52 posts · 23,861 views
WiSci is a blog that aims to provide interesting, informative posts about discoveries, debates, and dilemmas within the life sciences. This blog, formerly known as Beyond the Bench, attempts to reach any reader who has an interest in science and provide him or her with an accessible gateway into professionally published science content, whether by analyzing a journal article, interviewing a book author, or pointing out pieces written on other blogs.
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- May 25, 2011
- 09:21 AM
- 125 views
Biological Diversity: Exploiters and Exploited
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
As the developed world gobbles up natural resources and wipes out species after species of plants and animals, the issue of biodiversity–the variation of life forms within an ecosystem–becomes increasingly important to the survival of our planet. The more diverse the life forms, the healthier the ecosystem, meaning that the more species we eliminate, the [...]... Read more »
Fire, A., Xu, S., Montgomery, M., Kostas, S., Driver, S., & Mello, C. (1998) Potent and specific genetic interference by double-stranded RNA in Caenorhabditis elegans. Nature, 391(6669), 806-811. DOI: 10.1038/35888
- May 11, 2011
- 08:52 AM
- 162 views
Erasing Memories
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
Memory erasing is a hot topic in Hollywood. From the 1997 sci-fi flick Men in Black to the 2004 romantic comedy Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, characters are constantly trying to erase painful or dangerous memories from their minds. While neuroscientists are currently aiming their memory-erasing efforts at clinical conditions such as post traumatic [...]... Read more »
Wang, H., Feng, R., Wang, L., Li, F., Cao, X., & Tsien, J. (2008) CaMKII Activation State Underlies Synaptic Labile Phase of LTP and Short-Term Memory Formation. Current Biology, 18(20), 1546-1554. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2008.08.064
Cai D, Pearce K, Chen S, & Glanzman DL. (2011) Protein kinase m maintains long-term sensitization and long-term facilitation in aplysia. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 31(17), 6421-31. PMID: 21525283
Shema, R., Sacktor, T., & Dudai, Y. (2007) Rapid Erasure of Long-Term Memory Associations in the Cortex by an Inhibitor of PKM . Science, 317(5840), 951-953. DOI: 10.1126/science.1144334
- April 19, 2011
- 08:45 AM
- 500 views
Diagnosing Elderly Drivers and Psychiatric Patients
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
With the exception of new teenage drivers, elderly drivers have the highest rate of accidents per miles driven. Furthermore, older drivers are more likely than younger ones to be involved in multi-vehicle crashes, particularly at intersections.1 In some cases, these trends have been thought to be the result of visual impairments caused by bodily aging.2 [...]... Read more »
Owsley, C. (1998) Visual Processing Impairment and Risk of Motor Vehicle Crash Among Older Adults. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 279(14), 1083-1088. DOI: 10.1001/jama.279.14.1083
Tadin D, Silvanto J, Pascual-Leone A, & Battelli L. (2011) Improved motion perception and impaired spatial suppression following disruption of cortical area MT/V5. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 31(4), 1279-83. PMID: 21273412
- April 12, 2011
- 08:23 AM
- 391 views
Lactose Intolerance: A Sign to Stop Nursing
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
Bloating, gas, nausea, diarrhea—all symptoms of lactose intolerance. However, the term “symptoms” may be misleading, because lactose intolerance is not a disease, nor is it a “milk allergy” (the immune system is never involved). In fact, while this may come as a surprise to many milk-guzzling Americans, lactose intolerance is the rule in most other [...]... Read more »
Scrimshaw NS, & Murray EB. (1988) The acceptability of milk and milk products in populations with a high prevalence of lactose intolerance. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 48(4 Suppl), 1079-159. PMID: 3140651
Swallow, D. (2003) G L P L I . Annual Review of Genetics, 37(1), 197-219. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.genet.37.110801.143820
- March 30, 2011
- 08:51 AM
- 433 views
Cell[phone] Cancer?
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
No longer are households filled with cries of, “Stop tying up the phone line! I need to make a call!” The advent of cell phones has enabled anyone to talk anywhere, anytime, for any amount of time. As convenient as these devices may be for our schedules, they might not be so good for our [...]... Read more »
Volkow, N., Tomasi, D., Wang, G., Vaska, P., Fowler, J., Telang, F., Alexoff, D., Logan, J., & Wong, C. (2011) Effects of Cell Phone Radiofrequency Signal Exposure on Brain Glucose Metabolism. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 305(8), 808-813. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2011.186
Cardis, E., Richardson, L., Deltour, I., Armstrong, B., Feychting, M., Johansen, C., Kilkenny, M., McKinney, P., Modan, B., Sadetzki, S.... (2007) The INTERPHONE study: design, epidemiological methods, and description of the study population. European Journal of Epidemiology, 22(9), 647-664. DOI: 10.1007/s10654-007-9152-z
- March 23, 2011
- 08:58 AM
- 559 views
Molecular Gastronomy: Modernist Cuisine Brings the Lab to the Kitchen
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
Forget microwaves and frying pans. In six volumes and 2,438 pages, the new cookbook Modernist Cuisine trades traditional appliances for cutting-edge machinery more commonly found in science laboratories than household kitchens. Modernist Cuisine was born in 2004, when in billionaire mathematician and physicist Nathan Myhrvold began explaining sous vide cuisine in eGullet’s online forums. At [...]... Read more »
This, H. (2005) Molecular gastronomy. Nature Materials, 4(1), 5-7. DOI: 10.1038/nmat1303
- March 16, 2011
- 08:26 AM
- 388 views
Living Dinosaurs: The Evolutionary History of Modern Birds
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
In the 1860s, Thomas Huxley discovered fossils that led him to propose that modern birds evolved from ancient dinosaurs. Yet in the centuries following his discovery, the origins of modern birds remains greatly debated. In their new book Living Dinosaurs: The Evolutionary History of Modern Birds, researchers Gareth Dyke and Gary Kaiser set out to [...]... Read more »
OSTROM, J. (1976) Archaeopteryx and the origin of birds. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 8(2), 91-182. DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.1976.tb00244.x
- March 8, 2011
- 11:01 AM
- 678 views
Bittersweet Adaptation: How Genes For Survival May Be Giving Us Diabetes
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
The famous phrase has it that evolution is a process of the “survival of the fittest.” However, it should be noted that this doesn’t imply some great evolutionary gymnasium, with species pumping and sculpting themselves into the most sexually appealing shapes of the day. Rather, the phrase means something more like “the survival of the [...]... Read more »
Kavaler, S., Morinaga, H., Jih, A., Fan, W., Hedlund, M., Varki, A., & Kim, J. (2011) Pancreatic -cell failure in obese mice with human-like CMP-Neu5Ac hydroxylase deficiency. The FASEB Journal. DOI: 10.1096/fj.10-175281
Chang, C., Cai, J., Cheng, P., Chueh, H., & Hsu, S. (2011) Identification of Metabolic Modifiers That Underlie Phenotypic Variations in Energy-Balance Regulation. Diabetes, 60(3), 726-734. DOI: 10.2337/db10-1331
Corona, E., Dudley, J., & Butte, A. (2010) Extreme Evolutionary Disparities Seen in Positive Selection across Seven Complex Diseases. PLoS ONE, 5(8). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0012236
- March 2, 2011
- 08:10 AM
- 622 views
Weed Biology and Climate Change
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
Homeowners detest dandelions, and hikers abhor poison ivy. However, as pesky and unwanted as they often are, weeds’ stubborn resilience makes them well worth studying, especially as climate change affects plant life around the world. To find out more, we interviewed Dr. Lewis Ziska and Dr. Jeffrey Dukes, two editors who worked on the recently [...]... Read more »
James I.L. Morison, Michael D. Morecroft, Lewis H. Ziska, & James A. Bunce. (2007) Chapter 2. Plant Responses to Rising Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide. Plant Growth and Climate Change. DOI: 10.1002/9780470988695.ch2
David M. Richardson, & Jeffrey S. Dukes. (2010) 26. Responses of Invasive Species to a Changing Climate and Atmosphere. Fifty Years of Invasion Ecology: The Legacy of Charles Elton. info:/10.1002/9781444329988.ch26
Keeling, C. (1960) The Concentration and Isotopic Abundances of Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere. Tellus, 12(2), 200-203. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1960.tb01300.x
- February 24, 2011
- 10:11 AM
- 645 views
Curing Cancer with Dwarfism, Down syndrome, and Vegetables
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
With the world abuzz about dwarfism preventing cancer, we wondered: what other sorts of genetic tinkering can, unexpectedly, prevent or cure cancer? Dwarfism Laron syndrome is a genetic disorder that causes dwarfism. Individuals with Laron syndrome possess a mutation on the GHR gene, rendering the gene defective and body insensitive to human growth hormone—hence stunted [...]... Read more »
Guevara-Aguirre, J., Balasubramanian, P., Guevara-Aguirre, M., Wei, M., Madia, F., Cheng, C., Hwang, D., Martin-Montalvo, A., Saavedra, J., Ingles, S.... (2011) Growth Hormone Receptor Deficiency Is Associated with a Major Reduction in Pro-Aging Signaling, Cancer, and Diabetes in Humans. Science Translational Medicine, 3(70), 70-70. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3001845
Baek, K., Zaslavsky, A., Lynch, R., Britt, C., Okada, Y., Siarey, R., Lensch, M., Park, I., Yoon, S., Minami, T.... (2009) Down's syndrome suppression of tumour growth and the role of the calcineurin inhibitor DSCR1. Nature, 459(7250), 1126-1130. DOI: 10.1038/nature08062
Wang, X., Di Pasqua, A., Govind, S., McCracken, E., Hong, C., Mi, L., Mao, Y., Wu, J., Tomita, Y., Woodrick, J.... (2011) Selective Depletion of Mutant p53 by Cancer Chemopreventive Isothiocyanates and Their Structure−Activity Relationships. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 54(3), 809-816. DOI: 10.1021/jm101199t
- February 9, 2011
- 03:04 PM
- 594 views
Stopping HIV in the Macrophage
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
HIV is an elusive virus. Affecting more than 30 million people worldwide, the virus thrives in the human immune system by adapting in a number of ways, which makes effective treatments and an eventual cure exceedingly difficult. However, scientists at the University of Rochester and Emory University recently unveiled one of the mechanisms by which [...]... Read more »
Kennedy EM, Gavegnano C, Nguyen L, Slater R, Lucas A, Fromentin E, Schinazi RF, & Kim B. (2010) Ribonucleoside triphosphates as substrate of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase in human macrophages. The Journal of biological chemistry, 285(50), 39380-91. PMID: 20924117
Benaroch, P., Billard, E., Gaudin, R., Schindler, M., & Jouve, M. (2010) HIV-1 assembly in macrophages. Retrovirology, 7(1), 29. DOI: 10.1186/1742-4690-7-29
- January 26, 2011
- 01:58 PM
- 433 views
Michael Lea: Moringa oleifera tree, low-cost water purification
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
Mindbogglingly useful: a new, low-cost water purification protocol for the developing world now freely available* to download from CP Microbiology: Unit 1G.2 Bioremediation of Turbid Surface Water Using Seed Extract from Moringa oleifera Lam. (Drumstick) Tree In the Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams described his fictional creation, the all language-translating Babel fish, as [...]... Read more »
Michael Lea. (2010) Bioremediation of Turbid Surface Water Using Seed Extract from Moringa oleifera Lam. (Drumstick) Tree. Current Protocols in Microbiology. DOI: 10.1002/9780471729259.mc01g02s16
Michael Lea. (2008) Biological Sand Filters: Low‐Cost Bioremediation Technique for Production of Clean Drinking Water. Current Protocols in Microbiology. DOI: 10.1002/9780471729259.mc01g01s9
- January 20, 2011
- 10:06 AM
- 429 views
Exercise First, Eat Later
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Yet, as counter-intuitive as it may seem, research suggests that you may want to wait to eat your banana and peanut butter toast until after a morning workout. One practical benefit of eating breakfast in the morning is to lessen feelings of hunger [...]... Read more »
Pereira MA, Erickson E, McKee P, Schrankler K, Raatz SK, Lytle LA, & Pellegrini AD. (2011) Breakfast frequency and quality may affect glycemia and appetite in adults and children. The Journal of nutrition, 141(1), 163-8. PMID: 21123469
Berkey, C., Rockett, H., Gillman, M., Field, A., & Colditz, G. (2003) Longitudinal study of skipping breakfast and weight change in adolescents. International Journal of Obesity, 27(10), 1258-1266. DOI: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0802402
Van Proeyen K, Szlufcik K, Nielens H, Pelgrim K, Deldicque L, Hesselink M, Van Veldhoven PP, & Hespel P. (2010) Training in the fasted state improves glucose tolerance during fat-rich diet. The Journal of physiology, 588(Pt 21), 4289-302. PMID: 20837645
Van Proeyen K, Szlufcik K, Nielens H, Ramaekers M, & Hespel P. (2011) Beneficial metabolic adaptations due to endurance exercise training in the fasted state. Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985), 110(1), 236-45. PMID: 21051570
Schabort EJ, Bosch AN, Weltan SM, & Noakes TD. (1999) The effect of a preexercise meal on time to fatigue during prolonged cycling exercise. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 31(3), 464-71. PMID: 10188753
- January 6, 2011
- 03:35 PM
- 490 views
Video Games Enhance Visual Attention
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
Video games might cause aggressive behavior,1 and they may contribute to childhood obesity,2 but recent research by Daphne Bavelier and her colleagues at the University of Rochester suggests that playing video games can have at least one benefit: they enhance visual attention. Visual attention is the mental mechanism we use to select relevant visual information [...]... Read more »
Anderson, C., & Carnagey, N. (2009) Causal effects of violent sports video games on aggression: Is it competitiveness or violent content?. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45(4), 731-739. DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2009.04.019
Vandewater EA, Shim MS, & Caplovitz AG. (2004) Linking obesity and activity level with children's television and video game use. Journal of adolescence, 27(1), 71-85. PMID: 15013261
Hubert-Wallander, B., Green, C., & Bavelier, D. (2010) Stretching the limits of visual attention: the case of action video games. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science. DOI: 10.1002/wcs.116
- December 13, 2010
- 10:12 AM
- 522 views
The Vitamin D Controversy
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
Vitamin D could quite possibly be one of the most controversial supplements of the decade. Deficiency can cause rickets (in children) or osteoporosis, and experts such as Dr. Michael Holick of Boston University assert that the average modern-world citizen doesn’t get enough.1 Alternatively, other researchers such as Dr. Clifford Rosen of the Maine Medical Center [...]... Read more »
Holick MF. (2010) Vitamin D: Evolutionary, Physiological and Health Perspectives. Current drug targets. PMID: 20795941
Sullivan SS, Rosen CJ, Halteman WA, Chen TC, . (2005) Adolescent Girls in Maine Are at Risk for Vitamin D Insufficiency. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 105(6), 971-974. DOI: 10.1016/j.jada.2005.03.002
Ross AC, Manson JE, Abrams SA, Aloia JF, Brannon PM, Clinton SK, Durazo-Arvizu RA, Gallagher JC, Gallo RL, Jones G.... (2010) The 2011 Report on Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D from the Institute of Medicine: What Clinicians Need to Know. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. PMID: 21118827
- December 6, 2010
- 08:28 AM
- 357 views
Can Arsenic Replace Phosphorus? One Bacterium Says “Yes”
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
Up until a few days ago, scientists believed that all life forms on Earth were composed of six elements: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and phosphorus. Then, on December 2, 2010, NASA researchers made a discovery that forced scientists everywhere to reconsider this belief: a bacterium that can replace phosphorus with arsenic.1 Typically, arsenic is [...]... Read more »
Wolfe-Simon, F., Blum, J., Kulp, T., Gordon, G., Hoeft, S., Pett-Ridge, J., Stolz, J., Webb, S., Weber, P., Davies, P.... (2010) A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus. Science. DOI: 10.1126/science.1197258
Hughes, M. (2002) Arsenic toxicity and potential mechanisms of action. Toxicology Letters, 133(1), 1-16. DOI: 10.1016/S0378-4274(02)00084-X
- November 10, 2010
- 10:05 AM
- 353 views
Were the winters really colder when grandfather was a boy?
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
People tend to assume that scientists have only begun to find answers to climate change questions in the last few years. However, the following recording from 1956 offers evidence that climate change has been under scrutiny for over a century. Scientists have been noting upward temperature trends and glacial shrinkage since 1890, and carbon dioxide [...]... Read more »
PLASS, G. (1956) The Carbon Dioxide Theory of Climatic Change. Tellus, 8(2), 140-154. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1956.tb01206.x
- November 4, 2010
- 03:06 PM
- 487 views
Stress: Does Gender Matter?
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety disorders—over twice the number of people who suffer from alcoholism,1 and nearly three times the number who suffer from depression.2 Of these 40 million people, two-thirds are female. While culture and environment might play contributing roles, science suggests that women may [...]... Read more »
Bangasser, D., Curtis, A., Reyes, B., Bethea, T., Parastatidis, I., Ischiropoulos, H., Van Bockstaele, E., & Valentino, R. (2010) Sex differences in corticotropin-releasing factor receptor signaling and trafficking: potential role in female vulnerability to stress-related psychopathology. Molecular Psychiatry, 15(9), 896-904. DOI: 10.1038/mp.2010.66
Taylor, S., Klein, L., Lewis, B., Gruenewald, T., Gurung, R., & Updegraff, J. (2000) Biobehavioral responses to stress in females: Tend-and-befriend, not fight-or-flight. Psychological Review, 107(3), 411-429. DOI: 10.1037//0033-295X.107.3.411
- October 26, 2010
- 11:13 AM
- 556 views
Worldwide Drought: Current Conditions and Future Predictions
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
From rising temperatures to rising seas, the consequences of global warming are here now, and predictions for the future are dire. In his review “Drought under global warming,” UCAR author Aiguo Dai indicates that yet another consequence is already affecting our planet and, over time, will almost certainly become more severe: worldwide drought. Wait, drought [...]... Read more »
Dai, A., Trenberth, K., & Qian, T. (2004) A Global Dataset of Palmer Drought Severity Index for 1870–2002: Relationship with Soil Moisture and Effects of Surface Warming. Journal of Hydrometeorology, 5(6), 1117. DOI: 10.1175/JHM-386.1
Dai, A., Qian, T., Trenberth, K., & Milliman, J. (2009) Changes in Continental Freshwater Discharge from 1948 to 2004. Journal of Climate, 22(10), 2773-2792. DOI: 10.1175/2008JCLI2592.1
Dai, A. (2010) Drought under global warming: a review. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change. DOI: 10.1002/wcc.81
- October 22, 2010
- 08:24 AM
- 478 views
Geim and Novoselov Isolate Graphene, Win 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics
by A. Goldstein in WiSci
It is 100 times stronger than steel and the best heat conductor known to man. Most people have produced this substance unwittingly, yet it could be used to substantially improve computer chips, solar cells, and even satellites. What is this astonishing material? The first truly 2-dimensional crystalline material: graphene. This year, two pioneering physicists received [...]... Read more »
Tsoukleri, G., Parthenios, J., Papagelis, K., Jalil, R., Ferrari, A., Geim, A., Novoselov, K., & Galiotis, C. (2009) Subjecting a Graphene Monolayer to Tension and Compression. Small, 5(21), 2397-2402. DOI: 10.1002/smll.200900802
Neubeck, S., Ponomarenko, L., Freitag, F., Giesbers, A., Zeitler, U., Morozov, S., Blake, P., Geim, A., & Novoselov, K. (2010) From One Electron to One Hole: Quasiparticle Counting in Graphene Quantum Dots Determined by Electrochemical and Plasma Etching. Small, 6(14), 1469-1473. DOI: 10.1002/smll.201000291
Novoselov, K. (2004) Electric Field Effect in Atomically Thin Carbon Films. Science, 306(5696), 666-669. DOI: 10.1126/science.1102896
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