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A Metabolic switch Fibroblast Growth Factor 1 (FGF1) may Help Diabetes Treatment
A Cluster Within a Cluster
New laser-effect: If coupled, lasers can switch each other off, leading to a “laser blackout”
Global Warming has driven Europe’s Mountain Plants to Migrate 2.7 m Upwards in 7 Years
Evolution in an island, the secret for a longer life
Did bone ease acid for early land crawlers?
Compound from Wild Tomatoes is Natural, Effective Herbicide
Wild birds respond differently to the first long days of a year
Protecting Your Brain: ‘Use It or Lose It’
Ophthalmologists Urged to Be Alert for Signs of Child Abuse
Dietary changes help some children with ADHD
Bile – not Acid – is Bad Guy in Triggering Precancerous Condition Associated with Reflux Disease
Binge eating may lead to addiction-like behaviors
Yeast cell reaction to Zoloft suggests alternative cause, drug target for depression
"Junk DNA" Can Sense Viral Infection
New Molecular Probes Can Identify Strain-induced Changes in Fibronectin Protein That May Lead to Disease
Childhood abuse increases risk of suicidal thoughts among adults
In protein folding, internal friction may play a more significant role than previously thought

A Metabolic switch Fibroblast Growth Factor 1 (FGF1) may Help Diabetes Treatment

Posted: 25 Apr 2012 07:44 AM PDT

Humans are built to hunger for fat, packing it on during times of feast and burning it during periods of famine. But when deluged by foods rich in fat and sugar, the modern waistline often far exceeds the need to store energy for lean times, and the result has been an epidemic of diabetes, heart disease and other obesity-related problems.

Now, scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have identified the linchpin of fat metabolism, a protein known as fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1), which may open new avenues in the treatment of diabetes.

A Cluster Within a Cluster

Posted: 25 Apr 2012 07:17 AM PDT

The star cluster NGC 6604 is shown in this new image taken by the Wide Field Imager attached to the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. It is often overlooked in favour of its more prominent neighbour, the Eagle Nebula (also known as Messier 16), that lies a mere wingspan away. But the framing of this picture, which places the star cluster in a landscape of surrounding gas and dust clouds, shows what a beautiful object NGC 6604 is in its own right.

New laser-effect: If coupled, lasers can switch each other off, leading to a “laser blackout”

Posted: 25 Apr 2012 07:02 AM PDT

Two lamps are brighter than one. This simple truism does not necessarily apply to lasers, as a team of scientists, led by the Vienna University of Technology found out. When one laser is shining and next to it another laser is turned on gradually, complex interactions between the two lasers can lead to a total shutdown and no light is emitted anymore. For technologies connecting the fields of electronics and photonics, this result may be very important. The new findings have now been published in the journal “Physical Review Letters”.

Global Warming has driven Europe’s Mountain Plants to Migrate 2.7 m Upwards in 7 Years

Posted: 25 Apr 2012 06:49 AM PDT

Researchers at the University of Granada Department of Botanic have participated in an international study that has confirmed that global warming is causing plants to migrate to higher altitudes. The study –recently published in Science– analyzed species diversity shifts in 66 summits of 17 European ranges between 2001 and 2008.

Evolution in an island, the secret for a longer life

Posted: 25 Apr 2012 06:37 AM PDT

The Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP) researchers published today in the 'Proceedings of the Royal Society B' one of the first fossil-based evidences supporting the evolutionary theory of ageing, which predicts that species evolving in low mortality and resource-limited ecosystems tend to be more long-lived.

Did bone ease acid for early land crawlers?

Posted: 25 Apr 2012 05:36 AM PDT

In a new paper in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, scientists propose that the bony structures in the skin of many early four-legged creatures might have been there to relieve acid buildup in bodily fluids. Analysis of their anatomy suggests that as they ventured out of water, the animals would have had trouble getting rid of enough CO2 to prevent acid buildup.

Compound from Wild Tomatoes is Natural, Effective Herbicide

Posted: 25 Apr 2012 05:29 AM PDT

A naturally occurring compound derived from wild tomato plants is also a fast-acting, nontoxic herbicide 2-undecanon, according to researchers at North Carolina State University.

NC State entomologist Dr. Mike Roe had previously worked with the compound – known as 2-undecanone – as a natural replacement for the chemical DEET in insect repellents. Both he and his NC State colleague, entomologist Dr. George Kennedy, were exploring whether 2-undecanone could be used as an insecticide on plants, when they noticed an unexpected side effect: it killed the plants.

Wild birds respond differently to the first long days of a year

Posted: 25 Apr 2012 05:24 AM PDT

The lengthening of days in late winter is an important signal that stimulates the reproductive activity of many animals. Animals living in the milder climatic conditions of southern Europe usually begin breeding earlier in spring compared to animals living in colder habitats further north. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology and colleagues have now discovered that day length affects gene activity differentially in the brain of great tit populations from central and North Europe.

Protecting Your Brain: ‘Use It or Lose It’

Posted: 25 Apr 2012 05:13 AM PDT

The findings of a new study suggest that the protective effects of an active cognitive lifestyle arise through multiple biological pathways.

For some time researchers have been aware of a link between what we do with our brains and the long term risk for dementia. In general, those who are more mentally active or maintain an active cognitive lifestyle throughout their lives are at lower risk.

Ophthalmologists Urged to Be Alert for Signs of Child Abuse

Posted: 25 Apr 2012 05:06 AM PDT

It has been estimated that roughly 4% to 6% of child abuse victims present first to an ophthalmologist. In a case study in the April issue of the Journal of American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, doctors at the University of Washington and the Seattle Children’s Hospital describe a case of a 13-month-old girl who was initially diagnosed with corneal abrasion and a mild infection. She was eventually identified as a victim of child abuse.

Dietary changes help some children with ADHD

Posted: 24 Apr 2012 12:34 PM PDT

Together with child and adolescent psychiatrists, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have just completed an extensive report which reviews the studies which have been done so far on the significance of diet for children and young people with ADHD. The report shows that there are potential benefits in changing the diets of children with ADHD, but that key knowledge in the area is still lacking.

The comprehensive report covers the scientific literature on the significance of diet for children with ADHD:

Bile – not Acid – is Bad Guy in Triggering Precancerous Condition Associated with Reflux Disease

Posted: 24 Apr 2012 11:43 AM PDT

For many people with gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD, acid reflux drugs are the answer to their woes, curbing the chronic heartburn and regurgitation of food or sour liquid characteristic of the disorder. But when it comes to Barrett’s esophagus, a condition commonly found in people with GERD, acid control may be less important than beating back another bodily fluid – bile.

Binge eating may lead to addiction-like behaviors

Posted: 24 Apr 2012 11:38 AM PDT

A history of binge eating -- consuming large amounts of food in a short period of time -- may make an individual more likely to show other addiction-like behaviors, including substance abuse, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. In the short term, this finding may shed light on the factors that promote substance abuse, addiction, and relapse. In the long term, may help clinicians treat individuals suffering from this devastating disease.

Yeast cell reaction to Zoloft suggests alternative cause, drug target for depression

Posted: 24 Apr 2012 11:26 AM PDT

Princeton University researchers have observed a self-degradation response to the antidepressant Zoloft in yeast cells that could help provide new answers to lingering questions among scientists about how antidepressants work, as well as support the idea that depression is not solely linked to the neurotransmitter serotonin.

"Junk DNA" Can Sense Viral Infection

Posted: 24 Apr 2012 11:02 AM PDT

Once considered unimportant "junk DNA," scientists have learned that non-coding RNA (ncRNA) — RNA molecules that do not translate into proteins — play a crucial role in cellular function. Mutations in ncRNA are associated with a number of conditions, such as cancer, autism, and Alzheimer's disease.

New Molecular Probes Can Identify Strain-induced Changes in Fibronectin Protein That May Lead to Disease

Posted: 24 Apr 2012 10:54 AM PDT

Fibronectin plays a major role in wound healing and embryonic development. The protein, which is located in the extracellular matrix of cells, has also been linked to pathological conditions including cancer and fibrosis.

Childhood abuse increases risk of suicidal thoughts among adults

Posted: 24 Apr 2012 10:32 AM PDT

Adults who were physically abused during childhood are more likely than their non-abused peers to have suicidal thoughts, according to a new study from University of Toronto researchers.

In protein folding, internal friction may play a more significant role than previously thought

Posted: 24 Apr 2012 10:28 AM PDT

An international team of researchers has reported a new understanding of a little-known process that happens in virtually every cell of our bodies.

Protein folding is the process by which not-yet folded chains of amino acids assume their specific shapes, hence taking on their specific functions. These functions vary widely: In the human body, proteins fold to become muscles, hormones, enzymes, and various other components.