Differences in gene expression levels between people of European versus African ancestry can affect how each group responds to certain drugs or fights off specific infections. An unbiased whole-genome approach found significant differences in several processes.
A family of genes linked to the development of liver cancer have been identified. Researchers discovered in a mouse model that the loss of one specific gene (Iqgap2) in this family causes Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). They also found that when another member of the gene family (Iqgap1) is turned on, a more aggressive form of the disease occurs.
Lake Bloomington in central Illinois is a major source of drinking water. It also has a record of elevated nitrate levels, causing residents to be concerned about water quality. A new study measures the sources of nitrate entering Lake Bloomington and documents the producers' practices of applying nitrogen fertilizer in the watershed.
Surgeons have removed a gallbladder through a unique operation requiring only a single incision in the bellybutton rather than the traditional four incisions in the abdomen. Melanie Willhite, a 28-year-old professional golfer, said she had suffered for more than a decade with gallbladder attacks that caused recurring abdominal pain, sometimes so intense she could not stand. A day after the surgery she was already feeling better and the next day she was eating spaghetti, a meal previously off-limits due to the gallbladder problems. Within a week, she was back on the course putting and two weeks out was able to go through the full range of golf swings.
Each year, winds drop up to 900 million tons of dust from deserts and other parts of land into oceans. Scientists suspect this phenomenon connects to global climate -- but exactly how, remains a question. Now a big piece of the puzzle has fallen into place, with a study showing that the amount of dust entering the equatorial Pacific peaks sharply during ice ages. Researchers say the finding may help inform current ideas to seed oceans with iron-rich dust in order to mitigate global warming.
Last year at four caves near Albany, N.Y., more than 10,000 bats died from a mysterious disease involving a white fungus growing on some bats' noses, leading researchers to dub it "white-nose syndrome." The mounting death toll stopped last year when spring arrived and the bats left the caves. But the deaths returned with a vengeance after the bats went into hibernation this winter.
The identification of two cellular receptors that likely contribute to the genesis of hormone-dependent breast cancer points the way to new, highly targeted therapies against the disease. The finding also helps explain how daily use of medicines such as aspirin might help keep these breast tumors at bay.
An area of the brain involved in the planning and production of spoken and signed language in humans plays a similar role in chimpanzee communication, researchers report in Current Biology. The results suggest that the "neurobiological foundations" of human language may have been present in the common ancestor of modern humans and chimpanzees.
A concentrated extract of freeze dried broccoli sprouts cut development of bladder tumors in an animal model by more than half, according to a new report. There is strong evidence that the protective action of cruciferous vegetables derives at least in part from isothyiocyanates (ITCs), a group of phytochemicals with well-known cancer preventive activities. Other cruciferous vegetables with ITCs include mature broccoli, cabbage, kale, collard greens and others. Broccoli sprouts have approximately 30 times more ITCs than mature broccoli, and the sprout extract used by the researchers contains approximately 600 times as much.
On Jan. 26, 1700, at about 9 p.m. local time, the Juan de Fuca plate beneath the ocean in the Pacific Northwest suddenly moved, slipping some 60 feet eastward beneath the North American plate in a monster quake of approximately magnitude 9, setting in motion large tsunamis that struck the coast of North America and traveled to the shores of Japan. To help prepare for the next megathrust earthquake, researchers used a supercomputer-powered "virtual earthquake" program to calculate for the first time realistic three-dimensional simulations that describe the possible impacts of megathrust quakes on the Pacific Northwest region. What they learned was not reassuring.
Bats use the same aerodynamic trick as insects to hover in one place, scientists report. Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 29 Feb 2008 | 12:09 pm
Interstellar soot undermines the theory that a mysterious force is accelerating the expansion of the universe Source: guardian.co.uk Science | 29 Feb 2008 | 11:26 am
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A trawl through the genes of white people in Utah and Yoruba people in Nigeria shows a significant number of differences that can explain why some groups respond differently to drugs than others.
YELLOWKNIFE, Northwest Territories (Reuters) - In the subarctic woods of Canada's Northwest Territories, a quiet crowd searches the moonlit sky, a wave of concern creeping into hushed voices. Time is running out.
When Rachel Cooke was granted an interview with Stephen Hawking, she was told that he only had time to answer six questions. So what would you ask the scientist with one of the most acute brains of his generation? Source: guardian.co.uk Science | 29 Feb 2008 | 12:11 am
The UK's first Energy Saving Day ends with no discernible reduction in the country's electricity consumption. Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 28 Feb 2008 | 11:28 pm
BERLIN (Reuters) - Experts have digitally rebuilt the face of 18th century German composer Johann Sebastian Bach -- and say the results may surprise his fans.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Like every U.S. hospital emergency room, the one at Washington Hospital Center is overwhelmed -- on any day patients lie on gurneys in the corridor, hooked up to monitors. Others wait for hours to see a doctor.
