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• DNA packaging discovery reveals principles by which CRC mutations may cause cancer
• How Insects Domesticate Bacteria
• Wandering Minds Associated With Aging Cells
• Study offers clues to cause of kids’ brain tumors
• Researchers report potential new treatment to stop Alzheimer's disease
• Purdue technology can 'fry' food with minimal oil
• ORNL recipe for oxide interface perfection opens path to novel materials
• Gene Distinguishes Early Birds from Night Owls and Helps Predict Time of Death
• How Does Groundwater Pumping Affect Streamflow?
• Membrane 'Residence' Gives Proteases Novel Abilities

DNA packaging discovery reveals principles by which CRC mutations may cause cancer Posted: 17 Nov 2012 06:39 AM PST A new discovery from researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah concerning a fundamental understanding about how DNA works will produce a "180-degree change in focus" for researchers who study how gene packaging regulates gene activity, including genes that cause cancer and other diseases. The discovery, by Bradley R. Cairns, PhD, Senior Director of Basic Science at HCI and a professor in the Department of Oncological Sciences, is reported in this week's online issue of the journal Nature. read more

How Insects Domesticate Bacteria Posted: 17 Nov 2012 06:32 AM PST Two years ago, a 71-year-old Indiana man impaled his hand on a branch after cutting down a dead crab apple tree, causing an infection that led University of Utah scientists to discover a new bacterium and solve a mystery about how bacteria came to live inside insects. read more

Wandering Minds Associated With Aging Cells Posted: 17 Nov 2012 06:15 AM PST Scientific studies have suggested that a wandering mind indicates unhappiness, whereas a mind that is present in the moment indicates well-being. Now a preliminary UCSF study suggests a possible link between mind wandering and aging, by looking at a biological measure of longevity. In the study, telomere length, an emerging biomarker for cellular and general bodily aging, was assessed in association with the tendency to be present in the moment versus the tendency to mind wander, in research on 239 healthy, midlife women ranging in age from 50 to 65 years. read more

Study offers clues to cause of kids’ brain tumors Posted: 16 Nov 2012 11:18 AM PST Insights from a genetic condition that causes brain cancer are helping scientists better understand the most common type of brain tumor in children. In new research, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a cell growth pathway that is unusually active in pediatric brain tumors known as gliomas. They previously identified the same growth pathway as a critical contributor to brain tumor formation and growth in neurofibromatosis-1 (NF1), an inherited cancer predisposition syndrome. read more

Researchers report potential new treatment to stop Alzheimer's disease Posted: 16 Nov 2012 11:09 AM PST Last March, researchers at UCLA reported the development of a molecular compound called CLR01 that prevented toxic proteins associated with Parkinson's disease from binding together and killing the brain's neurons.   Building on those findings, they have now turned their attention to Alzheimer's disease, which is thought to be caused by a similar toxic aggregation or clumping, but with different proteins, especially amyloid-beta and tau.   read more

Purdue technology can 'fry' food with minimal oil Posted: 16 Nov 2012 11:04 AM PST Technology developed by a food scientist at Purdue University could cook food that retains its "fried" flavor and consistency and has up to 50 percent less fat and fewer calories than food cooked using conventional methods. The radiant fryer was developed by Kevin M. Keener, professor of food science in the College of Agriculture. It uses energy similar to sunlight to cook pre-formed food items like chicken patties, hamburgers and hash browns. Food is placed in wire trays that travel down a conveyor belt with radiant energy elements on either side. read more

ORNL recipe for oxide interface perfection opens path to novel materials Posted: 16 Nov 2012 08:41 AM PST By tweaking the formula for growing oxide thin films, researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory achieved virtual perfection at the interface of two insulator materials. This finding, published in the journal Advanced Materials, could have significant ramifications for creation of novel materials with applications in energy and information technologies, leading to more efficient solar cells, batteries, solid oxide fuel cells, faster transistors and more powerful capacitors. read more

Gene Distinguishes Early Birds from Night Owls and Helps Predict Time of Death Posted: 16 Nov 2012 08:34 AM PST Many of the body's processes follow a natural daily rhythm or so-called circadian clock. There are certain times of the day when a person is most alert, when blood pressure is highest, and when the heart is most efficient. Several rare gene mutations have been found that can adjust this clock in humans, responsible for entire families in which people wake up at 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. and cannot stay up much after 8 at night. read more

How Does Groundwater Pumping Affect Streamflow? Posted: 16 Nov 2012 08:24 AM PST Groundwater provides drinking water for millions of Americans and is the primary source of water to irrigate cropland in many of the nations most productive agricultural settings. Although the benefits of groundwater development are many, groundwater pumping can reduce the flow of water in connected streams and rivers—a process called streamflow depletion by wells. read more

Membrane 'Residence' Gives Proteases Novel Abilities Posted: 16 Nov 2012 07:27 AM PST Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered a new mode of action for enzymes immersed in cellular membranes. Their experiments suggest that instead of recognizing and clipping proteins based on sequences of amino acids, these proteases’ location within membranes gives them the unique ability to recognize and cut proteins with unstable structures. read more

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