science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Πέμπτη 1 Αυγούστου 2013

Science News SciGuru.com

Robots Strike Fear in the Hearts of Fish
New 3-D colonoscopy eases detection of precancerous lesions
How superbug spreads among regional hospitals: A domino effect
Tiny, brightly shining silicon crystals could be safe for deep-tissue imaging
Gene decoding resembles road traffic
Interior rotation of a distant star revealed

Robots Strike Fear in the Hearts of Fish

Posted: 31 Jul 2013 12:18 PM PDT

The latest in a series of experiments testing the ability of robots to influence live animals shows that bio-inspired robots can not only elicit fear in zebrafish, but that this reaction can be modulated by alcohol. These findings may pave the way for new methodologies for understanding anxiety and other emotions, as well as substances that alter them.

New 3-D colonoscopy eases detection of precancerous lesions

Posted: 31 Jul 2013 12:05 PM PDT

MIT researchers have developed a new endoscopy technology that could make it easier for doctors to detect precancerous lesions in the colon. Early detection of such lesions has been shown to reduce death rates from colorectal cancer, which kills about 50,000 people per year in the United States.

How superbug spreads among regional hospitals: A domino effect

Posted: 31 Jul 2013 10:18 AM PDT

A moderate increase in vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) at one hospital can lead to a nearly 3 percent increase in VRE in every other hospital in that county, according to a study in the August issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

VRE is one of the most common bacteria that cause infections in healthcare facilities.

Tiny, brightly shining silicon crystals could be safe for deep-tissue imaging

Posted: 31 Jul 2013 09:36 AM PDT

Tiny silicon crystals caused no health problems in monkeys three months after large doses were injected, marking a step forward in the quest to bring such materials into clinics as biomedical imaging agents, according to a new study.

Gene decoding resembles road traffic

Posted: 31 Jul 2013 09:09 AM PDT

One of life’s most basic processes – transcription of the genetic code – resembles road traffic, including traffic jams, accidents and a police force that controls the flow of vehicles. This surprising finding, reported recently by Weizmann Institute researchers in Nature Communications, might facilitate the development of a new generation of drugs for a variety of disorders.

Interior rotation of a distant star revealed

Posted: 31 Jul 2013 08:55 AM PDT

A team of scientists led by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (Germany) and the University of Göttingen (Germany) have for the first time unambiguously measured the internal rotation of a Sun-like star and determined the inclination of its rotation axis. Their calculations show that the star rotates about 2.3 times faster than the Sun, with the axis of rotation inclined at 30 degrees to our line of sight. The star, HD52265, is located more than 90 light years away in the constellation of Monoceros.