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Science News for March 8, 2007


Therapeutic peptide frees the protein p73 to kill tumor cells

Researchers have discovered a peptide that can free the protein p73, which induces tumor cell death, and effectively kills both p53-sufficient and p53-deficient human tumor cell lines. The study suggests targeting the p73-mediated pathway could provide a new avenue for developing anticancer therapeutics.

SourceJCI Journals·JournalJournal of Clinical Investigation·DateMar 8, 2007

Cholesterol could be key to treating fetal alcohol syndrome

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center found that adding cholesterol to zebrafish embryos exposed to small amounts of alcohol restored normal development. Fetal alcohol syndrome affects the nervous and cardiovascular systems, leading to growth retardation, facial abnormalities, and lowered mental functioning.

SourceDuke University Medical Center·JournalLaboratory Investigation·DateMar 8, 2007
Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor

Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor tracks ventilation quality in labs, classrooms, and conference rooms with long battery life and clear e-ink readouts.

Research strengthens link between smoking, pancreatic cancer

Researchers at Michigan State University found that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) produced by burning tobacco interfere with cell communication, promoting pancreatic cancer. PAHs do not initiate cancer but contribute to its promotion.

SourceMichigan State University·JournalInternational Journal of Cancer·DateMar 8, 2007

Psychologists find pursuit of happiness not a straight path

Recent studies show that major changes in life circumstances, such as marriage, divorce, or illness, can have long-term impact on happiness levels. Happiness levels can change over time, and individual differences play an important role in adaptation processes.

SourceMichigan State University·JournalCurrent Directions in Psychological Science·DateMar 8, 2007

Earth-moving achievements by UH geoscientists recognized

Five UH geosciences professors are recognized for their outstanding achievements in various fields of study. Janok Bhattacharya receives the Grover E. Murray Memorial Distinguished Educator Award, while Aibing Li receives a $450,000 NSF Faculty Early Career Development Award supporting research and education integration. Fred Hilterman...

SourceUniversity of Houston·DateMar 8, 2007
SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB transfers large imagery and model outputs quickly between field laptops, lab workstations, and secure archives.

Mercury contamination of fish warrants worldwide public warning

A worldwide general warning is warranted due to the significant health risks posed by mercury-contaminated fish, particularly for children and women of childbearing age. The Madison Declaration on Mercury Pollution highlights the need for effective national and international policies to combat this global problem.

SourceUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison·JournalAMBIO·DateMar 8, 2007

NT researchers discover breakthrough in malaria treatment

Researchers have discovered a new treatment for malaria, which showed that longer-acting drugs can prevent patients from getting sick again within six weeks. The study found that combining two drugs increased the effectiveness of treatment and reduced the risk of relapse.

SourceResearch Australia·JournalThe Lancet·DateMar 8, 2007
Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

Tracking sperm whales and jumbo squid

Researchers successfully tag sperm whales and jumbo squid swimming together, providing new insights into the diving behavior of both species. The study, published in Marine Ecology Progress Series, raises questions about the feeding habits and hunting strategies of sperm whales and their prey.

SourceStanford University·JournalMarine Ecology Progress Series·DateMar 8, 2007

Gamma-ray burst challenges theory

The study of gamma-ray burst (GRB) 060729 reveals a wider energy release and potential magnetar powering some GRBs. The XRT detected the GRB's afterglow for over 125 days, defying expectations.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateMar 8, 2007

Metacognition: Faced with a test, rats can check their knowledge first

Researchers found that rats can judge whether they have enough information to pass a test, opting out more frequently when the task is difficult. This ability broadens our understanding of cognitive skills in animals and may provide opportunities for studying metacognition's neuroanatomical mechanisms.

SourceCell Press·JournalCurrent Biology·DateMar 8, 2007
Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter measures wind, temperature, and humidity in real time for site assessments, aviation checks, and safety briefings.

Subliminal advertising leaves its mark on the brain

Researchers at UCL found that subliminal images can attract the brain's attention on a subconscious level, sparking debate on the impact of subliminal advertising. The study used fMRI to detect neural activity in response to subliminal stimuli, revealing a complex relationship between consciousness and attention.

SourceUniversity College London·JournalCurrent Biology·DateMar 8, 2007

Scientists identify protein that may promote migraines

Researchers found that overexpression of RAMP1 protein increases sensitivity and responsiveness to CGRP, a neuropeptide thought to cause migraines. The study suggests people who get migraines may have higher levels of RAMP1 than those who don't.

SourceUniversity of Iowa·DateMar 8, 2007

Older mothers more likely than younger mothers to deliver by Caesarean

Researchers found that older mothers with normal, full-term pregnancies were more likely to undergo Caesarean delivery than younger women with similarly low-risk pregnancies. Women giving birth for the first time were six times more likely to deliver by Caesarean.

SourceNIH/Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development·JournalHuman Reproduction·DateMar 8, 2007

'Guardian of the genome' protein found to underlie skin tanning

Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute found that protein p53 prompts skin to tan in response to ultraviolet light, deterring melanoma skin cancer. This process may also underlie people's desire for sunshine and is linked to stress response in the body.

SourceDana-Farber Cancer Institute·JournalCell·DateMar 8, 2007
Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station

Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station offers research-grade local weather data for networked stations, campuses, and community observatories.

Protein sciences

A new assay allows simultaneous detection of individual proteins and their interactions in living cells, enabling researchers to monitor protein expression and interaction networks. This breakthrough method has the potential to develop novel antiviral factors and therapies for infectious diseases and cancers.

SourceHelmholtz Munich (Helmholtz Zentrum München Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt (GmbH))·JournalBioTechniques·DateMar 8, 2007

JCI table of contents -- March 8, 2006

A therapeutic peptide, 37AA, has been developed to target the protein p73, which can induce tumor cell death. The study found that the peptide killed both p53-sufficient and p53-deficient human tumor cell lines. Additionally, a tissue-resident population of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) was discovered in transplanted human lungs, with ...

SourceJCI Journals·JournalJournal of Clinical Investigation·DateMar 8, 2007

Pollution shown cutting rainfall in hilly areas

Research by a Chinese-Israeli team shows that air pollution significantly reduces precipitation on mountains in semi-arid regions, highlighting the dire consequences for water resources in the Middle East and worldwide. The study found that increasing levels of manmade air pollution have led to a 20% decrease in precipitation on Mount ...

SourceThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem·JournalScience·DateMar 8, 2007

Microscopic sea creatures provide foundation for gas sensors and other devices

Scientists have created a new class of gas sensors using the three-dimensional shells of diatoms, which can detect nitric oxide at high sensitivity and speed. The converted shells retain their intricate shapes and nanoscale detail, making them useful for battery electrodes, chemical purifiers, and other applications.

SourceGeorgia Institute of Technology·JournalNature·DateMar 8, 2007
GoPro HERO13 Black

GoPro HERO13 Black records stabilized 5.3K video for instrument deployments, field notes, and outreach, even in harsh weather and underwater conditions.

Social tolerance allows bonobos to outperform chimpanzees on a cooperative task

Researchers found that bonobos were more tolerant and skilled in cooperative feeding than chimpanzees, exhibiting more sociosexual behavior and play. This suggests that social tendencies can hinder problem-solving under certain circumstances, highlighting the importance of emotional systems in evolutionary development.

SourceCell Press·JournalCurrent Biology·DateMar 8, 2007

Gamma-ray birth cries suggest massive magnetic engines

The GRB's ejecta slam into interstellar gas, producing a bright X-ray afterglow that can radiate for several days. The slow fading of the afterglow suggests a larger energy injection than typical GRBs, with possible explanations including magnetar-powered engines.

SourcePenn State·DateMar 8, 2007

Regardless of global warming, rising CO2 levels threaten marine life

Ocean acidity is rising due to increasing carbon dioxide levels, posing a threat to marine life such as corals and shellfish. The study suggests that future changes in ocean acidification are largely independent of climate change.

SourceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·DateMar 8, 2007

Type of stem cell found to reside in transplanted lungs

A new study found that lung-derived mesenchymal stem cells reside in transplanted lungs, challenging the assumption that they originate from bone marrow. These cells have been shown to differentiate into multiple connective tissue cell types and may hold the key to understanding therapeutic options using MSCs that reside in adult organs.

SourceMichigan Medicine - University of Michigan·JournalJournal of Clinical Investigation·DateMar 8, 2007
GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter logs beta, gamma, and X-ray levels for environmental monitoring, training labs, and safety demonstrations.

Novel salamander robot crawls its way up the evolutionary ladder

A group of European researchers developed a spinal cord model and implemented it in an amphibious salamander-like robot. The robot changes its speed and gait in response to simple electrical signals, suggesting that the distributed neural system in the spinal cord holds the key to vertebrates' complex locomotor capabilities.

SourceEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne·JournalScience·DateMar 8, 2007

For young athletes having fun, mastering skills outscore 'winning at all costs'

A new coaching intervention, known as the Mastery Approach to Coaching, was found to reduce sport anxiety and improve personal achievement goals in young athletes. The program, which emphasizes effort and supporting teammates over winning at all costs, also showed positive effects on academic motivation.

SourceUniversity of Washington·JournalJournal of Sport and Exercise Psychology·DateMar 8, 2007
Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm)

Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm) tracks health metrics and safety alerts during long observing sessions, fieldwork, and remote expeditions.

MIT particles pave way for new bedside diagnostics

The researchers created an inexpensive method to screen for millions of different biomolecules using tiny customizable particles. The technology has the potential to make possible the development of low-cost clinical bedside diagnostics and could be used for disease monitoring, drug discovery, or genetic profiling.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalScience·DateMar 8, 2007

Marine moss reveals clues to anticancer compound

Researchers at OHSU discovered a gene cluster in a marine bacterium that produces a bioactive molecule with anti-cancer properties, including activity against pancreatic and renal cancer. The team aims to engineer the production of bryostatins, promising compounds for cancer treatment.

SourceOregon Health & Science University·JournalJournal of Natural Products·DateMar 8, 2007

Researchers find suntan's 'master regulator'

A study published in Cell Press found that the p53 gene, known for preventing cancer, also regulates the suntan response. The researchers discovered that p53 activates the tanning machinery, protecting against sunburns. The findings may lead to new products that produce a tan safely without UV radiation exposure.

SourceCell Press·JournalCell·DateMar 8, 2007
DJI Air 3 (RC-N2)

DJI Air 3 (RC-N2) captures 4K mapping passes and environmental surveys with dual cameras, long flight time, and omnidirectional obstacle sensing.

Location, location -- Cell sizes, lives influenced by host size

Researchers found two basic categories of cells: those that stay the same size but have drastically different energy needs based on mammal size, or cells that grow larger in larger mammals. This discovery sheds light on how organism size affects cell life span and function.

SourceUniversity of Florida·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMar 8, 2007

Genes and groups of genes commonly shared between species, studies show

Researchers found that more than half of primitive organisms have acquired genes through horizontal gene transfer, while only a few eukaryotes have done so. Two species of bacteria were also found to share large groups of genes, allowing them to adapt to their environment more quickly.

SourceUniversity of California - Berkeley·JournalNature·DateMar 8, 2007