TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Kevin Speer has a "new paradigm" for describing how the world's oceans circulate — and with it he may help reshape science's understanding of the processes by which wind, water, sunlight and other factors interact and influence the planet's climate. A Florida State University professor of oceanography with a passion for teaching, Speer and a colleague recently published a significant paper in the respected journal Nature Geoscience. Working with John Marshall, an oceanography professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Speer reviewed ...

Scientists have known for decades that cancer cells use more glucose than healthy cells, feeding the growth of some types of tumors. Now, a team that includes researchers from the National Institutes of Health's new National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) has identified compounds that delay the formation of tumors in mice, by targeting a key enzyme that governs how cancer cells use glucose and its metabolites. The study, published August 26 in the advance online publication of Nature Chemical Biology, was led by researchers from the Koch Institute ...

New model of muscular dystrophy provides insight into disease development Muscular dystrophy is a complicated set of genetic diseases in which genetic mutations affect the various proteins that contribute to a complex that is required for a structural bridge between muscle cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) that provides the physical and chemical environment required for their development and function. The affects of these genetic mutations in patients vary widely, even when the same gene is affected. In order to develop treatments for this disease, it is important ...

Muscular dystrophy is a complicated set of genetic diseases in which genetic mutations affect the various proteins that contribute to a complex that is required for a structural bridge between muscle cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) that provides the physical and chemical environment required for their development and function. The affects of these genetic mutations in patients vary widely, even when the same gene is affected. In order to develop treatments for this disease, it is important to have an animal model that accurately reflects the course of the disease ...

Politics and genetics have traditionally been considered non-overlapping fields, but over the past decade it has become clear that genes can influence political behavior, according to a review published online August 27th in Trends in Genetics. This paradigm shift has led to novel insights into why people vary in their political preferences and could have important implications for public policy. "We're seeing an awakening in the social sciences, and the wall that divided politics and genetics is really starting to fall apart," says review author Peter Hatemi of the ...

Recent evidence and new treatments for colonic diverticulitis that may help clinicians manage and treat the disease are summarized in a review in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). Diverticular disease, in which sac-like protrusions form in the wall of the colon, is common in developed countries, although it is increasing throughout the world, likely because of lifestyle changes. In people with the disease, about 25% will develop symptoms, which include abdominal pain and changed bowel habits, often leading to a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome. The widespread ...

CORVALLIS, Ore. – A new study suggests that nicotinamide, more commonly known as vitamin B3, may be able to combat some of the antibiotic-resistance staph infections that are increasingly common around the world, have killed thousands and can pose a significant threat to public health. The research found that high doses of this vitamin increased by 1,000 times the ability of immune cells to kill staph bacteria. The work was done both in laboratory animals and with human blood. The findings were published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation by researchers ...

A recent study in the Journal of General Physiology brings new insights to an area of ion channel regulation: whether voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels can be regulated by physiological changes to PIP2. Potassium channels, microscopic pores that allow potassium ions to cross cell membranes, are crucial to such diverse processes as conduction of the nerve impulse, regulation of the heartbeat, and the secretion of hormones such as insulin. PIP2, a minor phospholipid component of cell membranes, regulates the activity of various proteins in the cell membrane, and ...

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Successive, vigorous bouts of leg compressions following a stroke appear to trigger natural protective mechanisms that reduce damage, researchers report. Compressing then releasing the leg for several five-minute intervals used in conjunction with the clot-buster tPA, essentially doubles efficacy, said Dr. David Hess, a stroke specialist who chairs the Medical College of Georgia Department of Neurology at Georgia Health Sciences University. "This is potentially a very cheap, usable and safe – other than the temporary discomfort – therapy for stroke," ...

Munich, Germany – August 27 2012: Renal denervation improves blood pressure and arterial stiffness in patients with therapy resistant hypertension, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2012 by Mr Klaas Franzen from the University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein. The findings suggest that renal denervation regenerates blood vessels and could reduce cardiovascular events. Malignant arterial hypertension was historically treated with surgical thoracolumbar splanchnicectomy, a type of sympathectomy treatment that was introduced in 1938. "A significant reduction ...

DURHAM, N.C. – The benefits of breast milk have long been appreciated, but now scientists at Duke University Medical Center have described a unique property that makes mother's milk better than infant formula in protecting infants from infections and illnesses. The finding, published in the August issue of the journal Current Nutrition & Food Science, explains how breast milk, but not infant formula, fosters colonies of microbiotic flora in a newborn's intestinal tract that aid nutrient absorption and immune system development. "This study is the first we know of that ...

Munich, Germany – August 27 2012: Renal denervation leads to significant and sustained blood pressure reduction for up to 18 months in patients with treatment resistant hypertension, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2012. The new clinical data from the Symplicity HTN-2 randomized clinical trial were presented by principal investigator Dr Murray Esler at the scientific session, associate director of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute of Melbourne, Australia and by Prof Böhm for the ESC Press Conference. Treatment resistant hypertension is blood pressure ...

Munich, Germany – August 26 2012: Renal sympathetic denervation improves anxiety, depression, quality of life and stress in patients with resistant hypertension, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2012 by Dr Denise Fischer from Saarland University Hospital. Arterial hypertension is often associated with several psychological comorbidities, such as anxiety and panic disorders, leading to impaired quality of life. Catheter-based renal sympathetic denervation (RDN) is a novel treatment option for patients with resistant hypertension and has been shown to reduce ...

Munich, Germany – August 27 2012: Renal denervation successfully treats patients with resistant hypertension in real world patient populations, according to a study presented at ESC Congress 2012. The findings were presented by Dr Darren Mylotte from France. Transcatheter renal denervation represents a novel therapy for treating patients with treatment resistant hypertension, a condition which greatly increases the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. "The Symplicity Hypertension I and II studies have suggested that this procedure significantly lowers blood pressure ...

August 27, 2012 -- In one of the most comprehensive peer-reviewed discussions on cancer vaccines and immunotherapeutics, a Special Focus in the journal Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics provides a critical view on cancer vaccines and a discussion on best approaches for the future. From firsthand accounts of principal investigators involved in numerous failed cancer vaccine programs, including Oncophage® and MVAX®, to commentary from world experts in cancer vaccine development, authors in the Special Focus recount the mistakes of the past and provide an critical lens ...

Munich, Germany – August 27 2012: Renal denervation leads to better outcomes than standard drug treatment in patients with advanced heart failure, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2012. The results of the Olomouc I pilot study were presented by Dr Miloš Táborský from the University Hospital Olomouc. Renal denervation does not involve any pharmacological treatment. It is a multiple application of radiofrequency energy using a thin catheter via the femoral artery and a long-term "denervation" of the sympathetic nerves around the renal arteries. "This is done ...

Some of the body's own genetic material, known as small interfering RNA (siRNA), can be packaged then unleashed as a precise and persistent technology to guide cell behavior, researchers at Case Western Reserve University report in the current issue of the journal, Acta Biomaterialia. The research group, led by Eben Alsberg, associate professor in the departments of Biomedical Engineering and Orthopedic Surgery, have been pursuing experiments that seek to catalyze stem cells to grow into, for example, bone and cartilage cells, instead of fat, smooth muscle and other cell ...

Aug. 27, 2012 – Professional athletic field managers maintain trimmed turfgrass with great precision, carefully painting crisp lines and colorful logos on their grass before each game. While these fields appear to be in perfect health, some field managers have noted deteriorating turfgrass beneath repeated paint applications. New research now suggests why. In a study that appears in the September-October issue of Crop Science, three North Carolina State University researchers found that grasses coated with latex paints show a notable reduction in photosynthesis. In ...

Leuven scientists (VIB/KU Leuven) are using zebrafish as a model in their search for genes that play a role in the mechanism of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). As a result, they have identified a molecule that could be the target for a future ALS treatment. ALS is a progressive degenerative motor neuron disease for which there currently is no treatment. Their study has been published in the prestigious journal Nature Medicine. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS ALS is a progressive paralyzing disease caused by the destruction of the neurons connecting to the muscles. ...

Methane is an organic carbon compound containing the fundamental building block of nearly all living material: carbon. It provides an important source of energy and nutrients for bacteria. Methane is produced in oxygen-free environments and is found in abundance at the bottom of lakes. The Brazilian post-doctoral researcher in biology and ecology, Angela Sanseverino, has presented a study that shows methane from lakebeds to be present in fish tissue. The study was carried out in cooperation with, inter alia, David Bastviken, Water and Environmental Studies (WES), Linköping ...

Alexandria, VA – Technology is creating a new breed of scientist. I'm talking about citizen scientists – ordinary people and volunteers from all walks of life coming together to help monitor, and possibly mitigate, the next big earthquake through an innovative program called NetQuakes. A play off the popular company Netflix – a movie company that allows users to rent movies through the mail – NetQuakes allows ordinary people to volunteer as a kind of host "family" for one of the program's many blue seismometers. This grassroots movement, an innovative effort between ...

VIDEO: This is a 3-D pattern produced by photografting (180 µm wide). Fluorescent molecules are attached to the hydrogel, resulting in a microscopic 3-D pattern. Click here for more information. There are many ways to create three dimensional objects on a micrometer scale. But how can the chemical properties of a material be tuned at micrometer precision? Scientists at the Vienna University of Technology developed a method to attach molecules at exactly the right place. ...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A new study from Rhode Island Hospital reports that nearly seven percent of urologic multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) scans for hematuria result in incidental findings that may be clinically important for the patient. The study is published in the American Journal of Roentgenology. It is known that urologic CT scans can sometimes show incidental findings. To date, however, there has been limited information about the prevalence and characteristics of those findings. Julie Song, M.D., a radiologist with Rhode Island Hospital's department of ...

Stockholm, August 27, 2012 - Research into water is growing faster than the average 4% annual growth rate for all research disciplines, claims a new report presented by Elsevier and Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) during the 2012 World Water Week in Stockholm. The report, "The Water and Food Nexus: Trends and Development of the Research Landscape" analysed the major trends in water and food-related article output at international, national and institutional levels. Elsevier and SIWI worked closely together on creating the report, which is based on the analysis ...

This release is available in German. Vitamin B12 is vital for cell division, the synthesis of red blood cells and the functioning of the nervous system. Unable to produce the vitamin itself, the human body has to obtain it via animal proteins. So far it has been known that on its way into the cell vitamin B12 is absorbed by little organelles, so-called lysosomes. From there, the vitamin enters the cell interior with the aid of the transport protein CblF, which was discovered by the same research team three years ago. The researchers now show that a second transport ...