Frontiers news briefs: May 23
5/23/2013
| Frontiers in Plant Science Automated conserved noncoding sequence (CNS) discovery reveals differences in gene content and promoter evolution among grasses Within the genome of each species, there are thousands of stretches of DNA that undergo little change in position and sequence over millions of years, but do not code for any proteins. Some of these evolutionarily stable seque... [Comments] |
The world's favorite fruit only better-tasting and longer-lasting
5/23/2013
| Tomatoes, said to be the world's most popular fruit, can be made both better-tasting and longer-lasting thanks to UK research with purple GM varieties. "Working with GM tomatoes that are different to normal fruit only by the addition of a specific compound, allows us to pinpoint exactly how to breed in valuable traits," said Professor Cathie Martin from the John Innes Centre. The rese... [Comments] |
PNNL staff recognized for scientific accomplishments, moving technologies into the marketplace
5/23/2013
| RICHLAND, Wash. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory honored more than 165 staff for their creation, development and commercialization of intellectual property at PNNL's annual Intellectual Property Commercialization Recognition & Rewards Program banquet. The Department of Energy national laboratory named materials scientist Jun Liu Inventor of the Year for his work developing battery... [Comments] |
Reforestation study shows trade-offs between water, carbon and timber
5/23/2013
| More than 13,000 ships per year, carrying more than 284 million tons of cargo, transit the Panama Canal each year, generating roughly $1.8 billion dollars in toll fees for the Panama Canal Authority. Each time a ship passes through, more than 55 million gallons of water are used from Gatun Lake, which is also a source of water for the 2 million people living in the isthmus. However, the a... [Comments] |
Emory, Georgia Tech receive first human exposome center grant in US
5/23/2013
| Investigators at Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, along with partners at the Georgia Institute of Technology, have received a $4 million grant over four years to establish the HERCULES Center at Emory University (Health and Exposome Research Center: Understanding Lifetime Exposures). The grant is the first exposome-based center grant awarded in the United States. The H... [Comments] |
UCI study reveals new mechanism for estrogen suppression of liver lipid synthesis
5/23/2013
| By discovering the new mechanism by which estrogen suppresses lipid synthesis in the liver, UC Irvine endocrinologists have revealed a potential new approach toward treating certain liver diseases. With this finding, Dr. Ellis Levin and colleagues believe they are changing long-held views in the field. Study results appear in the May 21 issue of the journal Science Signaling . "The d... [Comments] |
Biochemistry: Unspooling DNA from nucleosomal disks
5/23/2013
| The tight wrapping of genomic DNA around nucleosomes in the cell nucleus makes it unavailable for gene expression. A team of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich now describes a mechanism that allows chromosomal DNA to be locally displaced from nucleosomes for transcription. In higher organisms the genomic DNA is stored in the cell nucleus, wrapped around disk-shaped particles c... [Comments] |
Schools should provide opportunities for 60 minutes of daily physical activity to all students
5/23/2013
| WASHINGTON Given the implications for the overall health, development, and academic success of children, schools should play a primary role in ensuring that all students have opportunities to engage in at least 60 minutes per day of vigorous or moderate-intensity physical activity, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. Recent estimates suggest that only about half of school-age... [Comments] |
Using big data to identify prostate cancers and best treatments
5/23/2013
| Some prostate cancer patients unnecessarily undergo surgery or harsh treatments because science fails to identify the differences between slow-growing and aggressive forms of the disease. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University and Johns Hopkins Medical Institutes are developing technology that allows patients to safely choose to do nothing, opt for relatively mild treatments or take dr... [Comments] |
Schools should provide students with daily physical activity, IOM recommends
5/23/2013
| HOUSTON (May 23, 2013) A new report from the Institute of Medicine says schools should be responsible for helping pupils engage in at least 60 minutes of vigorous or moderate intensity activity during each school day. No more than half of American youth meet current evidence-based guidelines of at least an hour of vigorous or moderate intensity physical activity daily, according to the r... [Comments] |
First successful treatment of pediatric cerebral palsy with autologous cord blood
5/23/2013
| Bochum's medics have succeeded in treating cerebral palsy with autologous cord blood. Following a cardiac arrest with severe brain damage, a 2.5 year old boy had been in a persistent vegetative state with minimal chances of survival. Just two months after treatment with the cord blood containing stem cells, the symptoms improved significantly; over the following months, the child learned to... [Comments] |
