science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Σάββατο 27 Ιουλίου 2013

Science News SciGuru.com

Human Stem Cell-Derived Hepatocytes Regenerate Liver Function and Extend Survival in Mice with Hepatic Failure
Bipolar Disorder Takes Different Path in Patients Who Binge Eat, Study Suggests
Scientist discovers novel mechanism in spinal cord injury
New herbal supplement helps slim and trim without side effects, studies show
Researchers Uncover Cellular Mechanisms for Attention in the Brain

Human Stem Cell-Derived Hepatocytes Regenerate Liver Function and Extend Survival in Mice with Hepatic Failure

Posted: 26 Jul 2013 12:45 PM PDT

Researchers have generated functional hepatocytes from human stem cells, transplanted them into mice with acute liver injury, and shown the ability of these stem-cell derived human liver cells to function normally and increase survival of the treated animals.

Bipolar Disorder Takes Different Path in Patients Who Binge Eat, Study Suggests

Posted: 26 Jul 2013 12:13 PM PDT

Bipolar disorder evolves differently in patients who also binge eat, a study by Mayo Clinic, the Lindner Center of HOPE and the University of Minnesota found. Binge eating and obesity often are present among bipolar patients, but the mood disorder appears to take a different path in those who binge eat than it does in obese bipolar patients who do not, the researchers discovered. The findings are published online in the Journal of Affective Disorders

Scientist discovers novel mechanism in spinal cord injury

Posted: 26 Jul 2013 11:07 AM PDT

More than 11,000 Americans suffer spinal cord injuries each year, and since over a quarter of those injuries are due to falls, the number is likely to rise as the population ages. The reason so many of those injuries are permanently disabling is that the human body lacks the capacity to regenerate nerve fibers. The best our bodies can do is route the surviving tissue around the injury site.

New herbal supplement helps slim and trim without side effects, studies show

Posted: 26 Jul 2013 10:56 AM PDT

Study participants who took a new herbal supplement, while also exercising and controlling their food intake, had greater success in losing weight and slimming down than did those who didn’t take the supplement, report researchers at the University of California, Davis, and in India.

The researchers suggest that the supplement — made from extracts of a wild herb and a tropical fruit rind — may be a safe and effective aid for dealing with excess body weight and obesity, which affect more than 60 percent of adults in the United States.

Researchers Uncover Cellular Mechanisms for Attention in the Brain

Posted: 26 Jul 2013 09:34 AM PDT

The ability to pay attention to relevant information while ignoring distractions is a core brain function. Without the ability to focus and filter out "noise," we could not effectively interact with our environment. Despite much study of attention in the brain, the cellular mechanisms responsible for the effects of attention have remained a mystery... until now.