Yale hails U.S. Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureates Oct 8, 2009
Jack Szostak, another HHMI researcher was awarded Monday the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase. "It's fantastic news. I don't think that ever happens before," Robert Tjian, president of HHMI, told Xinhua through telephone. (Xinhuanet, China)
Autism Associated With Single-letter Change In Genetic Code Oct 8, 2009
These include parts of chromosomes 6 and 20, the top-scoring regions to emerge from the family-based linkage studies. Although further research is needed localize the exact causal changes and genes within these regions that contribute to autism, these findings can help guide future work. (Science Daily)
Birth control pills messing up human evolution Oct 8, 2009
13 hours ago Is it possible to make it so that all mutations that contribute to aging are prevented/and or repaired etc through adding and/or having enough copies of genes and/or chromosomes and/or through adding. Oct 07, 2009 Which do you think is most endangered for animals - their behavior, environment or genetics. (Harper's Magazine)
UCSF biologist wins Nobel Prize in medicine Oct 7, 2009
Blackburn and Szostak were credited with discovering in the late 1970s tiny sequences of DNA called telomeres, which act something like the plastic tips of a shoelace on chromosomes and regulate the life span of cells ... The scientists officially received the Nobel Prize "for the discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the telomerase enzyme.". (San Francisco Chronicle)
Australia's first female Nobel prize winner hailed at home Oct 6, 2009
Blackburn along with two other Americans won the Nobel prize in medicine for discovering and identifying telomerase, the enzymen that renews the little caps on the end of chromosomes whose natural fraying underlies aging and cancer ... The trio solved the mystery of how chromosomes, the rod-like structures that carry DNA, protect themselves from degrading when cells divide, an insight that has inspired new lines of research into cancer. (Xinhuanet, China)
Johns Hopkins researcher Greider wins Nobel Prize Oct 6, 2009
Greider and Jack W. Szostak of , and Elizabeth H. Blackburn of the , San Francisco, won "for the discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase," the prize committee wrote in its citation. Telomeres protect chromosomes when they're copying. (Baltimore Business Journal, MD)
Trio win Nobel Medicine Prize for research into ageing Oct 6, 2009
The trio were honoured for discovering how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the role of an enzyme called telomerase in maintaining or stripping away this vital shield ... They are like a nubby, protective cap, fitting on the ends of the strands of DNA -- the chemical recipe for life -- that are packed into chromosomes ... After Blackburn's studies in 1980 on a single-cell organism known as Tetrahymena, or pond scum, she and Szostak discovered in 1982 that a unique DNA sequence in the... (Yahoo! Asia News)
Nobel in Medicine Goes to 3 Americans Oct 6, 2009
Elizabeth Blackburn (left) of the University of California, San Francisco; Carol Greider (center) of Johns Hopkins University; and Jack Szostak of Harvard Medical School shared the 2009 Nobel Prize in Medicine on Monday, Oct. 5, 2009 for their discovery of how chromosomes protect themselves from degrading when cells divide, inspiring new research in fighting cancer and other diseases ... The trio solved the mystery of how chromosomes, the rod-like structures that carry DNA, protect themselves... (CBS News)
Nobel Prize in Medicine Awarded for Cracking DNA Puzzle Oct 6, 2009
The in medicine or physiology has been awarded to three scientists at American universities who are unraveling how the body protects chromosomes the carrier of the genetic code for life, the Nobel Prize assembly announced today in ... The winning scientists' work has revealed how the ends of chromosomes can be copied, which has implications for understanding human aging, , and several inherited diseases ... Telomeres are the caps on the end of chromosomes, which carry the genetic code that's... (National Geographic)
Work on DNA earns 3 Americans medicine Nobel Oct 6, 2009
In her early work in the 1970s, Blackburn identified and decoded repeating segments of DNA at the ends of the chromosomes of the microorganism called Tetrahymena, but it was not clear what the segments did. Simultaneously, Szostak found that single strands of DNA injected into yeast cells were rapidly degraded. (AZCentral -- News)
Related: Women who have won Nobel Prizes Oct 6, 2009
The latest -- Elizabeth H. Blackburn and Carol W. Greider -- shared the 2009 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine with Jack W. Szostak for their work in solving the mystery of how chromosomes protect themselves from degrading when cells divide. The first woman laureate was Marie Curie, who won Nobel Prizes in both physics and chemistry. (The Pantagraph newspaper)
Texas A&M holds memorial for Nobel winner Borlaug Oct 6, 2009
Three Americans won the Nobel prize in medicine on Monday for discovering how chromosomes protect themselves as cells divide, work that has inspired experimental cancer therapies and may offer insights into aging ... Three Americans won the Nobel prize in medicine on Monday for discovering how chromosomes protect themselves as cells divide, work that has inspired experimental cancer therapies and may offer insights into aging ... The latest - Elizabeth H. Blackburn and Carol W. Greider - shared... (Fresno Bee -- Nation)
Native San Diegan Shares Nobel Prize Oct 6, 2009
The scientists were honored for helping to solve how chromosomes are copied while a cell is being divided and how chromosomes are protected against degradation, foundation officials said in a statement. The San Diego-born, 48-year-old Greider is director of molecular biology and genetics at Johns Hopkins Institute of Basic Biomedical Sciences in Baltimore, according to the university. (TheSanDiegoChannel.com, CA)
Boston geneticist shares Nobel Oct 6, 2009
Jack W. Szostak talked about his seminal findings on chromosomes at Massachusetts General Hospital yesterday ... All three were honored for the pivotal roles they played in revealing a mechanism that explains how chromosomes, which carry genes, are protected from degrading ... The cause for celebration is a seminal finding in biology: Repetitive sequences of DNA on the tips of chromosomes formed a kind of molecular cap that keeps chromosomes from unraveling - often compared to the plastic tip... (Boston Globe)
Nobel prize-winning medical research long and costly Oct 6, 2009
Elizabeth Blackburn won the Nobel prize for medicine together with Carol Greider and Jack Szostak for work on the existence and nature of telomerase, an enzyme that helps prevent the fraying of chromosomes and is core to new work on aging and cancer ... Now a professor of biology and physiology at the University of California, San Francisco, Blackburn's federal grant application had proposed understanding how the ends of the chromosomes worked ... The work is part of a plan to put fluorescent... (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Nobel Prize in Medicine shared by three U.S. genetic researchers Oct 6, 2009
UNRAVELING TELOMERES: The 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine recognizes work going back nearly three decades on the role of genetic code that marks the end of chromosomes ... The 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine will go to three Americans who discovered , the genetic code that protects the ends of chromosomes, and , the enzyme that assists in this process, findings that are important in the study of cancer, and ... Until the 1980s, it was a mystery as to how the chromosomes... (Scientific American)
Nobel Prize winner Blackburn: warm, special lady Oct 6, 2009
The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, on Monday announced that 60-year-old Blackburn, together with Carol W. Greider and Jack W. Szostak, won this year's Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for the discovery of "how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase." ... The trio were awarded the prize for the discovery of "how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase,"the Nobel jury -- the Nobel Assembly announced at a press... (Xinhuanet, China)
Three American scientists win 2009 Nobel Prize for Medicine Oct 6, 2009
The trio were awarded the prize for the discovery of "how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase,"the Nobel jury -- the Nobel Assembly announced at a press conference at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. The Nobel Laureates of 2009 have solved a major problem in biology: how the chromosomes can be copied in a complete way during cell divisions and how they are protected against degradation, explained Professor Rune Toftgard, member of the Nobel Committee, who... (Xinhuanet, China)
Winning Nobel Prize seen as recognition for entire telomere field Oct 6, 2009
The trio were awarded the prize for the discovery of "how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase," the Nobel jury made the announcement at a press conference at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm ... While talking about how she developed the specialty of studying the ends of chromosomes, Greider said that can be traced to the time when she was a graduate student in Professor Blackburn's lab. (Xinhuanet, China)
3 Americans win Nobel for chromosome research Oct 6, 2009
Winners studied structures at the end of chromosomes called telomeres ... Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider and Jack W. Szostak are credited with discovering how chromosomes are protected against degradation -- a field that could shed light on human aging and diseases, including cancer ... It centers on structures at the end of chromosomes called telomeres and an enzyme that forms them, called telomerase. (CNN -- Health)
Telomere Copy Protection: Nobel Goes To Scientists Who Solved How Chromosome Ends Work Oct 6, 2009
5, 2009) This year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded to three scientists who have solved a major problem in biology: how the chromosomes can be copied in a complete way during cell divisions and how they are protected against degradation. The Nobel Laureates have shown that the solution is to be found in the ends of the chromosomes the telomeres and in an enzyme that forms them telomerase ... The long, thread-like DNA molecules that carry our genes are packed into chromosomes,... (Science Daily)
3 Americans share 2009 Nobel medicine prize Oct 5, 2009
The trio solved a big problem in biology: how chromosomes can be "copied in a complete way during cell divisions and how they are protected against degradation," the citation said. It said the laureates have shown that the solution is to be found in the ends of the chromosomes the telomeres and in an enzyme that forms them. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Science)
Researchers Determine Composition Of Centromeric Chromatin Oct 5, 2009
It is essential that chromosome segregation is carried out with high fidelity, since errors in this process can produce cells which contain an abnormal number of chromosomes ... (June 15, 2007) Investigators have used the lowly yeast to gain insights into how a dividing human cell ensures that an identical set of chromosomes gets passed on to each new daughter ... 20, 2009) Scientists have found that a class of chromatin proteins is crucial for maintaining the structure and function of... (Science Daily)
Experimental Drug Lets B Cells Live And Lymphoma Cells Die Oct 5, 2009
Once there, RelA can no longer interact with the gene-containing chromosomes that it would otherwise influence (e. g. the one for interleukin 6). (Science Daily)
New Approach For The Treatment Of Malignant Brain Tumors Oct 3, 2009
(July 2, 2006) A trial involving two rare, malignant but treatable brain tumors shows that missing portions of two chromosomes can predict which patients will likely do better with therapy. Researchers found that. (Science Daily)
MRI, solar cells, aging work are Nobel favorites Sep 26, 2009
Names include Elizabeth Blackburn of the University of California San Francisco, who helped discover telomerase, the enzyme made by the little caps on the end of chromosomes whose natural fraying underlies aging and cancer. advertisement. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Mechanism for potential Friedreich's ataxia drug uncovered Sep 26, 2009
These enzymes alter the packaging of the DNA in chromosomes in a way that inactivates the expression of the frataxin gene, though it remains intact. In 2006, the Gottesfeld team reported the discovery of a compound simply called 4b that blocked HDAC activity, jumpstarting frataxin production in white blood cells from Friedreich's patients. (EurekAlert!)
Wry-tech future Sep 25, 2009
Both are highly derivative, but in the course of recombining the basic chromosomes of "Blade Runner," "The Matrix" and especially "I, Robot," "Surrogates" nudges the robo-thriller in an interesting direction ... Both are highly derivative, but in the course of recombining the basic chromosomes of "Blade Runner," "The Matrix" and especially "I, Robot," "Surrogates" nudges the robo-thriller in an interesting direction. (New York Post -- Entertainment)
Protein Helps Distinguish Chromosome Ends From DNA Breaks Sep 21, 2009
Chromosomes are linear ... 28, 2004) Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and colleagues have developed a new microscopic assay that, for the first time, allows them to see DNA breaks in chromosomes in living ... 24, 2005) Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies discovered that cells co-opted the machinery that usually repairs broken strands of DNA to protect the integrity of chromosomes. (Science Daily)
Apology Over S. African Runner's Sex Test Sep 20, 2009
PRETORIA, South Africa, Sept. 19, 2009. Track Official Says His Denials That Gender Tests Were Conducted on Caster Semenya Were "Error of Judgment". (CBS News)
Baumann Lab demonstrates role of protein in distinguishing chromosome ends from DNA breaks Sep 18, 2009
Chromosomes are linear. Their ends (called telomeres) should look like DNA breaks to the proteins that repair them. (EurekAlert!)
Single Missing Protein May Result In Down Syndrome And Other Human Chromosomal Birth Defects Sep 18, 2009
17, 2009) Using yeast genetics and a novel scheme to selectively remove a single protein from the cell division process called meiosis, a cell biologist at The Florida State University found that when a key molecular player known as Pds5 goes missing, chromosomes fail to segregate and pair up properly, and birth defects such as Down syndrome can result ... "Homologs are the nearly identical chromosomes inherited from each parent; sisters are exactly identical pairs that are produced like... (Science Daily)
Roche's Eureka Moment on Brain Disorder May Spur Probe of Autism Mystery Sep 18, 2009
If one of a womans X chromosomes has a genetic mutation, the other, unaffected one can compensate for it and females may not need treatment. Neuropharm is testing a compound called fenobam, which also targets mGluR5. (Bloomberg)
Sex Determination For Adapting To Ocean Life Sep 17, 2009
Some animals rely primarily on sex chromosomes, as in humans where two X chromosomes make a female and an X and a Y chromosome make a male. Among living marine species, whales, porpoises, manatees, and sea snakes have chromosomal sex determination. (Science Daily)
Defining sex Sep 12, 2009
There is also your gonadal sex which is whether you have ovaries or testicles and your chromosomal sex which is what combination of x or y chromosomes you have. It is the chromosomes that direct, through the production of hormones, the development of a baby in the womb down a male or female route ... In the womb the chromosomes determine whether the foetus develops as a male or female by controlling what hormones are produced. (BBC News -- Health)
Champ Runner May Have Male, Female Organs Sep 12, 2009
MONACO, Sept. 11, 2009. News Reports Say That's What Gender Tests Show; Appears She'll Keep Medal Since She Didn't Cheat. (CBS News -- Early Show)
Report: Teen Running Champ a Hermaphrodite Sep 11, 2009
In such a case, you must go with the chromosomes ... She's got female parts and female chromosomes - and male parts and male chromosomes ... by brianp55 In such a case, you must go with the chromosomes. (CBS News)
What is Gender Testing and is it Ri... Sep 11, 2009
The Sydney Daily Telegraph reports that Semenya has no ovaries and adds she has internal testes - the male sexual organs which produce testosterone (and) three times the amount of testosterone that a normal female would have" (2009). According to broadcast , the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) is considering stripping 18 year-old Semenya of her Olympic medal. But if these reports are accurate, how did officials determine that Semenya is a hermaphrodite? What is Gender Testing?... (Suite101.com)
Caster won't be stripped Sep 10, 2009
Last Upd: 01:46pm 09 Sep 2009. R3,000 free @ Prestige Casino. (iAfrica.com)
Scientists Identify Genes Linked To Lou Gehrig's Disease Sep 10, 2009
Everybody has 23 chromosomes, and the three genes on chromosomes 2, 4, and 10 interact, explained Sha. If you have this combination of the three genes, you are at high risk of developing the disease. (Science Daily)
IAAF expects gender test results in two weeks Sep 9, 2009
One reason for the change was not all women have standard female chromosomes. There are also cases of people who have ambiguous genitalia or other congenital conditions. (MSNBC -- Sports)
We investigate gender testing Sep 7, 2009
After the athlete was killed during a shooting at a Cleveland shopping centre, the resulting autopsy revealed Walsh had male genitals but both female and male chromosomes ... For those who do not know, males have one X and one Y chromosome, while women have two X chromosomes ... According to Rupert, females with a Y chromosome are far more likely to have a natural advantage over females with the standard two X chromosomes though. (iAfrica.com)
Researchers Examine Mechanisms That Help Cancer Cells Proliferate Sep 5, 2009
This process creates two identical sets of chromosomes that will be allotted between the two cells. From earlier studies on model organisms such as yeast, scientists thought that all telomeres replicated late in the stage of overall DNA replication, and by the same processes. (Science Daily)
Smart switching could solve communication tangle Aug 30, 2009
To prevent disease caused by mutant mitochondrial DNA, just swap out egg chromosomes. For exclusive news and expert analysis every week to New Scientist print Edition. (Yahoo News -- Instant Messaging)
Short Stature: Both A Specific Gene, And Its Abnormal Regulation, Can Trigger The Condition Aug 28, 2009
(July 17, 2009) Scientists have a better understanding of what causes an abnormal number of chromosomes in offspring, a condition called aneuploidy that encompasses the most common genetic disorders in humans, such. (Nov. (Science Daily)
Sebelius: Closing Schools Won't Halt H1N1 Aug 26, 2009
Recombination, transposition and transduction (look them up on Wikipedia or Google) are well-known mechanisms for the movement of DNA within chromosomes and among viruses, bacteria and other species. There's nothing surprising about seeing a virus containing pieces of DNA from other viruses. (CBS News)
Dr. Jeff Hersh: Fetal test raises questions Aug 25, 2009
However, if no abnormalities are found on exam, the baby's risk of having abnormal chromosomes is less than 3 percent and the risk of the baby having organ defects is also much decreased ... The good news is that over 75 percent of babies born with SUA have normal chromosomes and no other abnormalities. (Belmont Citizen Herald, MA)
Clues To Gigantism Provided By Family In Borneo Mountains Aug 25, 2009
They found regions on a few chromosomes that might lead to further insight; these findings were published this week in the journal Endocrine-Related Cancer. The prevalence of acromegaly is approximately 4,676 cases per million population, and the incidence is approximately 117 new cases per million per year. (Science Daily)
'She Is My Little Girl' Aug 22, 2009
" Gender testing used to be mandatory for female athletes at the Olympics, but the screenings were dropped in 1999. One reason for the change was not all women have standard female chromosomes. In addition, there are cases of people who have ambiguous genitalia or other congenital conditions. The most common cause of sexual ambiguity is congenital adrenal hyperplasia, an endocrine disorder where the adrenal glands produce abnormally high levels of hormones. Semenya's family was pleased she took... (Fox News)
Question of gender hangs over runner's head Aug 22, 2009
One reason for the change was not all women have standard female chromosomes. In addition, there are cases of people who have ambiguous genitalia or other congenital conditions. (News & Observer -- Sports)
What is intersexuality? Aug 22, 2009
According to media reports, the IAAF are testing to see whether Semenya has a rare genetic disorder that means she has female genitalia but male chromosomes. This condition, known as intersex, is commonly referred to as hermaphroditism. (CNN -- International)
Genes and not just drugs can bend gender too Aug 21, 2009
Being born with unusual chromosomes might also be a reason for alteration in gender and maybe better performance too ... The earlier used crude policy of examining genitals of controversial athletes was dropped in favor of a simple genetic test from saliva samples to determine whether an athlete had two "X" chromosomes (a woman) or "X" and "Y" chromosomes (a man) ... In yet another variant called complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS), a person has XY chromosomes but looks like a woman.... (India Times, India)
Male, female? Gender tests arent always easy Aug 21, 2009
Aside from the obvious physical signs, chromosomes usually determine whether a person is male or female. Males are born with XY chromosomes while females have two X chromosomes ... Until 1999, the International Olympic Committee analyzed chromosomes from saliva samples to confirm the gender of female competitors and prevent men from masquerading as women. (MSNBC -- Sports)
Am I Not a Woman? Aug 20, 2009
That's because some people are born with ambiguous sex organs, and others have a visible anatomy that doesn't match up with their sex chromosomes ... Officials collected mouth scrapings and ran a simple test for the presence of two X chromosomes. (Slate)
'Swiss Army Knife' Protein Plays Unexpected Role Protecting Chromosome Tips; Possible Tie To Metastatic Cancer Aug 17, 2009
16, 2009) A protein specialist that opens the genomic door for DNA repair and gene expression also turns out to be a multi-tasking workhorse that protects the tips of chromosomes and dabbles in a protein-destruction complex, a team lead by researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports in the Aug. 13 edition of Molecular Cell ... That last protein, TRF1, protects telomeres, dense structures at the end of chromosomes which, like the compressed plastic tips on the ends... (Science Daily)
Kennedy is among 16 honored by Obama Aug 13, 2009
Also, gay rights activist Harvey Milk, who was assassinated in 1978; retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O Connor; actor Sidney Poitier; actress and dancer Chita Rivera; Mary Robinson, Ireland s first female president and former UN high commissioner for human rights; Dr. Janet Davison Rowley, the first scientist to spot abnormal chromosomes as a cause for leukemia and other cancers; retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa; and Muhammad Yunus, the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize laureate for... (Boston Globe)
Innovative Method To Detect Genetic Causes Of Complex Diseases Identified Aug 10, 2009
(June 12, 2006) A pediatric research team has used commercially available gene chips to scrutinize all of a patient's chromosomes to identify small defects that cause genetic diseases. Because currently used genetic. (Science Daily)
Palin calls Dems healthcare plan 'evil,' cites threat to son... Aug 8, 2009
Palin calls Dems healthcare plan "evil," cites threat to Trig - Ben Smith - POLITICO.com. " Palin also cited the recent of conservative Rep. Michele Bachmann, which the former governor said "highlighted the Orwellian thinking of the president s health care advisor, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, the brother of the White House chief of staff. (The Drudge Report)
Pitt scientists looks for human's closest kin Aug 3, 2009
While DNA material makes up genes and chromosomes that carry the genetic blueprint that controls our bodies, the RNA acts as a messenger carrying out instructions from DNA) He also said comparisons are based on only about 2 percent of the genome -- a point Dr. Disotell says simply is not accurate. In response to the recent pro-orangutan article, Dr. Disotell said, he's writing a critique with a graduate student that counters Dr. Schwartz point by point. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
A Patchwork Mind: How Your Parents' Genes Shape Your Brain Jul 30, 2009
It is true that children inherit 23 chromosomes from their mother and 23 complementary chromosomes from their father ... As recently as a few decades ago, very few people imagined that heritable genetic influences existed beyond the basic genetic code in our DNA. Then, in 1984, biologists at the University of Cambridge and at the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia separately tried to breed mice that had either two copies of a father s chromosomes or two copies of a mother s chromosomes, instead of... (Scientific American)
Motor Molecules Use Random Walks To Make Deliveries In Living Cells Jul 24, 2009
15, 2008) Biologists have known for decades that cells use tiny molecular motors to move chromosomes, mitochondria, and many other organelles within the cell, but no one has been able to understand what. (Nov. (Science Daily)
New Information About DNA Repair Mechanism Could Lead To Better Cancer Drugs Jul 21, 2009
Without Srs2, cells lose their ability to maintain the normal structure of chromosomes, and DNA sequences become shuffled. The biochemists found that Srs2 possesses a small arm that interacts with Rad51 and triggers a chemical reaction within the Rad51 protein causing it to fall off the DNA.. (Science Daily)
Researchers Uncover Genetic Variants Linked To Blood Pressure In African-Americans Jul 20, 2009
20, 2005) A first-of-its-kind application of a novel statistical method of analysis to African Americans has identified regions on chromosomes 6 and 21 that likely harbor genes contributing to high blood. (Aug. (Science Daily)
Set Of Genes Contributes To Stress; Possible Drug-Taking Behavior Discovered Jul 18, 2009
The study is the first to pinpoint a region on the chromosomes that could be responsible for modulating stress responses involved in complex behaviors like drug abuse ... Matthews said the researchers used a unique method to do the project by selecting chromosomes from one particular strain of mice and embed them inside the background of a host strain ... He pointed out this sophisticated genetic manipulation allowed them to target specific chromosomes so they could get a much more powerful... (Science Daily)
Head Lines: Practice Removes Prejudice--And More Jul 18, 2009
Researchers linked the neurological condition characterized by unusual sensory experiences such as seeing colors when hearing sounds [see , by Vilayanur S. Ramachandran and Edward M. Hubbard; Scientific American Mind, Vol. 16, No. 3; 2005] to regions on four chromosomes. Included in these areas: genes previously implicated in autism, another condition involving excess connections in the brain. (Scientific American)
