BEER-SHEVA, Israel...July 22, 2015 - Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and University of Colorado researchers have developed a dynamic "smart" drug that targets inflammation in a site-specific manner and could enhance the body's natural ability to fight infection and reduce side effects. The uniqueness of this novel anti-inflammatory molecule, reported in the current issue of Journal of Immunology, can be found in a singular property. When injected, it is as a non-active drug. However, a localized site with excessive inflammation will activate it. Most other anti-inflammatory ...

Edward Snowden's leak of classified documents to journalists around the world about massive government surveillance programs and threats to personal privacy ultimately resulted in a Pulitzer Prize for public service. Though Snowden had no intention of hiding his identity, the disclosures also raised new questions about how effectively news organizations can protect anonymous sources and sensitive information in an era of constant data collection and tracking. A new study by University of Washington and Columbia University researchers that will be presented next month ...

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, July 22, 2015 - In a large population-based study of randomly selected participants in Germany, researchers found that mild cognitive impairment (MCI) occurred significantly more often in individuals diagnosed with a lower ankle brachial index (ABI), which is a marker of generalized atherosclerosis and thus cumulative exposure to cardiovascular risk factors during lifetime. Interestingly, this strong association was only observed in patients with non-amnestic MCI, but not amnestic MCI. There also was no independent association of MCI and intima ...

Typhoon Halola's strongest typhoon-force winds were located on the northern half of the storm, as identified from the RapidScat instrument that flies aboard the International Space Station. RapidScat gathered surface wind data on the Typhoon Halola on July 21at 2 p.m. GMT (10 a.m. EDT). RapidScat data showed that the strongest sustained winds stretched from northwest to northeast of the center at speeds up to 30 meters per second (108 kph/67 mph). Strong winds wrapped around the center of circulation from northwest to east to the southern quadrant, while the weakest winds ...

Much to his own surprise, Hannes Baur from the Natural History Museum Bern not only reports on whole two new parasitoid wasps at the heart of Europe, the Swiss Alps and Swiss Central Plateau. While the common discovery usually involves cryptic, or "camouflaging" within their groups species, his stand out. Baur's work is published in the open-access journal ZooKeys. The insects he describes are visibly quite unique with their body structures. In the case of the Pteromalus briani wasp, its extraordinarily protruding hind legs differentiate it among the whole family. Meanwhile, ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- A study of the West Nile virus risk associated with "dry" water-detention basins in Central Illinois took an unexpected turn when land managers started mowing the basins. The mowing of wetland plants in basins that failed to drain properly led to a boom in populations of Culex pipiens mosquitoes, which can carry and transmit the deadly virus, researchers report. A paper describing their findings is in press in the journal Ecological Applications. The team, led by University of Illinois postdoctoral researcher Andrew Mackay, found that mowing down cattails ...

GeoSpace Warmer air, less sea ice lead to mercury decline in Arctic Ocean The amount of mercury in the Arctic Ocean is declining as the region rapidly warms and loses sea ice, according to a new study. A new study in Geophysical Research Letters suggests that fish, marine mammals, polar bears, whales and humans in the Arctic might potentially be consuming lower amounts of toxic methylmercury as the region warms. Eos.org Puzzles invite you to explore Earth with interactive imagery The EarthQuiz challenge can take you to virtual field locations with just the click of ...

The Mississippi River delta is a rich ecosystem of barrier islands, estuaries, and wetlands that's home to a diverse mix of wildlife -- as well as more than 2 million people. Over the past few decades, the shape of the delta has changed significantly, as ocean waves have carved away at the coastline, submerging and shrinking habitats. To keep flooding at bay, engineers have erected dams and levees along the river. However, it's unclear how such protective measures will affect the shape of the river delta, and its communities, over time. Now researchers from MIT and ...

MELBOURNE, FLA. -- The coral reefs that have protected Pacific Islanders from storm waves for thousands of years could grow rapidly enough to keep up with escalating sea levels if ocean temperatures do not rise too quickly, according to a new study from Florida Institute of Technology. The study, published Wednesday in the journal Royal Society Open Science, provides the first evidence that well-managed reefs will be able to keep up with sea-level rise through vertical growth. But that can happen only if carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere stay below 670 parts-per ...

PITTSBURGH, July 22, 2015 - Late- and post-menopausal women have significantly greater volumes of fat around their hearts - a risk factor for heart disease - than their pre-menopausal counterparts, a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health study has shown for the first time. The finding, published online and scheduled for the Sept. 1 issue of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, likely can be attributed to changing hormone levels and could guide potentially life-saving interventions. The work was funded by the National Institutes of Health ...

Electronic cigarettes or "e-cigs" have been touted as a tool smokers can use to wean themselves off of traditional cigarettes, which many believe are more harmful than their "e" counterparts. But because e-cig liquid also contains nicotine and emits carcinogens, is that perception really true? One team now reports in the ACS journal Chemical Research in Toxicology that much of the nicotine in e-cigarettes is the addictive form of the compound. Although e-cigs don't burn tobacco, they heat and vaporize a liquid that contains nicotine, flavorings and other substances. ...

Stem cells hold great potential for addressing a variety of conditions from spinal cord injuries to cancer, but they can be difficult to control. Scientists are now reporting in the journal ACS Nano a new way to mimic the body's natural approach to programming these cells. Using this method, they successfully directed adult stem cells to turn specifically into muscle, which could potentially help treat patients with muscular dystrophy. In the 1990s, scientists first isolated human embryonic stem cells, which can turn into any kind of cell in the body, and the promise ...

A guideline--recommendations on diagnosing and treating a particular disorder--aims to present the best possible treatment for patients. However, when guidelines are compiled their authors often have conflicts of interest, for example as a result of funding or membership in specialist societies that are in close contact with industry. In a recent original article in Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2015; 112: 445-51), Gisela Schott et al. determine that most guideline authors do declare their conflicts of interest. However, this rarely has consequences ...

Automakers are looking for ways to improve their fleets' average fuel efficiency, and scientists may have a new way to help them. In a report in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, one team reports the development of a material that could convert engine heat that's otherwise wasted into electrical energy to help keep a car running -- and reduce the need for fuels. It could also have applications in aerospace, manufacturing and other sectors. In 2012, the Obama administration announced fuel-efficiency standards that would require U.S. vehicles to average 54.5 ...

Lithium-ion batteries remain the technology-of-choice for today's crop of electric cars, but challengers are revving up to try to upset the current order. An article in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, takes a look at two of the top contenders vying to erode lithium-ion's dominance. Alex Scott, a senior editor at C&EN, reports on two developments from companies in England that seem poised to compete in the electric car battery market within the next two to four years. One is a sodium-ion version, produced by ...

If you experience a major heart attack the damage could cost you around five billion heart cells. Future stem cell treatments will require this number and more to ensure those cells are replaced and improve your chances of survival. Experts at The University of Nottingham have discovered the first fully synthetic substrate with potential to grow billions of stem cells. The research, published in the academic journal Advanced Materials, could forge the way for the creation of 'stem cell factories' - the mass production of human embryonic (pluripotent) stem cells. The ...

Canada has almost eliminated mother-to-child HIV transmission, known as vertical transmission, in recent years by ensuring that all women have the opportunity to be screened for HIV in pregnancy and that women with the disease receive treatment before giving birth. In 2014, there was only one recorded transmission of the virus to babies born to women known to be living with HIV. These findings were presented at the International AIDS Society 2015 conference in Vancouver by researchers from the Canadian Perinatal HIV Surveillance Program (CPHSP), a national group that ...

SALT LAKE CITY- As part of a multi-institutional effort, researchers with Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah have found that multiple myeloma patients with a genetic variation in the gene FOPNL die on average 1-3 years sooner than patients without it. The finding was identified with a genetic mapping technique, genome wide association studies (GWAS), and verified in patient populations from North America and Europe. This was the first study to survey the entire human genome for genetic variation influencing survival, and included a total of 1,635 patients. Published ...

A test of the Mobile Bridge® Version 4.0 (MB4.0) over a real river demonstrated its viability for practical use. During the test, the bridge was set up without any foundation work, and a vehicle could easily travel across it. This was achieved safely with very few people and without any problems. The MB4.0 viability test results were presented at a symposium of the Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE) on June 23, 2015, by Dr. Ichiro Ario, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Engineering, Hiroshima University. Background of developing MB: Natural disasters include ...

A new theory says dark matter acts remarkably similar to subatomic particles known to science since the 1930s. We owe a lot to dark matter - it is the thing keeping galaxies, stars, our solar system, and our bodies intact. Yet no one has been able to observe it, and it has often been regarded as a totally new exotic form of matter, such as a particle moving in extra dimensions of space or its quantum version, super-symmetry. Now an international group of researchers has proposed a theory that dark matter is very similar to pions, which are responsible for binding atomic ...

Bethesda, MD (July 22, 2015) -- Newborn children born with a mutation in the Plasmalemma Vesicle Associated Protein (PLVAP) gene develop severe protein losing enteropathy, according to a case study1 published in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the basic science journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. Protein losing enteropathy is a condition of the GI tract that results in loss of protein from the body, and often leads to severe abdominal swelling, malnutrition and early death in affected infants The investigators utilized next-generation ...

This news release is available in German. New methods for modifying the genome are currently widely discussed: Using CRISPR/Cas for instance, scientists can remove parts of the genetic code of a gene, thereby knocking it out. Furthermore, there are ways to inhibit translation of a gene into a protein. Both methods have in common that they impede production of a protein and should therefore have comparable consequences for an organism. However, it has been shown that consequences can differ, after a gene is either knocked, out or only blocked. Scientist from the ...

Levels of biomarkers in the blood of pregnant women can be used to predict which women are at risk of pre-eclampsia, finds a study published today (22 July) in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (BJOG). ADMA and Hcy, both known to be raised in women with pre-eclampsia, are present in the blood in higher than normal concentrations a month before the onset of the condition. Pre-eclampsia is a combination of raised blood pressure (hypertension) and protein in the urine (proteinuria). It is quite common, usually occurring after 20 weeks of pregnancy, ...

Scientists at Lawson Health Research Institute have uncovered an important new target for ovarian cancer therapy. Contrary to current research this new study found that LKB1, a molecule that regulates the metabolism of many adult cells, is an important molecule in the cancer's promotion and survival. Thousands of women are living with ovarian cancer in Canada. It is estimated that this year, 2,800 Canadian women will be newly diagnosed with this disease. Even though ovarian cancer continues to be one of the most serious women's cancers, there is a real lack in reliable ...

Patients suffering from chronic cardiopulmonary diseases could soon have a solution to help them accurately monitor their health and warn doctors at the first sign of trouble. By simply carrying their cellphone, equipped with the health-tracking app, MoveSense, developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a patient's oxygen saturation level can be passively monitored with medical accuracy. Oxygen saturation is a standard measure of health status, the single most important clinical measure. Unlike other methods of measuring oxygen saturation ...