Missing genes may help explain why plague bacteria are so deadly
...s well as by infected fleas. To get at the genetic basis for the deadly nature of Y. pestis, the Livermore-led researchers first sequenced the complete genome of Y. pseudotuberculosis, an animal and human pathogen that can cause fever and appendicitis-like pain if ingested in water or food. They then compa...Cell's gatekeeper for ammonia revealed in unprecedented detail
...ribed. The structure can help reveal the molecular basis of often life-threatening diseases caused by ammon... the mode of action of Rh factors, we now know the basis of ammonia transport from tissues to the kidney, and the molecular-level mechanism for ammonia excre...For imitative parrots, wagging tongues may be key to vocalization
...are narrow ranges of sound frequency that form the basis for vowel sounds and are the same types of sound characteristics that are important in human speech. These observations suggest that lingual articulation is involved in the well-known ability of parrots to mimic human speech. Even more intriguingly, ...Rare deficit maps thinking circuitry
...iple genes and environmental triggers, the genetic basis of Williams Syndrome is remarkably well understood. People with the disorder lack about 21 genes in a particular part of chromosome 7. "Williams Syndrome yields a unique opportunity to study how genes influence our ability to construct our social an...Essential smell gene may provide key to new insect repellents
... folk remedies. Now we have a scientific, rational basis for designing insect repellents." An anomalous smell receptor The sense of smell is very direct. In order for humans or fruit flies to smell bananas, for example, molecules from the fruit must waft through the air to specialized nerve cells that de...NHGRI launches Centers for Excellence in Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications Research
...ial implications of genomic knowledge provides the basis for this exciting new initiative," said NHGRI Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. "We will now build upon this foundation by establishing interdisciplinary research centers that can take an even more dynamic and broad-based approach to identifyi...APS awards more than $140,000 to minority students of physiology
...tects the intestine, this research may provide the basis for future therapeutic strategies for the treatment of human NEC. Alfredo Garcia III Wright State University Through the use of an in vitro experimental model, Mr. Garcia is studying the effects of excess oxygen on electrical signaling in the cent...Discovery of new shrimp species adds to unique family
...ness in variety, in an area. Description is "the basis of all biological, phylogenetic and evolutionary study," Anker said. After description "we can make a lot of hypotheses and assumptions about the evolution of a genus--it's a lot more interesting than species descriptions." In the course of his care......ss the nation to critically examine the scientific basis for this growing consumer trend that has spawned an international growth industry. The speakers will address myths and misconceptions about pesticides, preservatives and other chemicals, as well as irradiation, organic farming and nutrition. The two-...Improving crops without genetic modification natural variation holds the key
...d sustainable resource that can enrich the genetic basis of cultivated plants," they explain in the report. First Gur and Zamir identified genomic regions in wild tomato species that affect yield, by creating a population of hybrid crosses of a wild tomato species and a cultivated tomato species; each lin...Gold quantum dots have applications in biological labeling, nanoscale optics
...made from small numbers of gold atoms could be the basis for a new biological labeling system with narrower excitation spectra, smaller particle size and comparable fluorescence to systems based on semiconductor quantum dots. Providing the "missing link" between atomic and nanoparticle behavior in noble ...Genetic clues found for common congenital brain disorder
...use model to allow them to study the developmental basis of the disorder. "Dandy-Walker malformation is an important clinical problem as well as a scientific mystery," said study co-author William Dobyns, M.D., professor of human genetics, neurology and pediatrics at the University of Chicago and an autho...Scientists reinvent DNA as template to produce organic molecules
...mber of the collection survived a selection on the basis of its ability to bind to a protein target, and the DNA encoding the survivor was amplified by PCR and sequenced to reveal its identity. Liu's team found that small molecules bound to DNA can react to form larger products even when the DNA bases used...Forgetting, reminding, and remembering: The retrieval of lost spatial memory
... much needed resource for investigating the neural basis of memory loss....Coordinating power of circadian rhythms keeps estrus and pregnancy on track
... Northwestern University have begun to uncover the basis for how the daily patterns of biological behavior known as circadian rhythms are able to control complex events such as reproduction, which in female mammals requires precise but dynamic regulation of hormone levels. Many biological processes...Genes may be central to cocaine addiction
...ity and addiction, but also to study the molecular basis of the important link between environmental stress and cocaine addiction," they wrote....NHGRI adds 18 organisms to sequencing pipeline
...f choosing sequencing targets one at a time on the basis of proposals from individuals or groups of scienti...lan that identified two groups of organisms on the basis of their collective scientific merits. "Science tells us that the most effective approach we cu...Depression traced to overactive brain circuit
...tion may be a useful tool for studying the genetic basis of depression. "Since brain function appears to be disregulated even when patients are in remission, they need to continue long-term treatment beyond the symptomatic phase of their illness," noted Neumeister, who recently moved to the Yale Univ...Wheelchairs biomechanics, prosthetic development
...s suggest that training programs prescribed on the basis of ACSM target heart rate guidelines need not be altered for trained female WAs. Wheel camber increases sprinting force in wheelchair athletes , pg 421 This study investigates the effects of rear wheel camber—today used mainly in the handiba...Parents are top influence on soft-drink consumption among kids
...eers. Parents who consume soft drinks on a regular basis may relax soft drink consumption rules and restrictions for their kids. Approximately 30 percent of children reported drinking soft drinks daily and 85 percent reported they usually drink regular, not diet soft drinks. Soft drink consumption was ...