Body

Tuning the material structure at the nanoscale level can be really hard to achieve – but what if we had small particles, which assemble all by themselves, creating the required structure? At the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), the phenomenon of self-assembly is being investigated by studying inhomogeneously charged particles. Depending on different parameters, they can form gel-like or crystal-like structures. This kind of self-assembly holds great promise for nanotechnology.

Micro Particles with Specially Structured Surfaces

From the Faroe Pony to the Spanish Mustang, fewer animals have played such a central role in human history as the horse. New research in Animal Genetics reveals that a horse's gait, an attribute central to its importance to humans, is influenced by a genetic mutation, spread by humans across the world.

The team, led by Dr. Leif Andersson from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, explored the distribution of a mutation in the DMRT3 gene which affects the gait of horses, known as the 'gait keeper.'

The increasing use of chemical herbicides is often blamed for the declining plant biodiversity in farms. However, other factors beyond herbicide exposure may be more important to species diversity, according to Penn State researchers.

If herbicides are a key factor in the declining diversity, then thriving species would be more tolerant to widely used herbicides than rare or declining species, according to J. Franklin Egan, research ecologist, USDA-Agricultural Research Service.

While the results of smoking may be expected to decrease fitness, new research, published in Respirology, has found that smokers are less physically active, lack motivation and are more likely to suffer symptoms of anxiety and depression.

The research, led by Dr. Karina Furlanetto, from Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Brazil, is the first study to show that smokers are less physically active than non-smokers.

STAT1 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 1) is a member of a family of transcription factors, cellular proteins that control whether and when particular genes are active. STAT1 transmits signals from interferons to the immune system. Animals with too little STAT1 suffer from weak immune responses and are prone to develop tumours: human cancer patients frequently have mutations in their STAT1 gene. On the other hand, too much STAT1 causes the immune system to overreact and in humans often results in autoimmune diseases.

Having a good week? It may lead to healthier choices. If you are a man with HIV, you may be more likely to use a condom during sex. In a new study, researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health report that HIV-positive men whose moods improved in a given week were more likely to have safe sex than they would in a normal week. In weeks where moods were worse than usual, they were more likely to have unprotected sex.

Results appear online in the journal Health Psychology.

Stomach and bowel cancer, two of the most common cancers worldwide, could be treated with a class of medicines that are currently used to treat a blood disorder, a Melbourne research team has discovered.

The finding, in preclinical models, that medicines called 'JAK inhibitors' reduce the growth of inflammation-associated stomach and bowel cancer provides the first evidence supporting their use in treating these cancers.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY'S HAAS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS – According to Elance.com, the online workplace lists more than three million registered freelancers worldwide, and each month it posts 100,000+ freelance jobs ranging from computer programming and web design to finance and engineering. As an increasing number of freelancers depend on the virtual workplace, how can they make themselves more attractive to potential employers?

SALT LAKE CITY – A team of researchers, led by physicians and scientists at Intermountain Healthcare's Intermountain Medical Center and ARUP Laboratories, has made a medical breakthrough by discovering genetic mutations that cause a rare and deadly lung disease.

The disease, pulmonary capillary hemangiomatosis or PCH, is a rare cause of pulmonary hypertension, which occurs predominantly in young adults. PCH affects less than one in a million people, and has been extremely difficult and expensive to diagnose, as well as challenging to treat.

PHILADELPHIA — Among patients with advanced melanoma, presence of higher levels of the protein vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in blood was associated with poor response to treatment with the immunotherapy ipilimumab, according to a study published in Cancer Immunology Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

The study suggests combining immunotherapy with VEGF inhibitors, also known as angiogenesis inhibitors, may be a potential option for these patients.

Ann Arbor, MI, February 4, 2014 – Researchers consider infant mortality to be a key indicator of population health. Currently, the United States ranks 27th among industrialized nations in infant mortality, but rates within the U.S. vary significantly by race, socioeconomic status, and geography. In particular, the Southern states suffer from high rates of infant mortality, along with several other negative population health indicators such as obesity and diabetes.

The pomp. The pageantry. The exciting wins and devastating losses. Unbelievable feats of athleticism and sheer determination. That's right – it's time for the winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Everyone has their picks for who will take gold medals and we're likely to see some unexpected upsets.

But there are certain athletes that may have a leg up on everyone else: the Russians.

New research reveals that South Africa has the highest rate of high blood pressure reported among people aged 50 and over for any country in the world, at any time in history.

Analysis of data from a major survey found that 78 per cent of those who took part in South Africa tested positive for high blood pressure, or hypertension. Less than one in 10 people were effectively controlling their condition with medication.

High blood pressure could be as devastating to global health as HIV, a group of experts is warning.

Writing in the International Journal of Epidemiology this week, Prof Peter Lloyd-Sherlock from the University of East Anglia (UEA), Prof Shah Ebrahim and Prof Heiner Grosskurth of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), say the response of most governments and international aid agencies to high blood pressure, or hypertension, is little better than the reaction to HIV/AIDS 20 years ago – too little too late.

On average, organic farms support 34% more plant, insect and animal species than conventional farms, say Oxford University scientists.

Researchers looked at data going back thirty years and found that this effect has remained stable over time and shows no signs of decreasing.