Πέμπτη 28 Φεβρουαρίου 2013

Science News SciGuru.com

Science News SciGuru.com

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Changing Shape Makes Chemotherapy Drugs Better at Targeting Cancer Cells

Posted: 27 Feb 2013 11:52 AM PST

Bioengineering researchers at University of California, Santa Barbara have found that changing the shape of chemotherapy drug nanoparticles from spherical to rod-shaped made them up to 10,000 times more effective at specifically targeting and delivering anti-cancer drugs to breast cancer cells.

Their findings could have a game-changing impact on the effectiveness of anti-cancer therapies and reducing the side effects of chemotherapy, according to the researchers. Results of their study were published recently in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Speedy Black Holes holds Galaxy's History

Posted: 27 Feb 2013 11:44 AM PST

 A rapidly rotating supermassive black hole has been found in the heart of a spiral galaxy by ESA’s XMM-Newton and NASA’s NuSTAR space observatories, opening a new window into how galaxies grow.

Supermassive black holes are thought to lurk in the centre of almost all large galaxies, and scientists believe that the evolution of a galaxy is inextricably linked with the evolution of its black hole.

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Sequestration will be a devastating blow to the nation's research institutions and scientists

Posted: 27 Feb 2013 11:31 AM PST

The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) is once again calling on Congress and the President to work together to prevent sequestration, the automatic across-the-board budget cuts that are scheduled to go into effect on March 1st. "These automatic spending cuts will stop science advances in their tracks and cost highly trained researchers their jobs," said FASEB President, Judith S. Bond, PhD.

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Chemists find help from nature in fighting cancer

Posted: 27 Feb 2013 11:09 AM PST

Inspired by a chemical that fungi secrete to defend their territory, MIT chemists have synthesized and tested several dozen compounds that may hold promise as potential cancer drugs.

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Unlocking fuel cell conductivity

Posted: 27 Feb 2013 09:38 AM PST

Yttria stabilized zirconia, also known as YSZ, is a material of great interest because of its relatively high oxygen-ion based conductivity. In particular, it finds applications in electrochemical devices, such as solid oxide fuel cells and oxygen sensors. In a study published in EPJ B, Kia Ngai, from the University of Pisa in Italy, and colleagues from the Complutense University in Madrid, Spain, devised a model of the oxygen-ion dynamics that contribute to the conductivity of YSZ.

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Research connects early childhood with pain, depression in adulthood

Posted: 27 Feb 2013 09:33 AM PST

Cortisone can increase risk of acute pancreatitis

Posted: 27 Feb 2013 09:23 AM PST

A new study from Karolinska Institutet shows that cortisone - a hormone used in certain medicines - increases the risk of acute pancreatitis. The results are published in the scientific journal JAMA Internal Medicine. According to the researchers, they suggest that patients treated with cortisone in some forms should be informed of the risks and advised to refrain from alcohol and smoking.

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Lead exposure negatively impacts MEAP scores of Detroit schoolchildren

Posted: 27 Feb 2013 09:14 AM PST

Lead exposure in early childhood has been linked to lower performance on state achievement tests for many Detroit Public School students in several grades, researchers from the University of Michigan School of Public Health and colleagues report.

The researchers also found lower scores for children who had been exposed to lead at levels below the federal threshold.

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