Diatom genome reveals key role in biosphere's carbon cycle
...fe on our planet," Armbrust says. "Diatoms display features traditionally thought to be restricted to animals and other features thought to be restricted to plants. Diatoms, with complete disregard for these presumed boundaries, ...College students recognized & rewarded for their innovative work
...aces it on top of a portable Braille display which features small metal pins that rise and fall to create Braille letters. Gu discovered that the small amount of pressure exerted by the pins can clamp internal tunnels shut. By creating a computer program that can vary the patterns of applied pressure, his d...Protein energy profiles offer clues about amyloids
...ls that retain the essential physical and chemical features of protein dynamics, Clementi's team is making excellent progress in quantitative prediction -- work that's highly complimentary to the detailed simulations we're creating through Folding@Home." Basic thermodynamics dictates that the entire process o...September/October 2004 Annals of Family Medicine tip sheet
.... This expanded issue of Annals of Family Medicine features nine studies from PBRNs. From an original research study examining the potential of PBRNs for rapid assessment of bioterrorism, to a methodology study addressing the unique challenges inherent in international primary care research, these papers help...Component of volcanic gas may have played a significant role in the origins of life on Earth
...nd since these geological phenomena were prominent features on the early Earth, it is reasonable to assume that the gas was present. In their report, the scientists demonstrate that the gas can bring about a vigorous chemical reaction that forms peptides under mild aqueous conditions. Within a few minutes...Society for Psychophysiology Research
...nd psychological aspects of behavior. The program features original research in behavioral genetics, neuroscience, visual and audio perception, emotion, cognition, personality, human development, and psychopathology, to name just some of the areas that will be represented. Approximately 400 scientists are e...Experts present new research on hot topics in aging at GSA's annual meeting in Washington, DC
...ing), is a rare disease of childhood with striking features resembling premature aging. Other "premature aging syndromes", such as Werner syndrome (progeria of the adult) and Down syndrome, have provided valuable information regarding the phenomenon of aging. Important clues about aging may also result from u...Researchers provide road map for generating B cells from stem cells
...cell we want, or even produce hybrids that combine features of different cell types, such as antibody-producing skin cells." Singh and colleagues work with hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which give rise to the different types of blood cells. Unlike embryonic stem cells, HSCs have already taken some steps i...New study on smallpox in monkeys reveals tactics of a killer
...e labs in the United States have sufficient safety features for handling less-lethal pox viruses, such as monkeypox. If monkeypox--a pox virus less virulent in humans--proves to have molecular workings similar to smallpox, researchers could test countermeasures on it in a greater number of lab facilities, has...Health, food, new technologies featured during ACS meeting Oct. 17-20 in Peoria, Ill.
...ral College. Highlights of the meeting, which also features a wide range of topics related to medicine, environment and education, include the following: Honey offers healthy alternative to sweetening agents Soda, Halloween candy and other food products that contain high-fructose corn syrup and other swee...Channel protein converts vibrations to electrical signal
...nel is formed by a protein known as TRPA1. Certain features of the protein suggest that it may serve double, or even triple, duty in the inner ear, not only acting as an ion channel, but also forming a spring that allows the transduction machinery to stretch, and even amplifying incoming auditory signals. The...Award-winning INEEL probe to help safely monitor hazardous waste sites
...lation. The culmination of their five-year project features an innovative sheath for their sensors: a porous, sintered-stainless-steel tube that's capped on one end with a sturdy steel point. Rugged enough to be inserted directly into the earth, this exterior hull was designed to stay underground and house a ...Mice thrive despite massive genetic makeover
...o mice with the full-length version. A variety of features were analyzed, ranging from viability, growth, and..., there were no detectable changes in the specific features that we studied." The negligible impact of removing these sequences suggests that the mammal...Neurosurgeons identify growth of new adult brain cells, possible treatment for epilepsy
...is year with the Italian Society of Neurosurgeons, features dozens of seminars and courses led by world leaders in neurosurgery. It is being held at the Moscone West Convention Center through Thursday. The annual meeting provides continuing medical education for practicing neurosurgeons, neurosurgical resid...Mitochondrial mutation linked to blood pressure and cholesterol problems
...ther, this finding raises the possibility that all features of the metabolic syndrome may be attributable to altered mitochondrial function," said Richard P. Lifton , Sterling Professor and Chair of Genetics at Yale and research team leader. Metabolic syndrome is an emerging problem in industrial socie...Mouse study: 'Critical' Down syndrome region isn't
...ponsible for the condition's characteristic facial features and some of its other common traits. Down syndrome...doesn't seem to be required for Down syndrome-like features to result, either, the researchers report. Olson found that mice with just two copies of DSCR but th......fied version of the ability to discern the complex features of human speech. Next, the children performed the same task while the scientists used MEG to measure brain activity from the auditory cortex, which processes the sensation of sound. MEG is a noninvasive technique that is highly ...Pesticides may promote Parkinson's disease and exercise may offer protection
...cts of tropical plants, can reproduce parkinsonian features in rats. "Monkeys have a brain structure that is much more similar to humans than rats," notes J. Timothy Greenamyre, MD, PhD, of Emory University. "These studies on monkeys, therefore, support our previous findings that chronic pesticide exposure m...Emory study details dolphin brain evolution for the first time
...nto odontocete evolution, whether there are shared features with hominoid brain evolution, and more generally how large brains evolve," Marino says. To investigate how the large brains of odontocetes changed over time, Marino and her colleagues quantified and averaged estimates of brain and body size for foss...Humans and dolphins: If brain size is a measure, we're not that different
...nto Odontocete evolution: whether there are shared features with hominoid brain evolution, and more generally how large brains evolve," Marino says. To investigate how the large brains of Odontocetes changed over time, Marino and her colleagues quantified and averaged estimates of brain and body size for f...