Health
Gene silencing may be responsible for induced pluripotent stem cells' limitations
Scientists may be one step closer to being able to generate any type of cells and tissues from a patient's own cells.
Apr 25, 2010
Health
Research in Antarctica reveals non-organic mechanism for production of important greenhouse gas
Athens, Ga. -- In so many ways, Don Juan Pond in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica is one of the most unearthly places on the planet. An ankle-deep mirror between mountain peaks and rubbled moraine, the pond is an astonishing 18 times saltier than the Earth's oceans and virtually never freezes, even in temperatures of more than 40 degrees below zero Fahrenheit.
Apr 25, 2010
Earth & Environment
Iceland volcano: Pitt researcher compiles first high-res images; plume receding but internal heat up
PITTSBURGH -- High-resolution visible and thermal infrared images captured by a joint NASA-Japanese satellite sensor and compiled by University of Pittsburgh volcanologist Michael Ramsey provide the first clear glimpse of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull that has disrupted air travel worldwide since it began erupting April 14.
Apr 23, 2010
Health
Subtle changes in PTEN tumor suppressor gene can determine cancer susceptibility
BOSTON -- It is an accepted fact that genetics play a key role in a person's susceptibility to cancer, and that throughout life, mutations can cause damage to tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) further increasing the chances of developing cancerous tumors.
Apr 23, 2010
Health
Study links 1976 'swine flu' shot to stronger immune response to 21st century pandemic flu
New evidence shows immunization against "swine flu" in 1976 might provide individuals with some protection against the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus, according to new research from St. Jude investigators.
Apr 23, 2010
Technology
140-Character Study: What if Everyone Had Always Been on Twitter at the Same Time?
Have you joined the Twitterverse? All over the world millions of people are posting their 140-or-fewer-character tweets online via Twitter. As a confirmed Twitterer, I wondered what it might have been like if Twitter, and all its users, had been around for, oh, the past few thousand years.
Apr 23, 2010
Technology
Caltech-led team designs novel negative-index metamaterial that responds to visible light
PASADENA, Calif. -- A group of scientists led by researchers from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has engineered a type of artificial optical material -- a metamaterial -- with a particular three-dimensional structure such that light exhibits a negative index of refraction upon entering the material.
Apr 22, 2010
Health
Production of biofuels could benefit by controlling the types of cells that develop in plants
Scientists have been working for more than a decade to understand how tiny molecules called microRNA regulate genes within cells. Now researchers have discovered that microRNA actually moves between cells to help them communicate with each other and ultimately determine the types of cells that grow and develop.
Apr 22, 2010
Life
UC Riverside entomologists say biocontrol of insect pest in the Galapagos Islands is a major success
RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- The Galapagos Islands, made famous by Charles Darwin, have a unique biota now highly threatened by invasive species because of increased tourism and population growth. Indeed, alien or exotic insects today constitute 23 percent of the Galapagos insect fauna. One of these insect invaders is the cottony cushion scale, a sap sucking bug native to Australia.
Apr 22, 2010
Uncategorized
Lasers and lidar systems gather data about the position and makeup of Iceland's volcanic plumes
With Europe's airport staffers scrambling to send tens of thousands of flights into the air to make up for a week's worth of halted traffic and stranded travelers thanks to Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano, researchers at the U.K.'s University of Reading are taking the first direct measurements of the ash plume parked over Scotland.
Apr 22, 2010
Health
NYC Health Study Reveals Disturbing Health Trends Among Young Heterosexual Women
The public health community has known for years that unprotected anal sex increases the risk of spreading HIV and other infections. This is primarily attributed to the damage done to anal membranes during unprotected sex. The anus, a major organ system has been classified
Apr 22, 2010
Health
Coronary CTA a cost-effective alternative to cardiac catheterization for the evaluation of CAD
PHILADELPHIA -- According to a study conducted at Thomas Jefferson University (TJU), non-invasive coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) is a cost-effective alternative to invasive cardiac catheterization in the care of patients who have positive stress test results but a less than 50 percent chance of actually having significant coronary artery disease (CAD).
Apr 21, 2010
Health
Telephone counseling increases daily servings of fruit, vegetables, U-M study says
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Combining telephone counseling calls with a daily written diet plan increases a person's success in improving fruit and vegetables consumption, according to research published in Preventive Medicine.
Apr 21, 2010
Technology
Student research team sequences genome of bacterium discovered in Virginia Tech garden
Under the supervision of a Virginia Tech plant pathologist, a group of high school, undergraduate, and graduate students isolated and characterized a formerly unknown group of bacteria.
Apr 21, 2010