Health, Science & Technology News

Researchers identify how bone-marrow stem cells hold their 'breath' in low-oxygen environments
3 September 2010, 4:00 am
UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified unique metabolic properties that allow a specific type of stem cell in the body to survive and replicate in low-oxygen environments.

Hair provides proof of the link between chronic stress and heart attack
3 September 2010, 4:00 am
Researchers at the University of Western Ontario have provided the first direct evidence using a biological marker, to show chronic stress plays an important role in heart attacks. Drs. Gideon Koren and Stan Van Uum developed a method to measure cortisol levels in hair providing an accurate assessment of stress levels in the months prior to an acute event such as a heart attack. The research is published online in the journal Stress.

US neurologists agree on protocols for treatment of infantile spasms
3 September 2010, 4:00 am
Researchers from across the US, as part of the Infantile Spasms Working Group, established guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of infantile spasms. The goal of the ISWG is to improve patient outcomes by creating protocols that educate pediatricians on early diagnosis and treatment options. Full details of this study appear online in Epilepsia, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the International League Against Epilepsy.

Carlos '97 free kick no fluke, say French physicists
2 September 2010, 4:00 am
Roberto Carlos' free kick goal against France in 1997's Tournoi de France is thought by many to have been the most skillful free kick goal ever scored but by others to have been an incredible fluke. Now a group of French physicists have computed the trajectory and shown that Carlos' goal was no fluke.

'Basal-like' breast cancer does not originate from basal stem cells
2 September 2010, 4:00 am
New research uncovers a case of mistaken identity that may have a significant impact on future breast cancer prevention and treatment strategies. The study, published by Cell Press in the Sept. 3 issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, suggests that despite their "stem cell-like" characteristics, most aggressive breast tumors are not derived from normal mammary gland stem cells.

Novartis and collaborators discover novel antimalarial drug candidate
2 September 2010, 4:00 am
Published this week in Science the findings demonstrate that the antimalarial candidate, spiroindolone NITD609, is effective against both strains of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium (P.) falciparum and P. vivax. Through a novel mechanism NITD609 rapidly clears plasmodium in a malaria mouse model and shows pharmacological properties compatible with a once-daily dosing regimen.

The secret to fish oil's anti-inflammatory properties
2 September 2010, 4:00 am
Fish oil is touted for its anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic benefits, but scientist weren't sure how the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil work. Now, according to a report in the Sept. 3 issue of the journal Cell, scientists have nailed how omega-3 fatty acids both shut down inflammation and reverse diabetes in obese mice.

NASA satellite sees Tropical Storm Kompasu transitioning over Korea and China
2 September 2010, 4:00 am
NASA's Terra satellite captured the changing Tropical Storm Kompasu over Korea and China very early today, as it makes its way east to northern Japan. It is becoming extratropical.

Image-based modeling of inhomogeneous single-scattering participating media
2 September 2010, 4:00 am
For inhomogeneous single-scattering participating media, we propose an image based modeling method, which includes the design of an easy-to-use participating media capture device and the use of a progressive refinement algorithm for a multiresolution volume with a graphics processing unit. Compared with previous methods, only a few captured images of participating media from different viewpoints are required in the construction of the media with high-frequency density details. Furthermore, our method does not need to simplify the radiative transfer equation.

Models suggest treatments for fractures that won't heal
2 September 2010, 4:00 am
New models, reinforced by in vivo experimentation, show why 5-10 percent of bone fractures don't heal properly, and how these cases may be treated to restart the healing process. Results of the model, published Sept. 2 in the open-access journal PLoS Computational Biology, may benefit the ageing population in which the occurrence of bone fractures is expected to rise substantially in the near future.