Channel 42
Science is the answer to everything.

Modifying the environment by using everything from shovels and plows to plant-derived pesticides may be as important as mosquito nets and vaccinations in the fight against malaria, according to a computerized analysis by MIT researchers.

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Motor control exercises, when performed in conjunction with other forms of therapy, can significantly reduce pain and disability in patients with persistent low back pain, according to a new systematic review published in the January issue of Physical Therapy, the scientific journal of the American Physical Therapy Association.

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Picture this: an accurate map of a large underground oil reservoir that can guide engineers’ efforts to coax the oil from the vast rocky subsurface into wells where it can be pumped out for storage or transport. Researchers at MIT have developed technology that can generate such a map, which has the potential to significantly increase the amount of oil extracted from reservoirs.

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Research increasingly suggests that eyewitness testimony may not be as accurate as we would like it to be. A new study examining how false information following a recall test affects volunteers’ memories of a witnessed event suggests that recalled information is prone to distortion. These results suggest that the recall test may have improved subjects’ ability to learn the false information — that it enhanced learning of new and erroneous information.

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When comparing the genomes of different organisms to create an evolutionary tree, scientists have been restricted to using a few dozen genes common to all of them. No longer. UC Berkeley chemist Sung-Hou Kim and his colleagues have discovered a way to compare entire genomes across a range of sizes. The method, which treats the genome as a book without spaces or punctuation, works equally well for comparing written texts to detect plagiarism or authorship.

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As adults, we are able to tell the difference between people’s internal goals and the behaviors they influence. When do we gain this ability? Are infants able to “see” the hidden reasons behind certain actions? New findings indicate that by 10 months of age, infants, just like adults, are able to understand goals and intentions, even when those goals are not obvious based on the resulting behavior (that is, if the goal is unsuccessful).

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Recent studies suggest that human breast cancer risk is increased by outside exposure to the hormone progestin, such as during hormone replacement therapy. Now, a University of Missouri study suggests that PRIMA-1, a small molecule drug that targets the most common mutated gene, p53, in human cancer cells, has potential as a novel chemotherapeutic treatment for progestin-accelerated human breast cancer.

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The enzyme DFPase is able to rapidly and efficiently detoxify chemical warfare agents such as Sarin, which was used in the Tokyo subway attacks in 1995. A detailed understanding of the mechanism by which the enzyme catalyzes chemical reactions is necessary for efforts aiming to improve its properties as a decontaminant. Its structure, which is closely related to its function, has now been determined by neutron diffraction.

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Brain cells called astrocytes help to cause the urge to sleep that comes with prolonged wakefulness, according to a study in mice, funded by the National Institutes of Health. The cells release adenosine, a chemical known to have sleep-inducing effects that are inhibited by caffeine.

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Surgeons at Northwestern Memorial Hospital are among the first in the country to use a new micro-laser, which uses light energy in place of a cutting tool to remove complicated brain and spine tumors. The technique offers greater precision and efficiency during surgery, reducing the incision size, surgery time and patient recovery period following surgery.

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