can in Biological News

Stop and smell the flowers -- the scent really can soothe stress

Feeling stressed? Then try savoring the scent of lemon, mango, lavender, or other fragrant plants. Scientists in Japan are reporting the first scientific evidence that inhaling certain fragrances alter gene activity and blood chemistry in ways that can reduce stress levels. Their study appears in ...

New technique can fast-track better ionic liquids for biomass pre-treatments

They've been dubbed "grassoline" second generation biofuels made from inedible plant material, including fast-growing weeds, agricultural waste, sawdust, etc. and numerous scientific studies have shown them to be prime candidates for replacing gasoline to meet our transportation needs. However, ...

Methane-eating microbes can use iron and manganese oxides to 'breathe'

Iron and manganese compounds, in addition to sulfate, may play an important role in converting methane to carbon dioxide and eventually carbonates in the Earth's oceans, according to a team of researchers looking at anaerobic sediments. These same compounds may have been key to methane reduction i...

Protein can help cells or cause cancer, Purdue researcher finds

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A Purdue University scientist has discovered a key process in cell growth that can lead to the formation of tumors. Xiaoqi Liu, an assistant professor of biochemistry, found that an overabundance of the polo-like kinase 1, or Plk1, molecule during cell growth, as well as ...

Clinical trial shows quadriplegics can operate powered wheelchair with tongue drive system

An assistive technology that enables individuals to maneuver a powered wheelchair or control a mouse cursor using simple tongue movements can be operated by individuals with high-level spinal cord injuries, according to the results of a recently completed clinical trial. "This clinical trial ha...

New test can detect both genetic and chromosomal abnormalities in embryos

Amsterdam, The Netherlands: One-step screening for both genetic and chromosomal abnormalities has come a stage closer as scientists announced that an embryo test they have been developing has successfully screened cells taken from spare embryos that were known to have cystic fibrosis. They tol...

Study shows Chronix technology using serum DNA can identify early presence of disease

San Jose, California, June 23, 2009 Chronix Biomedical today reported that a new study in a peer-reviewed journal further confirms the potential diagnostic and prognostic utility of using circulating fragments of DNA to detect early stage disease. These DNA fragments, referred to as serum DNA, a...

Cancer-causing protein can also help fight the tumors it causes

Oncogenes are genes that when mutated or expressed in high concentrations can cause normal cells to become cancerous. Now research from Tel Aviv University is demonstrating that Ras, one of the first oncogenes discovered, has the power to heal as well as harm. Ph.D. student Oded Rechavi and hi...

Powerful nutrient cocktail can put kids with Crohn's into remission

Treating children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) usually involves the same steroids-based medication prescribed to adults. But such treatments can have negative side effects for kids and teens dealing with IBD. Dr. Raanan Shamir of Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine and Sch...

Manatees can probably hear which directions boats approach from

The world is a perilous place for the endangered manatee. While the mammals are at risk from natural threats, human activity also poses a great danger to manatee numbers. Debborah Colbert, from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, explains that many manatees die and are seriously injured in coll...

German Research Minister Schavan: 'Rapid knowledge transfer can safe lives'

This release is available in German . No progress without research this is particularly true for cancer medicine. The chances of cure for those affected can only be further increased if research results are swiftly transferred from the laboratory into clinical practice. Framework conditio...

Equity concerns raised by congestion pricing can be addressed to make approach viable

Policymakers need to address equity concerns early when implementing congestion pricing to improve traffic flow, as each situation is unique and must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, according to a study issued today by the RAND Corporation. Transportation policymakers often look to conge...

Omega fatty acid balance can alter immunity and gene expression

For the past century, changes in the Western diet have altered the consumption of omega-6 fatty acids (w6, found in meat and vegetable oils) compared with omega-3 fatty acids (w3, found in flax and fish oil). Many studies seem to indicate this shift has brought about an increased risk of inflammat...

Author says challenging simple concepts can save planet

Author and democracy activist Frances Moore Lapp says we already know how to solve the pressing issues of our time, such as climate change and world hunger. But she says our own pre-conceived ideas about how things should work our mental map of the world is actually preventing us from taking ac...

Adult bone marrow stem cells injected into skeletal muscle can repair heart tissue

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- University at Buffalo researchers have demonstrated for the first time that injecting adult bone marrow stem cells into skeletal muscle can repair cardiac tissue, reversing heart failure. Using an animal model, the researchers showed that this non-invasive procedure increased...

Comprehensive cardiogenetic testing for families of sudden unexplained death victims can save lives

Vienna, Austria: Relatives 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)....

River delta areas can provide clue to environmental changes, Texas A&M prof says

Sediments released by many of the world's largest river deltas to the global oceans have been changed drastically in the last 50 years, largely as a result of human activity, says a Texas A&M University researcher who emphasizes that the historical information that can be gathered from sediment co...

River delta areas can provide clue to environmental changes, Texas A&M prof says

Sediments released by many of the world's largest river deltas to the global oceans have been changed drastically in the last 50 years, largely as a result of human activity, says a Texas A&M University researcher who emphasizes that the historical information that can be gathered from sediment co...

Single gene defect can cause stroke, other artery diseases

HOUSTON(May 1, 2009) For the first time, scientists have discovered a single gene defect that causes thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections as well as early onset coronary artery disease, ischemic stroke and Moyamoya disease. The research is led by scientists at The University of Texas Health ...

Some vocal-mimicking animals, particularly parrots, can move to a musical beat

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Researchers at Harvard University have found that humans aren't the only ones who can groove to a beat -- some other species can dance, too. This capability was previously believed to be specific to humans. The research team found that only species that can mimic sound seem to ...

Lice can be nice to us

Parasite infestations might have a good side. Wild mice from a Nottinghamshire forest have given experts at The University of Nottingham clues as to the importance of some parasites, such as lice, for the conditioning of a "natural" immune system. Jan Bradley, Professor of Parasitology, said: "...

Study finds blood cells can be reprogrammed to act as embryonic stem cells

(WASHINGTON, April 20, 2009) - In a recent study, U.S. researchers have reprogrammed cells found in circulating blood into cells that are molecularly and functionally indistinguishable from embryonic stem cells, a revolutionary achievement that provides a readily accessible source of stem cells an...

UC Riverside biochemist to study how crops can increase protein production

RIVERSIDE, Calif. The small flowering plant Arabidopsis is widely used in laboratories as a model organism in plant biology. A member of the mustard family, Arabidopsis offers researchers several advantages such as a completely sequenced genome, a compact size, a life-cycle of about only ...

Early administration of antiretroviral therapy can improve survival

This release is available in Spanish . The first antiretroviral treatments appeared in 1996. Since then, new and better drugs have been discovered that have almost turned AIDS into a chronic disease. Nevertheless, there is still room to improve the performance of the the therapeutic strate...

Small RNAs can play critical roles in male infertility/contraception

RENO, Nev. University of Nevada School of Medicine scientists in the Department of Physiology and Cell Biology have discovered insight into the reproductive workings of the male sex chromosome that may have significant implications for male infertility and contraception. This import...

Altered gene can increase risk of schizophrenia

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. Rutgers geneticist Linda Brzustowicz and her colleagues have identified a specific DNA change that is likely to increase risk for developing schizophrenia in some people. It provides a potential mechanism that may be a point of entry for drug therapy, consistent with the growi...

Tiny super-plant can clean up animal waste and be used for ethanol production

Researchers at North Carolina State University have found that a tiny aquatic plant can be used to clean up animal waste at industrial hog farms and potentially be part of the answer for the global energy crisis. Their research shows that growing duckweed on hog wastewater can produce five to six ...

Sexy or repulsive? Butterfly wings can be both to mates and predators

New Haven, Conn. Butterflies seem able to both attract mates and ward off predators using different sides of their wings, according to new research by Yale University biologists. Trying to find the balance between these two crucial behaviors is one of nature's oldest dilemmas, according to Je...

Wild bees can be effective pollinators

Over the past few years, honey bee keepers have experienced problems due to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), which has hurt honey bee populations, causing some growers of fruits, nuts and vegetables to wonder how their crops will be pollinated in the future. A new study published in the Annals of ...

Human adult testes cells can become embryonic-like

WASHINGTON, D.C. Using what they say is a relatively simple method, scientists at Georgetown University Medical Center have extracted stem/progenitor cells from testes and have converted them back into pluripotent embryonic-like stem cells. Researchers say that the nave cells are now potentially ...

Inhaling a heart attack: How air pollution can cause heart disease

BETHESDA, Md. (March 23, 2009) We are used to thinking of heart disease as a product of genetic factors or lifestyle choices, such as what we eat and how much we exercise. There is another road to heart disease: breathing. Accumulating evidence indicates that an increase in particulate air poll...

Cleaning up oil spills can kill more fish than spills themselves, say Queen's biologists

Kingston, ON A new Queen's University study shows that detergents used to clean up spills of diesel oil actually increase its toxicity to fish, making it more harmful. "The detergents may be the best way to treat spills in the long term because the dispersed oil is diluted and degraded," says...

Interventional treatment can be recommended as first-line treatment for 'silent killer'

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (March 10, 2009)Endovascular or endograft repair, a minimally invasive interventional radiology treatment that uses stent grafts to treat abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), has low re-intervention rates that are comparable to those reported for open surgical repairand can be recom...

Metastatic bone disease patients can walk in Lazarus' footsteps

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (March 9, 2009)Osteoplastya highly effective minimally invasive procedure to treat the painful effects of metastatic bone disease by injecting bone cement to support weakened bonesprovides immediate and substantial pain relief, often presenting individuals who are suffering terri...

Synthetic biology can help extend anti-malaria drug effectiveness

In addition to providing a simple and much less expensive means of making artemisinin, the most powerful anti-malaria drug in use today, synthetic biology can also help to extend the effectiveness of this drug. Fermenting artemisinin via engineered microbes, such as yeast, can be done at far lower...

ChemoBrain: How cancer therapies can affect your mind

While surviving cancer should be an occasion for rejoicing, many people who have undergone the standard or high-dose chemotherapy to defeat the disease unfortunately suffer from a physical and mental ailment known as "chemobrain." This cognitively dysfunctional symptom ranges from fatigue and memo...

'Undesirable' evolution can be reversed in fish, Stony Brook University scientists show

STONY BROOK, NY, March 3, 2009 "Undesirable" evolution in fish which makes their bodies grow smaller and fishery catches dwindle -- can actually be reversed in a few decades' time by changing our "take-the-biggest-fish" approach to commercial fishing, according to groundbreaking new research pub...

Study predicts when invasive species can travel more readily by air

A new study forecasts when climate factors such as temperature, humidity and rainfall will match at geographically distant airline departure and destination points, which could help to shuffle invasive species, and the diseases they may carry, across the globe along existing flight routes. The fin...

Mental fatigue can affect physical endurance

BETHESDA, Md. (Feb. 24, 2009) − When participants performed a mentally fatiguing task prior to a difficult exercise test, they reached exhaustion more quickly than when they did the same exercise when mentally rested, a new study finds. The study also found that mental fatigue did not cau...

New reference material can improve testing of multivitamin tablets

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed a new certified reference material that can be an important quality assurance tool for measuring the amounts of vitamins, carotenoids, and trace elements in dietary supplements. The new Standard Reference Material (SRM) 3280 f...