Manipulating cell fate in the cochlea: a feasible therapy for hearing loss
Over the course of evolution, structures for sensing the flow or vibration of the external environment have developed in parallel with the neural networks to relay the resulting signals to the central nervous system (CNS). Hair cells, which are observed in a range of vertebrates, such as fish, amphibians, birds, and mammals, are specialized for this particular task. The cells have apically arranged hair bundles that vibrate in response to movements in the fluid-filled labyrinth of the ear or the surrounding medium in aquatic species with motion-sensing lateral line hair cells; this vibration is coupled to mechanotransduction channels. Read More » | ||||
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Manipulating cell fate in the cochlea: a feasible therapy for hearing loss
Defeating Disease: Exhibit Shows Guinea Worm's Eradication
Defeating Disease: Exhibit Shows Guinea Worm's Eradication
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NASA Conducts 1st Test Fire of Shuttle-Era Engine for New Rocket
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Seismic Roundup: 2014 Saw Fewer Big Earthquakes Than 2013
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220-Year-Old Time Capsule Buried by Sam Adams & Paul Revere Opened
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170-Million-Year-Old 'Fish Lizard' Fossil Unearthed in Scotland
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Don't Let Artificial Intelligence Take Over, Top Scientists Warn
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Are Computers Better Judges of Personality Than Friends?
When it comes to truly knowing someone's personality, a computer may do a better job than the individual's friends and family members, a new study suggests. Scientists developed a computer model that mined the Facebook "Likes" of study participants, looking at the products, activities, sports, musicians, books and restaurants to which people gave the "thumbs up." The researchers found that this computer model predicted people's personalities more accurately than did most of the person's friends and family members, with the exception of spouses. Read More »
In Bloom! Plankton Swirl Spotted from Space
Captured in a satellite image that NASA released Friday (Jan. 9), the milky green and light blue swirls in the image are dense patches of phytoplankton in the ocean, including some that have have scales made of calcite, making them appear white in the image. NASA's Landsat 8 satellite captured the image of the region near Alaska's Pribilof Islands on Sept. 22, 2014. Phytoplankton form the base of the marine ecosystem and provide food to many different kinds of marine life. Near Alaska, huge blooms in the Bering Sea begin growing during the spring,after the winter ice recedes and more nutrients are available near the surface of the water. Read More »
Sound Mind and Sound Body? This Protein Helps Both
The scientists have found that a nerve-growth factor called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) — which was already known to enhance memory, nourish blood vessels and nerves and act as natural antidepressant — also helps the heart beat properly. The finding may explain the association seen in recent years between depression and heart disease, and also lead to new treatments for heart failure, the researchers said. BDNF is produced in the brain and, as a growth factor, helps support the generation of new nerves and blood vessels throughout the nervous system. Numerous studies have shown how mice born without the ability to make BDNF die soon after birth from neurological disorders. Read More »
Crustacean shells rival plastics for keeping food fresh - study
By Chris Arsenault ROME (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Packaging made from recycled crustacean shells could reduce the need for plastic wrappings to preserve fresh vegetables, reduce oil consumption and give food a longer shelf-life, a Spanish study said. Chitosan, a bioplastic made by isolating organic matter from shrimp shells, helped preserve the shelf-life of baby carrots, said the study, published in the journal Postharvest Biology and Technology. ... Read More »
Care for Some Science in Your Science Fiction? (Op-Ed)
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Viagra Is a Miracle Drug, For Premature Babies (Op-Ed)
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Half of Teen, Young Adult Car Crash Deaths Involve Pot or Alcohol
Half of the teen and young adult drivers who die in car crashes are under the influence of either pot, alcohol, or both, suggests a new study done in states where toxicology screening for accident victims is routine. "Given the rapid changes currently underway in marijuana availability and permissibility in the U.S., understanding the effects of drug control policies on substance use behavior and adverse health outcomes, such as fatal motor vehicle crashes, has never been more important," study researcher Katherine Keyes, of Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, said in a statement. Car crashes are the leading cause of death of 18- to 25-year-olds in the U.S., and driving under the influence is a major cause of accidents. Not every state conducts routine toxicology tests on car crash victims right after the accident, but those that do have come up with alarming results. Read More » | ||||
Opportunity Rover Snaps Mars Panorama from Crater Rim (Photo)
Move over Nessie, Scotland gets a new prehistoric marine reptile
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Ebola Vaccines: Here's a Look at the 3 Front-Runners
A vaccine against the Ebola virus is urgently needed, and several companies are racing to test their experimental vaccines in an effort to halt the spread of the deadly viral disease. Ebola has sickened more than 20,000 people in West Africa, and killed at least 8,200, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Read More »
Exoskeleton Helps Spinal Cord Injury Patient Walk
Bionic exoskeletons are helping spinal cord injury and stroke patients walk again. One man with a partial spinal cord injury, Shane Mosko, demonstrated here today (Jan. 8) at the 2015 CES how the new bionic legs operate, using a system produced by Ekso Bionics, of Richmond, California. More than 3,500 patients with either spinal cord or stroke injuries have walked more than 15 million steps with the device, said Russ Angold, the co-founder and chief technology officer of the company. But in 2000, things really took off — the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) began funding exoskeleton projects. Read More »
SpaceX Dragon Capsule Delivers Fresh Supplies to Space Station
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It's a Girl! Newborn Killer Whale Identified in Endangered Pod
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Following Tesla's Lead, Toyota Makes Fuel Cell Patents Free
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Did Meteorite Carve Icy Antarctic Crater?
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2015's 'Leap Second' Could Scramble Computers
A "leap second" needs to be added in 2015 to make sure the time on atomic clocks stays in sync with Earth's rotational time, but some Internet companies are dreading the day. Earth's rotation has been slowing down by about two thousandths of a second every day. While this situation isn't an immediate problem, it would eventually cause clocks to become so out of sync with Earth's rotation that they would read noon during the dead of night. "Earth is slowing down over geological time, and that can lead to a problem when you've got a ton of clocks," Demetrios Matsakis, chief scientist for Time Service at the U.S. Naval Observatory, told Live Science. Read More »
Fitness Trackers and Smartwatches Attract Totally Different Groups
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New Wearables Track Your Stats on the Field
Runners aren't the only athletes who can track their stats with a wearable device — a slew of new wearable sensors are aimed at people who play sports, and cyclists. In contact sports, wearing a fitness tracker or GPS watch on your wrist is often forbidden, because the device could harm other players. Read More »
Can Microbes in the Gut Influence the Brain?
Lindsay Borthwick, writer and editor for The Kavli Foundation, contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. The trillions of microbes that inhabit the human body, collectively called the microbiome, are estimated to weigh two to six pounds — up to twice the weight of the average human brain. During the past 10 years, studies have linked the gut microbiome to a range of complex behaviors, such as mood and emotion, appetite and satiety, and even learning and memory. Read More »
SpaceX cargo capsule reaches International Space Station
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Birth of Jaws: Tiny Fish May Be Ancient Ancestor
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Chinese Spacecraft Enters Orbit Around the Moon
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Opportunity Rover Snaps Mars Panorama from Crater Rim (Photo)
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