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Self Assembling Nanotubes Get Inspiration From DNA

Self Assembling Nanotubes Get Inspiration From DNA

Jan 01 2009 | comment(s)

The future of the nanotechnology field depends on our ability to reliably and reproducibly assemble nanoparticles into 3D structures we can use to develop new technologies. According to Hao Yan and Yan Liu at Arizona State University, the greatest challenges in this burgeoning field include control over nanoscale 3D structure and imaging these tiny materials.

"The ability to build predicted structures and provide experimental feedback to current theories is critical to the nanotechnology field," said Yan.

One approach to production of nanoscale architecture is creation of nanoparticles that assemble themselves into the desired structure. DNA molecules are an elegant biological example of small particles that self-assemble to form higher order 3D structures.
Carbon Rich Comet Dust From 13,000 Years Ago Found At 6 US Sites

Carbon Rich Comet Dust From 13,000 Years Ago Found At 6 US Sites

Jan 01 2009 | comment(s)

Abundant tiny particles of diamond dust exist in sediments dating to 12,900 years ago at six North American sites, adding strong evidence for Earth’s impact with a rare swarm of carbon-and-water-rich comets or carbonaceous chondrites, reports a nine-member scientific team.

These nanodiamonds, which are produced under high-temperature, high-pressure conditions created by cosmic impacts and have been found in meteorites, are concentrated in similarly aged sediments at Murray Springs, Ariz., Bull Creek, Okla., Gainey, Mich., and Topper, S.C., as well as Lake Hind, Manitoba, and Chobot, Alberta, in Canada. Nanodiamonds can be produced on Earth, but only through high-explosive detonations or chemical vaporization.
Nano Tractor Beam Of Light Traps DNA

Nano Tractor Beam Of Light Traps DNA

Jan 01 2009 | comment(s)

Using a beam of light shunted through a tiny silicon channel, researchers have created a nanoscale trap that can stop free floating DNA molecules and nanoparticles in their tracks. By holding the nanoscale material steady while the fluid around it flows freely, the trap may allow researchers to boost the accuracy of biological sensors and create a range of new 'lab on a chip' diagnostic tools.

Light has been used to manipulate cells and even nanoscale objects before, but the new technique allows researchers to manipulate the particles more precisely and over longer distances.
A 5 Step Program To Keeping Your New Years Resolutions

A 5 Step Program To Keeping Your New Years Resolutions

Jan 01 2009 | comment(s)

Did you make a resolution?   Most people do, consciously or not.   The end of one year and the beginning of a new one is a built-in time for reflection.   You may resolve to go to the gym or learn a musical instrument but often something will come up that interrupts the routine, progress is lost and the resolution loses its ... resolve.   

John O’Neill, LCSW, LCDC, CSAT, director of Addiction Services for The Menninger Clinic in Houston, says all is not lost if you plan your resolution, including planning for setbacks.   And his 5-step program is not just for New Years, you can resolve to make positive changes at any time.
Scientific T-Shirts

Scientific T-Shirts

Jan 01 2009 | comment(s)

Want to buy cool Scientific SWAG?   Okay, it isn't actually SWAG, since you don't get it unless you buy it but you understand the point.   Awesome science t-shirts and mugs are here.    Show your science pride.   There are more added every week - and if you have ideas on what you'd like to see on a shirt, leave a comment.
Evolutionary gems (Nature)

Evolutionary gems (Nature)

Jan 01 2009 | comment(s)

Nature recently provided a list of "15 evolutionary gems".

...the document summarizes 15 lines of evidence from papers published in Nature over the past 10 years. The evidence is drawn from the fossil record, from studies of natural and artificial habitats, and from research on molecular biological processes.

In a year in which Darwin is being celebrated amid uncertainty and hostility about his ideas among citizens, being aware of the cumulatively incontrovertible evidence for those ideas is all the more important. We trust that this document will help.

Bicycle without a wheel.

Bicycle without a wheel.

Dec 31 2008 | comment(s)

I won't get into this in detail, in part because I wrote about it in my paper The evolution of complex organs in the special issue of Evolution: Education and Outreach about eyes.

Kidneys For Transplant Function Earlier And Last Longer When Preserved In A Machine Compared To The Traditional Box Of Ice

Kidneys For Transplant Function Earlier And Last Longer When Preserved In A Machine Compared To The Traditional Box Of Ice

Dec 31 2008 | comment(s)

GRONINGEN, The Netherlands, December 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Results from a landmark trial published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, show that in transplanted kidneys preserved and transported in a specially designed machine (LifePort Kidney Transporter) the odds for experiencing a delay in recovery of kidney function are 43% lower, and that these kidneys are 48% less likely to fail within a year compared to those stored in the traditional box of ice (cold storage)(1). The study was the first randomised, prospective trial to compare these two methods of preservation.

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/thessc/36486/

Study Shows Machine Perfusion Significantly Improves Transplant Results

Study Shows Machine Perfusion Significantly Improves Transplant Results

Dec 31 2008 | comment(s)

CHICAGO, Illinois, December 31 /PRNewswire/ -- A landmark study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) demonstrates that use of a specially designed machine to store kidneys for transplantation offers significant benefits in kidney survival and function when compared to those stored in a traditional ice box, or cold storage. Unlike the icebox, the LifePort Kidney Transporter monitors the temperature and vascular performance of the organ in real time, while preserving it by pumping the kidney continuously with a cold solution, even while the organ is being transported to its intended recipient.

2008 Science Retrospective: Science Journalists Need Some New Clichés In 2009

2008 Science Retrospective: Science Journalists Need Some New Clichés In 2009

Dec 31 2008 | comment(s)

There was a big development in science this year, yet most people missed it.   It wasn't induced pluripotent stem cells or global warming or Barack Obama securing 99% of the scientist vote despite his belief that vaccines cause autism, which caused even heterosexual scientists to disregard Jenny McCarthy.  No, it was an alarming decrease in available clichés to describe what scientists think about new discoveries.
Vitamin Supplements: Fact Or Folklore?

Vitamin Supplements: Fact Or Folklore?

Dec 31 2008 | comment(s)

Despite the regular onslaught of mixed messages from those in scientific research land, I still take a multivitamin most days. (Thanks, Mom, for starting me off young with those delicious Flinstone Kids niblets of nutrition.)

Placebo effect? I don't know. I do know that I feel better when I remember to take my multivitamin, iron and vitamin D supplements, and the occasional fish oil horse pill. But will it help me in the long run with any aspect of my health?

Geometry in Chicago

Geometry in Chicago

Dec 31 2008 | comment(s)

Even on this side of the Atlantic, we have noticed:
Burris, standing at the governor’s side, said he’s eager to get to work in Washington “to face a convergence of parallel crises.”
 One’s first thought is that either in Chigaco or Washington the geometry is of Riemann’s elliptic variety. 

But it then struck me, that the word “parallel” has long taken on the meaning “simultaneous” as in multi-tasking or even parallel processing.  Another case where mathematical and scientific usage run counter to (or even athwart – lovely old Anglo Saxon word) common usage.
Microsoft Commends Chinese Court In Sentencing Ringleaders Of World's Largest Software Counterfeiting Syndicate

Microsoft Commends Chinese Court In Sentencing Ringleaders Of World's Largest Software Counterfeiting Syndicate

Dec 31 2008 | comment(s)

REDMOND, Washington, December 31 /PRNewswire/ --

- Sentencing marks the culmination of a global investigation and demonstrates concrete action by the Chinese government to protect intellectual property rights.

DoD New Year's Resolution: I Promise I Will Destroy All My Remaining Stockpiles Of VX Nerve Gas

DoD New Year's Resolution: I Promise I Will Destroy All My Remaining Stockpiles Of VX Nerve Gas

Dec 31 2008 | comment(s)

Well, it's now a merry Christmas for everyone except Nicholas Cage. The U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency (CMA) announced Monday that as of Christmas Eve, 2008, they've completed the destruction of all munitions carrying VX gas in the possession of the U.S. Army. Unfortunately for Mr. Cage, this means that he's far less likely to be called upon to save San Francisco from rockets armed with the deadly gas by breaking into the former prison on Alcatraz Island aided by Sean Connery, as he proved he could do in Micheal Bay's 1996 film, The Rock.
FDA Cardio Renal Advisory Committee To Review Daiichi Sankyo, Lilly Drug Prasugrel

FDA Cardio Renal Advisory Committee To Review Daiichi Sankyo, Lilly Drug Prasugrel

Dec 31 2008 | comment(s)

TOKYO and INDIANAPOLIS, December 31 /PRNewswire/ --

Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited (TSE: 4568) and Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today confirmed that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee (CRDAC) will review prasugrel during an advisory committee hearing on February 3, 2009. Prasugrel is an investigational antiplatelet agent for the treatment of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) who are being managed with an artery-opening procedure known as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), which is usually followed by the placement of a stent to help keep the artery open.

Panasonic Takes Leave Of Joachim Reinhart

Panasonic Takes Leave Of Joachim Reinhart

Dec 31 2008 | comment(s)

WIESBADEN, Germany, December 31 /PRNewswire/ --

- President and COO of Panasonic Europe Passed Away on 26 December

Panasonic Europe is deeply saddened and distressed about the bereavement of its President and Chief Operating Officer Joachim Reinhart who passed away on 26 December 2008 after a short period of serious illness.

Oil Refineries Announces Results Annual General Meeting Held December 30, 2008

Oil Refineries Announces Results Annual General Meeting Held December 30, 2008

Dec 31 2008 | comment(s)

HAIFA, Israel, December 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Oil Refineries Ltd. (TASE: ORL.TA) (the Company), Israel's largest oil refiner, announced today that on December 30, 2008, at 10:00 a.m., the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Company's Shareholders convened.

Gravity Makes A Comeback In Astrophysics - And A 3D 'Dendrogram' PDF Is Showing How

Gravity Makes A Comeback In Astrophysics - And A 3D 'Dendrogram' PDF Is Showing How

Dec 31 2008 | comment(s)

New computer visualization technology developed by the Harvard Initiative in Innovative Computing has helped astrophysicists understand that gravity plays a larger role than previously thought in deep space's vast, star-forming molecular clouds.

The insight is being illustrated in Nature's online version through new three-dimensional Portable Document Format (PDF) technology that will allow readers to view the article's key graphics using free PDF software already commonly found on computers.
Grape Seed Extract Found To Kill Leukemia Cells In Laboratory Tests

Grape Seed Extract Found To Kill Leukemia Cells In Laboratory Tests

Dec 31 2008 | comment(s)

An extract from grape seeds forces laboratory leukemia cells to commit cell suicide, according to researchers from the University of Kentucky. They found that within 24 hours, 76 percent of leukemia cells had died after being exposed to the extract.



The investigators, who report their findings in the January 1, 2009, issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, also teased apart the cell signaling pathway associated with use of grape seed extract that led to cell death, or apoptosis. They found that the extract activates JNK, a protein that regulates the apoptotic pathway.


Antibiotic Advocates Fight Back - It's Preventing A Lot Of Deaths, They Say

Antibiotic Advocates Fight Back - It's Preventing A Lot Of Deaths, They Say

Dec 31 2008 | comment(s)

Antibiotics may be overprescribed in kids because of concern by helicopter parents and worries about malpractice lawsuits, but in at least one instance they are saving a lot of lives - as a preventive measure to patients in intensive care units (ICUs).

This from a study involving nearly sixthousand Dutch patients in thirteen hospitals. Researchers at University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht have published their findings in an article in The New England Journal of Medicine.