New insights into how the human brain responds to chronic pain could eventually lead to improved treatments for patients, according to University of Adelaide researchers. Neuroplasticity is the term used to describe the brain's ability to change structurally and functionally with experience and use. "Neuroplasticity underlies our learning and memory, making it vital during early childhood development and important for continuous learning throughout life," says Dr Ann-Maree Vallence, a Postdoctoral Fellow in the University of Adelaide's Robinson Institute. "The mechanisms ...

Changing the texture and surface characteristics of a semiconductor material at the nanoscale can influence the way that neural cells grow on the material. The finding stems from a study performed by researchers at North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Purdue University, and may have utility for developing future neural implants. "We wanted to know how a material's texture and structure can influence cell adhesion and differentiation," says Lauren Bain, lead author of a paper describing the work and a Ph.D. student in ...

Alpha-synuclein is a principal component of Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites, which are pathologic hall-marks of Parkinson's disease. Alpha-synuclein is generally considered to play a role in synaptic activity, although its function remains largely unknown. Accumulative evidence has been shown that aggregated extracellular alpha-synuclein fibrils can be internalized in the cells and enhance the intracellular formation of protein inclusions, leading to cell death. Conversely, there is emerging evidence suggesting that alpha-synuclein has also neuroprotective effects. In one ...

Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis is a mouse model of human multiple sclerosis with similar pathology and pathogenesis. Th1 cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. Therefore, Qun Xue, Fanli Dong and co-workers from the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University in China speculated that programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis. A recent study by these researchers published in the Neural Regeneration Research (Vol. 8, No. 35, 2013) found that the ...

The way we secure digital transactions could soon change. An international team has demonstrated a form of quantum cryptography that can protect people doing business with others they may not know or trust – a situation encountered often on the internet and in everyday life, for example at a bank's ATM. "Having quantum cryptography to hand is a realistic prospect, I think. I expect that quantum technologies will gradually become integrated with existing devices such as smartphones, allowing us to do things like identify ourselves securely or generate encryption keys," ...

Complete regeneration is usually very difficult following peripheral nerve damage, though microsurgical techniques have vastly increased the success rate of surgery to repair the injured nerve. This occurs possibly because of a lack of neurotrophic factors and extracellular matrix in the injured region, which results in a microenvironment that is not optimal for peripheral nerve regeneration. Nerve growth factor (NGF) was the first neurotrophic factor identified in a class of molecules responsible for neuronal survival and differentiation. Consequently, many techniques, ...

Iron overload can lead to cytotoxicity, and it is a risk factor for diabetic peripheral neuropathy. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Prof. Shi Zhao and team conjectured that iron overload-induced neurotoxicity might be associated with oxidative stress and the NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/ARE signaling pathway. As an in vitro cellular model of diabetic peripheral neuropathy, PC12 cells exposed to high glucose concentration were used in this study. PC12 cells were cultured with ferric ammonium citrate at different concentrations to create iron overload. ...

Over 1,400 species of parasites – viruses, bacteria, fungi, intestinal worms and protozoa – are able to infect humans. In most cases, the right medicine against a parasite cures the patient. If he or she suffers from an infection by two or more species of parasite at the same time, however, it soon becomes more difficult to diagnose and treat. Medication can even exacerbate the medical condition if one pathogen is killed off but the second flourishes. One reason is the little-understood interactions between the parasites that reside in the same host. In a study published ...

Multiple regions in the human genome are reported to be linked to musical aptitude, according to a study published this week in Molecular Psychiatry. The function of the candidate genes implicated in the study ranges from inner-ear development to auditory neurocognitive processes, suggesting that musical aptitude is affected by a combination of genes involved in the auditory pathway. The research was funded by the Academy of Finland. The perception of music starts with specialised hair cells in the inner ear, which transmit sounds as electronic signals through the auditory ...

In a Yale School of Medicine analysis of 96 research trial results published in top journals, almost all had at least one discrepancy between what was reported on the public clinical trial registry clinicaltrials.gov and what was posted in the journal article. "This study raises serious questions about the accuracy of results reporting in both clinical trial registries and publications, and the importance of consistent presentation of accurate results," said Joseph Ross, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and public health at Yale School of Medicine and senior author ...

Valentine's Day has come and gone. But those images of romance are still everywhere : a happy couple holding hands in an eharmony ad, two lovebirds sharing a tender kiss in a Nikon camera commercial. Advertising filled with romantic images, featuring "happy togetherness" in magazines and stores as well as on television and websites might resonate with you if you have a special someone. But if you're single, a new study shows you're not buying. New research from consumer psychologist Lisa Cavanaugh, assistant professor at the USC Marshall School of Business, reveals ...

The malaria parasite is particularly pernicious since it is built to develop resistance to treatments. The lack of new therapeutic approaches also contributes to the persistence of this global scourge. A study led by Didier Picard, professor at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, describes a new class of molecules targeting the two problems at the same time. Using ultra sophisticated computerised modelling tools, the researchers were successful in identifying a type of candidate molecules toxic for the pathogen, but not for the infected ...

In a new study, fisheries researchers from North Carolina State University found that black sea bass (Centropristis striata) can usually survive the physical trauma that results from being hauled up from deep water then released at the surface. The finding is part of a larger study of the fish's mortality rate, which will inform stock assessments designed to help ensure that the black sea bass fishery is sustainable. Black sea bass are bottom-dwelling fish, and are often caught at depths of greater than 60 feet. When the fish are brought to the surface, the rapid change ...

As part of the BABYDIET study, the scientists compared the composition and interaction of the gut microbiota in children who went on to develop diabetes-specific autoantibodies in their blood with data from children who were autoantibody negative. The BABYDIET study examines the nutritional factors that may influence the risk of diabetes. Similar bacteria – different interactions In the course of the study, the team headed by PD Dr. Peter Achenbach and Professor Anette-Gabriele Ziegler from the Institute of Diabetes Research as well as Dr. David Endesfelder and Dr. ...

Using ESO's Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI), Olivier Chesneau (Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Nice, France) and an international team of collaborators have found that the yellow hypergiant star HR 5171 A [1] is absolutely huge — 1300 times the diameter of the Sun and much bigger than was expected [2]. This makes it the largest yellow star known. It is also in the top ten of the largest stars known — 50% larger than the famous red supergiant Betelgeuse — and about one million times brighter than the Sun. "The new observations also showed that this star has ...

Research from McGill University reveals that the brain's motor network helps people remember and recognize music that they have performed in the past better than music they have only heard. A recent study by Prof. Caroline Palmer of the Department of Psychology sheds new light on how humans perceive and produce sounds, and may pave the way for investigations into whether motor learning could improve or protect memory or cognitive impairment in aging populations. The research is published in the journal Cerebral Cortex. "The memory benefit that comes from performing a ...

Thin films of spin ice have been shown to demonstrate surprising properties which could help in the development of applications of magnetricity, the magnetic equivalent of electricity. Published today in Nature Communications, a team of researchers based at the London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN), in collaboration with scientists from Oxford and Cambridge, found that, against expectations, the Third Law of Thermodynamics could be restored in thin films of the magnetic material spin ice. In the familiar world around us it is always possible to make things colder, ...

International dispute involving California company finds resolution Article provided by Dorazio Law Office Visit us at http://www.doraziolawoffice.com/ Business entities often have specific legal needs that are much different from those that most individuals require. When a business is international, or does business with foreign companies, disputes can produce complicated legal issues. According to a report by the San Diego Business Journal, Accelrys, Inc., a company based out of San Diego, and Borealis AG, a company headquartered in Vienna, Austria, recently ...

How bankruptcy can help you with your overdue taxes Article provided by The Law Offices of W. Robert Montgomery Visit us at http://www.wrobertmontgomery.com It is that time of year again: tax season. Although this time of year is often considered to be among the more unpleasant, if you have fallen behind on your income taxes, it can be even more miserable. If you are in this situation, you may be considering bankruptcy as a means to get back on your feet. Although bankruptcy can help with certain back taxes, it is not always a complete solution for this type of ...

Credit Suisse hearings focus attention on foreign bank accounts Article provided by Frost & Associates Visit us at http://www.districtofcolumbiataxattorney.com/ The chief executive of Credit Suisse recently appeared in front of a Senate subcommittee to answer questions related to the bank's role in aiding tax evasion. A similar hearing in 2008 resulted in a $780 million fine for Swiss bank UBS after the bank admitted helping U.S. taxpayers shield assets to avoid taxes. In conjunction with the record fine, UBS was required to turn over names linked to 4,700 of ...

Probate and Non-Probate assets: What are they? Why do they matter? Article provided by Hamilton Law Office, P.C. Visit us at http://www.stuarthamiltonlaw.com When a person dies with a will, it is a common belief that all the person's property will be distributed according to the instructions in the will. However, this is not the case, as people have two types of assets under the law--probate and non-probate. As a result, it is important to know how both types of assets are treated after death in order to have an effective estate plan. Probate assets The distribution ...

Pedestrian accident in Las Vegas leads to critical injuries Article provided by Ralph A. Schwartz, P.C. Visit us at http://www.ralphaschwartzpc.com A man from England was crossing Flamingo Road in Las Vegas when he was struck by a commercial truck. The truck was allegedly turning left on a green signal when it struck the pedestrian. The pedestrian was crossing in the designated crosswalk at the time of the accident. The pedestrian was taken to a local hospital for treatment. According to a recent report by the Las Vegas Sun the man's medical status is listed ...

Financial Empowerment Network (FEN) announces the launch of their new team website made up of team members that are all independent agents for Financial Education Services also known as FES. The purpose of this site is to maximize the exposure of the individual team members and their product line. Financial Empowerment Network (FEN) community and its Financial Education Services agents from across the country are all part of a group start by long FES agent, Executive Sales Director Mark Bustamonte and online marketing business partner CJ Boston. The idea behind this ...

Get OFF the Grid & Stop Sucking Energy - Smart Charging for a Mobile World. An Austin start-up company, Vampire Labs, has solved Vampire Energy Loss in the most ubiquitous of products - mobile devices. The Vampire Proof Mobile Charger is a breakthrough in smart charging as current mobile chargers (phone, tablet, etc.) continue to suck energy off the grid when they are left plugged in and disconnected from your mobile device - this is known as Vampire Energy Loss. Just think about the energy waste impact for the billions of chargers that are plugged in all over the world; ...

The Addictions Coach and its sister company, The Addictions Academy, are offering an Intensive Certification Course in Recovery Coaching and Intervention at Aurora Charter Oak Hospital, on March 14-15, 2014 to provide CEU's for professionals and set standards in the industry. The Addiction Academy's Recovery Coaching and Intervention Certification meets all state and federal requirements and is backed by NAADAC and CAADAC for 16 CEUs. The course will teach professionals how to provide proper Recovery Coaching and Intervention services that incorporate HIPPA and legal ...