science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Πέμπτη 7 Φεβρουαρίου 2013

Science News SciGuru.com

Compound Developed by Scripps Florida Scientists Protects Heart Cells During and After Attack
Unique peptide could treat cancers, neurological disorders, and infectious diseases
Maternal Exposure to Air Pollution Linked to Low Birth Weights Worldwide
Happiness Increases with Age, Across Generations
Study Identifies Biomarkers for Early Risk Assessment of Acute Kidney Injury
Experimental drug combination selectively destroys lymphoma cells
When it comes to food aphrodisiacs, expert says look for nutrition at first bite rather than love

Compound Developed by Scripps Florida Scientists Protects Heart Cells During and After Attack

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 07:46 AM PST

Using two different compounds they developed, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have been able to show in animal models that inhibiting a specific enzyme protects heart cells and surrounding tissue against serious damage from heart attacks. The compounds also protect against additional injury from restored blood flow after an attack, a process known as reperfusion.

The study appears in the February 8, 2013 print edition of The Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Unique peptide could treat cancers, neurological disorders, and infectious diseases

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 07:38 AM PST

UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists have synthesized a peptide that shows potential for pharmaceutical development into agents for treating infections, neurodegenerative disorders, and cancer through an ability to induce a cell-recycling process called autophagy.

Maternal Exposure to Air Pollution Linked to Low Birth Weights Worldwide

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 11:07 AM PST

Mothers who are exposed to particulate air pollution of the type emitted by vehicles, urban heating and coal power plants are significantly more likely to bear children of low birth weight, according to an international study led by researchers from UC San Francisco and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The study, the largest of its kind ever performed, analyzed data collected from more than 3 million births in nine nations at 14 sites in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Happiness Increases with Age, Across Generations

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 11:02 AM PST

Psychological well-being has been linked to many important life outcomes, including career success, relationship satisfaction, and even health. But it’s not clear how feelings of well-being change as we age, as different studies have provided evidence for various trends over time.

A new report published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, reveals that self-reported feelings of well-being tend to increase with age, but that a person’s overall level of well-being depends on when he or she was born.

Study Identifies Biomarkers for Early Risk Assessment of Acute Kidney Injury

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 09:28 AM PST

Acute kidney injury strikes large numbers of hospitalized patients, including those with no prior kidney-related illness, and is one of the most costly and deadly conditions affecting critically ill patients. Findings published today in Critical Care from a Mayo Clinic-led, multicenter study identify two biomarkers of acute kidney injury that can be easily measured in urine and detect affected patients roughly 12 to 36 hours earlier than current tests.

Experimental drug combination selectively destroys lymphoma cells

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 09:19 AM PST

Laboratory experiments conducted by scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center suggest that a novel combination of the drugs ibrutinib and bortezomib could potentially be an effective new therapy for several forms of blood cancer, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

When it comes to food aphrodisiacs, expert says look for nutrition at first bite rather than love

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 08:28 AM PST

It's been said that food is the language of love. If so, can certain foods -- or aphrodisiacs -- promote romantic feelings or sexual desire?

Probably not, according to a Kansas State University nutrition expert and registered dietitian.

Linda Yarrow, assistant professor of human nutrition in the university's College of Human Ecology, says the Food and Drug Administration has long maintained that there is no scientific support for claims that food aphrodisiacs can boost sexual desire.