Volume 8, Number 43 October 26, 2009

Physical sciences Extrasolar planets Dark matter Artificial black holes Global warming Paleoclimatology X-ray jets from active galactic nuclei Large Hadron Collider Dwarf galaxies Climate modeling Earliest galaxy cluster Large Synoptic Survey Telescope Formation of rocky planets Coronal rain Orion nebula cataclysm Black Holes Ultracold gas interactions with RF radiation Technology Optical circuits Photovoltaics Nanoparticle electric space propulsion Shared virtual collaboration spaces High-density data storage Spintronics Terahertz technology Fuel cells Optical nanoantennas Nanotechnology Retinal prostheses Supercomputing Plastic optical fiber and optical switching Lab-on-a-chip Comparison of digital storage technologies Life sciences Evolution of modern humans Radiation tolerance of Deinococcus radiodurans Genes and limb regeneration Analysis of protein glycans Differences between mother and daughter cells Late Ediacaran fauna Induced pluripotent stem cells Advantages of sexual reproduction Early hominids DNA repair Transposable elements Estrogen and fat metabolism Early Cambrian fauna Sexual selection FLASH and histone protein messenger RNA Non-essential DNA Bacterial RNA networks Neuroscience, psychology, and behavior Autism Exercise and dopaminergic neurons Augmented intelligence in rats Time coding in the brain Brain-imaging studies Neuroprotection mechanisms Object-specific neurons Triggering memory with few neurons Eating behavior and the brain Circadian rhythm Schizophrenia Sleep deprivation and memory Depression Visual learning Gender differences in indentification of emotions Modulation of social and emotional behavior Brain mechanisms of addiction Sensory deprivation and hallucinations GABA and extinction of fear learning Genetics and speech Attention Evolution of human altruism Prenatal sex-based brain differences Cocaine addiction Olfaction and moral behavior Mst3b and axon regeneration Alcohol and neurogenesis Health and medicine Stem cells Cancer biology Effect of diet on weight and anxiety levels Tissue engineering Cancer Anti-inflammatories Rhinoviruses AIDS Obesity Cardiovascular disease Rheumatoid arthritis Diabetes Dementia Alzheimer's disease Hepatitis C Spinal cord regeneration Lupus Inflammatory bowel disease Parkinson's disease Resveratrol SiRNA drug delivery Weight loss Gene therapy

Physical sciences

Extrasolar planets

1. October 19, 2009 - 32 new exoplanets found - also here, here, here
2. October 19, 2009 - Scientists find trawl of 32 new planets
3. October 19, 2009 - SuperEarths common for other stars
4. October 19, 2009 - 32 New Planets Found Outside Our Solar System
5. October 19, 2009 - 32 Alien Planets Discovered, Including Super-Earths
6. October 19, 2009 - Nearly 3 Dozen Planets Found
7. October 19, 2009 - Scientists announce planet bounty
8. October 19, 2009 - Europeans find 32 new planets outside solar system
9. October 20, 2009 - Astronomers Do It Again: Find Organic Molecules Around Gas Planet - also here, here, here
10. October 20, 2009 - Life Ingredients Found on Extrasolar Gas Giant
11. October 20, 2009 - Star gazers spy 32 new exoplanets
12. October 20, 2009 - Astronomers discover 32 new planets
13. October 21, 2009 - And Then There Were 400
14. October 21, 2009 - Chemicals Needed for Life Detected on Second Distant Planet
15. October 22, 2009 - The CoRoT space mission: Early results

Dark matter

1. October 19, 2009 - Bright light hints at a dark centre to the Galaxy

Artificial black holes

1. October 19, 2009 - Black Hole Conditions, Right Here on Earth
2. October 21, 2009 - Lasers simulate black hole in the lab
3. October 26, 2009 - Laser recreates X-rays emitted by a black hole

Global warming

1. October 19, 2009 - West Antarctic ice sheet may not be losing ice as fast as once thought - also here
2. October 19, 2009 - Arctic lake sediments show warming, unique ecological changes in recent decades - also here
3. October 25, 2009 - Arctic Sediments Show That 20th Century Warming Is Unlike Natural Variation

Paleoclimatology

1. October 19, 2009 - As Greenland melts
2. October 22, 2009 - Seafloor Fossils Provide Clues on Climate Change
3. October 22, 2009 - Ethiopia's climate 27 million years ago had higher rainfall, warmer soil - also here

X-ray jets from active galactic nuclei

1. October 19, 2009 - X-Ray Jets from Galaxies

Large Hadron Collider

1. October 20, 2009 - LHC now colder than deep space

Dwarf galaxies

1. October 20, 2009 - Discovery of dwarf galaxy a big find for astronomy team

Climate modeling

1. October 21, 2009 - Scientists Develop New Method to Quantify Climate Modeling Uncertainty

Earliest galaxy cluster

1. October 22, 2009 - Farthest Galaxy Cluster Ever Detected
2. October 22, 2009 - Galaxy cluster smashes distance record - also here
3. October 22, 2009 - New Record For Most Distant Galaxy Cluster
4. October 22, 2009 - 'Most distant' galaxy group spied

Large Synoptic Survey Telescope

1. October 22, 2009 - Huge CCD Could Give Real-Time View of Dark Energy Hunt

Formation of rocky planets

1. October 22, 2009 - Building Planet Earth

Coronal rain

1. October 22, 2009 - Sun's rain could explain why corona heat is insane

Orion nebula cataclysm

1. October 23, 2009 - The Explosive Disintegration of a Young Stellar System in Orion

Black Holes

1. October 25, 2009 - How To See a Black Hole

Ultracold gas interactions with RF radiation

1. October 25, 2009 - Physicists Turn To Radio Dial For Finer Atomic Matchmaking

Technology

Optical circuits

1. October 19, 2009 - Running electronics using light

Photovoltaics

1. October 19, 2009 - INL, ISU team on nanoparticle production breakthrough
2. October 19, 2009 - Major advance in organic solar cells - also here
3. October 19, 2009 - Carbon nanotubes may cheaply harvest sunlight
4. October 22, 2009 - Sharp Develops Solar Cell with World's Highest Conversion Efficiency of 35.8

Nanoparticle electric space propulsion

1. October 19, 2009 - Nanosatellites expected to benefit from advanced propulsion technology

Shared virtual collaboration spaces

1. October 19, 2009 - Researchers Bring Avatars and People Together for Virtual Meetings in Physical Spaces

High-density data storage

1. October 20, 2009 - Researchers Develop Material That Could Boost Data Storage, Save Energy - also here

Spintronics

1. October 20, 2009 - Nanoresearch could lead to next generation of transistors

Terahertz technology

1. October 20, 2009 - Company Introduces Novel Nanotechnology for Revolutionizing Imaging Using T-rays

Fuel cells

1. October 20, 2009 - Replacing Platinum in Fuel Cell Technology

Optical nanoantennas

1. October 20, 2009 - Smallest nanoantennas for high-speed data networks - also here

Nanotechnology

1. October 20, 2009 - Scientists Use Self-Assembly to Make Molecule-Sized Particles With Patches of Charge - also here
2. October 21, 2009 - Scientists bend nanowires into 2-D and 3-D structures - also here
3. October 22, 2009 - Scientists solve decade-long mystery of nanopillar formations - also here
4. October 22, 2009 - Researchers find new route to nano self-assembly - also here
5. October 22, 2009 - Researchers can precisely manipulate polarization in nanostructures
6. October 23, 2009 - Transforming nanowires into nano-tools using cation exchange reactions - also here

Retinal prostheses

1. October 21, 2009 - Bionic technology aims to give sight to woman blinded beginning at age 13 - also here
2. October 21, 2009 - 'Bionic Eye' May Help Blind See: Retinal Prosthesis Shown To Restore Partial Vision

Supercomputing

1. October 21, 2009 - Georgia Tech wins NSF award for next-gen supercomputing

Plastic optical fiber and optical switching

1. October 20, 2009 - Light switch could boost network speeds

Lab-on-a-chip

1. October 22, 2009 - Sensor biochips could aid in cancer diagnosis and treatment - also here

Comparison of digital storage technologies

1. October 23, 2009 - What Comes After Hard Drives?

Life sciences

Evolution of modern humans

1. October 19, 2009 - Are humans still evolving? Absolutely, says new analysis of long-term survey of human health - also here
2. October 19, 2009 - Meet future woman: shorter, plumper, more fertile
3. October 22, 2009 - We're Still Evolving--And We May Be Shrinking
4. October 23, 2009 - Modern Humans Are Still Evolving

Radiation tolerance of Deinococcus radiodurans

1. October 19, 2009 - Research reveals key to world's toughest organism

Genes and limb regeneration

1. October 19, 2009 - A master mechanism for regeneration? - also here

Analysis of protein glycans

1. October 19, 2009 - New technique paves way for medical discoveries

Differences between mother and daughter cells

1. October 19, 2009 - Checkered history of mother and daughter cells explains cell cycle differences - also here

Late Ediacaran fauna

1. October 20, 2009 - Fossils Push Back Earliest Complex Animals 40 Million Years

Induced pluripotent stem cells

1. October 20, 2009 - Scientists develop novel method to generate functional hepatocytes for drug testing - also
2. October 22, 2009 - Reprogramming a patient's eye cells may herald new treatments against degenerative disease - also here

Advantages of sexual reproduction

1. October 21, 2009 - Why sex with a partner is better - also here

Early hominids

1. October 21, 2009 - Two-million-year-old evidence shows tool-making hominins inhabited grassland environments - also here
2. October 21, 2009 - Earliest evidence of humans thriving on the savannah
3. October 22, 2009 - Ancient 'Lucy' Species Ate A Different Diet Than Previously Thought
4. October 23, 2009 - Malawi could be the cradle of humankind

DNA repair

1. October 21, 2009 - Single-stranded DNA-binding protein is dynamic, critical to DNA repair - also here

Transposable elements

1. October 21, 2009 - New research shows how mobile DNA survives -- and thrives -- in plants, animals - also here

Estrogen and fat metabolism

1. October 22, 2009 - Estrogen helps ward off belly fat

Early Cambrian fauna

1. October 22, 2009 - Geologist analyzes earliest shell-covered fossil animals - also here

Sexual selection

1. October 22, 2009 - Female choice benefits mothers more than offspring - also here

FLASH and histone protein messenger RNA

1. October 22, 2009 - Messenger RNA with FLASH - also here

Non-essential DNA

1. October 22, 2009 - Reduced genome works fine with 2000 chunks missing
2. October 22, 2009 - Missing genes? Sometimes, it's not a problem

Bacterial RNA networks

1. October 22, 2009 - Scientists first to see RNA network in live bacterial cells - also here

Neuroscience, psychology, and behavior

Autism

1. October 19, 2009 - Why are preemies more likely to develop autism?
2. October 19, 2009 - Mercury levels similar in autistic, normal kids
3. October 19, 2009 - Study finds mercury levels in children with autism and those developing typically are the same - also here
4. October 21, 2009 - Study surprise yields new target for assessing genes linked to autism
5. October 22, 2009 - Twin study underscores role of genes in autism
6. October 22, 2009 - Possible Link Between Autism And Oxytocin Gene Via Non-DNA Sequence Mutation

Exercise and dopaminergic neurons

1. October 19, 2009 - Exercise helps brains bounce back

Augmented intelligence in rats

1. October 19, 2009 - Smart rat 'Hobbie-J' produced by over-expressing a gene that helps brain cells communicate - also here
2. November 12, 2009 - Rat Made Supersmart -- Similar Boost Unsafe in Humans?

Time coding in the brain

1. October 19, 2009 - Neuroscientists find neural stopwatch in the brain - also here

Brain-imaging studies

1. October 19, 2009 - First-time Internet users find boost in brain function after just one week - also here

Neuroprotection mechanisms

1. October 19, 2009 - Understanding the brain's natural foil for over-excited neurons - also here
2. October 19, 2009 - Researchers reveal mechanism for neuron self-preservation - also here

Object-specific neurons

1. October 20, 2009 - People can control their Halle Berry neurons - also here
2. October 22, 2009 - You can control your Marilyn Monroe neuron

Triggering memory with few neurons

1. October 20, 2009 - Total recall achieved

Eating behavior and the brain

1. October 20, 2009 - Think what you eat: Studies point to cellular factors linking diet and behavior
2. October 21, 2009 - Junk food turns rats into addicts
3. October 27, 2009 - Junk Food Diet Causes Rats’ Brain Pleasure Centers To Become Progressively Less Responsive

Circadian rhythm

1. October 20, 2009 - Researchers find new mechanism for circadian rhythm - also here
2. October 20, 2009 - Weather 'shapes human body clock'

Schizophrenia

1. October 20, 2009 - Treatment for epilepsy is a possible culprit for development of schizophrenia - also here
2. October 22, 2009 - New study suggests minimal relationship between cannabis and schizophrenia or psychosis - also here
3. October 25, 2009 - Rare mutation dramatically increasing schizophrenia risk - also here

Sleep deprivation and memory

1. October 21, 2009 - Drug clears the fog of a sleepless night
2. October 21, 2009 - Why Sleepyheads Forget
3. October 22, 2009 - Researchers reverse the cognitive impairment caused by sleep deprivation - also here
4. November 26, 2009 - Researchers discover enzyme behind effects of sleep deprivation

Depression

1. October 21, 2009 - Light at night linked to symptoms of depression in mice - also here
2. October 23, 2009 - Why antidepressants don't work for so many - also here

Visual learning

1. October 21, 2009 - Can we 'learn to see?': Study shows perception of invisible stimuli improves with training - also here

Gender differences in indentification of emotions

1. October 21, 2009 - Women outperform men when identifying emotions - also here

Modulation of social and emotional behavior

1. October 21, 2009 - Two brain structures key to emotional balance especially in threatening situations - also here

Brain mechanisms of addiction

1. October 21, 2009 - Studies improve knowledge of underlying brain changes caused by addiction

Sensory deprivation and hallucinations

1. October 21, 2009 - Out of LSD? Just 15 Minutes of Sensory Deprivation Triggers Hallucinations
2. October 23, 2009 - Sensory deprivation can produce hallucinations in only 15 minutes

GABA and extinction of fear learning

1. October 22, 2009 - Getting on 'the GABA receptor shuttle' to treat anxiety disorders - also here

Genetics and speech

1. October 23, 2009 - A gene critical for speech

Attention

1. October 23, 2009 - Sudden moves spark brain battle

Evolution of human altruism

1. October 23, 2009 - Altruism: Genetic or Cultural Evolution?

Prenatal sex-based brain differences

1. October 23, 2009 - Sex-based prenatal brain differences found - also here

Cocaine addiction

1. October 23, 2009 - Amino Acid May Help Reduce Cocaine Cravings

Olfaction and moral behavior

1. October 24, 2009 - New research shows clean smells promote moral behavior

Mst3b and axon regeneration

1. October 25, 2009 - Master regulator found for regenerating nerve fibers in live animals - also here

Alcohol and neurogenesis

1. October 25, 2009 - Chronic Voluntary Alcohol Consumption Impairs Neurogenesis

Health and medicine

Stem cells

1. October 19, 2009 - Stem cell transplants stalled blindness in rats
2. October 20, 2009 - Growing Cartilage from Stem Cells - also here
3. October 21, 2009 - New Method To Coax Retinal Cells From Stem Cells
4. October 22, 2009 - Bone formation from embryonic stem cells
5. October 23, 2009 - Identifying Safe Stem Cells To Repair Spinal Cords

Cancer biology

1. October 19, 2009 - Mice study gives clue to how breast cancer spreads
2. October 19, 2009 - Mice provide clues to how cancer spreads
3. October 21, 2009 - Study finds way to protect healthy cells from radiation damage - also here
4. October 21, 2009 - Study Shows How Normal Cells Influence Tumor Growth - also here
5. October 22, 2009 - Protein is linked to lung cancer development

Effect of diet on weight and anxiety levels

1. October 19, 2009 - 'American Diet' v. Atkins Diet

Tissue engineering

1. October 19, 2009 - 'Scaffold' to regenerate lost or damaged bones and tissues - also here

Cancer

1. October 19, 2009 - Detecting the undetectable in prostate cancer screening - also here
2. October 19, 2009 - Lack of Social Interaction Affects Health Outcomes of Breast Cancer
3. October 19, 2009 - Metals could forge new cancer drug - also here
4. October 19, 2009 - Hormone mix could cut breast cancer risk and treat symptoms of menopause - also here
5. October 20, 2009 - Scientists identify specific markers that trigger aggressiveness of liver cancer - also here
6. October 20, 2009 - Researchers exploit genetic 'co-dependence' to kill treatment-resistant tumor cells - also here
7. October 20, 2009 - Melanoma treatment options one step closer - also here
8. October 20, 2009 - Experts issue call to reconsider screening for breast cancer and prostate cancer - also here
9. October 20, 2009 - Cancer Society, in Shift, Has Concerns on Screenings
10. October 21, 2009 - Trigger of deadly food toxin discovered - also here
11. October 21, 2009 - Panel backs vaccine as cervical cancer alternative
12. October 22, 2009 - Focal therapy and prostate cancer
13. October 22, 2009 - Circulating Mesothelin Serves as a Marker of Pancreatic Cancer
14. October 22, 2009 - New microRNA Data Could Classify Bladder Cancer by Type
15. October 22, 2009 - Vitronectin Receptor Expression Improves Ovarian Cancer Patient Prognosis
16. October 23, 2009 - Low-fat eating best after skin cancer: study
17. October 23, 2009 - Biosensor to help enlist cancer resistance fighters?
18. October 23, 2009 - A serving of soy a day can help keep breast cancer away

Anti-inflammatories

1. October 19, 2009 - Mangosteen juice could protect health in the obese - also here

Rhinoviruses

1. October 19, 2009 - Researcher finds there could be up to 200 cold viruses

AIDS

1. October 19, 2009 - AIDS: Vaccine shows positive results in small trial - researchers
2. October 19, 2009 - HIV vaccine trial was significant
3. October 20, 2009 - Full results show AIDS vaccine is of modest help - also here
4. October 20, 2009 - First HIV vaccine trial success confirmed
5. October 20, 2009 - Scientists glean lessons from stalled AIDS vaccine
6. October 20, 2009 - Review confirms AIDS vaccine may have worked - also here
7. October 20, 2009 - Modest HIV protection confirmed
8. October 20, 2009 - AIDS Vaccine Study Reassures Skeptics
9. October 21, 2009 - Experts study thriving HIV "controllers" in vaccine search
10. October 21, 2009 - HIV vaccine trial under fire
11. October 21, 2009 - AIDS: Are the wilderness years over for vaccine research?
12. October 21, 2009 - Could ancient virus genes help fight modern AIDS?
13. October 22, 2009 - Brief shocks may deliver AIDS vaccines better

Obesity

1. October 19, 2009 - Big on obesogens: Biologist believes industrial pollutants contributing to America's obesity epidemic
2. October 19, 2009 - Redefining obesity's health risks: Scientists make the case for new body fat assessment
3. October 21, 2009 - Phytochemicals in plant-based foods could help battle obesity, disease - also here
4. October 23, 2009 - Obesity May Hinder Optimal Control Of Blood Pressure And Cholesterol
5. October 23, 2009 - Scientists seek origins of obesity in the womb - also here

Cardiovascular disease

1. October 19, 2009 - Protein may predict heart attack and early death, not stroke - also here
2. October 20, 2009 - Accelerated bone growth may be an indicator of hypertension in children - also here
3. October 21, 2009 - Farmers' pesticides may not raise heart risks
4. October 21, 2009 - Lifestyle changes remain important in fighting peripheral arterial disease - also here
5. October 22, 2009 - Low dose radiation 'harms heart'
6. October 23, 2009 - New research suggests how low doses of radiation can cause heart disease and stroke - also here
7. October 23, 2009 - The correlation between incidental NAFLD and carotid atherosclerosis - also here
8. October 23, 2009 - Concurrent Imaging Of Metabolic And Electric Signals In The Heart
9. October 25, 2009 - Aerobic exercise no big stretch for older adults but helps elasticity of arteries - also here
10. October 25, 2009 - Study establishes that women do have same the heart attack symptoms as men - also here
11. October 25, 2009 - Women have 'same heart symptoms'

Rheumatoid arthritis

1. October 19, 2009 - US rejects wider use of Roche arthritis drug

Diabetes

1. October 20, 2009 - Healthy lifestyle benefits those with diabetes
2. October 20, 2009 - Latest diabetes figures paint grim global picture
3. October 21, 2009 - Shellfish may raise diabetes risk: study
4. October 21, 2009 - Isis Pharma diabetes drug shows promise in mid-stage
5. October 21, 2009 - Mixed data for AZ, BMS diabetes drug in new study
6. October 22, 2009 - Long-acting insulin boosts diabetes care: study
7. October 22, 2009 - Scientists identify roots of diabetic tissue damage
8. October 23, 2009 - Statin drugs might slightly boost diabetes risk
9. October 23, 2009 - Study finds best use of insulin as diabetes progresses - also here

Dementia

1. October 20, 2009 - Googling Fights Dementia, Study Suggests

Alzheimer's disease

1. October 20, 2009 - Alzheimer's researchers find high protein diet shrinks brain - also here
2. October 21, 2009 - Blood test shows promise for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease - also here
3. October 21, 2009 - Alzheimer's lesions found in the retina - also here
4. October 22, 2009 - Manipulating brain inflammation may help clear brain of amyloid plaques - also here
5. October 22, 2009 - CpG DNA Therapy For Alzheimer Disease

Hepatitis C

1. October 20, 2009 - Drinking coffee slows progression of liver disease in chronic hepatitis C sufferers - also here
2. October 23, 2009 - A few coffees a day keeps liver disease at bay
3. October 26, 2009 - Coffee may slow liver damage from hepatitis

Spinal cord regeneration

1. October 20, 2009 - Researchers find ways to encourage spinal cord regeneration after injury
2. October 21, 2009 - Damaging inflammatory response could hinder spinal cord repair - also here
3. October 22, 2009 - Low-Carb Diet Speeds Recovery From Spinal Cord Injury

Lupus

1. October 20, 2009 - Human Genome lupus data cheers investors, shares up

Inflammatory bowel disease

1. October 21, 2009 - The bowels of infection

Parkinson's disease

1. October 21, 2009 - Study conclusively ties rare disease gene to Parkinson's - also here

Resveratrol

1. October 22, 2009 - Red grape skin extract could be new treatment for sickle cell disease patients

SiRNA drug delivery

1. October 22, 2009 - Delivery Of Cancer-Fighting Molecules Improved

Weight loss

1. October 23, 2009 - Diabetes drug helps obese adults loss weight
2. October 23, 2009 - Diabetes drug 'trumps fat pill'
3. October 24, 2009 - Orexigen obesity drug shows added benefits: studies

Gene therapy

1. October 24, 2009 - Gene therapy experiment restores sight in a few
2. October 24, 2009 - Gene Therapy Helps Blind Children See
3. October 24, 2009 - Eye gene therapy boost for young
4. October 25, 2009 - One shot of gene therapy and children with congenital blindness can now see - also here
5. October 25, 2009 - Gene therapy transforms eyesight of 12 born with rare defect

Copyright © 2009 by Charles Daney, All Rights Reserved