Volume 9, Number 6 February 8, 2010 Physical sciences Technology Life sciences Neuroscience, psychology, behavior Health and medicine

Physical sciences Global warming Extrasolar planets Earthquakes James Webb Space Telescope Enceladus Large Hadron Collider Star forming regions Binary quasars Stationary-light polaritons Spiral galaxies Cosmic microwave background Ocean acidification X-ray emissions from young stars Technology Quantum gases Graphene Superconductivity Photovoltaics Hydrogen storage Nanotechnology Carbon nanotubes Robotics Germanium lasers Grid computing Controlled fusion Quantum energy teleportation Quantum computing Spintronics Life sciences Sleep and aging Common microRNA in diverse species SIR2, intercellular protein transport, and aging Argonautes, microRNA, and gene expression P53 control of chromosome missegregation Epigenetics and cell fate determination during embryonic development Epigenetics Origins of life Fyn kinase and fat metabolism Mechanical forces and gene expression Infection mechanism of Listeria monocytogenes Quality control of small RNA Photosynthesis Evolution of aphid social behavior Dicer, microRNA, and meiotic maturation of oocytes Effect of growth conditions on genetic circuits Repeat untranscribed sequences in ribosomal DNA Protein structure determination Kin selection and homosexuality Ediacaran animal locomotion MRG15 and gene splicing Nucleoporin transcription factors Evolution of mitochondria Mitosis and O-GlcNAcylation signaling Physics of viruses TERC and cellular aging Induced pluripotent stem cells Neuroscience, psychology, and behavior Dopamine, risk-taking, and addiction Schizophrenia Auditory processing Glia-mediated neuron death BDNF-related gene variants, depression, and suicide Antidepressants Prarie dog language Brain-imaging studies Autism Bipolar disorder CPEB and long-term memory Serotonin, N-acetylserotonin, and BDNF Rhythmic visual entrainment Health and medicine Cardiovascular disease AIDS Antivirals Nanobiotechnology Cartilage regeneration Antiangiogenics for control of adipose tissue Autoimmune diseases Alzheimer's disease Stem cells Drug discovery Cancer Diabetes Parkinson's disease Vaccines Cancer biology Obesity Drug delivery Lupus Malaria Bisphenol A and asthma PKR, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction Weight loss at high altitudes Inflammatory bowel disease Tuberculosis Multiple sclerosis

Physical sciences

Global warming

1. February 1, 2010 - Emissions of Potent Greenhouse Gas Increase Despite Reduction Efforts
2. February 2, 2010 - Ecologists discover forests are growing faster - also here
3. February 3, 2010 - Black carbon a significant factor in melting of Himalayan glaciers - also here
4. February 5, 2010 - Arctic climate changing faster than expected
5. February 5, 2010 - Understanding past and future climate
6. February 7, 2010 - Earlier Glacial Melt Rate Revised Downward, but Recent Melt Is Accelerating Dramatically

Extrasolar planets

1. February 1, 2010 - Nearby Star System Could Support Earth-Like Planet
2. February 3, 2010 - New technique helps search for another Earth
3. February 3, 2010 - New technique helps search for another Earth
4. February 3, 2010 - Exoplanet gas spotted from Earth
5. February 3, 2010 - Methane Glows in Alien Planet's Atmosphere
6. February 3, 2010 - Technique Lets Ground-Based Telescopes Parse Exoplanet Atmospheres
7. February 5, 2010 - Exoplanet hunting brought down to Earth
8. February 5, 2010 - "Super Earth" May Really Be New Planet Type: Super-Io
9. February 9, 2010 - Probing Exoplanets from the Ground: A Little Telescope Goes a Long Way

Earthquakes

1. February 2, 2010 - Haiti earthquake may have primed nearby faults for failure
2. February 4, 2010 - Haiti: Physics of Quakes Past, and Future

James Webb Space Telescope

1. February 2, 2010 - James Webb Space Telescope sunshield design achieves significant landmark

Enceladus

1. February 2, 2010 - Icy Saturn Moon Burps Up Heat and Ice

Large Hadron Collider

1. February 3, 2010 - "Big Bang" collider may reveal mystery particle
2. February 3, 2010 - LHC gears up for a long run at half power before long pause
3. February 4, 2010 - Higgs hunters face long haul
4. February 4, 2010 - Collider to Operate Again, Though at Half Power
5. February 5, 2010 - Record-breaking LHC collisions offer first glimpse of physics at new energy frontier
6. February 9, 2010 - High-energy Large Hadron Collider results published

Star forming regions

1. February 3, 2010 - Telescope Finds Galaxy's Most Massive Star Yet
2. February 3, 2010 - A Star is Born in Nearby Cosmic Nursery

Binary quasars

1. February 3, 2010 - Merging galaxies create a binary quasar - also here, here
2. February 3, 2010 - SDSS J1254+0846: Quasar Pair Captured in Galaxy Collision

Stationary-light polaritons

1. February 3, 2010 - Artificial magnetic fields for light could illuminate correlated quantum systems

Spiral galaxies

1. February 4, 2010 - Forming the present-day spiral galaxies - also here, here
2. February 8, 2010 - Today's Spiral Galaxies Were Once the Ugly Ducklings
3. February 8, 2010 - Older galaxies more peculiar, census shows
4. February 16, 2010 - Spiral Galaxies Exist - But Why?

Cosmic microwave background

1. February 4, 2010 - Madly Mapping the Universe - also here

Ocean acidification

1. February 4, 2010 - Oceans reveal further impacts of climate change, says UAB expert - also here

X-ray emissions from young stars

1. February 5, 2010 - X-Ray Emission from Young Stars

Technology

Quantum gases

1. February 1, 2010 - Creating a quantum gas
2. February 2, 2010 - Ultracold chemistry: First direct observation of exchange process in quantum gas

Graphene

1. February 1, 2010 - Key Milestone Reached on Road to Graphene-Based Electronic Devices
2. February 3, 2010 - Carbon Based Chips May One Day Replace Silicon Transistors
3. February 4, 2010 - Graphene transistors promise 100GHz speeds
4. February 5, 2010 - IBM Scientists Demonstrate World's Fastest Graphene Transistor - also here
5. February 5, 2010 - Super material will make lighting cheaper and fully recyclable - also here
6. February 5, 2010 - Graphene transistor breaks new record

Superconductivity

1. February 2, 2010 - New neutron studies support magnetism's role in superconductors - also here

Photovoltaics

1. February 2, 2010 - Breakthrough for Hybrid Solar Cells - also here
2. February 3, 2010 - Organic Layers Pave Way for Next Generation of Biosensors and Solar Cells
3. February 5, 2010 - Nano-patterning gives polymer solar cells a big boost

Hydrogen storage

1. February 2, 2010 - Researchers show applied electric field can significantly improve hydrogen storage properties - also here

Nanotechnology

1. February 2, 2010 - High, not flat: nanowires for a new chip architecture - also here
2. February 2, 2010 - Research may lead to new ways to transport and manipulate molecules - also here
3. February 3, 2010 - Nano imagining takes turn for the better - also here

Carbon nanotubes

1. February 2, 2010 - CT with Nanotubes for People and Baggage Scans
2. February 5, 2010 - Conductive eTextiles: Researchers move from making batteries from paper to making batteries from cloth

Robotics

1. February 3, 2010 - Stanford's robotic Audi to brave Pikes Peak without a driver - also here

Germanium lasers

1. February 4, 2010 - First germanium laser brings us closer to 'optical computers' - also here
2. February 10, 2010 - First light for germanium laser
3. March 3, 2010 - Light-speed computing one step closer

Grid computing

1. February 4, 2010 - Grid computing for the masses - also here

Controlled fusion

1. February 5, 2010 - Delays prompt reshuffle at ITER fusion project

Quantum energy teleportation

1. February 5, 2010 - Physicist proposes method to teleport energy

Quantum computing

1. February 5, 2010 - Scientist make a leap in quantum computing - also here, here
2. February 5, 2010 - Google Has More Than Android On Its Platform

Spintronics

1. February 5, 2010 - Electrons on the brink: Fractal patterns may be key to semiconductor magnetism

Life sciences

Sleep and aging

1. February 1, 2010 - Need for sleep diminishes with age
2. February 1, 2010 - Study suggests that healthy adults may need less sleep as they age - also here
3. February 1, 2010 - Healthy adults need less sleep as they age: study

Common microRNA in diverse species

1. February 1, 2010 - MicroRNA: A glimpse into the past - also here

SIR2, intercellular protein transport, and aging

1. February 1, 2010 - Cells send dirty laundry home to mom - also here

Argonautes, microRNA, and gene expression

1. February 1, 2010 - Argonautes: A big turn-off for proteins - also here

P53 control of chromosome missegregation

1. February 1, 2010 - Tumor suppressor p53 prevents cancer progression in cells with missegregated chromosomes - also here

Epigenetics and cell fate determination during embryonic development

1. February 1, 2010 - New Insight Into Reprogramming of Cell Fate

Epigenetics

1. February 2, 2010 - Project set to map marks on genome
2. February 3, 2010 - Mapping methylation

Origins of life

1. February 2, 2010 - New research rejects 80-year theory of 'primordial soup' as the origin of life - also here
2. February 7, 2010 - Is It Time To Throw Out 'Primordial Soup' Theory?

Fyn kinase and fat metabolism

1. February 2, 2010 - New way to lose fat, keep the lean - also here

Mechanical forces and gene expression

1. February 2, 2010 - Mechanical forces could affect gene expression - also here

Infection mechanism of Listeria monocytogenes

1. February 2, 2010 - Researchers Discover How Virulent Bacteria Sabotage Immune Response Against It - also here

Quality control of small RNA

1. February 2, 2010 - PNAS paper cites discovery of small RNA 'quality-control' mechanism

Photosynthesis

1. February 3, 2010 - Algae use quantum trick to harvest light
2. February 3, 2010 - Quantum photosynthesis
3. February 3, 2010 - Everywhere in a Flash: The Quantum Physics of Photosynthesis
4. February 3, 2010 - Algae Show a Knack for Quantum Mechanics
5. February 3, 2010 - Scientists find quantum mechanics at work in photosynthesis - also here
6. February 3, 2010 - Shining a Light on Plants' Quantum Secret to Boost Photosynthesis
7. February 4, 2010 - Algae master quantum mechanics
8. February 4, 2010 - Photosynthesis uses quantum effects
9. February 4, 2010 - Quantum mechanics boosts photosynthesis
10. February 8, 2010 - Photosynthesis uses quantum interactions to harvest light

Evolution of aphid social behavior

1. February 3, 2010 - The small insect with a big heart: the 'giving' aphids endangered by their selflessness - also here

Dicer, microRNA, and meiotic maturation of oocytes

1. February 3, 2010 - Biologists determine microRNA activity is suppressed in mouse ovum - also here

Effect of growth conditions on genetic circuits

1. February 3, 2010 - Cell Growth Regulates Genetic Circuits

Repeat untranscribed sequences in ribosomal DNA

1. February 4, 2010 - RNA repeats protect DNA

Protein structure determination

1. February 4, 2010 - Teamwork Tackles Larger Protein Structures

Kin selection and homosexuality

1. February 4, 2010 - Study reveals potential evolutionary role for same-sex attraction - also here

Ediacaran animal locomotion

1. February 4, 2010 - Fossils show earliest animal trails - also here

MRG15 and gene splicing

1. February 4, 2010 - Scientists ID a protein that splices and dices genes - also here

Nucleoporin transcription factors

1. February 4, 2010 - Nuclear pore complexes harbor new class of gene regulators - also here

Evolution of mitochondria

1. February 5, 2010 - Cell's power packs came from within: study
2. February 5, 2010 - An answer to another of life's big questions - also here

Mitosis and O-GlcNAcylation signaling

1. February 5, 2010 - Sugar plays key role in cell division - also here

Physics of viruses

1. February 5, 2010 - Scientists measure energy released from a virus during infection - also here, here

TERC and cellular aging

1. February 7, 2010 - Scientists find gene variant link to ageing cells
2. February 7, 2010 - Scientists identify first genetic variant linked to biological aging in humans - also here, here
3. February 7, 2010 - Scientists show lifespan is linked to DNA
4. February 8, 2010 - Genes reveal 'biological ageing'
5. February 8, 2010 - Scientists find genetic link to ageing
6. February 8, 2010 - Researchers Identify Genetic Variant Linked to Faster Biological Aging
7. February 9, 2010 - Life-shortening telomere gene discovered

Induced pluripotent stem cells

1. February 7, 2010 - Virus-free technique enables scientists to easily make stem cells pluripotent - also here
2. February 7, 2010 - Gene that improves quality of reprogrammed stem cells identified by Singapore scientists - also here

Neuroscience, psychology, and behavior

Dopamine, risk-taking, and addiction

1. February 1, 2010 - Study links hormone to addiction, risk-taking - also here
2. February 1, 2010 - Hunger for stimulation driven by dopamine in the brain - also here
3. February 3, 2010 - Brain Dopamine Receptor Density Correlates with Social Status - also here

Schizophrenia

1. February 1, 2010 - Can fish oil help guard against schizophrenia?
2. February 1, 2010 - Fish oil may reduce the risk of psychotic disorders in high-risk individuals - also here
3. February 1, 2010 - Exercise may increase volume in certain brain areas of patients with schizophrenia - also here
4. February 2, 2010 - Fish oil supplements 'beat psychotic mental illness'
5. February 4, 2010 - In schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, life is not black and white - also here

Auditory processing

1. February 1, 2010 - Seeing the brain hear reveals surprises about how sound is processed

Glia-mediated neuron death

1. February 1, 2010 - Glial cells can protect or kill neurons, vision - also here

BDNF-related gene variants, depression, and suicide

1. February 1, 2010 - Genetic mutations associated with suicide risk among patients with depression - also here

Antidepressants

1. February 2, 2010 - Antidepressant May Result in Improved Cognitive Function After Stroke
2. February 2, 2010 - Antidepressants may help stroke victims
3. February 4, 2010 - Compound could become important new antidepressant - also here

Prarie dog language

1. February 2, 2010 - Burrowing US prairie dogs use complex language
2. February 4, 2010 - Prairie dogs may have the most complex language

Brain-imaging studies

1. February 2, 2010 - Can a Brain Scan Predict a Broken Promise?
2. February 3, 2010 - Alterations in the brain's reward system related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder - also here
3. February 3, 2009 - Trace of Thought Is Found in ‘Vegetative’ Patient
4. February 4, 2009 - MRI Brain Scans Show Signs of Consciousness in Some 'Vegetative' Patients

Autism

1. February 3, 2010 - Researchers Identify Regional Clusters of Autism Cases in California

Bipolar disorder

1. February 3, 2010 - Higher bipolar risk for straight-A students
2. February 5, 2010 - High achievers more likely to be bipolar

CPEB and long-term memory

1. February 4, 2010 - Protein clumps like a prion, but proves crucial for long-term memory
2. February 4, 2010 - Prion leaves lasting mark on memory - also here, here

Serotonin, N-acetylserotonin, and BDNF

1. February 4, 2010 - Melatonin precursor stimulates growth factor circuits in brain - also here

Rhythmic visual entrainment

1. February 5, 2010 - Seeing the world in waves of consciousness

Health and medicine

Cardiovascular disease

1. February 1, 2010 - Subtle thinking problems may up stroke risk: study
2. February 1, 2010 - Memory failing? You may be at higher risk for stroke - also here
3. February 1, 2010 - Genetically-modified mice reveal another mechanism contributing to heart failure - also here
4. February 2, 2010 - Cholesterol's link to heart disease gets clearer -- and more complicated - also here
5. February 2, 2010 - Energy drinks raise heart alarm
6. February 3, 2010 - Cord blood-derived CD133+ cells improve cardiac function after myocardial infarction - also here
7. February 3, 2010 - A better sign of blood vessel narrowing and early coronary artery disease - also here
8. February 3, 2010 - Smoking Cessation Significantly Increases Cardiac Health Later in Life
9. February 4, 2010 - Heart risk lower in Spanish men who drink
10. February 4, 2010 - Study fails to link saturated fat, heart disease

AIDS

1. February 1, 2010 - HIV/AIDS drug puzzle cracked
2. February 1, 2010 - Enzyme crystal helps crack HIV puzzle
3. February 3, 2010 - Scientists find two compounds that lay the foundation for a new class of AIDS drug - also here

Antivirals

1. February 1, 2010 - Compound found that targets wide range of viruses
2. February 2, 2010 - 'Broad Spectrum' Antiviral Fights Multitude of Viruses
3. February 3, 2010 - Chemists discover how antiviral drugs bind to and block flu virus - also here, here
4. March 29, 2010 - Finding a Medical "Silver Bullet" to Disable Many of the World's Deadliest Viruses

Nanobiotechnology

1. February 1, 2010 - Engineers develop cancer-targeting nanoprobe sensors - also here
2. February 1, 2010 - Magnetic nanoparticles show promise for combating human cancer - also here
3. February 4, 2010 - 'Nanobubbles' kill cancer cells - also here, here
4. February 4, 2010 - Delivering drugs on time and on target
5. February 5, 2010 - Nanotechnology in the Fight Against Cancer

Cartilage regeneration

1. February 1, 2010 - Growing cartilage -- no easy task

Antiangiogenics for control of adipose tissue

1. February 1, 2010 - 'Starving' fat suppresses appetite - also here

Autoimmune diseases

1. February 1, 2010 - Antibodies attack immune proteins - also here
2. February 2, 2010 - Arthritis genes discovered by Australian scientists

Alzheimer's disease

1. February 1, 2010 - Study shows cigarette smoking a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease - also here
2. February 2, 2010 - 3 brain diseases linked by toxic form of same neural protein - also here

Stem cells

1. February 1, 2010 - Stem cells rescue nerve cells by direct contact - also here
2. February 2, 2010 - 3-D scaffold provides clean, biodegradable structure for stem cell growth - also here
3. February 3, 2010 - Scientists map epigenome of human stem cells during development - also here
4. February 3, 2010 - Experimental stem cell treatment arrests acute lung injury in mice - also here

Drug discovery

1. February 1, 2010 - Scientists create new way to screen libraries of 10 million or more compounds - also here

Cancer

1. February 1, 2010 - Detecting cancer early
2. February 1, 2010 - Contrast agent with MRI improves detection of lymph nodes metastases - also here
3. February 2, 2010 - Experts say 40 percent of cancers could be prevented - also here
4. February 2, 2010 - Antibodies Against Abnormal Glycoproteins Identified as Possible Biomarkers for Cancer Detection
5. February 3, 2010 - Plant derivative could help refine cancer treatment - also here
6. February 3, 2010 - Cancer studies with yeast yield excellent results - also here
7. February 3, 2010 - Inflammation marker related to obesity is elevated in patients with pancreatic cancer - also here
8. February 3, 2010 - Women With Variants in 'CLOCK' Gene Have Higher Risk of Breast Cancer
9. February 3, 2010 - Report: 40 percent of cancers are preventable - also here
10. February 4, 2010 - Hormone replacement tied to lower colon cancer risk
11. February 4, 2010 - Study opens new path to fighting leukemia relapse
12. February 4, 2010 - Promising results shown for kidney cancer drug - also here
13. February 4, 2010 - A feasible and safe treatment for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma in elderly patients - also here
14. February 5, 2010 - Men who eat soy may have lower lung cancer risk - also here
15. February 5, 2010 - Doctors tout NanoKnife for easy tumor removal
16. February 6, 2010 - Astra, UK charity hunt new kind of cancer drug

Diabetes

1. February 1, 2010 - New research on type 2 diabetes could benefit young adults with the condition - also here
2. February 2, 2010 - Scientists map out regulatory regions of genome, hot spots for diabetes genes - also here, here
3. February 2, 2010 - Preventing pancreatic islet loss after transplantation - also here
4. February 3, 2010 - Research advances potential for regeneration as a possible cure for type 1 diabetes
5. February 4, 2010 - New study finds possible source of beta cell destruction that leads to Type 1 diabetes - also here

Parkinson's disease

1. February 1, 2010 - Simulation study may help Parkinson's patients retain driving skills

Vaccines

1. February 1, 2010 - Vaccine Design: Three Is Better Than Two When Boosting Vaccine Effectiveness

Cancer biology

1. February 2, 2010 - Loss of gene function makes prostate cancer cells more aggressive - also here
2. February 2, 2010 - Enzyme That 'Cleans Off' Cancer Cells Discovered
3. February 3, 2010 - Prolactin blocks oncogene associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer - also here
4. February 3, 2010 - Researchers explore link between human birth defect syndrome, cancer metastasis - also here
5. February 5, 2010 - How Cancer Wreaks Havoc on Bone

Obesity

1. February 2, 2010 - Diabetes medication may help decrease BMI in obese adolescents - also here
2. February 3, 2010 - Some morbidly obese people are missing genes - also here
3. February 3, 2010 - Scientists identify target that may reduce complications of obesity - also here
4. February 4, 2010 - Morbidly obese 'may have missing genes'

Drug delivery

1. February 2, 2010 - Smart Capsules Release Their Contents at a Selected Temperature

Lupus

1. February 2, 2010 - Dogs May Provide an Excellent Model for Understanding Human Complex Diseases

Malaria

1. February 3, 2010 - Scientists find ideal target for malaria therapy - also here
2. February 4, 2010 - Protein 'ushers' key to beating malaria
3. February 4, 2010 - New malaria vaccine is safe and protective in children, scientists find - also here
4. February 4, 2010 - Breakthrough by Danish scientists in preventing maternal malaria - also here
5. February 4, 2010 - Malaria's Key Survival Protein Identified, Offering Drug Hope
6. February 5, 2010 - Scientists complete the world's first in-depth study of the malaria parasite genome - also here

Bisphenol A and asthma

1. February 3, 2010 - Mother's exposure to bisphenol A may increase children's chances of asthma - also here

PKR, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction

1. February 4, 2010 - A molecule that destroys normal metabolism is found - also here

Weight loss at high altitudes

1. February 4, 2010 - Can Thin Mountain Air Make You Slim?
2. February 4, 2010 - High Altitudes May Aid Weight Loss
3. February 4, 2010 - Obese People Lose Weight at High Altitudes
4. February 4, 2010 - Losing the weight war? Head to the mountains - also here
5. February 5, 2010 - If you want to lose weight, find a mountain retreat

Inflammatory bowel disease

1. February 5, 2010 - Distinct demographic profiles between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis - also here

Tuberculosis

1. February 5, 2010 - Road mapping could be key to curing TB - also here

Multiple sclerosis

1. February 5, 2010 - Blacks with MS have more severe symptoms, decline faster than whites - also here, here

Copyright © 2010 by Charles Daney, All Rights Reserved