. July 27, 2009 - All-in-one nanoparticle: A Swiss Army knife for nanomedicine - also here
3. July 28, 2009 - Targeted therapy from within
4. July 28, 2009 - 'Doctor' particle decides when to release drug payload

Inflammatory bowel disease

1. July 27, 2009 - Curcumin May be Viable Supplement to Treat Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Parkinson's disease

1. July 27, 2009 - How the pathology of Parkinson's disease spreads - also here
2. August 1, 2009 - Dementia induced and blocked in Parkinson's fly model - also here

Drug discovery

1. July 27, 2009 - Navigating in the ocean of molecules - also here, here

MicroRNA and cancer

1. July 27, 2009 - Molecule plays early role in nonsmoking lung cancer - also here

Cancer biology

1. July 27, 2009 - Comprehensive look at rare leukemia finds relatively few genetic changes launch disease - also here
2. July 27, 2009 - Study reveals a reprogrammed role for the androgen receptor - also here
3. July 27, 2009 - Cancer's distinctive pattern of gene expression could aid early screening and prevention - also here
4. July 28, 2009 - Researchers uncover one force behind the MYC oncogene in many cancers - also here
5. July 28, 2009 - A yeast cancer model for mapping cancer genes - also here

AIDS

1. July 27, 2009 - HIV uses autophagy for its own means - also here
2. July 27, 2009 - Earlier AIDS drug treatment would save 76,000 lives over 5 years
3. July 28, 2009 - Brain cells have natural resistance to HIV
4. August 2, 2009 - Gorillas are new source of HIV, scientists reveal
5. August 2, 2009 - Scientists learn why even treated genital herpes sores boost the risk of HIV infection
6. August 2, 2009 - Gorilla HIV makes leap to humans
7. August 3, 2009 - Scientists identify another variant of the virus that can cause AIDS
8. August 3, 2009 - Scientists find new strain of HIV
9. August 3, 2009 - Gorillas may be a source of AIDS, researchers find
10. August 3, 2009 - Gorilla Virus in Our Midst
11. August 3, 2009 - New HIV strain came from gorillas
12. August 3, 2009 - From Gorilla To Human: A New Immunodeficiency Virus Found
13. August 3, 2009 - New HIV strain discovered in woman from Cameroon

Stem cells

1. July 27, 2009 - Researchers soak up stem cell potential
2. July 27, 2009 - Placenta-derived stem cells may help sufferers of lung diseases - also here
3. July 28, 2009 - Male germ cells can be directly converted into other cell types - also here
4. July 29, 2009 - Stem cell research: From molecular physiology to therapeutic applications
5. July 30, 2009 - Discovery of a mechanism controlling the fate of hematopoietic stem cells - also here
6. July 31, 2009 - Scientists program blood stem cells to become vision cells - also here

Diabetes

1. July 27, 2009 - Intensive glucose control halves complications of longstanding type 1 diabetes - also here
2. July 29, 2009 - Diabetes gene raises odds of lower birth weight - also here

Alzheimer's disease

1. July 27, 2009 - Blood flow in Alzheimer's disease
2. July 29, 2009 - Alzheimer's clue found
3. July 29, 2009 - Early warning: Key Alzheimer's brain changes observed in unimpaired older humans - also here

Weight loss and depression

1. July 27, 2009 - Weight loss improves mood in depressed people

Multiple sclerosis

1. July 27, 2009 - Lilly, BioMS scrap MS drug after trial fails
2. July 29, 2009 - Cognitive testing, gender and brain lesions may predict MS disease progression risk - also here

Spinal cord repair

1. July 27, 2009 - Common, safe blue food dye may treat broken spines
2. July 27, 2009 - Food dye lessens spinal injuries
3. July 28, 2009 - Blue food dye may treat injured spines
4. August 2, 2009 - Finding the Right Connection after Spinal Cord Injury
5. August 2, 2009 - Severed axons regrow to target

Malaria

1. July 28, 2009 - First genetically-engineered malaria vaccine to enter human trials - also here
2. July 28, 2009 - Prenatal malaria exposure increases risk of malaria and anemia for some children
3. July 29, 2009 - Malaria becoming more drug resistant
4. July 29, 2009 - Ground Zero for Malaria Drug Resistance?
5. July 29, 2009 - Drug-resistant malaria has emerged in Cambodia - also here
6. July 30, 2009 - Unique immunization method provides insights about protective anti-malaria immune response
7. July 31, 2009 - Key To Malaria Susceptibility In Children Discovered

Mathematical oncology

1. July 28, 2009 - Forecasting cancer recurrence - also here
2. July 28, 2009 - Mathematical modeling predicts response to Herceptin - also here

Opioid receptors and food consumption

1. July 28, 2009 - High-fat, high-sugar foods alter brain receptors

Mitochondrial disease and bacterial infection

1. July 28, 2009 - Stress signals link pre-existing sickness with susceptibility to bacterial infection - also here

Organic food

1. July 29, 2009 - Organic food not healthier, study finds
2. July 29, 2009 - Organic food 'no healthier than conventional'
3. July 30, 2009 - Organic Food Not Nutritionally Better Than Conventionally-produced Food, Review Of Literature Shows
4. July 29, 2009 - Organic 'has no health benefits'

Appetite, leptin, and ghrelin

1. July 29, 2009 - When eating and dieting, follow your gut

Gene therapy

1. July 29, 2009 - Developing gene therapy to fight blindness

Exercise and lipid levels

1. July 29, 2009 - Health benefits of physical activity more pronounced in women - also here

Obesity

1. July 29, 2009 - Research shows rates of severe childhood obesity have tripled - also here

Hepatitis B

1. July 29, 2009 - Does peripheral T-lymphocyte subpopulations correlate with hepatitis B virus load?

Rheumatoid arthritis

1. July 29, 2009 - Glaxo, Genmab drug meets goal in arthritis study

Nanotech gene therapy for cancer

1. July 30, 2009 - Nanotech gene therapy kills ovarian cancer in mice
2. July 30, 2009 - Nanoparticle-delivered 'suicide' genes slowed ovarian tumor growth - also here

Resveratrol and inflammation

1. July 30, 2009 - Scientists uncork a potential secret of red wine's health benefits - also here

Anti-quorum-sensing control of bacteria

1. July 30, 2009 - Communication breakdown: New strategy may be valid alternative to traditional antibiotics - also here
2. August 13, 2009 - Alternative to antibiotics under development

Autoimmune disease

1. July 30, 2009 - Sun exposure may trigger certain autoimmune diseases in women - also here

Tuberculosis

1. July 30, 2009 - Higher drug doses needed to defeat tuberculosis, researchers report - also here

Lupus

1. July 30, 2009 - Immune responses to flu vaccine are diminished in lupus patients - also here

Hepatitis C

1. July 30, 2009 - Studies reveal hepatitis C virus carriers experience substantial increase in mortality - also here
2. July 30, 2009 - Anadys gets FDA nod on hepatitis C drug study

Cancer stem cells

1. August 2, 2009 - Stem cell 'daughters' lead to breast cancer - also here

The immune system and stroke damage

1. August 2, 2009 - Immune cells cause more post-stroke brain damage: study
2. August 3, 2009 - Immune cells cause post-stroke damage

Copyright © 2009 by Charles Daney, All Rights Reserved