Body

Scientists in Munich report evidence that high concentrations of the molecular "chaperone" proteins GroEL and GroES -- intracellular machines that can stabilize folding proteins under stress -- play a critical role in increasing the maximum temperature at which E. coli bacteria can grow. Massively and permanently elevated levels of the GroE proteins were found in bacteria adapted, step-wise over a period of years, for growth at 48.5 degrees C.

Alexandria, Va., USA – Defined sets of factors can reprogram human cells to induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. However, many types of human cells are not easily accessible to minimally invasive procedures. In a paper published in the International and American Associations for Dental Research's Journal of Dental Research, lead researcher K. Tezuka and researchers N. Tamaoki, H. Aoki, T. Takeda-Kawaguchi, K. Iida, T. Kunisada and T. Shibata all from the Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan; and K. Takahashi, T. Tanaka and S.

Until now, rating the world's best soccer players was often based on a fan's personal sense of the game. But researchers at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., recently developed a computer program that, for the first time, measures player success based on objective assessments of performance instead of opinion.

Thanks to technical progress, there are now new areas in which whole body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) can be used. In the current edition of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2010; 107[22]: 383-9), Gerwin Schmidt and his coauthors present a review of possible uses, together with the limits of this radiation-free diagnostic procedure.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – One way obese people become salt sensitive and hypertensive has been identified by Medical College of Georgia researchers.

Rome, Italy, Thursday 17 June 2010: Smoking cigarettes is a significant risk factor for developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and may have a negative impact on the effectiveness of anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) inhibitors in RA patients taking these treatments, according to results of two studies presented today at EULAR 2010, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Rome, Italy. A further study has shown that smoking interferes with the expression of several genes which, when over-expressed can contribute to processes which exacerbate disease activity.

Rome, Italy, Thursday 17 June 2010: The role of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP, a protein thought to be a regulator of cardiovascular function) as a robust, non-invasive predictor of cardiovascular (CV) risk in patients with arthritis taking cyclooxygenase inhibitors has been reinforced by the results of a multinational study presented today at EULAR 2010, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Rome, Italy.

Scientists at the University of Texas in Dallas, with funding from AFOSR's Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative, are seeking solutions for maintaining privacy in a cloud, or an Internet-based computing environment where all resources are offered on demand.

Dr. Bhavani Thuraisingham has put together a team of researchers from the UTD School of Management and its School of Economics, Policy and Political Sciences to investigate information sharing with consideration to confidentiality and privacy in cloud computing.

BOSTON (June 17, 2010) - Staying in shape may bolster the metabolic profiles of college students, even in those with higher than desirable body fat percentages. In an epidemiological study, researchers at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University found an association between physical fitness, body fat percentage and certain metabolic risk factors that are precursors to cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Lithium has been established for more than 50 years as one of the most effective treatments for manic depression, clinically termed bipolar disorder.

However, scientists have never been entirely sure exactly why it is beneficial.

Now, new research from Cardiff University scientists suggests a possible mechanism for why Lithium works, opening the door for better understanding of the illness and potentially more effective treatments.

Four out of ten high-risk patients prescribed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) also received appropriate measures to prevent upper-gastrointestinal (UGI) problems, but the remainder did not receive adequate protection, according to a study in the June issue of Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Although the number of patients receiving preventative strategies increased five-fold over the 11-year period studied by researchers in The Netherlands, greater steps need to be taken to protect patients who face a high risk of side effects.

The pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is associated with severe oxidative stress and non-selective immunological disturbance that lead to necroinflammation and the progression of fibrosis. Several trials have suggested that antioxidant and immunostimulant therapies may have a beneficial effect. Two previous clinical studies have reported that the Viusid related effect on histologic features, especially fibrosis, appears to be associated with antioxidant and/or immunomodulatory properties. However, the putative mechanism of action of Viusid is unknown.

Diarrhea represents a major condition responsible for pediatric mortality worldwide. The onset of neonatal diarrhea may rapidly lead to life threatening dehydration and malnutrition. Clinical and epidemiologic studies defining severity and etiology are needed in order to improve diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for the management of neonatal diarrhea.

Hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT), which is the most common vascular complication after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), can result in graft loss and devastating consequences. Surgical techniques are suggested to an important factor in causing HAT. Despite improvements in surgical techniques, arterial reconstruction in LDLT has a high risk of thrombosis.