64 posts · 37,880 views
WiSci is a blog that aims to provide interesting, informative posts about discoveries, debates, and dilemmas within the life sciences. This blog, formerly known as Beyond the Bench, attempts to reach any reader who has an interest in science and provide him or her with an accessible gateway into professionally published science content, whether by analyzing a journal article, interviewing a book author, or pointing out pieces written on other blogs.
A. Goldstein
64 posts
Sort by: Latest Post, Most Popular
View by: Condensed, Full
- April 13, 2012
- 11:56 AM
- 438 views
Food and Energy Security – Read the Editorial by Martin Parry
Read about Food and Energy Security, a new Wiley Open Access Journal, in an editorial by Martin Parry.... Read more »
Parry, M. (2012) Food and energy security: exploring the challenges of attaining secure and sustainable supplies of food and energy. Food and Energy Security. DOI: 10.1002/fes3.1
- April 10, 2012
- 12:01 AM
- 263 views
Frequent Dental X-Rays Linked to Most Common Brain Tumor
People who received frequent dental x-rays in the past have an increased risk of developing the most commonly diagnosed primary brain tumor in the United States. That is the finding of a study published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.... Read more »
Claus, E., Calvocoressi, L., Bondy, M., Schildkraut, J., Wiemels, J., & Wrensch, M. (2012) Dental x-rays and risk of meningioma. Cancer. DOI: 10.1002/cncr.26625
- March 27, 2012
- 12:01 AM
- 374 views
Writing a Good Review
by agoldstein in WiSci
Andrew Moore, Editor-in-Chief of the review-and-discussion journal BioEssays, discusses the perks and pitfalls of writing a good review.... Read more »
Moore, A. (2012) Have we produced enough results yet, sir?. BioEssays, 34(3), 163-163. DOI: 10.1002/bies.201290005
- March 12, 2012
- 07:00 AM
- 226 views
Circumcision May Help Protect Against Prostate Cancer
by agoldstein in WiSci
A new analysis led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has found that circumcision before a male’s first sexual intercourse may help protect against prostate cancer. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study suggests that circumcision can hinder infection and inflammation that may lead to this malignancy.... Read more »
Jonathan L. Wright, Daniel W. Lin, and Janet L. Stanford. (2012) Circumcision and the risk of prostate cancer. CANCER. info:/10.1002/cncr.26653
- March 7, 2012
- 07:00 AM
- 313 views
"Tree Lobsters" Survive on Ball's Pyramid
by agoldstein in WiSci
Tree lobsters (Dryococelus australis), once thought extinct, were rediscovered in 2001 and are now celebrating the birth of their 10th generation at the Melbourne Zoo.... Read more »
Priddel, D. (2003) Rediscovery of the ‘extinct’ Lord Howe Island stick-insect (Dryococelus australis (Montrouzier)) (Phasmatodea) and recommendations for its conservation. Biodiversity and Conservation, 12(7), 1391-1403. DOI: 10.1023/A:1023625710011
- February 22, 2012
- 07:00 AM
- 427 views
UMass Amherst Scientists Invent Geckskin
by agoldstein in WiSci
Researchers at UMass Amherst invent “Geckskin,” a material that can hold up to 700 pounds on a smooth wall. Results published in the recent Feb 2012 issue of Advanced Materials.... Read more »
Pugno, N. (2007) Towards a Spiderman suit: large invisible cables and self-cleaning releasable superadhesive materials. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 19(39), 395001. DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/19/39/395001
Bartlett, M., Croll, A., King, D., Paret, B., Irschick, D., & Crosby, A. (2012) Biomimetics: Looking Beyond Fibrillar Features to Scale Gecko-Like Adhesion (Adv. Mater. 8/2012). Advanced Materials, 24(8), 994-994. DOI: 10.1002/adma.201290037
- February 8, 2012
- 07:00 AM
- 234 views
Drinking Large Amounts of Soft Drinks Associated with Asthma and COPD
by agoldstein in WiSci
A new study published in the journal Respirology reveals that a high level of soft drink consumption is associated with asthma and/or COPD.... Read more »
SHI, Z., DAL GRANDE, E., TAYLOR, A., GILL, T., ADAMS, R., & WITTERT, G. (2012) Association between soft drink consumption and asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults in Australia. Respirology, 17(2), 363-369. DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1843.2011.02115.x
- January 23, 2012
- 07:00 AM
- 252 views
Anti-Influenza Drug Uncertainties Continue
by agoldstein in WiSci
After piecing together information from over 16,000 pages of clinical trial data and documents used in the process of licensing oseltamivir (Tamiflu) by national authorities, a team of researchers has raised critical questions about how well the drug works and about its reported safety profile.... Read more »
Jefferson T, Jones MA, Doshi P, Del Mar CB, Heneghan CJ, Hama R, Thompson MJ. (2011) Neuraminidase inhibitors for preventing and treating influenza in healthy adults and children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews . DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD008965.pub3
- January 10, 2012
- 07:00 AM
- 305 views
First Chimeric Monkeys Born
by agoldstein in WiSci
For the first time, scientists have produced chimera monkeys, or monkeys composed of cells taken from more than one embryo.... Read more »
Tachibana, M., Sparman, M., Ramsey, C., Ma, H., Lee, H., Penedo, M., & Mitalipov, S. (2012) Generation of Chimeric Rhesus Monkeys. Cell. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2011.12.007
- December 22, 2011
- 07:00 AM
- 286 views
Nanotechnology Holds Promise for Safer Breast Implants
by agoldstein in WiSci
A new review published in WIREs Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology explores how nanotechnology may be used to develop safer breast implants as an alternative to silicone rubber, minimizing health complications.... Read more »
Puskas, J., & Luebbers, M. (2011) Breast implants: the good, the bad and the ugly. Can nanotechnology improve implants?. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology. DOI: 10.1002/wnan.164
- December 15, 2011
- 06:00 AM
- 243 views
Brain Scans Can See What You See
by agoldstein in WiSci
Until recently, the most researchers have been able decode is stationary objects--such as when subjects viewed an image of a tree. However, in a study recently published in Current Biology, researchers at the University of California demonstrated that by using a complex computer program that filled the gaps in data to approximate fast-paced neural activity, they were able to recreate elements of moving visual scenes from fMRI data.... Read more »
Nishimoto, S., Vu, A., Naselaris, T., Benjamini, Y., Yu, B., & Gallant, J. (2011) Reconstructing Visual Experiences from Brain Activity Evoked by Natural Movies. Current Biology, 21(19), 1641-1646. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2011.08.031
- December 9, 2011
- 04:37 PM
- 355 views
A Gut-Full of Probiotics for Your Neurological Well-Being
by agoldstein in WiSci
Probiotics, often referred to as ‘good bacteria’, are known to promote a healthy gut, but can they promote a healthy mind? Exploring the new world of neurological probiotics, researchers in BioEssays present new ideas on how neurochemicals delivered directly to the gut, via probiotic intestinal microbiota, exert their beneficial effects in maintaining gastrointestinal health and even psychological well-being.... Read more »
Reid, G. (2011) Neuroactive probiotics. BioEssays, 33(8), 562-562. DOI: 10.1002/bies.201100074
- May 25, 2011
- 09:21 AM
- 332 views
Biological Diversity: Exploiters and Exploited
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
As the developed world gobbles up natural resources and wipes out species after species of plants and animals, the issue of biodiversity–the variation of life forms within an ecosystem–becomes increasingly important to the survival of our planet. The more diverse the life forms, the healthier the ecosystem, meaning that the more species we eliminate, the [...]... Read more »
Fire, A., Xu, S., Montgomery, M., Kostas, S., Driver, S., & Mello, C. (1998) Potent and specific genetic interference by double-stranded RNA in Caenorhabditis elegans. Nature, 391(6669), 806-811. DOI: 10.1038/35888
- May 11, 2011
- 08:52 AM
- 399 views
Erasing Memories
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
Memory erasing is a hot topic in Hollywood. From the 1997 sci-fi flick Men in Black to the 2004 romantic comedy Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, characters are constantly trying to erase painful or dangerous memories from their minds. While neuroscientists are currently aiming their memory-erasing efforts at clinical conditions such as post traumatic [...]... Read more »
Wang, H., Feng, R., Wang, L., Li, F., Cao, X., & Tsien, J. (2008) CaMKII Activation State Underlies Synaptic Labile Phase of LTP and Short-Term Memory Formation. Current Biology, 18(20), 1546-1554. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2008.08.064
Cai D, Pearce K, Chen S, & Glanzman DL. (2011) Protein kinase m maintains long-term sensitization and long-term facilitation in aplysia. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 31(17), 6421-31. PMID: 21525283
Shema, R., Sacktor, T., & Dudai, Y. (2007) Rapid Erasure of Long-Term Memory Associations in the Cortex by an Inhibitor of PKM . Science, 317(5840), 951-953. DOI: 10.1126/science.1144334
- April 19, 2011
- 08:45 AM
- 960 views
Diagnosing Elderly Drivers and Psychiatric Patients
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
With the exception of new teenage drivers, elderly drivers have the highest rate of accidents per miles driven. Furthermore, older drivers are more likely than younger ones to be involved in multi-vehicle crashes, particularly at intersections.1 In some cases, these trends have been thought to be the result of visual impairments caused by bodily aging.2 [...]... Read more »
Owsley, C. (1998) Visual Processing Impairment and Risk of Motor Vehicle Crash Among Older Adults. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 279(14), 1083-1088. DOI: 10.1001/jama.279.14.1083
Tadin D, Silvanto J, Pascual-Leone A, & Battelli L. (2011) Improved motion perception and impaired spatial suppression following disruption of cortical area MT/V5. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 31(4), 1279-83. PMID: 21273412
- April 12, 2011
- 08:23 AM
- 719 views
Lactose Intolerance: A Sign to Stop Nursing
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
Bloating, gas, nausea, diarrhea—all symptoms of lactose intolerance. However, the term “symptoms” may be misleading, because lactose intolerance is not a disease, nor is it a “milk allergy” (the immune system is never involved). In fact, while this may come as a surprise to many milk-guzzling Americans, lactose intolerance is the rule in most other [...]... Read more »
Scrimshaw NS, & Murray EB. (1988) The acceptability of milk and milk products in populations with a high prevalence of lactose intolerance. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 48(4 Suppl), 1079-159. PMID: 3140651
Swallow, D. (2003) G L P L I . Annual Review of Genetics, 37(1), 197-219. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.genet.37.110801.143820
- March 30, 2011
- 08:51 AM
- 784 views
Cell[phone] Cancer?
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
No longer are households filled with cries of, “Stop tying up the phone line! I need to make a call!” The advent of cell phones has enabled anyone to talk anywhere, anytime, for any amount of time. As convenient as these devices may be for our schedules, they might not be so good for our [...]... Read more »
Volkow, N., Tomasi, D., Wang, G., Vaska, P., Fowler, J., Telang, F., Alexoff, D., Logan, J., & Wong, C. (2011) Effects of Cell Phone Radiofrequency Signal Exposure on Brain Glucose Metabolism. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 305(8), 808-813. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2011.186
Cardis, E., Richardson, L., Deltour, I., Armstrong, B., Feychting, M., Johansen, C., Kilkenny, M., McKinney, P., Modan, B., Sadetzki, S.... (2007) The INTERPHONE study: design, epidemiological methods, and description of the study population. European Journal of Epidemiology, 22(9), 647-664. DOI: 10.1007/s10654-007-9152-z
- March 23, 2011
- 08:58 AM
- 1,091 views
Molecular Gastronomy: Modernist Cuisine Brings the Lab to the Kitchen
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
Forget microwaves and frying pans. In six volumes and 2,438 pages, the new cookbook Modernist Cuisine trades traditional appliances for cutting-edge machinery more commonly found in science laboratories than household kitchens. Modernist Cuisine was born in 2004, when in billionaire mathematician and physicist Nathan Myhrvold began explaining sous vide cuisine in eGullet’s online forums. At [...]... Read more »
This, H. (2005) Molecular gastronomy. Nature Materials, 4(1), 5-7. DOI: 10.1038/nmat1303
- March 16, 2011
- 08:26 AM
- 681 views
Living Dinosaurs: The Evolutionary History of Modern Birds
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
In the 1860s, Thomas Huxley discovered fossils that led him to propose that modern birds evolved from ancient dinosaurs. Yet in the centuries following his discovery, the origins of modern birds remains greatly debated. In their new book Living Dinosaurs: The Evolutionary History of Modern Birds, researchers Gareth Dyke and Gary Kaiser set out to [...]... Read more »
OSTROM, J. (1976) Archaeopteryx and the origin of birds. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 8(2), 91-182. DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.1976.tb00244.x
- March 8, 2011
- 11:01 AM
- 1,120 views
Bittersweet Adaptation: How Genes For Survival May Be Giving Us Diabetes
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
The famous phrase has it that evolution is a process of the “survival of the fittest.” However, it should be noted that this doesn’t imply some great evolutionary gymnasium, with species pumping and sculpting themselves into the most sexually appealing shapes of the day. Rather, the phrase means something more like “the survival of the [...]... Read more »
Kavaler, S., Morinaga, H., Jih, A., Fan, W., Hedlund, M., Varki, A., & Kim, J. (2011) Pancreatic -cell failure in obese mice with human-like CMP-Neu5Ac hydroxylase deficiency. The FASEB Journal. DOI: 10.1096/fj.10-175281
Chang, C., Cai, J., Cheng, P., Chueh, H., & Hsu, S. (2011) Identification of Metabolic Modifiers That Underlie Phenotypic Variations in Energy-Balance Regulation. Diabetes, 60(3), 726-734. DOI: 10.2337/db10-1331
Corona, E., Dudley, J., & Butte, A. (2010) Extreme Evolutionary Disparities Seen in Positive Selection across Seven Complex Diseases. PLoS ONE, 5(8). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0012236
topics
join us!
Do you write about peer-reviewed research in your blog? Use ResearchBlogging.org to make it easy for your readers — and others from around the world — to find your serious posts about academic research.
If you don't have a blog, you can still use our site to learn about fascinating developments in cutting-edge research from around the world.
