science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Παρασκευή 1 Μαρτίου 2013

Science News SciGuru.com

Order in the chaos of a cell membrane
Researchers identify brain pathway triggering impulsive eating
Grape seed and skin extract – a weapon in the fight against kidney disease caused by high-fat diets
Contaminated diet contributes to phthalate and bisphenol A exposure
Study may explain why some people get pimples
Develop digital games to improve brain function and well-being
Reading the Human Genome: A New View of Transcription Initiation

Posted: 28 Feb 2013 11:47 AM PST

An explanation has been proposed for the way in which ordered structures arise in cell membranes. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam have discovered how complex compounds of sugar and lipids – known as glycolipids – order themselves in cell membranes into rafts, namely small, highly organised domains. The arrangement of glycolipids on the surface of plant and animal cell membranes regulates numerous cellular processes. If errors occur in this process, diseases like PNH and BSE can arise.

Researchers identify brain pathway triggering impulsive eating

Posted: 28 Feb 2013 10:06 AM PST

New research from the University of Georgia has identified the neural pathways in an insect brain tied to eating for pleasure, a discovery that sheds light on mirror impulsive eating pathways in the human brain.

Grape seed and skin extract – a weapon in the fight against kidney disease caused by high-fat diets

Posted: 28 Feb 2013 09:57 AM PST

New insight into grape seed extract as a therapeutic and preventative measure to fight obesity-induced kidney damage is presented in a new study. Grape seed and skin extract (GSSE) is known to contain powerful antioxidants. This study, published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, is the first to make a link between GSSEs and high-fat-diet-induced renal disease.

Contaminated diet contributes to phthalate and bisphenol A exposure

Posted: 28 Feb 2013 09:52 AM PST

While water bottles may tout BPA-free labels and personal care products declare phthalates not among their ingredients, these assurances may not be enough. According to a study published February 27 in the Nature Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, we may be exposed to these chemicals in our diet, even if our diet is organic and we prepare, cook, and store foods in non-plastic containers. Children may be most vulnerable.

Study may explain why some people get pimples

Posted: 28 Feb 2013 09:24 AM PST

The bacteria that cause acne live on everyone’s skin, yet one in five people is lucky enough to develop only an occasional pimple over a lifetime. What’s the secret?

In a boon for teenagers everywhere, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the University of California at Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute have discovered there are “bad” strains of acne bacteria associated with pimples and “good” strains that may protect the skin.

Develop digital games to improve brain function and well-being

Posted: 28 Feb 2013 09:02 AM PST

Neuroscientists should help to develop compelling digital games that boost brain function and improve well-being, say two professors specializing in the field in a commentary article published in the science journal Nature.

Reading the Human Genome: A New View of Transcription Initiation

Posted: 28 Feb 2013 08:53 AM PST

The human genome is contained within a vast jumble of DNA. Its 20,000 or so genes are concealed within strings of As, Ts, Gs, and Cs, and each gene must be turned on at the right time and in the right cells. For the first time, scientists have glimpsed the cellular machinery that accomplishes that feat, as it assembles directly on the DNA and readies it for transcription into RNA, the first step in protein production.