en-us http://www.discover8.com DiscoveR8: Science is news http://www.discover8.com/article/Sirtuin_shown_to_control_gene_activity_0 A formerly underappreciated member of the sirtuin family of proteins may hold the key to youthfulness and is the first sirtuin shown to specifically govern the activity of genes http://www.discover8.com/article/Sirtuin_shown_to_control_gene_activity_0 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:14:22 -0500 http://www.discover8.com/article/From_Rare_Bugs_To_Test_Tube_Drugs_0 Scientists at the University of St Andrews have created exotic biological compounds in a test tube by uncovering some of Nature's chemical secrets. http://www.discover8.com/article/From_Rare_Bugs_To_Test_Tube_Drugs_0 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:07:36 -0500 http://www.discover8.com/article/_On_Switch_For_Cell_Death_Signaling_Mechanism_Discovered_0 Scientists at Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham) have determined the structure of the interactions between proteins that form the heart of the Scientists at Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham) have determined the structure of the interactions between proteins that form the heart of the death inducing signaling complex (DISC), which is responsible for triggering apoptosis (programmed cell death). http://www.discover8.com/article/_On_Switch_For_Cell_Death_Signaling_Mechanism_Discovered_0 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:04:56 -0500 http://www.discover8.com/article/Ancient_Odor_detecting_Mechanism_In_Insects_Discovered_0 In 1913 Theodore Roosevelt added cartographer to his resume when he and his crew ventured up an unspeakably dangerous and uncharted tributary named the River of Doubt. Now, on a charting expedition of their own, Rockefeller University scientists have completed a journey that has also defied expectation. http://www.discover8.com/article/Ancient_Odor_detecting_Mechanism_In_Insects_Discovered_0 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:01:41 -0500 http://www.discover8.com/article/Question_Attention_vaccines_can_cause_autism_0 a Georgia girl, daughter of a doctor and lawyer, seems like clear-cut evidence which convince that vaccines can cause autism. She may "not a typical autistic child," after all, there are no scientific studies documenting that childhood vaccinations cause or worsen mitochondrial diseases, but there is very little scientific research in this area. http://www.discover8.com/article/Question_Attention_vaccines_can_cause_autism_0 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:27:49 -0500 http://www.discover8.com/article/Short_legs_linked_to_liver_disease_in_study_0 Women with short legs may have a higher risk of liver disease, with both probably caused by diet or other factors early in life, British researchers reported on Monday. http://www.discover8.com/article/Short_legs_linked_to_liver_disease_in_study_0 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 02:14:23 -0500 http://www.discover8.com/article/Peterson_case_warrants_seek_GPS_biological_material__0 Investigators searching for an ex-police officer's wife are focusing on the Global Positioning System in her husband's vehicle along with "biological material" and other physical evidence, according to a published report. http://www.discover8.com/article/Peterson_case_warrants_seek_GPS_biological_material__0 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 03:39:22 -0500 http://www.discover8.com/article/Gene_variation_raises_asthma_risk_by_60__0 A genetic variation that significantly raises a child's risk of developing asthma has been identified by scientists. The discovery may one day lead to better treatments for one of the most common chronic childhood ailments.The finding adds to evidence for the role genetics rather than environmental factors plays in how children develop asthma, UK. http://www.discover8.com/article/Gene_variation_raises_asthma_risk_by_60__0 Wed, 11 Jul 2007 01:46:23 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Laughter_improves_breast_milk_s_health_effect_0 In Osaka, Japan,study says: breastfed babies with eczema experienced milder symptoms if their mothers laughed hours before feeding them. http://www.discover8.com/article/Laughter_improves_breast_milk_s_health_effect_0 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 05:16:18 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Restoration_of_cone_vision_in_a_mouse_model_of_achromatopsia_0 "Loss of cone function in the central retina is a pivotal event in the development of severe vision impairment for many prevalent blinding diseases. Complete achromatopsia is a genetic defect resulting in cone vision loss in 1 in 30,000 individuals. Using adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy, we show that it is possible to target cones and rescue both the cone-mediated electroretinogram response and visual acuity in the Gnat2cpfl3 mouse model of achromatopsia." http://www.discover8.com/article/Restoration_of_cone_vision_in_a_mouse_model_of_achromatopsia_0 Tue, 05 Jun 2007 03:25:46 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Study_Focuses_On_Only_Carnivore_With_Fingerprints__0 A new study in the May issue of the Journal of Wildlife Management reports that scientists from the New York State Museum, Wildlife Conservation Society and other groups have teamed up with the New York State Department of Criminal Justice to developed a new technique that uses fingerprints to track the fisher--an elusive member of the weasel family, and the only carnivore species known to have unique fingerprints. http://www.discover8.com/article/Study_Focuses_On_Only_Carnivore_With_Fingerprints__0 Mon, 28 May 2007 03:17:56 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Protection_against_Escherichia_coli_infection_by_antibody_to_the_Staphylococcus_aureus_poly_N_acetylglucosamine_surface_polysaccharide_0 Poly-N-acetylglucosamine (PNAG) is a surface polysaccharide produced by Staphylococcus aureus and Staphyloccus epidermidis and is an effective target for opsonic and protective Ab for these two organisms. Recently, it has been found that Escherichia coli produces an exo-polysaccharide, designated polyglucosamine, that is biochemically indistinguishable from PNAG. We analyzed 30 E. coli strains isolated from urinary tract and neonatal bloodstream infections for the pga locus, PNAG antigen production, and susceptibility to opsonic killing and protection from lethal infection by Ab to PNAG. Twenty-six of 30 strains carried the pga locus, 25 of 30 expressed immunologically detectable PNAG, and 21 of 30 could be killed by rabbit IgG specific for the deacetylated form of the staphylococcal PNAG. Ab to staphylococcal PNAG protected mice against lethality from five different E. coli strains expressing PNAG. PNAG expression by both Gram-negative and Gram-positive organisms could make this antigen a conserved vaccine target for multiple pathogenic species of bacteria. http://www.discover8.com/article/Protection_against_Escherichia_coli_infection_by_antibody_to_the_Staphylococcus_aureus_poly_N_acetylglucosamine_surface_polysaccharide_0 Fri, 20 Apr 2007 04:43:04 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Increased_risk_of_pregnancy_complications_in_patients_with_essential_thrombocythemia_carrying_the_JAK2_V617F_mutation_0 Essential thrombocythemia (ET) may occur in women of childbearing age. To investigate the risk of pregnancy complications, we studied 103 pregnancies occurred in 62 women with ET. Two-tailed Fisher exact test showed that pregnancy outcome was independent from that of a previous pregnancy. The rate of live birth was 64%, and 51% of pregnancies were uneventful. Maternal complications occurred in 9%, while fetal complications occurred in 40% of pregnancies. Half of the women studied carried the JAK2 (V617F) mutation, and this study indicates that patients carrying the JAK2 (V617F) mutation have higher risk of developing pregnancy complications. http://www.discover8.com/article/Increased_risk_of_pregnancy_complications_in_patients_with_essential_thrombocythemia_carrying_the_JAK2_V617F_mutation_0 Wed, 11 Apr 2007 02:04:24 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Brain_Can_Learn_Fear_By_Seeing_Others_Fears_0 A new study reveals why you do this: It turns out the brain areas that respond when fear is learned through personal experience are also triggered when we see someone else afraid. This could explain why some people are afraid of things like spiders and snakes despite little contact with them. http://www.discover8.com/article/Brain_Can_Learn_Fear_By_Seeing_Others_Fears_0 Wed, 21 Mar 2007 04:24:45 -0400 http://www.discover8.com/article/Proteasome_Activator_Enhances_Survival_Of_Huntington_s_Disease_Neuronal_Model_Cells_0 To function, each living cell needs both to build new and to degrade old or damaged proteins. To accomplish that, a number of intracellular systems work in concert to keep the cell healthy and from clogging up with damaged proteins. When proteins or peptides mutate, they can present major problems to the clearing up of the intracellular environment. One cellular organelle with a central role of clearing such protein build up in the cell is the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS). The dysfunction of the UPS may result in Huntington's disease (HD). If this is true, that can be a potential target for biochemical design for HD. http://www.discover8.com/article/Proteasome_Activator_Enhances_Survival_Of_Huntington_s_Disease_Neuronal_Model_Cells_0 Fri, 02 Mar 2007 03:10:10 -0500 http://www.discover8.com/article/The_effects_of_birth_cohort_and_age_on_body_composition_0 "The combination of effects of both birth cohort and age leads to bigger body size and less lean mass in the elderly" http://www.discover8.com/article/The_effects_of_birth_cohort_and_age_on_body_composition_0 Tue, 27 Feb 2007 00:42:22 -0500 http://www.discover8.com/article/Technology_captures_tumors_genetic_profile_guides_cancer_treatment_0 Cancer is a disease of the genome, of mutations within genes responsible for cell growth and survival. A great deal of effort has gone into finding those mutations in order to make personalized medicine and the cancer therapy will be guided by the particular set of genetic mutations within each patient's tumor. Scientists now can obtain mutation profiles that were accurate, sensitive, and cost-effective and whether it actually improves doctors' ability to classify and treat individual tumors need further determination. I think the personlized cancer treatment based on the cancer's particular genetic profile is of promising future but not come easily.... http://www.discover8.com/article/Technology_captures_tumors_genetic_profile_guides_cancer_treatment_0 Sun, 11 Feb 2007 22:57:45 -0500 http://www.discover8.com/article/Stroke_patients_can_train_brain_to_repair_vision_0 People partially blinded by a stroke or brain injury may be able to improve their field of vision by teaching new parts of their brain to see http://www.discover8.com/article/Stroke_patients_can_train_brain_to_repair_vision_0 Fri, 09 Feb 2007 00:19:59 -0500 http://www.discover8.com/article/Out_of_Africa_Stomach_Ulcer_Bug_Migrated_with_Humans_60_000_Years_Ago_0 In 1985 Australian microbiologist Barry Marshall gobbled a petri dish full of Helicobacter pylori to prove to the world that the bacteria, rather than stress and spicy foods, were the primary cause of stomach ulcers. Two decades later his recklessness was honored with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, which he shared with his colleague J. Robin Warren. In light of a new study, published in this week's issue of Nature, it is odd that it took so long to finger H. pylori as the source of bouts of abdominal pain, nausea and hemorrhagic vomiting. According to the new work, the pathogen has infected humans for over 60,000 years and its genetic transformation over that time is remarkably similar to that of manmaking it a reasonable model for human migration and diversification.Studying H. pylori may allow scientists to circumvent mistrust of their research by certain ethnic groups, particularly Native Americans and Aborigines in Australia, who may be reluctant to provide blood or saliva samples. The same people may be more willing to have their pathogens analyzed, Future studies on H. pylori may shed light on the colonization of Australia and the Americas. http://www.discover8.com/article/Out_of_Africa_Stomach_Ulcer_Bug_Migrated_with_Humans_60_000_Years_Ago_0 Thu, 08 Feb 2007 01:25:13 -0500 http://www.discover8.com/article/when_i_click_on_the_title_of_an_article__0 it should send me to the page with all other's comments. so that i can figure out what is so excited about this article before i leave this web site. don't you think? http://www.discover8.com/article/when_i_click_on_the_title_of_an_article__0 Fri, 02 Feb 2007 13:19:09 -0500 http://www.discover8.com/article/Experimental_anti_HIV_gel_increased_infection_rates_0 Trials of a new type of gel designed to help women protect themselves from HIV were halted on Wednesday after women using it became infected by the virus at a higher rate than women not using it, researchers said.The trials involved 1333 women in South Africa, Benin, Uganda and India.The microbicide gel apparently made the women more vulnerable to the virus, not less vulnerable as intended, said its makers Polydex Pharmaceuticals, based in Toronto, Canada http://www.discover8.com/article/Experimental_anti_HIV_gel_increased_infection_rates_0 Fri, 02 Feb 2007 01:13:17 -0500 http://www.discover8.com/article/Pest_and_Virus_Cooperate_in_Global_Invasion_0 A rapidly spreading crop pest is teaming up with a virus to speed up both their invasions across the globe, this variety of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci known as the B biotype is "a super-invasive organism, which in the past 20 years has spread rapidly around the world to become a major pest causing hundreds of millions of dollars in crop losses. Moreover, outbreaks of the B whitefly have often been followed by pandemics of a group of plant viruses, called begomoviruses, that the whiteflies carry. Scientists should keep a lookout for them when responding to biological invasions. http://www.discover8.com/article/Pest_and_Virus_Cooperate_in_Global_Invasion_0 Wed, 31 Jan 2007 21:15:58 -0500 http://www.discover8.com/article/Jetsetters_are_key_clues_to_epidemics_0 When the first patients with dysentery started trickling into health clinics in Sierra Leone in early 1999, Philippe Guerin wasn't sure what to think. Guerin, a medical epidemiologist, knew that the symptoms he was seeing could be produced by several different pathogens, but resources were slim in the war-torn country, and healthcare workers did not have the facilities to pinpoint the source of the outbreak. As the flow of patients began to swell, healthcare workers collected samples and shipped them to Paris for testing. http://www.discover8.com/article/Jetsetters_are_key_clues_to_epidemics_0 Tue, 30 Jan 2007 22:47:08 -0500 http://www.discover8.com/article/Popular_Diet_And_Exercise_Myths_0 This year, millions of Americans made the resolution to lose weight. However, many will get frustrated and give up before their goals are reached. Julie Bender, a dietitian with Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, and Phil Tyne, director of the Baylor Tom Landry Health and Wellness Center "weigh in" on the most popular diet and exercise myths:there are ten ways for you to choose ! http://www.discover8.com/article/Popular_Diet_And_Exercise_Myths_0 Tue, 30 Jan 2007 04:11:53 -0500 http://www.discover8.com/article/Attention_to_this_vaccine_against_cervical_cancer_0 The new vaccine is used to against a sexually transmitted disease that can cause cervical cancer,.The vaccine's introduction also is generating many questions and widespread debate among parents, Even though it meant three shots over six months, the vaccine's introduction also faces to the pressures out there.But the vaccine is not licensed for women over age 26 because it has not been tested in that population. Research is being conducted on the use of the vaccine in males. http://www.discover8.com/article/Attention_to_this_vaccine_against_cervical_cancer_0 Tue, 30 Jan 2007 02:03:06 -0500 http://www.discover8.com/article/Vaccines_set_to_target_immune_panic_button_0 A new generation of vaccines that exploit natural "alarm bells" in the immune system could be turned against killer diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria and HIV.The vaccines use harmless viruses that have been engineered to carry genes both for an antigen - a protein from the virus or organism that causes the disease that is being targeted - and for an adjuvant protein.Using the approach is is radical for vaccinology ,but it also needed to be try . http://www.discover8.com/article/Vaccines_set_to_target_immune_panic_button_0 Mon, 29 Jan 2007 01:57:54 -0500 http://www.discover8.com/article/scientists_mapped_the_gene_of_hematopoietic_stem_cell_in_mice_genome Scientists mapped quantitative trait loci that accounted for the variation in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) numbers between young adult C57BL/6 (B6) and DBA/2 (D2) mice. In reciprocal chromosome 3 congenic mice, introgressed D2 alleles increased HSC numbers owing to enhanced proliferation and self-renewal and reduced apoptosis, whereas B6 alleles had the opposite effects. The research may help Scientists to develop a effective method of controlling the quantity and efficacy of stem cell for therapy. http://www.discover8.com/article/scientists_mapped_the_gene_of_hematopoietic_stem_cell_in_mice_genome Mon, 22 Jan 2007 22:16:16 -0500 http://www.discover8.com/article/Caught_daydreaming_Blame_your_brain Daydreaming seems to be the default setting of the human mind and certain brain regions are devoted to it, US researchers report. http://www.discover8.com/article/Caught_daydreaming_Blame_your_brain Mon, 22 Jan 2007 21:03:49 -0500