Body

By controlling levels of reactive oxygen species levels within chronic wounds of genetically modified mouse models., Manuela Martins-Green, Ph.D., of the University of California, Riverside (UC Riverside) was able to normalize conditions and heal the wounds, according to research to be presented on Tuesday, Dec. 17, at the American Society for Cell Biology annual meeting in New Orleans.

Suppressing the enzyme fidgetin promotes the re-growth of experimentally injured nerve cells and their connections, according to research with laboratory rats that will be presented Tuesday, Dec. 17, at the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) annual meeting in New Orleans.

Because they are known to mop up pollutants, artificial wetlands are considered to be an efficient strategy to contain waterborne uranium. But studying a natural wetland near a former uranium-mining site in the French region of Limousin, researchers have found that under certain circumstances, uranium can be partly remobilized into the surrounding water. In a recent publication in Nature Communications, they show how it becomes mobile again by binding to tiny metallic and organic compounds with a little help from ambient bacteria.

The sweet-gum family Altingiaceae is a small group of wind-pollinated trees that produce hard, woody fruits that contain numerous seeds. This widespread tree family has been puzzling botanists for a while, due to its complicated taxonomic structure, and the morphological similarities between the different genera which makes their separation and description a challenge.

Organizations looking to hire new staff should rethink their clandestine use of social networking websites, such as Facebook, to screen new recruits. William Stoughton of North Carolina State University, lead author of a study published in Springer's Journal of Business and Psychology, found that this practice could be seen as a breach of privacy and create a negative impression of the company for potential employees. This spying could even lead to law suits.

This news release is available in German.

For chemists, natural substances are compounds formed by organisms to fulfill the myriad biological functions. This biological activity makes them very interesting for industrial applications, for example as active agents in medication or as plant protection agents. However, since many natural substances are difficult to extract from nature, chemists are working on creating these substances in their laboratories.

The fact that smoking means a considerable health risk is nowadays commonly accepted. New research findings from Uppsala University and Uppsala Clinical Research Center show that smoking alters several genes that can be associated with health problems for smokers, such as increased risk for cancer and diabetes.

Organic sunscreens released from sea-bathing or wastewater discharges are emerging pollutants frequently detected in natural waters, and draw extensive concerns due to potential ecological risks. Photochemical transformation of organic sunscreens in surface waters may influence their environmental fate and ecological risk. The latest researches on the photochemical behavior of organic sunscreens were summarized in a paper entitled.

A study by Manchester scientists backs preventative surgery to improve survival for women who are at greater risk of getting ovarian cancer and suggests it appears helpful for women at risk of getting breast cancer because of genetic faults.

Led by University of Melbourne PhD candidate Cathy Watson also of the Royal Women's Hospital, the findings were published online in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

This study is the first to investigate the effect of oral garlic on vaginal colonisation of candida and provides another link in the chain of investigation of complementary and alternative therapies.

In a simple randomised double-blinded controlled trial, 63 women with candida were given three garlic tablets or placebo orally twice daily for fourteen days.

The technique comes as an alternative to Dr. Shinya Yamanaka's reprograming methods, which won him the Nobel prize in 2012. Dr. Yamanaka's approach involved reprogramming somatic cells in vitro by introducing four genes through the use of a virus. While promising, the use of this method has been limited. As Dr. Kostarelos's article states, "One of the central dogmas of this emerging field is that in vivo implantation of [these stem] cells will lead to their uncontrolled differentiation and the formation of a tumor-like mass."

Curtin University researchers have shown natural radioactivity within DNA can alter chemical compounds, providing a new pathway for genetic mutation.

The research, recently published in Biochimica et Biophysica Acta-General Subjects, for the first time looked at natural radioactivity within human DNA on the atomic-scale.

While radioactivity occurs naturally in our bodies as well as in every living organism across the planet, it was never before thought to affect our DNA in such a direct way.

Proteins are basic building blocks of life. The chemistry and structure of proteins are essential for their biological function. Indeed, the structure of proteins determines their mechanical and catalytic properties (e.g. enzymes). Such functions literally shape all living beings. Furthermore, the protein structure also plays a major role in many diseases.

How to design a hypersonic airplane that travel from Beijing to New York in only two hours? Dr. Cui Kai and his group from State Key Laboratory of High Temperature Gas Dynamics, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences set out to tackle this problem. After three years of innovative research, they presented a body-wing-blending configuration with double flanking air inlets layout to aim at design requirements of high lift-to-drag ratio as well as high volumetric efficiency of next generation hypersonic airplanes.

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