| Tiny sensor used in smart phones could create urban seismic network Posted: 29 Sep 2013 05:27 PM PDT A tiny chip used in smart phones to adjust the orientation of the screen could serve to create a real-time urban seismic network, easily increasing the amount of strong motion data collected during a large earthquake.  |
| Novel technology to produce gasoline by a metabolically-engineered microorganism Posted: 29 Sep 2013 11:27 AM PDT Scientists have reported, for the first time, the development of a novel strategy for microbial gasoline production through metabolic engineering of E. coli.  |
| Largest, most accurate list of RNA editing sites Posted: 29 Sep 2013 11:27 AM PDT Researchers have compiled the largest and most rigorously validated list to date of the genetic sites in fruit flies where RNA transcribed from DNA is then edited by an enzyme to affect a wide variety of fundamental biological functions. The list yielded several biological insights and can aid further research on RNA transcription because flies are a common model in that work.  |
| Eilat's corals stand better chance of resilience than other sites Posted: 29 Sep 2013 11:27 AM PDT Israel's southern Red Sea resort of Eilat, one of whose prime attractions is its colorful and multi-shaped underwater coral reefs, may have a clear advantage in the future over rival coral-viewing sites around the world, scientists have found.  |
| Wagon-wheel pasta shape for better LED lights Posted: 29 Sep 2013 11:23 AM PDT A problem developing more efficient organic LED light bulbs and displays is that much of the light is trapped within the light-emitting diode, or LED. Physicists believe they have solved the problem by creating a new organic molecule that is shaped like rotelle – wagon-wheel pasta – rather than spaghetti.  |
| Oncogenic signatures mapped in TCGA aid in development of personalized therapy Posted: 27 Sep 2013 10:47 AM PDT Clinical trial design for new cancer therapies has historically been focused on the tissue of origin of a tumor, but a paper published in Nature Genetics supports a new approach: one based on the genomic signature of a tumor rather than the tissue of origin in the body.  |
| Immune cells identified that promote growth of beta cells in type 1 diabetes Posted: 27 Sep 2013 10:45 AM PDT Researchers have identified immune cells that promote growth of beta cells in type 1 diabetes.  |
| New research helps fight against motor neuron disease Posted: 27 Sep 2013 09:35 AM PDT New research could offer solutions into slowing down the progression of motor neuron disease.  |
| Understanding how infants acquire new words across cultures Posted: 27 Sep 2013 09:34 AM PDT Infants show strong universals as they acquire their native language, but a recent study with infants acquiring Korean also reveals that there are striking language differences. A new study provides the first ever evidence comparing how infants (monolingual, from Korea) acquiring Korean learn new nouns and verbs.  |
| New survey of DNA alterations could aid search for cancer genes Posted: 27 Sep 2013 09:34 AM PDT Scanning the DNA of nearly 5,000 tumor samples, a team led of scientists has identified 140 regions of scrambled genetic code believed to contain many undiscovered cancer genes. Mapping of the abnormal regions gives cancer scientists a starting point from which to search for as-yet undiscovered oncogenes and broken tumor-suppressor genes.  |
| Early intervention by infectious diseases specialists saves lives, reduces costs Posted: 27 Sep 2013 09:34 AM PDT In a first-of-its-kind study to evaluate the impact of a medical specialty on patient outcomes, researchers found that hospitalized patients with severe infections such as meningitis and Clostridium difficile are significantly less likely to die if they receive care from an infectious diseases specialist. The study analyzed nearly 130,000 Medicare patient cases.  |
| Mouse studies reveal promising vitamin D-based treatment for MS Posted: 27 Sep 2013 09:33 AM PDT A diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) is a hard lot. Patients typically get the diagnosis around age 30 after experiencing a series of neurological problems such as blurry vision, wobbly gait or a numb foot. From there, this neurodegenerative disease follows an unforgiving course.  |
| Socio-economic status impacts mortality rates for stroke in US Posted: 27 Sep 2013 07:51 AM PDT Americans in the highest socio-economic groups have a 13 percent greater chance of surviving a kind of stroke known as a subarachnoid hemorrhage than those in the lowest socio-economic groups, a new study has found.  |
| Scientists reduce progression of aggressive skin cancers in mice Posted: 27 Sep 2013 07:51 AM PDT The blockage of the immune response with anti-inflammatory drugs reduced the progression of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). This strategy could be effective in treating up to 75 percent of human patients with SCC. The study reinforces the important role of inflammation in the development of cancers and opens up a new path for the treatment of the disease.  |
