science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Τρίτη 22 Απριλίου 2014

Science News SciGuru.com

Getting some sleep helps to fight infections
Turning study of brain neuroanatomy on its head: new insight into axon myelination
Listening to religious music has mental health benefits for older Christians
Cancer Stem Cells Linked to Drug Resistance

Getting some sleep helps to fight infections

Posted: 22 Apr 2014 07:13 AM PDT

When humans are suffering from an infection, it is common to become fatigued and to want to sleep more than usual. Two studies on fruit flies published online ahead of print in the journal Sleep suggest that this instinct should be followed. The studies from researchers in the University of Pennsylvania show that sleep is important in increasing resistance to infection and promoting survival.

Turning study of brain neuroanatomy on its head: new insight into axon myelination

Posted: 21 Apr 2014 10:22 AM PDT

Myelin is an electrical insulating material which facilitates rapid transmission of neuronal signals along axons of nerve cells. Up until now, it has been assumed that myelin is uniformly distributed along the axonal length. However, a study in the current issue of Science from researchers in Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Neuroscience Institute of Turin shows this to be false assumption. In fact, neurons have distinct myelin distribution patterns, with the most evolved neurons having less myelin than more ancestral neurons.

Listening to religious music has mental health benefits for older Christians

Posted: 21 Apr 2014 09:54 AM PDT

Listening to religious music has a positive impact on the mental health of older people according to a new study published in the journal The Gerontologist. The study from a team of researchers in different US universities looked at measures of mental health including feelings of death anxiety and of life satisfaction, self-esteem, and a sense of control.

Cancer Stem Cells Linked to Drug Resistance

Posted: 21 Apr 2014 09:40 AM PDT

Most drugs used to treat lung, breast and pancreatic cancers also promote drug-resistance and ultimately spur tumor growth. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered a molecule, or biomarker, called CD61 on the surface of drug-resistant tumors that appears responsible for inducing tumor metastasis by enhancing the stem cell-like properties of cancer cells.