To lock in a memory, nerve cells must strengthen their connections with some neighbors but not others. Scientists have identify a protein whose action helps alter the strength of synaptic connections in fruit flies as they form memories.
How did nature make the squid's beak super hard and sharp -- allowing it, without harm to its soft body -- to capture its prey? The question, considered has captivated those interested in creating new materials that mimic biological materials. The results are published in the journal Science. The sharp beak of the Humboldt squid is one of the hardest and stiffest organic materials known.
The vast majority of Scottish people interviewed in the streets of Edinburgh are unaware of one of the greatest achievements of medical science -- the eradication of smallpox from the world over 40 years ago. A recent poll has revealed that 87% of 200 individuals questioned did not know that the horrendous, killer disease is now extinct.
Each human nose encounters hundreds of thousands of scents in its daily travels perched front and center on our face. Some of these smells are nearly identical, so how do we learn to tell the critical ones apart? Something bad has to happen. Then the nose becomes a very quick learner. New research shows a single negative experience linked to an odor rapidly teaches us to discriminate that odor from similar ones.
Researchers have discovered a new and unexpected mode of self-assembly involving a polymer (hyaluronic acid) and a small molecule (peptide amphiphiles). When brought together, the two instantly assemble into a flexible but strong sac in which the researchers can grow human stem cells, creating a sort of miniature laboratory. The sacs can survive for weeks in culture, and their membranes are permeable to proteins. The method also can produce thin films whose size and shape can be tailored.
Designers of artificial cognitive systems have tended to adopt one of two approaches to building robots that can think for themselves: classical rule-based artificial intelligence or artificial neural networks. Both have advantages and disadvantages, and combining the two offers the best of both worlds, say researchers who have developed a new breed of cognitive, learning robot that goes beyond the state of the art.
Researchers are developing an integrated system of thermochemical and catalytic technologies to efficiently produce ethanol from plant biomass. It will use a nanotechnology-based catalyst to produce ethanol fuel.
Probiotic bacteria, defined as living microorganisms that have beneficial effects on human health, have been used for the prevention and treatment of a diverse range of disorders. However, the ways in which probiotic bacteria elicit their health effects are not fully understood. One of the action mechanisms could be the ability to induce cytokines that further regulate innate and adaptive immune responses.
It's well-known that the left and right sides of the brain differ in many animal species and this is thought to influence cognitive performance and social behavior. For instance, in humans, the left half of the brain is concerned with language processing whereas the right side is better at comprehending musical melody. Now scientists have pinpointed for the first time, the left/right differences in how brains are wired at the level of individual cells.
The first dig inside the ring at Stonehenge in more than four decades hopes finally to resolve its mysteries. Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 31 Mar 2008 | 11:03 am
Researchers reveal how pairs of rooks are able to co-operate to solve difficult problems. Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 31 Mar 2008 | 9:46 am
JAKARTA (Reuters) - An Indonesian child has tested positive for bird flu, pushing the country's total confirmed human cases to 130, a health ministry official said on Monday.
Campaigners call for restrictions on ships in Antarctic waters to preserve the local environment. Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 31 Mar 2008 | 1:27 am
Scientists identify three more genes that raise bowel cancer risk, including one only affecting some races. Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 31 Mar 2008 | 1:21 am
Dogs have long been used by police forces to detect drugs and explosives. But now animals and machines are being trained and developed to sniff out a person's potential for aggression, if they are feeling guilty - even their race. Amber Marks reports Source: guardian.co.uk Science | 30 Mar 2008 | 11:02 pm
Study throws up unexpected findings and will improve understanding of development of the disease Source: guardian.co.uk Science | 30 Mar 2008 | 11:02 pm
LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. and European scientists have found six more genes that make people more susceptible to developing type 2 diabetes, in a study they say may help prevent and treat the chronic condition.
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Scientists in Japan have designed artificial molecules that when used with rats successfully reversed liver cirrhosis, a serious chronic disease in humans that until now can only be cured by transplants.
CAIRO (Reuters) - New evidence of a sick, deprived population working under harsh conditions contradicts earlier images of wealth and abundance from the art records of the ancient Egyptian city of Tell el-Amarna, a study has found.
