EAST LANSING, Mich. — It's commonly known, at least among microbiologists, that microbes have an additional option to living or dying — dormancy. Dormant microbes are less like zombies and more like hibernating bears. What isn't known, however, is how large numbers of dormant microorganisms affect the natural environments when they act as microbial seed banks. In the current issue of Nature Reviews: Microbiology, Jay Lennon, Michigan State University assistant professor of microbiology and molecular genetics, examines the cellular mechanisms that allow microbes to hibernate ...

CHICAGO (January 26) – Scientists at The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), designated the "#1 Rehabilitation Hospital in America" by U.S. News & World Report since 1991, report that, thanks to improvements in technology and data analysis, our understanding of the functional principles that guide the development and operation of the brain could improve drastically in the next few years. The advances could herald a neuroscientific revolution, much as increasing processor speeds paved the way for the computing revolution of the last half century. In the February, ...

A new target for the prevention of adverse immune responses identified as factors in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been discovered by researchers at the University of South Florida's Department of Psychiatry and the Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair. Their findings are published online in the Journal of Neuroscience (http://www.jneurosci.org/). The CD45 molecule is a receptor on the surface of the brain's microglia cells, cells that support the brain's neurons and also participate in brain immune responses. Previous studies by the ...

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- New research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine describes a key molecular mechanism in nerve fibers that ensures the rapid conductance of nervous system impulses. The findings appear online Jan. 27, 2011 in the journal Neuron. Our hard-wired nerve fibers or axons rely on an insulating membrane sheath, the myelin, made up of fatty white matter to accelerate the rate of transmission of electrical impulses from the brain to other parts of the body. Myelin thus acts to prevent electrical current from leaking or prematurely ...

Scientists are reporting discovery of a potential biochemical basis for the apparent cancer-fighting ability of broccoli and its veggie cousins. They found for the first time that certain substances in the vegetables appear to target and block a defective gene associated with cancer. Their report, which could lead to new strategies for preventing and treating cancer, appears in ACS' Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. Fung-Lung Chung and colleagues showed in previous experiments that substances called isothiocyanates (or ITCs) — found in broccoli, cauliflower, watercress, ...

Scientists are reporting that key chemical components of the 770,000 gallons of oil dispersants applied below the ocean surface in the Deepwater Horizon spill did mix with oil and gas spewing out of the damaged wellhead and remained in the deep ocean for two months or more without degrading. However, it was not possible to determine if the first deep ocean use of oil dispersants worked as planned in breaking up and dissipating the oil. Their study, the first peer-reviewed research published on the fate of oil dispersants added to underwater ocean environments, appears in ...

Scientists are reporting successful application of the technology used in home devices to clean jewelry, dentures, and other items to make anticancer drugs like tamoxifen and paclitaxel dissolve more easily in body fluids, so they can better fight the disease. The process, described in ACS' journal, Langmuir, can make other poorly soluble materials more soluble, and has potential for improving the performance of dyes, paints, rust-proofing agents and other products. In the report, Yuri M. Lvov and colleagues point out that many drugs, including some of the most powerful ...

Phosphate-free automatic dishwashing detergents — introduced to combat the phosphate-fed algae blooms that foul the nation's lakes and rivers — may be making the fish happy. But they're putting a frown on the faces of some consumers who say the new products leave dishes dirty. That's the topic of the cover story in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS' weekly newsmagazine. C&EN Assistant Managing Editor Michael McCoy described how new laws in 16 states require manufacturers to eliminate phosphates from automatic dishwasher detergents sold in ...

Astronomers have pushed the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to its limits by finding what is plausibly the most distant and ancient object in the Universe [1] ever seen. Its light has travelled for 13.2 billion years to reach Hubble [2], which corresponds to a redshift around 10. The age of the Universe is 13.7 billion years. The dim object, called UDFj-39546284, is likely to be a compact galaxy of blue stars that existed 480 million years after the Big Bang, only four percent of the Universe's current age. It is tiny. Over one hundred such mini-galaxies would be needed ...

Cardiac arrests that can be treated by electric stimulation, also known as shockable arrests, were found at a higher frequency in public settings than in the home, according to a National Institutes of Health-funded study appearing in the Jan. 27 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The study compared home and public cardiac arrests under various scenarios. For example, the study considered whether bystanders or emergency medical services (EMS) personnel witnessed the cardiac arrest, and whether the person experiencing the arrest received treatment with an automatic ...

Pasadena, CA— Astronomers have pushed NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to it limits by finding what they believe to be the most distant object ever seen in the universe—at a distance of 13.2 billion light years, some 3% of the age of universe. This places the object roughly 150 million light years more distant than the previous record holder. The observations provide the best insights yet into the birth of the first stars and galaxies and the evolution of the universe. The research is published in the 27th January edition of Nature. The dim object is a compact galaxy made ...

NASA's Aqua Satellite captured a visible image of the former Tropical Storm Anthony, now weakened to a tropical depression, but forecasters aren't counting Anthony out yet. Despite its weakened condition Anthony continues to move west toward Queensland, Australia and into a more favorable area for sustaining a tropical cyclone. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible image on Jan. 26 at 03:23 UTC of Tropical Depression Anthony in the South Pacific Ocean. The image revealed a cloud-filled center of the ...

The life of a cyclone is a complex one, and NASA satellites have kept track of a low that has now become Tropical Storm Bianca just off the northern coast of Western Australia. What began as a low pressure system designated as System 98S on January 24, brought rains near Kuri Bay, Australia. On January 25, System 98S strengthened into the tenth tropical depression of the Southern Pacific Ocean hurricane season and was designated as "10S." Today, January 26, that low intensified into a tropical storm and was named Bianca. NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) ...

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Little girls growing up in western society are expected to be neat and tidy – "all ribbon and curls" – and one researcher who studies science and gender differences thinks that emphasis may contribute to higher rates of certain diseases in adult women. The link between increased hygiene and sanitation and higher rates of asthma, allergies and autoimmune disorders is known as the "hygiene hypothesis" and the link is well-documented. Yet the role of gender is rarely explored as part of this phenomenon. Oregon State University philosopher Sharyn Clough ...

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine have found that particular strains of a food-borne bacteria are able to invade the heart, leading to serious and difficult-to-treat heart infections. The study is available online in the Journal of Medical Microbiology. The bacteria Listeria monocytogenes is commonly found in soft cheeses and chilled ready-to-eat products. For healthy individuals, listeria infections are usually mild, but for susceptible individuals and the elderly, infection can result in serious illness, usually associated with ...

Bethesda, MD - Last night, in his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama presented the nation with a vision of a better future through investment in education, infrastructure, and research. Recognizing the role that innovation has played in this nation's history and the promise that it holds for addressing the many challenges we face, he stated that "maintaining our leadership in research and technology is crucial to America's success." William T. Talman, MD, President of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) responded, "we ...

ARLINGTON, Va.--To cut down on convoys trucking fuel to forward operating bases, as well as implement the Department of the Navy's vision for energy efficiency, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and elements within the Marine Corps have successfully demonstrated their goal to reduce petroleum and energy usage in remote locations in Afghanistan. "The early results from the front indicate the ability of ONR and its Marine Corps partners to make a difference in survivability and efficiency for our warfighters," said Rear Adm. Nevin Carr, chief of naval research. "We ...

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Highly-caffeinated energy drinks – even those containing no alcohol – may pose a significant threat to individuals and public health, say researchers at the University of Maryland School of Public Health and Wake Forest University School of Medicine. In a new online commentary in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), they recommend immediate consumer action, education by health providers, voluntary disclosures by manufacturers and new federal labeling requirements. "Recent action to make pre-mixed alcoholic energy drinks unavailable ...

Professor Richard Watt and his chemistry students suspected that a common protein could potentially react with sunlight and harvest its energy – similar to what chlorophyll does during photosynthesis. The story of how they proved it sounds as colorful as the legend of the leprechaun who hid his pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. They started with citric acid from oranges and mixed it with the protein. Next they dissolved gold powder into the solution. Then they put vials of the yellow-colored mixture in direct sunlight and crossed their fingers in the hope that ...

Fairbanks, Alaska – Scientists from Virginia Tech and the University of Colorado are preparing to launch two NASA sounding rockets for two experiments at Poker Flat Research Range north of Fairbanks. The launch window for both experiments opens on Jan. 26 and extends until Feb. 15. In the experiment set to launch on Jan. 26, if winds are favorable, researchers from the University of Colorado will use a rocket at the top of its arc 200 miles above the ground as a platform to obtain an electronic telescope image of a far-off galaxy. The rocket carrying the second experiment ...

Even by invading plants' standards, the filaree, or common stork's bill, has been remarkably successful. Introduced into North America in the eighteenth century, it is now endemic in south-western states such as California, and the plant's intriguing seed dispersal mechanism seems to lie at the root of their success. Having launched as far as possible from the mother plant, the seed drills itself into the ground by repeatedly curling and unwinding a strap-like structure, known as an awn, to give it the best chance to germinate. But how do they self-drill? Having watched ...

Money Scholar has been chosen as one of the many innovative products for the "Buy Mom" catalog (www.buy-mom.com). This exclusive catalog features products that are hand picked by Kim Lavine - speaker, business coach and author of best selling book "Mommy Millionaire." Kim Lavine has inspired millions with her story of how Wuvits launched her from a middle class mom to a Mommy Millionaire. She is taking her experience and knowledge to help other moms reach their financial goals by helping them launch their businesses. To be part of the "Buy Mom" catalog, the product ...

PERI Software Solutions, Inc. plans to participate the DistribuTECH Conference and Exhibition (booth 2219) in San Diego, CA (Feb 01-03, 2011) at the convention center. DistribuTECH is the utility industry's leading smart grid conference and exposition, covering automation and control systems, energy efficiency, demand response, renewable energy integration, advanced metering, T&D system operation and reliability, power delivery equipment and water utility technology. "We plan to discuss the latest hardware and software usage for smart grid technology," explained Sarav ...

In the midst of a questionable economy, Seattle Town Car is striving to make luxury affordable by offering discounts during this event season. The company is not only known for its town car service, but its Seattle limo and Seattle airport limousine service as well. Since the vehicles are largely used for special occasions, the company thought it was only natural to make sure clients could still afford to have access to them. Sensitive to local needs, and recognizing that many clients are finding themselves between a rock and a hard place when it comes to balancing ...

Lighthouse for the Blind - St. Louis was recently honored for its efforts to increase employment retention, growth, and upward mobility for people who are blind in 2010. The award was presented by National Industries for the Blind (NIB) in recognition of Lighthouse for the Blind - St. Louis' success and commitment to increasing employment and economic opportunities for people who are blind. "We are proud to provide employment opportunities for people who are blind," said John Thompson, President. "Over 90% of our direct labor force, including our supervisors, are ...