en-us http://www.discover8.com DiscoveR8: Science is news http://www.discover8.com/article/HPV_DNA_test_promising_for_cervical_cancer_0 A test developed to detect carcinogenic human papillomavirus in women in developing countries has shown promise in trials http://www.discover8.com/article/HPV_DNA_test_promising_for_cervical_cancer_0 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:56:17 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Africa_ill_equipped_for_fight_against_cancer_0 African governments are ill-prepared to address the continent's growing cancer burden, warn Hany Besadaand and Vadim Ermakov. http://www.discover8.com/article/Africa_ill_equipped_for_fight_against_cancer_0 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:51:32 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Short_cut_to_cell_replacement_0 Moving from one differentiated cell type from another may not require a 'stop-over' in an undifferentiated state http://www.discover8.com/article/Short_cut_to_cell_replacement_0 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:48:44 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/A_quarter_of_mammals_face_extinction_0 One in four of the world's mammal species is threatened with extinction, according to the first comprehensive survey of this class of animal. Populations are declining in half of all mammal species, with some experiencing an extreme decline; Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) numbers plummeted by 60% over the http://www.discover8.com/article/A_quarter_of_mammals_face_extinction_0 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:44:49 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Harvard_celebrates_the_goofy_side_of_science_0 The Ig Nobel prizes were given out last Thursday. Winners included the team that showed that a stripper's ovulatory cycle affected her tips (economics) and some folks who taught slime molds to solve mazes (cognitive). The archaeology prize went to a team who documented armadillos messing up their dig site. As to whether they found a way to keep the little dudes out ...not mentioned.The evening culminated with "Win a date with Benot Mandelbrot." http://www.discover8.com/article/Harvard_celebrates_the_goofy_side_of_science_0 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:01:47 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Smoking_and_solid_fuel_use_in_homes_cause_millions_of_deaths_0 If current levels of smoking and biomass and coal fuel use in homes continues, between 2003 and 2033 there will be an estimated 65 million deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 18 million deaths from lung cancer in China, accounting for 19% and 5% of all deaths in that country during this period. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) predict that the combined effects of these two major factors alone will be responsible for more than 80% of COPD deaths and 75% of lung cancer deaths in China over a thirty-year period. But interventions to reduce smoking and household use of biomass fuels and coal for cooking and heating could significantly reduce the number of deaths. http://www.discover8.com/article/Smoking_and_solid_fuel_use_in_homes_cause_millions_of_deaths_0 Sun, 05 Oct 2008 09:32:45 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Discovery_of_natural_compounds_that_could_slow_blood_vessel_growth_0 Using a whole-genome approach, researchers have found more than one hundred human protein compounds that can slow blood vessel growth. This could lead to treatments against diseases that depend on the growth of new blood vessels, including cancer, macular degeneration and rheumatoid arthritis. http://www.discover8.com/article/Discovery_of_natural_compounds_that_could_slow_blood_vessel_growth_0 Sun, 05 Oct 2008 09:27:30 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/sea_ice_extent_has_declined_0 This summer, the area covered by Arctic sea ice dropped to its second-lowest since satellite measurements began in 1979. It has recovered slightly from 2007 with regard to ice coverage, but since this is new, first-year ice, it is very thin. Overall ice volume may in fact be lower.First-year ice is more likely to break up and melt than multi-year ice. This exacerbates the global worming process. Sea water is dark in color and it absorbs (and converts to heat) 90% of the sunlight that hits it. White ice, however, can reflect between 70% and 90%. The more open ice turns into open water, the more heat the planet will absorb. http://www.discover8.com/article/sea_ice_extent_has_declined_0 Sat, 04 Oct 2008 08:53:06 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Wind_Turbines_Don_t_Make_Birds_Fly_the_Coop_0 A study finds that, despite concerns, offshore wind farms are largely not harmful to seashore or migrating birds. The presence of wind farms affected only one in twenty-three species. Although researchers warn not to extrapolate these results to inland birds, there seems to be little fear. The article mentions, in passing, that the wind farms are, however, dangerous to bats. http://www.discover8.com/article/Wind_Turbines_Don_t_Make_Birds_Fly_the_Coop_0 Sat, 04 Oct 2008 08:46:12 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Astronautics_The_Hubble_Space_Telescope_Will_Not_Be_Repaired_Until_Next_Year_0 The Hubble Space Telescope seems to be its own worst enemy. The space shuttle Atlantis had been scheduled to tak en eleven-day trip to the Hubble to allow astronauts to replace old parts and make repairs, but the mission will have to be delayed until 2009--because the Hubble is broken.NASA scientists have decided to permit the Hubble to switch to its backup Hubble Control Unit/Science Data Formatter and take the risk of this one breaking too, but it will allow the Hubble to resume its observations. However, NASA is eager to have astronauts replace the primary control unit with a spare that has been kept safely on the ground.The article isn't exactly clear why this extra problem requires a delay, but it may be that this mission requires the Atlantis to wait until the shuttle Discovery is ready to serve as a backup rescue vehicle, though why this would not be necessary under other circumstances is also not made clear. http://www.discover8.com/article/Astronautics_The_Hubble_Space_Telescope_Will_Not_Be_Repaired_Until_Next_Year_0 Fri, 03 Oct 2008 07:55:03 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/A_Viral_Blast_From_the_Past_0 Fifty-year-old sample sheds light on when HIV jumped from chimps to humans. http://www.discover8.com/article/A_Viral_Blast_From_the_Past_0 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:30:47 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Red_Fish_Blue_Fish_One_Fish_Becomes_Two_Fish_0 Changes in vision lead to new species in cichlids in a form of sexual selection not usually seen (or at least not usually recognized). http://www.discover8.com/article/Red_Fish_Blue_Fish_One_Fish_Becomes_Two_Fish_0 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:28:40 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Tissue_sample_suggests_HIV_has_been_infecting_humans_for_a_century_0 Tissue samples from the fifties and sixties, taken from patients living in Kinshasa (then Leopoldville) in the Democratic Republic of Congo indicate that HIV, which was first recognized in the 1980's. Researchers were able to pluck chinks of viral DNA from the crudely preserved samples. Comparing the levels of genetic variation allowed them to give an estimate of HIV-1's year of origin: 1908.This does not show us how HIV crossed from chimpanzees into humans, but it does give us a better idea of where to look for the disease's origins. http://www.discover8.com/article/Tissue_sample_suggests_HIV_has_been_infecting_humans_for_a_century_0 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:21:19 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Dermatology_Cosmetics_companies_mince_words_make_money_0 The next time you pick up a bottle of shampoo or moisturizer, take a look at the label. Does it claim to contain stem cells or growth hormone? For people who hang out on this website, the thought is probably, "Wait. Laboratories have a hard enough time growing their own stem cells. Who the #@%& is $#%!headed enough to put them in a 'rejuvenating night cream'?!"It's hype. Of course it's hype. Even a layperson can be pretty sure that they aren't putting human embryonic stem cells in the hand lotion, but are they adult stem cells? Cells from mice or rabbits? Have they totally reconstructed the term "stem cell" to mean "asparagus extract"? The FCC does have some bite left, and the companies aren't allowed to lie straight-out (though one look at those signs up in The Body Shop shows that they can come darn close).The article doesn't deconstruct every last usage of "microproliferators," but it does take a peek at this history of pseudomedical jargon in cosmetic advertising. It seems that, lately, the beauty companies are pulling more words out of popular science ...which means that I am partly at fault.This piece would be valuable solely for its link to thebeautybrains.com. I've taken a look around and it seems like a good place to peel the advertising off of the facts. However, the article itself does do some myth-bashing. Human growth hormone? The molecule can't penetrate human skin when applied topically and actually decreases skin thickness in mouse studies. http://www.discover8.com/article/Dermatology_Cosmetics_companies_mince_words_make_money_0 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:18:45 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Water_s_role_in_Martian_chemistry_becoming_clearer_0 As its mission nears its end, the NASA Phoenix Mars Lander finds strong evidence for minerals similar to those formed on Earth by liquid water. http://www.discover8.com/article/Water_s_role_in_Martian_chemistry_becoming_clearer_0 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:17:35 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Equilibrium_theory_doesn_t_make_muster_0 This article discusses the flaws in the mathematical models that economists have been using to predict changes in the economy. The contributor believes that core idea, called "equilibrium theory," is what has been failing to predict changes in investors' behavior. http://www.discover8.com/article/Equilibrium_theory_doesn_t_make_muster_0 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:55:38 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Agriculture_Urban_farmland_might_reduce_our_energy_problem_0 Scientific American here highlights urban farming. The idea is that we spend all this time, water and energy not only growing and fertilizing plants the old-fashioned way but then transporting the food products all the way from the farms to the cities, where most of the people live and where--by 2050, a whole lot more people are going to live.The article describes growing fruits and vegetables inside tall glass buildings like some kind of modern-day hanging gardens (I wonder if they give +2 happy faces like in Civilization). We've got construction and glassmaking technology. We've got lightweight soils, hydroponics, and aeroponics. Let's use 'em!According to Dickson Despommier of Columbia University, what we wouldn't need would be any kind of direct genetic modification (although technically any kind of breeding or domestication is genetic modification). What he is promoting is essentially just a large, well-organized greenhouse on primo real estate. Most fruit and veggie crops can already do that.Perhaps I've been biased by Scientific American's other recent article, on the way the brain percieves probability, but this reminds me very much of some of the early ideas for airports in cities. People came up with some beautiful geometric arrays, some of them on top of skyscrapers, because they had no idea about the magnitude of noise and pressure that would be involved (in fairness, the aircraft of the period were less heavy than today's). I have to wonder if this is another pretty picture. http://www.discover8.com/article/Agriculture_Urban_farmland_might_reduce_our_energy_problem_0 Wed, 01 Oct 2008 08:33:45 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/In_acidic_oceans_sound_carries_further_0 It seems that as the oceans grow more acidic with all this atmospheric CO2, sounds begin to travel longer distances before they dissipate. Despite what one might think, this is not good news for whales and dolphins, which use sound to communicate and travel. Military sonar can already disrupt cetacean behavior as much as five hundred kilometers away. If things continue at the current rate, then by 2050, these sounds will travel 70% further in some parts of the Atlantic. http://www.discover8.com/article/In_acidic_oceans_sound_carries_further_0 Wed, 01 Oct 2008 08:08:49 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/X_chromosome_is_extra_diverse_0 Men who father children with multiple women are responsible for extra diversity on the X chromosome, a new study of six different populations suggests. http://www.discover8.com/article/X_chromosome_is_extra_diverse_0 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:49:56 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Researchers_discover_that_growing_up_too_fast_may_mean_dying_young_in_honey_bees_0 Reactive oxygen species (ROS) occur as a by-product of aerobic metabolism and impair cellular function by damaging proteins, nucleotides and lipids. Organisms possess a variety of anti-oxidant mechanisms to mitigate the effects of ROS, and the oxidative stress model of aging and senescence suggests that physiological performance declines with age due to lifetime accrual of ROS-induced damage and progressively limited anti-oxidant capacity. Hence, the onset, pace and duration of energetically-intense behaviors should affect lifetime kinetics of ROS-induced damage, anti-oxidant responses, physiological capacity and longevity. A new study examines how these traits in honey bees are affected by age and behavioral intensity (factors which can be experimentally decoupled via manipulation of colony demographics), and is the first to use such an approach to test the oxidative stress model of aging in a free-living organism. http://www.discover8.com/article/Researchers_discover_that_growing_up_too_fast_may_mean_dying_young_in_honey_bees_0 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:41:58 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/SpaceX_s_Falcon_1_shows_successful_launch_0 Private rocket company SpaceX has been in some trouble lately. However, the successful test of its new Falcon 1, which reached low earth orbit after it was launched late this past Sunday.The Falcon 1 can only lift one ton of cargo. To compete, SpaceX will have to built a rockets that can lift at least ten tons. Even so, this is a huge triumph. SpaceX estimates that each launch will cost $10 million, about one-fourth the cost of current systems. With the American shuttle program winding down, this is a timely development. http://www.discover8.com/article/SpaceX_s_Falcon_1_shows_successful_launch_0 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:17:53 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Hubble_suddenly_quiet_0 The orbiting observatory has suddenly stopped transmitting data. NASA reports an unknown failure inside a data formatting unit as culprit.NASA is debating whether to command Hubble to switch to a backup unit, which would require reconnecting all five scientific devices or to transport a new backup unit from Earth to the telescope. Considering that the current backup unit has been subject to eighteen years of crippling daily temperature changes, the earthbound backup may be the way to go. http://www.discover8.com/article/Hubble_suddenly_quiet_0 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:11:55 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Gene_therapy_tool_would_target_free_radicals_0 Gene therapy has been touted as a possible way to cure genetic diseases, but new research suggests that it could also fight the wear and tear that leads to cardiovascular diseases.ScienceNews reports:"To work within this delicate balance, researchers in Finland have developed a way to insert into human cells free radicalfighting genes that only get switched on when free radical concentrations are high. That way, the genes could stave off the worst effects of free radicals without inhibiting the molecules useful functions, the researchers report in the September Gene Therapy." http://www.discover8.com/article/Gene_therapy_tool_would_target_free_radicals_0 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:03:32 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Mutualism_alters_fish_behavior_0 A type of fish called the cleaner wrasse seems to haev a calming effect on local predators. The wrasse eat parasites off the scales of larger fish and even provide what Nature writers have called "a calming massage" with their fins. In return, the client fish keep returning to the wrasses' territory to provide them with more food.However, what researchers have recently noticed is that client fish stop hunting each other while in wrasse territory--even while they are waiting to be served. http://www.discover8.com/article/Mutualism_alters_fish_behavior_0 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 07:51:16 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Climate_change_Sunspots_may_be_affecting_hurricane_intensity_study_says_0 While recent data have suggested that the Earth's warming climate has altered the intensity balance of storms to favor more intense and dangerous hurricanes, there may be an additional factor at work: The solar cycle.A team at Florida State University has examined storm data going back a century. There appears to be a twelve-year storm cycle that corresponds with the rise and fall of magnetic activity on the sun.This suggestion--which attributes some of our changing climate to non-manmade activities--has not gone unchallenged. Other scientists are questioning the team's methods and conclusions. The mechanism by which solar activity is assumed to affect storms (increased UV rays hitting the upper atmosphere) in particular seems subject to review. However, all parties seem to be in agreement that this is a topic that merits further study. http://www.discover8.com/article/Climate_change_Sunspots_may_be_affecting_hurricane_intensity_study_says_0 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 08:43:33 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Do_light_cigarettes_deliver_less_nicotine_to_the_brain_than_regular_cigarettes__0 For decades now, cigarette makers have marketed so-called light cigarettes which contain less nicotine than regular smokes with the implication that they are less harmful to smokers' health. A new UCLA study shows, however, that they deliver nearly as much nicotine to the brain despite having a lower overall nicotine content. http://www.discover8.com/article/Do_light_cigarettes_deliver_less_nicotine_to_the_brain_than_regular_cigarettes__0 Sat, 27 Sep 2008 23:12:07 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Hurricane_Ike_Victims_Return_Turned_Away_0 Residents of Galveston, Texas launched an ill-advised attempt to return to their crippled hometown Wednesday, but instead fumed in hours of gridlocked traffic only to be turned away at the bridge leading to their island. The confusion results in part form the fact that city governors had announced a "look and leave" plan permitting residents to return. However, this plan was rescinded only hours later--when many Galvestonians were already on the road. http://www.discover8.com/article/Hurricane_Ike_Victims_Return_Turned_Away_0 Sat, 27 Sep 2008 23:01:20 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/CERN_collider_takes_five_0 Some of the superconductors in the Large Hadron Collider have heated up and leaked helium into the collider tunnel. The collider has been shut down so that repairs may be made, a process that will take months as the machinery is slowly heated to a workable temperature and then cooled back down again. The machine operates at a temperature only a few degrees above absolute zero. http://www.discover8.com/article/CERN_collider_takes_five_0 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 08:35:56 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Stem_cells_A_new_avenue_to_iPS_0 Researchers from Harvard have found that using adenoviruses to reprogram cells can avoid some of the risk of making induced pluripotent stem cells. Instead of integrating into the host cell's DNA, the adenoviruses express the genes themselves. So far, the experiments have only been successful in mouse tail and liver cells, which are much less hard to work with than primate cells and tissues. In addition, the overall success rate is much lower than that of integrating virus methods, reprograming cells only 0.0001% to 0.001% of the time.Overall, though, this article is more useful as an intelligible and immediate look at the current state of iPS research, including views from the candidates and Sarah Palin http://www.discover8.com/article/Stem_cells_A_new_avenue_to_iPS_0 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 08:25:08 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Saving_the_Wildlife_of_Madagascar_0 When you're on the lookout for lemurs the unusually cute and endangered group of primates found only on the African island of Madagascar it helps to have good eyes (lemurs are small), sharp ears (they rustle the trees) and a keen nose (they have an unmistakable smell).It is hard to say how long the lemurs will be around. Madagascar is what conservationists call a biodiversity hotspot. All hotspots worldwide take up about 2% of Earth's landmass, but they are home to half its species. Scientists have proposed measures that include hiring local citizens to plant trees on formerly cleared land. This will both give residents a financial stake in the new forests but will also earn carbon credits under the Kyoto protocol. http://www.discover8.com/article/Saving_the_Wildlife_of_Madagascar_0 Sat, 27 Sep 2008 08:45:29 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Rules_of_gene_attraction_0 Active genes can be sociable, snuggling up to one another. Brown et al. offer a new explanation for this clustering, suggesting that genes gather for the services of RNA splicing enzymes A gene's location in the nucleus often reflects its activity. Hard-working genes tend to congregate in the interior of the nucleus, whereas their lazier counterparts hang out at the edge. Moreover, active genes on different chromosomes sometimes bunch up. How often active genes come together is uncertain. Whether the associations serve a purpose is also unclear, although some researchers propose that genes converge at so-called transcription factories that contain RNA polymerase. To address these issues, Brown et al. pinpointed five genes that crank up during the differentiation of human red blood cells. Some of the genes were friendlier than others. For example, two -globin genes were about five times more likely to be near each other than were two β-globin genes. Next, the researchers tested whether a gene's chromatin environment affects its tendency to cluster. In human cells, β-globin sits in a tightly packaged chromatin region, whereas -globin's neighborhood is looser. But in mouse cells, -globin resides in a condensed region. The team replaced the mouse -globin gene with the human version, so that the ordinarily loose human gene was now in a condensed chromatin environment. Like the β-globin gene in human cells, the inserted -globin gene in mouse cells was aloof, suggesting that a gene's surroundings do influence its position relative to other genes. However, the team found that the inserted gene worked normally, showing that associations aren't essential for normal transcription. The results also indicate that genes aren't sharing transcription factories. The average distance between associating active genes, the researchers determined, was about ten times the diameter of a factory. Instead, the genes were congregating at nuclear speckles, much larger structures than factories that harbor enzymes for splicing RNA after transcription. The team concludes that genes associate because they sometimes happen to be drawn to the same speckle. http://www.discover8.com/article/Rules_of_gene_attraction_0 Sat, 27 Sep 2008 07:38:46 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Mars_iron_is_ideal_for_building_future_bases_0 FUTURE colonizers of Mars needn't worry about lugging materials from Earth to build their bases - the most widely used building material on Earth, steel, could be manufactured on the Red Planet.The rover Opportunity has found elemental iron - a key ingredient of steel - peppered across the Martian surface as a result of collisions with iron-rich meteorites. The dry conditions and lack of atmospheric oxygen mean that the stuff has not rusted, says Geoffrey Landis of NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio.On Earth, any natural metallic iron rusts in our wet, oxygenated environment, so we rely on iron oxides such as hematite to make steel. Yet these oxides must be stripped of oxygen molecules in the steel-making process, which requires vast amounts of energy. http://www.discover8.com/article/Mars_iron_is_ideal_for_building_future_bases_0 Sat, 27 Sep 2008 07:31:58 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Nature_inverviews_Senator_Obama_on_science_issues_0 The title says it all. Obama, in his own words, responds to Nature magazine on scientific issues. The original idea for the article had been to get both candidates' views, but McCain's campaign declined Nature's invitation. Summaries of Senator McCain's views are given instead.The only scientific issue for which McCain shows more enthusiasm than Obama is the space program. On others, he is either surpassed or matched by Obama.One issue I had not seen before, but I realize now that it's very relevant: Nature asks what Obama will do to allow foreign students who get advanced degrees in the U.S. to remain in the country. I can see how this would be a boon to the ailing U.S. science infrastructure. http://www.discover8.com/article/Nature_inverviews_Senator_Obama_on_science_issues_0 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:43:21 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/The_difference_between_a_liberal_and_conservative_0 What do most scientific studies into the differences between liberals and conservatives have in common? They're usually performed by social scientists, who are usually liberals.This may be why the prevailing idea among such scholars that conservatives are more fearful than liberals. However, a new study shows that it is different kinds of fear, not the magnitude of it, that is correlated with liberal and conservative views. To summarize, conservatives fear chaos and liberals fear emptiness.A group of 128 socially and politically active churchgoers (both liberal and conservative) were asked, "What if there were no God?"The responses differed significantly. Please pardon my blockquote:"'Political conservatives envision a world without God in which baser human impulses go unchecked, social institutions (marriage, government, family) fall apart and chaos ensues," says McAdams. Liberals, on the other hand, envision a world without God as barren, lifeless, devoid of color and reasons to live.'Liberals see their faith as something that fills them up and, without it, they conjure up metaphors of emptiness, depletion and scarcity," McAdams said. "While conservatives worry about societal collapse, liberals worry about a world without deep feelings and intense experiences.'The study findings may shed light on why conservatives prefer more authoritarian leaders while liberals do not, he adds." http://www.discover8.com/article/The_difference_between_a_liberal_and_conservative_0 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:31:28 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/New_life_found_in_ancient_tombs_0 Life has been discovered in the barren depths of Rome's ancient tombs, proving catacombs are not just a resting place for the dead. The two new species of bacteria found growing on the walls of the Roman tombs may help researchers develop new forms of antibiotics. It is even more likely that they will help other researchers find ways to preserve similar tombs and other monuments. http://www.discover8.com/article/New_life_found_in_ancient_tombs_0 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:27:58 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Politics_NIH_director_steps_down_hoping_that_president_will_step_up_0 Over the past several years, Dr. Elias Zerhouni has seen the U.S.'s National Institutes of Health through funding caps and Bush's ban on funding for embryonic stem cell research. He defended sexual research to a conservative Congress and he forbade NIH scientists from doing industrial consulting, a situation that had created some conflicts of interest.And now he's off.Zerhouni says that he's chosen now to depart because he wants the next presidential administration to focus on NIH as quickly as possible. Choosing a new director would force the new president to do that. http://www.discover8.com/article/Politics_NIH_director_steps_down_hoping_that_president_will_step_up_0 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:23:59 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Protein_Kinase_CK2_new_perspectives_of_an_old_kinase_0 Protein Kinase CK2: new perspectives of an old kinaseDesign of specific small molecules that are able to block (inhibit) function of macromolecular targets responsible for the development of certain disorder is the classic and most widely used approach in modern drug therapeutics, e.g., in cancer treatment.To what criteria the cancer drug target must correspond before it could be accepted as a promising object for searching of an appropriate anticancer drug? Ideally it must be:(i)disfunctioned in cancer cells;(ii)essential for cell surviving (target switching-off must lead to cell death); and (iii)targets activity must not be compensated by other macromolecules;(iv)the target must be presented only in tumour cellsSurprisingly, Protein Kinase CK2 corresponds to three out of four criteria indicated above.Since 2005 this kinase was generally accepted as pharmacological tool of proven high therapeutic value. The oncogenic potential of protein kinase CK2 and its involvement in virally mediated pathologies and inflammatory disorders has led to an increasing number of studies aimed at the discovery of selective CK2 inhibitors.Novel, efficient at low micromolar concentrations, and selective CK2 inhibitors [1-7] has been recently designed by OTAVA Ltd., a leading Ukrainian company. To discover new inhibitors, companys researchers spanned computer-based molecular modeling with chemical synthesis of compounds which were further tested in vitro to investigate their ability to bind to and affect the activity of CK2. The binding modes of inhibitors that target the ATP-binding site of CK2 were also studied. Some recently discovered novel patent-free inhibitors were organized in clusters of similar compounds: ProHitTM Compound Sets. Currently, OTAVA Ltd. exclusively offers ProHitTM Sets of CK2 inhibitors to academic and commercial laboratories worldwide to use in drug discovery programs targeting protein kinases. The company also plans to extend ProHitTM Sets to other protein kinase targets.List of selected publications by OTAVAs scientists:[1] Evaluation of 4,5,6,7-tetrahalogeno-1H-isoindole-1,3(2H)-diones as inhibitors of human protein kinase CK2. Golub AG, Yakovenko OY, Prykhod'ko AO, Lukashov SS, Bdzhola VG, Yarmoluk SM. Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 2008, 1784, 143.[2] Kirchhoff atomic charges fitted to multipole moments: implementation for a virtual screening system O.Ya. Yakovenko, A.A. Oliferenko, V.G. Bdzhola, V.A. Palyulin, N.S. Zefirov. J. Comput. Chem. 2008, 29, 1332.[3] Evaluation of 3-Carboxy-4(1H)-quinolones as Inhibitors of Human Protein Kinase CK2. Golub AG, Yakovenko OY, Bdzhola VG, Sapelkin VM, Zien P, Yarmoluk SM. J. Med. Chem. 2006; 49, 6443.[4] Evaluation of 4H-4-chromenone derivatives as inhibitors of protein kinase CK2. A.O. Prykhodko, O.Ya. Yakovenko, A.G. Golub, A.G. Bdzhola, S.M. Yarmoluk, Biopolymers and cell 2005, 21, 287.[5] Search for protein kinase CK2 inhibitors among 3-carboxy-4-aminoquinoline derivatives. V.M. Sapelkin, A.G. Golub, O.Ya. Yakovenko, V.G. Bdzhola, S.M. Yarmoluk, Ukrainica Bioorganica Acta 2005, 2, 28.[6] Search for kasein kinase 2 inhibitors among 4 aminoquinazoline derivatives. V.M. Sapelkin, A.G. Golub, O.Ya. Yakovenko, V.G. Bdzhola, S.M. Yarmoluk, Ukrainica Bioorganica Acta 2004, 1, 74.[7] Inhibitors of protein kinase CK2. A.O. Prykhod'ko, G.G. Dubinina, S.M. Golovach, S.M. Yarmoluk, Ukrainica Bioorganica Acta 2004, 1, 39.Please contact us:OTAVA Ltd.150 Zabolotnogo St.Kyiv 143, 03143UkraineTel./Fax: +380 44 5222458info@otavachemicals.com OTAVA North American Division55 Ellerslie Ave., Suite 524Toronto, Ontario, M2N 1X9CanadaTel.: 1-416-305-9979Fax: 1-866-881-9921 (Toll-free in US & Canada)north.america@otavachemicals.comWeb-site: http://www.otavachemicals.com http://www.discover8.com/article/Protein_Kinase_CK2_new_perspectives_of_an_old_kinase_0 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:43:44 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Baby_s_Little_Smiles_Building_a_Relationship_with_Mom_0 How smilesand poutsare helping researchers probe the essence of the complex mother-infant bond. http://www.discover8.com/article/Baby_s_Little_Smiles_Building_a_Relationship_with_Mom_0 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:37:42 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/FDA_releases_guidelines_for_genetically_modified_animals_0 The path from the lab to the marketplace for genetically modified cows, pigs and chickens has been clearly spelled out for the first time. On September 18, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released a draft of regulations for approving engineered animals for commercial use. The draft is freely available and open for public comment until November 18... http://www.discover8.com/article/FDA_releases_guidelines_for_genetically_modified_animals_0 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:34:16 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Hormones_not_for_all_prostate_cancer_patients_0 A new study raises additional questions about the benefits of drugs given to more than half of prostate cancer patients.Hormone therapy, which blocks the production of the testosterone that feeds prostate tumors, is a mainstay of treatment for men with advanced disease. Studies show it also improves survival in patients with aggressive tumors that are still limited to the prostate. http://www.discover8.com/article/Hormones_not_for_all_prostate_cancer_patients_0 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:23:34 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Are_Bacteria_Foes_of_Diabetes__0 In mice, researchers uncover link between microbes and metabolic disease prevention. One team noticed that mice developed type 1 diabetes at different rates depending on whether and which strains of bacteria were floating around in their systems. The suggestion? Bacteria may mitigate certain forms of diabetes. We already knew that the darn things like sugar. http://www.discover8.com/article/Are_Bacteria_Foes_of_Diabetes__0 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 06:37:27 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Trade_Center_Dig_Exposes_Ice_Age_Landscape_0 Crews excavating the World Trade Center site this summer for the foundations of a new skyscraper have uncovered features carved into the bedrock by glaciers about 20,000 years ago, including a forty-foot-deep pothole http://www.discover8.com/article/Trade_Center_Dig_Exposes_Ice_Age_Landscape_0 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 06:30:20 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Monoclonal_antibodies_come_of_age_0 Monoclonal antibodies, antibodies that are made from a single cell line and that bind to a specific part of a specific antigen, are much more precise than polyclonal antibodies, but they are more expensive and difficult to make. However, a new system of isolating antibodies from human patients has been used to create a library of immune proteins. So far, things seem to be going well. This could open the door for what researchers are calling "passive immunity.""Roger Beerli and his team at Cytos Biotechnology in Schlieren, Switzerland, used lymphocytes from an individual who was enrolled in a clinical trial of the smoking-cessation vaccine, and with their technique rapidly identified nicotine-specific antibodies."The process does have its limits. These antibodies can only be made against diseases that have either approved vaccines or--in the case of the 1918 flu epidemic--survivors. http://www.discover8.com/article/Monoclonal_antibodies_come_of_age_0 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 06:13:26 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Metamaterials_make_hidden_doorways_possible_0 In a writeup rife with references to Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, Nature writer Dr. Philip Ball speaks of the possibility of creating hidden entranceways similar to the railway platform 9 3/4 from J.K. Rowling's books.Chinese teams are calling them "superscatterers." The amazing thing that it isn't a cat with epilepsy; it's an object that can bend light to make itself appear bigger than it is. A pillar placed in the middle of a doorway could appear to fill the entire space while in fact leaving openings to each side. I personally find the Chinese nickname preferable to the British one: "super-milk bottle."So is this the next best thing for high-security locations and superhero lairs? Not so much. The metamaterials in question, at present, can only accomplish this with microwave radiation. Visible light is still off the charts. http://www.discover8.com/article/Metamaterials_make_hidden_doorways_possible_0 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 08:04:49 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/A_new_way_to_identify_disease_associated_genes_0 A new algorithm, which mines databases of tissue specificity, gene connectivity and disease association, has identified a new group of genes that interact with disease-causing genes and impact on disease outcomes. http://www.discover8.com/article/A_new_way_to_identify_disease_associated_genes_0 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 07:55:09 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Gene_linked_to_melanoma_0 A study find that a variation of the gene for the vitamin D receptor appears to increase the risk of melanoma, a serious and sometimes fatal skin cancer. Patients with the BsmI variant had a 30% higher risk of melanoma, accounting for perhaps 10% of all cases. http://www.discover8.com/article/Gene_linked_to_melanoma_0 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 08:01:59 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/5_Cheap_Ways_to_Lower_Your_Blood_Pressure_0 About one in three adults has high blood pressure, but many people don't do a good job of controlling the problem because medications can be pricey. And doctors may not be doing all they can, either. According to new research, released last week during the annual meeting of the American Heart Association's Council for High Blood Pressure Research, many doctors fail to follow national guidelines that call for treating people above the 120/80 level. Here, then, is an online calculator from the American Heart Association that will help you calculate your risk, as well as five low-cost ways to lower your blood pressure... http://www.discover8.com/article/5_Cheap_Ways_to_Lower_Your_Blood_Pressure_0 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 07:59:01 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Fight_Global_Warming_With_a_White_Roof_0 A can of white paint should be part of the planet's arsenal against global warming, say California researchers, who have calculated that installing white roofs in the world's cities could offset 1.5 years of man-made carbon emissions. http://www.discover8.com/article/Fight_Global_Warming_With_a_White_Roof_0 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 04:41:32 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Cheap_cervical_cancer_test_is_boost_for_poor_countries_0 This writeup references a study in Lancet. Cervical cancer is the second deadliest cancer in women: it strikes 500,000 every year, and more than half die. But 85% of those deaths are in poor countries. A team of researchers has just tested a new, less expensive pap test that may go for as little as $5 USD, testing it alongside the more expensive HPV test. It was over 90% accurate. http://www.discover8.com/article/Cheap_cervical_cancer_test_is_boost_for_poor_countries_0 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 04:38:59 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Baby_Bottle_Chemical_Linked_to_Disease_0 The first major epidemiological study of bisphenol A, a common ingredient in baby bottles and drink containers, suggests that relatively higher doses of the chemical double the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The finding comes as a scientific review panel meets here to begin evaluating the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) draft assessment of the health risks of the compound http://www.discover8.com/article/Baby_Bottle_Chemical_Linked_to_Disease_0 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 07:58:01 -0400