Plants that live in unusual soils, such as those that are extremely low in essential nutrients, provide insight into the mechanisms of adaptation, natural selection, and endemism. A seminal paper by Arthur Kruckeberg from 1951 on serpentine plant endemism has served as a solid bedrock foundation for future research on the link between natural selection and speciation. A recent article in the American Journal of Botany focuses on how this paper has influenced subsequent research on local adaptation, evolutionary pathways, and the relationship between climate, soils, and ...

Older people globally are being denied proper access to cancer care, according to an editorial by Queen's University Belfast academic, Professor Mark Lawler of the Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology. In an editorial in the BMJ (British Medical Journal) Professor Lawler said: "there is increasing evidence from around the world that elderly patients are being 'undertreated', leading to a 'survival gap' between older and younger patients. "We need a fundamental change in cancer policy for the elderly patient. Our current practices are essentially ageist, as we ...

Smartphones are capable of giving us directions when we're lost, sending photos and videos to our friends in mere seconds, and even helping us find the best burger joint in a three-mile radius. But University of Houston researchers are using smartphones for another very important function: diagnosing diseases in real time. The researchers are developing a disease diagnostic system that offers results that could be read using only a smartphone and a $20 lens attachment. The system is the brainchild of Jiming Bao, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, ...

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Good news for lifelong exercisers: Along with its salutary effects on the heart, weight, and other facets of health, physical activity also helps to regenerate muscle mass, which tends to diminish as people age. In a study published in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine, researchers from the University of Utah and other institutions found that aged mice lacking Nrf2 that underwent two weeks of endurance exercise stress on treadmills showed poor stem cell regeneration, which is likely to hinder the recovery of lost muscle mass. Nrf2 is protein ...

Fresh banana, a waft of flowers, blueberry: the scents in Shota Atsumi's laboratory in the UC Davis Department of Chemistry are a little sweeter than most. That's because Atsumi and his team are engineering bacteria to make esters -- molecules widely used as scents and flavorings, and also as basic feedstock for chemical processes from paints to fuels. Their latest work is published March 9 in the journal Nature Chemical Biology. Nearly all industrial chemicals, from artificial flavorings to paint, are derived from oil or gas, Atsumi said. "Our motivation is to ...

Jerusalem, March 9, 2014 -- What if you could "hear" colors? Or shapes? These features are normally perceived visually, but using sensory substitution devices (SSDs) they can now be conveyed to the brain noninvasively through other senses. At the Center for Human Perception and Cognition, headed by Prof. Amir Amedi of the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences and the Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Faculty of Medicine, the blind and visually impaired are being offered tools, via training with SSDs, to receive ...

A new type of biomolecular tweezers could help researchers study how mechanical forces affect the biochemical activity of cells and proteins. The devices – too small to see without a microscope – use opposing magnetic and electrophoretic forces to precisely stretch the cells and molecules, holding them in position so that the activity of receptors and other biochemical activity can be studied. Arrays of the tweezers could be combined to study multiple molecules and cells simultaneously, providing a high-throughput capability for assessing the effects of mechanical forces ...

Australian astronomers have shown galaxies in the vast empty regions of the Universe are actually aligned into delicate strings in research published today in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. A team of astronomers based at The University of Western Australia node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) has found short strings of faint galaxies in what were previously thought to be extremely empty parts of space. The Universe is full of vast collections of galaxies that are arranged into an intricate web of clusters and ...

(March 10, 2014) Antibiotics are valuable, potentially life-saving tools that have significantly reduced human morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, antibiotics may also have unintended consequences from their off-target effects that may increase the risk of many long-term conditions. Recent epidemiologic studies have detected a possible link between antibiotic use in childhood and weight gain1 — with disruption to the normal gut microbiota considered the most likely cause. "Infancy is an important time in the development of the human microbiota and these studies provide ...

(March 10, 2014) A healthy and balanced diet, as well as probiotics, have been known to be helpful in preserving gastrointestinal health for quite a long time. But it is only recently that the underlying mechanisms have become somewhat clearer. A rapidly increasing body of knowledge promises to further clarify the effects of our daily food on the gut microbiota and to indicate more targeted applications of probiotics in the near future. This was one of the topics presented at the Gut Microbiota for Health World Summit in Miami, FL, USA. On March 8-9, 2014, internationally ...

Men who at the age of 18 years have poorer cardiovascular fitness and/or a lower IQ more often suffer from dementia before the age of 60. This is shown in a recent study encompassing more than one million Swedish men. In several extensive studies, researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy of Gothenburg University have previously analyzed Swedish men's conscription results and were able to show a correlation between cardiovascular fitness as a teenager and health problems in later life. Increased risk for early-onset dementia In their latest study, based on data from 1.1 ...

In the study, which was conducted by researchers from the University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, the participants completed a scientifically evaluated questionnaire about what they had been eating and drinking since becoming pregnant. The researchers also had access to information about the women's general lifestyle e.g. level of education, living conditions, income, weight, physical activity, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, number of children and medical factors such as history of preterm delivery. 15 ...

Tax fraud is a very serious problem for society, especially in Spain, where tax evasion represents almost one-fourth of its Gross Domestic Product. On the one hand, evasion is a problem because it produces a loss in public resources, something which is especially difficult in a time of economic crisis with cutbacks in public funding; on the other hand, tax fraud damages the effectiveness of justice within the tax system, since not everyone is able to evade taxes equally, thus leading to injustices between small and large companies and between the self-employed and employees. ...

The world's most widespread test for ovarian cancer reports false-positives in 94 of 100 diagnosed cases. Now, chemists at the University of Copenhagen working with clinical researchers at University College London have developed a method able to halve the number of false-positives. When fully developed, the new test will spare a significant number of women from unnecessary worry and further testing. Furthermore, global health care providers stand to save substantial sums – just by including a test on a certain sugar molecule in tandem with the currently prevailing diagnostic ...

WASHINGTON, March 10, 2014 — If you're having some drinks this St. Patrick's Day weekend, remember to have a designated driver, otherwise you may end up on the business end of a breathalyzer on the side of the road. If you think you can beat it, think again; chemistry will land you in cuffs. In the American Chemical Society's (ACS') latest Reactions video, we examine how your breath can get you busted when you've had too much to drink. The video is available here: http://youtu.be/rvVzlg26bCM Subscribe to the series at Reactions YouTube, and follow us on Twitter @ACSreactions ...

Potentially devastating plant pests and diseases are highlighted in a new report from EASAC, the European Academies' Science Advisory Council, the leading provider of independent scientific advice to Europe's policy-makers. In the detailed EU-wide study of emerging plant pests and diseases, EASAC describes their combined threat to crops and forests and wider ecosystems, with implications for human health. In economic terms, as admitted by the EU Commission, billions of euros could be at stake and the environmental impact may be irreversible. Prof. Anne Glover, Chief Scientific ...

Australian author on the paper, Professor Rodney Sinclair, Professor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne and Director of Dermatology at Epworth HealthCare said that the risk decreased significantly with increasing age, but it remains higher compared with individuals who have never had NMSC. "The risk for developing any cancer subsequent to NMSC decreases significantly with increasing age: 23 times higher risk for those under 25 years of age; 3.52 for those 25-44 years of age; 1.74 for those 45- 59 years of age; and 1.32 for those older than 60 years. Published ...

In a significant advance for the growing field of synthetic biology, Rice University bioengineers have created a toolkit of genes and hardware that uses colored lights and engineered bacteria to bring both mathematical predictability and cut-and-paste simplicity to the world of genetic circuit design. "Life is controlled by DNA-based circuits, and these are similar to the circuits found in electronic devices like smartphones and computers," said Rice bioengineer Jeffrey Tabor, the lead researcher on the project. "A major difference is that electrical engineers measure ...

A team of scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (WUSTL) and the University of Arizona (UA) in Tucson led by Samuel Achilefu have created a pair of high-tech glasses that help surgeons visualize cancer cells during surgeries, which glow blue when viewed through the glasses. Achilefu published the 2013 article he coauthored as part of a special section in the SPIE Journal of Biomedical Optics on fluorescence molecular imaging that details the development of the high-tech glasses (available via open access in the SPIE Digital Library). Achilefu, ...

Jena (Germany) Vast fields of sunflowers, sprawling pine trees and slim cypresses, as well as vineyards as far as the eye can see – these are typical memories of Tuscany for all those who have been there. By contrast, Professor Dr. Beate Michalzik from the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena and her colleagues are interested in the more barren aspects of the region in Central Italy: In a study the Jena geographers analyzed the condition of the soil in the region known as 'Crete Senesi' between Florence and Grosseto, whose hills are typically characterized by erosion – ...

Employers are routinely discriminating against people who stammer, rejecting them because of concerns about possible negative reactions from customers or team members, new research suggests. A study by Dr Clare Butler, of Newcastle University Business School, published in the journal Work, Employment and Society says that people who stammer experience widespread prejudice in the jobs market. Thirty-six men from England and Wales, ranging in age from 21 to 65 years, were interviewed and all reported routine discrimination. Some had been immediately rejected at interviews ...

Mortality in prostate cancer is lower in areas with frequent use of PSA testing compared with areas with little testing shows a study published online today in Journal of the National Cancer Institute by researchers from Umeå University, Sweden and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA. The study is based on data from nation-wide, population-based registers in Sweden including the Cancer Register, The Cause of Death Register and the National Prostate Cancer Register (NPCR) of Sweden. "Our results show that prostate cancer mortality was 20 procent ...

Comfort Electronics, Ltd, a veteran in European automotive electronics, sponsored and produced a short Art Film in the industry often shy in this marketing form. Instead of a commercial ad, they decided to hide their message in a more sophisticated format. German car sales are very strong. With large investments Mercedes is targeting the younger buyers. They are hoping that their new CLA and GLA class vehicles will become a new cult car. With younger generation there is also a need for a new media to communicate with them. Assuming the Mercedes Benz driver is likely ...

After releasing a highly successful sophomore album titled 'All New Everything', singing the Bollywood blockbuster song 'O Meri Chandni' with Sunidhi Chauhan, the single 'She's A Playa', which was applauded by the likes of Sonu Nigam and a hit remix of the track 'Punjabi Wedding Song' from the film 'Hasee Toh Phasee' Parichay is all set to release his single 'Tujhse Judaa' from his forthcoming album, '4 Steps Forward' 'Tujhse Judaa', which translates to 'Separated from You', as its name suggests, is an extremely high-energy emotional track with deep lyrics and a heart-touching ...

Emerson Bearing, a Boston based bearing company catering to OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Operations) markets throughout the world, recently launched a new division to supply bearings and related products for stillness equipment used for both traditional photography and video cameras. "For many videographers and photographers, you only get one opportunity at a shot and you absolutely do not want to miss it or get an out-of-focus shot because your tripod failed to remain locked in place," said Steve Katz, president ...