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Released: 29-Jun-2015 3:20 PM EDT
First-Ever Possible Treatments For MERS; Researchers Identify Two Promising Candidates
University of Maryland Medical Center

As the South Korean MERS outbreak continues, researchers have discovered and validated two therapeutics that show early promise in preventing and treating the disease, which can cause severe respiratory symptoms, and has a death rate of 40 percent.

Released: 29-Jun-2015 3:20 PM EDT
First-Ever Possible Treatments For MERS; Researchers Identify Two Promising Candidates
University of Maryland Medical Center

As the South Korean MERS outbreak continues, researchers have discovered and validated two therapeutics that show early promise in preventing and treating the disease, which can cause severe respiratory symptoms, and has a death rate of 40 percent.

Released: 29-Jun-2015 3:05 PM EDT
Researchers Discover How Petunias Know When to Smell Good
University of Washington

A team of UW biologists has identified a key mechanism plants use to decide when to release their floral scents to attract pollinators. Their findings, published the week of June 29 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, connect the production and release of these fragrant chemicals to the innate circadian rhythms that pulse through all life on Earth.

Released: 29-Jun-2015 3:05 PM EDT
Researchers Discover How Petunias Know When to Smell Good
University of Washington

A team of UW biologists has identified a key mechanism plants use to decide when to release their floral scents to attract pollinators. Their findings, published the week of June 29 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, connect the production and release of these fragrant chemicals to the innate circadian rhythms that pulse through all life on Earth.

24-Jun-2015 2:00 PM EDT
New Family of Small RNAs Boosts Cell Proliferation in Cancer
Thomas Jefferson University

Rather than cellular trash, half of a transfer RNA (tRNA) molecule appears to actively spur cell proliferation in breast and prostate cancers, suggesting a new role for tRNA and a possible target for a new class of therapy.

26-Jun-2015 11:00 AM EDT
Treatment With PI3K Inhibitors May Cause Cancers to Become More Aggressive and Metastatic
Wistar Institute

The enzyme PI3K appears to be exploited in almost every type of human cancer, making it the focus of considerable interest as a therapeutic target. However, PI3K inhibitors have only shown modest clinical activity. Now, new research The Wistar Institute shows that treatment with PI3K inhibitors alone may actually make a patient’s cancer even worse by promoting more aggressive tumor cell behavior and increasing the cancer’s potential of spreading to other organs.

26-Jun-2015 11:00 AM EDT
Treatment With PI3K Inhibitors May Cause Cancers to Become More Aggressive and Metastatic
Wistar Institute

The enzyme PI3K appears to be exploited in almost every type of human cancer, making it the focus of considerable interest as a therapeutic target. However, PI3K inhibitors have only shown modest clinical activity. Now, new research The Wistar Institute shows that treatment with PI3K inhibitors alone may actually make a patient’s cancer even worse by promoting more aggressive tumor cell behavior and increasing the cancer’s potential of spreading to other organs.

Released: 23-Jun-2015 9:05 AM EDT
How Understanding GPS Can Help You Hit a Curveball
University of Rochester

Our brains track moving objects by applying one of the algorithms your phone’s GPS uses, according to researchers at the University of Rochester. This same algorithm also explains why we are fooled by several motion-related optical illusions, including the sudden “break” of baseball’s well known “curveball illusion.”

Released: 23-Jun-2015 9:05 AM EDT
How Understanding GPS Can Help You Hit a Curveball
University of Rochester

Our brains track moving objects by applying one of the algorithms your phone’s GPS uses, according to researchers at the University of Rochester. This same algorithm also explains why we are fooled by several motion-related optical illusions, including the sudden “break” of baseball’s well known “curveball illusion.”

Released: 22-Jun-2015 3:05 PM EDT
Belief in 'Free Will' May Give Conservatives an Edge for Self-Control
Indiana University

A psychology study from Indiana University and others in the journal of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests conservatives may display a greater aptitude for certain aspects of self-control.

   
Released: 22-Jun-2015 3:05 PM EDT
IU Biologists Find Mistletoe Species Lacks Genes Found in All Other Complex Organisms
Indiana University

The discovery was made during an analysis of a species of mistletoe whose apparent ability to survive without key genes involved in energy production could make it one of the most unusual plants on Earth.

19-Jun-2015 10:35 AM EDT
Smart Insulin Patch Could Replace Painful Injections for Diabetes
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Researchers at the University of North Carolina and NC State have created the first “smart insulin patch” that can detect increases in blood sugar levels and secrete doses of insulin into the bloodstream whenever needed.

Released: 18-Jun-2015 12:05 PM EDT
Musicians Don’t Just Hear in Tune, They Also See in Tune
Vanderbilt University

A new experiment shows that auditory melodies can enhance a musician's visual awareness of written music, particularly when the two match.

Released: 18-Jun-2015 12:05 PM EDT
Musicians Don’t Just Hear in Tune, They Also See in Tune
Vanderbilt University

A new experiment shows that auditory melodies can enhance a musician's visual awareness of written music, particularly when the two match.

Released: 17-Jun-2015 7:05 AM EDT
Staying Close and Keeping Cool
Department of Energy, Office of Science

A full description of nanoscale thermal transport has defied understanding for decades. In a new study, researchers uncovered a regime of thermal transport near nanoscale structures, where counterintuitively, nanoscale hot spots cool more quickly when placed close together than when they are widely separated. The results suggest new approaches for addressing the significant challenge of heat management in nanosystems, with design implications for integrated circuits and other uses.

Released: 17-Jun-2015 7:05 AM EDT
Staying Close and Keeping Cool
Department of Energy, Office of Science

A full description of nanoscale thermal transport has defied understanding for decades. In a new study, researchers uncovered a regime of thermal transport near nanoscale structures, where counterintuitively, nanoscale hot spots cool more quickly when placed close together than when they are widely separated. The results suggest new approaches for addressing the significant challenge of heat management in nanosystems, with design implications for integrated circuits and other uses.

Released: 15-Jun-2015 6:05 PM EDT
New Discovery Could Explain How Prostate Cancer Becomes Lethal
University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center

New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has provided a major boost for the prostate cancer field by uncovering an unprecedented mechanism for developing cancer.

Released: 15-Jun-2015 6:05 PM EDT
New Discovery Could Explain How Prostate Cancer Becomes Lethal
University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center

New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has provided a major boost for the prostate cancer field by uncovering an unprecedented mechanism for developing cancer.

Released: 15-Jun-2015 3:05 PM EDT
Climate and Ecosystem Instability Delayed Dinosaur Success
Stony Brook University

Climate and plant community instability may have hampered the success of dinosaurs in the tropics during the Late Triassic Period (235-201 million years ago), according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). This finding was reached by co-author Alan H. Turner, PhD, of Stony Brook University, and an international team of scientists by examining the sedimentary rocks and fossil record preserved in the Chinle Formation in northern New Mexico to investigate the environment in tropical latitudes during the Late Triassic.

10-Jun-2015 2:00 PM EDT
Why Did the Dinosaur Cross the Equator…but Choose Not to Live There?
University of Southampton

New research from the University of Southampton and international partners has uncovered the mystery of why large Triassic dinosaurs took more than 30 million years to populate the tropics.

10-Jun-2015 2:00 PM EDT
Why Did the Dinosaur Cross the Equator…but Choose Not to Live There?
University of Southampton

New research from the University of Southampton and international partners has uncovered the mystery of why large Triassic dinosaurs took more than 30 million years to populate the tropics.

12-Jun-2015 2:05 PM EDT
Bacterial Genome Scalpel Can Identify Key Gene Regions
North Carolina State University

In a study that twists nature’s arm to gain clues into the varied functions of the bacterial genome, North Carolina State University researchers utilize a precision scalpel to excise target genomic regions that are expendable. This strategy can also elucidate gene regions that are essential for bacterial survival.

12-Jun-2015 2:05 PM EDT
Bacterial Genome Scalpel Can Identify Key Gene Regions
North Carolina State University

In a study that twists nature’s arm to gain clues into the varied functions of the bacterial genome, North Carolina State University researchers utilize a precision scalpel to excise target genomic regions that are expendable. This strategy can also elucidate gene regions that are essential for bacterial survival.

10-Jun-2015 2:00 PM EDT
Why Big Dinosaurs Steered Clear of the Tropics
University of Utah

A remarkably detailed picture of the climate and ecology during the Triassic Period explains why dinosaurs failed to establish dominance near the equator for 30 million years.

Released: 11-Jun-2015 3:05 PM EDT
New Study Finds Group Discussion Improves Lie Detection
University of Chicago Booth School of Business

In "Group Discussion Improves Lie Detection," the researchers designed four experiments in which groups consistently distinguished truth from lies more accurately than one individual, demonstrating that the group advantage in lie detection comes through the process of group discussion, not the product of a "wisdom of crowds" effect.

Released: 9-Jun-2015 12:05 PM EDT
New MRI Approach Detects Early Liver Tumors in Mouse Model of Human Disease
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering

Scientists at Georgia State University (GSU) with funding from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) have designed an imaging technique to detect early-stage liver tumors, and have proven it successful in mice. Their study in an animal model is an essential step toward creating tools to improve liver tumor detection in human patients—whether primary liver cancer or metastatic tumors that arise in liver but have spread from other tissue.

Released: 9-Jun-2015 12:05 PM EDT
New MRI Approach Detects Early Liver Tumors in Mouse Model of Human Disease
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering

Scientists at Georgia State University (GSU) with funding from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) have designed an imaging technique to detect early-stage liver tumors, and have proven it successful in mice. Their study in an animal model is an essential step toward creating tools to improve liver tumor detection in human patients—whether primary liver cancer or metastatic tumors that arise in liver but have spread from other tissue.

5-Jun-2015 9:05 AM EDT
Navigating Multiple Myeloma with ‘Google Maps’ for the Cancer Genome
University of Wisconsin–Madison

In a new study published June 8 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, David C. Schwartz and his University of Wisconsin-Madison research team describe a new approach for studying the cancer genome that Schwartz says will let scientists account for both the individual tiles and the whole mosaic. It enables researchers and clinicians to look at the small- and large-scale genetic changes that define individual cancers.

8-Jun-2015 3:00 PM EDT
Yin and Yang: Immune Signaling Protein Has Opposing Roles in Breast Cancer Development
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Countering previously held beliefs, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered that inhibiting the immune receptor protein TLR4 may not be a wise treatment strategy in all cancers.

Released: 2-Jun-2015 12:05 PM EDT
Natural Variants in Genetic System That Affects Aging Found in New UAB Study
University of Alabama at Birmingham

A study of the rapid evolution of the insulin-signaling molecular network that regulates growth, reproduction, metabolism and aging lays important groundwork for future studies.

   
Released: 2-Jun-2015 12:05 PM EDT
Natural Variants in Genetic System That Affects Aging Found in New UAB Study
University of Alabama at Birmingham

A study of the rapid evolution of the insulin-signaling molecular network that regulates growth, reproduction, metabolism and aging lays important groundwork for future studies.

   
Released: 27-May-2015 11:05 AM EDT
Researchers Discover Surprisingly Wide Variation Across Species in Genetic Systems That Influence Aging
Iowa State University

A new Iowa State University study focusing on insulin signaling uncovered surprising genetic diversity across reptiles, birds and mammals. Scientists previously assumed the process remained much the same throughout the animal kingdom, but the new research shows that the genetic pathways in reptiles evolved to include protein forms not observed in mammals.

Released: 27-May-2015 11:05 AM EDT
Researchers Discover Surprisingly Wide Variation Across Species in Genetic Systems That Influence Aging
Iowa State University

A new Iowa State University study focusing on insulin signaling uncovered surprising genetic diversity across reptiles, birds and mammals. Scientists previously assumed the process remained much the same throughout the animal kingdom, but the new research shows that the genetic pathways in reptiles evolved to include protein forms not observed in mammals.

Released: 26-May-2015 9:00 AM EDT
NYU Researchers Find “Decoder Ring” Powers in Micro RNA
New York University

MicroRNA can serve as a “decoder ring” for understanding complex biological processes, a team of New York University chemists has found. Their study points to a new method for decrypting the biological functions of enzymes and identifying those that drive diseases.

20-May-2015 4:20 PM EDT
Study Suggests New Way of Preventing Diabetes-Associated Blindness
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Reporting on their study with lab-grown human cells, researchers at The Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland say that blocking a second blood vessel growth protein, along with one that is already well-known, could offer a new way to treat and prevent a blinding eye disease caused by diabetes.

21-May-2015 4:05 PM EDT
Ovarian Cancer-Specific Markers Set the Stage for Early Diagnosis, Personalized Treatments
UC San Diego Health

Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center have now identified six mRNA isoforms (bits of genetic material) produced by ovarian cancer cells but not normal cells, opening up the possibility that they could be used to diagnose early-stage ovarian cancer. What’s more, several of the mRNA isoforms code for unique proteins that could be targeted with new therapeutics.

Released: 21-May-2015 10:05 AM EDT
Carbon Sequestration in New Mexico’s Bravo Dome
Department of Energy, Office of Science

Emplacement of carbon dioxide at the Bravo Dome gas field in New Mexico began more than 900,000 years earlier than previously estimated, according to scientists at DOE’s Center for Frontiers of Subsurface Energy Security. The study documents the first field evidence for the safe long-term storage of large amounts of carbon dioxide in saline aquifers.

Released: 21-May-2015 7:05 AM EDT
Power From the Heart
Department of Energy, Office of Science

Researchers created thin, flexible electronic devices that efficiently harvest the mechanical energy from natural motions of the human body. In addition to advances in materials processing to enable creating these devices, accurate analytical models were developed to predict the electrical output.

Released: 18-May-2015 5:05 PM EDT
Key Component in Protein that Causes Cystic Fibrosis Identified
University of Missouri Health

Nearly 70,000 people worldwide are living with cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening genetic disease. There currently is no cure for the condition, but researchers from the University of Missouri have identified a key component in the protein that causes the disease. It is a finding that may lay the foundation for the development of new medications and improved therapies.

13-May-2015 10:05 AM EDT
Agriculture, Declining Mobility Drove Humans' Shift to Lighter Bones
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Modern lifestyles have made our bones lighter weight than our hunter-gatherer ancestors. A study of the bones of hundreds of humans who lived during the past 33,000 years in Europe finds the rise of agriculture and a corresponding fall in mobility drove the change, rather than urbanization, nutrition or other factors.

13-May-2015 10:05 AM EDT
Agriculture, Declining Mobility Drove Humans' Shift to Lighter Bones
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Modern lifestyles have made our bones lighter weight than our hunter-gatherer ancestors. A study of the bones of hundreds of humans who lived during the past 33,000 years in Europe finds the rise of agriculture and a corresponding fall in mobility drove the change, rather than urbanization, nutrition or other factors.

Released: 18-May-2015 2:05 PM EDT
How the Immune System Controls the Human Biological Clock in Times of Infection
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

An important link between the human body clock and the immune system has relevance for better understanding inflammatory and infectious diseases, discovered collaborators. They report how a critical white blood cell, when exposed to bacteria, makes the biological clock inside the macrophage stop, allowing it to become inflamed.

Released: 14-May-2015 11:05 AM EDT
Georgia State Research Paves Way for Early Detection of Liver Cancer
Georgia State University

Led by Georgia State University, researchers have developed the first robust and noninvasive detection of early stage liver cancer and liver metastases, in addition to other liver diseases, such as cirrhosis and liver fibrosis.

Released: 13-May-2015 4:05 AM EDT
Revolutionary Discovery Could Help Tackle Skin and Heart Conditions
University of Manchester

Scientists at The University of Manchester have made an important discovery about how certain cells stick to each other to form tissue.

   
Released: 12-May-2015 9:05 AM EDT
Personal Microbiomes Shown to Contain Unique 'Fingerprints'
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

A new study shows that the microbial communities we carry in and on our bodies—known as the human microbiome—have the potential to uniquely identify individuals, much like a fingerprint.

Released: 12-May-2015 9:05 AM EDT
Personal Microbiomes Shown to Contain Unique 'Fingerprints'
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

A new study shows that the microbial communities we carry in and on our bodies—known as the human microbiome—have the potential to uniquely identify individuals, much like a fingerprint.

7-May-2015 12:00 PM EDT
Massive Southern Invasions by Northern Birds Linked to Climate Shifts
University of Utah

Citizen scientists tracking backyard bird feeders helped scientists pinpoint the climate forces that likely set the stage for boreal bird irruptions in which vast numbers of northern birds migrate far south of their usual winter range. The discovery could make it possible to predict the events more than a year in advance.

11-May-2015 9:00 AM EDT
Did Ocean Acidification From the Asteroid Impact That Killed the Dinosaurs Cause the Extinction of Marine Molluscs?
University of Southampton

New research, led by the University of Southampton, has questioned the role played by ocean acidification, produced by the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs, in the extinction of ammonites and other planktonic calcifiers 66 million years ago.

11-May-2015 9:00 AM EDT
Did Ocean Acidification From the Asteroid Impact That Killed the Dinosaurs Cause the Extinction of Marine Molluscs?
University of Southampton

New research, led by the University of Southampton, has questioned the role played by ocean acidification, produced by the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs, in the extinction of ammonites and other planktonic calcifiers 66 million years ago.

11-May-2015 12:05 PM EDT
Brain Cells Capable of “Early-Career” Switch
Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Salk scientists find a single molecule that controls the fate of mature sensory neurons



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