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Southern Ocean iron cycle gives new insight into climate change

An international team of researchers analysed the available data taken from all previous studies of the Southern Ocean, together with satellite images taken of the area, to quantify the amount of iron supplied to the surface waters of the Southern Ocean.

They found that deep winter mixing, a seasonal process which carries colder and deeper, nutrient-rich water to the surface, plays the most important role in transporting iron to the surface. The iron is then able to stimulate phytoplankton growth which supports the ocean's carbon cycle and the aquatic food chain

Nectar: A sweet reward from plants to attract pollinators

Evolution is based on diversity, and sexual reproduction is key to creating a diverse population that secures competitiveness in nature. Plants as largely immobile organisms had to solve a problem: they needed to find ways to spread their genetic material beyond individual flowers. To make sure that flying pollinators such as insects, birds and bats come to the flowers to pick up pollen, plants evolved special organs, the nectaries, to attract and reward the animals.

Regional warming triggers sustained mass loss in Northeast Greenland ice sheet

Northeast Greenland, where the glacier is found, is of particular interest as numerical model predictions have suggested there is no significant mass loss for this sector, leading to a probable underestimation of future global sea-level rise from the region.

An international team of scientists, including Professor Jonathan Bamber from the University of Bristol, studied the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream which extends more than 600 km into the interior of the ice sheet: much further than any other in Greenland.

Cancer therapy may be too targeted

Researchers have identified two novel cancer genes that are associated with the development of a rare, highly aggressive, cancer of blood vessels. These genes may now act as markers for future treatments and explain why narrowly targeted therapies that are directed at just one target fail.

Newly identified small-RNA pathway defends genome against the enemy within

Cold Spring Harbor, NY – Reproductive cells, such as an egg and sperm, join to form stem cells that can mature into any tissue type. But how do reproductive cells arise? We humans are born with all of the reproductive cells that we will ever produce. But in plants things are very different. They first generate mature, adult cells and only later "reprogram" some of them to produce eggs and sperm.

Novel gene-finding approach yields a new gene linked to key heart attack risk factor

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Scientists have discovered a previously unrecognized gene variation that makes humans have healthier blood lipid levels and reduced risk of heart attacks -- a finding that opens the door to using this knowledge in testing or treatment of high cholesterol and other lipid disorders.

But even more significant is how they found the gene, which had been hiding in plain sight in previous hunts for genes that influence cardiovascular risk.

Nectar: A sweet reward from plants to attract pollinators

Stanford, CA— Evolution is based on diversity, and sexual reproduction is key to creating a diverse population that secures competitiveness in nature. Plants had to solve a problem: they needed to find ways to spread their genetic material. Flying pollinators—insects, birds, and bats—were nature's solution. Charles Darwin's "abominable mystery" highlighted the coincidence of flowering plant and insect diversification about 120 million years ago and ascribed it to the coordinated specialization of flowers and insects in the context of insects serving as pollen carriers.

Bionic plants

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Plants have many valuable functions: They provide food and fuel, release the oxygen that we breathe, and add beauty to our surroundings. Now, a team of MIT researchers wants to make plants even more useful by augmenting them with nanomaterials that could enhance their energy production and give them completely new functions, such as monitoring environmental pollutants.

Honey is a new approach to fighting antibiotic resistance: How sweet it is!

DALLAS, March 16, 2014 — Honey, that delectable condiment for breads and fruits, could be one sweet solution to the serious, ever-growing problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, researchers said here today.

Medical professionals sometimes use honey successfully as a topical dressing, but it could play a larger role in fighting infections, the researchers predicted. Their study was part of the 247th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society.

Advance toward developing an oral pain reliever derived from debilitating snail venom

DALLAS, March 16, 2014 — Scientists reported today they have created at least five new experimental substances — based on a tiny protein found in cone snail venom — that could someday lead to the development of safe and effective oral medications for treatment of chronic nerve pain. They say the substances could potentially be stronger than morphine, with fewer side effects and lower risk of abuse.

Young athletes with knee pain may turn to meniscus transplant

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Patients undergoing meniscal allograft transplantation (MAT) surgery require an additional operation approximately 32% of the time, but overall see a 95% success rate after an average five-year follow-up, according to new research released today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Specialty Day.

Socioeconomic factors may contribute to delay in pediatric ACL reconstructions

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Research presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Specialty Day in New Orleans highlights evidence that insurance type, household income and age at injury are significant, independent predictors of the rate which Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) surgeries occurred in kids. Researchers also noted that a delay in pediatric ACL surgery of more than five months correlated with increased severity of other knee injuries in the future.

ACL tears are not the end for college football players

NEW ORLEANS, LA – High-level college football players frequently return to the field after an ACL reconstruction, according to research presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Specialty Day. The study added to earlier research by exploring specific factors that affected return to play, including player standing on rosters and year in school.

Shoulder revision repair surgery not as successful 2 years later, say researchers

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Long-term outcomes of revision arthroscopic rotator cuff repair surgery is not as successful as in a first-time surgery, according to researchers from the Orthopaedic Research Institute in Sydney, Australia, who are presenting their work today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Specialty Day.

Tommy John Surgery a good solution for MLB pitchers

NEW ORLEANS, LA – New data suggests ulnar collateral (UCL) reconstruction, better known as Tommy John Surgery, allows major league pitchers to return to the mound at high rates, and with a positive impact on some performance parameters. The research, presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Specialty Day, examined 179 major league pitchers from 1986 to 2012.