New cause of osteoporosis: Mutation in a miroRNA

 New cause of osteoporosis: Mutation in a miroRNA

del.icio.us Tags: DNA,osteoperosis,miroRNA

Science News

New Cause of Osteoporosis: Mutation in a miroRNA

ScienceDaily (Nov. 20, 2009) — Many biological processes are controlled by small molecules known as microRNAs, which work by suppressing the expression of specific sets of genes. Xiang-Hang Luo and colleagues, at Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, People's Republic of China, have now identified a previously unknown microRNA (miR-2861) as crucial to bone maintenance in mice and humans.

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Of clinical importance, expression of functional miR-2861 was absent in two related adolescents with primary osteoporosis.

Several lines of evidence determined the key role of miR-2861 in maintaining bone. First, miR-2861 promoted the in vitro development of a mouse stromal cell line into the cells responsible for bone formation. Second, in mice, in vivo silencing of miR-2861 inhibited bone formation and decreased bone mass. Last, analysis of ten patients with primary osteoporosis revealed two related adolescents in whom disease was caused by a mutation in the miR-2861 precursor (pre-miR-2861) that blocked expression of miR-2861.

These data led the authors to conclude that miR-2861 has an important role in controlling the generation of the cells responsible for bone formation and that defects in the processing of its precursor can cause osteoporosis.

The research appears in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

New cause of osteoporosis: Mutation in a miroRNA

Small nanoparticles bring big improvement to medical imaging

Small nanoparticles bring big improvement to medical imaging

del.icio.us Tags: medical*imaging,cell*growth,nanoparticles

November 18, 2009 04:30 PM
Biotechnology
Previous article: Scientists unravel evolution of highly toxic box
If you're watching the complex processes in a living cell, it is easy to miss something important—especially if you are watching changes that take a long time to unfold and require high-spatial-resolution imaging. But new research* makes it possible to scrutinize activities that occur over hours or even days inside cells, potentially solving many of the mysteries associated with molecular-scale events occurring in these tiny living things.


A joint research team, working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), has discovered a method of using nanoparticles to illuminate the cellular interior to reveal these slow processes. Nanoparticles, thousands of times smaller than a cell, have a variety of applications. One type of nanoparticle called a quantum dot glows when exposed to light. These semiconductor particles can be coated with organic materials, which are tailored to be attracted to specific proteins within the part of a cell a scientist wishes to examine.
"Quantum dots last longer than many organic dyes and fluorescent proteins that we previously used to illuminate the interiors of cells," says biophysicist Jeeseong Hwang, who led the team on the NIST side. "They also have the advantage of monitoring changes in cellular processes while most high-resolution techniques like electron microscopy only provide images of cellular processes frozen at one moment. Using quantum dots, we can now elucidate cellular processes involving the dynamic motions of proteins."
For their recent study, the team focused primarily on characterizing quantum dot properties, contrasting them with other imaging techniques. In one example, they employed quantum dots designed to target a specific type of human red blood cell protein that forms part of a network structure in the cell's inner membrane. When these proteins cluster together in a healthy cell, the network provides mechanical flexibility to the cell so it can squeeze through narrow capillaries and other tight spaces. But when the cell gets infected with the malaria parasite, the structure of the network protein changes.
"Because the clustering mechanism is not well understood, we decided to examine it with the dots," says NIAID biophysist Fuyuki Tokumasu. "We thought if we could develop a technique to visualize the clustering, we could learn something about the progress of a malaria infection, which has several distinct developmental stages."
The team's efforts revealed that as the membrane proteins bunch up, the quantum dots attached to them are induced to cluster themselves and glow more brightly, permitting scientists to watch as the clustering of proteins progresses. More broadly, the team found that when quantum dots attach themselves to other nanomaterials, the dots' optical properties change in unique ways in each case. They also found evidence that quantum dot optical properties are altered as the nanoscale environment changes, offering greater possibility of using quantum dots to sense the local biochemical environment inside cells.
"Some concerns remain over toxicity and other properties," Hwang says, "but altogether, our findings indicate that quantum dots could be a valuable tool to investigate dynamic cellular processes."
Small nanoparticles bring big improvement to medical imaging

Tongue Vision - Research on sensory substitution and brain plasticity

Tongue Vision - Research on sensory substitution and brain plasticity

del.icio.us Tags: tongue,sensory*perception,blind

Neuropsychology: The blind can walk thanks to an eye on the tongue

published in Forum Express
12 décembre 2007
'The only limits with this device are the ones set by the researcher': Daniel Chebat
“It’s the first time I make my way across a cluttered course of several meters without the help of my cane,” explains 35-year-old M.L. who has been blind since birth. He accomplished this thanks to a device mounted on his tongue, which creates a mental image of the space around him.

Tongue Vision - Research on sensory substitution and brain plasticity

New Computer Simulator Helps Design Military Strategies Based On Ants' Movements

New Computer Simulator Helps Design Military Strategies Based On Ants' Movements

del.icio.us Tags: Ants,Army,Strategy,troops,movement

New Computer Simulator Helps Design Military Strategies Based On Ants' Movements

ScienceDaily (Nov. 7, 2009) — A researcher at the University of Granada has designed a new system for the mobility of military troops within a battlefield based on the mechanisms used by ant colonies to move using a commercial video game.

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See also:
Matter & Energy

• Virtual Environment
• Weapons Technology

Computers & Math

• Software
• Computer Programming

Science & Society

• Privacy Issues
• Conflict

Reference

• Computer simulation
• User interface design
• Military aviation
• Cyber security standards

This work, developed at the department of Computer Architecture and Technology of the UGR, has designed several algorithms that permit to look for the best route path (this is, to find the better route to satisfy certain criteria) within a particular environment.
Specifically, this research work has developed a software that would allow the army troops to define the best path within a military battle field, considering that such path will be covered by a company and this must consider the security criteria (reaching their destination with the lower number of casualties) and speed (reaching their destination as quickly as possible).
To that end, the scientists have used the so called 'ant colony optimization algorithm (ACO)', a probabilistic technique used to solve optimization problems and inspired in the behaviors of ants to find trajectories from the colony to the food.

New Computer Simulator Helps Design Military Strategies Based On Ants' Movements

Magic For Neuroscientists / Science News

Magic For Neuroscientists / Science News

del.icio.us Tags: memory,perceptioneption,attention,brain,majicians,illusions

Magic for neuroscientists
By Laura Sanders
Web edition : Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
Text Size
CHICAGO -- Magicians and neuroscientists may not seem like a likely match, but they have one important thing in common: A fascination with the brain. As Science News pointed out in this article about science and magic in April, neuroscientists delve deep into the human mind to see how things like attention, perception and memory work, while magicians manipulate these very same things to confound their audience.
This unlikely alliance was solidified October 17 at the Society for Neuroscience’s Annual Meeting in Chicago as two world-class magicians demonstrated some of their tricks to an audience of thousands of neuroscientists. (The size of the scientist crowd may have rivaled the motley crew of America’s Got Talent hopefuls, who were waiting in a monster line that snaked around a different part of the conference center.
Although neuroscientists seem like they might be a tough crowd, everyone in the room was enamored. By all reports, the scientists seemed thrilled to have such interesting new colleagues.
Apollo Robbins, known professionally as the “Gentleman Thief,” has an unusual set of skills that allowed him to, among other dastardly deeds, “borrow” Jennifer Garner’s engagement ring, switch Troy Aikman and Jerome Bettis’ licenses, and relieve Jimmy Carter’s secret service agents of their wallets, watches and confidential itineraries. (For more of Robbins’ rap sheet, check out his website Istealstuff.com
Eric Mead, the other magician who performed, offered some salient advice: The key to magic, he says, is “to look people in the eye and lie intentionally.” But that only works because these highly skilled mind-benders are so attuned to the mysteries of the brain that they can literally manipulate a person’s reality.
Robbins talked about three tricks that lead to the magician’s so-called grift sense — the ability to instantly read and respond to other people’s signals. First, he says, proximity is everything. Getting into someone else’s personal space without setting off alarms is hard. But tricks like moving in sideways, avoiding direct eye contact and tilting the head can all make the intrusive move more innocuous. Second, movements that draw the eye can provide the magician cover to do the trick. Creating a multitude of small motions, instead of one big motion, keeps a person’s gaze right where the magician wants it. And third, manipulating a person’s interior dialog can cause a person to let down his or her guard. Once someone has a raucous internal dialog going on, the senses become dulled to the outside world, leaving them vulnerable to a trick.
Had Apollo Robbins and Eric Mead ventured over to the America’s Got Talent auditions next door, there would have been no contest — these magicians would have made the competition disappear.

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Magic For Neuroscientists / Science News

Science and Health Blog - Mirror.co.uk

          Science and Health Blog - Mirror.co.uk

Technorati Tags: Public Notice,Climate Change,man-made

First Government public warning on climate change

By Mike Swain on Oct 9, 09 10:16 AM in Environment
The first government public warning on man-made climate change will be broadcast tonight on British television.
The public service advert is the first to warn officially climate change is happening and confirm it is man-made.
It will be aired in the Coronation Street break at 8.45 pm.
The ad features a dad reading a bedtime story to his daughter.
The dad tells his daughter of "a very strange world" with "horrible consequences" for today's children.
At the end she asks: "Is there a happy ending?"
Continue reading

Science and Health Blog - Mirror.co.uk

The Associated Press: Obama awards national science, technology medals

The Associated Press: Obama awards national science, technology medals

Technorati Tags: Obama,President,science,awarded,medals

Obama awards national science, technology medals
By PHILIP ELLIOTT (AP) – 4 days ago
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama linked scientific discovery to helping the struggling economy Wednesday as he honored those who invented batteries for implanted defibrillators, mapped the human genetic code and made global positioning systems possible.
Awarding the National Medal of Science and the Medal of Technology and Innovation, Obama said the United States must continue to invest in "the next generation of discoveries and the next generation of discoverers." Repeating his pledge to put thousands more students in college classrooms, he committed to spending 3 percent of the gross domestic product to educate future scientists and researchers.
"Because throughout our history, amid tumult and war and against tough odds, this nation has always looked toward the future and then led the way," he said

The Associated Press: Obama awards national science, technology medals

AIDS vaccine results questioned | Booster Shots | Los Angeles Times

 

AIDS vaccine results questioned | Booster Shots | Los Angeles Times

Technorati Tags: aids,vaccine trials,patients,HIV

Oddities, musings and news from
the world of health

AIDS vaccine results questioned

October 11, 2009 | 10:45 am

U.S. Army and Thai researchers announced to great fanfare last month that a combination vaccine had produced a statistically significant 31% reduction in new HIV infections in a trial of more than 18,000 people in Thailand -- a modest rate, but the first vaccine results that suggested it may eventually be possible to produce a vaccine against the deadly infection, which has killed more than 25 million people worldwide. In an unusual approach, the researchers decided to make the results public in a news conference rather than wait for formal publication of their findings. The complete results have never been made public.

Now, however, a secondary analysis of the results have suggested that the vaccine was not quite as good as people had believed, reducing infections by only 24%, which was not statistically significant, according to researchers who spoke with Science magazine. The first analysis included all 16,000 people who participated in the trial and produced the promising results. The secondary analysis -- which was part of the protocol and is considered normal for all vaccine trials -- excluded patients who did not follow the experimental regimen. When that was done, the results were less convincing, according to experts who have seen the data.

AIDS vaccine results questioned | Booster Shots | Los Angeles Times