Body

Australian scientists have identified the genes in wheat that control tolerance to a significant yield-limiting soil condition found around the globe – boron toxicity.

Published in the journal Nature today, the identification of boron tolerance genes in wheat DNA is expected to help plant breeders more rapidly advance new varieties for increased wheat yields to help feed the growing world population.

Shenzhen, July 2, 2014---An international team, led by researchers from BGI and University of California, presented their latest significant finding that the altitude adaptation in Tibet might be caused by the introgression of DNA from extinct Denisovans or Denisovan-related individuals into humans. This work published online in Nature sheds new light into understanding human's adaptation to diverse environments including temperature extremes, new pathogens, and high altitude.

LA JOLLA-Researchers around the world have turned to stem cells, which have the potential to develop into any cell type in the body, for potential regenerative and disease therapeutics.

A Boston-based scientific collaborative, led by Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) researchers, has discovered a way to collect the best cell type for regenerating a damaged cornea—the clear membrane that covers the pupil and directs light into the back of the eye. The investigators report in the journal Nature that purified human stem cells can be used to improve long-term vision in mice. The team is now pursuing FDA-approval for the technique before moving on to patient clinical trials.

A new pathogen has been discovered by scientists investigating majordie-offs of pigeons native to North America, according to studies ledby the University of California, Davis, and the California Departmentof Fish and Wildlife.

Scientists were able to implicate this new parasite, along with theancient parasite Trichomonas gallinae, in the recent deaths ofthousands of Pacific Coast band-tailed pigeons. The die-offs occurredduring multiple epidemics in California's Central Coast and SierraNevada mountain ranges. Scientists named the new pathogen Trichomonasstableri.

Patients suffering from osteoporosis or bone fractures might benefit from a new discovery of a protein that plays an important role in bone regeneration made by bioengineers at Queen Mary University of London.

Normally found in the formation of enamel, which is an important component of teeth, the scientists discovered that a partial segment of the protein statherin can be used to signal bone growth.

Even among flies, mating is a complicated ritual. Their elaborate courtship dance combines multiple motor skills with advanced sensory cues. Remarkably this behavior is entirely innate. Now, researchers at Rockefeller University have determined that the Abdominal-B (Abd-B) gene, previously known as the gene that sculpts the posterior parts of the developing fly, is also important for this complex behavior, at least in the case of female flies (Drosophila melanogaster).

A Simon Fraser University study on how kangaroos use their tails as a 'fifth' leg is providing new insight into the diversity of biological movement, and specific insight into why we walk the way we do.

Published today in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters, the study, led by professor Max Donelan of SFU's Locomotion Laboratory, found kangaroos, commonly viewed as hoppers, move with a "pentapedal" gait, planting their tails on the ground in combination with their front and hind legs.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — A new study shows that adipose-derived human stem cells, which can become vital tissues such as bone, may be highly resistant to the common chemotherapy drug methotrexate (MTX). The preliminary finding from lab testing may prove significant because MTX causes bone tissue damage in many patients.

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say a protein essential to regulating cell cycle progression – the process of cell division and replication – activates a key tumor suppressor, rather than inactivating it as previously thought.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- When it comes to fixing deforestation and forest degradation, good intentions can lead to bad outcomes.

That's the take-away from a new study by two University of Florida researchers who say efforts to restore damaged and destroyed tropical forests can go awry if the people making the plans of action don't choose wisely.

DETROIT – An antibiotic therapy known to reduce catheter-related bloodstream infections in hemodialysis patients has been shown for the first time to reduce mortality, according to a Henry Ford Health System study.

Researchers found that a low-dose "lock" solution of gentamicin/citrate reduced mortality by 68 percent compared to a solution of heparin, a blood-clotting therapy long considered the standard of care. Additionally, the gentamicin/citrate solution was associated with a 73 percent reduction in bloodstream infections compared to the heparin treatment.

Millions of people in the West today utilize traditional Chinese medicine, including acupuncture, herbs, massage and nutritional therapies. Yet only a few U.S. schools that teach Chinese medicine require Chinese-language training and only a handful of Chinese medical texts have so far been translated into English.

Drawing inspiration from the structure of bones and bamboo, researchers have found that by gradually changing the internal structure of metals they can make stronger, tougher materials that can be customized for a wide variety of applications – from body armor to automobile parts.

DARIEN, IL – A new study of adult twins suggests that the level of socioeconomic deprivation in a neighborhood is associated with the sleep duration of residents.

Results show that increased socioeconomic deprivation was significantly associated with decreased sleep duration across all twins. Further analysis within twin pairs found that this association remained significant after accounting for genetics and shared family environment, indicating a robust relationship.