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Storing carbon in the Arctic
Omega-3 dietary supplements pass the blood-brain barrier
Microplastics Make Marine Worms Sick
Genetic mutation increases risk of Parkinson’s disease from pesticides
Scientists Discover New Survival Mechanism for Stressed Mitochondria
When aluminum outshines gold
Brain Connectivity Study Reveals Striking Differences Between Men and Women
Scientists Build a Low-Cost, Open-Source 3D Metal Printer
3-D mammography increases cancer detection and reduces call-back rates
Natural killer cells may be key players in asthma
New gene discovery for common form of ALS

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 06:43 AM PST

For the past three decades, as the climate has warmed, the massive plates of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean have shrunk: In 2007, scientists observed nearly 50 percent less summer ice than had been seen in 1980.

Omega-3 dietary supplements pass the blood-brain barrier

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 05:11 AM PST

New research from Karolinska Institutet shows that omega-3 fatty acids in dietary supplements can cross the blood brain barrier in people with Alzheimer's disease, affecting known markers for both the disease itself and inflammation. The findings are presented in the Journal of Internal Medicine, and strengthen the evidence that omega-3 may benefit certain forms of this seriously debilitating disease.

Microplastics Make Marine Worms Sick

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 05:06 AM PST

Tiny bits of plastic trash could spell big trouble for marine life, starting with the worms, say a team of researchers from Plymouth University and the University of Exeter who report their evidence in a pair of studies in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on December 2. Those marine worms play a key ecological role as an important source of food for other animals.

Genetic mutation increases risk of Parkinson’s disease from pesticides

Posted: 03 Dec 2013 02:38 PM PST

A team of researchers has brought new clarity to the picture of how gene-environmental interactions can kill nerve cells that make dopamine. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that sends messages to the part of the brain that controls movement and coordination. Their discoveries, described in a paper published online today in Cell, include identification of a molecule that protects neurons from pesticide damage.

Scientists Discover New Survival Mechanism for Stressed Mitochondria

Posted: 03 Dec 2013 02:31 PM PST

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered a natural mechanism that cells use to protect mitochondria, the tiny but essential “power plants” that provide chemical energy for cells throughout the body. Damage to mitochondria is thought to be a significant factor in common neurodegenerative disorders, cancer and even the aging process. The TSRI researchers’ discovery could lead to new methods for protecting mitochondria from such damage, thereby improving human health.

When aluminum outshines gold

Posted: 03 Dec 2013 11:57 AM PST

Humble aluminum’s plasmonic properties may make it far more valuable than gold and silver for certain applications, according to new research by Rice University scientists.

Because aluminum, as nanoparticles or nanostructures, displays optical resonances across a much broader region of the spectrum than either gold or silver, it may be a good candidate for harvesting solar energy and for other large-area optical devices and materials that would be too expensive to produce with noble or coinage metals.

Brain Connectivity Study Reveals Striking Differences Between Men and Women

Posted: 03 Dec 2013 11:41 AM PST

A new brain connectivity study from Penn Medicine published today in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences found striking differences in the neural wiring of men and women that’s lending credence to some commonly-held beliefs about their behavior.

Scientists Build a Low-Cost, Open-Source 3D Metal Printer

Posted: 03 Dec 2013 07:46 AM PST

OK, so maybe you aren’t interested in making your own toys, cellphone cases, or glow-in-the-dark Christmas decorations. How about a brake drum?

3-D mammography increases cancer detection and reduces call-back rates

Posted: 03 Dec 2013 07:38 AM PST

Compared to traditional mammography, 3D mammography—known as digital breast tomosynthesis—found 22 percent more breast cancers and led to fewer call backs in a large screening study at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), researchers reported today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Natural killer cells may be key players in asthma

Posted: 03 Dec 2013 07:30 AM PST

Agents of the immune system called natural killer (NK) cells may have an important role in asthma, according to research.

NK cells are best known for eliminating cancer cells and cells infected by viruses, but the new study suggests that they might be partly to blame for inflammation in the airways in asthma.

Asthma affects around 300 million people worldwide. For most, the disease can be managed with medicine, but around five per cent of people with asthma are unable to control their condition with the drugs available.

New gene discovery for common form of ALS

Posted: 03 Dec 2013 07:21 AM PST

Research led by King’s College London has identified a new genetic variant, located on chromosome 17, associated with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – the most common form of motor neurone disease (MND).

With genetic data from over 17,000 individuals, the study is the largest of its kind and provides a new insight into the genetic structure of the disease.