The answer to the mystery of dune patterns on Saturn's moon Titan did turn out to be blowing in the wind. It just wasn't from the direction many scientists expected.

Researchers have developed a novel method of attack against the AIDS virus that involves creating a prevention system, i.e. an "armor" in the cells that are likely to be infected and thus impede the virus from accessing them and starting to act on their immunological system.

A nanomaterial originally developed to fight toxic waste is now helping reduce debilitating fumes in homes with corrosive drywall.

Results from a new study suggest that oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy may yield additional benefit of protecting against the formation and rupture of brain aneurysms in women.

Researchers have demonstrated the use of infrared laser light to quickly and precisely heat the water in "nano bathtubs" -- tiny sample containers -- for microscopy studies of the biochemistry of single molecules and nanoparticles.

A researcher who explored the consequences for men (and women) when they acted modestly in job interviews found that "modest" males were less liked, a sign of social backlash. Modesty was viewed as a sign of weakness, a low-status character trait for males that could adversely affect their employability or earnings potential. Modesty in women, however, was not viewed negatively nor was it linked to status.

In recent tests evoking visions of the universal translator on "Star Trek," researchers evaluated three two-way, real-time, voice-translation devices designed to improve communications between the US military and non-English speakers in foreign countries.

Mutations in a gene known as "Fritz" may be responsible for causing human genetic disorders such as Bardet-Biedl syndrome, developmental biologists, human geneticists and cell biologists have found.

Using the model organism Ciona intestinalis, commonly known as the sea squirt, researchers have uncovered the origins of the second heart field in vertebrates.

Researchers have shown that the epigenetic profiles of breast tumors are related to patient diet and alcohol use as well as tumor size.

Australian scientists researching environmental restoration projects have found that the reforestation of damaged rainforests is more efficient at capturing carbon than controversial softwood monoculture plantations. The research challenges traditional views on the efficiency of industrial monoculture plantations.

Overturning more than 40 years of accepted practice, new research proves that the tools used to check tests of "general mental ability" for bias are themselves flawed. This key finding challenges reliance on such exams to make objective decisions for employment or academic admissions even in the face of well-documented gaps between mean scores of white and minority populations.

Researchers suggest that sustained attention deficit is an endophenotype for bipolar disorder that is maintained during asymptomatic states. (Source: MedWire News - Psychiatry)MedWorm Message: Register for MedMatcha, MedWorm's medical advertising network, and receive $5 free advertising.

CONCLUSION: Environmental, cognitive and behavioral factors related to feeding were significantly present among the subjects of the study, putting deglutition at risk. Other specific deglutition difficulties were also identified. Managing these difficulties is important, in order to avoid health complications for elderly women. (Source: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Fonoaudiologia)MedWorm Message: Register for MedMatcha, MedWorm's medical advertising network, and receive $5 free advertising.

Phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D) is one of the four PDE4 subfamilies (A/B/C/D), which specifically hydrolyse cyclic 3',5' adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) to AMP. A single gene (PDE4D; human locus 5p12) encodes a series of 11 splice variants that are generated by alternative mRNA splicing. Each isoform is characterized by a unique amino-terminal region, and the isoforms can be grouped into the so-called 'long', 'short' and 'super-short' categories. Unique to the PDE4 family are the upstream conserved region 1 (UCR1) and UCR2 modules, which influence the functional outcome of phosphorylation of the catalytic unit of PDE4B/C/D-family enzymes by the mitogen activated protein kinase Erk, with the activity of long isoforms being inhibited, short isoforms activated and super-short isoforms unaffected....MedWorm Message: Register for MedMatcha, MedWorm's medical advertising network, and receive $5 free advertising.

Tish Tucker has raised the incredible amount of £1835 for Alzheimer’s Society by taking part in a tandem parachute jump. (Source: Alzheimers Society)

Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 9, 579 (2010). doi:10.1038/nrd3237 Author: Alisa Opar New recommendations to change the diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer's disease and recent advances in biomarker development may allow earlier diagnosis of this disease, potentially providing key tools for drug development. (Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery)

In this study, we examined mRNA and protein expression, as well as biological activity of NEP, IDE, and ECE-1 in human frontal cortex by real-time RT-PCR for mRNA, immunoblotting for protein, and highly sensitive and specific fluorescence assays for activity. The relationships between A[beta]-degrading enzymes and pathologic measures and clinical features were also assessed. The results showed that NEP mRNA, protein level, and activity were decreased in AD compared with normal controls with no cognitive impairment (NCI). In contrast, IDE activity was unchanged, but there was higher expression of IDE mRNA, indicating a possible compensatory reaction because of deficits in activity. ECE-1 expression in AD brain showed no significant difference compared with age-matched controls. Correlation ...

In this study, we determined regional atrophy within the basal forebrain in 21 patients with AD and 16 subjects with MCI compared to 20 healthy elderly subjects using deformation-based morphometry of MRI scans. We assessed effects of basal forebrain atrophy on fiber tracts derived from high-resolution diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) using tract-based spatial statistics. We localized significant effects relative to a map of cholinergic nuclei in MRI standard space as determined from a postmortem brain. Patients with AD and MCI subjects showed reduced volumes in basal forebrain areas corresponding to anterior medial and lateral, intermediate and posterior nuclei of the Nucleus basalis of Meynert (NbM) as well as in the diagonal band of Broca nuclei (P

Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2010;30:39–42 (DOI:10.1159/000315509) (Source: Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders)