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Science News for January 11, 2008


2 different neural pathways regulate loss and regain of consciousness during general anesthesia

Scientists have identified two separate neural pathways that regulate the transition in and out of anesthesia. The study found that mice with impaired orexin signaling took longer to emerge from general anesthesia, but not to fall asleep during the procedure. This breakthrough could lead to new approaches for administering anesthetics ...

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania School of Medicine·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJan 11, 2008

Greenhouse ocean may downsize fish

The Bering Sea's rich food web could fray as algae adapt to greenhouse conditions, affecting top predators like pollock and hake. A shift away from diatoms towards smaller phytoplankton could undermine the biological pump, making the ocean less able to soak up atmospheric carbon dioxide.

SourceUniversity of Southern California·JournalMarine Ecology Progress Series·DateJan 11, 2008

Researchers create mathematical model of fruit fly eyes

Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a functional equation that explains how cells pack together to form the eyes of Drosophila, or fruit flies. This pared-down model uses only two parameters and demonstrates how it can be applied to different kinds of tissues, leading to potential advances in regenerative medicine.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJan 11, 2008

MIT reports new twist in microRNA biology

Researchers identified two microRNA pairs in fruit fly and eight more in mouse where both DNA strands encode RNA products, which fold into hairpins that are processed into mature microRNAs. This discovery builds on earlier findings about microRNA regulation using computational tools to investigate genomes of multiple species.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalGenes & Development·DateJan 11, 2008

Ways to improve informed consent are testable, study says

A new questionnaire tool was developed to assess the informed consent process in clinical trials. The tool aimed to educate potential participants on the risks and benefits of taking part in research. However, the results showed that the tool did not improve informed consent in this experiment. Despite this, the study's findings provid...

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalClinical Trials·DateJan 11, 2008