Japanese research group led by Prof. Makoto Tominaga and Dr. Takaaki Sokabe (National Institute for Physiological Sciences: NIPS) found that TRPV4 ion channel in skin keratinocytes is important for formation and maintenance of barrier function to prevent dehydration. Their finding was reported in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
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Tucson, Ariz. -- Astronauts are known to have a higher risk of getting sick compared to their Earth-bound peers. The stresses that go with weightlessness, confined crew quarters, being away from family and friends and a busy work schedule - all the while not getting enough sleep - are known to wreak havoc on the immune system.
Most venomous snakes are legendary for their lethal bites, but not all. Some spit defensively. Bruce Young, from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, explains that some cobras defend themselves by spraying debilitating venom into the eyes of an aggressor. Getting the chance to work with spitting cobras in South Africa, Young took the opportunity to record the venom spray tracks aimed at his eyes. Protected by a sheet of Perspex, Young caught the trails of venom and two things struck him: how accurately the snakes aimed and that each track was unique. This puzzled Young.
Promoting parent involvement has been a big part of efforts to improve school performance. A new study has found that children whose parents were more involved across elementary school had fewer problem behaviors and better social skills, but that children's academics weren't affected.
Elementary-school-age children from poor families are more vulnerable to the effects of poor sleep than their peers. That's the finding of a new study that assessed the ties between children's sleep and their emotional development.
The study, by researchers at Auburn University, appears in the May/June 2010 issue of the journal Child Development.
A new study on preschoolers attending full-day child care in licensed day care homes has found increases in cortisol, a stress hormone, when the children are in child care that exceeds their levels at home. The increases were larger in day care homes where providers were intrusive or overcontrolling.
The study, in the May/June 2010 issue of the journal Child Development, was conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota, Georgetown University, and the Oregon Social Learning Center.
For women with mild heart failure, device therapy is an extremely attractive option to prevent progression of the disease, according to a study presented today at the Heart Rhythm Society's 31st Annual Scientific Sessions. Women with mild heart disease who had a cardiac resynchronization device combined with a defibrillator (CRT-D) implanted had a 70 percent reduction in heart failure alone and a 72 percent reduction in death from any cause. Men received some benefit from the therapy, but not the out-of-the-park results seen in women.
Researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a gene in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae that might be important for ethanol production from plant material, providing insights into the bioethanol alternative to 'fossil fuels'. Combining new high-throughput genome sequencing technology with traditional genetic methods, this study highlights the previously unknown potential of natural S. cerevisiae strains to convert five-carbon sugars such as xylose into ethanol. Details are published May 13 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.
ATLANTA, GA (May 13, 2010) -- A national summit of medical professionals meeting last month in Atlanta called for the creation of consensus scan techniques as a way of addressing the concerns of patients undergoing CT scans -- a common medical imaging procedure that uses X-rays to show cross-sectional images of the body.
People who realize that stroke symptoms are occurring in a family member or friend still may not call 9-1-1 — delaying vital treatment, according to research published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
"This study emphasizes the critical roles that symptom recognition and the calling of 9-1-1 have in reducing delays in hospital arrival to receive urgent stroke treatment," said Chris Fussman, M.S., lead author of the study and an epidemiologist with the Michigan Department of Community Health in Lansing, Mich.
New Rochelle, NY, May 13, 2010—HIV disease tends to progress at a faster rate in infected individuals who consume two or more alcoholic drinks a day, according to an important new paper in AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The article is available free online.
PHILADELPHIA –- University of Pennsylvania bioengineers have demonstrated that the cells that line blood vessels respond to mechanical forces — the microscopic tugging and pulling on cellular structures — by reinforcing and growing their connections, thus creating stronger adhesive interactions between neighboring cells.
Hunting and fishing quotas limit the number of game animals or fish an individual may take based on harvests from the previous year. But according to a new study co-authored by University of Minnesota ecologist Craig Packer, this strategy may jeopardize wildlife populations.
The authors recommend that wildlife managers rethink policies for sustainable utilization. Setting limits on the number of days allowed for hunting and fishing rather than the number of trophies would be a more effective way to ensure continued supply and to prevent extinction.
SANTA CRUZ, CA--A major survey of lizard populations worldwide has found an alarming pattern of population extinctions attributable to rising temperatures. If current trends continue, 20 percent of all lizard species could go extinct by 2080, according to Barry Sinervo, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
An international team of biologists has found an alarming pattern of population extinctions attributable to rising temperatures. If current trends continue, up to 20 percent of all lizard species are predicted to go extinct by 2080. The study was published in the May 14th issue of Science.