Study reveals clues to the mechanism of short-term memory
Understanding the biology of memory is a major goal of contemporary neuroscientists. Short-term or “working” memory is an important process that enables us to interact in meaningful ways with others and to comprehend the world around us on a moment-to-moment basis. A study published this week in Science (February 18) presents a strikingly simple yet robust mathematical model of how short-term memory circuits in the brain a
A particle accelerator operates in Earth’s upper atmosphere above major thunderstorms at energies comparable to some of the most exotic environments in the universe, according to new satellite observations of terrestrial gamma-ray flashes.
Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs) are very short blasts of gamma rays, lasting about one millisecond, that are emitted into space from Earth’s upper atmosphere. The gamma rays are thought to be emitted by electrons traveling at n
Research represents big step toward development of brain-controlled artificial limbs for people
Reaching for something you want seems a simple enough task, but not for someone with a prosthetic arm, in whom the brain has no control over such fluid, purposeful movements. Yet according to research presented at the 2005 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting, scientists have made significant strides to create a permanent artificial device that can r
Something about nature loves a helix, the ubiquitous spiral shape taken on by DNA and many other molecules found in the cells of living creatures. The shape is so useful that, while researching the means of creating self-assembling artificial helices, physicists at the University of Pennsylvania believe that they have come across a plausible mathematical reason for why the helical shape is so common. Their findings appear in the Feb. 18 issue of the journal Science.
“The classi
The eyes may be the window to the soul, but many scientists would say the mouth is the window to the body.
Saliva and other oral substances are now emerging as the bodily fluids of choice for physicians, dentists and drug testers, researchers said today at the 2005 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Saliva and other oral fluids (from the cheek and gum surfaces) contain many of the same proteins and other molecules that blood and ur
Climate warming likely to impact water resources in regions around the globe
Scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, and their colleagues have produced the first clear evidence of human-produced warming in the world’s oceans, a finding they say removes much of the uncertainty associated with debates about global warming. In a new study conducted with colleagues at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s Program for Cl
’Toddler’ to be demonstrated at AAAS meeting Feb. 17
Three independent research teams, including one from MIT, have built walking robots that mimic humans in terms of their gait, energy-efficiency, and control. The MIT robot also demonstrates a new learning system that allows the robot to continually adapt to the terrain as it walks. The work, to be described in the Feb. 18 issue of the journal Science, could change the way humanoid robots are designed and controlled and
Mapping of key genetic signposts across three human populations could help speed efforts to pinpoint disease-related DNA variations, and ultimately may promise more effective, individualized treatments. The research, scheduled to appear 18 February in Science, “will provide an invaluable resource for genetic research to improve human health,” said Donald Kennedy, the journal’s editor-in-chief. The work was unveiled today at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Sc
Following the Asian tsunami, scientists struggled to explain reports that primitive aboriginal tribesmen had somehow sensed the impending danger in time to join wild animals in a life-saving flight to higher ground.
While some scientists discount the existence of a sixth sense for danger, new research from Washington University in St. Louis has identified a brain region that clearly acts as an early warning system — one that monitors environmental cues, weighs possible conseque
Stem-cell researchers have shown how cosmetic surgery, such as wrinkle removal and breast augmentation, might be improved with natural implants that keep their original size and shape better than synthetics.
Cosmetic surgery might be performed with stem-cell generated natural tissues instead of synthetic implants. Saline and silicone implants for breast augmentation may rupture, leak, and interfere with breast cancer detection on mammograms. stem-cell generated natural tissue impla
The body attempts to protect itself from HIV infection via the innate immune system. Defensins are proteins found in cells, which have been shown to have anti-HIV activity. However, the mechanism by which the defensins control HIV infection has not been known. Appearing online on February 17 in advance of publication in the March 1 print edition of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Theresa Chang and colleagues from Mount Sinai School of Medicine analyze how alpha-defensin-1, in particular,
American Heart Association meeting report
Married women who avoid conflict with their spouses have an increased risk of dying from any cause, researchers report today at the Second International Conference on Women, Heart Disease and Stroke. Researchers also found that men whose wives’ come home upset with work outside the home have an increased risk of developing heart disease.
Researchers examined information on participants of the Framingham Offspring Study, a large
As the next phase of DTI’s Measurements for Biotechnology (MfB) programme to 2007 gets underway, a large DNA microarray dataset generated by an LGC-led consortium during the first phase is now freely available online at ArrayExpress, a leading public repository managed by the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI). The sharing of well-annotated data is a primary objective of the Microarray Gene Expression Data (MGED) Society and this repository is stored in accordance with MGED recommendation
Around 60 nations and more than 40 international organisations joined ESA and host the European Community at the Third Earth Observation summit on Wednesday. History was made at the Palais d’Egmont in Brussels as assembled delegates formally agreed a ten-year plan to implement a Global Earth Observation System of Systems.
The plan summarises the steps that need to be taken to put a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) in place. GEOSS will build on existing Earth
Over 40 nations and around 20 international organisations, including ESA, have come together in Brussels for two days, today and tomorrow, to exchange views on policies related to international cooperation in space.
Entitled ‘Winning through cooperation: sharing the benefits of space’, the conference provides a forum for discussion between States capable of providing space technology – the supply side – and those willing to make use of it – the demand side. The conference was joi
A panel of acknowledged international experts has identified Sweden’s foremost environments for basic research. The Swedish Research Council will be able to finance ten of the 27 research environments of excellence that have been winnowed from 261 applications. These research teams are from all over the country and represent all disciplinary domains.
“This is proof that Sweden boasts a number of competitive and creative research nodes of the highest international class. It also
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