Purdue research suggests 'nanotubes' could make better brain probes
...d. - Purdue University researchers have shown that extremely thin carbon fibers called "nanotubes" might be use...ze that electrons might flow more efficiently over extremely thin nanotubes than they do over conventional circuits, possibly enabling scientists to create bette...Endurance of plants under quartz rocks possible model for life on early Earth, Mars
..., whose surface is known to harbor quartz rock, be extremely dry and cold, and receive larger doses of ultraviolet radiation than Earth's surface does today "Right now Mars doesn't look too good for life," Schlesinger said. "But if Mars had something alive two billion years ago, when it is believed to have bee...JCI table of contents, January 2, 2004
...ing accumulation of the bile pigment bilirubin, is extremely common in newborn infants. In Western nations jaundice is most commonly treated with exposure to light (phototherapy), however a drug therapy would also be desirable. In the January 2 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, David Moore and co...New study identifies inhibitor of anthrax toxin
...hest pain mimic colds and flu, early diagnosis is extremely difficult; as a result, some 90 percent of all cases of inhalational anthrax prove fatal. "Toxins act in two ways," adds BIDMC scientist and first author Benjamin Turk, Ph.D. "First, they cripple the cells that fight bacterial infection, thereby ena...Armies of fighting fungi protect chocolate trees
...he barest beginnings of an effort to understand an extremely complex ecological process. "Our findings indicate that fungal dynamics are really complicated, and that the number of potential interactions -- and their directionality -- is really a big black box," she said. "For example, we see hints that there a...St. Jude ranked among top 500 supercomputer centers
...ve drugs against certain diseases. "This is an extremely exciting time to be working at St. Jude," Ford said. "The more experience we gain with our supercomputer, the more effectively we'll be able to use it, and the more rapidly we'll find cures for catastrophic diseases." ...Science paper: Overharvesting of Brazil nuts leading to fewer trees
...lived, mature Brazil nut trees produce hundreds of extremely hard, softball-sized fruits containing 10 to 25 seeds or "nuts." Local harvesters collect the fruit on the ground, where they fall from heights of 150 feet or more, and open them with machetes. In the sparsely populated Amazon, where barter is commo...Scientists discover way to streamline analysis of maize genome
... gene clusters in maize are separated by wide and extremely difficult to decipher expanses of highly-repetitive DNA. This complex structure has greatly complicated efforts to sequence the genome of maize, which is one of the world's most important crops. In an effort to streamline the way tha...Exxon Valdez oil spill impacts lasting far longer than expected, scientists say
...l species. "These simply astounding findings have extremely important implications for environmental management," said principal investigator Dr. Charles H. Peterson, Alumni Distinguished professor of marine sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "They show the environmental consequences...Study finds evidence for global methane release about 600 million years ago
...ls that had accumulated beneath the seafloor. "The extremely negative isotopic values from these sediments provide unambiguous evidence for methane-derived carbon," said Ganqing Jiang, a researcher at the University of California, Riverside, and the article's lead author. "The identification of a methane-deriv...Scientists discover how anthrax creates its deadly spores
...munity. Hanna stresses that, whilethe data will be extremely valuable to biomedical researchers, it has novalue related to the use of anthrax as a biological weapon. "We want our results to be available to all university and corporateresearchers developing anthrax spore countermeasures," says Hanna. "Thescien...Ohio State creates first gene chip for horse
...n situation, so having this kind of information is extremely beneficial." Bertone developed the chip with the help of Weisong Gu, a postdoctoral researcher in veterinary clinical sciences at Ohio State. Gu created a computer program that helped he and Bertone discover and describe 3,088 horse genes. They added...NASA scientists discover spring thaw makes a difference
...ored in their vegetation and soils, this region is extremely sensitive toenvironmental change. It has the capacity to dramatically impact Earth's climate. "If global climate change is happening, here's where you would expect to see it first," McDonald said. As the research team observed, the earlier ...Pest control breakthrough from a spider's stomach
...son. Spiders, and in particular money spiders, are extremely important in the control of pests in arable crops, and their webs often cover more than 50% of the fields they inhabit. However, the team is also using the techniques they have developed to analyse other important predators, such as the ground beetl...Scientists identify molecular step that causes intoxication
...comotion. Only those with mutated slo-1 genes were extremely resistant to alcohol. The research showed that the alcohol-resistance trait was due to slo-1 genes in neurons, as opposed to other cells such as muscle. Then, using standard electrophysiological techniques, the scientists determined that alcohol...Gene mutation leads to super-virulent strain of TB
...ological weapon. "Mycobacterium tuberculosis grows extremely slowly, is hard to aerosolize and, if it is not in a dormant stage, can be treated with antibiotics," said Morici, who is now a post-doctoral fellow at Tulane University's School of Medicine. "There are several other virulent organisms out there that...Extreme 2003 takes students worldwide to the oceans depth
...mal and chemical gradient," with one end living in extremely hot water and one in very cold water. He will be studying the genes expressed in the head and the tail, which will be the first time such research has been completed at sea. Scientists also will be studying the bacteria that colonize vents early in ...A new hope for heavy metal contaminated soils
...is of traits that enable some plants to grow under extremely hostile environmental conditions. This could help to improve crop yields in parts of the world where the climate or the soils are limiting or endangering agriculture, or develop healthier or more nutritious crops. Iron and zinc deficiency are two of ...Scientists develop a novel strategy to help prevent transplant rejection
...nefit patients and build our company. We have been extremely pleased to be able to get strong financial support to move this important academic innovation into industry."......high-running mice, certain brain regions displayed extremely high levels of activity, more than normal," says Rhodes. "These were the same brain regions that become activated when you prevent rats from getting their daily fix of cocaine, morphine, alcohol or nicotine." The researchers explain that blocking the...