Volume 8, Number 41 October 12, 2009

Physical sciences and technology Amino acids in asteroids Photovoltaics Artificial intelligence Advanced particle accelerators Advanced microelectronic technology DNA nanosensors Quantum communication Earth's mantle Plasma space propulsion Extrasolar planets Brain-computer interface Magnetic monopoles Black holes Exobiology Nanoscale DNA sequencing Global warming Aerosols and climate change Microfluidics Quantum entanglement and chaos Nanotechnology Persistent currents Microwave photonic crystals Paleoclimatology Enceladus Earthquakes Supercomputers Nitrogen and climate change Europa Ancient CO2 levels Copper oxide ceramics Carbon nanotubes and superconductors Quantum computing Use of metamaterials for astrophysical simulations Life sciences Experimental developmental biology DNA hybridization TLR4 and inflammatory signaling MicroRNA Dendritic cells Nuclear envelope Copy number variation map of human genome Histones 3-D folding of DNA Induced pluripotent stem cells Anomalous nucleotide Loss of human genetic diversity Ardipithecus Mitochondria and vitamin A Initiation of transcription by RNA polymerase II Body regeneration in planaria Pathogen evasion of the immune system Stem cell pluripotency Neuroscience, psychology, and behavior Autism Termite altruism Development of grammar in young children Glucocorticoids and circadian rhythm Depression and inflammation Retinal motion detecting circuit Dopamine Avian intelligence Hypothalamic regulation of circadian rhythm Synapse formation and astrocytes Learning and spontaneous brain activity Mapping systems in the brain Learning and brain development Health and medicine Nanobiotechnology Cancer Cancer biology Mediterranean diet and depression Cardiovascular disease Nanoparticles and stem cells Prions Lupus Gene therapy Hepatitis and liver cancer Stem cells Aging and the immune system Diabetes Resveratrol and diabetes Dementia Parkinson's disease Drug delivery Alzheimer's disease Rheumatoid arthritis Tuberculosis AIDS Malaria Celiac disease Inflammatory bowel disease MicroRNA and cancer Conjugated linoleic acid and weight loss Glycemic index, tryptophan, and sleepiness Genome-wide association study of blood cell counts

Physical sciences and technology

Amino acids in asteroids

1. October 5, 2009 - Inspecting an asteroid that hit Earth - also here

Photovoltaics

1. October 5, 2009 - Silver Nanoparticles Give Polymer Solar Cells A Boost - also here
2. October 5, 2009 - Solar Cell Researcher Explores Nanotech Ideas
3. October 6, 2009 - Spray-Coating Technique Holds Promise For Cheap Fully Solution-Processed Organic Solar Cells
4. October 7, 2009 - High-Efficiency Low-Cost Silicon Solar Cell Demonstrated
5. October 8, 2009 - Toward better solar cells: Chemists gain control of light-harvesting paths - also here

Artificial intelligence

1. October 5, 2009 - Machine Learning by Watching and Listening
2. October 6, 2009 - Researchers Probe Computer 'Commonsense Knowledge' - also here
3. October 6, 2009 - Self-driving car will get smarter

Advanced particle accelerators

1. October 5, 2009 - Physicists seek to keep next-gen colliders in one piece - also here

Advanced microelectronic technology

1. October 5, 2009 - Breaking Down the Barrier for Smaller, Faster Electronic Devices

DNA nanosensors

1. October 5, 2009 - Rapid DNA Detection Quickly Diagnoses Infections

Quantum communication

1. October 5, 2009 - Building a better qubit: Combining 6 photons together results in highly robust qubits - also here
2. October 7, 2009 - Physicists Demonstrate Three-Color Entanglement
3. October 9, 2009 - Entangled photons make better messengers
4. October 12, 2009 - Photonic Six Pack Provides Better Quantum Communication

Earth's mantle

1. October 5, 2009 - Earth's 'hum' reveals hidden depths

Plasma space propulsion

1. October 5, 2009 - Rocket company tests world's most powerful ion engine
2. October 6, 2009 - Plasma Rocket Could Travel to Mars in 39 Days

Extrasolar planets

1. October 6, 2009 - One Planet, Two Parents?
2. October 6, 2009 - Dirty stars make good solar system hosts - also here
3. October 7, 2009 - Starlight reveals chemistry of planets
4. October 7, 2009 - Dirty Stars Make Great Hosts for New Worlds
5. October 15, 2009 - Planets form out of 'dirty' stars

Brain-computer interface

1. October 6, 2009 - Communicating person to person through the power of thought alone - also here

Magnetic monopoles

1. October 6, 2009 - Large-scale cousin of elusive 'magnetic monopoles' found - also here

Black holes

1. October 6, 2009 - Black Holes Go 'Mano a Mano'
2. October 7, 2009 - Supermassive Black Holes Collide to Become Even More Super and Massive

Exobiology

1. October 6, 2009 - Islands of Life Across Space and Time

Nanoscale DNA sequencing

1. October 6, 2009 - IBM Research Aims to Build Nanoscale DNA Sequencer
2. October 6, 2009 - DNA sequencing in a holey new way

Global warming

1. October 6, 2009 - Arctic sea ice recovers slightly in 2009, remains on downward trend - also here
2. October 9, 2009 - Russian climate goal weak as "methane bomb" ticks

Aerosols and climate change

1. October 6, 2009 - Do dust particles curb climate change? - also here

Microfluidics

1. October 6, 2009 - Prostate Cancer Treated Using Microfluidics Technology
2. October 7, 2009 - Researchers develop new lab-on-a-chip technique - also here

Quantum entanglement and chaos

1. October 7, 2009 - The butterfly effect gets entangled
2. October 7, 2009 - Scientists discover quantum fingerprints of chaos - also here
3. October 7, 2009 - Chaos spotted in quantum 'kicked top'

Nanotechnology

1. October 7, 2009 - Atomic Wire with Protective Sheath: Stable Metal Nanowires One Atom Wide Inside Carbon Nanotubes
2. October 8, 2009 - Nanometric butterfly wings created - also here

Persistent currents

1. October 8, 2009 - Physicists Measure Elusive 'Persistent Current' That Flows Forever - also here
2. October 14, 2009 - Electrons flow forever in metal rings
3. November 5, 2009 - Persistent currents in normal metals

Microwave photonic crystals

1. October 8, 2009 - Team implements the first '1-way roads' for light - also here
2. October 9, 2009 - Microwaves live on the edge
3. October 12, 2009 - Crystal is one-way street for microwaves

Paleoclimatology

1. October 8, 2009 - Temperatures of sea water fringing South Pole were tropical 50 million years ago
2. October 8, 2009 - Climate models don't tell the full story - also here

Enceladus

1. October 8, 2009 - Hot Debate over Icy Moon
2. October 13, 2009 - Hot Debate Rages Over Water on Saturn's Icy Moon

Earthquakes

1. October 8, 2009 - Australian continent to blame for Samoa, Sumatra quakes
2. October 9, 2009 - Australian plate: cause of Indonesian and Pacific earthquakes?
3. October 11, 2009 - Killer earthquakes shake scientific thought
4. October 12, 2009 - Experts examine Pacific earthquake link

Supercomputers

1. October 8, 2009 - Kraken becomes first academic machine to achieve petaflop - also here

Nitrogen and climate change

1. October 8, 2009 - Nitrogen Deposition Limits Climate Change Impacts On Carbon Sequestration
2. October 9, 2009 - Key new ingredient in climate model refines global predictions - also here

Europa

1. October 8, 2009 - Moon of Jupiter Could Support Life

Ancient CO₂ levels

1. October 8, 2009 - Last time carbon dioxide levels were this high: 15 million years ago, scientists report - also here
2. October 8, 2009 - Fossils Suggest an Ancient CO2-Climate Link
3. October 8, 2009 - Just How Sensitive Is Earth's Climate to Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide?
4. October 10, 2009 - 'Scary' climate message from past

Copper oxide ceramics

1. October 9, 2009 - Puzzled Physicists Solve Decade-Long Discrepancies - also here, here

Carbon nanotubes and superconductors

1. October 9, 2009 - Race for Superconductors Shrinks to Nanoscale

Quantum computing

1. October 9, 2009 - Quantum computing may actually be useful, after all
2. October 9, 2009 - Atomtronic transistor and diode could advance quantum computing
3. October 16, 2009 - Quantum computers could tackle enormous linear equations

Use of metamaterials for astrophysical simulations

1. October 10, 2009 - Physicists could study black holes and chaotic planetary orbits in the laboratory, a team proposes

Life sciences

Experimental developmental biology

1. October 5, 2009 - Scientists Use Inkjet Printer to Manipulate Genes in New Ways

DNA hybridization

1. October 5, 2009 - Models begin to unravel how single DNA strands combine - also here

TLR4 and inflammatory signaling

1. October 5, 2009 - Iron regulates the TLR4 inflammatory signaling pathway - also here

MicroRNA

1. October 6, 2009 - MicroRNA drives cells' adaptation to low-oxygen living - also here

Dendritic cells

1. October 6, 2009 - Researchers identify key behavior of immune response to Listeria - also here

Nuclear envelope

1. October 6, 2009 - Nuclear barrier less restrictive than expected in new cells - also here

Copy number variation map of human genome

1. October 7, 2009 - Human variation revealed
2. October 7, 2009 - Jumping genes, gene loss and genome dark matter - also here

Histones

1. October 7, 2009 - Researcher solves mystery about proteins that package the genome - also here

3-D folding of DNA

1. October 8, 2009 - New view reveals how DNA fits into cell
2. October 8, 2009 - The Human Genome in 3 Dimensions
3. October 8, 2009 - Scientists decipher the 3-D structure of the human genome - also here
4. October 10, 2009 - Revealed: The human genome in 3D
5. November 2, 2009 - Chromosome folding

Induced pluripotent stem cells

1. October 8, 2009 - Team reports major step forward in cell reprogramming - also here
2. October 8, 2009 - Liver cells grown from patients' skin cells - also here
3. October 9, 2009 - Researchers take another stem cell step

Anomalous nucleotide

1. October 8, 2009 - Baffling base

Loss of human genetic diversity

1. October 8, 2009 - How We Lost Our Diversity

Ardipithecus

1. October 8, 2009 - Early hominid first walked on two legs in the woods - also here

Mitochondria and vitamin A

1. October 8, 2009 - Scientists explain cellular effects of vitamin A overdose and deficiency - also here

Initiation of transcription by RNA polymerase II

1. October 9, 2009 - How RNA polymerase II gets the go-ahead for gene transcription - also here

Body regeneration in planaria

1. October 9, 2009 - Figuring Out The Heads Or Tails Decision In Regeneration

Pathogen evasion of the immune system

1. October 10, 2009 - Researchers identify mechanism that helps bacteria avoid destruction in cells - also here

Stem cell pluripotency

1. October 11, 2009 - In search of true stem-like cells
2. October 11, 2009 - How to ID human pluripotency

Neuroscience, psychology, and behavior

Autism

1. October 5, 2009 - More kids have autism than thought: U.S. study
2. October 7, 2009 - Genome-wide study of autism published in Nature - also here

Termite altruism

1. October 5, 2009 - Termite Altruism Might Have Roots in War
2. October 12, 2009 - Opportunity To Usurp Reproductive Power Of Royal Throne Keeps Worker Termites Home

Development of grammar in young children

1. October 5, 2009 - Toddlers develop individualized rules for grammar

Glucocorticoids and circadian rhythm

1. October 5, 2009 - Body's circadian rhythm tightly entwined with blood sugar control - also here

Depression and inflammation

1. October 5, 2009 - Depression predicts increases in inflammatory protein linked to heart disease - also here

Retinal motion detecting circuit

1. October 6, 2009 - Nerve cells live double lives - also here

Dopamine

1. October 7, 2009 - Scientists seek to manage dopamine's good and bad sides - also here

Avian intelligence

1. October 7, 2009 - Clever rooks have sense of gravity
2. October 9, 2009 - Physics? It's All the Same to Birds and Babies

Hypothalamic regulation of circadian rhythm

1. October 8, 2009 - Circadian clockwork takes unexpected turns
2. October 8, 2009 - New pattern in our biological clock overturns long-held theory - also here

Synapse formation and astrocytes

1. October 8, 2009 - Study pinpoints key mechanism in brain development, raising question about use of antiseizure drug - also here

Learning and spontaneous brain activity

1. October 9, 2009 - Scans show learning 'sculpts' the brain's connections - also here

Mapping systems in the brain

1. October 9, 2009 - Human Brain, Like Google Maps, Creates Multiple Independent Maps While Finding The Way In Physical World

Learning and brain development

1. October 11, 2009 - Jugglers have rewired brains - also here
2. October 11, 2009 - Learning to juggle grows brain networks for good
3. October 12, 2009 - Juggling rewires the brain - also here
4. October 12, 2009 - Juggling increases brain power

Health and medicine

Nanobiotechnology

1. October 5, 2009 - Scientists say nanoparticles may help kill tumors
2. October 5, 2009 - Nanoparticles as agents for the photodynamic killing of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
3. October 8, 2009 - Bioengineer uses nanoparticles to target drugs - also here

Cancer

1. October 5, 2009 - Peregrine Pharma lung cancer trial shows promise
2. October 5, 2009 - Panel narrowly backs new use for Schering drug - also here
3. October 5, 2009 - DNA test could be key to targeting treatments for head and neck cancer - also here
4. October 5, 2009 - New drug aims to 'seek and destroy' many types of cancer - also here
5. October 5, 2009 - Scientists find way to predict stomach cancer relapses
6. October 5, 2009 - Inventive combination of research approaches identifies new target for treating leukemia - also here
7. October 5, 2009 - New Chemo Cocktail Blocks Breast Cancer Like a Fence - also here
8. October 5, 2009 - Novel breast tissue feature may predict woman's cancer risk - also here
9. October 5, 2009 - Mutated FGFR4 protein helps a childhood cancer spread - also here
10. October 5, 2009 - Curcumin May Inhibit Nicotine-Induced Activation Of Head And Neck Cancers
11. October 5, 2009 - FDA panel backs Schering-Plough cancer drug - also here
12. October 6, 2009 - Can your pants size predict your cancer risk? - also here
13. October 6, 2009 - FDA fails to approve Clolar in adults with AML
14. October 6, 2009 - OncoGenex gets new fast-track status for cancer drug
15. October 6, 2009 - Gene clue may explain breast cancer drug response
16. October 6, 2009 - Stereotactic radiosurgery preferred method of treating cancer patients with brain metastases
17. October 6, 2009 - Physical activity in adolescence associated with decreased risk of brain cancer in adulthood - also here
18. October 6, 2009 - Researchers fine-tune diffuse optical tomography for breast cancer screening - also here
19. October 6, 2009 - High-sensitivity bone marrow aspiration technology enhances leukemia cell detection - also here
20. October 6, 2009 - Genetic variation of enzyme linked with outcomes for women receiving tamoxifen - also here
21. October 6, 2009 - New tracer for better melanoma image
22. October 6, 2009 - New treatment more than doubles survival for high risk childhood leukemia - also here
23. October 6, 2009 - U.S. study shows mammograms save lives
24. October 7, 2009 - Rare head and neck cancer linked to HPV, study finds - also here
25. October 7, 2009 - Surgeons' unanimous consensus: Needle biopsy is gold standard for breast cancer diagnosis - also here
26. October 7, 2009 - Genes signal late-stage laryngeal cancer, poorer outcome - also here
27. October 7, 2009 - African American lung cancer patients may have different response to new cancer-fighting drugs - also here
28. October 8, 2009 - Elderly immune system needs a boost
29. October 8, 2009 - Clinicians map group at high risk for aggressive, 'hidden' prostate cancer - also here
30. October 8, 2009 - Leptin linked with more aggressive thyroid cancer in Middle Eastern region - also here
31. October 9, 2009 - Skin cancer can be inherited, two new studies say
32. October 9, 2009 - Parasite protein linked to cancer
33. October 9, 2009 - Parasite growth hormone pushes human cells to liver cancer - also here
34. October 9, 2009 - Researchers report benefits of new standard treatment study for rare pediatric brain cancer - also here
35. October 9, 2009 - Although more older women receive breast-conserving therapy, gaps in treatment exist
36. October 9, 2009 - Study finds no relationship between PCR rate and race in women with breast cancer - also here
37. October 9, 2009 - Breast cancer patients with high risk gene diagnosed six years earlier than generation before - also here
38. October 9, 2009 - Increased levels of Muellerian-inhibiting substance could mean greater breast cancer risk
39. October 9, 2009 - Pfizer halts enrollment in lung cancer trial
40. October 9, 2009 - Spectrum says FDA refuses to OK new plea on cancer drug
41. October 10, 2009 - Prostate Cancer: Dissecting Out Metastasis

Cancer biology

1. October 5, 2009 - Researchers identify gene that regulates breast cancer metastasis - also here
2. October 5, 2009 - 'Treason' by immune system cells aids growth of multiple myeloma - also here
3. October 5, 2009 - Protein helps cells duplicate correctly, avoid becoming cancer - also here
4. October 5, 2009 - Key cancer spread gene found
5. October 6, 2009 - Scientists pinpoint breast cancer 'guard' gene
6. October 6, 2009 - Research points to potential chink in cancer's armor - also here
7. October 7, 2009 - Prostate Tumors Can Change the Function of Immune Cells in Mice
8. October 7, 2009 - Canada researchers map a tumor's transformation
9. October 8, 2009 - Scientists decode entire genome of metastatic breast cancer
10. October 9, 2009 - KEAP1 Keeps major cancer-promoting protein at bay - also here
11. October 10, 2009 - B-Cell Lymphoma Protected By SPAK Silencing
12. October 10, 2009 - Fetus can 'catch' mum's cancer
13. October 12, 2009 - Mother can pass on cancer in womb
14. October 13, 2009 - Mother's Cancer Can Infect Her Fetus
15. October 14, 2009 - Scientists Prove Mother Can Pass Cancer to Her Unborn Baby
16. October 14, 2009 - Study: Cancer may pass from mother to unborn child

Mediterranean diet and depression

1. October 5, 2009 - Study shows Mediterranean diet cuts depression risk
2. October 5, 2009 - Mediterranean diet associated with reduced risk of depression - also here
3. October 5, 2009 - Med-style diet 'can battle blues'

Cardiovascular disease

1. October 5, 2009 - Hot flashes may mean increased heart disease risk
2. October 6, 2009 - Is high cholesterol good for some heart patients?
3. October 6, 2009 - Heart disease: B-vitamin pills have no effect - also here
4. October 7, 2009 - Whole grains may help keep blood pressure in check
5. October 8, 2009 - Shingles raises stroke risk by 30 percent: study - also here
6. October 8, 2009 - Shingles may boost the risk of stroke: study
7. October 8, 2009 - Shingles raises risk of stroke by 30 percent or more in adults
8. October 10, 2009 - DAF Protects Against Atherosclerosis

Nanoparticles and stem cells

1. October 5, 2009 - Nanoparticles spur stem cells?

Prions

1. October 5, 2009 - First direct information about the prion's molecular structure reported - also here

Lupus

1. October 5, 2009 - National report shines light on lupus 50-year treatment drought

Gene therapy

1. October 5, 2009 - Scientists jump-start the heart by gene transfer - also here
2. October 6, 2009 - Hospital launches gene therapy study for Parkinson's disease - also here

Hepatitis and liver cancer

1. October 5, 2009 - Elevated lymphotoxin expression in liver leads to chronic hepatitis and causes HCC - also here

Stem cells

1. October 5, 2009 - Enhanced stem cells promote tissue regeneration - also here
2. October 5, 2009 - Bone Graft Grown in Exact Shape of Complex Skull-Jaw Joint
3. October 6, 2009 - Scientists show how hematopoietic stem cell development is regulated - also here
4. October 7, 2009 - Major improvements made in engineering heart repair patches from stem cells - also here
5. October 7, 2009 - Souped-up stem cells rescue damaged limbs
6. October 8, 2009 - Stem cells which 'fool immune system' may provide vaccination for cancer - also here
7. October 10, 2009 - Jaw bone created from stem cells
8. October 11, 2009 - New strategy for mending broken hearts? - also here

Aging and the immune system

1. October 5, 2009 - New Aging Studies Improving Vaccine Efficacy For The Elderly

Diabetes

1. October 5, 2009 - Bristol-Myers gets EU approval for diabetes drug - also here
2. October 5, 2009 - Astra, Bristol diabetes drug wins EU approval
3. October 6, 2009 - Antioxidants may raise diabetes risk: study - also here
4. October 6, 2009 - Could antioxidants make us more, not less, prone to diabetes? Study says yes - also here
5. October 6, 2009 - Ethnic background may be associated with diabetes risk - also here
6. October 6, 2009 - High-fat diet impairs muscle health before impacting function - also here
7. October 7, 2009 - Chinese herbal medicines for preventing diabetes in high risk people - also here
8. October 7, 2009 - Study uses sophisticated genetic engineering to improve insulin-producing beta cells - also
9. October 7, 2009 - How Soy Reduces Diabetes Risk
10. October 7, 2009 - Diabetes gene link treatment hope
11. October 8, 2009 - Immune cell entry into the pancreatic islets key to understanding type 1 diabetes origins - also here
12. October 9, 2009 - Gene data tool advances prospects for personalized medicine - also here

Resveratrol and diabetes

1. October 6, 2009 - Future diabetes treatment may use resveratrol to target the brain - also here
2. October 15, 2009 - Study shows how substance in grapes may squeeze out diabetes - also here

Dementia

1. October 6, 2009 - Coffee does little to protect the aging brain

Parkinson's disease

1. October 6, 2009 - Acadia, Biovail plan more study on Parkinson's drug
2. October 6, 2009 - Chemical from Soil Bacteria Shows Potential Neuron Toxicity; Has Possible Parkinson's Implications - also here
3. October 7, 2009 - Researchers identify genes associated with onset age of Parkinson's disease - also here

Drug delivery

1. October 6, 2009 - Novel polymer delivers genetic medicine, allows tracking - also here

Alzheimer's disease

1. October 6, 2009 - New findings about brain proteins suggest possible way to fight Alzheimer's - also here
2. October 6, 2009 - Enzyme may be a key to Alzheimer's-related cell death - also here

Rheumatoid arthritis

1. October 6, 2009 - New biologic drug is effective against rheumatoid arthritis - also here
2. October 6, 2009 - J&J, Schering-Plough arthritis drug gets EU nod
3. October 7, 2009 - Exercise programs recommended as standard for rheumatoid arthritis - also here
4. October 7, 2009 - Biologics for rheumatoid arthritis work, but which is best? - also here

Tuberculosis

1. October 6, 2009 - Researchers Validate Technique To Diagnose Tuberculosis In Just One Day
2. October 8, 2009 - Scientists take step toward simple and portable tuberculosis tests for developing world - also here

AIDS

1. October 6, 2009 - FDA sees no safety issues with Pfizer HIV drug
2. October 7, 2009 - New Cellular Therapy for HIV in World's First Engineered T Cell Receptor Trial
3. October 7, 2009 - Researcher studies monkeys in Africa to better understand virus evolution

Malaria

1. October 7, 2009 - Two anti-malaria drugs have fewer side effects

Celiac disease

1. October 7, 2009 - New link found between osteoporosis and coeliac disease - also
2. October 8, 2009 - Gluten-free diet reduces bone problems in children with celiac disease - also here
3. October 8, 2009 - Coeliac bone loss link uncovered

Inflammatory bowel disease

1. October 8, 2009 - Discovery of genetic defect may lead to better treatments for common gut diseases - also here

MicroRNA and cancer

1. October 8, 2009 - Short Strand of RNA May Help Predict Survival and Response to Treatment for Patients with Liver Cancer

Conjugated linoleic acid and weight loss

1. October 9, 2009 - "Good" dietary fats trim body fat in diabetic women

Glycemic index, tryptophan, and sleepiness

1. October 9, 2009 - High GI food triggers sleepiness

Genome-wide association study of blood cell counts

1. October 11, 2009 - Blood counts are clues to human disease - also here
2. October 11, 2009 - Ironing out the genetic cause of hemoglobin problems - also here

Copyright © 2009 by Charles Daney, All Rights Reserved