science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Σάββατο 10 Μαρτίου 2012

Science News SciGuru.com

First Findings Released from Swaziland HIV Incidence Measurement Survey Announced at CROI 2012
New Surgery, Stomach Origami
Scientists Claim Brain Memory Code Cracked
New treatment shows promise for kids with life-threatening bone disorder
Climate risks of bioenergy underestimated
Orientation of ants: every cue counts

First Findings Released from Swaziland HIV Incidence Measurement Survey Announced at CROI 2012

Posted: 09 Mar 2012 01:44 PM PST

The first findings from a nationally representative HIV survey were presented today at the 19th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2012) in Seattle, WA. The Swaziland HIV Incidence Measurement Survey (SHIMS) found that overall HIV prevalence, or percentage of the population living with HIV infection, is 31% among adults ages 18-49. This figure matches the 2006 Demographic Health Survey findings for the same age group, indicating that the HIV epidemic in Swaziland has stabilized over the past five years.

New Surgery, Stomach Origami

Posted: 09 Mar 2012 01:40 PM PST

Patients seeking a weight-loss surgery that does not require an implanted device or permanent change to their anatomy, have a new clinical trial option at UC San Diego Health System. Santiago Horgan, MD, chief of minimally invasive surgery, and his team, now offer gastric plication, a novel surgery that folds the stomach into a smaller, more compact size.

Scientists Claim Brain Memory Code Cracked

Posted: 09 Mar 2012 08:02 AM PST

Despite a century of research, memory encoding in the brain has remained mysterious. Neuronal synaptic connection strengths are involved, but synaptic components are short-lived while memories last lifetimes. This suggests synaptic information is encoded and hard-wired at a deeper, finer-grained molecular scale.

New treatment shows promise for kids with life-threatening bone disorder

Posted: 09 Mar 2012 07:50 AM PST

Doctors at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, working with Shriners Hospital for Children and other institutions, have identified a promising new treatment for a rare and sometimes life-threatening bone disorder that can affect infants and young children.

Known as hypophosphatasia, the condition upsets bone metabolism, blocking important minerals such as calcium from depositing in the skeleton.

Climate risks of bioenergy underestimated

Posted: 09 Mar 2012 07:33 AM PST

Energy from biomass presents underappreciated risks, new research published in Nature Climate Change shows. “A precautionary approach is needed,” says Ottmar Edenhofer, chief economist of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and professor at the Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin). “Before further expanding bioenergy, science has to deliver a more comprehensive risk assessment to policy makers – dealing with the uncertainties inherent to projections of bioenergy use up to now.

Orientation of ants: every cue counts

Posted: 09 Mar 2012 07:25 AM PST

Desert ants have adapted to a life in a barren environment which only provides very few landmarks for orientation. Apart from visual cues and odours the ants use the polarized sunlight as a compass and count their steps in order to return safely to their home after searching for food.