science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Πέμπτη 23 Μαΐου 2013

Science News SciGuru.com

Surveying cells, one at a time
New test better detects elephantiasis worm infection
Going live – immune cell activation in multiple sclerosis
New Technique May Open Up an Era of Atomic-scale Semiconductor Devices

Posted: 22 May 2013 10:52 AM PDT

When studying any kind of population — people or cells — averaging is a useful, if flawed, form of measurement. According to the US Census Bureau, the average American household size in 2010 was 2.59. Of course, there are no homes with exactly 2.59 people. By inspecting each house individually, one would see some homes occupied by a single individual, and others by large families. These extremes get lost when values are averaged over a population.

New test better detects elephantiasis worm infection

Posted: 22 May 2013 08:46 AM PDT

A new diagnostic test for a worm infection that can lead to severe enlargement and deformities of the legs and genitals is far more sensitive than the currently used test, according to results of a field study in Liberia, in West Africa, where the infection is endemic.

The new test found evidence of the infection – lymphatic filariasis – in many more people that the standard test had missed.

Going live – immune cell activation in multiple sclerosis

Posted: 22 May 2013 08:21 AM PDT

Biological processes are generally based on events at the molecular and cellular level. To understand what happens in the course of infections, diseases or normal bodily functions, scientists would need to examine individual cells and their activity directly in the tissue. The development of new microscopes and fluorescent dyes in recent years has brought this scientific dream tantalisingly close.

New Technique May Open Up an Era of Atomic-scale Semiconductor Devices

Posted: 22 May 2013 07:58 AM PDT

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new technique for creating high-quality semiconductor thin films at the atomic scale – meaning the films are only one atom thick. The technique can be used to create these thin films on a large scale, sufficient to coat wafers that are two inches wide, or larger.