Borneo Elephants A High Priority for Conservation 英文参考文献.docVIP

Research Digest Synopses of Research Articles in?uence an individual’s risk of getting adult-onset, or Type 2, diabetes, there is also a substantial inherited component, though many of the genetic pathways involved remain unidenti?ed. The challenge of defining these Biological Clock Depends on genetic pathways lies in the fact that diabetes is what is known as a “complex trait’’: not only is it likely that variations in many different genes or some combination of genes contribute to an increased risk, but there are probably different genes associated with diabetes in different populations. Tackling the monumental task of deciphering this genetic puzzle in the largest known study of its kind, Inês Barroso and colleagues confirm the genetic complexity of the disease and clearly demonstrate that untangling the genetics will require even larger studies. Many Parts Working Together How do people subjected to the endless dark days of winter in the far northern latitudes maintain normal daily rhythms? Though many might feel like hibernating, a highly regulated internal system keeps such impractical yearnings in check. From fruit ?ies to humans, nearly every living organism depends on an internal clock to regulate basic biological cycles such as sleep patterns, metabolism, and body temperature. And that clock runs on similar molecular mechanisms. Speci?c clusters of neurons in the brain are known to control the biological clock. Scientists believed these brain “clock cells’’function as independent units. But new research described in this In diabetes, defects in both the secretion and function of insulin—which is produced by the pancreas—impair the body’s ability to metabolize glucose. Based on what is known about the biology of pancreatic function and diabetes, the researchers chose 71 potential suspect genes that could reasonably be expected to contribute to the disease if they malfunctioned. Some of these genes are involved in