The Olympiad kick off marks the return of the Games to their ancient birthplace. In Ancient Greece the land’s best athletes would test their skills in events like wrestling, and running. However, one constant of the Olympics is the significance of sporting superstars. Philosopher Dr Angie Hobbs from the University of Warwick contends that some top athletes fulfil a vital social function, as they can provide happiness, hope, inspiration, release from care and a sense of national identity.
The Finnish-Swedish Wood Material Science Research Programme (2003-2006) has opened its homepage in the Internet. The web pages contain general information about the co-financed research programme, about its objectives and projects. There are also current information about the research programme and related events.
The Wood Material Science web pages are mainly focused to the researchers, companies, financing organisations and decision makers interested in wood material science and
The United Nations’ strategies to increase gender equality in the field of human rights have increased our knowledge of the situation of women, but in the meantime the variety of violations has become invisible. This is one of the findings of a doctoral dissertation in international law written by Sari Kouvo of the School of Economics and Commercial Law at Göteborg University , Sweden.
Since its inception in 1945 the UN has been one of the foremost international players for human ri
University of Leeds genetics researchers are part of an international project to determine the genome sequence of the fast-growing moss, Physcomitrella patens. Understanding how this British weed works will help scientists get to the root of how other species live and grow and, potentially, improve their resilience.
The quick-growing moss has been used in plant research for over 30 years as it’s easy to cultivate in laboratories. Genetic information from the project will help
Gazing out of the small aircraft window, the endless woods and the numerous lakes caught the eye as we flew from the rainy Netherlands towards beautiful Norway. The assumption that all Norwegians have a sailing boat came to mind, since almost every lake and every fjord has a small harbour with hundreds of boats. It is hard to imagine that these people would not be excited about other means of sustainable transport like the Nuna II.
The Nuna II team and the support crew were welcom
With increasing numbers of whole genomes being sequenced, researchers are keen to analyse the functions of the genes they contain and the proteins these genes encode. Yet, according to researchers writing in BMC Biology, to fully understand any genome, researchers must use palaeontology, geology and chemistry to help them discover the reasons why specific genes evolved.
Steven Benner and Eric Gaucher at the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, Frank and Rosalie Simmen at the U
The science and engineering (S&E) workforce of the United States depends heavily on graduates with at least a four-year college education. However, individuals employed in S&E occupations with less than a bachelor’s degree account for more than one-fifth of those employed in S&E occupations.
These S&E workers, more than 1 million people, hold high school diplomas (5 percent of the S&E workforce) or associate’s degrees (17 percent). These data, from the April 2003 “Current Population
A rapid test that can be performed during surgery to determine if melanoma has spread to lymph nodes has been developed at the Medical College of Wisconsin. The reagent making this possible has been standardized at the Medical College and is called the “MCW Melanoma Cocktail”. The test is capable of detecting even very few melanoma cells, a significant factor in managing the disease. The test for cancer spread may spare a patient an additional operation.
Melanoma is the most deadly
Mercury is a toxic trace metal and its presence in the environment has been linked to human illness and ecological damage.
A 1997 Congressional report, which provided a quantitative human health risk assessment of mercury, estimated that between one and three percent of women of childbearing age in the United States eat sufficient amounts of fish for their fetuses to be at risk from mercury exposure.
“Over the last two decades, industrial activities have resulted in subs
These images, taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on board ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft, show the Dao Valles and Niger Valles, a system of outflow channels on Mars.
The images were taken during orbit 528 in June 2004, and show the Dao Valles and Niger Valles areas at a point where the north-eastern Hellas impact crater basin and the Hesperia Planum volcanic region meet.
The images are centred at Mars longitude 93° East and latitude 32° South. The image re
By comparing three different species’ genomes and adding some good old-fashioned genetic analysis, scientists have uncovered the identity of the last of eight genes known to contribute to Bardet-Biedl syndrome, a rare disorder characterized by a combination of some otherwise common problems, including obesity, learning difficulties, diabetes and asthma.
The identification of the BBS3 gene ends the search for primary BBS-causing genes in families studied for years by a team of sc
An important receptor for estrogen in ovarian cells has been shown to suppress tumor growth, according to a new study published in the August 15 issue of the journal Cancer Research. When ovarian tumors develop, however, the number of these receptors–known as estrogen receptor beta (ER beta)–diminishes, encouraging these tumors to advance toward malignancy and metastasis. This disappearing act may help explain why ovarian cancers are often typically resistant to anti-estrogen drugs including Tam
Researchers from the University of Chicago have discovered the first of a new class of “protective factors” that appear to be required for the development of memory T cells, the cells that form the core of a vaccine response. The finding could help scientists create more effective vaccines and may lead to potent immune system-based therapies against diseases that have previously eluded vaccines, such as cancer or AIDS.
When the immune system detects an invader, such as a virus, T c
When a protein misfolds, the results can be disastrous. An incorrect change in the molecule’s shape can lead to diseases including Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s. But scientists have discovered that misfolded proteins can have a positive side in yeast, helping cells navigate the dicey current of natural selection by expressing a variety of hidden genetic traits.
What’s more, at the center of this process is a prion, a protein that changes shape in a self-perpetuatin
Cannabinoids, the active ingredients in marijuana, restrict the sprouting of blood vessels to brain tumors by inhibiting the expression of genes needed for the production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).
According to a new study published in the August 15, 2004 issue of the journal Cancer Research, administration of cannabinoids significantly lowered VEGF activity in laboratory mice and two patients with late-stage glioblastoma.
“Blockade of the VEGF pathw
Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers have designed a blood test to detect ovarian cancer using three proteins found in common in the blood of women with the disease. Their preliminary studies with the new test suggest a molecular signature exclusive to this deadly cancer, known for its ability to remain undetected and spread quickly.
The Hopkins test, described in the August 15 issue of Cancer Research, identifies the proteins as a truncated form of transthyretin, a fragm
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