Labslink Research News

Pioneering breakthrough of chemical nanoengineering to design drugs controlled by light

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:33:25 PDT

The scientific cooperation between chemists, biotechnologists and physicists from various Catalan institutes, headed by Pau Gorostiza, from the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), and Ernest Giralt, from the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), has led to a breakthrough that will favor the development of light-regulated.........> Full story

Herbal extract boosts fruit fly lifespan by nearly 25 percent, UCI study finds

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:31:59 PDT

The herbal extract of a yellow-flowered mountain plant long used for stress relief was found to increase the lifespan of fruit fly populations by an average of 24 percent, according to UC Irvine researchers.........> Full story

Chemical probe confirms that body makes its own rotten egg gas, H2S, to benefit health

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:30:48 PDT

A new study confirms directly what scientists previously knew only indirectly: The poisonous “rotten egg” gas hydrogen sulfide is generated by our body’s growing cells........> Full story

Novel enzyme from tiny gribble could prove a boon for biofuels research

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:29:26 PDT

Researchers from the United Kingdom, the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and the University of Kentucky have recently published a paper describing a novel cellulose-degrading enzyme from a marine wood borer Limnoria quadripunctata, commonly known as the gribble..........> Full story

Scientists find new biomarker to measure sugar consumption

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:28:03 PDT

Scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks identified a new tool that can dramatically improve the notoriously inaccurate surveys of what and how much an individual eats and drinks. Their research is published in the June 2013 issue of the Journal of Nutrition........> Full story

Discovery of how a gene that regulates factors involved in bacteria pathogenicity acts

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:19:39 PDT

In a piece of work carried out by the Carbohydrate Metabolism Research Team of the Institute of Agrobiotechnology (a centre jointly owned by the NUP/UPNA-Public University of Navarre, the Spanish National Scientific Research Council-CSIC, and the Government of Navarre), the discovery has been made of the way in which the glgS gene (now renamed as the “surface composition regulator”, scoR) acts in bacteria and how the mechanisms involved.........> Full story

A turbocharger for nerve cells

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:18:23 PDT

Neurons communicate with each other by means of specialised cell-to-cell contacts called synapses. First, an emitting neuron is excited and discharges chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters. These signal molecules then reach the receiving cell and influence its activation state. The transmitter discharge process is highly complex and strongly regulated. Its protagonists are synaptic vesicles, small blisters surrounded.........> Full story

Study of oceans' past raises worries about their future

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:17:00 PDT

The ocean the Titanic sailed through just over 100 years ago was very different from the one we swim in today. Global warming is increasing ocean temperatures and harming marine food webs. Nitrogen run-off from fertilizers is causing coastal dead zones. A McGill-led international research team has now completed the first global study........> Full story

Berkeley Lab team uncovers secrets of biological soil crusts

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:15:46 PDT

They lie dormant for years, but at the first sign of favorable conditions they awaken. This sounds like the tagline for a science fiction movie, but it describes the amazing life-cycles of microbial organisms that form the biological soil crusts (BSCs) of Earth’s deserts. Now a research team with the U.S. Department of Energy........> Full story

Does including parasites upset food web theory? Yes and no, says new paper

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:14:27 PDT

Parasites comprise a large proportion of the diversity of species in every ecosystem. Despite this, they are rarely included in analyses or models of food webs. If parasites play different roles from other predators and prey, however, their inclusion could fundamentally alter our understanding of how food webs are organized.........> Full story

Major hurdle cleared to diabetes transplants

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:40:42 PDT

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a way to trigger reproduction in the laboratory of clusters of human cells that make insulin, potentially removing a significant obstacle to transplanting the cells as a treatment for patients with type 1 diabetes.........> Full story

Researchers find low level of patient involvement in medical decision-making in Peru

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:39:31 PDT

Mayo Clinic and Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University researchers have partnered on a study showing that Peruvian physicians rarely sought to involve their patients in shared decision-making regarding medical care. This was true for physicians at public and private clinics. The findings are being discussed in Lima, Peru, at ISDM 2013, an international conference on globalizing shared decision-making held from June 16-19. (Follow the proceedings and participate in discussion.........> Full story

Oysters could rebound more quickly with limited fishing and improved habitat

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:37:28 PDT

A new study shows that combining improved oyster restoration methods with limits on fishing in the upper Chesapeake could bring the oyster population back to the Bay in a much shorter period of time. The study led by Michael Wilberg of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science's Chesapeake Biological Laboratory assessed a range of management and restoration options to see which ones would have the most likelihood success.........> Full story

Dangerous strains of E. coli may linger longer in water than benign counterparts, study finds

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:36:11 PDT

A toxin dangerous to humans may help E. coli fend off aquatic predators, enabling strains of E. coli that produce the toxin to survive longer in lake water than benign counterparts, a new study finds........> Full story

Testing method promising for spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:32:38 PDT

A medical test previously developed to measure a toxin found in tobacco smokers has been adapted to measure the same toxin in people suffering from spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis, offering a potential tool to reduce symptoms.........> Full story

Geographic Information Systems aid health research in developed and developing countries

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:17:04 PDT

The current special issue of Technology and Innovation - Proceedings of the National Academy of Inventors® (https://www.cognizantcommunication.com/journal-titles/technology-a-innovation), is devoted to public health research using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to help provide beneficial data for public health researchers focusing on health risks and food access in rural Alaska........> Full story

Obstructive sleep apnea raises risk of sudden cardiac death, Mayo Clinic finds

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:14:58 PDT

People who have obstructive sleep apnea — when a person stops breathing for periods during sleep — have a greater risk of sudden cardiac death........> Full story

Nanotechnology helps track and improve drug action in pancreatic cancer

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:12:25 PDT

UK and Australian scientists have been able to show ways in which we can markedly improve drug targeting of solid tumours, using tiny ‘biosensors’ along with new advanced imaging techniques........> Full story

Researchers identify a new mechanism of TB drug resistance

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:10:46 PDT

Pyrazinamide (PZA)—a frontline tuberculosis (TB) drug—kills dormant persister bacteria and plays a critical role in shortening TB therapy. PZA is used for treating both drug susceptible and multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) but resistance to PZA occurs frequently and can compromise treatment........> Full story

Stem cells reach standard for use in drug development

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:41:56 PDT

University scientists have been able to generate cells in the laboratory that reach the gold standard required by the pharmaceutical industry to test drug safety........> Full story

New tasks become as simple as waving a hand with brain-computer interfaces

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:40:43 PDT

Small electrodes placed on or inside the brain allow patients to interact with computers or control robotic limbs simply by thinking about how to execute those actions. This technology could improve communication and daily life for a person who is paralyzed or has lost the ability to speak from a stroke or neurodegenerative disease.........> Full story

Flu vaccines aimed at younger populations could break annual transmission cycle

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:39:20 PDT

The huge value of vaccinating more children and young adults for influenza is being seriously underestimated, experts say in a new report, while conventional wisdom and historic vaccine programs have concentrated on the elderly and those at higher risk of death and serious complications........> Full story

Fourmile and Silver Fires in Arizona and New Mexico

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:38:06 PDT

The Fourmile fire located 20 miles northeast of Morenci, Arizona is basically a grass fire. Currently it is over 5000 acres in size and is not contained at all. Because of the hot, dry conditions, the potential for growth of this fire is high. Officials are estimating that containment of this fire will be on or about June 15, 2013........> Full story

Scripps Research Institute scientists uncover new details of natural anticancer mechanism

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:36:47 PDT

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have identified key triggers of an important cancer-blocking mechanism in cells..........> Full story

Epigenetic factor likely plays a key role in fueling most common childhood cancer

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:23:48 PDT

Changes in an epigenetic mechanism that turns expression of genes on and off may be as important as genetic alterations in causing pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), according to a study led by scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and published in the June 10 online edition of the Journal of Clinical Investigation........> Full story

Cost-effective: Universal HIV testing in India

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:21:48 PDT

In India most people who are HIV positive don’t know it, yet testing and treatment are relatively cheap and available. It would therefore meet international standards of cost-effectiveness — and save millions of lives for decades — to test every person in the billion-plus population every five years according to a new study published in the journal PLoS One........> Full story

Substances from African medicinal plants could help stop tumor growth

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:20:21 PDT

African medicinal plants contain chemicals that may be able to stop the spread of cancer cells. This is the conclusion of researchers following laboratory experiments conducted at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). The plant materials will now undergo further analysis in order to evaluate their therapeutic potential........> Full story

Early exposure to bisphenol A might damage the enamel of teeth

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:18:31 PDT

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical compound used in the composition of plastics and resins. It is used for example to manufacture food containers such as bottles or babies’ bottles. It is also used for the protective films inside drinks cans and food tins, or as developers on sales receipts. Significant amounts of BPA have also been found in human blood, urine........> Full story

Weapons testing data determines brain makes new neurons into adulthood

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:16:00 PDT

Using data derived from nuclear weapons testing of the 1950s and '60s, Lawrence Livermore scientists have found that a small portion of the human brain involved in memory makes new neurons well into adulthood........> Full story

Clinical sequencing technology identifies new targets in diverse cancers

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 16:57:32 PDT

Novel abnormalities in the FGFR gene, called FGFR fusions, were identified in a spectrum of cancers, and preliminary results with cancer cells harboring FGFR fusions suggested that some patients with these cancers may benefit from treatment with FGFR inhibitor drugs, according to data published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research........> Full story

Vegetable oil IS good for you, MU researcher says

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 16:56:26 PDT

A typical American consumes approximately 3 or more tablespoons of vegetable oil each day. Vegetable oils, like those from soy, corn and canola, are a significant source of calories and are rich in linoleic acid (LA), which is an essential nutrient. Since the 1970s, researchers have known........> Full story

Drought, river fragmentation forcing endangered fish out of water, biologist finds

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 16:54:45 PDT

A Kansas State University researcher is discovering that the North American drought has caused dramatic changes in native fish communities.........> Full story

Large-scale biodiversity is vital to maintain ecosystem health

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 16:53:29 PDT

Over the years ecologists have shown how biological diversity benefits the health of small, natural communities. New analysis by ecologists at UC Santa Cruz demonstrates that even higher levels of biological diversity are necessary to maintain ecosystem health in larger landscapes over long periods of time........> Full story

Bone tumor in 120,000-year-old Neandertal discovered

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 16:51:55 PDT

The first-known definitive case of a benign bone tumor has been discovered in the rib of a young Neandertal who lived about 120,000 years ago in what is now present-day Croatia. The bone fragment, which comes from the famous archaeological cave site of Krapina, contains by far the earliest bone tumor ever identified in the archaeological record.........> Full story

Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, autism now have new research tool: Mature brain cells derived from skin cells

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 17:18:35 PDT

Difficult-to-study diseases such as Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, and autism now can be probed more safely and effectively thanks to an innovative new method for obtaining mature brain cells called neurons from reprogrammed skin cells. According to Gong Chen.........> Fulls story

Steroid injection therapy may increase risk of spinal fracture

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 17:17:14 PDT

Most aging adults will experience back pain or a spinal disorder at some time in their life. In fact, about 25.8 million visits were made to physicians’ offices due to primary back problems. Treatment focuses on pain relief and is available in both non-surgical (medication or physical therapy) and surgical forms........> Full story

Surgeons at Duke University Hospital implant bioengineered vein

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 17:15:20 PDT

In a first-of-its-kind operation in the United States, a team of doctors at Duke University Hospital helped create a bioengineered blood vessel and transplanted it into the arm of a patient with end-stage kidney disease.........> Full story

Pollution in Northern Hemisphere helped cause 1980s African drought

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 17:14:14 PDT

Decades of drought in central Africa reached their worst point in the 1980s, causing Lake Chad, a shallow lake used to water crops in neighboring countries, to almost dry out completely........> Full story

By trying it all, predatory sea slug learns what not to eat

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 17:13:04 PDT

Researchers have found that a type of predatory sea slug that usually isn’t picky when it comes to what it eats has more complex cognitive abilities than previously thought, allowing it to learn the warning cues of dangerous prey and thereby avoid them in the future.......> Full story

Metastatic breast cancer study shows success in finding new treatment

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:40:51 PDT

Funded by volleyball tournaments, a new study released this week shows success in pinpointing individualized treatment for women with metastatic breast cancer, according to George Mason University researchers.........> Full story

Rural living presents health challenges for cancer survivors

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:38:32 PDT

Cancer survivors who live in rural areas aren't as healthy as their urban counterparts, according to new research from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center........> Full story

New technique for deep brain stimulation surgery proves accurate and safe

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:37:20 PDT

The surgeon who more than two decades ago pioneered deep brain stimulation surgery in the United States to treat people with Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders has now developed a new way to perform the surgery — which allows for more accurate placement of the brain electrodes and likely is safer for patients........> Full story

Tres Lagunas and Thompson Ridge fires in New Mexico

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:35:19 PDT

From the Inciweb: "Over the next few days, residents living in Gallinas Canyon and other areas east of the fire may see an increase in smoke in the late afternoon or early evening coming from the east side of the fire. This will be due to a burnout operation that may occur in the next few days east of Cow Creek and west of Forest Road 92, just east of the cluster of small spots of fire in that area........> Full story

New report offers science-based strategies for management of western free-ranging horses and burros

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:33:44 PDT

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) current practice of removing free-ranging horses from public lands promotes a high population growth rate, and maintaining them in long-term holding facilities is both economically unsustainable and incongruent with public expectations......> Full story

http://science.iupui.edu/news/iupui-neuroscience-research-project-examines-neural-synchronization-patterns-during-addiction

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:41:31 PDT

Living in a neighborhood that supports a healthy lifestyle can make a measurable difference in preventing obesity, according to a longitudinal study recently published in the journal Obesity........> Full story

IUPUI neuroscience research collaboration examines neural synchronization patterns during addiction

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:39:43 PDT

A cross-disciplinary collaboration of researchers in the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) explores the neural synchrony between circuits in the brain and their behavior under simulated drug addiction. The two-year study could have broad implications for treating addiction and understanding brain function in conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.......> Full story

New study explains cognitive ability differences among the elderly

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:38:24 PDT

A new study shows compelling evidence that associations between cognitive ability and cortical grey matter in old age can largely be accounted for by cognitive ability in childhood. The joint study by the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, The Neuro, McGill University and the University of Edinburgh, UK was published today, June 4 in Molecular Psychiatry.......> Full story

Can genetic analysis of breast milk help identify ways to improve a newborn's diet?

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:35:12 PDT

The composition of breast milk varies from mother to mother, and genetic factors may affect the levels of protective components in breast milk that could influence a newborn's outcomes. The potential to perform genomic studies on breast milk samples is explored in a Review article in........> Full story

Penn research shows way to improve stem cells' cartilage formation

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:33:59 PDT

Cartilage injuries are difficult to repair. Current surgical options generally involve taking a piece from another part of the injured joint and patching over the damaged area, but this approach involves damaging healthy cartilage, and a person’s cartilage may still deteriorate with age.........> Full story

PET finds increased cognitive reserve levels in highly educated pre-Alzheimer's patients

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 16:18:25 PDT

Highly educated individuals with mild cognitive impairment that later progressed to Alzheimer’s disease cope better with the disease than individuals with a lower level of education in the same situation, according to research published in the June issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. In the study “Metabolic Networks Underlying Cognitive Reserve in Prodromal Alzheimer Disease: A European Alzheimer Disease Consortium Project,”neural reserve and neural compensation were both shown to play a role in determining cognitive reserve, as evidenced by positron emission tomography (PET).........> Full story