A new type of scanning transmission electron microscope is enabling scientists for the first time to form images that uniquely identify individual atoms and see how those atoms bond to one another. And in living color.
A new gene therapy approach that attracts and "trains" immune system cells to destroy deadly brain cancer cells also provides long-term immunity, produces no significant adverse effects and -- in the process of destroying the tumor -- promotes the return of normal brain function and behavioral skills, according to a new study.
Exhale on a cold winter day and you will see the water vapor coming out of your mouth. Light up your breath with a Nobel-Prize-related tool, and you could potentially detect trace amounts of over 1,000 compounds, some of which provide early warning signs of disease. A new optical technique can simultaneously identify tiny amounts of a broad range of molecules in the breath, potentially enabling a fast, low-cost screening tool for disease.
New research has thrown into question the current method of treating Crohn's disease -- opening the door to a safer and more effective treatment option for sufferers of the chronic disease. The new approach, called "top-down" therapy, employs early use of immune-suppressing drugs combined with an antibody in order to address the disease from the start. Symptom-treating steroids may never even be needed.
The same chemicals that keep food from sticking to our frying pans and stains from setting in our carpets (PFCs) are damaging the livers and impairing the immune systems of loggerhead turtles -- an environmental health impact that also may signal a danger for humans.
Concerned that energy system transformations are proceeding too slowly to avoid risks from dangerous human-induced climate change, many scientists are wondering whether geoengineering (the deliberate change of the Earth's climate) may help counteract global warming. Sulfate aerosols, commonly released by volcanoes, serve to scatter incoming solar energy in the stratosphere, preventing it from reaching the surface. To investigate the feasibility of deliberately mimicking the effect of volcanic aerosols, researchers explore scenarios in which aerosol properties are varied to assess interactions with the climate system.
First came direct marketing, then focus groups. Now, advertisers, with the help of neuroscientists, are closing in on the holy grail: mind reading. According to a new article, the findings suggest "that human emotions are multidimensional, and that self-report techniques ... correspond to a specific task but different functional regions of the brain."
Astronomer have discovered the largest structures of dark matter ever seen. Measuring 270 million light-years across, these dark matter structures criss-cross the night sky, each spanning an area that is eight times larger than the full moon.
Scientists report that a protein capable of producing what has been called "Alzheimer's of the heart" has been found to protect against development of Alzheimer's disease in the brain in rodent models. The scientists say the findings suggest that the protein, transthyretin (TTR), could represent a powerful natural defense against development of Alzheimer's disease in humans, a defense that diminishes as people grow older. If so, TTR-based therapy might help treat or prevent the disorder.
The LED lamp, named Gravia, has just won second place in the Greener Gadgets Design Competition in New York City. Concept illustrations of Gravia depict an acrylic column a little over four feet high. The entire column glows when activated. The electricity is generated by the slow fall of a mass that spins a rotor. The resulting energy powers 10 high-output LEDs that fire into the acrylic lens, creating a diffuse light. The operation is silent and the housing is elegant and cord free -- completely independent of electrical infrastructure. The light output will be 600-800 lumens -- roughly equal to a 40 watt incandescent bulb over a period of four hours.
Full prescription coverage of heart drugs could help heart attack survivors live longer, better lives and lower the nation's health care costs, according to a new analysis. Researchers who conducted the analysis said as many as 50 percent of patients significantly underused highly effective medications to prevent recurrence of heart attacks. Cost is a major factor in why patients don't take these medications.
A prototype portable device that will allow people to do business across the Internet on any computer in a trusted manner has been developed Known as a Trust Extension Device, the TED consists of software loaded onto a portable device, such as a USB memory stick or a mobile phone. It is able to minimize the risk associated with performing transactions in untrusted and unknown computing environments.
Stroke patients who enter the hospital at night and on weekends are more likely to die in the hospital than those treated during regular business hours and on weekdays, according to two new studies. "The mortality rate was remarkably lower for weekday admissions than for weekend: 7.9 percent versus 10.1 percent," said the senior author of the study.
Scientists have discovered a way to reactivate the thymus to create new T-cells in adults with HIV. The new therapy can be used to stimulate the production of vital immune cells, called "T- cells," in adults with HIV infection. HIV disease destroys T-cells, leading to collapse of the immune system and severe infection. The thymus gland, which produces T-cells, gradually loses function over time (a process called "involution") and becomes mostly inactive during adulthood. Because the thymus gland does not function well in adults, it is difficult for HIV-infected adults to make new T-cells. Thus, therapies that stimulate the thymus to produce new T-cells could help HIV-infected patients to rebuild their embattled immune systems.
