science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Παρασκευή 8 Φεβρουαρίου 2013

Science News SciGuru.com

Surgeons find better ways to treat nerve compression disorder that can sideline athletes
Lower drinking ages lead to more binge drinking
Colon cancer exhibits a corresponding epigenetic pattern in mice and humans
‘Zombie’ replica cells may outperform live ones as catalysts and conductors
Researcher taking shot at flu vaccine that's more effective, easier to make
Bringing a new perspective to infectious disease‏

Surgeons find better ways to treat nerve compression disorder that can sideline athletes

Posted: 08 Feb 2013 04:00 AM PST

Two new studies from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggest ways to improve surgical treatment for a debilitating condition caused by compressed nerves in the neck and shoulder.

The condition, neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome, causes pain, numbness or tingling in the shoulder, arm or hand and is perhaps best known for affecting baseball pitchers and other elite athletes. Patients often describe pain and tension in the neck and upper back, numbness and tingling in the fingers, headaches and perceived muscle weakness in the affected limb.

Lower drinking ages lead to more binge drinking

Posted: 08 Feb 2013 03:54 AM PST

People who grew up in states where it was legal to drink alcohol before age 21 are more likely to be binge drinkers later in life, according to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

The findings are available online in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

The researchers tracked the long-term drinking behavior of more than 39,000 people who began consuming alcohol in the 1970s, when some states had legal drinking ages as low as 18.

Colon cancer exhibits a corresponding epigenetic pattern in mice and humans

Posted: 08 Feb 2013 03:48 AM PST

Tumourigenesis is driven by genetic alterations and by changes in the epigenome, for instance by the addition of methyl groups to cytosine bases in the DNA. A deeper understanding of the interaction between the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms is critical for the selection of tumour biomarkers and for the future development of therapies. Human tumour specimens and cell lines however contain a plethora of genetic and epigenetic changes, which complicate data analysis.

‘Zombie’ replica cells may outperform live ones as catalysts and conductors

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 08:21 AM PST

“Zombie” mammalian cells that may function better after they die have been created by researchers at Sandia National Laboratories and the University of New Mexico (UNM).

The simple technique coats a cell with a silica solution to form a near-perfect replica of its structure. The process may simplify a wide variety of commercial fabrication processes from the nano- to macroscale.

Researcher taking shot at flu vaccine that's more effective, easier to make

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 08:10 AM PST

In the midst of an unusually deadly flu season and armed with a vaccine that only offers partial protection, a Purdue University researcher is working on a flu vaccine that overcomes the need to predict which strains will hit each year and eliminates the common causes of vaccine shortages.

Bringing a new perspective to infectious disease‏

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 07:50 AM PST

Studying infectious diseases has long been primarily the domain of biologists. However, as part of the Ragon Institute, MIT engineers and physical scientists are joining immunologists and physicians in the battle against HIV, which currently infects 34 million people worldwide.