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PhysOrg.com
Researchers use fluorescence to develop method for detecting mercury in fish Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed a simple and quick method for detecting mercury in fish and dental samples, two substances at the center of public concern about mercury contamination. The technique involves a fluorescent substance that glows bright green when it comes into contact with oxidized mercury, the researchers report in the current online edition of the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The intensity of the glow indicates the amount of mercury present. International team discovers gene associated with epilepsy A University of Iowa-led international research team has found a new gene associated with the brain disorder epilepsy. While the PRICKLE1 gene mutation was specific to a rare form of epilepsy, the study results could help lead to new ideas for overall epilepsy treatment. Shedding light on the 'dark matter' of genetics: New gene-silencing pathway found in plants (PhysOrg.com) -- Biologists at Washington University in St. Louis have made major headway in explaining a mechanism by which plant cells silence potentially harmful genes. Test identifies toxic platinum and palladium without time-consuming sample pretreatment The painstaking process of detecting toxic species of platinum and palladium mixed in with the form of platinum essential to certain pharmaceuticals could be reduced to one simple step, University of Pittsburgh researchers report in the Nov. 14 online edition of the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS). October video game sales jump 18 percent (AP) -- People flocked to buy video games in October despite a drop in consumer confidence to a historic low, spending $1.31 billion in U.S. retail stores on hardware, software and accessories. A single gene leads yeast cells to cooperate against threats An ingenious social behavior that mobilizes yeast cells to cooperate in protecting each other from stress, antibiotics, and other dangers is driven by the activity of a single gene, scientists report this week in the journal Cell. The cooperating cells use the same gene, dubbed FLO1, as a marker for detecting "cheaters," cells that try to profit from the group's protection without investing in the group's welfare. Electronic Arts wants to help people get fit, too (AP) -- Following in the footsteps of Nintendo's popular "Wii Fit," the video game publisher known for the "Madden" football games is jumping into fitness software targeted mostly at women. Artists stage street scenes to lurk in Google maps (AP) -- Anyone using Google's Street View map feature to scan one downtown Pittsburgh street is bound to do a double-take. Researchers show that plants can accumulate nanoparticles in tissues Researchers at the University of Delaware have provided what is believed to be the first experimental evidence that plants can take up nanoparticles and accumulate them in their tissues Research finds that low concentrations of pesticides can become toxic mixture Ten of the world's most popular pesticides can decimate amphibian populations when mixed together even if the concentration of the individual chemicals are within limits considered safe, according to University of Pittsburgh research published Nov. 11 in the online edition of Oecologia. Such "cocktails of contaminants" are frequently detected in nature, the paper notes, and the Pitt findings offer the first illustration of how a large mixture of pesticides can adversely affect the environment. Yahoo! News Search Results for Islamic arts Museum of Islamic Art set for grand opening (Gulf Times) By Ramesh Mathew DOHA’s latest architectural marvel, the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) will be inaugurated at a colourful and spectacular ceremony on Saturday by HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. A place for discovery and experience (The Peninsula) DOHA: The much awaited Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) opening ceremony will be a simple, yet unique event according to officials of Qatar Museum Authority. The Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani will inaugurate the museum on Saturday, November 22. Tunisia: Kairouan Exhibit Highlights Common Sharing of Mediterranean Heritage (AllAfrica.com) From December 2 to March 31, 2009, Kairouan will host a cultural exhibit dubbed "Mediterranean civilizational innovation: exchange and communication". The exhibit which is hosted by the Rekada Museum of Islamic Arts and Civilization, is organized by the Ministry of culture and heritage preservation. UN chief condemns Somali pirates (Channel 4) Somali pirates preying on international shipping are also damaging their homeland's battered economy, worsening the instability that opened the door to piracy and inroads by Islamic extremists, the UN chief warned. BERNAMA NEWS COVERAGE: NOV 22 (Bernama via Yahoo! Malaysia News) KUALA LUMPUR ------------- Dangers await Obama (Lancaster Online) As America prepares for the shifting of political power from George W. Bush to Barack Obama, a veritable minefield of international dangers awaits the new president.What they are and what President-elect Obama will face after Jan. 20 was outlined Thursday in a talk by retired four-star Gen. John "Ja... Former Senator Mitchell speaks at the Mondavi Center (California Aggie) As part of the Distinguished Speakers Series, former Senator George Mitchell spoke about his time in the Senate, his investigation into steroid use in baseball and the threats the world faces at the Mondavi Center Wednesday night. 'Buddhism has to evolve to remain socially relevant in Asia' (New Kerala) By Madhusree Chatterjee, New Delhi, Nov 21 : Buddhism will have to evolve rites and rituals to become more socially relevant in Asian nations, including India, where people identify religion with prayer rites, feels Buddhist scholar Lokesh Chandra. Y.Z. Kami - Endless Prayers at Parasol Unit Foundation for Contemporary Art (Art Daily) Y. Z. Kami, Endless Prayers V, 2007, Mixed media on paper, 115.6 x 83.8 cm (45 1/2 x 33 in), Collection of Susan and John Hess, New York. Photography Rob McKeever. Iranian poet Maryam Ala Amjadi embraces the adventure of writing in English (Payvand Iran News) English is not the native tongue of young Iranian poet Maryam Ala Amjadi, who is in residence this fall in the University of Iowa International Writing Program. And that is the primary reason that she writes exclusively in that foreign language, savoring the challenge: "It's a new land that demands a sense of adventure." |
