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News | Archive (26 May 2009)
A global responsibility to help vulnerable communities adapt
— 14:42 GMT | EnvironmentFor one international community - the 165,000 strong Inuit community dispersed across the Arctic coastline in small, remote coastal settlements in Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Siberia - it is already too late to prevent some of the negative effects of climate change…
Computer-based programs provide help for smokers trying to quit
— 14:37 GMT | HealthTrying to quit cigarettes but don't know how? A new analysis led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health, suggests that Web- and computer-based smoking cessation programs are worth a try, and fortunately during these tough economic times, many of them are free…
Heart saves muscle
— 14:32 GMT | HealthA heart muscle protein can replace its missing skeletal muscle counterpart to give mice with myopathy a long and active life, show Nowak et al. The findings were published online on Monday, 25 May 2009 and will appear in the 1 June print issue of the Journal of Cell Biology…
Genetic factors that influence the age at which menopause occurs identified
— 14:27 GMT | HealthFor the first time, scientists have been able to identify genetic factors that influence the age at which natural menopause occurs in women. Ms Lisette Stolk, a researcher from Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, told the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics Monday (25 May) that a greater understanding of the factors influencing age at menopause might eventually help to improve the clinical treatment of infertile women…
Immune genes adapt to parasites
— 14:22 GMT | HealthThank parasites for making some of our immune proteins into the inflammatory defenders they are today, according to a population genetics study that will appear in the 8 June issue of the Journal of Experimental Medicine (online 25 May). The study, conducted by a team of researchers in Italy, also suggests that you might blame parasites for sculpting some of those genes into risk factors for intestinal disorders…
Scientists find city rats are loyal to their 'hoods
— 14:17 GMT | BiologyIn the rat race of life, one thing is certain: there's no place like home. Now, a study just released in Molecular Ecology finds the same is true for rats. Although inner city rodents appear to roam freely, most form distinct neighbourhoods where they spend the majority of their lives…
The evolution of gene regulation: How microbial neighbours settle differences
— 14:12 GMT | BiologyEven microbes are governed by the principle of supply and demand - at least at the genetic level. Not all of their gene products, the blueprints for proteins, are required at all times. That means most of their genes only become active when they are needed, as is the case in higher organisms. In the simplest case, a transcription factor will activate the gene in question at the right time…
Fast and cheap forecasting system for Mediterranean cyclones
— 14:07 GMT | EnvironmentScientists from the University of the Balearic Islands have developed a new methodology to improve forecasting success between 48 and 24 hours before cyclones occur in the Mediterranean Sea. The researchers have used a low-cost means of statistically calculating the sensitivity of the real atmosphere in order to make climatologically-precise cyclone predictions…
A new mouse model provides insight into genetic neurological disorders
— 14:02 GMT | HealthNeurosensory diseases are difficult to model in mice because their symptoms are complex and diverse. The genetic causes identified are often lethal when transferred to a mouse. The lack of animal models slows progress in understanding and treating the diseases. By strategically altering a protein-making molecule, a mouse was made to help understand nervous system diseases that impair feeling and cause paralysis of the arms and legs in humans…
Cardiogenetic testing for families of sudden unexplained death victims can save lives
— 13:57 GMT | HealthRelatives of a young person who dies suddenly should always be referred for cardiological and genetic examination in order to identify if they too are at risk of sudden death, a scientist told the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics today (Tuesday 26 May). Dr Christian van der Werf, a research fellow at the Department of Cardiogenetics, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands said that, although his team's research showed that inherited heart disease was present in over 30% of the families of sudden unexplained death (SUD) victims, the majority of such relatives were currently not being referred for examination…
Rosetta's blind date with asteroid Lutetia
VISTA views the Sculptor Galaxy