All posts; Tags Include "Biophysics"
- August 17, 2016
- 03:41 PM
- 82 views
Treacherous Astrocytes – a cause of Epilepsy?
by Vaibhav Jain in NEUROFANATIC
Scientists at the University of Bonn have unearthed the root cause for the development of temporal lobe epilepsy! At an early stage, astrocytes are uncoupled from each other, this results in the extracellular accumulation of potassium ions and neurotransmitters, which cause hyper-excitability of the neurons. Astrocytes are connected by gap junction channels composed mainly of the gap junction […]... Read more »
Bedner P, Dupper A, Hüttmann K, Müller J, Herde MK, Dublin P, Deshpande T, Schramm J, Häussler U, Haas CA.... (2015) Astrocyte uncoupling as a cause of human temporal lobe epilepsy. Brain : a journal of neurology, 138(Pt 5), 1208-22. PMID: 25765328
- August 10, 2016
- 08:55 AM
- 354 views
Gimme Some Dihydrogen Monoxide
by Mark Lasbury in As Many Exceptions As Rules
One cannot over estimate the ways that water affects life on Earth. Beyond its chemical properties, some animals have evolved to substitute water for a rigid skeleton. Hydrostatic skeletons can be used for support, but also as water vascular systems that provide pressure for vascular transport and respiration. A recent review by William H. Kier sheds light on the interactions of different fibers and tissues in water based skeletons. Yet some plants can withstand a loss of 60% of their water, whe........ Read more »
Kier, W. (2012) The diversity of hydrostatic skeletons. Journal of Experimental Biology, 215(8), 1247-1257. DOI: 10.1242/jeb.056549
- July 13, 2016
- 07:28 AM
- 503 views
An equation for life
by gdw in FictionalFieldwork
Water churns. Earth moves. Molecules jostle and chemicals mix. Between heaven and hell, a young planet finds itself in full flux. Developing. Forming. Star stuff rains down and forged elements bubble up. Then it happens. It seems as if it’s just another chemical match-up, another reaction in the vast library of possibilities. But it would […]... Read more »
Scharf C, & Cronin L. (2016) Quantifying the origins of life on a planetary scale. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. PMID: 27382156
- June 12, 2016
- 10:35 PM
- 524 views
Seeing Through the Skin
by Aurametrix team in Olfactics and Diagnostics
Human skin emits light (albeit the glow is extremely weak) and a wide variety of small molecules that may be sometimes "sniffed" by dogs or even other humans. These chemicals tell a story about our health and wellness, things we eat and drink, touch and breathe. Mosquitoes use such emissions to assess our "attractiveness" from indicators such as Indoles (unpleasantly smelling but healthy "inner soil" biomarker) or carbon dioxide (amount of which correlates with the size of the person........ Read more »
Andreoni G, Standoli CE, & Perego P. (2016) Defining Requirements and Related Methods for Designing Sensorized Garments. Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), 16(6). PMID: 27240361
Gao W, Emaminejad S, Nyein HY, Challa S, Chen K, Peck A, Fahad HM, Ota H, Shiraki H, Kiriya D.... (2016) Fully integrated wearable sensor arrays for multiplexed in situ perspiration analysis. Nature, 529(7587), 509-14. PMID: 26819044
Imani S, Bandodkar AJ, Mohan AM, Kumar R, Yu S, Wang J, & Mercier PP. (2016) A wearable chemical-electrophysiological hybrid biosensing system for real-time health and fitness monitoring. Nature communications, 11650. PMID: 27212140
Lee H, Choi TK, Lee YB, Cho HR, Ghaffari R, Wang L, Choi HJ, Chung TD, Lu N, Hyeon T.... (2016) A graphene-based electrochemical device with thermoresponsive microneedles for diabetes monitoring and therapy. Nature nanotechnology, 11(6), 566-72. PMID: 26999482
Panneer Selvam A, Muthukumar S, Kamakoti V, & Prasad S. (2016) A wearable biochemical sensor for monitoring alcohol consumption lifestyle through Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) detection in human sweat. Scientific reports, 23111. PMID: 26996103
Yokota T, Zalar P, Kaltenbrunner M, Jinno H, Matsuhisa N, Kitanosako H, Tachibana Y, Yukita W, Koizumi M, & Someya T. (2016) Ultraflexible organic photonic skin. Science advances, 2(4). PMID: 27152354
- May 31, 2016
- 11:30 PM
- 541 views
42: the answer to life, the universe and everything (i.e., consciousness)
by Piter Boll in Earthling Nature
by Piter Kehoma Boll In his work “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, Douglas Adams defined that the answer to life, the universe and everything is 42. Now a group of scientists measured glucose metabolism in brains in a resting … Continue reading →... Read more »
Stender, J., Mortensen, K., Thibaut, A., Darkner, S., Laureys, S., Gjedde, A., & Kupers, R. (2016) The Minimal Energetic Requirement of Sustained Awareness after Brain Injury. Current Biology. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.04.024
- April 6, 2016
- 09:00 AM
- 783 views
I’ll Fly Home—Or Not
by Mark Lasbury in As Many Exceptions As Rules
Why do some birds migrate and others don’t? It’s not that simple. The reason isn’t genetics, it isn’t necessarily food or weather either. There are birds that can allow their feet to go to one degree above freezing while keeping the rest of the body toasty – so they don’t need to migrate, yet other birds that are close to them genetically will fly thousands of miles. Other birds species only have a few of the adults migrate – who decides which ones make ........ Read more »
Davenport LC, Goodenough KS, & Haugaasen T. (2016) Birds of Two Oceans? Trans-Andean and Divergent Migration of Black Skimmers (Rynchops niger cinerascens) from the Peruvian Amazon. PloS one, 11(1). PMID: 26760301
Ahola MP, Laaksonen T, Eeva T, & Lehikoinen E. (2007) Climate change can alter competitive relationships between resident and migratory birds. The Journal of animal ecology, 76(6), 1045-52. PMID: 17922701
Hobson KA, Anderson RC, Soto DX, & Wassenaar LI. (2012) Isotopic evidence that dragonflies (Pantala flavescens) migrating through the Maldives come from the northern Indian subcontinent. PloS one, 7(12). PMID: 23285106
- March 23, 2016
- 07:25 AM
- 771 views
Leaves Suck!
by Mark Lasbury in As Many Exceptions As Rules
People need the power of an elevator or our legs to rise high in a building, so how does water get from the roots of a tree to the very top leaves? Hint, it isn’t capillary action – even capillary tubes can move water only a few centimeters. The key is evaporation. But if water evaporates off plants, how do they survive during droughts? They have tricks to retain water, including developing big leaves and little leaves. Look carefully at some trees, you’ll find that they have t........ Read more »
von Caemmerer, S., & Baker, N. (2006) The Biology of Transpiration. From Guard Cells to Globe. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 143(1), 3-3. DOI: 10.1104/pp.104.900213
Terashima, I. (2005) Irradiance and phenotype: comparative eco-development of sun and shade leaves in relation to photosynthetic CO2 diffusion. Journal of Experimental Botany, 57(2), 343-354. DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erj014
- March 16, 2016
- 06:45 AM
- 662 views
How Fast Is Fast
by Mark Lasbury in As Many Exceptions As Rules
What’s the fastest organism in the world? The cheetah s fast on land, and the white throated needle tail is fast in the air, but there are bacteria faster than these animals. It all depends on how you measure speed. The fastest? A beetle from down under – it’s confirmed by science!... Read more »
Penny E. Hudson, Sandra A. Corr and Alan M. Wilson. (2012) High speed galloping in the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) and the racing greyhound (Canis familiaris): spatio-temporal and kinetic characteristics. J Exp Biol. DOI: 10.1242/jeb.066720
Wilson RP, Griffiths IW, Mills MG, Carbone C, Wilson JW, & Scantlebury DM. (2015) Mass enhances speed but diminishes turn capacity in terrestrial pursuit predators. eLife. PMID: 26252515
- February 26, 2016
- 10:00 AM
- 809 views
Ο οίκος των Αχαιμενιδών
by Perikis Livas in Chilon
Το ερέθισμα των Περσικών πολέμων (502-449 π.Χ) και η ανέλπιστη νίκη των Ελλήνων, έβγαλαν την κυρίως Ελλάδα από τ&e........; Read more »
Chilon. (2016) Ο οίκος των Αχαιμενιδών. Chilon . info:/
- February 18, 2016
- 10:00 AM
- 811 views
Η Ιερά Εξέταση
by Perikis Livas in Chilon
Η Ιερά Εξέταση ήταν Εκκλησιαστικός θεσμός δικαστικού χαρακτήρα της Ρωμαιοκαθολικής Εκκλησί&al........; Read more »
Chilon-Pitheys. (2016) Η Ιερά Εξέταση. Chilon . info:/
- February 5, 2016
- 10:00 AM
- 659 views
Ανδρέας Βεσάλιος………..ο ιδρυτής της σύγχρονης α&
by Perikis Livas in Chilon
Ο Ανδρέας Βεσάλιος (Andreas Vesalius, γνωστός και ως Βεζάλιος ή Βεζάλ) γεννήθηκε την 31 Δεκεμβρίου 1514, ή νωρίς το πρ&ome........; Read more »
Πυθεύς. (2016) Ανδρέας Βεσάλιος……….ο ιδρυτής της σύγχρονης ανατομίας. Chilon . info:/
- January 28, 2016
- 05:26 PM
- 579 views
WATCH: Leaf Cutter Ants Hard At Work
by Jenny Ludmer in Rooster's Report
Able to strip a tree in mere hours, leaf cutter ants are both marvels of nature and formidable pests. And that’s why researchers at University of Oregon decided to take a closer look. Armed with several cameras, the team captured never-before seen footage proving that these critters have an amazing set of skills.... Read more »
Garrett, R., Carlson, K., Goggans, M., Nesson, M., Shepard, C., & Schofield, R. (2016) Leaf processing behaviour in leafcutter ants: 90% of leaf cutting takes place inside the nest, and ants select pieces that require less cutting . Royal Society Open Science, 3(1), 150111. DOI: 10.1098/rsos.150111
- December 16, 2015
- 08:50 AM
- 772 views
A Gift Worth Its Weight In Gold
by Mark Lasbury in As Many Exceptions As Rules
Gold is not considered a dietary micronutrient, and is the one of the most inert metals. But this is not to say it has no role in living systems; in fact, this metal is a veritable gold mine of biology. New research has led to a greater understanding of how gold can down-regulate inflammatory processes and gold complexes are being used in cancer and infectious disease treatments.... Read more »
Nieminen, R., Korhonen, R., Moilanen, T., Clark, A., & Moilanen, E. (2010) Aurothiomalate inhibits cyclooxygenase 2, matrix metalloproteinase 3, and interleukin-6 expression in chondrocytes by increasing MAPK phosphatase 1 expression and decreasing p38 phosphorylation: MAPK phosphatase 1 as a novel target for antirheumatic drugs. Arthritis , 62(6), 1650-1659. DOI: 10.1002/art.27409
Levchenko, L., Sadkov, A., Lariontseva, N., Koldasheva, E., Shilova, A., & Shilov, A. (2002) Gold helps bacteria to oxidize methane. Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, 88(3-4), 251-253. DOI: 10.1016/S0162-0134(01)00385-3
- December 9, 2015
- 08:05 AM
- 1,139 views
Snow Saves Lives
by Mark Lasbury in As Many Exceptions As Rules
It may be warm for December, but the snow is coming. Recent studies are showing the unique ways that organisms depend on and use snow in order to survive. An antifreeze protein from snow fleas may lengthen the time that organs can be stored for transplant. More amazing, reindeer use the UV rays that bounce of the snow to see predators – they are the only mammals that can see in the UV range.... Read more »
Hogg C, Neveu M, Stokkan KA, Folkow L, Cottrill P, Douglas R, Hunt DM, & Jeffery G. (2011) Arctic reindeer extend their visual range into the ultraviolet. The Journal of experimental biology, 214(Pt 12), 2014-9. PMID: 21613517
Kondo H, Hanada Y, Sugimoto H, Hoshino T, Garnham CP, Davies PL, & Tsuda S. (2012) Ice-binding site of snow mold fungus antifreeze protein deviates from structural regularity and high conservation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 109(24), 9360-5. PMID: 22645341
Pentelute BL, Gates ZP, Dashnau JL, Vanderkooi JM, & Kent SB. (2008) Mirror image forms of snow flea antifreeze protein prepared by total chemical synthesis have identical antifreeze activities. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 130(30), 9702-7. PMID: 18598026
Kuwabara C, Takezawa D, Shimada T, Hamada T, Fujikawa S, & Arakawa K. (2002) Abscisic acid- and cold-induced thaumatin-like protein in winter wheat has an antifungal activity against snow mould, Microdochium nivale. Physiologia plantarum, 115(1), 101-110. PMID: 12010473
- November 11, 2015
- 08:40 AM
- 744 views
Where Do All Those Leaves Come From?!
by Mark Lasbury in The 'Scope
As you grab your rake or leaf-blower this fall, you might wonder how it is possible for trees to make so many leaves. Learn where they all came from.... Read more »
Pijpers, J., Winkler, M., Surendranath, Y., Buonassisi, T., & Nocera, D. (2011) Light-induced water oxidation at silicon electrodes functionalized with a cobalt oxygen-evolving catalyst. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(25), 10056-10061. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1106545108
- November 11, 2015
- 06:14 AM
- 34 views
Shining a Light on Astrocytes!
by Vaibhav Jain in NEUROFANATIC
Astrocytes are known to display dynamic intracellular Ca2 signals, and it has recently been shown that astrocytes rapidly sense and regulate single synapses. Researchers could able to study astrocytic network using optical, pharmacological and genetic tools. Astrocytes in the hippocampus, found to be regulating neuronal conversations. Here, the flashes of light indicate changes in calcium levels within the […]... Read more »
Haustein MD, Kracun S, Lu XH, Shih T, Jackson-Weaver O, Tong X, Xu J, Yang XW, O'Dell TJ, Marvin JS.... (2014) Conditions and constraints for astrocyte calcium signaling in the hippocampal mossy fiber pathway. Neuron, 82(2), 413-29. PMID: 24742463
- November 4, 2015
- 08:10 AM
- 1,013 views
Breaking the Size Barrier – Giant Bacteria, part 1
by Mark Lasbury in As Many Exceptions As Rules
The rules of biology say that a bacterium must be small because it doesn’t have dedicated systems for moving molecules around inside the cell and diffusion can only move them so far, so fast. Well, here’s a bacterium that breaks the rule – it’s as big as 3 million other bacteria lumped together! To live this way, this bacterium stores sulfur and nitrogen in amounts that would be enough to kill your cells – everybody has their own rules.... Read more »
Schulz, H., & Jørgensen, B. (2001) Big Bacteria. Annual Review of Microbiology, 55(1), 105-137. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.micro.55.1.105
Girnth, A., Grünke, S., Lichtschlag, A., Felden, J., Knittel, K., Wenzhöfer, F., de Beer, D., & Boetius, A. (2011) A novel, mat-forming Thiomargarita population associated with a sulfidic fluid flow from a deep-sea mud volcano. Environmental Microbiology, 13(2), 495-505. DOI: 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2010.02353.x
- August 20, 2015
- 02:09 PM
- 932 views
Falling with Style: Controlled Gliding in Spiders
by Melissa Chernick in Science Storiented
Sometimes I read a paper because the methods catch my eye. I can just imagine some scientists sitting around a table with a beer and saying, “I wonder what would happen if we just dropped a bunch of spiders from the tops of trees.” An article published online yesterday did just that.Barro Colorado Island is a man-made island is located in Gatun Lake, created by filling of the Panama Canal. It is covered in tropical rainforests, and its inhabitants have been studied extensively. It would be a........ Read more »
Stephen P. Yanoviak, Yonatan Munk, & Robert Dudley. (2015) Arachnid aloft: directed aerial descent in neotropical canopy spiders. J. R. Soc. Interface. info:/10.1098/rsif.2015.0534
- May 7, 2015
- 06:41 AM
- 1,191 views
Missing link in the evolution of complex cells discovered
by Perikis Livas in Chilon
In a new study, published in Nature this week, a research team led from Uppsala University in Sweden presents the discovery of a new microbe that represents a missing link in the evolution of complex life. The study provides a new understanding of how, billions of years ago, the complex cell types that comprise plants, fungi, but also animals and humans, evolved from simple microbes.
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Νεα μελέτη, η οποία &epsi........; Read more »
Spang, A., Saw, J., Jørgensen, S., Zaremba-Niedzwiedzka, K., Martijn, J., Lind, A., van Eijk, R., Schleper, C., Guy, L., & Ettema, T. (2015) Complex archaea that bridge the gap between prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Nature. DOI: 10.1038/nature14447
- April 29, 2015
- 06:01 PM
- 1,146 views
Robot Discovers Two New Neighbors
by Perikis Livas in Chilon
Maunakea, Hawaii – A team of astronomers using ground-based telescopes in Hawaii, California, and Arizona recently discovered a planetary system orbiting a nearby star that is only 54 light-years away. All three planets orbit their star at a distance closer than Mercury orbits the sun, completing their orbits in just 5, 15, and 24 days. The paper is being published in the Astrophysical Journal.... Read more »
Benjamin J. Fulton, Lauren M. Weiss, Evan Sinukoff, Howard Isaacson, Andrew W. Howard, Geoffrey W. Marcy, Gregory W. Henry, Bradford P. Holden, & Robert I. Kibrick. (2015) Three Super-Earths Orbiting HD 7924. Astrophysical Journal. arXiv: 1504.06629v1
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