MedWorm: Biology Top 20

White House Begins to Map Course toward Bio-Based Economy

Washington Watch — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:26:34 +0100

Politicians and pundits clogged the airwaves last year with rhetoric about the state of the nation's economy. Amid this noise, a few economic policy initiatives did begin to take shape. For instance, last fall, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) issued a request for comments on a draft policy to stimulate the bioeconomy. Scientists have long asserted that research is an investment that yields economic prosperity. A growing number of scientists and engineers have more recently advised that the biological sciences are poised to inspire transformative discoveries that can solve persistent problems while stimulating new economic opportunities. Indeed, in 2009, the National Research Council (NRC) released a 112-page report, A New Biology for the 21st Century: Ensuri...

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Study published in Neuro-Oncology shows brain tumor eradication and prolonged survival

EurekAlert! - Biology — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Canale Communications) Tocagen Inc. today announced the publication of data showing the company's investigational treatment for high grade glioma eradicates brain tumors and provides a dramatic survival benefit in mouse models of glioblastoma. Almost all mice receiving the top dose of Toca 511 followed by 5-FC were still alive at 180 days, which was the termination date for the experiment, whereas all control mice died by day 43. The article was published today in the February issue of the Neuro-Oncology journal. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

A Time for Unity

AIBS BioScience Editorials — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:27:54 +0100

Although the US public remains for the most part favorably disposed to scientists, politically inspired efforts to discredit some kinds of science continue and could gain traction during what is likely to be an angry election year. Researchers, especially those working in fields that do not seem to offer the near-term promise of profitable products, have good reason to be apprehensive about their funding. Budget anxieties are driving up pressure on legislators to enact substantial cuts, and the brinksmanship on Capitol Hill suggests that ill-considered measures could be enacted through political grandstanding. Researchers worried about the future of the research enterprise should make efforts to stay informed and be ready to argue for its importance whenever the opportunity arises. The Un...

A molecular carrier to transport and deliver cisplatin into endometrial cancer cells

Chemical Biology and Drug Design — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:13:08 +0100

New projection shows global food demand doubling by 2050

EurekAlert! - Biology — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(National Science Foundation) Scientists David Tilman and Jason Hill of the University of Minnesota and colleagues found that producing the amount of food needed could significantly increase levels of carbon dioxide and nitrogen in the environment, and may cause the extinction of numerous species. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

Now in BioScience: "Will Lawmakers Reform Immigration Rules for STEM Graduates?"

Public Policy Reports — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:37:03 +0100

Increasingly, foreign-born students who pursue an advanced degree in a scientific field are choosing to leave the United States after graduation. This outflow concerns lawmakers from both sides of the political spectrum. The possibility of immigration reform is evaluated in the Washington Watch column in the January 2012 issue of BioScience. An excerpt from the article, “Will Lawmakers Reform Immigration Rules for STEM Graduates?,” follows: Ranjini Prithviraj is at the start of a promising career in neuroscience. She is a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), serves as an editor on the NIH Fellows Editorial Board, and mentors students interested in careers in science. Despite her strong résumé and her PhD in cell and molecular biology from a well-re...

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Spasticity gene finding provides clues to causes of nerve cell degeneration

EurekAlert! - Biology — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Wellcome Trust) The discovery of a gene that causes a form of hereditary spastic paraplegia may provide scientists with an important insight into what causes axons, the stems of our nerve cells, to degenerate in conditions such as multiple sclerosis. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

How should society pay for services ecosystems provide?

EurekAlert! - Biology — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(University of Minnesota) Over the past 50 years, 60 percent of all ecosystem services have declined as a direct result of the conversion of land to the production of foods, fuels and fibers. This should come as no surprise, say seven of the world's leading environmental scientists, who met to collectively study the pitfalls of utilizing markets to induce people to take account of the environmental costs of their behavior and solutions. We are getting what we pay for. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

Military Proposes Budget Cuts, Protects Research Programs

Public Policy Reports — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:37:03 +0100

The Department of Defense has released a blueprint for how it would reduce its spending by $259 billion over the next five years. The reductions would bring the department’s budget in line with the spending caps mandated by last year’s deficit reduction agreement. At a press conference to announce the plan, the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff defended the proposal as a carefully crafted, balanced package. Secretary Panetta noted, “while some programs are eliminated or delayed, others are increased. The budget looks to re-shape the military to be more agile, quick and flexible that incorporates the lessons learned in 10 years of war.” The proposed budget for fiscal year (FY) 2013 would be one percent less than current spending; th...

Faculty Positions in Biology - University of Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

AIBS Classifieds — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:26:32 +0100

The Biology Department at the University of Tabuk in Saudi Arabia seeks applicants for multiple faculty positions in all fields of biology for both female and male campuses. Faculty positions are open at the Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor levels and commence in September 2012. Candidates must have an earned doctorate in Biology or a related field. Specific duties include the development of research programs, undergraduate and graduate teaching, student advisement, and service activities. Interested candidates are invited to submit a letter of application, a comprehensive current CV, and a summary of teaching and research interests. All materials should be sent electronically as a .pdf file to UofTabukBIO@yahoo.com The language of instruction at the University of Tabuk is Engli...

Body mass index versus dual energy x‐ray absorptiometry‐derived indexes: Predictors of cardiovascular and diabetic disease risk factors

American Journal of Human Biology — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions:In police officers, DEXA indexes are better predictors of cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk factors. However, populations with different distributions of fitness, diet, and health conditions may demonstrate differentfeatures. In contrast to BMI, DEXA‐derived measurements suggest avenues to explore metabolic processes, which relate to an index's underlying association with risk and may suggest more effective intervention strategies. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: American Journal of Human Biology)

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Now in BioScience: "Will Lawmakers Reform Immigration Rules for STEM Graduates?"

Public Policy Reports — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:12:42 +0100

Does inadequate sleep play a role in vulnerability to obesity?

American Journal of Human Biology — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The objective of this review is to present the evidence that inadequate sleep may be a novel risk factor associated with increased vulnerability to obesity and associated cardiometabolic disease. Experimental studies have found that short‐term sleep restriction is associated with impaired glucose metabolism, dysregulation of appetite, and increased blood pressure. Observational studies have observed cross‐sectional associations between short sleep duration (generally <6 h per night) and increased body mass index or obesity, prevalent diabetes, and prevalent hypertension. Some studies also reported an association between self‐reported long sleep duration (generally >8 h per night) and cardiometabolic disease. A few prospective studies have found a significant increased risk of w...

A possible link between the pubertal growth of girls and prostate cancer in their sons

American Journal of Human Biology — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions:These findings are consistent with a conceptual framework for the origins of hormonally dependent cancers that invokes exposure of embryonic tissue to maternal sex hormones followed by resetting of the fetal hypothalamic‐gonadotropin axis in late gestation. We hypothesize that compensatory prepubertal growth among girls is associated with hormonal cancers in the next generation. Am. J. Hum. Biol. © 2012Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: American Journal of Human Biology)

Entry point for hepatitis C infection identified

EurekAlert! - Biology — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(University of Illinois at Chicago) A molecule embedded in the membrane of human liver cells that aids in cholesterol absorption also allows the entry of hepatitis C virus, the first step in hepatitis C infection, according to research at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

Pharmacophore Modeling, 3D‐QSAR Studies, and in‐silico ADME Prediction of Pyrrolidine Derivatives as Neuraminidase Inhibitors

Chemical Biology and Drug Design — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:14:42 +0100

Neuraminidase (NA) is a major glycoprotein of influenza virus which is essential for viral infection. It offers a potential target for antiviral drug development. To develop potent NA inhibitors, pharmacophore models were generated by genetic algorithm with linear assignment for hypermolecular alignment of data sets. 3D‐QSAR studies were carried out on 49 molecules. Both comparative molecular field analysis (q2 = 0.720 and r2 = 0.947) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (q2 = 0.644 and r2 = 0.885) yielded reasonable results. A preliminary pharmacokinetic profile of these neuraminidase inhibitors was predicted using Volsurf module.3D‐QSAR studies of a series of pyrrolidine neuraminidase inhibitors were carried out to understand the structural basis for ...

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In silico Experimentation of Glioma Microenvironment Development and Anti-tumor Therapy

PLoS Computational Biology — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

by Yu Wu, Yao Lu, Weiqiang Chen, Jianping Fu, Rong Fan Tumor cells do not develop in isolation, but co-evolve with stromal cells and tumor-associated immune cells in a tumor microenvironment mediated by an array of soluble factors, forming a complex intercellular signaling network. Herein, we report an unbiased, generic model to integrate prior biochemical data and the constructed brain tumor microenvironment in silico as characterized by an intercellular signaling network comprising 5 types of cells, 15 cytokines, and 69 signaling pathways. The results show that glioma develops through three distinct phases: pre-tumor, rapid expansion, and saturation. We designed a microglia depletion therapy and observed significant benefit for virtual patients treated at the early stages but striki...

A Multi-Mineral Natural Product Inhibits Liver Tumor Formation in C57BL/6 Mice.

Biological Trace Element Research — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Aslam MN, Bergin I, Naik M, Hampton A, Allen R, Kunkel SL, Rush H, Varani J Abstract C57BL/6 mice were maintained for up to 18 months on high-fat and low-fat diets with or without a multi-mineral supplement derived from the skeletal remains of the red marine algae Lithothamnion calcareum. Numerous grossly observable liver masses were visible in animals on the "western-style" high-fat diet sacrificed at 12 and 18 months. The majority of the masses were in male mice (20 out of 100 males versus 3 out of 100 females; p = 0.0002). There were more liver masses in animals on the high-fat diet than on the low-fat diet (15 out of 50 on high-fat versus 5 out of 50 on low-fat; p = 0.0254). The multi-mineral supplement reduced the number of liver masses in mice on both diets...

Obama Proposes Moving NOAA to Interior

Public Policy Reports — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:12:42 +0100

On 13 January 2012, President Obama proposed a reorganization of the Department of Commerce (DOC). Although much of the emphasis during the announcement of the plan centered on the realignment of several DOC bureaus that focus on small businesses, the President would also like to move the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from DOC to the Department of the Interior. Interior is currently home to NOAA’s terrestrial science equivalent, the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Details on the proposed reorganization are scarce, but are expected to be released in the coming months. President Obama does not currently have the authority to restructure the Executive Branch, although previous Presidents have held this power. The administration has asked Congress to gr...

Congressional Supporters of Science to Retire

Public Policy Reports — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:37:03 +0100

As the 2012 elections approach, more members of Congress are announcing their intention to withdraw from public life at the end of the 112th Congress. To date, 17 Representatives and 9 Senators plan to retire when the current session of Congress draws to a close. Among the soon to be retirees are several members who have been strong supporters of science. Representative Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) announced earlier this month that he plans to retire. Hinchey, who has served 10 terms in Congress, is a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee. In that role, he has defended federal investments in science. Hinchey has been treated for colon cancer, but recently was given a clean bill of health. Last week, Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC) announced that he will retire. He publically acknowledged...