Author Archives: Guest Post

Keepers of Prometheus: The World’s Oldest Tree

By Guest PostJanuary 25, 2013Nature, Sciencebristlecone pine researchers, dendrochronologists, keepers of prometheus, oldest bristlecone pine, study tree rings, tree called prometheus, tree ring research

After a nearly 5,000-year vigil upon a Nevada mountaintop, an ancient tree now finds its home in the UA Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research. A member of the long-lived Bristlecone pine species, the tree called Prometheus is the oldest individual ever known to have lived. Its age was not accurately known until a few years ago.

On a craggy, windswept peak in a lonely Nevada wilderness stands a grove of old-growth trees. Gnarled and twisted, shaped by the weather and whirling winds into erratic growth forms, their roots have clung to the pebble-strewn mountainside for literally millennia. (more…)

UCLA Study First to Image Concussion-Related Abnormal Brain Proteins in Retired NFL Players

By Guest PostJanuary 24, 2013Healthabnormal gait, abnormal tau proteins, alzheimer's disease, american journal, amyloid beta plaques, athletes, autopsy, body mass index, brain imaging tool, brain injury, brain pathology, centers, chemical marker, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, clinical assessment, cognitive, cognitive ability, confusion, cte, degenerative condition, degree of depression, dementia, depression, disease control, early detection, early symptoms, family history, fddnp, fran, gary small, gauge, geriatric psychiatry, hallmarks of alzheimers, ham d, hamilton rating scale, intravenous injections, jorge r barrio, julian bailes, linda m ercoli, memory loss, mental state examination, mild, mini, mmse, mood symptoms, national football league, neurofibrillary tau tangles, personality changes, PET, player, positron emission tomography, prabha siddarth, prevention, progression in cte, progressive dementia, protein, ray stark foundation, repair damage, risk, sports related concussions, suicidal behavior, traumatic brain injuries, traumatic brain injury, tremors, vladimir kepe, wayne clark

Technique may lead to earlier diagnosis, tracking of brain disorders in athletes

Sports-related concussions and mild traumatic brain injuries have grabbed headlines in recent months, as the long-term damage they can cause becomes increasingly evident among both current and former athletes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that millions of these injuries occur each year.

Despite the devastating consequences of traumatic brain injury and the large number of athletes playing contact sports who are at risk, no method has been developed for early detection or tracking of the brain pathology associated with these injuries. (more…)

IBM and The Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology Develop New Antimicrobial Hydrogel to Fight Superbugs and Drug-Resistant Biofilms

By Guest PostJanuary 24, 2013Health, Technologyalcohol, antibiotic, antimicrobial activity, antimicrobial hydrogel, aseptic techniques, biocompatible, biodegradable, biofilms, blackhole, bleach, cdc, conventional antibiotics, drug resistant bacteria, drug resistant biofilm, gravitation, health hazards, hydrogels, ibm, ibm research, infectious diseases, institute of bioengineering, james hedrick, macromolecule, microbial membranes, molecular structure, molecular zipper, nanomedicine solutions, Nanotechnology, new technology, non-toxic, orifice barriers, polymer, positive charge, skin infections, sterilization, synthetic antimicrobial hydrogel, synthetic hydrogel, united states, water solubility, yi yan yang

Applications range from protective coating to sterilize hospital surfaces and medical equipment or as an injection to more effectively treat patients

SAN JOSE, Calif. – 24 Jan 2013: Researchers from IBM and the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology revealed today an antimicrobial hydrogel that can break through diseased biofilms and completely eradicate drug-resistant bacteria upon contact. The synthetic hydrogel, which forms spontaneously when heated to body temperature, is the first-ever to be biodegradable, biocompatible and non-toxic, making it an ideal tool to combat serious health hazards facing hospital workers, visitors and patients.

Traditionally used for disinfecting various surfaces, antimicrobials can be found in traditional household items like alcohol and bleach. However, moving from countertops to treating drug resistant skin infections or infectious diseases in the body are proving to be more challenging as conventional antibiotics become less effective and many household surface disinfectants are not suitable for biological applications. (more…)

UMass Amherst Cell Biologists Show Molecular Forces Are Key to Proper Cell Division

By Guest PostJanuary 24, 2013Scienceanna ye, cell biologist, cell death, cell division, chromosome, chromosome microtubule interactions, culture cell, daughter cell, detection pathway, error rate, flawless cell, fluorescently tag chromosomes, fruit fly tissue, function, human disease, interaction error, kinetochore microtubule interaction, kinetochore regulator, kinetochores, massachusetts amherst, microtubule filament, mitotic spindle, modulate, molecular engine, molecular glue, molecular surveillance system, pef, polar ejection force, spindle, stuart cane, syntelic attachments, thomas maresca, university

AMHERST, Mass. – Studies led by cell biologist Thomas Maresca at the University of Massachusetts Amherst are revealing new details about a molecular surveillance system that helps detect and correct errors in cell division that can lead to cell death or human diseases. Findings are reported in the current issue of the Journal of Cell Biology.

The purpose of cell division is to evenly distribute the genome between two daughter cells. To achieve this, every chromosome must properly interact with a football-shaped structure called the spindle. However, interaction errors between the chromosomes and spindle during division are amazingly common, occurring in 86 to 90 percent of chromosomes, says Maresca, an expert in mitosis. (more…)

Public Acceptance of Climate Change Affected by Word Usage, Says MU Anthropologist

By Guest PostJanuary 24, 2013Culture, Environmentanthropologist, biodiversity, climate change, climate change keywords, culturgen, current era, database, degree of variation, earth, english language, environmental factors, evolution of species, Google, history, Holocene, ice cores, last ice age, life cycle, life forms, mainstream, michael obrien, ngram, organism, paleoclimate, phenology, pollen, popular vocabulary, prehistoric climate, public acceptance, rate, scientific journal, sediments, statistical analysis, tree rings, university of missouri, usage rates, william brock, words

Better science communication could lead to a more informed American public.

Public acceptance of climate change’s reality may have been influenced by the rate at which words moved from scientific journals into the mainstream, according to anthropologist Michael O’Brien, dean of the College of Arts and Science at the University of Missouri. A recent study of word usage in popular literature by O’Brien and his colleagues documented how the usage of certain words related to climate change has risen and fallen over the past two centuries. Understanding how word usage affects public acceptance of science could lead to better science communication and a more informed public.

“Scientists can learn from this study that the general public shouldn’t be expected to understand technical terms or be convinced by journal papers written in technical jargon,” O’Brien said. “Journalists must explain scientific terms in ways people can understand and thereby ease the movement of those terms into general speech. That can be a slow process. Several words related to climate change diffused into the popular vocabulary over a 30-50 year timeline.” (more…)

Lack of Key Enzyme in the Metabolism of Folic Acid Leads to Birth Defects

By Guest PostJanuary 23, 2013Healthanencephaly, austin, birth defects, dean appling, developing embryos, folic acid, folic acid enzyme, formate, gene, human gene, jessica momb, jordan lewandowski, joshua bryant, key enzyme, lack, metabolic pathway, metabolism, mthfd1l, mutation, neural tube defects, point mutation, pregnancy, rebecca fitch, researcher deborah surman, spina bifida, steven vokes, university of texas

AUSTIN, Texas — Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have discovered that the lack of a critical enzyme in the folic acid metabolic pathway leads to neural tube birth defects in developing embryos.

It has been known for several decades that folic acid supplementation dramatically reduces the incidence of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida and anencephaly, which are among the most common birth defects. In some populations, folic acid supplementation has decreased neural tube defects by as much as 70 percent. (more…)

Survey Shows People Need More Help Controlling Personal Info Online

By Guest PostJanuary 23, 2013Technologybrendon lynch, browsing the web, company privacy, daily life, gaming, information, ipsos public affairs, manage privacy, Microsoft, online, online privacy, online services, personal data dashboard, photo sharing, privacy in action, privacy information, tips, travel, video

New videos and tips from Microsoft help consumers better manage privacy.

REDMOND, Wash. — Jan. 23, 2013 — To mark Data Privacy Day 2013, Microsoft Corp. released new data reflecting consumers’ perceptions about how their information is used online and a new series of short videos to help people better manage their online privacy.

According to the results of a Microsoft-commissioned survey* of 1,000 U.S. adults, people feel they have little to no control about how their data may be collected by online companies. They are also increasingly in search of trusted sources of information to help them make better choices about their online privacy. Highlights of the research include the following: (more…)

2013 Bollingen Poetry Prize Goes to Charles Wright

By Guest PostJanuary 23, 2013Culture, Literatureamerican poetry, bollingen poetry prize, bollingen prize, books of poetry, charles wright

Charles Wright, hailed as one of the leading American poets of his generation, has been named the winner of Yale’s 2013 Bollingen Prize for American Poetry. (more…)