Diatom genome reveals key role in biosphere's carbon cycle
... in the marine environment while it contributes to absorbing the major greenhouse gas CO2,in amounts comparable to all the world's tropical rain forests combined. "This critical information enables us to better understand the vital role that diatoms and other phytoplankton play in mediating global warming,"...32 new grants made for innovative technology R&D
..., minimally invasive treatment using near-infrared absorbing nanoparticles. NexTech Materials, Ltd. (Lewis Center, Ohio) High-Power-Density Solid Oxide Fuel Cells for Aerospace ApplicationsDevelop a lightweight solid oxide fuel cell that offers five times the power density of the current state of the ar...Gimli gobblers Mercury scientists to conduct unique human experiment next week
...ities and that this is preventing individuals from absorbing mercury," says Dr. Lucotte. That something, the researchers suspect, could be simply old fashioned tea. Tea-drinking Japanese communities known to be exposed to high levels of mercury through fish consumption have also shown unusually low levels of a...Protein in urine may warn of preeclampsia risk in pregnant women
...e fms-like tyrosine kinase 1] was attaching to and absorbing two pro-angiogenic proteins, PIGF [placental growth factor] and VEGF [vascular endothelial growth factor]." Last year, in a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, Karumanchi and co-investigators confirmed that sFlt1 levels do indeed ...Key molecule in plant photo-protection identified
...tect plants from oxidation damage as the result of absorbing too much light. The researchers determined that when chlorophyll molecules in green plants take in more solar energy than they are able to immediately use, molecules of zeaxanthin, a member of the carotenoid family of pigment molecules, carry away th...Spectroscopy for the real world
...rearrange themselves when the salt liquefies after absorbing water vapor from the surrounding air. Molecular dynamic simulations indicate that the anions migrate and become enriched at the droplet's surface. Other techniques allow scientists to observe the indirect, telltale signs of this change. But until rec...Transgenic plants remove more selenium from polluted soil than wild plants, new tests show
...dian mustard plant because it is very efficient at absorbing selenate, the bioavailable form of selenium in the soil. The plant is tricked into absorbing selenate because it is chemically similar to sulfate, an essential nutrient for the plant. Gary S. ...Scientists propose new approach to estimating global ocean productivity
...t producing as much chlorophyll. "There's no point absorbing all that light if you can't use it to fix more carbon. So being able to assess how much chlorophyll there is per unit of carbon is key to saying how fast these guys are growing, fixing carbon, producing oxygen and all the rest," says Boss. In place ...Research news from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University
...iduals, particularly older people, have difficulty absorbing vitamin B12 from foods, however, and inclusion of breakfast cereals fortified with vitamin B12 or use of vitamin B12 supplements offers additional protection." Tucker K., et al, Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 2005 Jan;20(1):152-8. "Low plasma...NASA satellite sees ocean plants increase, coasts greening
...y also can soften the impacts of climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide, a heat-trapping greenhouse gas. In addition, phytoplankton serve as the base of the ocean food chain, so their abundance determines the overall health of ocean ecosystems. Given their importance, it makes sense that scientists would w...Scientists find viruses can't stick to sea bugs in the dark
...millions and millions of cyanobacteria in the seas absorbing the sun's light and giving off oxygen, in exactly the same way as the photosynthetic plants and forests on land act as the other part of the planet's lungs. But the whole delicate balance of the seas, and so the overall fate of the planet, relies on ...Gold nanoparticles may simplify cancer detection
...Gold nanoparticles are very good at scattering and absorbing light," said Mostafa El-Sayed, director of the Laser Dyanamics Laboratory and chemistry professor at Georgia Tech. "We wanted to see if we could harness that scattering property in a living cell to make cancer detection easier. So far, the results ar...Atmosphere may cleanse itself better than previously thought
...b" the air of smog. This group of chemicals, after absorbing energy from sunlight, is able to break down smog and other pollutants into far less harmful components. While many such chemicals have long been known to behave in this way - producing natural air cleaners called OH radicals - the chemicals the team ...New window into ancient ozone holes
... extinctions: measure the remains of ultraviolet-B absorbing pigments ancient plants left in their fossilized s...a three-fold increase in the concentration of UV-B absorbing pigments to protect themselves against a 14 percent decrease in stratospheric ozone, says Lomax. "W...Environmental lessons from tsunami as world's coastal population doubles
...still provide services of protecting the coast and absorbing pollution. But once these ecosystems are put under pressure by coastal development, they may lose their resilience. Similarly, if communities are more resilient they are going to be able to learn from past experience and to deal with disasters bette...UCLA researchers identify key enzyme linked to childhood blindness
... after light exposure. Rhodopsin contains a light absorbing molecule called 11 cis retinaldehyde, related to vitamin A, which is converted upon light absorption to all trans retinaldehyde in a process called photo bleaching. This conversion is the first step in visual perception. Photo bleaching leaves the r...High carbon dioxide levels spur Southern pines to grow more needles
...ted by mid-century produce more needles than those absorbing today's levels of the gas, even under drought conditions. However, the study also found that lack of soil nutrients may impose limitations in many forests. Duke graduate student Heather McCarthy will describe results she obtained from a futuristic op...Virginia Tech group adds tools to DNA-targeted anti-cancer drugs
...tor stereochemistry and reactivity of Ru(II) light absorbing units in supramolecular assemblies" (INOR 133), co-authored by Mongelli and Brewer. And Zigler will present "Luminescence tagging of 2,2'-bipyridine complexes of Fe(II): Synthesis and metal binding studies of 4-[N-(2-anthryl)amido]-4'-methyl-2,2'-bip...JCI table of contents September 1, 2005
...o treat osteoporosis. Most work by inhibiting bone absorbing osteoclast activity, but don't actually rebuild lost bone. Agents that rebuild bone are anabolics. The only bone anabolic clinically available is the 1-34 amino terminal fragment of parathyroid hormone (PTH 1-34). In a new study appearing in the Sept...Lands surface change on Alaska tundra creating longer, warmer summers in Arctic
... is further warming the near-surface atmosphere by absorbing rather than reflecting incoming solar radiation. "The vegetation change is pretty dramatic," Epstein said. "The tundra is getting greener, and there is a noticeable increase in shrubs. This is observable from satellite data and by observations on the...