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54 articles from ScienceDaily
Immunity boosting treatment enhances CAR-T cell therapy for blood cancers
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 22:44
A new study shows that treatment with an immunity boosting protein called interleukin 7 (IL-7) after an infusion of genetically modified T cells causes the cancer-fighting CAR-T cells to grow in number and become more effective at killing tumor cells.
Researchers develop pancreatic beta-cell restoring therapy for treating type 1 diabetes
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 22:44
Researchers have successfully treated type 1 diabetes in mice using pancreatic beta-cell, target-specific, chimeric antigen-receptor (CAR) regulatory T cells (Tregs), and demonstrated the feasibility of their approach to treat the human condition according to new data.
Hidden in plain sight: Biologists say southern right whale habitat choice is key to keeping young calves safe
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 22:44
While researchers have speculated that the up to 50-foot-long whales choose shallow, coastal locations for lack of predators and warmer and calmer waters, a team of biologists recently uncovered a new potential motive.
A warming climate decreases microbial diversity
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 22:44
Researchers conducted an eight-year experiment that found that climate warming played a predominant role in shaping microbial biodiversity, with significant negative effect.
Prolonged, low-level radon exposure still a leading cause of lung cancer
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 21:37
A study shows a strong relationship between prolonged exposure to low levels of radon and lung cancer, indicating a need for enhanced protection measures. Radon gas in the air decays into tiny radioactive particles which can damage lung cells and lead to cancer.
Rural areas near coast will bear the brunt of U.S. sea-level rise
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 21:37
A new analysis using highly detailed elevation maps of the Chesapeake Bay suggests that North America's extensive areas of low-lying rural land will allow coastal marshes to persist or even expand as salty water creeps upward into what are now forests and farmland.
A dynamic duo of cells identified in lung blood vessels
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 21:37
Scientists have identified two subtypes of lung blood vessel cells. One subtype expresses more genes involved in inflammation and the regulation of the immune response; the other expresses more genes involved in cell regeneration and proliferation. The findings could lead to better treatments for lung infections.
A biological super glue from mistletoe berries?
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 20:16
Researchers suggests that mistletoe viscin's ultra-stiff flexible fibers, which adhere to both skin and cartilage as well as to various synthetic materials, could have a range of applications -- both biomedical and beyond.
Research clarifies hazards posed by harmful algal blooms
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 20:15
Research has shed new light on the hazards associated with harmful algal blooms such as one four years ago that fouled drinking water in Oregon's capital city of Salem.
Gravity-defying spike waves rewrite the rule book
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 20:15
Researchers studying wave breaking have found that axisymmetric 'spike waves' can far exceed limits that were previously thought to dictate the maximum height of ocean waves.
Opioid analgesic fentanyl may cause autism-like behavior in young mice, study finds
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 20:15
A new study reveals that opioid analgesic fentanyl may induce autism-like behaviors in young male and female mice. The findings indicate that reduced expression of the gene Grin2b in the anterior cingulate cortex of the brain following fentanyl treatment accounts for the autism-like behavior in the mice. However, there is no current evidence that fentanyl is associated with a similar effect in...
Companies’ use of renewable energy certificates masks inaction on carbon emissions
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 20:15
A new study argues that renewable energy certificates -- a market-based tool that certifies the bearer owns one megawatt hour of electricity produced from renewable energy sources -- generally do not reduce emissions and firms using them are overstating their climate mitigation claims. In one calculation, the researchers show how a sample of 115 companies between 2015 and 2019 reported a 31 per...
Real-time imaging of dynamic atom-atom interactions
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 20:15
Researchers have managed to observe and characterize dynamic assembly of metallic atoms using an ingenious combination of scanning transmission electron microscopy and a video-based tracking. By visualizing short-lived molecules, such as metallic dimers and trimers, that cannot be observed using traditional methods, the researchers open up the possibility of observing more such dynamic structures...
Study explores uncertainties in flood risk estimates
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 20:15
Flood frequency analysis is a technique used to estimate flood risk, providing statistics such as the '100-year flood' or '500-year flood' that are critical to infrastructure design, dam safety analysis, and flood mapping in flood-prone areas. But the method used to calculate these flood frequencies is due for an update, according to a new study.
Magnetic material could help monitor battery life
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 20:15
A new study shows how a magnetic material can be used to help monitor the amount of life left in a rechargeable battery before it needs to be recharged.
Scientists create nanoparticle that helps fight solid tumors
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 20:15
Researchers have discovered a possible new approach in treating solid tumors through the creation of a novel nanoparticle.
Study reveals how epilepsy and migraine drug causes birth defects
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 20:15
Valproic acid -- a drug used to treat epilepsy, migraine, and bipolar disorder -- can cause birth defects when taken during pregnancy. Now, a study reveals one reason why: valproic acid (VPA) puts some cells of the developing nervous system into senescence, a kind of halted state that keeps them from growing and dividing correctly.
Earliest record of wildfires provide insights to Earth's past vegetation and oxygen levels
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 18:27
While wildfires over recent years have raged across much of the western United States and pose significant hazards to wildlife and local populations, wildfires have been a long-standing part of Earth's systems without the influence of humans for hundreds of millions of years.
Right whales' survival rates plummet after severe injury from fishing gear
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 18:27
Most North Atlantic right whales that are severely injured in fishing gear entanglements die within three years, a study finds. Severely injured whales were up to eight times more likely to die than those with minor injuries, and only 44% of males and 33% of females with severe injuries survived longer than 36 months. Females that did survive had low birth rates and longer intervals between...
Progress on early detection of Alzheimer's disease
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 18:27
As more than 6 million Americans continue living with Alzheimer's disease, a biomedical engineer is reporting the development of a new probe for detection of the protein that is known to be a hallmark of Alzheimer's. The finding could signal a step forward in early detection of the disease.
Vitamin D deficiency can lead to dementia
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 18:27
Dementia is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people worldwide, affecting thinking and behaviors as you age. But what if you could stop this degenerative disease in its tracks?
Double-layered catalyst generates more hydrogen
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 18:27
Engineers have developed a catalyst by adding a flat platinum interface to NiFe-layered double hydroxide (LDH). The new catalyst increases hydrogen production efficiency and displays 11.2 times higher activity than conventional catalysts.
Dried samples of saliva and fingertip blood are useful in monitoring responses to coronavirus vaccines
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 18:27
Based on an antibody study, dried samples of easily self-collected saliva and of blood drawn from the fingertip could be useful for monitoring people's immune responses to vaccination.
Women burn fat even after menopause
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 18:27
The estrogen deficiency following menopause is thought to impair women's ability to use fat as an energy source. A study shows that menopausal state or blood estrogen levels do not clearly determine the rate middle-aged women are able to use fat at rest or during exercise. Higher fat utilization did not indicate better glucose tolerance.
Stem cells unraveled: We're one step closer to making organs in a dish
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/14 18:27
Using a mouse model, researchers have deciphered an alternative route that certain cells take to make organs and used that knowledge to exploit a new type of stem cells as a potential source of organs in a dish.