Sunday, October 29, 2006

Experts crack cancer 'gene codes'. Scientists crack the entire genetic code of breast and colon cancers, offering new treatment hopes. [BBC News | News Front Page | UK Edition] 1:26:06 PM      Google It!.

Physical fitness was associated with more successful cognitive aging, the study by Ian Deary, PhD, FRCPE, with the University of Edinburgh in Scotland examined 460 men and women who had been participants of the Scottish Mental Survey of 1932. The participants were tested using the same cognitive test at age 11 and age 79.  The study found physical fitness has a greater impact on cognitive ability in old age than childhood IQ and that physical fitness contributed more than three percent of the differences in cognitive ability in old age after accounting for participant's test scores at age 11. - from American Academy of Neurology 10:02:42 AM      Google It!.

Honeybee Genome Sequenced. mapkinase writes to let us know about articles in Nature on the completed sequencing of the honeybee genome. From the first article: "Two other insects have already been sequenced: the malaria-carrying mosquito Anopheles gambiae, and one of science's great model organisms, the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster. Like these, the bee is much easier to manipulate and study than, say, the monkey. But unlike the mosquito and the fruitfly, the bee's social behavior is of special interest." Another article in the same issue clarifies why this sequencing is important: "The genome is helping to reveal some of those [such as the bees' dance language and the division of labor in the hive] mechanisms. For instance, there are 65 spots in the genome that seem to code for short RNA molecules called microRNAs (miRNAs), molecular switches that can turn genes on or off. The researchers found that miRNA activity differs between bees doing different jobs." [Slashdot] 9:48:44 AM      Google It!.

Photos: Top 10 products with high 'wife-acceptance factor'. "Wife-Acceptance Factor," or WAF, describes how female-friendly a given product is. But why fight it? Instead, use the WAF to your advantage: We examine a list of products she'll be begging you to buy. [CNET News.com] 9:42:35 AM      Google It!.

3D Weather Data Visualization in Second Life. An anonymous reader noted that the Second Life media blitz continues by saying that "The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) with Aimee Weber Studio just unrolled a sneak preview of their educational project in Second Life (due to open in mid November). This appetizer of things to come features the three dimensional visualization of live weather (now on display at the Science Center)." Don't go there expecting that they have like every doppler radar in the US updating in realtime or anything, but it's actually a practical real use for Second Life. [Slashdot] 9:36:06 AM      Google It!.