Gene linked to Lou Gehrig’s disease
U. PENN (US)—Researchers have found evidence that mutations in a specific gene are a risk factor for Lou Gehrig’s disease, a condition also known as ALS or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Continue…
Wednesday, August 25, 2010 14:11 - 0 Comments
Science & Technology - Aug 10, 2010 13:17 - 0 Comments
Fish-gut clue to human immunity
U. PENN (US)—Researchers have identified the function of one of the earliest antibodies in the animal kingdom, an ancient immunoglobulin that helps explain the evolution of human intestinal immune responses. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jul 27, 2010 12:07 - 0 Comments
Sequence DNA using graphene nanopores
U. PENN (US)—Researchers have developed a new, carbon-based nanoscale platform to electrically detect single DNA molecules. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jul 12, 2010 15:57 - 1 Comment
Hearing helps us see what we can’t see
U. PENN (US)—Hearing the name of an object improves chances of seeing it, even when the object is flashed onscreen in conditions and speeds (50 milliseconds) that would render it invisible, recent experiments show. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jun 18, 2010 14:49 - 0 Comments
Brain’s willpower not fueled by glucose
U. PENN (US)—A psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania refutes the claim that the brain consumes extra glucose, a simple sugar, when people exert self control. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jun 17, 2010 9:15 - 3 Comments
Caterpillars use fake eyes to stare down birds
U. PENN (US)—Why do hundreds of species of tropical caterpillars display a fascinating variety of eye-like and face-like color patterns—the kinds of designs that scare off insect-eating birds and make a harmless and vulnerable caterpillar look like a poisonous snake? (more…)
Society & Culture - Jun 16, 2010 14:52 - 28 Comments
Did women and slaves drive Dixie down?
U. PENN (US)—When the Confederate States of America seceded from the Union in 1861, its founding fathers reckoned that they could build a nation and fight a war while uniting the Southern population behind their cause. Most of “the people” were not consulted on the wisdom of their project. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Jun 3, 2010 17:20 - 2 Comments
Exercise enhances cancer treatment
U. PENN (US)—Cancer patients who have been told to rest and avoid exercise can—and should—find ways to be physically active both during and after treatment, according to new national guidelines. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jun 3, 2010 14:05 - 0 Comments
Thick or thin: How crystal films melt
U. PENN (US)—Physicists have described the melting behaviors of thin crystalline films, uncovering a variety of interesting differences between thick films of greater than four layers and thinner or single-layer films. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jun 1, 2010 9:57 - 0 Comments
New ‘wrinkle eye’ dino species confirmed
PENN (US)—A team of paleontologists has described a new species of dinosaur based upon an incomplete skeleton found in western New Mexico. (more…)
Science & Technology - May 19, 2010 17:29 - 0 Comments
Workouts strengthen endothelial cells’ grasp
U. PENN (US)—Bioengineers have demonstrated that the cells that line blood vessels respond to mechanical forces—the microscopic tugging and pulling on cellular structures—by reinforcing and growing their connections, thus creating stronger adhesive interactions between neighboring cells. (more…)
Society & Culture - Apr 28, 2010 22:46 - 6 Comments
Should Marines be trained to meditate?
U. PENN (US)—Just as physical conditioning, weapons training, and fighting skills prepare soldiers for the rigors of combat, meditation practice may give them the mental capacity to withstand the trauma of war. (more…)
Society & Culture - Apr 28, 2010 11:12 - 2 Comments
Is location where it’s at in social networking?
U. PENN (US)—To find the hottest restaurant, bar, or concert venue in town, many young adults are no longer checking in with their friends. They’re “checking in” virtually via Foursquare, a location-based social networking site. (more…)
Science & Technology - Apr 27, 2010 13:02 - 0 Comments
Atomically thin sheets share ‘pucker’ trait
U. PENN (US)—Nanoscientists have used friction force microscopy to determine the nanoscale frictional characteristics of four atomically thin materials, discovering a universal characteristic for these very different materials. (more…)
Science & Technology - Apr 1, 2010 8:43 - 0 Comments
‘Puckering’ causes friction on thin sheets
U. PENNSYLVANIA (US)—A team of nanotechnology researchers has used friction force microscopy to determine the nanoscale characteristics of four atomically-thin materials, discovering a universal characteristic for these very different materials. (more…)
Science & Technology - Mar 24, 2010 12:04 - 1 Comment
Driving game maps brain’s version of GPS
U. PENN (US)—Using implantable electrodes and a first-person driving game, researchers have identified the brain cells that indicate travel in a clockwise or counterclockwise motion, called “path cells.” (more…)
Earth & Environment - Mar 17, 2010 10:44 - 1 Comment
Mini river delta could help predict flooding
U. PENN (US)—An interdisciplinary team of physicists and geologists has made a major step toward predicting where and how large floods occur on river deltas and alluvial fans. (more…)
Science & Technology - Feb 16, 2010 11:07 - 2 Comments
Light converted to current in golden circuit
U. PENN (US)—Material scientists have demonstrated the transduction of optical radiation to electrical current in a molecular circuit. (more…)
Society & Culture - Dec 21, 2009 16:43 - 5 Comments
More choice leads to better choices
U. PENN (US)—Variety may be the spice of life, but it also appears to encourage consumers to make reasonable—rather than indulgent—choices. (more…)
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