| Researchers rejuvenate stem cell population from elderly mice, enabling muscle recovery Posted: 16 Feb 2014 12:17 PM PST Researchers have pinpointed why normal aging is accompanied by a diminished ability to regain strength and mobility after muscle injury: over time, stem cells within muscle tissues dedicated to repairing damage become less able to generate new muscle fibers and struggle to self-renew. Scientists identified for the first time a process by which the older muscle stem cell populations can be rejuvenated to function like younger cells.  |
| Volcanoes, including Mt. Hood, can go from dormant to active in a few months Posted: 16 Feb 2014 12:17 PM PST A new study suggests that the magma sitting 4-5 kilometers beneath the surface of Oregon's Mount Hood has been stored in near-solid conditions for thousands of years, but that the time it takes to liquefy and potentially erupt is surprisingly short -- perhaps as little as a couple of months.  |
| Fertilization destabilizes global grassland ecosystems Posted: 16 Feb 2014 12:17 PM PST Fertilization of natural grasslands -- either intentionally or unintentionally as a side effect of global farming and industry -- is having a destabilizing effect on global grassland ecosystems. Using a network of natural grassland research sites around the world called the Nutrient Network, the study represents the first time such a large experiment has been conducted using naturally occurring sites. The researchers found that plant diversity in natural ecosystems creates more stable ecosystems over time because of less synchronized growth of plants.  |
| Nanoelectronics key to advances in renewable energy Posted: 16 Feb 2014 12:14 PM PST An electrical engineer explains why advances in nanoelectronics will shape the future of renewable energy technologies.  |
| Harvesting light, the single-molecule way: molecular mechanism of light harvesting may illuminate path forward to future solar cells Posted: 16 Feb 2014 12:14 PM PST Scientists have reached new insights into one of the molecular mechanisms behind light harvesting, which enables photosynthetic organisms to thrive, even as weather conditions change from full sunlight to deep cloud cover. Probing these natural systems is helping us understand the basic mechanisms of light harvesting -- work that could help improve the design and efficiency of devices like solar cells in the future.  |
| Deep ocean needs policy, stewardship where it never existed, experts urge Posted: 16 Feb 2014 12:13 PM PST echnological advances have made the extraction of deep sea mineral and precious metal deposits feasible, and the dwindling supply of land-based materials creates compelling economic incentives for deep sea industrialization. But at what cost? Plans to begin mining nodules of valuable metals from deep ocean deposits have oceanographers concerned about the lack of public awareness or international agreements governing these habitats. "The deep sea is out of sight, out of mind ... there's a whole level of concern that isn't being expressed when it comes to deep sea industrialization," an expert said.  |
| Archaeologists lend long-term perspective to food security and climate shock Posted: 16 Feb 2014 06:16 AM PST What role does pre-existing vulnerabilities play for people who experience a climate shock? Does it amplify the effects of the climate shock or is effect negligible? Archaeologists are looking into this as part of an international team examining how people can be most resilient to climate change when it comes to food security.  |
| Making biodiverse agriculture part of a food-secure future Posted: 15 Feb 2014 04:19 PM PST Is biodiverse agriculture an anachronism? Or is it a vital part of a food-secure future? Given the need to feed an estimated 2.4 billion more people by the year 2050, the drive toward large-scale, single-crop farming around the world may seem inexorable. But there's an important downside to this trend, argues one researcher.  |
| Robotic fish aids understanding of how animals move Posted: 15 Feb 2014 04:18 PM PST The weakly electric black ghost knifefish of the Amazon basin has inspired scientists to develop agile fish robots that could lead to a vast improvement in underwater vehicles used to study fragile coral reefs or repair damaged deep sea oil rigs.  |
| Conserving potato agrobiodiversity: Top-down and bottom-up approach needed Posted: 15 Feb 2014 04:18 PM PST Mashed, smashed and fried, Americans love potatoes, but only a few varieties are grown in much of North American agriculture. In South America, where potatoes originated, more than 5,000 varieties continue to exist. A geographer is gathering all the information he can about the agrobiodiversity of these uniquely adapted tubers with an eye toward sustainability of this fourth largest food crop worldwide.  |
| Responding to potential asteroid redirect mission targets Posted: 15 Feb 2014 07:57 AM PST One year ago, on Feb. 15, 2013, the world witnessed the dangers presented by near-Earth Objects (NEOs) when a relatively small asteroid entered Earth's atmosphere, exploding over Chelyabinsk, Russia, and releasing more energy than a large atomic bomb. Tracking near-Earth asteroids has been a significant endeavor for NASA and the broader astronomical community, which has discovered 10,713 known near-Earth objects to date. NASA is now pursuing new partnerships and collaborations in an Asteroid Grand Challenge to accelerate NASA's existing planetary defense work, which will help find all asteroid threats to human population and know what to do about them. In parallel, NASA is developing an Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) -- a first-ever mission to identify, capture and redirect an asteroid to a safe orbit of Earth's moon for future exploration by astronauts in the 2020s.  |
| Scientists chip away at mystery of what lives in our mouths Posted: 14 Feb 2014 05:38 PM PST Scientists have pieced together sections of DNA from 12 individual cells to sequence the genome of a bacterium known to live in healthy human mouths. With this new data, the researchers were able to reinforce a theory that genes in a closely related bacterium could be culprits in its ability to cause severe gum disease.  |
| Geographical passwords easier to remember Posted: 14 Feb 2014 10:09 AM PST It's much easier to remember a place you have visited than a long, complicated password, which is why s computer scientist is developing a system he calls geographical passwords.  |
| Rice seed treatments effective, worth investment: Study Posted: 14 Feb 2014 10:07 AM PST When every extra expense makes a difference in profitability, farmers often wonder which management decisions are worth the extra cost. Researchers studied rice seed treatments for effectiveness in managing crop pests.  |
| Metabolism gives boost to understanding plant, animal nutrient evolution Posted: 14 Feb 2014 08:11 AM PST In a new article, researchers explore the evolution of a family of enzymes, called 2-hydroxy acid oxidase, or 2-HAOX, that break down fats in both plant and animals. Their results show how plants and animals have adapted differently to similar environmental conditions in order to meet their energy needs.  |
| Crab nebula of life: Extensive crab sequence dataset constructed Posted: 14 Feb 2014 08:11 AM PST Researchers have constructed the most complete and extensive crab sequence dataset to date. Their recalibrated crab gene tree using DNA and mitochondrial sequences from 140 species and 58 crab families provides some important new insights into the timing and diversity of crab evolution.  |
| Environmental impact of Ontario corn production assessed Posted: 14 Feb 2014 04:55 AM PST Researchers examined the energy use and greenhouse gas emissions associated with corn production in Ontario.  |
| Chronology of geological events prior to the great extinction 66 million years ago Posted: 14 Feb 2014 04:54 AM PST New research focusing on the last 3 million years of the Cretaceous period, managed to detail exactly the chronology of the climatic, magnetic and biological events prior to the great extinction of 66 million years ago (Ma.), which includes the disappearance of almost all dinosaurs (except birds). Scientists analyzed gravitational interactions between the Earth, the Moon, the Sun and the planets of the solar system (principally Jupiter) in their work.  |
| Genetic chip will help salmon farmers breed better fish Posted: 13 Feb 2014 07:04 PM PST Atlantic salmon production could be boosted by a new technology that will help select the best fish for breeding.  |
| Structure of key CRISPR genome-editing tool complex revealed Posted: 13 Feb 2014 09:24 AM PST Researchers have formed the first high definition picture of the Cas9 complex -- a key part of the CRISPR-Cas system used by scientists as a genome-editing tool to silence genes and probe the biology of cells.  |
| Promising new approach for treating leukemia: Essential role of the Brg1 gene Posted: 13 Feb 2014 05:40 AM PST A group of researchers discovered a promising new approach to treating leukemia by disarming a gene that is responsible for tumor progression. That gene, known as Brg1 is a key regulator of leukemia stem cells that are the root cause of the disease, resistance to treatment and relapse.  |
