Which came first, the moth or the cactus?
.... Holland's models differ from traditional theory, suggesting that one mutualist may exert some control over the other's population increases, such that neither unbounded growth nor overexploitation ensue. "I have always been interested in the community ecology of mutualism -- the larger puzzle -- and this mo...Features of replication suggest viruses have common themes, vulnerabilities
...g viruses, which include retroviruses such as HIV, suggesting a possible evolutionary link from a common ancestor. ...No evidence that widely prescribed statins protect against prostate cancer
...id. This study may inform that debate, however, by suggesting that any protective pathway offered by statins, if it exists, is not through androgen suppression. ...Research shows skeleton to be endocrine organ
...es have been shown to have low osteocalcin levels, suggesting that altering the activity of this molecule could be an effective therapy. That hypothesis is supported by the Columbia research, which showed that mice with high levels of osteocalcin activity were prevented from gaining weight or becoming diabetic ...The 'female advantage' in kidney disease does not extend to diabetic women
...dney in an animal model of diabetic renal disease, suggesting that restoring estrogen levels provides protection against kidney disease the absence of the hormone testosterone contributes to a more rapid progression of kidney disease when diabetes is present. More severe renal damage can be found when di...Inflammation may cause preterm labor and fetal deaths
...tion, similar to intrauterine infection in humans, suggesting placental inflammatory response as an important factor in the pathogenesis of bacterial-inducted preterm birth. The researchers found that the TLR4-deficient mice gave birth to healthy pups. The TLR4 group that was not given the synthetic compoun...Biologists at Tufts University discover 1 reason why chromosomes break, often leading to cancer
...hat there were several points of high flexibility, suggesting that the flexibility was connected to the fragility. Freudenreich and Zhang used yeast artificial chromosomes to test this idea because it allowed them to look at the region in a more detailed way than looking at human chromosomes and to monitor t...Forsyth scientists gain new understanding of adult stem cell regulation
...appeared along with the regenerative capabilities, suggesting that gap junction-permeable signals are necessary to maintain stem cell state and tissue regeneration. This research demonstrates a novel role for gap-junction proteins and suggest gap junction-mediated signaling as a new and tractable control point ...Research teams uncover risk genes for multiple sclerosis
...covering new genetic variations in the disease and suggesting a possible link between MS and other autoimmune diseases. The first study, led by an international consortium of clinical scientists and genomics experts, incorporates the two largest collections of MS genetic information worldwide and is the first...News tips from the Journal of Neuroscience
...ked by increases in spontaneous synaptic activity, suggesting an inverse correlation between synaptic drive and intrinsic excitability. The authors tested this relationship by manipulated tectal neuron excitability in two ways: by overexpressing a leak potassium channel or by inhibiting AMPA receptor traffickin...$9M grant awarded to University of Cincinnati for bipolar disorder research
...or a similar, milder illness known as cyclothymia, suggesting it may be as common among youths as it is among adults. ...MicroRNA works with Ago2 protein to regulate blood cell development
...nlarged spleen in both groups of mice were cured, suggesting that this feature of Ago2 makes only a minor contribution to its biological function. The finding was surprising since the slicer function is unique to Ago2. At least within this system, slicer activity doesnt have a role in the execution of microR...Faster-acting antidepressants closer to becoming a reality
...other compounds also reduced depressive behaviors, suggesting that it may be feasible to develop other fast-acting antidepressants without ketamines side effects. Todays antidepressant medications eventually end up doing the same thing, but they go about it the long way around, with a lot of biochemical step...Adult survivors of childhood leukemia exercise less, worsening high risk for obesity and illness
...ren reported the lowest activity among all adults, suggesting that the type of therapy administered to a child may impair his or her physical activity in the future. To protect adult childhood cancer survivors from a future of disease, researchers say patients should work with health care providers to develo...Study sheds light on why humans walk on two legs
... team of anthropologists has gathered new evidence suggesting our earliest apelike ancestors started walking on two legs because it required less energy than getting around on all fours. The research will appear in the July 24 print edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "When our e...Effects of aging in stem cells
...e old HSCs contributions had dropped considerably, suggesting that aging HSCs lose their repopulating capacity. Yet, because HSCs increased in number, overall blood production from HSCs remained stable. The finding that genes involved in the inflammatory response are expressed more (called up-regulation) as ...Molecular detectors may refine cancer treatment
...patterns that characterize different cancer cells, suggesting that the technique could be useful to detect the molecular fingerprints of cancer in people. The next step toward developing a clinical diagnostic tool involves matching patient data with these molecular profiles. The research team working with W....JCI table of contents: July 19, 2007
... prevent the development of cardiac abnormalities, suggesting that therapeutic modulation of ERK1/2 could be a useful strategy during embryonic development for preventing this form of congenital heart disease. TITLE: Mediating ERK1/2 signaling rescues congenital heart defects in a mouse model of Noonan syndro...Measuring the unseeable: Penn researchers probe proteins' dark energy
... view of protein structure-function relationships, suggesting why rational drug design has been so difficult. The situation is akin to the discussion in astrophysics in which theoreticians predict that there is dark matter, or energy, that no one has yet seen, says senior author A. Joshua Wand, PhD, Benjamin...CRESIB coordinates an international consortium to fight malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax
...ecies of the parasite is mild, there are evidences suggesting that it can cause severe clinical patterns and even death of patients. The paradox is that even though malaria by P. vivax has large global disease burden, this is a poorly studied disease, which has been long forgotten. Consequently, this new re...