help in Biological News

UBC researchers help push for standard DNA barcodes for plants

Two University of British Columbia researchers are part of an international team recommending standards for the DNA barcoding of land plants, a step they hope will lead to a universal system for identifying over 400,000 species, and ultimately boost conservation efforts. Barcodes based on porti...

Placenta-derived stem cells may help sufferers of lung diseases

Tampa, Fla. (July 27, 2009) An Italian research team, publishing in the current issue of Cell Transplantation (18:4), which is now available on-line without charge at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct , has found that stem cells derived from human placenta may ultimately play a role...

Probiotics help gastric-bypass patients lose weight more quickly, Stanford study shows

STANFORD, Calif. New research from the Stanford University School of Medicine and Stanford Hospital & Clinics suggests that the use of a dietary supplement after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery can help obese patients to more quickly lose weight and to avoid deficiency of a critical B vitamin. ...

U of A honored for research that could help 30 million Brazilians

EdmontonThe University of Alberta now has a permanent connection to the agricultural life of millions of people in a vast region of Brazil. A newly discovered fungus that helps plants grow in dry soil has been named in honour of the U of A for its help with the research. The fungus, now known a...

Dietary supplements manufacturers gain new tool to help ensure quality products

Rockville, Md., July 7, 2009 A first-of-its kind collection of standards designed to assist dietary supplements manufacturers in providing quality products to consumers is being released today by the U.S. Pharmacopeial (USP) Convention. The USP Dietary Supplements Compendium (DSC) will also help ...

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 ...

Pacific Northwest forests could store more carbon, help address greenhouse issues

CORVALLIS, Ore. The forests of the Pacific Northwest hold significant potential to increase carbon storage and help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in coming years, a recent study concludes, if they are managed primarily for that purpose through timber harvest reductions and increased rotation ...

Super-sleepers could help super-sizers!

Many species of animals go through a period of torpor to conserve energy when resources are scarce. But when it comes to switching to energy-saving mode, the champion by far among vertebrates is the burrowing frog ( Cyclorana alboguttata ), which can survive for several years buried in the mud in ...

MicroRNAs help control HIV life cycle

LA JOLLA, Calif., June 26, 2009 Scientists at Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham) have discovered that specific microRNAs (non-coding RNAs that interfere with gene expression) reduce HIV replication and infectivity in human T-cells. In particular, miR29 plays a key role in controllin...

Toxic molecule may help birds 'see' north and south

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. Researchers at the University of Illinois report that a toxic molecule known to damage cells and cause disease may also play a pivotal role in bird migration. The molecule, superoxide, is proposed as a key player in the mysterious process that allows birds to "see" Earth's magneti...

Targeting helpers of heat shock proteins could help treat cancer, cardiovascular disease

AUGUSTA, Ga. Dissecting how heat shock protein 90 gets steroid receptors into shape to use hormones like estrogen and testosterone could lead to targeted therapies for hormone-driven cancers, such as breast and prostate, that need them as well, Medical College of Georgia researchers say. "We ...

Drinking milk in the morning may help stave off lunchtime hunger

Now there's a new reason for the weight-conscious to drink fat free milk at breakfast time, suggests a new study published in the July issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition . Researchers in Australia found that drinking fat free milk in the morning helped increase satiety, or a feel...

New supplement may help slow sight loss in elderly

Queen's University Belfast academics have helped develop an antioxidant supplement which may slow down sight loss in elderly people. The supplement may help those affected by the leading cause of blindness in the Western World, a five-year research programme has found. Professor Usha Chakravar...

New tracking approach will help protect polar bears

Kingston, ON A new approach to tracking polar bears, developed by Queen's University researchers, will shed more light on the potentially endangered Arctic animal and help boost the economy of Canada's north. Integrating the traditional knowledge of Inuit hunters with state-of-the-art genetic...

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...

Gear bans 'can help save reefs'

Banning or restricting the use of certain types of fishing gear could help the world's coral reefs and their fish populations survive the onslaughts of climate change. An international team of scientists led by Dr Josh Cinner of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook ...

Targeting children effective use of limited supplies of flu vaccine and could help control flu spread

Targeting children may be an effective use of limited supplies of flu vaccine, according to research at the University of Warwick funded by the Wellcome Trust and the EU. The study suggests that, used to support other control measures, this could help control the spread of pandemics such as the cu...

UCLA cancer researchers develop model that may help identify cancer stem cells

Researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, on a quest to find lung cancer stem cells, have developed a unique model to allow further investigation into the cells that many believe may be at the root of all lung cancers. If researchers could find a way to isolate and grow lung c...

'Platforms in space' to help businesses

Space researchers and enterprise experts from the University of Leicester have teamed up to offer a new business facing service that harnesses space technology for earth-bound benefits. A Space Technology Exchange Partnership G-STEP- has been established in order to support business and public ...

NAU discovery could help feed millions

When scientist Loretta Mayer set out to alleviate diseases associated with menopause, she didn't realize her work could lead to addressing world hunger and feeding hundreds of millions of people. The Northern Arizona University researcher and her colleagues at NAU and the University of Arizona ...

Understanding plants' overactive immune system will help MU researchers build better crops

COLUMBIA, Mo. A plant's immune system protects the plant from harmful pathogens. If the system overreacts to pathogens, it can stunt plant growth and reduce seed production. Now, University of Missouri researchers have identified important suppressors that negatively regulate the responses of the...

Scientists find formula to uncover our planet's past and help predict its future

Studies of climate evolution and the ecology of past-times are often hampered by lost information lost variables needed to complete the picture have been long thought untraceable but scientists have created a formula which will fill in the gaps of our knowledge and will help predict the future. ...

Identification of genetic variants affecting age at menopause could help improve fertility treatment

Vienna, Austria: For 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 ...

Carbon measuring system to help mitigate climate change

The $9.16m Carbon Benefits Project, which involves the Overseas Development Group at the University of East Anglia (UEA), hopes to encourage sustainable development schemes in developing countries that generate climate adaptation, mitigation and conservation benefits, as well as improve quality of...

Major funding to help cut CO2 emissions

The University of Nottingham is to share in 6.9m of research funding to investigate carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies which could drastically cut CO 2 emissions from fossil-fuel power stations. The funding from E.ON and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is to supp...

Lithium may help radiation target cancer, spare healthy tissue

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center investigators have uncovered a mechanism that helps explain how lithium, a drug widely used to treat bipolar mood disorder, also protects the brain from damage that occurs during radiation treatments. In the May 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation ,...

Crop models help increase yield per unit of water used

MADISON, WI, May 4, 2009 -- Crop water use efficiency (WUE, or yield per unit of water used), also known as crop water productivity, can be improved through irrigation management and methods, including deficit irrigation (irrigating less than is required for maximum yields) and supplemental irriga...

Mosquito parasite may help fight dengue fever

Dengue fever is a terrible viral disease blighting many of the world's tropical regions. Carried by mosquitoes, such as Aedes aegypti , 40% of the world's population is believed to be at risk from the infection. What is more, previous exposure to other strains of the fever does not confer protect...

Tiny differences in our genes help shed light on the big picture of human history

By examining very small differences in people's genes, scientists from Cornell University have developed a new tool for identifying big events in human history and pinpointing the origins of specific gene mutations. This research, published in the May issue of the journal GENETICS ( http://www.g...

Athletes with asthma need more help from their team trainers

COLUMBUS, Ohio Very few athletic trainers associated with National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) programs said that they were following best practice standards for managing asthma among their athletes, according to a new study. For athletes with asthma, the dangers of the condition ca...

Re-awakening old genes to help in the fight against HIV

A new vaginal cream containing a reawakened protein could someday prevent the transmission of HIV. Scientists at the University of Central Florida in Orlando have revived a dormant gene found in humans and coaxed it to produce retrocyclin, a protein that resists HIV. Lead scientist Alexande...

Two-pronged model could help foil tough cystic fibrosis infections

Hanover, NH--Dartmouth Medical School researchers have devised a novel approach for thwarting the relentless bacterial infections that thrive in the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis (CF), unlocking new possibilities against a tenacious and toxic hallmark of the common genetic disease. Combi...

truTV and Cox Offer Free Digital Fingerprinting to Help Prevent Crimes Against Children

"Digital Fingerprinting for Kids" event on April 18 at Pembroke Mall , Virginia Beach CHESAPEAKE, Va., April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Turner Network Sales (TNS), the distribution, sales and marketing arm of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.), and truTV, are partnering with Cox Co...

Nutrition experts propose new class of low-sugar drinks to help stem obesity and diabetes epidemics

Boston, MA -- Strong evidence developed at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and elsewhere shows that sugary drinks are an important contributor to the epidemic rise of obesity and type 2 diabetes in the United States. Faced with these growing public health threats, experts from the Departmen...

Research suggests vegetable juice may help people with metabolic syndrome lose weight

NEW ORLEANS, April 19, 2009 Drinking at least one glass of low sodium vegetable juice daily may help overweight people with metabolic syndrome achieve better weight loss results. A study, conducted at the Baylor College of Medicine and presented at this week's Experimental Biology Meeting, found...

K-State using Second Life island to help high school students learn earth science

A mysterious island that moves through time. Travelers in search of answers. It sounds something like the science fiction television show "Lost," but it also describes a new approach to teaching earth sciences to high school students. Iris Totten, an associate professor of geology at Kansas ...

truTV and Cox Offer Free Digital Fingerprinting to Help Prevent Crimes Against Children

"Digital Fingerprinting for Kids" event on April 18 at Pembroke Mall , Virginia Beach CHESAPEAKE, Va., April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Turner Network Sales (TNS), the distribution, sales and marketing arm of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.), and truTV, are partnering with Cox Co...

Scripps scientists help decode mysterious green glow of the sea

Many longtime sailors have been mesmerized by the dazzling displays of green light often seen below the ocean surface in tropical seas. Now researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego have uncovered key clues about the bioluminescent worms that produce the green glow and the...

UC Davis researchers identify a protein that may help breast cancer spread, beat cancer drugs

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) New research from UC Davis Cancer Center shows that a protein called Muc4 may be the essential ingredient that allows breast cancer to spread to other organs and resist therapeutic treatment. The study, which appears in the April 1 issue of Cancer Research , is one of the fi...

Satellite snow maps help reindeer herders adapt to a changing Arctic

Arctic reindeer herders are facing the challenges of adapting to climate change as a warmer Arctic climate makes it harder for herds to find food and navigate. To help them adapt, the ESA-backed Polar View initiative is providing them with satellite-based snow maps. "Snow is of paramount import...