Investigating Muscle Repair, Scientists Follow Their Noses Nov 18, 2009
24, 2004) Duke University Medical Center geneticists have discovered new proteins that help the olfactory system in mammals organize properly. Thus the proteins are key to the ability of mammals, including. (Science Daily)
The Sense of Smell Nov 4, 2009
Understanding the Olfactory System. The olfactory system consists of a collection of odor receptors that send a message to the brain when they detect a smell ... Odorants, the stimuli for the olfactory system, fall into two classes: water-soluble and fat-soluble. (Suite101.com)
Recent winners of the Nobel Prize in medicine Oct 5, 2009
2004: Richard Axel and Linda B. Buck, both of the United States, for their work in studying odorant receptors and the organization of the olfactory system in human beings. 2003: Paul C. Lauterbur, United States, and Sir Peter Mansfield, Britain, for discoveries in magnetic resonance imaging, a technique that reveals the brain and inner organs in breathtaking detail. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Science)
How the 100th protein structure solved at Diamond impacts our understanding of how insects smell Sep 30, 2009
Dr Jing-Jiang Zhou, Senior Research Scientist in insect molecular biology at Rothamsted Research, studies insect olfaction and chemical ecology at the molecular level, he explains, "Using Diamond Light Source's intense X-rays, we unravelled the detailed mechanisms linked to pheromone detection which dictates mating behaviour in silkworm moths. They are a model organism and any new insights into the working of their olfactory system has repercussions on our global understanding how insects locate... (EurekAlert!)
* JOHNNY NEIHU'S NEWS WATCH: Crime, punishment K panda robots Sep 19, 2009
The stench of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) hypocrisy is overpowering these days X much like the stinky tofu blast that assaults ones olfactory system during a stroll through the Shida (vj) night market. When it comes to KMT criticism of former president Chen Shui-bian (), the party has a serious case of the pot calling the kettle black. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World Business)
Nostrils alternate to process competing odors Aug 21, 2009
This finding by researchers at Rice University in Houston is the first demonstration of "perceptual rivalry" in the olfactory system ... "Our discovery opens up new avenues to explore the workings of the olfactory system and olfactory awareness," said Denise Chen, assistant professor of psychology, who coauthored the research paper with graduate student Wen Zhou. (EurekAlert!)
Deet inhibits cholinesterase Aug 6, 2009
Despite the widespread and increased interest in the use of deetin public health programmes, controversies remain concerning both the identification of its target sites at the olfactory system and its mechanism of toxicity in insects, mammals and humans. Here, we investigated the molecular target site for deet and the consequences of its interactions with carbamate insecticides on the cholinergic system. (BioMed Central)
What Can Singing Mice Teach Us about Language? Jul 8, 2009
Brain areas abundant with FOXP2 protein included the cerebellum and inferior olivary complex (implicated in motor preparation and timing of motor output), the limbic cortex (involved in motivational regulation and assessment of sensory input), and parts of the olfactory system, which is integral to social interactions and emotional responses in most rodents. Interestingly, the distribution of FOXP2 protein in the olfactory system also suggests involvement in assessing the emotional content of... (Scientific American)
* JOHNNY NEIHU'S NEWS WATCH: Belizean liberation at the urinal Jun 6, 2009
Some people are so charismatic that their image remains unsullied even when, like a scatological Pavlovian tic, it enters your visual cortex at exactly the same time as your olfactory system is attacked by odors altogether less pleasant. The same cannot be said for a lot of other people. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Sports)
Why Silkworms Find Mulberries Attractive May 14, 2009
(May 31, 2008) Scientists have looked at the problem of understanding the regulatory mechanisms that create different cells from a single template by using the olfactory system of the fruit fly. The ability to. (Science Daily)
Adult Stem Cell Research and Therap... Mar 3, 2009
NIMR's Dr. Geoff Raisman, head of the spinal repair unit at the University College London, has written on the institute's website: "By transplanting specialised pathway cells from the olfactory system, we have shown that severed connections in the spinal cord can be induced to regenerate and important functions restored. "These findings provide a basis for future development of surgical treatments to reverse the devastating effects of human spinal cord injuries. " Real Therapies Adult stem cells... (Suite101.com)
New Theory On How Animals Smell Feb 26, 2009
"They are getting this ever-changing signal. So how does the olfactory system encode the dynamics of that signal?" ... When Geffen and her colleagues from Harvard University and California Institute of Technology initially looked at how the olfactory system responded, the results looked daunting ... "Since we know the rules that determine how these neurons behave, we can now create a model that can predict what this network in the locust olfactory system is doing," says Geffen. (Science Daily)
Cancer 'sniffing nose' developed by Israeli researcher Feb 19, 2009
The "sniffing nose" is very close to a dog's olfactory system, a media report here said. The artificial nose is developed on the grounds that dogs are capable of detecting cancer in earlier stages by sniffing the patient's breath and could also identify molecules created by a tumour that circulate through their blood to the lungs, and leave the body when they exhale. (India Times, India -- Health/Science)
