science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Δευτέρα 4 Ιουνίου 2012

Science News SciGuru.com

Snapshots of active photosynthesis
Premature birth linked to increased risk of mental health problems
Researchers Use Flexible Channel Width To Improve User Experience On Wireless Systems
PTSD Psychotherapy is Enhanced with D-Cycloserine
Stanford engineers discover neural rhythms drive physical movement
Scripps Research Institute Study Suggests Expanding the Genetic Alphabet May Be Easier than Previously Thought

Posted: 04 Jun 2012 07:04 AM PDT

Working with researchers in the US and Germany, Johannes Messinger at Umeå University is opening new avenues to understand photosynthesis and create artificial photosynthesis. Using x-ray analysis, they have managed to see the structure of molecules under conditions where photosynthesis can occur, and they have also found that calcium plays a critical role in decomposing water.

Premature birth linked to increased risk of mental health problems

Posted: 04 Jun 2012 06:22 AM PDT

One of the largest studies to investigate birth complications and later mental health has found that premature birth constitutes a single, independent risk factor for a range of severe psychiatric disorders. Researchers at King's College London in the UK and Karolinska Institutet suggest that neurodevelopmental differences in those born prematurely may be important in understanding the link.

Researchers Use Flexible Channel Width To Improve User Experience On Wireless Systems

Posted: 04 Jun 2012 06:12 AM PDT

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a technique to efficiently divide the bandwidth of the wireless spectrum in multi-hop wireless networks to improve operation and provide all users in the network with the best possible performance.

PTSD Psychotherapy is Enhanced with D-Cycloserine

Posted: 04 Jun 2012 05:15 AM PDT

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is among the most common, distressing, and disabling medical consequences of combat or other extremely stressful life events. The first-line treatment for PTSD is exposure therapy, a type of behavioral therapy where patients confront their fears in a safe environment. Although it is an effective treatment, many patients still experience symptoms after treatment and there is a relatively high drop-out rate.

Stanford engineers discover neural rhythms drive physical movement

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 02:32 PM PDT

The neurons that control movement are not a predictable bunch. Scientists working to decode how such neurons convey information to muscles have been stymied when trying to establish a one-to-one relationship between a neuron’s behavior and external factors such as muscle activity or movement velocity.

Scripps Research Institute Study Suggests Expanding the Genetic Alphabet May Be Easier than Previously Thought

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 02:15 PM PDT

A new study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute suggests that the replication process for DNA—the genetic instructions for living organisms that is composed of four bases (C, G, A and T)—is more open to unnatural letters than had previously been thought. An expanded “DNA alphabet” could carry more information than natural DNA, potentially coding for a much wider range of molecules and enabling a variety of powerful applications, from precise molecular probes and nanomachines to useful new life forms.