Sunday, May 13, 2007

Science Sunday: Wrap-up of recent advancements in science from EurekAlert!

Novel catheter technique successfully patches holes in the heart:
A novel catheter technique for patching holes in the heart may make it possible for many patients to avoid surgery altogether and others to regain enough strength to safely undergo surgical repair at a later date, according to a study reported at the 30th annual Scientific Sessions of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, May 9-12, 2007, in Orlando, Fla.

Animal research raises possibility of end to fat-free diets:
A new study in mice raises a tantalizing possibility -- that humans may one day be able to eat any kind of fat they want without raising their risk of heart disease.

The longest carbon nanotubes you've ever seen:
Using techniques that could revolutionize manufacturing for certain materials, researchers have grown carbon nanotubes that are the longest in the world. While still slightly less than 2 centimeters long, each nanotube is 900,000 times longer than its diameter.

Plants tag insect herbivores with an alarm:
Rooted in place, plants can't run from herbivores -- but they can fight back. Sensing attack, plants frequently generate toxins, emit volatile chemicals to attract the pest's natural enemies, or launch other defensive tactics. Now, for the first time, researchers reporting in the June 2007 issue of Plant Physiology have identified a specific class of small peptide elicitors, or plant defense signals, that help plants react to insect attack.

Gene mutation linked to cognition is found only in humans:
A new study showed that a certain form of neuropsin, a protein that plays a role in learning and memory, is expressed only in the central nervous systems of humans and that it originated less than five million years ago.

Biosensor sniffs out explosives:
Temple University School of Medicine researchers have developed a new biosensor that sniffs out explosives and could one day be used to detect landmines and deadly agents, such as sarin gas, according to a paper in the June issue of Nature Chemical Biology.

New Brandeis research sheds light on memory by erasing it:
For years, scientists have studied the molecular basis of memory storage, trying to find the molecules that store memory, just as DNA stores genetic memory. In an important study published this week in the Journal of Neuroscience, Brandeis University researchers report for the first time that memory storage can be induced and then biochemically erased in slices of rat hippocampus by manipulating a so-called "memory molecule," a protein kinase known as CaMKII.

Targeting sugar on blood vessels may inhibit cancer growth:
In a study that could point to novel therapies to prevent cancer spread, or metastasis, researchers at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine have targeted a sugar that supports blood vessel growth in the tumor. Their findings will be published in the May 7 online issue of Journal of Cell Biology.

New 'layered-layered' materials for rechargeable lithium batteries:
Researchers at the Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have developed a new approach to increasing the capacity and stability of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The technology is based on a new material for the positive electrode that is comprised of a unique nano-crystalline, layered-composite structure.

Labels:

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home