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Novel polymer helps oral medications reach the bloodstream
Three Subtypes of Gastric Cancer Suggest Different Treatment Approaches
Clergy More Likely to Suffer From Depression, Anxiety
Drug blocks light sensors in eye that may trigger migraine attacks
New Energy Model Offers Transparency to Let Others Replicate Findings
Maintain, Don't Gain: A New Way To Fight Obesity
Control Scheme Dynamically Maintains Unstable Quantum Systems
“Helper cells” improve survival rate of transplanted stem cells, mouse study finds
Calcium Supplements May Not Prevent Bone Loss in Women with Breast Cancer
Rim Fire Update August 27, 2013

Novel polymer helps oral medications reach the bloodstream

Posted: 28 Aug 2013 07:21 AM PDT

All too often, when a person takes a pill full of a potent and effective drug, the drug passes straight through the body, not reaching the organ where it is needed — a waste of money and inconvenient if it is a cold medicine, but potentially dire if it is a treatment for a serious illness. Polymer chemists at Virginia Tech and pharmaceutical scientists at Purdue University have teamed up to design a solution.

Three Subtypes of Gastric Cancer Suggest Different Treatment Approaches

Posted: 28 Aug 2013 07:10 AM PDT

Stomach cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide, actually falls into three broad subtypes that respond differently to currently available therapies, according to researchers at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore.

The finding could greatly improve patient care with the development of a genetic test to classify tumors and match them to the therapies that offer the best outcomes.

Clergy More Likely to Suffer From Depression, Anxiety

Posted: 28 Aug 2013 07:03 AM PDT

The demands placed on clergy by themselves and others put pastors at far greater risk for depression than individuals with other occupations, a new study by the Clergy Health Initiative at Duke Divinity School has found.

Drug blocks light sensors in eye that may trigger migraine attacks

Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:55 AM PDT

For many migraine sufferers, bright lights are a surefire way to exacerbate their headaches. And for some night-shift workers, just a stroll through a brightly lit parking lot during the morning commute home can be enough to throw off their body's daily rhythms and make daytime sleep nearly impossible. But a new molecule that selectively blocks specialized light-sensitive receptors in the eyes could help both these groups of people, without affecting normal vision according to a study published August 25, 2013 in Nature Chemical Biology.

New Energy Model Offers Transparency to Let Others Replicate Findings

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 01:55 PM PDT

Computer models are used to inform policy decisions about energy, but existing models are generally “black boxes” that don’t show how they work, making it impossible for anyone to replicate their findings. Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new open-source model and are sharing the data they put into it, to allow anyone to check their work – an important advance given the environmental and economic impact of energy policy decisions.

Maintain, Don't Gain: A New Way To Fight Obesity

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 01:36 PM PDT

Programs aimed at helping obese black women lose weight have not had the same success as programs for black men and white men and women.

But new research from Duke University has found that a successful alternative could be a "maintain, don't gain" approach.

Control Scheme Dynamically Maintains Unstable Quantum Systems

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 12:01 PM PDT

A simple pendulum has two equilibrium points: hanging in the “down” position and perfectly inverted in the “up” position. While the “down” position is a stable equilibrium, the inverted position is definitely not stable. Any infinitesimal deviation from perfectly inverted is enough to cause the pendulum to eventually swing down.

“Helper cells” improve survival rate of transplanted stem cells, mouse study finds

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 08:44 AM PDT

Like volunteers handing out cups of energy drinks to marathon runners, specially engineered “helper cells” transplanted along with stem cells can dole out growth factors to increase the stem cells’ endurance, at least briefly, Johns Hopkins researchers report. Their study, published in the September issue of Experimental Neurology, is believed to be the first to test the helper-cell tactic, which they hope will someday help to overcome a major barrier to successful stem cell transplants.

Calcium Supplements May Not Prevent Bone Loss in Women with Breast Cancer

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 08:35 AM PDT

Women undergoing treatment for breast cancer are widely prescribed calcium and vitamin D supplements to prevent and manage osteoporosis, an unwanted side effect of breast cancer therapies. However, new research from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center finds that the recommended daily doses of these supplements may not prevent loss of bone mineral density (BMD) in these women.

Rim Fire Update August 27, 2013

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 08:24 AM PDT

Fire crews had their hands full with very active fire behavior today. Near Duckwall Ridge, the fire spotted across the line with crews working to control the spot. The fire also crossed the 3N01 road in Reynolds Creek, prompting an expansion of the evacuation advisory in the Highway 108 corridor. Fire crews also were working to contain a spot fire in the southeast portion of the fire as it crossed to the south of Highway 120 at Ackerson Flat. Firefighters were successful in completing dozer line below Pilot Ridge, effectively slowing the fires spread in this location.