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New Lifespan Extension Genes Found

New genes tied to lifespan extension in yeast have been identified by researchers from UC Davis and Harvard Medical School. Drastically reducing calorie intake, or caloric restriction, is known to extend the lifespan of species including yeast, worms and rodents. Previous research linked a gene called Sir2 with lifespan extension due to caloric restriction, but worms and yeast that lack Sir2 also live longer when put on a tough diet, showing that some other genes must be at work.

Nanoscientists Describe Electron Movement through Molecules

Molecular electronics is the ultimate miniaturization of electronics. In this area of research, scientists have been studying the movement of electrons through individual molecules in an effort to understand how they might control and use the process in new technologies. Computers and thousands of other devices could become vastly faster, smaller and more reliable than conventional transistor-based (wire-based) electronics.

Chromium picolinate cuts carb cravings in atypical depression

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study assessing chromium picolinate supplementation in 113 people with atypical depression found that a subset of patients who reported the highest levels of carbohydrate cravings demonstrated significantly greater reductions than the placebo group on four items on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D-29): carbohydrate craving, appetite increase, increased eating, and diurnal variation of feeling (mood variation throughout the day).

Beating the aging process naturally

The fight against aging has received a scientific boost thanks to an innovative study done in part by a University of Alberta spin-off company–research that dispels a hard-held belief about the natural ingredient, beta glucan. The study, published in the current issue of International Journal of Cosmetic Science, is the first to show that oat beta glucan can penetrate the skin despite years of doctors and scientists believing that the large molecule was too big.

Autoimmune overload may damage HIV-infected brain

Researchers studying the evolution of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the brain have found that the body’s own defenses may cause HIV-related dementia. Publishing in the Sept. 2005 issue of the Journal of Virology, the researchers show that HIV in the temporal lobe mutates at a rate 100 times faster than in other parts of the body, triggering white blood cells to continually swarm to attack the infection. The associated overcrowding and inflammation appear to cause the dementia.

Shredded tires a cheap, environmentally friendly way to cover landfills

Placing shredded tires on top of — rather than in — landfills can save money and benefit the environment, researchers from the University of Illinois say. Shredding tires into chips roughly 4 inches by 6 inches, they report, offers a simple and cost-effective way of providing drainage for modern landfills, remediating older landfills, and disposing of mountains of scrap tires.

Symposium on the Future of Science Writing

your event with pr newswire is terrific and timely, here’s another your readers may find interesting: Is the “science writing” profession endangered or evolving? That is the debate Johns Hopkins University’s M.A. in Writing Program and the D.C. Science Writers Association will present at a daylong symposium on Saturday, October 1, 2005 at Johns Hopkins University’s Washington, DC Center.