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Comet Wild2: First Evidence of Space Weathering
Fossil raindrop impressions imply greenhouse gases loaded early atmosphere
Culprit behind unchecked angiogenesis identified: Notch-dependent VEGFR3 upregulation allows angiogenesis
Study unravels health impact, interplay of diet soft drinks and overall diet
Compounds in honey that stimulate the immune system identified
ORNL process converts polyethylene into carbon fiber
Stopping a moving target: Novel compound, imipramine blue halts brain tumor spread, improves treatment in animals
Within Redundancy of Genetic Code Exists Information that Helps Determine How Fast Proteins are Produced, UCSF Team Finds
Meditation Improves Emotional Behaviors in Teachers, Study Finds
UV photographs of 12-year-olds show skin cancer risk
UCSB Physicists Mix Two Lasers to Create Light at Many Frequencies
Protein ‘jailbreak’ helps cancer cells live
Viewing work as a 'calling' may have negative repercussions
Electroactive Polymer Key to Durable, Affordable Full-Screen Braille Displays
Study Finds Circle Hooks Lower Catch Rate For Offshore Anglers
Viral disease – particularly from herpes – might cause coral decline
Low Testosterone Level in Amazonian Tribe Responds to Competition, According to Anthropologists at UCSB
Transparent memory chips are coming

Comet Wild2: First Evidence of Space Weathering

Posted: 29 Mar 2012 07:06 AM PDT

The traditional picture of comets as cold, icy, unchanging bodies throughout their history is being reappraised in the light of analyses of dust grains from Comet Wild2. A team led by the University of Leicester has detected the presence of iron in a dust grain, evidence of space weathering that could explain the rusty reddish colour of Wild2's outer surface. The results were presented by Dr John Bridges at the National Astronomy Meeting in Manchester on Tuesday 27th March.

Fossil raindrop impressions imply greenhouse gases loaded early atmosphere

Posted: 29 Mar 2012 06:52 AM PDT

In ancient Earth history, the sun burned as much as 30 percent dimmer than it does now. Theoretically that should have encased the planet in ice, but there is geologic evidence for rivers and ocean sediments between 2 billion and 4 billion years ago.

Scientists have speculated that temperatures warm enough to maintain liquid water were the result of a much thicker atmosphere, high concentrations of greenhouse gases or a combination of the two.

Culprit behind unchecked angiogenesis identified: Notch-dependent VEGFR3 upregulation allows angiogenesis

Posted: 29 Mar 2012 06:35 AM PDT

Angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels, is a complex process during which different signalling proteins interact with each other in a highly coordinated fashion. The growth factor VEGF and the Notch signalling pathway both play important roles in this process. VEGF promotes vessel growth by binding to its receptor, VEGFR2, while the Notch signalling pathway acts like a switch capable of suppressing angiogenesis. Until recently, scientists had assumed that Notch cancels the effects of VEGF through the downregulation of VEGFR2.

Study unravels health impact, interplay of diet soft drinks and overall diet

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 09:49 PM PDT

Are diet sodas good or bad for you? The jury is still out, but a new study sheds light on the impact that zero-calorie beverages may have on health, especially in the context of a person’s overall dietary habits.

University of North Carolina

Compounds in honey that stimulate the immune system identified

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 07:39 PM PDT

Scientists have identified key compounds in honey that stimulate the immune system, paving the way for a range of new wound-healing products. The researchers, found that different varieties of New Zealand honey appear to trigger different immune responses.

The Chief Technology Officer of Comvita, Dr Ralf Schlothauer says the research provides the tools for understanding why honey stimulates healing of stalled wounds. Comvita is a New Zealand-based global exporter of natural health and beauty products and

ORNL process converts polyethylene into carbon fiber

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 12:31 PM PDT

Common material such as polyethylene used in plastic bags could be turned into something far more valuable through a process being developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

In a paper published in Advanced Materials, a team led by Amit Naskar of the Materials Science and Technology Division outlined a method that allows not only for production of carbon fiber but also the ability to tailor the final product to specific applications.

Stopping a moving target: Novel compound, imipramine blue halts brain tumor spread, improves treatment in animals

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 11:54 AM PDT

Researchers from Emory and the Georgia Institute of Technology have designed a new treatment approach that appears to halt the spread of cancer cells into normal brain tissue in animal models.

Treating invasive brain tumors with a combination of chemotherapy and radiation has improved clinical outcomes, but few patients survive longer than two years after diagnosis. The effectiveness of treatment is limited by the tumor's aggressive invasion of healthy brain tissue, which restricts chemotherapy access to the cancer cells and complicates surgical removal of the tumor.

Within Redundancy of Genetic Code Exists Information that Helps Determine How Fast Proteins are Produced, UCSF Team Finds

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 11:43 AM PDT

A hidden and never before recognized layer of information in the genetic code has been uncovered by a team of scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) thanks to a technique developed at UCSF called ribosome profiling, which enables the measurement of gene activity inside living cells — including the speed with which proteins are made.

Meditation Improves Emotional Behaviors in Teachers, Study Finds

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 11:17 AM PDT

Schoolteachers who underwent a short but intensive program of meditation were less depressed, anxious or stressed – and more compassionate and aware of others’ feelings, according to a UCSF-led study that blended ancient meditation practices with the most current scientific methods for regulating emotions.

Teachers who practiced meditation in a short yet intensive program were more calm and compassionate, according to a new study led by UCSF.

UV photographs of 12-year-olds show skin cancer risk

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 11:07 AM PDT

Look at a middle school assembly – during their lifetime one in 50 of these kids will develop melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer that kills 48,000 people every year, worldwide. Now look at these kids again – which are at highest risk? You can’t tell, but a study recently published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology shows that UV photography might provide important information about risk, not visible to the naked eye.

UCSB Physicists Mix Two Lasers to Create Light at Many Frequencies

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 10:52 AM PDT

A team of physicists at UC Santa Barbara has seen the light, and it comes in many different colors. By aiming high- and low-frequency laser beams at a semiconductor, the researchers caused electrons to be ripped from their cores, accelerated, and then smashed back into the cores they left behind. This recollision produced multiple frequencies of light simultaneously. Their findings appear in the current issue of the science journal Nature.

Protein ‘jailbreak’ helps cancer cells live

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 09:08 AM PDT

Researchers at Brown University and Hasbro Children’s Hospital have traced the molecular interactions that allow the protein surviving to escape the nucleus of a breast cancer cell and prolong the cell’s life. The study may help in the development of better therapies and prognostics.

Viewing work as a 'calling' may have negative repercussions

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 08:35 AM PDT

Despite the perceived desirability of viewing one’s work as a “calling,” research from a University of Illinois expert who studies meaningful work and workplace identification shows such an attitude toward work may also have detrimental effects on one’s personal and professional relationships.

M. Teresa Cardador, a professor of labor and employment relations, says while viewing work as a calling can be a fulfilling path, it also can be a rocky road that leads to high sacrifice and personal strain.

Electroactive Polymer Key to Durable, Affordable Full-Screen Braille Displays

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 08:30 AM PDT

A team of North Carolina State University researchers are one step closer to creating a workable, affordable full-screen Braille computer display that would allow the blind to scan Web pages in much the same way that sighted people do.

Study Finds Circle Hooks Lower Catch Rate For Offshore Anglers

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 08:26 AM PDT

Anglers are required to use circle hooks in some fishing tournaments because they are less likely to cause lethal injuries in billfish, such as marlin. However, research from North Carolina State University shows that broadening circle hook requirements could adversely impact charter and recreational fishing, since they make it more difficult to catch non-billfish.

Viral disease – particularly from herpes – might cause coral decline

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 08:15 AM PDT

As corals continue to decline in abundance around the world, researchers are turning their attention to a possible cause that’s almost totally unexplored – viral disease.

It appears the corals that form such important parts of marine ecosystems harbor many different viruses – particularly herpes. And although they don’t get runny noses or stomach upset, corals also are home to the adenoviruses and other viral families that can cause human colds and gastrointestinal disease.

Low Testosterone Level in Amazonian Tribe Responds to Competition, According to Anthropologists at UCSB

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 08:06 AM PDT

As part of an isolated indigenous group in central Bolivia, Tsimane men spend much of their time hunting, foraging, fishing, and clearing land by hand to grow crops. Their ability to maintain the physical activity required to survive each day might imply they have higher than average male testosterone levels.

Transparent memory chips are coming

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 07:55 AM PDT

Want a see-through cellphone you can wrap around your wrist? Such a thing may be possible before long, according to Rice University chemist James Tour, whose lab has developed transparent, flexible memories using silicon oxide as the active component.