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Ultra-high-field MRI may allow earlier diagnosis of Parkinson's disease
Quantifying Folded and Misfolded Protein Levels in Cells
Yeast model reveals Alzheimer’s drug candidate and its mechanism of action
Structural and electrical engineers team up to examine a method for increasing energy efficiency
T lymphocytes: In First Moments of Infection, a Division and a Decision
Boron, Discovered in 1808, Gets a Nano Refresh
Controlling Protein Intake May Be Key to a Long and Healthy Life
B-cells aggravate autoimmune diseases
Solving the riddle of anti-inflammatory molecule points way to new therapies

Ultra-high-field MRI may allow earlier diagnosis of Parkinson's disease

Posted: 05 Mar 2014 04:40 AM PST

New research shows that ultra-high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides detailed views of a brain area implicated in Parkinson's disease, possibly leading to earlier detection of a condition that affects millions worldwide. The results of this research are published online in the journal Radiology.

Quantifying Folded and Misfolded Protein Levels in Cells

Posted: 05 Mar 2014 04:26 AM PST

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have invented small-molecule folding probes that enable them to quantify functional, normally folded and disease-associated misfolded conformations (shapes) of a protein-of-interest in cells under different conditions.

Yeast model reveals Alzheimer’s drug candidate and its mechanism of action

Posted: 04 Mar 2014 03:30 PM PST

Using a yeast model of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Whitehead Institute researchers have identified a drug that reduces levels of the toxic protein fragment amyloid-β (Aβ) and prevents at least some of the cellular damage caused when Ab accumulates in the brains of AD patients.

Structural and electrical engineers team up to examine a method for increasing energy efficiency

Posted: 04 Mar 2014 09:53 AM PST

Increasing energy efficiency in buildings requires substantial coordination between design engineers and architects. It is not unusual nowadays to see photovoltaic solar cells plastered to a roof or even embedded within a building’s façade.

T lymphocytes: In First Moments of Infection, a Division and a Decision

Posted: 04 Mar 2014 09:10 AM PST

Using technologies and computational modeling that trace the destiny of single cells, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine describe for the first time the earliest stages of fate determination among white blood cells called T lymphocytes, providing new insights that may help drug developers create more effective, longer-lasting vaccines against microbial pathogens or cancer.

The findings are published in the March 2, 2014 online issue of Nature Immunology.

Boron, Discovered in 1808, Gets a Nano Refresh

Posted: 04 Mar 2014 08:56 AM PST

The National Nanotechnology Initiative defines nanotechnology as the understanding and control of matter at the nanoscale, at dimensions of approximately 1 and 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications. Nanotechnology is taking the world by storm, revolutionizing the materials and devices used in many applications and products. That’s why a finding announced by Xiang-Feng Zhou and Artem R. Oganov, Group of Theoretical Crystallography in the Department of Geosciences, are so significant.

Controlling Protein Intake May Be Key to a Long and Healthy Life

Posted: 04 Mar 2014 08:00 AM PST

While it's clear that diet can affect longevity, there's great uncertainty about which combinations of foods are best for attaining a long and healthy life. Now two groups of researchers publishing in the March 4 issue of the Cell Press journal Cell Metabolism each suggest that low protein intake may be a key factor, at least until old age.

B-cells aggravate autoimmune diseases

Posted: 04 Mar 2014 07:41 AM PST

Scientists in Freiburg may have discovered a fundamental aggravating factor in autoimmune diseases. If B-lymphocytes lack the protein PTP1B, the cells will become hyperactive for stimulatory signals and can thus promote an autoimmune attack. This study offers an additional explanation to how B-cells regulate an immune response.

Solving the riddle of anti-inflammatory molecule points way to new therapies

Posted: 04 Mar 2014 07:34 AM PST

A new study from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden has solved the riddle of why inhibitors of the enzyme LTA4 hydrolase, a key enzyme in the inflammatory response, have had only modest effects in clinical trials. In the study, published online in PNAS, the researchers cleverly exploit the fact that LTA4 hydrolase has both a pro-inflammatory and a pro-healing function which are mediated via different parts of the active site of the enzyme. Therefore targeting of LTA4 hydrolase in anti-inflammatory therapy depends on blocking the pro-inflammatory function while sparing the healing function.