science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Παρασκευή 24 Μαΐου 2013

Science News SciGuru.com

Longer telomeres after treatment with lithium
A novel technique reliably tells left-handed from right-handed variant of a compound
Fetch, Boy! Study Shows Homes with Dogs Have More Types of Bacteria
Clinical trial aims to prevent type 2 diabetes through medication
New Filtration Material Could Make Petroleum Refining Cheaper, More Efficient
Cradle turns smartphone into handheld biosensor

Longer telomeres after treatment with lithium

Posted: 24 May 2013 05:13 AM PDT

A new study from Karolinska Institutet reveals that lithium treatments for bipolar disorder can sometimes increase the length of so-called telomeres, the sections of DNA at the end of the chromosomes in the cell nucleus. The shortening of these telomeres has been linked to ageing, stress and mental disease, and the researchers now hope that their results will mark the first step on the path to a more individualised treatment of bipolar disorder.

A novel technique reliably tells left-handed from right-handed variant of a compound

Posted: 24 May 2013 05:06 AM PDT

The chemistry of life is built on left-handed and right-handed molecules that can have completely different functions. A novel technique, developed by researchers from the US and Germany, can reliably tell these mirror molecules apart. The new method can in principle even detect these so-called enantiomers in mixtures of substances.

Fetch, Boy! Study Shows Homes with Dogs Have More Types of Bacteria

Posted: 24 May 2013 04:57 AM PDT

New research from North Carolina State University and the University of Colorado shows that households with dogs are home to more types of bacteria – including bacteria that are rarely found in households that do not have dogs. The finding is part of a larger study to improve our understanding of the microscopic life forms that live in our homes.

Clinical trial aims to prevent type 2 diabetes through medication

Posted: 23 May 2013 06:57 PM PDT

A clinical trial at the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System and the University of Washington will address new approaches to prevent the development of type 2 diabetes or slow its progression. Participants will be treated with medications normally used for people who have had diabetes for at least one year. The study will enroll individuals who have prediabetes or have been recently diagnosed with diabetes, but who are not taking medications to treat the condition.

New Filtration Material Could Make Petroleum Refining Cheaper, More Efficient

Posted: 23 May 2013 02:58 PM PDT

A newly synthesized material might provide a dramatically improved method for separating the highest-octane components of gasoline. Measurements at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have clarified* why. The research team, which included scientists from NIST and several other universities, has published its findings in the journal Science.

Cradle turns smartphone into handheld biosensor

Posted: 23 May 2013 12:39 PM PDT

Researchers and physicians in the field could soon run on-the-spot tests for environmental toxins, medical diagnostics, food safety and more with their smartphones.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign researchers have developed a cradle and app for the iPhone that uses the phone’s built-in camera and processing power as a biosensor to detect toxins, proteins, bacteria, viruses and other molecules.