Carnegie Mellon enhances Quantum Dot Corp. technology for long-term, live-animal imaging
...ies of quantum dots to accomplish a specific goal, noted Ballou. By attaching molecules to the surface of quantum dots, one could target tumors to image them more effectively and allow surgeons to remove cancers with greater accuracy, according to Ballou. "Before these applications can happen, quantum dots...Bridging the gap between genetics and motivations to drink alcohol
...the clinical disorder of alcoholism." Prescott noted that there are several ways in which genetic factors may 'intersect' with social drinking. "There is an overlap of the genetic factors which influence risk for alcoholism and those which influence drinking to relieve social anxiety," she said. "Als...Adolescent rodents experience milder hangover effects than do adult rodents
... on social activity." Both Varlinskaya and Kelly noted that the negative aspects of a hangover can stop people from drinking alcohol, whereas the lack of aversive effects may foster a sense of 'invulnerability' and even encourage adolescents to drink. "We already know that adolescents drink in social......e been able to detect them, said McKay. McKay also noted that the team discovered a non-biological oxidative substance that appears to have reacted with the organics results that mimicked Viking's results. According to the researchers, the Atacama site they studied could serve as a valuable testbed for ...Evolutionary Genomics meeting in Tucson
... of the evolutionary tree, will feature talks from noted researchers from the United States and Europe. There also will be a poster session for contributed papers. The meeting is structured with free time for interactions among participants, in the style of a Gordon Conference. Registration is free for bo...Endurance of plants under quartz rocks possible model for life on early Earth, Mars
...he first colonizers of land" on Earth, Schlesinger noted -- a time when there was no atmospheric ozone shield to block harmful solar ultraviolet radiation and no nitrogen-rich topsoil covering the ground. The lack of soil nitrogen provided no obstacle for the plant colonies living under the quartz rocks. H...Researchers find key gene in production of egg and sperm
...re of the John Innes Center in the United Kingdom, noted that "the function of phs1 lies at the core of coordination between these two events (pairing and synapsis). The phs1 gene can now be used to identify new components of this coordinating mechanism."" Though several dozen mutations are known to scre...Aged roaches experience perils of stiff joints, find Case researchers
...to regain its tripod-like stance and gait. Ridgel noted that this catch increased from 35 percent of the 6...ing a layer of cuticle in the roach paws, she also noted that tracheal tubes and a tendon that help create movement also hardened and browned, causing the pa...Alcohol exposure in pre- and early post-natal stages may cause insulin resistance
...onsidered significant. Results The researchers noted the following: Animal weight and food intake: All male offspring in the control group and in the group exposed to EtOH during lactation had a birth weight greater than 6.0 g. Among male offspring exposed to EtOH during pregnancy, 12 had...NIH consensus panel confirms effectiveness of total knee replacement
...-term wear and loosening of the implant. The panel noted that computer navigation may eventually reduce the risk of substantial malalignment, but the technology is as yet unproven and its cost may be prohibitive for many hospitals. These findings are part of the panel's consensus statement, presented at th...Chemical gradient steers nerve growth in spinal cord
...e axons wander aimlessly, "knotting and stalling," noted the authors. These findings will also allow scientists to explore "how growth cones undergo remodeling during navigation so that they constantly adjust the direction of their growth," Zou added. "This should help explain how the complicated connecti...Abandoned penguin colonies may help refine Antarctic climate studies
...established only 500 to 600 years ago. Emslie also noted that a "natural experiment" seems to be underway in Antarctica today that confirms the idea that Adelie populations can rapidly adapt to changing conditions. But it also helps illuminate the difficulties in interpreting the climate record. Iceberg B-...NYAS and Nature Publishing Group join forces
...ommunity, and society at large." Mr. Rubinstein noted that when Nature and the Academy started looking at what each was doing, "it was immediately obvious that the two organizations complemented each other and that a matching of our strengths would be good for both of us, and for science as a whole." ...Six reporters reach the 'pinnacle of excellence'
...ience, by promoting best practices in journalism," noted Alan I. Leshner, chief executive officer at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and executive publisher of its journal, Science. "Further, the winning entries then serve as teaching tools as they are disseminated each year ...Effects of maternal myasthenia gravis on pregnancy and birth examined
...eonatal complications ? from mild to severe ? were noted in 27 of the 127 children born to women with MG. Five of those had severe birth defects, but that number was not considered statistically significant when compared with all births. Hoff said results of the study shouldn't discourage women with MG fro...Lewis and Clark notes reveal history of human impacts
...abundance was higher in August, 1806, Capt. Clark noted that "I have observed that in the country between the nations which are at war with each other the greatest numbers of wild animals are to be found." This is consistent, the OSU researchers say, with other studies which have found a greatly increased...A sweet tooth may be a 'marker' for the genetic risk for developing alcoholism
...asier to prevent than to treat. It should also be noted that hedonic response to sweets reflects the activity of the brain opioid system that is involved in the pathogenesis of not only alcoholism but many other medical conditions, including drug addiction, eating disorders, and pain-related disorders. T...OHSU researchers reveal relationship between weight gain and female hormones
...eight gain to continue over time. Additionally, we noted an increase of the hormone leptin, which is produc..." explained Cameron. "In conducting this study, we noted the times that animals ate. Some of the monkeys ate most of their food during the evening and nightt...Estrogen receptor-a disruption and vasodilation in coronary arteries
...ary arteries were isolated from the myocardium, as noted above, and frozen in microcentrifuge tubes. Because there was insufficient protein in a single mouse coronary artery to allow measurement of protein content and still have sufficient sample to run on an SDS gel, it was necessary to pool samples of co......es to scientific discovery," said Dr. Collins, who noted that over the past five years, the MIT, Washington University and Baylor centers were major participants in the highly successful public effort to sequence, assemble and analyze the genomes of the human and several other organisms commonly used in bi...