Posts Tagged ‘physiology’
Health & Medicine - Dec 22, 2009 16:28 - 3 Comments
Potential MD treatment from tarantulas
U. BUFFALO (US)—A protein in tarantula venom shows promise as a potential therapy for muscular dystrophy (MD). (more…)
Health & Medicine - Dec 7, 2009 12:43 - 1 Comment
Brain’s balancing act key to learning
NYU (US)—Our ability to learn new information and adapt to changes in our daily environment, as well as to retain lifelong memories, appears to lie in the minute junctions where nerve cells communicate. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Nov 16, 2009 12:38 - 2 Comments
Doctors take 3-D tour before surgery
IOWA STATE (US)—James Oliver picked up an Xbox game controller, looked up to a video screen, and zipped through a patient’s chest cavity for an up-close look at the bottom of the heart. Oliver was using new software that allows doctors to take an accurate, 3-D tour of a patient’s anatomy in advance of surgery. (more…)
Science & Technology - Nov 13, 2009 18:15 - 1 Comment
New twist in dinosaur debate
WASHINGTON-ST. LOUIS (US)—Recent evidence suggests many dinosaurs may have been “warm-blooded” like present-day mammals and birds rather than cold-blooded like lizards. If true, their internal furnace would have enabled them to live in colder habitats, such as high mountain ranges and the polar regions, allowing them to cover the entire Mesozoic landscape. (more…)
Science & Technology - Nov 10, 2009 14:26 - 3 Comments
Are sprinters born or made?
PENN STATE (US)—Sprinters get their burst of acceleration from longer toes and a unique ankle structure, according to biomechanists. But it remains unclear whether sprinting ability is congenital or if training can influence the shape of foot bones. (more…)
Science & Technology - Nov 5, 2009 14:21 - 3 Comments
Runners gain no advantage from prosthetic legs
U. COLORADO (US)—Amputees who use running-specific prosthetic legs have no performance advantage over counterparts who use their biological legs, according to a recent study. (more…)
Society & Culture - Oct 22, 2009 12:24 - 0 Comments
Testosterone tumbled in McCain’s male voters
DUKE (US)—Young men who voted for Republican John McCain or Libertarian candidate Robert Barr in the 2008 presidential election suffered an immediate drop in testosterone when the election results were announced. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Oct 15, 2009 10:41 - 1 Comment
Jury’s still out on salt restriction
UC DAVIS (US)—Researchers have found compelling evidence indicating that humans naturally regulate their salt intake within a narrowly defined physiologic range. The new analysis questions the scientific logic and feasibility of the decades-long effort to limit salt intake in humans. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Oct 12, 2009 21:03 - 1 Comment
Avoiding chemo’s collateral damage
UC IRVINE (US)—Researchers believe they have developed a way for chemotherapy drugs to reach specific tumors with increased precision, thereby limiting side effects. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 5, 2009 12:34 - 0 Comments
Flip of switch illuminates cell function
UC BERKELEY (US)—A new way to select and switch on one cell type in an organism using light has helped answer a long-standing question about the function of one class of enigmatic nerve cells in the spinal cord. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Oct 2, 2009 13:18 - 2 Comments
Olive oil compound may fight Alzheimer’s
NORTHWESTERN (US)—A new study has found that oleocanthal, a naturally occurring compound found in extra-virgin olive oil, beneficially alters the structure of neurotoxic proteins believed to contribute to the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s disease. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Sep 29, 2009 17:52 - 2 Comments
Brain may crave fast-food fix
VANDERBILT (US)—Researchers are investigating the disruptive effect high-fat, high-sugar foods may have on insulin signaling in the brain, and its regulation of neurotransmitters involved in mood and behavior. The findings could lead to new ways to treat obesity and diabetes. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Sep 10, 2009 11:09 - 2 Comments
Midnight snacks pack on pounds
“How or why a person gains weight is very complicated, but it clearly is not just calories in and calories out,” says lead researcher Fred Turek.
Earth & Environment - Aug 18, 2009 4:00 - 0 Comments
Clues to bee collapse raise questions
“While the study’s results don’t indicate a specific cause of CCD, the results do help scientists narrow the direction of future CCD research by showing that some possible causes are less likely,” says Jeff Pettis, an entomologist with the ARS Bee Research Laboratory. (Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons/http://commons.wikimedia.org)
Earth & Environment - Jul 29, 2009 17:15 - 1 Comment
Amphibians don’t cozy up to warmer climes
“We could see changes to ecosystem structure and stability if cold-blooded species change their life histories to accommodate warmer temperatures but warm-blooded species do not,” says researcher Santiago Salinas.
Health & Medicine - Jul 8, 2009 9:37 - 1 Comment
Single gene may trigger arterial hardening
“Most drugs used to treat atherosclerosis do so by reducing LDL cholesterol levels. Although this approach is highly successful, it has been a mystery for decades as to how LDL gets from the blood into the vessel wall to initiate atherosclerosis,” says William Sessa of the Yale School of Medicine. The Yale researchers have identified a single gene that, when active, seems to trigger atherosclerosis.
Science & Technology - Jun 30, 2009 12:59 - 0 Comments
High-tech ‘couture’ with firefighters in mind
IOWA STATE (US)—A research team at Iowa State University is using 3-D body scans to study the way firefighters move in their protective gear. Their work is part of a national effort to develop firefighter gear that fits and feels better—and is ultimately safer to wear. (more…)
