All life — plants, animals, people — depends on peaceful coexistence with a swarm of microbial life that performs vital services from helping to convert food to energy to protection from disease. Now, with the help of a squid that uses a luminescent bacterium to create a predator-fooling light organ and a fish that uses [...]
Continue reading about Single Gene Lets Bacteria Jump From Host To Host
A connection between genetic and environmental causes of Parkinson’s disease has been discovered by a research team. They found a genetic interaction between two Parkinson’s disease genes (alpha-synuclein and PARK9) and determined that the PARK9 protein can protect cells from manganese poisoning, which is an environmental risk factor for a Parkinson’s disease-like syndrome.
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A component of DNA that can both stimulate and suppress the immune system, depending on the dosage, may hold hope for treating cancer and infection.
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Brain cells called astrocytes help to cause the urge to sleep that comes with prolonged wakefulness, according to a new study in mice. The cells release adenosine, a chemical known to have sleep-inducing effects that are inhibited by caffeine.
Continue reading about Support Cells, Not Neurons, Lull The Brain To Sleep
A newly developed mathematical model that figures out the best strategy to win the popular board game CLUE could some day help robot mine sweepers navigate strange surroundings to find hidden explosives. At the simplest level, both activities are governed by the same principles. A player, or robot, must move through an unknown space searching [...]
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We all know that is equal to 100 cents. But a new study suggests that, in some situations, people may behave as if 100 cents actually has more value. That’s because people may pay more attention to the size of the numbers involved than the actual economic value, according to the research.
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DNA from an extinct sub-species of tiger has revealed that the ancestors of modern tigers migrated through the heart of China — along what would later become known as ‘the Silk Road’ — scientists report.
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Researchers have identified a protein critical for the growth of pancreatic cancer. Blocking the expression of the protein slowed or prevented tumor growth in mice and made cultured cancer cells vulnerable to the conditions of low oxygen that occur in solid tumors.
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Researchers have discovered new aspects of the salmon immune system. His research looked at the immune cells in the gills of salmon and at immune responses to vaccination. A special type of tissue, rich in immune cells, was found in the gills, and new properties of immune cells that produce brown pigment were discovered.
Younger Women With Endometrial Cancer Can Safely Keep Ovaries, Avoid Early Menopause, Study Suggests
A new study shows no survival difference between premenopausal women with early-stage endometrial cancer whose ovaries were left intact during cancer surgery compared with those whose ovaries were surgically removed.