Molecular machine may lead to new drugs to combat human diseases
...ust learning whether many DNA sequences previously believed to have no function actually may play specialized roles in cell behavior. While humans have introns, they don't have Group I introns. Many pathogens that cause human diseases, however, do have Group I introns, including the HIV opportunistic infecti...Successful test of single molecule switch opens the door to biomolecular electronics
...to a group of molecules that biochemists have long believed to be capable of being molecular switches, but that have failed to exhibit those properties in conductance experiments. The team solved the problem by developing a technique where the molecule could be tested in an electrolyte solution, a condition t...Predicting the future: Mirror neurons reflect the intentions of others
... observing someone else perform that action. It is believed mirror neurons increase an individual's ability to understand the behaviors of others, an important skill in social species such as humans. A critical aspect of understanding the behavior of another person is recognizing the intent of his actions--is...Antarctic ice shelf retreats happened before
...iod of warmth. Whilst rising air temperatures are believed to be the primary cause of recent dramatic disintegration of ice shelves like Larsen B, the new study suggests that the ocean may play a more significant role in destroying them than previously thought. The University of Durham's, Dr Mike Bentley, ...Virginia Tech patents advance microprocessors, vaccines, vision, vibration control, more
...th Pacific in a drink to induce relaxation, and is believed to have other benefits. Chemistry Professor Judy Riffle, former student Janice Paige Phillips, and James P. Dailey of Erie (Pa.) Retinal Surgery received a patent for "Magnetic fluids (6,749,844)," for treating retinal detachment. Retinal detachment ...Weizmann Institute scientists discover how substitutions are made for injured genes
...he one it produces to pass muster. Many scientists believed that both genetic substitutes and the main gene were expressed simultaneously so as to supply the organism with needed quantities of proteins. But Pilpel and his team showed that, in fact, when the original gene is up and running, the others are off ...Molecular thermometers on skin cells detect heat and camphor
...st to clone a protein (TRPV3) that the researchers believed was involved in our ability to sense and detect warm temperature. But while temperature-gated action of TRPV3 suggested the protein might be communicating temperature to the brain, its distribution raised some doubts. Despite expectations that temper...Protein delivers selenium for normal sperm development
...ein, selenoprotein P, was unknown, although it was believed to play a role as an antioxidant and to transport selenium throughout the body. Dietary selenium is essential for normal sperm development and male fertility. Selenoprotein P, or SEPP1, carries about 60 percent of the selenium in blood plasma. To und...University of Manchester pioneers study to support teenage mums' bone health
...unded by the National Osteoporosis Society, and is believed to be first into the long-term effects of early pr...ontains a greater amount of calcium than the male, believed to be necessary for the demands of pregnancy and breast-feeding. As this continues to develop until...Blocking neurodegeneration by radiation and bone marrow transfer prevents inherited glaucoma in mice
...laucoma have high intraocular pressure (IOP), long believed to be a cause of the degeneration of the optic nerve and nerve cells in the retina that leads to vision loss. The standard treatment for glaucoma is reducing the intraocular pressure by medication or surgery. However, researchers have also observed ......male-type behavior in adulthood. Defeminization is believed by many experts to be the main neurological process that differentiates males and females before birth. The discovery is detailed in the March 10 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences found at: www.pnas.org. "Our hypo...Researchers rein in regulatory RNAs
...al years has grown substantially, and they are now believed to comprise at least 8% of human genes. Many SAT pairs have been implicated in various stages of gene regulation, including transcription, mRNA processing, splicing, stability, transport, and translation. Various examples of such overlapping genes ...High cholesterol levels accelerate growth of prostate cancer
...turally high concentrations of cholesterol and are believed to be important in cell signaling. Solomon and Freeman believe that cholesterol in the lipid rafts may help sequester proteins involved in cancer pathways in close proximity with each other, facilitating biochemical reactions that promote cancer gro...Pall prion removal technology presented to FDA blood products advisory committee
...d moose; and scrapie in sheep. These diseases are believed to be caused by prions, which are misfolded, or "rogue", infectious proteins. "So much remains unknown about prion diseases even as new information comes to light practically daily. No one really knows how many people may be harboring vCJD without c...Study supports use of aspirin in treating pregnancy disorder
...and maternal deaths in developing countries. It is believed that the development of new treatments for pre-eclampsia and the early identification and management of this risk in both groups may prevent the onset of long-term heart disease. In the current study, the research team created a model that mimics low...Scientists identify new model Of NK cell development
...st cancer and infectious diseases. Scientists have believed for years that human NK cells are generated in bone marrow, but Michael Caligiuri, director of the OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center and the senior author of the study, says research in his laboratory shows that the precursors to NK cells are actually ...NASA study finds soot may be changing the Arctic environment
...rimary sources of Arctic particulate pollution are believed to have been from Russia and Europe. Those sources have decreased substantially in the past two decades, but the computer simulations indicate increasing emissions from South Asia have made up for some of the reduced Eurasian pollution. Koch and Hans...First real-time view of developing neurons reveals surprises, say Stanford researchers
STANFORD, Calif. - Scientists have believed that neurons need a long period of fine-tuning and training with other neurons before they take on their adult role. But after using new technology for the first time to watch these cells develop, a team of researchers at the Stanford University Scho...NC State scientist finds soft tissue in T. rex bones
...ork with in a lab. In contrast, fossilized bone is believed to be completely mineralized, meaning no organics are present. Attempting to dissolve the minerals from a piece of fossilized bone, so the theory goes, would merely dissolve the entire fossil. But the team was surprised by what actually happened when...Weather forecasts may be predictors for prevalence of West Nile virus
... Culex pipiens, the northern house mosquito -- are believed to maintain the natural transmission cycle between birds and mosquitoes. The population of northern house mosquitoes, the primary suspect for transmission to humans, is low in spring but grows to become the dominant species later in summer, especiall...