Science News SciGuru.com

Researcher Finds Faster, More Efficient Technique for Creating High-Density Ceramics
Homer-1 protein in the brain prevents stress-induced cognitive deficits
Space Flight Laboratory builds world's smallest astronomical satellite
Study revises colorectal cancer risk down and other cancer risks up for women with Lynch Syndrome
New study highlights importance of newborn screening for lethal genetic disorder
Blood Vessels 'Sniff' Gut Microbes To Regulate Blood Pressure
Tweaking Gene Expression to Repair Lungs
Liver stem cells grown in culture
Scientists Disclose a New and Much Needed Test for River Blindness Infection

Researcher Finds Faster, More Efficient Technique for Creating High-Density Ceramics

Posted: 27 Feb 2013 06:46 AM PST

A researcher from North Carolina State University has developed a technique for creating high-density ceramic materials that requires far lower temperatures than current techniques – and takes less than a second, as opposed to hours. Ceramics are used in a wide variety of technologies, including body armor, fuel cells, spark plugs, nuclear rods and superconductors.

Homer-1 protein in the brain prevents stress-induced cognitive deficits

Posted: 27 Feb 2013 06:38 AM PST

Before examinations and in critical situations, we need to be particularly receptive and capable of learning. However, acute exam stress and stage fright causes learning blockades and reduced memory function. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich have now discovered a mechanism responsible for these cognitive deficits, which functions independently of stress hormones.

Space Flight Laboratory builds world's smallest astronomical satellite

Posted: 26 Feb 2013 12:43 PM PST

The smallest astronomical satellite ever built launched Feb. 25, 2013 as part of a mission to prove that even a very small telescope can push the boundaries of astronomy.

The satellite was designed and assembled at the Space Flight Laboratory of the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS). It was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, along with its twin, also designed in Canada, but assembled in Austria.

Study revises colorectal cancer risk down and other cancer risks up for women with Lynch Syndrome

Posted: 26 Feb 2013 12:34 PM PST

Lynch Syndrome is a heritable genetic mutation that causes colorectal, endometrial and other cancers. A cooperative study that included the University of Colorado Cancer Center, published in this month’s issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, revises the risk of colorectal cancer down but other cancers up for women with Lynch Syndrome who have had endometrial cancer.

New study highlights importance of newborn screening for lethal genetic disorder

Posted: 26 Feb 2013 10:48 AM PST

Contrary to current belief, routine newborn screening improves the detection of the lethal form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) in girls as well as boys, saving lives in both sexes, according to a unique study of CAH during the last 100 years. Babies are routinely screened for CAH in most developed countries, including Sweden. The study was published online in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.

Blood Vessels 'Sniff' Gut Microbes To Regulate Blood Pressure

Posted: 26 Feb 2013 08:35 AM PST

Researchers at The Johns Hopkins University and Yale University have discovered that a specialized receptor, normally found in the nose, is also in blood vessels throughout the body, sensing small molecules created by microbes that line mammalian intestines, and responding to these molecules by increasing blood pressure. The finding suggests that gut bacteria are an integral part of the body’s complex system for maintaining a stable blood pressure.

Tweaking Gene Expression to Repair Lungs

Posted: 26 Feb 2013 08:13 AM PST

Lung diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are on the rise, according to the American Lung Association and the National Institutes of Health.

These ailments are chronic, affect the small airways of the lung, and are thought to involve an injury-repair cycle that leads to the breakdown of normal airway structure and function. For now, drugs for COPD treat only the symptoms.

Liver stem cells grown in culture

Posted: 26 Feb 2013 07:56 AM PST

New mouse research in Nature raises hope that human liver stem cells can be similarly grown, transplanted

For decades scientists around the world have attempted to regenerate primary liver cells known as hepatocytes because of their numerous biomedical applications, including hepatitis research, drug metabolism and toxicity studies, as well as transplantation for cirrhosis and other chronic liver conditions. But no lab in the world has been successful in identifying and growing liver stem cells in culture -- using any available technique – until now.

Scientists Disclose a New and Much Needed Test for River Blindness Infection

Posted: 26 Feb 2013 07:42 AM PST

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have found a telltale molecular marker for Onchocerciasis or “river blindness,” a parasitic infection that affects tens of millions of people in Africa, Latin America and other tropical regions. The newly discovered biomarker, detectable in patients’ urine, is secreted by Onchocerca volvulus worms during an active infection. The biomarker could form the basis of a portable, field-ready test with significant advantages over current diagnostic methods.