Body

SHANDONG PROVINCE, CHINA--Zinc is vital for the healthy growth and reproduction of all organisms. In plants, zinc plays a key role in essential functions such as carbohydrate metabolism, photosynthesis, and sugar and starch synthesis. Apple, one of the world's most popular fruits, tends to be highly susceptible to zinc deficiency. A new study in HortTechnology recommends new protocols for using zinc sprays at critical stages on apple trees in order to enhance fruit quality.

One of the most important processes in the life of cells is genome replication, which consists of making exact copies of the DNA in order to pass it on to their offspring when they split. In most organisms, from yeast to human beings, genome replication follows a set plan, in which certain regions of the genome replicate before others; alterations in the late replication phases had previously been related to cancer and ageing.

North Carolina State University researchers have a developed a technique for efficiently producing nanoscale gold rods in large quantities while simultaneously controlling the dimensions of the nanorods and their optical properties. The optical properties of gold nanorods make them desirable for use in biomedical applications ranging from imaging technologies to cancer treatment.

APOPKA, FL--Shade nets are widely used in ornamental crop production systems to protect crops from radiation, wind, hail, and birds. According to a 2011 study from the United States Department of Agriculture, 43% of floricultural crop production in the United States occurred under shade or other temporary cover. Although black nets are most common, growers have begun experimenting with colored, gray, and white "dispersive" netting in order to determine effects of the colored nets on crop vigor, dwarfing, branching, leaf variegation, and flowering time.

The uncoupling Protein 1 (UCP1) is found exclusively in brown adipose tissue. Until some years ago it was thought that only babies and hibernating animals had brown adipose tissue, but since then it also has been found in adults, so UCP1 could be useful in the fight against obesity. "If we can find out how to regulate this protein, we might also find a way to trigger fat burning in the body," explains biophysicist Elena Pohl from the Unit of Physiology and Biophysics at the Vetmeduni Vienna.

UCP1 burns energy

Researchers from the Baylor College of Medicine and the Texas Heart Institute have discovered a new way to dramatically improve heart repair. The future goal is to use this knowledge to combat human cardiovascular disease by improving repair after a heart attack. The research has just been published in the scientific journal Development.

FORT LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. - The great white shark, a major apex predator made famous by the movie "Jaws," is one of the world's most iconic species capturing an extraordinary amount of public fascination. An intriguing question is what makes a white shark so distinctive? One way to address this is to explore the genetic makeup of this remarkable animal.

WASHINGTON, DC – November 15, 2013 – A new method could cut hours off the time it takes to diagnose blood infections while also eliminating the need for complicated manual processing and expensive equipment, according to a report to be published in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, on November 19.

Increasingly, young people around the world are planning to have children later in life, despite the fact that fertility declines with age after young adulthood. But new research shows a simple brochure can prompt many to accelerate their planned timelines.

Although health behaviours such as smoking are directly linked to the majority of early deaths in the UK, tackling these individual factors fails to address the underlying cause. To get to the root of the problem, childhood deprivation must be addressed because it promotes damaging health behaviours in adult life. So say researchers from UCL (University College London) in a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

Ann Arbor, Mich. — A new University of Michigan study found that the state immunization registry – the public health database that tracks vaccinations– can be an effective tool to encourage influenza vaccinations during a pandemic.

U-M researchers collaborated with the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) to evaluate a statewide influenza vaccination reminder campaign conducted using the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR) during the H1N1 pandemic during 2009-10. The study results were published Nov. 14 in the American Journal of Public Health.

People with damage in the small blood vessels of the retina and kidneys are at increased risk to develop the most common type of abnormal heart rhythm, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013.

Atrial fibrillation raises the risk of stroke and causes heart-related chest pain or heart failure in some people.

Researchers in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC) followed 10,009 middle-aged people for an average 13.6 years. Atrial fibrillation developed at a rate of:

For the first time, an antidote developed specifically for dabigatran successfully reversed the effects of the anti-clotting medication in healthy volunteers, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013.

SEATTLE—A large national study in JAMA Internal Medicine has found that the rate of women receiving breast MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) nearly tripled from 2005 to 2009: from four to 11 exams per 1,000 women. The same issue of the journal includes a report of breast MRI use in the Northeast—and an editorial accompanying the two studies.

CHICAGO – The overall use of breast magnetic resonance imaging has increased, with the procedure most commonly used for diagnostic evaluations and screenings, according to a study published by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.