science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Τρίτη 11 Φεβρουαρίου 2014

Science News SciGuru.com

Scientists Find Protein that Helps Bacteria Misdirect Immune System
How do polar bears stay warm? Research finds an answer in their genes
Personality Psychologist Unveils New Theory of Personal Intelligence
Drugs can now be developed to stall the growth of most common K-Ras cancer gene

Scientists Find Protein that Helps Bacteria Misdirect Immune System

Posted: 10 Feb 2014 10:39 AM PST

A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has discovered an unusual bacterial protein that attaches to virtually any antibody and prevents it from binding to its target. Protein M, as it is called, probably helps some bacteria evade the immune response and establish long-term infections.

How do polar bears stay warm? Research finds an answer in their genes

Posted: 10 Feb 2014 10:04 AM PST

In the winter, brown and black bears go into hibernation to conserve energy and keep warm.

But things are different for their Arctic relative, the polar bear. Within this high-latitude species, only pregnant females den up for the colder months.

So how do the rest survive the extreme Arctic winters?

New research points to one potential answer: genetic adaptations related to the production of nitric oxide, a compound that cells use to help convert nutrients from food into energy or heat.

Personality Psychologist Unveils New Theory of Personal Intelligence

Posted: 10 Feb 2014 09:56 AM PST

John Mayer, the University of New Hampshire psychologist and internationally recognized researcher who co-developed the groundbreaking theory of emotional intelligence, now introduces another paradigm-shifting idea: in order to become our best selves, we use an even broader intelligence—personal intelligence—to understand our own personality and the personalities of the people around us.

Drugs can now be developed to stall the growth of most common K-Ras cancer gene

Posted: 10 Feb 2014 09:38 AM PST

NYU Langone Medical Center researchers have found a biological weakness in the workings of the most commonly mutated gene involved in human cancers, known as mutant K-Ras, which they say can be exploited by drug chemotherapies to thwart tumor growth.