Universe's stringy birth revealed by young Czech scientist in EURYI winning project
... where quantum gravity is important, such as black holes and the beginning of the universe, added Schnabl. In both cases, dimensions can be small, requiring quantum mechanics, but energies and mass are enormous, creating huge gravitational fields that currently can only be dealt with by general relativity....Chickadee, nutchatch presence in conifers increases tree growth, says CU-Boulder study
...d nuthatches, which nest and lay their eggs in the holes of large trees and dead snags. "This is a very rigorous study that essentially shows that even modest little birds like chickadees and nuthatches can help improve the heath of the trees, which are the monarchs of the forest," said CU-Boulder biolo...Cell damage caused by brushing may help keep gums healthy
...nd. Bristles wielded with even gentle force tear holes in the epithelial cells that line the gums and tongue, causing a momentary rupture, researchers at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta report in the cover article of the August issue of the Journal of Dental Research. Tearing enables calcium,...'Wurst' ensures that the respiratory system works
... their gas exchange is performed by means of small holes in the chitin exoskeleton. Oxygen is delivered to the cells via an extensive system of air-conveying tubes. Known as tracheae in insects, the tubes split into ever smaller branches, ending in ultra-fine end sections that deliver the respiratory gas i...News tips from the Journal of Neuroscience
... white matter, basically a picture of fluid-filled holes between myelin sheets. This pattern was apparent at 2 months of age and increased further with age. The peripheral nerves were unaffected. Blindness was the most obvious consequence of ClC-2 loss, presumably from the retinal damage described previous...Cells re-energize to come back from the brink of death
...e membrane covering the cells mitochondria develop holes and leak a molecule called cytochrome c, which triggers the activity of enzymes called caspases. In turn, caspases trigger a series of events that kills the cell. Mitochondria are tiny structures that act as power plants to supply the cell with energ...A living memory chip, black holes on the loose, and a clearer picture of ocean currents
...oeb ( aloeb@cfa.harvard.edu ) Two merging black holes can generate gravitational waves so powerful that ...rger is capable of ejecting the supermassive black holes known to lie at the heart of most light-emitting galaxies. These black holes may be cruising through...Ants show us how to make super-highways
...This trail can be extremely uneven and full of pot holes as it passes over leaves and branches on the forest floor. The study, by Dr Scott Powell and Professor Nigel Franks at the University of Bristol, and reported in the June issue of Animal Behaviour, shows that these living plugs improve the quality ...MIT-led team uncovers malaria mechanism
... When the bonds in the protein network are broken, holes open up in the cytoskeleton, allowing the cell to become more fluidic and squeeze through narrow passages. But when RESA binds to the network, it likely interferes with the proteins' ability to break and form bonds with each other, decreasing deforma...Investigating coral reefs to help understand past and future climate change
...0m recovering more than 600m of reef cores from 37 holes at depths ranging from 40 117m from the area around the island of Tahiti. Based on this initial success, the CHECREEF project was developed. CHECREEF is part of the European Science Foundation EUROCORES Programme EuroMARC. CHECREEF will look at data...Decoding protein structures helps illuminate cause of diabetes
...ts the protein to fold into sharp fibers that poke holes in pancreatic cells, killing them. Though scie...ion," he says. "Somehow that mechanism is causing holes [in pancreas cells], which cause disease." To break down this dynamic process, he adds, "We need t...NASA-funded robotic sub makes final dive to reach bottom of Earth's deepest sinkhole
...opa, where scientists believe that deep cracks and holes in the ice offer a chance of finding extraterrestrial life. The DEPTHX technology has also been approved for a new NASA mission to explore one of Antarctica's ice-bound polar lakes. Researchers believe ice-bound lakes hold clues to the origins of l...Breathing easy: When it comes to oxygen, a bug's life is full of it
...or mouths. Instead, insects draw in oxygen through holes in their bodies known as spiracles and pump the oxygen through a system of increasingly tiny tubes (tracheae) that deliver oxygen directly to tissues and muscles. Insects typically have a pair of spiracles for each thoracic and abdominal segment. T...New diagnostic technologies offer non-invasive means
...s allows the researchers to modify the size of the holes in the lattice to form sponge-like pores small enough to catch a single protein biomarker. To entice biomarkers into the pores, Luchini and her colleagues are using "bait" that is specific for either a class of molecules or an individual biomarker....Weizmann Institute scientists discover a key player in embryonic muscle development
...the abutting cell membranes, opening and enlarging holes that allow the cells to merge. The Weizmann Institute team found that the WIP protein is activated by an external signal once myoblasts identify and attach to each other. Only when it receives this signal does WIP hook the actin fibers in the skeleto...Forest elephants at risk from the illegal ivory trade
...arcasses found with telltale signs such as gunshot holes in the skull and removed tusks, or by elephant meat on smoking racks in active camps). Their analysis included data collected during a "megatransect," a continuous foot survey through 2,000 kilometers of "the most remote forest blocks in Africa," bet...Gladstone scientists identify critical gene factor in heart development
...he heart. For example, half of the mice developed holes in the pumping chambers of the heart, which is the most common human congenital heart defect. They also found that miR-1-2 influences electrical conduction of the heart, which is what regulates the heart beat. Defects in the heart rhythm frequently ...Biologists call for better choice of model organisms in 'evo-devo'
..., but problematic, ways, either as a guide to plug holes in unexplored regions of the phylogenetic tree, or...oesnt mean that simply choosing new models to plug holes in the phylogenetic tree is the best option for further progress in evo-devo." Dr Jenner added: "T...New evidence of 'human' culture among primates
...hese monkey populations use stones as tools to dig holes or to forage and questions remain about why this happens in this area. Because it is quite dry and barren, it is possible they learn these skills from one another because they have to develop them quickly. To be sure we would need to research more." ...Viral protein is an effective preventative against infection
...e bacteria and replicated, it uses lysins to punch holes in the bacterias cell wall, killing the bacteria, in order to escape. Fischettis lab has studied many different lysins and found that they work even from outside the bacterial cell as well as from the inside. In addition, unlike antibiotics, which ki...