Volume 8, Number 32 August 10, 2009

Physical sciences and technology Superconductivity Microfluidics Biomolecular computing Quantum optics Large Hadron Collider Parity violation Early galaxies Global warming Photovoltaics GEMS polarized x-ray mission Prebiotic chemistry on Titan Terrestrial water from comets Clouds from cosmic rays Methane on Mars Quantum computing Plate tectonics Supercomputers Enceladus Extrasolar planets Nanotechnology Ice ages Macroscopic quantum effects Solar Dynamics Observatory Ocean acidification Arctic Ocean current Earthquakes Graphene Dark energy Naked singularities Life sciences Agricultural biotechnology Synthetic biology Algebraic methods in mathematical biology Intracellular activation of hormone receptors Immune response to viral RNA Glucose regulation Systems biology and blood stem cells Speciation Hypoxic stress and mTOR signaling Evolution of RNA-synthesizing enzymes Cell respiration, mitochondria, and aging Gross chromosomal rearrangement Evolution of infectious disease susceptibility T cell exhaustion Cell size regulation Protein folding Induced pluripotent stem cells Molecular chaperones and disease Model of genetic code origins Neuroscience, psychology, and behavior Neurogenesis Brain-imaging studies Oxytocin Psychopathy Neural basis of language Autism Schizophrenia Corvid use of tools Neural transposons Leptin, dopamine, and appetite Working memory Neural vesicles Genetics of addictive behavior Opioid receptors and high-fat, high-sugar diet Intelligence Canine intelligence Health and medicine Cancer stem cells Cancer biology Regeneration of teeth Malaria Cardiovascular disease Alzheimer's disease Cancer AIDS Nanobiotechnology Health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids Antibiotics Autophagy and resistance to bacterial infection Tuberculosis Cardioprotective effect of SIRT3 Diabetes Hepatitis C Prions Stem cells Rheumatoid arthritis Aptamer therapeutics Parkinson's disease Bioinformatics Dementia

Physical sciences and technology

Superconductivity

1. August 3, 2009 - Magnetic Measurements Question Assumptions About High-Tc Superconductors

Microfluidics

1. August 3, 2009 - New microchip technology performs 1,000 chemical reactions at once - also here
2. August 3, 2009 - 'Artificial Golgi' May Provide New Insight Into Key Cell Structure

Biomolecular computing

1. August 3, 2009 - DNA computation gets logical - also here
2. August 5, 2009 - DNA computer 'answers questions'

Quantum optics

1. August 3, 2009 - Miniaturized Lasers Can Emit Quantum Light

Large Hadron Collider

1. August 3, 2009 - Giant Particle Collider Struggles
2. August 4, 2009 - Atom-smasher relaunch delayed to November: official - also here, here
3. August 6, 2009 - "Big Bang" collider to restart with less energy
4. August 6, 2009 - LHC Will Begin Running at Half Energy
5. August 6, 2009 - LHC to run at 3.5 TeV for early part of 2009-2010 run rising later - also here
6. August 7, 2009 - LHC hopes for collisions by late December
7. August 7, 2009 - LHC to relaunch at partial power in November
8. August 7, 2009 - Large Hadron Collider to restart at half its designed energy
9. August 7, 2009 - Large Hadron Collider to restart in November
10. August 8, 2009 - Particle collider: Black hole or crucial machine?
11. August 10, 2009 - The LHC will collide protons at half energy this fall to start collecting data instead of waiting to complete all repairs

Parity violation

1. August 3, 2009 - Parity violation in ytterbium is largest ever seen

Early galaxies

1. August 4, 2009 - Astronomers Find Hyperactive Galaxies in the Early Universe - also here, here
2. August 5, 2009 - Speeding Stars Confirm Bizarre Nature of Faraway Galaxies

Global warming

1. August 4, 2009 - Drowned tundra emits more carbon
2. August 7, 2009 - 'Benchmark glaciers' shrinking at faster rate, study finds
3. August 7, 2009 - Glacier melt accelerating, federal report concludes
4. August 9, 2009 - Earth's Most Prominent Rainfall Feature Creeping Northward
5. August 9, 2009 - Vast expanses of Arctic ice melt in summer heat

Photovoltaics

1. August 4, 2009 - Plastics that convert light to electricity could have a big impact - also here
2. August 5, 2009 - Bringing solar power to the masses - also here

GEMS polarized x-ray mission

1. August 4, 2009 - GEMS mission to explore the polarized universe - also here, here

Prebiotic chemistry on Titan

1. August 5, 2009 - Titan may host prebiotic brew
2. August 6, 2009 - Titan: A World Much Like Earth
3. August 6, 2009 - Surface features on Titan form like Earth's, but with a frigid twist - also here

Terrestrial water from comets

1. August 5, 2009 - Comet Swarm Delivered Earth's Oceans?

Clouds from cosmic rays

1. August 5, 2009 - Do Clouds Come From Outer Space?

Methane on Mars

1. August 5, 2009 - Latest Case for Martian Life May Just Be Hot Air
2. August 5, 2009 - Martian methane mystery deepens
3. August 5, 2009 - Destruction of Martian methane may be bad news for life
4. August 6, 2009 - Hopes Dim for Mars Life
5. August 10, 2009 - Mars, methane and mysteries - also here
6. August 13, 2009 - Martian life appears less likely

Quantum computing

1. August 5, 2009 - Researchers find quantum errors do compute
2. August 6, 2009 - Minifridge makes quantum computers last
3. August 6, 2009 - Quantum computers still work with half their bits missing
4. August 6, 2009 - Sustained quantum information processing demonstrated - also here
5. August 6, 2009 - Small-Scale Quantum Processor Gets Its Act Together
6. August 11, 2009 - Tiny device is first complete 'quantum computer'

Plate tectonics

1. August 5, 2009 - How Water Helps Tectonic Plates Slide in New Zealand - also here

Supercomputers

1. August 5, 2009 - UC San Diego launches Triton Resource Supercomputer

Enceladus

1. August 5, 2009 - Saturnian Moon Shows Evidence Of Ammonia

Extrasolar planets

1. August 6, 2009 - Telescope can find "oodles" of Earths: NASA
2. August 6, 2009 - Kepler Shows Exoplanet Is Unlike Anything in Our Solar System
3. August 6, 2009 - Kepler Detects Atmosphere of Hot World
4. August 6, 2009 - Earth-Like Planet-Hunting Telescope Passes Key Test
5. August 6, 2009 - Kepler spacecraft sees its first exoplanets
6. August 6, 2009 - 'Stunning' images of distant planet sent by Kepler scope - also here
7. August 6, 2009 - Planet-Hunting Spacecraft Shows Its Stuff by Detecting a Known Exoplanet
8. August 7, 2009 - Kepler Shows Its Promise
9. August 7, 2009 - Super-Earth has rocky surface: study
10. August 7, 2009 - New Planet-finder Shows Its Power: Kepler Orbiting Telescope Should Soon Find Alien Earths
11. August 7, 2009 - Nasa telescope passes planet test

Nanotechnology

1. August 6, 2009 - Self-Assembling DNA Makes Super 3-D Nano Machines
2. August 6, 2009 - Nanoscale origami from DNA - also here
3. August 6, 2009 - Physicists to study attractive and repulsive forces crucial in designing nano-machines
4. August 6, 2009 - DNA twists and bends on demand
5. August 7, 2009 - Researchers Record First Real-Time Direct Observations of Nanocrystal Growth in Solution - also here

Ice ages

1. August 6, 2009 - Long debate ended over cause, demise of ice ages -- may also help predict future - also here
2. August 14, 2009 - Wobbling earth triggers climate change

Macroscopic quantum effects

1. August 6, 2009 - Effects of 'strong coupling' observed for the first time between light and a micromechanical object

Solar Dynamics Observatory

1. August 6, 2009 - The Incredible Data Stream of SDO

Ocean acidification

1. August 6, 2009 - Researchers reveal ocean acidification at Station ALOHA - also here

Arctic Ocean current

1. August 6, 2009 - Arctic Ocean may be polluted soup by 2070

Earthquakes

1. August 6, 2009 - Water 'key' to New Zealand's earthquakes

Graphene

1. August 7, 2009 - New form of carbon created

Dark energy

1. August 7, 2009 - Dark Energy From the Ground Up: Make Way for BigBOSS - also here

Naked singularities

1. August 8, 2009 - Fast-spinning black holes might reveal all

Life sciences

Agricultural biotechnology

1. August 3, 2009 - GM crop lures pest killers

Synthetic biology

1. August 3, 2009 - Synthetic Biology: Opportunities And Risks

Algebraic methods in mathematical biology

1. August 3, 2009 - Algebra Adds Value To Mathematical Biology Education

Intracellular activation of hormone receptors

1. August 3, 2009 - Receptor Also Active Inside The Cell

Immune response to viral RNA

1. August 4, 2009 - Link uncovered between viral RNA and human immune response - also here

Glucose regulation

1. August 5, 2009 - Gut hormone has 'remote control' on blood sugar - also here

Systems biology and blood stem cells

1. August 5, 2009 - Researchers learn how blood cells 'talk'

Speciation

1. August 5, 2009 - Feather color and sex start the species revolution

Hypoxic stress and mTOR signaling

1. August 5, 2009 - Unraveling how cells respond to low oxygen - also here

Evolution of RNA-synthesizing enzymes

1. August 6, 2009 - Early evolution maximized the 'spellchecking' of protein sequences - also here

Cell respiration, mitochondria, and aging

1. August 6, 2009 - Unstable proteins can cause premature ageing - also here

Gross chromosomal rearrangement

1. August 6, 2009 - Researchers uncover potential mechanisms to protect against genetic alterations, diseases - also here

Evolution of infectious disease susceptibility

1. August 6, 2009 - Study links selection for pathogen-resistance with increased risk for inflammatory disease - also here

T cell exhaustion

1. August 6, 2009 - Scientists find key to strengthening immune response to chronic infection - also here

Cell size regulation

1. August 6, 2009 - Researchers find key to keeping cells in shape - also here

Protein folding

1. August 6, 2009 - Protein folding: Diverse methods yield clues - also here

Induced pluripotent stem cells

1. August 6, 2009 - Researchers make stem cells from developing sperm - also here
2. August 9, 2009 - Immortality improves cell reprogramming
3. August 9, 2009 - Tumor suppressor pulls double shift as reprogramming watchdog - also here
4. August 10, 2009 - New steps forward in cell reprogramming

Molecular chaperones and disease

1. August 6, 2009 - Protein handlers should be effective treatment target for cancer and Alzheimer's
2. August 8, 2009 - Heat Shock Proteins Provide Protection Against Cataracts

Model of genetic code origins

1. August 7, 2009 - Model suggests how life's code emerged from primordial soup - also here

Neuroscience, psychology, and behavior

Neurogenesis

1. August 3, 2009 - Adult mouse gut makes new neurons
2. August 4, 2009 - Adult gut can generate new neurons - also here

Brain-imaging studies

1. August 3, 2009 - Why anorexic patients cling to their eating disorder - also here

Oxytocin

1. August 3, 2009 - Goody-Goody Hormone Now Linked to Envy, Gloating
2. August 6, 2009 - 'Cuddle chemical' may create green-eyed monster

Psychopathy

1. August 4, 2009 - Brain difference in psychopaths identified - also here
2. August 7, 2009 - Psychopaths have faulty brain connections, scientists find
3. August 10, 2009 - Psychopaths have 'potholed' brains: study

Neural basis of language

1. August 4, 2009 - Looking at language - also here

Autism

1. August 4, 2009 - Autism 'hits body language skill'
2. August 5, 2009 - Autism study finds visual processing 'hinders ability' to read body language - also here

Schizophrenia

1. August 5, 2009 - Nicotine improves brain function in schizophrenics

Corvid use of tools

1. August 5, 2009 - Crows can use 'up to three tools' - also here
2. August 5, 2009 - Crows use multitools, but do they plan ahead?
3. August 5, 2009 - Zoologist shows crows can think
4. August 6, 2009 - Birds reveal a capacity for manipulating sticks and stones to acquire food in experimental tasks
5. August 6, 2009 - Clever Crows Prove Aesop's Fable Is More Than Fiction
6. August 6, 2009 - The Rook and the Test Tube: Fable Made Fact
7. August 6, 2009 - Aesop's fable 'the crow and the pitcher' more fact than fiction - also here
8. August 6, 2009 - Clever rooks repeat ancient fable
9. August 6, 2009 - Bird experiment shows Aesop's fable may be true

Neural transposons

1. August 5, 2009 - 'Jumping genes' create diversity in human brain cells - also here

Leptin, dopamine, and appetite

1. August 5, 2009 - Fat hormone influences baseline dopamine levels and our motivation to eat - also here

Working memory

1. August 6, 2009 - Reaction to undesired distraction may signal a person's low working-memory capacity - also here

Neural vesicles

1. August 6, 2009 - Live recordings of cell communication

Genetics of addictive behavior

1. August 6, 2009 - Distinctive gene expression in brains of relapsing heroin-addicted rats - also here

Opioid receptors and high-fat, high-sugar diet

1. August 6, 2009 - High-fat, High-sugar Foods Alter Brain Receptors

Intelligence

1. August 7, 2009 - Ability to process information as a baby continues into adulthood - also here

Canine intelligence

1. August 8, 2009 - Renowned canine researcher puts dogs' intelligence on par with two-year-old human - also here
2. August 8, 2009 - Dogs as Smart as 2-year-old Kids
3. August 10, 2009 - Dogs and 2-Year-Olds on Same Mental Plane

Health and medicine

Cancer stem cells

1. August 3, 2009 - "Don't eat me" sign helps bladder tumors escape
2. August 3, 2009 - Scientists discover bladder cancer stem cell - also here
3. August 3, 2009 - Gene signature for cancer stem cells may provide drug targets - also here
4. August 6, 2009 - Scientists find common trigger in cancer and normal stem cell reproduction - also here
5. August 6, 2009 - Scientists find cells responsible for bladder cancer's spread - also here

Cancer biology

1. August 3, 2009 - Scientists discover novel tumor suppressor - also here
2. August 4, 2009 - The way you eat may affect your risk for breast cancer - also here
3. August 4, 2009 - Silenced genes as a warning sign of blood cancer - also here
4. August 5, 2009 - Protein complex key in avoiding DNA repair mistakes, cancer - also here
5. August 5, 2009 - Decoding leukemia patient genome leads scientists to mutations in other patients - also here
6. August 6, 2009 - Colon cancer may yield to cellular sugar starvation - also here
7. August 6, 2009 - Tumor mutations can predict chemo success - also here
8. August 7, 2009 - Cancer cells are protected by our own immune system - also here
9. August 7, 2009 - Cancer gene complexity revealed
10. August 9, 2009 - Scientists uncover function of potential cancer-causing gene product - also here

Regeneration of teeth

1. August 3, 2009 - Experts grow new teeth in adult mice
2. August 3, 2009 - Mouse Tooth Grown From Stem Cells in Mouth
3. August 3, 2009 - Researchers Grow New Teeth in Mice
4. August 4, 2009 - Researchers grow new teeth in adult mice
5. August 4, 2009 - Replacement teeth grown in mice

Malaria

1. August 3, 2009 - Malaria may have come from chimps: study
2. August 3, 2009 - Most Infectious Malaria Strain Came From Chimps?
3. August 3, 2009 - Scientists report original source of malaria - also here
4. August 3, 2009 - Daily temperature shifts may alter malaria patterns - also
5. August 3, 2009 - Malaria Jumped to Humans From Chimpanzees
6. August 3, 2009 - Effective Vaccine For Malaria Possible, Study Shows
7. August 3, 2009 - 'Proof' malaria began in chimps

Cardiovascular disease

1. August 3, 2009 - Too much TV time bad for kids' blood pressure
2. August 3, 2009 - TV, computer screen time linked to high blood pressure in young children - also here
3. August 3, 2009 - Twin study examines associations between depression and coronary artery disease - also here
4. August 3, 2009 - Obesity is a poor gauge for detecting high cholesterol levels in children
5. August 3, 2009 - Heart disease patients with previous blockages more likely to die - also here
6. August 3, 2009 - New Method For Detecting Nitroxyl Will Boost Cardiac Drug Research
7. August 5, 2009 - New research links social stress to harmful fat deposits, heart disease - also here
8. August 5, 2009 - Researchers found a way to treat ischemic pathologies - also here
9. August 6, 2009 - Men with angina 'at greater risk'
10. August 7, 2009 - Men with angina at twice the risk of heart attack and death compared with women

Alzheimer's disease

1. August 3, 2009 - Exercising the mind could hold off dementia
2. August 3, 2009 - 'Brain exercises' may delay memory decline in dementia - also here
3. August 4, 2009 - Dementia link to 'mid-life ills'
4. August 4, 2009 - High cholesterol in midlife raises risk of late-life dementia, study finds - also here
5. August 5, 2009 - Keep cholesterol in check to ward off dementia
6. August 6, 2009 - Study finds no link between cognitive decline, socioeconomic status in elderly - also here
7. August 7, 2009 - Scientists discover new Alzheimer's gene - also here

Cancer

1. August 3, 2009 - Drug cuts diabetics' pancreatic cancer risk: study
2. August 3, 2009 - Experts find new targets to stop breast cancer
3. August 3, 2009 - Researchers identify new method to selectively kill metastatic melanoma cells - also here
4. August 3, 2009 - Heavy drinkers face significantly increased cancer risk - also here
5. August 3, 2009 - Viral mimic induces melanoma cells to digest themselves - also here
6. August 3, 2009 - Study shows seed implants a suitable prostate cancer treatment option for men of all ages - also here
7. August 3, 2009 - New tool may help with early detection of deadly pancreatic cancer - also here
8. August 3, 2009 - Switch to digital mammography leads to increased cancer detection rates - also here
9. August 3, 2009 - PET can help guide treatment decisions for a common pediatric cancer - also here
10. August 3, 2009 - The Protein CCKR2: A Potential Drug Target For Colorectal Cancer?
11. August 3, 2009 - Ovarian Cancer Tests 'Woefully Ineffective' According To Researchers
12. August 3, 2009 - Roche's Avastin gets U.S. nod for kidney cancer
13. August 4, 2009 - Blood test may diagnose lung cancer, company says - also here, here
14. August 4, 2009 - Promising candidate protein for cancer prevention vaccines found - also here
15. August 5, 2009 - Gene shut-down may offer early warning of chronic leukemia - also here
16. August 5, 2009 - Sensitizing tumor response to cancer therapy - also here
17. August 5, 2009 - Finding key to cancer drug Gleevec's limitations - also here
18. August 5, 2009 - Considering combination versus sequential chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer - also here
19. August 5, 2009 - Digital mammography plus digital breast tomosynthesis may decrease patient recall rates - also here
20. August 5, 2009 - Grapefruit juice found to give cancer treatment a boost
21. August 6, 2009 - New cancer drug delivery system is effective and reversible - also here
22. August 7, 2009 - Debate surrounds new prostate-cancer treatment
23. August 7, 2009 - Advances in lung cancer research announced at conference
24. August 8, 2009 - Cost-effectiveness of cetuximab in metastatic colorectal cancer - also here
25. August 8, 2009 - Antibody Linked To Chemotherapy Drug Inhibits Ovarian Cancer In Lab

AIDS

1. August 3, 2009 - HIV integrase inhibitor effective for patients beginning antiretroviral treatment - also here
2. August 5, 2009 - New technique gives big picture of AIDS gene map - also here
3. August 5, 2009 - Mapping HIV Genome's Shape, Not Just Sequence
4. August 5, 2009 - Researchers decode structure of an entire HIV genome - also here
5. August 6, 2009 - Structure of HIV genome 'decoded'
6. August 7, 2009 - Researchers propose ambitious new strategies for AIDS vaccine research - also here
7. August 7, 2009 - Why Even Treated Genital Herpes Sores Boost The Risk Of HIV Infection

Nanobiotechnology

1. August 3, 2009 - Researchers effectively treat tumors with use of nanotubes - also here
2. August 3, 2009 - Nanoparticles cross blood-brain barrier to enable 'brain tumor painting' - also here

Health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids

1. August 3, 2009 - Study reveals mounting evidence of fish oil's heart health benefits - also here

Antibiotics

1. August 3, 2009 - 'Non-trivial' Crystallization Reveals Antibiotic's Molecular Mode of Action - also here
2. August 5, 2009 - Pinhead-size worms + robot = new antibiotics - also here

Autophagy and resistance to bacterial infection

1. August 3, 2009 - Cannibalistic cells may help prevent infections - also here

Tuberculosis

1. August 3, 2009 - Tuberculosis drugs under development expected to have major impact on the disease - also here
2. August 6, 2009 - Diabetes ups TB risk in children and adolescents
3. August 7, 2009 - Mini-magnet test makes things sticky for TB

Cardioprotective effect of SIRT3

1. August 3, 2009 - The Protein SIRT3 Protects The Heart

Diabetes

1. August 3, 2009 - Previously Unseen Effects Of Protein Buildup In Diabetic Baboons' Pancreases Found
2. August 4, 2009 - IgM in urine acts as prognostic indicator in diabetes - also here
3. August 5, 2009 - MRI may help physicians diagnose, stage and treat diabetes - also here
4. August 6, 2009 - Noninsulin-producing alpha cells in the pancreas can be converted to insulin-producing beta cells
5. August 6, 2009 - More insulin-producing cells, at the flip of a 'switch' - also here
6. August 7, 2009 - Scientists closer to diabetes cure

Hepatitis C

1. August 3, 2009 - Hepatitis C Infection: Treatment Options Equally Effective, Likelihood Of Success Known Early On
2. August 6, 2009 - First human gets new antibody aimed at hepatitis C virus - also here
3. August 7, 2009 - The hepatitis healing power of blueberry leaves
4. August 7, 2009 - Current hepatitis C treatments work equally well, researchers report - also here

Prions

1. August 3, 2009 - People Who Eat Deer And Elk With Chronic Wasting Disease May Avoid Infection Because Of Species Barrier, Study in Monkeys Suggests

Stem cells

1. August 4, 2009 - Stem cell hierarchy offers potential for isolating, growing cells
2. August 6, 2009 - What makes stem cells tick? - also here

Rheumatoid arthritis

1. August 4, 2009 - Depression and Inflammation Linked to Pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients - also here

Aptamer therapeutics

1. August 5, 2009 - New DNA and RNA aptamers offer unique therapeutic advantages - also here

Parkinson's disease

1. August 5, 2009 - Rural Well Water Linked to Parkinson's Disease

Bioinformatics

1. August 7, 2009 - Researchers develop innovative method to detect genetic causes of complex diseases - also here

Dementia

1. August 9, 2009 - Face shape clue to mental decline

Copyright © 2009 by Charles Daney, All Rights Reserved