Study reveals clues to brain development
...ggests that by exerting opposing "grow/don't grow" influences on brain neurons, these proteins play important, coordinated roles in shaping the normal architecture of the brain, ensuring that neurons in the visual system form neither too many nor too few branches to carry out their function. Contact information...The eyes have it: Seeking expressions of the genetic risk for developing alcoholism
...al yet important step toward understanding genetic influences on alcohol's effects on the brain." Crabb said these findings may one day have practical applications, such as developing a battery of easy-to-use measures of risk. "We could test children of alcoholics," he said. "Perhaps combining the results of ...New map shows human 'footprint' covers most of the Earth
...pportunity, the authors say. The map adds together influences from population density, access from roads and wat... basis for scientific measurement of anthropogenic influences on nature." "The two lessons of the human footprint are this: we need to conserve the last of the w...Brazilian shellfish may improve understanding of ancient world
...ers set up housekeeping on the brachiopods. "Depth influences the amount of encrustation we see, but it's clearly not depth alone. In one transect, encrustation decreases with depth but in another bay, encrustation is high regardless of depth," Rodland says. He is also looking at the numbers and different kind...International consortium launches genetic variation mapping project
...environmental contribution to illness, since these influences often interact," said Thomas Hudson, M.D., leader of the HapMap group at McGill University in Canada. Once the HapMap is constructed, researchers around the globe will use it to study the genetic risk factors underlying a wide range of diseases a...Estrogen linked to more efficient regulation of a woman's heartbeat
...ncy. Previous research has determined that gender influences brain structure and functions; however, in considering the cardiac pacemaker, there is still debate as to whether heart rate dynamics differ between women and men. Electrocardiogram (ECG) findings offer interesting arguments for both sides of the is...Polluted beach closures influenced by full moons and sunlight, surfer-engineer discovers
... of the day,'' she said. ''That's because sunlight influences the concentration of bacteria in the water, so if someone goes out and collects a sample in the morning, bacteria levels will be much higher than if they collect the sample at noon or at 2 p.m.'' Because fecal bacteria are so sensitive to sunlight, B...Large-scale climate change linked to simultaneous population fluctuations in arctic mammals
...e in common is the large-scale climate system that influences weather throughout the northern hemisphere," Post ... than that in Greenland. Their results have shown influences of the North Atlantic Oscillation on the dynamics of many species of large mammals, birds, and plant...Influences of sex on gene expression discussed at annual conference
...ta and explore the frontiers of how biological sex influences the expression of genetic information throughout life, from embryonic development through adulthood. Leading established researchers and outstanding new researchers in biochemistry, genetics and molecular, developmental and cellular biology attended ...Researchers find genes connected to seasonal reproductive clock in hamsters
... "The availability of thyroid hormones influences the seasonal timekeeping mechanism," he said. Prendergast conducted the study with Bedrich Mosinger, a researcher at Ohio State's Neurobiotechnology Center; Pappacha...... What we've found is that temperature dramatically influences how well diatoms can do this." Under laboratory conditions, Bidle studied how carbon and silicon in diatoms are recycled by marine bacteria in temperatures found in equatorial waters vs. polar waters. He found that a coating of carbon surrounds and p...Aged Polish forest plots teach new ecosystem lessons
...hem? "Understanding how a tree species influences the ecosystem, or biodiversity, could behelpful in the long-term for managing forests," Dr. Mark Tjoelker, Texas AgriculturalExperiment Station forest scientist, said. "It could help foresters know what the best mix of treespecies would be to manage ...Toy choice among boys, girls a matter of monkey business
...r may have to do with a biological pre-wiring that influences boys' and girls' preferences based on the early roles of males and females, says a Texas A&M University psychologist. It's commonly believed that boys and girls learn what types of toys they should like based solely on society's expectations, but ps...Mouse gene knockout illuminates how light resets clock
...ough the study shows that melanopsin significantly influences the resetting of the clock at three different light intensities, exactly how this protein translates light into a neural signal isn't yet known. The researchers propose that melanopsin is required for normal setting of the brain's clock by light, but...Effects of global warming already being felt on plants and animals worldwide
...t with our understanding of how temperature change influences various traits of a variety of species and populations from around the globe." Their overall analysis of studies involving temperate-zone species revealed that springtime events - such as blooming, egg laying and the end of hibernation - now occur ab...Researchers tie worldwide biodiversity threats to growth in households
...ousehold numbers in non-hotspot countries directly influences important biodiversity on a national and local scale. Indirectly, he says, global environment is affected in such patterns as more energy consumption and release of more greenhouse gases. Even in regions where population size decreased, such as in N...Researchers find a genetic connection in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
...ies and also include the 5-HTT intron 2 VTNR which influences gene expression. Likewise, Dr. Weese-Mayer et al pointed out that "recognizing the strong relationship between tobacco exposure (prenatal and postnatal) and SIDS risk, future studies of genetic polymorphisms must also include detailed smoking history...Three tourist experiences named best worldwide for environmental, social responsibility
...f sustainable tourism. Responsible tourism greatly influences the very future of tourism. We must protect the places we love for following generations." Close to 700 million people travel internationally each year, and that figure is expected to double to 1.4 billion by the year 2020. Travel and tourism is on......H scientists have shown that a common gene variant influences memory for events in humans by altering a growth factor in the brain's memory hub. On average, people with a particular version of the gene that codes for brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) performed worse on tests of episodic memory tasks li...Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers make significant discovery about function of p53
...s, Not only did we find a common polymorphism that influences tumor suppression, we also found that this seemingly obscure activity is at the center of how this protein kills cells. By bringing the mitochondrial pathway of cell death to the forefront of research, the investigators suggest that drugs could be d...