Biology
This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader, such as GoogleReader, or to display this data on your own website or blog. 
Subscribe to this data using MyMedWorm.
Subscribe to this data using GoogleReader.
Subscribe to this data using Bloglines.
Subscribe to this data using MyYahoo.
Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.
This page shows you the most recent publications within this specialty of the MedWorm directory.
Northern Blotting Techniques for Small RNAs
Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
In eukaryotes, RNA silencing encompasses a range of biochemical processes mediated by ∼20–25 nt small RNAs (smRNAs). This chapter describes northern blot hybridization techniques optimized for detection of such smRNAs, whether extracted from plant or animal tissues. The basic protocol is described, and control blots illustrate the detection specificity and sensitivity of this method using DNA oligonucleotide probes. Known endogenous smRNAs are analyzed in samples prepared from several model plant species, including Arabidopsis thaliana, Nicotiana benthamiana, Oryza sativa, Zea mays, and Physcomitrella patens, as ...
Source: Springer protocols feed by Plant Sciences - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: info
Analysis of Small RNA Populations Using Hybridization to DNA Tiling ArraysEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Small RNA (sRNA) populations extracted from Arabidopsis plants submitted or not to biotic stress, were reverse-transcribed into cDNAs, and these were subsequently hybridized after labelling to a custom-made DNA tiling array covering Arabidopsis chromosome 4. We first designed a control experiment with eight cDNA clones corresponding to sequences located on chromosome 4 and obtained robust and specific hybridization signals. Furthermore, hybridization signals along chromosome 4 were in good agreement with sRNA abundance as previously determined by Massive Parallel Sequence Signature (MPSS) in the case of untreated plants, b...
Source: Springer protocols feed by Plant Sciences - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: info
Isoschizomers and Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism for the Detection of Specific Cytosine Methylation ChangesEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Different molecular techniques have been developed to study either the global level of methylated cytosines or methylation at specific gene sequences. One of them is a modification of the Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) technique that has been used to study methylation of anonymous CCGG sequences in different fungi, plant and animal species. The main variation of this technique is based on the use of isoschizomers with different methylation sensitivity (such as HpaII and MspI) as a frequent cutter restriction enzyme. For each sample, AFLP analysis is performed using both EcoRI/HpaII and EcoRI/MspI digested sa...
Source: Springer protocols feed by Plant Sciences - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: info
Analysis of Mutation/Rearrangement Frequencies and Methylation Patterns at a Given DNA Locus Using Restriction Fragment Length PolymorphismEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) is a difference in DNA sequences of organisms belonging to the same species. RFLPs are typically detected as DNA fragments of different lengths after digestion with various restriction endonucleases. The comparison of RFLPs allows investigators to analyze the frequency of occurrence of mutations, such as point mutations, deletions, insertions, and gross chromosomal rearrangements, in the progeny of stressed plants. The assay involves restriction enzyme digestion of DNA followed by hybridization of digested DNA using a radioactively or enzymatically labeled probe. Since DNA ca...
Source: Springer protocols feed by Plant Sciences - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: info
In Situ Analysis of DNA Methylation in PlantsEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Epigenetic changes in the plant genome are associated with differential genome methylation, histone modifications, and the binding of various chromatin-binding factors. Methylation of cytosine residues is one of the most versatile mechanisms of epigenetic regulation. The analysis of DNA methylation can be performed in different ways. However, most of these procedures involve the extraction of chromatin from cells with further isolation and analysis of DNA. Modest success has been achieved in DNA methylation analysis in plant tissues in situ. Here, we present an in situ method for DNA methylation analysis, which has high se...
Source: Springer protocols feed by Plant Sciences - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: info
Detection of Changes in Global Genome Methylation Using the Cytosine-Extension AssayEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Methylation is a reversible covalent chemical modification of DNA intended to regulate gene expression, genome stability, and chromatin structure. Although there are various methods of methylation analysis, most of them are either laborious or expensive, or both. Here, we describe a quick, inexpensive method for analysis of global genome methylation using a cytosine extension assay. The assay can be used for analysis of the total level of CpG, CNpG, and asymmetrical methylation in a given cell culture or in a plant tissue sample. (Source: Springer protocols feed by Plant Sciences)
Source: Springer protocols feed by Plant Sciences - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: info
Analysis of Locus-Specific Changes in Methylation Patterns Using a COBRA (Combined Bisulfite Restriction Analysis) AssayEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
DNA methylation is a major mechanism for the reversible control of gene expression, chromatin structure, and genome stability. Methylation analysis at a given locus allows one to evaluate levels of chromatin packaging, gene expression, and even homologous recombination. We have shown that the combined bisulfite restriction analysis (COBRA) assay makes it possible to analyze methylation levels at a defined locus. The major steps are: bisulfite conversion of nonmethylate cytosines to uracils, locus-specific PCR amplification of converted DNA, restriction digestion, and analysis of restriction patterns on the gel. Due to the ...
Source: Springer protocols feed by Plant Sciences - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: info
Analysis of Bisulfite Sequencing Data from Plant DNA Using CyMATEEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Amplifying and sequencing DNA after bisulfite treatment of genomic DNA reveals the methylation state of cytosine residues at the highest resolution possible. However, a thorough analysis is required for statistical evaluation of methylation at all sites in each genomic region. Several software tools were developed to assist in quantitative evaluation of bisulfite sequencing data from complex methylation patterns occurring in plants. This chapter describes the application of Cytosine Methylation Analysis Tool for Everyone (CyMATE). From aligned sequences, CyMATE quantifies and illustrates general and pattern-specific methyl...
Source: Springer protocols feed by Plant Sciences - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: info
Analysis of DNA Methylation in Plants by Bisulfite SequencingEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
We describe the application of bisulfite sequencing for the analysis of DNA methylation at defined individual sequences of plant genomic DNA. (Source: Springer protocols feed by Plant Sciences)
Source: Springer protocols feed by Plant Sciences - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: info
Plant TransgenesisEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Epigenetic effects such as gene silencing and variable expression are unintended consequences of plant transformation, a problem that is present in the transformation of all plant species. There is not yet a reliable way to prevent epigenetic silencing; however, the probability of epigenetic effects may be reduced by choosing an appropriate method of transgene introduction into a plant cell. Most methods used in plant biotechnology, such as direct gene transfer and particle bombardment, result in the introduction of multiple DNA molecules and, as a consequence, multi-copy multi-locus insertion patterns. These multiple inse...
Source: Springer protocols feed by Plant Sciences - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: info
Reporter Gene-Based Recombination Lines for Studies of Genome StabilityEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Homologous recombination is a double-strand break repair mechanism operating in somatic cells and involved in meiotic crossovers in plants. It is responsible for the maintenance of genome stability and thus plays a crucial role in adaptation to stress. Recombination between homologous loci is believed to be regulated in part by epigenetic machinery such as methylation. Therefore, the recombination frequency at a specific locus can reflect the chromatin status. (Source: Springer protocols feed by Plant Sciences)
Source: Springer protocols feed by Plant Sciences - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: info
Detection and Quantification of DNA Strand Breaks Using the ROPS (Random Oligonucleotide Primed Synthesis) AssayEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) arise from spontaneous DNA damage due to metabolic activities or from direct and indirect damaging effects of stress. DSBs are also formed transiently during such processes as replication, transcription, and DNA repair. The level of DSBs positively correlates with the activities of homologous and nonhomologous DNA repair pathways, which in turn inversely correlate with methylation levels and chromatin structure. Thus, measurement of strand breaks can provide an informative picture of genome stability of a given cell. The use of random oligonucleotide-primed synthesis for the analysis of DSB ...
Source: Springer protocols feed by Plant Sciences - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: info
cDNA Libraries for Virus-Induced Gene SilencingEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) exploits endogenous plant antiviral defense mechanisms to posttranscriptionally silence the expression of targeted plant genes. VIGS is quick and relatively easy to perform and therefore serves as a powerful tool for high-throughput functional genomics in plants. Combined with the use of subtractive cDNA libraries for generating a collection of VIGS-ready cDNA inserts, VIGS can be utilized to screen a large number of genes to determine phenotypes resulting from the knockdown/knockout of gene function. Taking into account the optimal insert design for VIGS, we describe a methodology for p...
Source: Springer protocols feed by Plant Sciences - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: info
Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Protocol for Histone Modifications and Protein–DNA Binding Analyses in ArabidopsisEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Epigenetic gene regulation via histone modifications controls different processes ranging from embryonic development, vegetative development, floral induction, floral organ development, to pollen tube growth. The identification of an increasing number of epigenetically regulated processes was greatly advanced by genome-wide histone modification and chromatin-protein interaction surveys. However, genome-wide approaches are too global to access in detail a large number of histone modifications taking place at a single locus. Here we provide a robust Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) protocol, allowing in vivo analyses of ...
Source: Springer protocols feed by Plant Sciences - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: info
Metaanalysis of ChIP-chip DataEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Genome-wide analysis of histone modifications via ChIP-chip (chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by whole genome tiling array hybridization) may generate lists of up to several thousand potential target genes. In the case of the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana, several databases are available to alleviate further characterization and classification of genomic data sets. The term metaanalysis has been coined for this type of multidatabase comparison. In this chapter, we describe open source software and web tools that perform transcriptional and functional analysis of target genes. Sources of transcription data and c...
Source: Springer protocols feed by Plant Sciences - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: info
Genome-Wide Mapping of Protein-DNA Interaction by Chromatin Immunoprecipitation and DNA Microarray Hybridization (ChIP-chip). Part B: ChIP-chip Data AnalysisEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Genome-wide targets of chromatin-associated factors can be identified by a combination of chromatin-immunoprecipitation and oligonucleotide microarray hybridization. Genome-wide mircoarray data analysis represents a major challenge for the experimental biologist. This chapter introduces ChIPR, a package written in the R statistical programming language that facilitates the analysis of two-color microarrays from Roche-Nimblegen. The workflow of ChIPR is illustrated with sample data from Arabidopsis thaliana. However, ChIPR supports ChIP-chip data preprocessing, target identification, and cross-annotation of any species for ...
Source: Springer protocols feed by Plant Sciences - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: info
Genome-Wide Mapping of Protein-DNA Interaction by Chromatin Immunoprecipitation and DNA Microarray Hybridization (ChIP-chip). Part A: ChIP-chip Molecular MethodsEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Chromatin immunoprecipitation in combination with DNA-microarray hybridization (ChIP-chip) allows the identification of chromatin regions that are associated with modified forms of histones on a genomic scale. The ChIP-chip workflow consists of the following steps: generation of biological material, in vivo formaldehyde-fixation of protein-DNA and protein-protein interactions, chromatin preparation and shearing, immunoprecipitation of chromatin with specific antibodies, fixation reversal and DNA purification, DNA amplification, microarray hybridization, and data analysis. In Part A of this chapter, we describe molecular me...
Source: Springer protocols feed by Plant Sciences - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: info
Cloning New Small RNA SequencesEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Small RNAs are key molecules in RNA silencing pathways that exert sequence-specific regulation of gene expression and chromatin modifications in many eukaryotes. In plants, endogenous small RNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs) and trans-acting small interfering RNAs (tasiRNAs) play an important role in biological processes such as development and stress responses. In addition, viral genome-derived siRNAs are produced during viral infection, and they exhibit anti-viral defense by an RNA silencing pathway. These endogenous and exogenous small RNAs are mainly 21-24 nucleotides in length. Here, we describe a method to identify s...
Source: Springer protocols feed by Plant Sciences - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: info
qRT-PCR of Small RNAsEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Plant small RNAs are a class of 19- to 25-nucleotide (nt) RNA molecules that are essential for genome stability, development and differentiation, disease, cellular communication, signaling, and adaptive responses to biotic and abiotic stress. Small RNAs comprise two major RNA classes, short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs). Efficient and reliable detection and quantification of small RNA expression has become an essential step in understanding their roles in specific cells and tissues. Here we provide protocols for the detection of miRNAs by stem-loop RT-PCR. This method enables fast and reliable miRNA expr...
Source: Springer protocols feed by Plant Sciences - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: info
Garbled messages and corrupted translationsEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Nature Chemical Biology 6, 306 (2010). doi:10.1038/nchembio0410-306e
Author: Tilman Schneider-Poetsch, Takeo Usui, Daisuke Kaida & Minoru Yoshida (Source: Nature Chemical Biology)
Source: Nature Chemical Biology - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Authors: Tilman Schneider-PoetschTakeo UsuiDaisuke KaidaMinoru Yoshida Tags: Erratum Source Type: journals
Cover captionEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Nature Chemical Biology 6, 306 (2010). doi:10.1038/nchembio0410-306d (Source: Nature Chemical Biology)
Source: Nature Chemical Biology - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Tags: Erratum Source Type: journals
An upfront investmentEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Nature Chemical Biology 6, 306 (2010). doi:10.1038/nchembio0410-306c
Author: Damian W Young (Source: Nature Chemical Biology)
Source: Nature Chemical Biology - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Authors: Damian W Young Tags: Corrigendum Source Type: journals
Revealing the delta ladyEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Nature Chemical Biology 6, 306 (2010). doi:10.1038/nchembio0410-306b
Author: Paul Workman & Rob L M van Montfort (Source: Nature Chemical Biology)
Source: Nature Chemical Biology - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Authors: Paul WorkmanRob L M van Montfort Tags: Corrigendum Source Type: journals
The p110δ structure: mechanisms for selectivity and potency of new PI(3)K inhibitorsEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
The p110δ structure: mechanisms for selectivity and potency of new PI(3)K inhibitors
Nature Chemical Biology 6, 306 (2010). doi:10.1038/nchembio0410-306a
Author: Alex Berndt, Simon Miller, Olusegun Williams, Daniel D Le, Benjamin T Houseman, Joseph I Pacold, Fabrice Gorrec, Wai-Ching Hon, Pingda Ren, Yi Liu, Christian Rommel, Pascale Gaillard, Thomas Rückle, Matthias K Schwarz, Kevan M Shokat, Jeffrey P Shaw & Roger L Williams (Source: Nature Chemical Biology)
Source: Nature Chemical Biology - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Authors: Alex BerndtSimon MillerOlusegun WilliamsDaniel D LeBenjamin T HousemanJoseph I PacoldFabrice GorrecWai-Ching HonPingda RenYi LiuChristian RommelPascale GaillardThomas RückleMatthias K SchwarzKevan M ShokatJeffrey P ShawRoger L Williams Tags: Corrigendum Source Type: journals
Channels: Flies feel your painEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
outian
Evolutionary conservation of TRPA1 underlies sensation of reactive noxious chemicals from flies to humans. (Source: Nature Chemical Biology)
Source: Nature Chemical Biology - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Authors: Lindsey J MacphersonArdem Patapoutian Tags: News and Views Source Type: journals
Biosynthesis: Unmasking morphineEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Bruner
The final steps in the biosynthetic pathway to the morphine alkaloids have been revealed with the characterization of two key enzymes. In addition to the widely exploited parent compound, these new O-demethylases control metabolic flux to pharmaceutically useful opioid precursors. (Source: Nature Chemical Biology)
Source: Nature Chemical Biology - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Authors: Eric J DimiseSteven D Bruner Tags: News and Views Source Type: journals
Kinase inhibitors: Narrowing down the real targetsEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Nature Chemical Biology 6, 249 (2010). doi:10.1038/nchembio.336
Author: Henrik Daub
Many kinase inhibitors for cancer therapy are rather nonselective, and their cellular mechanisms of action are incompletely understood. A nested chemical proteomics and chemical genetics strategy reveals which cellular targets of the clinical kinase inhibitor dasatinib functionally relate to its anti-oncogenic activity. (Source: Nature Chemical Biology)
Source: Nature Chemical Biology - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Authors: Henrik Daub Tags: News and Views Source Type: journals
The genetic code: An archaeal path to literacyEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Nature Chemical Biology 6, 248 (2010). doi:10.1038/nchembio.335
Author: Tamara L Hendrickson
In most archaea, the enzyme TiaS post-transcriptionally modifies a cytidine in the anticodon of tRNAIle, converting it to agmatidine (agm2C or C+). This unique nucleoside allows translation at the AUA isoleucine codon and prevents misreading of the AUG methionine codon. (Source: Nature Chemical Biology)
Source: Nature Chemical Biology - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Authors: Tamara L Hendrickson Tags: News and Views Source Type: journals
Our choices from the recent literatureEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Nature Chemical Biology 6, 246 (2010). doi:10.1038/nchembio.344 (Source: Nature Chemical Biology)
Source: Nature Chemical Biology - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Tags: Research Highlights Source Type: journals
What's in a review?Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Nature Chemical Biology 6, 245 (2010). doi:10.1038/nchembio.346
Scientific referees accept a critical role in the peer review process. What do we expect of Nature Chemical Biology reviewers? (Source: Nature Chemical Biology)
Source: Nature Chemical Biology - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Tags: Editorial Source Type: journals
Students discover new species of raptor dinosaurEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
(University College London) A new species of dinosaur, a relative of the famous Velociraptor, has been discovered in Inner Mongolia by two Ph.D. students. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: news
GW Ph.D. candidate and UCL grad student discover new species of raptor dinosaurEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
(George Washington University) A new species of raptor dinosaur being named Linheraptor exquisitus has been discovered by George Washington University doctoral candidate Jonah Choiniere and Michael D. Pittman, a graduate student at University College London. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: news
Silver proves its mettle for nanotech applicationsEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
(Arizona State University) Hao Yan and Yan Liu, professors at the Biodesign Institute's Center for Single Molecule Biophysics and their collaborators have introduced a new method to deterministically and precisely position silver nanoparticles onto self-assembling DNA scaffolds. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: news
ESA and Thales Alenia Space enter negotiations for MTGEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
(European Space Agency) The tendering process that will result in the supply of Europe's next series of meteorological satellites, Meteosat Third Generation, has reached an advanced stage as ESA invites Thales Alenia Space to enter formal contract negotiations. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: news
Ben-Gurion University researcher receives rappaport prize for excellence in biomedical researchEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
(American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev) Professor Cohen received the prize for her research that led to an innovative and pioneering product using algae to prevent cardiac tissue damage following acute myocardial infarction. The hydrogel, is a resorbable liquid polymer that is administered through the coronary artery during standard catheterization and flows into the damaged heart muscle. BL-1040 forms a protective "scaffold" that enhances the mechanical strength of the heart. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: news
Predicted Auxiliary Navigation Mechanism of Peritrichously Flagellated Chemotactic BacteriaEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Author Summary
Chemotaxis of bacteria plays an important role in their life, providing them with the ability to actively search for an optimal growth environment. The chemotaxis system is supposed to be highly optimized, because on the evolutionary time scale even a modest enhancement of its efficiency can give cells a large competitive advantage. For a long time it was believed that the only navigation mechanism of bacteria is increasing the run length toward the preferred direction. The tumble was assumed to be a purely random change of direction between runs. We analysed recently published experimental data that demons...
Source: PLoS Computational Biology - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Authors: Nikita Vladimirov et al. Source Type: journals
Emergence of Spatial Structure in Cell Groups and the Evolution of CooperationEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Author Summary
Cooperation is a fundamental and widespread phenomenon in nature, yet explaining the evolution of cooperation is difficult. Natural selection typically favors individuals that maximize their own reproduction, so how is it that many diverse organisms, from bacteria to humans, have evolved to help others at a cost to themselves? Research has shown that cooperation can most readily evolve when cooperative individuals preferentially help each other, but this leaves open another critical question: How do cooperators achieve selective interaction with one another? We focus on this question in the context of unice...
Source: PLoS Computational Biology - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Authors: Carey D. Nadell et al. Source Type: journals
Patient Referral Patterns and the Spread of Hospital-Acquired Infections through National Health Care NetworksEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Author Summary
The prevalence of hospital acquired infections is widely believed to reflect the quality of health care in individual hospitals, and is therefore often used as a benchmark. Intuitively, the idea is that infections spread more easily in hospitals with a poor quality of health care. This assumes that the rate at which admitted patients introduce new infections is the same for all hospitals. In this article, we show that this assumption is unlikely to be correct. Using national data on patient admissions, we are able to reconstruct the entire hospital network consisting of patients referred between hospitals. ...
Source: PLoS Computational Biology - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Authors: Tjibbe Donker et al. Source Type: journals
Predicting Transmembrane Helix Packing Arrangements using Residue Contacts and a Force-Directed AlgorithmEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Author Summary
Alpha-helical transmembrane proteins constitute a significant proportion of the proteins encoded in a typical genome and are involved in a wide variety of important biological processes. Many common diseases including diabetes, hypertension and epilepsy have been related to transmembrane protein dysfunction, therefore they represent one of the most important classes of protein for pharmaceutical intervention. However, due to the experimental difficulties of structure determination, this class of protein is severely under-represented in structural databases. Here, we present a novel approach that is able to ...
Source: PLoS Computational Biology - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Authors: Timothy Nugent et al. Source Type: journals
Estimating the Stoichiometry of HIV NeutralizationEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Author Summary
A large part of the research on the Human Immunodeficiency Virus focuses on how virus particles attach and enter their target cells, and how entry can be inhibited by antibodies or antiretroviral drugs. Because virus particles are too small to be observed in action the inference of the details of HIV entry has to be indirect—involving the genetic manipulation of virions, and often mathematical modeling. It is known that virus particles establish contact to their target cells with spikes on their surface, and antibodies binding to these spikes can inhibit virus entry. It is not known, however, how many ant...
Source: PLoS Computational Biology - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Authors: Carsten Magnus et al. Source Type: journals
Tumor Growth Rate Determines the Timing of Optimal Chronomodulated Treatment SchedulesEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Author Summary
Chronotherapy of cancers aims at exploiting daily physiological rhythms to improve anti-cancer efficacy and tolerance to drugs by administering treatments at a specific time of the day. Recent clinical trials have shown that chronotherapy can be beneficial in improving quality of life and median life span in patients, but that it can also have negative effects if the timing is wrong. A theoretical basis for the rational development of individualized therapy schedules is still lacking. Here, we use a simple cell population model to show how biological rhythms and the cell cycle interact to modulate the respo...
Source: PLoS Computational Biology - March 19, 2010 Category: Biology Authors: Samuel Bernard et al. Source Type: journals
Physics press conferences at next week's American Physical Society March MeetingEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
(American Institute of Physics) The following press conferences will take place during the March Meeting of the American Physical Society (APS), to be held March 15-19, 2010 in the Portland Convention Center. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - March 18, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: news
The Institute for Ocean Conservation Science applauds IUCN's reclassifcation of beluga sturgeonEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
(Stony Brook University) The International Union for the Conservation of Nature today formally announced the reclassification of beluga sturgeon in the Caspian Sea as "critically endangered" on its Red List, providing strong evidence that fishing and international trade should be halted and a stock-rebuilding plan should be initiated immediately. Beluga sturgeon populations have been decimated in part due to unrelenting exploitation for black caviar -- the sturgeon's unfertilized eggs -- considered the finest in the world. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - March 18, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: news
Giant sequoias yield longest fire history from tree ringsEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
(University of Arizona) A 3,000-year record from 52 of the world's oldest trees shows that California's western Sierra Nevada was droughty and often fiery from 800 to 1300, according to new research. Scientists reconstructed the region's history of fire by dating fire scars on ancient giant sequoia trees, Sequoiadendron giganteum, in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park. Individual giant sequoias can live more than 3,000 years and are considered the world's largest trees by volume. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - March 18, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: news
HSBC Climate Partnership yields initial research findingsEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
(Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute) Rapid increases in tree growth in the US, slower tree growth in the tropics, new ideas about biodiversity, new methods for monitoring forest carbon stocks: Researchers from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and Earthwatch met in Panama from Mar. 1-5 to present mid-term research results from the HSBC Climate Partnership. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - March 18, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: news
Manufacturing antibodiesEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
(EUREKA) New antibodies and recombinant proteins with a key signaling role in immune response to disease have been produced through collaboration between molecular immunology institutes in the Czech Republic and Germany and a private company. The proteins have their own direct uses in immunization and are also the starting point for production of novel, highly specific antibodies with a wide range of biomedical applications. All of the new products are already being marketed commercially. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - March 18, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: news
Engineers: Weak laser can ignite nanoparticles, with exciting possibilitiesEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
(University of Florida) University of Florida engineering researchers have found they can ignite certain nanoparticles using a low-power laser, a development they say opens the door to a wave of new technologies in health care, computing and automotive design. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - March 18, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: news
WPI receives $1.2 million NIST award for pioneering study of wireless body area networksEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
(Worcester Polytechnic Institute) The Center for Wireless Information Network Studies at Worcester Polytechnic Institute has received a three-year, $1.2 million award from the National Institute of Standards and Technology to conduct a groundbreaking study of the propagation of radio waves around and through the human body. Led by Professor Kaveh Pahlavan, the research will help speed the development of and create standards for body area networks, which are expected to have variety of medical applications. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - March 18, 2010 Category: Biology Source Type: news
Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells as a Model to Study the Response of Energy Homeostasis-Related Genes to Acute Changes in Feeding ConditionsEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology , Vol. 0, No. 0. (Source: OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology)
Source: OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology - March 18, 2010 Category: Biology Tags: article Source Type: journals
Lymphangioleiomyomatosis and the Lymphatic ContinuumEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Lymphatic Research and Biology Mar 2010, Vol. 8, No. 1: 1-1. (Source: Lymphatic Research and Biology)
Source: Lymphatic Research and Biology - March 18, 2010 Category: Biology Tags: article Source Type: journals
