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Silicon-carbon electrodes snap, swell, don't pop
Evidence builds that meditation strengthens the brain, UCLA researchers say
Research Reveals Molecule Called Cadherin-23 Could Play a Role in the Earliest Stages of Breast Cancer
Epigenetic Signatures Direct the Repair Potential of Reprogrammed Cells
Abell 383: Getting a Full Picture of an Elusive Subject
AmberGen and Mass General License Two Novel Autoantigen Biomarkers for Autoimmune Liver Disease to INOVA Diagnostics
Yet Unnamed Leapord Frog With Wierd Croak Identified in New York City
Anaesthetists test scale that measures risk of harm from invasive research placebos
Gene Chip, Invented by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Scientist, Pinpoints New Target to Prevent Heart Disease
‘Brain Fog’ of Menopause Confirmed
New Study Shows Promise for Developing New Treatments for Breast Cancer
Study suggests motivation to be active may lead to impulsive behavior
Network approach improves outcomes in inflammatory bowel disease despite lack of new treatments

Silicon-carbon electrodes snap, swell, don't pop

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 08:48 PM PDT

A study that examines a new type of silicon-carbon nanocomposite electrode reveals details of how they function and how repeated use could wear them down. The study also provides clues to why this material performs better than silicon alone. With an electrical capacity five times higher than conventional lithium battery electrodes, silicon-carbon nanocomposite electrodes could lead to longer-lasting, cheaper rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles.

Evidence builds that meditation strengthens the brain, UCLA researchers say

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 12:33 PM PDT

Earlier evidence out of UCLA suggested that meditating for years thickens the brain (in a good way) and strengthens the connections between brain cells. Now a further report by UCLA researchers suggests yet another benefit.

Research Reveals Molecule Called Cadherin-23 Could Play a Role in the Earliest Stages of Breast Cancer

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 10:34 AM PDT

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Biologist Lee Ligon has found a previously unknown connection between breast cancer tumor cells and the surrounding healthy tissue. The results provide new information on the earliest stages of breast cancer metastasis.

Epigenetic Signatures Direct the Repair Potential of Reprogrammed Cells

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 10:23 AM PDT

A research team has identified epigenetic signatures, markers on DNA that control transient changes in gene expression, within reprogrammed skin cells. These signatures can predict the expression of a wound-healing protein in reprogrammed skin cells or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), cells that take on embryonic stem cell properties. Understanding how the expression of the protein is controlled brings us one step closer to developing personalized tissue regeneration strategies using stem cells from a patient, instead of using human embryonic stem cells.

Abell 383: Getting a Full Picture of an Elusive Subject

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 10:16 AM PDT

Two teams of astronomers have used data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes to map the distribution of dark matter in a galaxy cluster known as Abell 383, which is located about 2.3 billion light years from Earth. Not only were the researchers able to find where the dark matter lies in the two dimensions across the sky, they were also able to determine how the dark matter is distributed along the line of sight.

AmberGen and Mass General License Two Novel Autoantigen Biomarkers for Autoimmune Liver Disease to INOVA Diagnostics

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 09:40 AM PDT

Two novel autoantigen biomarkers for the autoimmune liver disease Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC), discovered by AmberGen, Inc., in collaboration with the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), were exclusively licensed to INOVA Diagnostics, Inc., part of the Werfen Group, and a world-leader in clinical assays for autoimmune disease.

Yet Unnamed Leapord Frog With Wierd Croak Identified in New York City

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 09:33 AM PDT

In the wilds of New York City — or as wild as you can get so close to skyscrapers — scientists have found a new leopard frog species that for years biologists mistook for a more widespread variety of leopard frog.

Anaesthetists test scale that measures risk of harm from invasive research placebos

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 09:08 AM PDT

A scale developed to measure the potential harm caused by invasive placebos in local anaesthesia research has been successfully tested by a group of 43 independent clinicians, according to research published in the April issue of Anaesthesia.

The consultant anaesthetists were asked to assess the risk of harm posed by control group interventions described in ten published clinical anaesthesia studies using the Serious Harm and Morbidity (SHAM) scale.

Gene Chip, Invented by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Scientist, Pinpoints New Target to Prevent Heart Disease

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 08:53 AM PDT

A large international study indicates that anti-inflammatory drugs may become a new tool for preventing and treating coronary heart disease (CHD), the leading global cause of death. In investigating a specific gene variant linked to inflammation and heart disease, the researchers used the Cardiochip, a gene analysis tool designed by Brendan J. Keating, Ph.D., a researcher in the Center for Applied Genomics at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and co-author of the study.

‘Brain Fog’ of Menopause Confirmed

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 08:47 AM PDT

The difficulties that many women describe as memory problems when menopause approaches are real, according to a study published today in the journal Menopause, the journal of the North American Menopause Society.

New Study Shows Promise for Developing New Treatments for Breast Cancer

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 08:43 AM PDT

A new study by University of Kentucky researchers provides insight into developing new treatment strategies for basal-like breast cancer, commonly known as triple-negative breast cancer. This cancer is associated with early metastasis and resistance to chemotherapy and occurs at women at a younger age.

Study suggests motivation to be active may lead to impulsive behavior

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 08:17 AM PDT

Those motivated to actively change bad habits may be setting themselves up for failure, a new study suggests. “Inaction words have been shown to relax individuals, and our research suggests that the relaxed state is better at inhibiting the pull of temptations,” said University of Illinois psychology professor Dolores Albarracín.

Network approach improves outcomes in inflammatory bowel disease despite lack of new treatments

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 07:57 AM PDT

Many children with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis who received treatment through ImproveCareNow, a national quality improvement network, ceased to have symptoms and no longer needed to take steroids for disease management. These are the findings from a study appearing in Pediatrics that examined the network’s quality improvement efforts and their impact on outcomes. In this study, the proportion of children with Crohn’s disease in remission increased from 55 percent to 68 percent, with a similar improvement in ulcerative colitis patients.