#New type of gecko-like gripper created Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are developing a new kind of gripper,
motivated by the ability of animals like the gecko to grip and release surfaces, that is perfectly suited for the delicate work involved in semiconductor manufacturing.
Like the gecko, the gripper has"tunable adhesion, "meaning that, despite having no moving parts,
you have a place that has higher stress, "Minsky said.""The reason the gecko's fibers stick so well is because the mushroom-shaped tip forces the high stressed region from edge to the center,
you concentrate the stress in the center when you're pulling straight up.""To detach the posts,
which shifts the stress back to the edge and allows the crack to easily start from there.
--and can perhaps be used to target unsavory antibiotic resistance genes in bacterial pathogens and occasionally in beneficial bacteria.'
or even prevent many of the blunt-force injuries we see today.""Seepersad led the work along with UT Austin research scientist Michael Haberman.
Mesencephalic dopaminergic (mda) neurons and their connections to other neurons in the brain are believed to be related to disorders including drug abuse, schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease,
and perhaps eating disorders, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, Tourette's syndrome, and Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. However studying mda neurons and neocortical neurons in isolation does not reveal much data about how these cells actually interact in these conditions.
This new capability to grow and interconnect two types of neurons in vitro now provides researchers with an excellent model for further study."
and one of the world's highest rates of HIV-1 infection, peaking in young adults,
the winter blood samples had greater infection than those taken in summer. After six weeks of Vitamin d supplementation, the Xhosa blood sample levels of HIV-1 infection were the same as those during the summer."
"High-dosage oral vitamin D3 supplementation attenuated HIV-1 replication, increased circulating white blood cells and reversed winter-associated anemia,"the researchers reported."
"Vitamin D3 presents a low-cost supplementation to improve HIV-associated immunity
#Violence by teachers almost halved in primary schools An innovative program of activities used in Ugandan primary schools has succeeded in reducing violence by teachers against children by 42 percent, according to new research.
#Protein discovery fuels redesign of mosquito-based malaria vaccine A promising type of vaccine designed to eradicate malaria by blocking parasite transmission could be a step closer,
and Dr Rhoel Dinglasan from the Malaria Research Institute at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public health in Baltimore, USA, focused on a protein in the Anopheles mosquito midgut called Anapn1.
Malaria is transmitted to humans by the bite of a mosquito infected with the Plasmodium parasite.
Malaria transmission-blocking vaccines are designed to prevent the spread of malaria by interrupting parasite transmission.
Vaccinated individuals in malaria-endemic countries produce antibodies to Anapn1. During routine disease transmission, when these same immunised individuals become infected with malaria parasites,
both antibodies and parasites are ingested by a mosquito during blood feeding. The antibodies block parasite development in the mosquito
The Anapn1 protein is a leading candidate for a mosquito-based malaria transmission-blocking vaccine that is being developed by Dr Dinglasan."
"This type of vaccine won't boost people's immunity to malaria, but instead it will provide a delayed benefit to the individual by protecting the entire community from parasite transmission,
"Ultimately it could lead to a reduced number of infected mosquitoes and the eventual elimination and eradication of the disease,
This then triggers a systemic inflammatory response from the body's immune cells, similar to a serious infection episode.
In extreme cases, it leads to sepsis induced systemic inflammatory response syndrome, which can be fatal
and the stress it may place on gut integrity.""Nearly all of the participants in our study had blood markers identical to patients admitted to hospital with sepsis.
That's because the bacterial endotoxins that leach into the blood as a result of extreme exercise, triggers the body's immune cells into action."
and heat stress s
#Comprehensive know-how and the full value chain, from technology development to complete systems Arraythe FBH develops the LED TECHNOLOGY in the UV-B and UV-C spectral range from the chip to the final
Most importantly, they also found that these stem cells can give rise to colonic tumors and sustain their growth.
Researchers at Lawson Health Research Institute have identified a new stem cell population in the colon linked to cancer growth.
Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in Canada. It is estimated that in 2015 that 25,100 Canadians will be diagnosed with colon cancer representing 13 percent of all new cancer cases.
Dr. Samuel Asfaha, a clinician-scientist at Lawson and an assistant professor of medicine at the Schulich School of medicine & Dentistry, Western University,
they also found that these stem cells can give rise to colonic tumors and sustain their growth.
however, makes them the most likely cell of origin for cancer. In this study, the researchers sought to identify
According to Asfaha, the identification of the cellular origin of cancer, specifically colorectal cancer, is critical to the understanding of how cancer arises
'These findings are exciting as we have identified an important new target for cancer therapy. It is also proof that more than one stem cell can give rise to
and sustain tumors, telling us that our cancer therapy needs to target more than one stem cell pool.'
'Until now, the only stem cell population linked to colon cancer was radiation sensitive, leading physicians to believe that radiation therapy was effective.'
and we must find new forms of therapy to target the disease, 'says Asfaha a
and can increase the rate of disease in fish.""Suspended sediments result from flood plumes, coastal agricultural and industrial development and from dredging operations
The gills of affected fish were also found to harbour disease-causing bacteria.""The presence of bacteria linked to fish disease on the gills of sediment-exposed fish suggests that exposure to,
and accumulation of sediment, may trigger the development of fish diseases, "says co-author Dr Tracy Ainsworth."
"This research underscores the necessity for future coastal developments to consider the adverse effects of sediment on fish
Researchers develop a faster way to treat the heart after a heart attack Stem cell have been the main focus of healing therapy research
For healing after a heart attack, the ideal time to administer these therapies is when reopening the clogged blood vessel
While stem cells show promise for heart attack treatment, the process of harvesting and reintroducing the cells
Heart attacks occur when the heart's blood vessel is blocked and blood flow stops, cutting off oxygen to the heart.
and tested the microspheres'effectiveness in pigs with induced heart attacks. The researchers observed that the microspheres were not toxic
It also did not decrease the size of the area damaged by the heart attack or the composition of the scar.
the study shows that microsphere therapy can potentially be an"off-the-shelf and immediate alternative to stem cell therapy"for treating heart attacks and potentially other diseases s
#Risk of hepatitis E outbreak'very high'in earthquake-ravaged Nepal During the coming monsoon season, survivors of the recent earthquake that destroyed parts of Nepal face a"very high
"risk of a hepatitis E outbreak that could be especially deadly to pregnant women, according to a consensus statement from a group of infectious disease experts from around the world.
There are an estimated 20 million hepatitis E infections in the world annually. While the virus can lead to liver disease,
it mostly runs its course with few long-term complications. Yet pregnant women have a mortality rate of 25 percent
The group recommends that Nepalese health authorities actively work to identify cases of the disease where pregnant women are being treated;
"Hepatitis E is neglected a virus that isn't well understood but we are now seeing that it is likely a major cause of maternal deaths in countries where it is common,
and was the first enzyme to be targeted for chemotherapy cancer treatment. Drugs were designed to bind strongly to DHFR to prevent it from working,
which he says could selectively react to different pathological agents. The ability to print antibiotics in topographical patterns could address the need for"smart"bandages,
and delivered to match a complex injury. The published research was restricted to one ink cartridge, but the scientists believe it could extend to multi-cartridge printing combining complex functions.
#Important advance in the treatment, prevention of bacterial infection The technology is likely to have significant impact across a number of areas including dentistry,
and 86 percent of these failures are caused by bacterial infection. Developed by Dr. Michele Barbour
and treat a range of infections, but in its traditional formulation is effective for only a very short length of time.
enabling it to provide reliable protection against infection for very much longer than was previously possible.
and prevent persistent bacterial infections over a much longer time frame than is currently possible.'
which should help prevent some hard to treat infections affecting millions of people, 'said Professor Bill Bonfield, chairman of the Armourers and Brasiers Venture Prize judging panel.'
which are especially prone to infection by antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as MRSA.''''We will be using the Venture Prize award money to help us develop a robust and scalable manufacturing process,
#Beating advanced cancers: New epigenomic block for advanced cancer Array"If you think of late-stage cancer as a runaway car,
most of our drugs take a shot at a tire here and there, but sometimes they miss
"We believe we have identified a mechanism that seizes the cancer's biological engine and could potentially stop it in its tracks."
"The new approach zeroes in on an epigenomic fingerprint in metastatic disease, in which the body often misinterprets a healthy genetic blueprint,
which could help providers identify more aggressive cancers or find the best drug for the individual patient to further personalize medical care."
and efforts are ongoing to expand this to tumors beyond kidney cancer, "says Dr. Ho.
Similarly, cancers often subvert a cell's normal epigenomic mechanisms to become more aggressive e
#Tuberculosis bacteria hide in low oxygen niches of bone marrow stem cells A new study from the Forsyth Institute is helping to shed light on latent tuberculosis and the bacteria's ability to hide in stem cells.
Some bone marrow stem cells reside in low oxygen (hypoxia) zones. These specialized zones are secured as immune cells
Hypoxia-activated cell signaling pathways may also protect the stem cells from dying or aging.
The study was published online on June 8th in the American Journal of Pathology. Mtb the causative organism of tuberculosis, infects nearly 2. 2 billion people worldwide
and causes 1. 7 million annual deaths. This is largely attributed to the bacteria's ability to stay dormant in the human body
and later resurface as active disease. Earlier research at Forsyth revealed that Mtb hides inside a specific stem cell population in bone marrow, the CD271+mesenchymal stem cells.
"From our previous research, we learned that cancer stem cells reside in the hypoxic zones to maintain self-renewal property,
like cancer, may also have figured out the advantage of hiding in the hypoxic area.""To test this hypothesis, Dr. Das and his collaborators at Jawarharlal Nehru Univeristy (JNU), New delhi,
and Kavikrishna Laboratory, Indian Institute of technology, Guwahati, utilized a well-known mouse model of Mtb infection, where months after drug treatment,
Experiments also confirmed that these stem cells express a hypoxia activated gene, the hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha.
the team isolated the CD271+stem cell type from the bone marrow of TB infected human subjects who had undergone extensive treatment for the disease.
"These findings now explain why it is difficult to develop vaccines against tuberculosis, "said Dr. Das."
and its application to global health issues including TB, HIV and oral cancer, all critical problems in the area where Kavikrishna Laboratory is located d
called AIM2 (Absent in Melanoma 2), plays a role in determining the aggressiveness of colon cancer.
'Since reduced AIM2 activity in colorectal cancer patients is associated with poor survival, it might be useful to detect the level of AIM2 expression in polyps taken from colonoscopy and use this as one of the biomarkers for prognosis,
'Kanneganti said. Kanneganti and her team believe that it might be possible to prevent the disease
or reduce its risk by treating susceptible people to increase AIM2 activity and give them healthy donor bacteria.'
'In people who already have colorectal cancer, therapies that boost the expression of AIM2, such as interferons, might reduce tumor progression.
Also, transferring healthy microbiota or a group of'good'bacteria to patients with colorectal cancer at the early stage of disease may prolong survival,
'Kanneganti said. Cancer researchers had known that mutations in AIM2 were frequently found in patients with colorectal cancers.
And a study by other researchers had found that more than half of small bowel tumors had AIM2 mutations.
However, AIM2's established function in the cell was not in the machinery of cancer
said one of the paper's first authors Si Ming Man, Ph d.,a postdoctoral fellow in Kanneganti's laboratory.
'This was how we became interested in AIM2 and colorectal cancer.''In their experiments with mice, the scientists used chemicals to trigger the process mimicking the development of colorectal cancer.
They found that the mice showed drastically reduced AIM2 function, confirming the finding in humans with the cancer.
They also found that mice genetically altered to have reduced AIM2 function, when treated with the chemicals,
showed significantly more tumors than normal mice. The scientists'studies also showed that AIM2 played a role independent of its immune role,
'Many previous studies have indicated that AIM2 contributes to the immune system by acting as a pathogen sensor,
because we have found a new role for AIM2 in regulating colorectal cancer, and it does so by inhibiting excessive proliferation of stem cells in the large intestine.'
The scientists found a striking reduction in colon tumors in the AIM2-deficient mice and an increase in tumors in the normal mice.'
'What this might suggest is that transfer of some of the'good'microbiota from wild-type mice to replace the'bad'microbiota from mice lacking AIM2 offers increased protection against colorectal cancer,
or decelerate the progression of colorectal cancer in humans, especially in those who have mutations in the AIM2 gene,
#Supercomputers surprisingly link DNA crosses to cancer Supercomputers have helped scientists find a surprising link between cross-shaped (or cruciform) pieces of DNA and human cancer, according to a study at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin.
But scientists have suspected also these small cruciforms--a structure of DNA itself--to be linked to mutations that can elevate cancer risk.
altering DNA in a way that can increase risk of cancer in yeast, monkeys, and in humans.
and under in a reference database of mutations in human cancer that are somatic, meaning not inherited.
or translocations'can lead to cancer development.''We found that short inverted repeats are enriched indeed at translocation breakpoints in human cancer genomes,
'lead author Karen Vazquez said. Vasquez is the James T. Delucio Regents Professor in the Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology at The University of Texas at Austin.'
and potentially initiate cancer development.''Vasquez said, 'We have studied also the potential mechanisms that are involved in the interplays among alternative DNA structures and cancer development.
Our team has discovered at least two different mechanistic pathways: one involving DNA replication, where these unusual structures cause a roadblock to DNA replication;
'DNA double-strand breaks can increase the risk of cancer because they can result in translocations, deletions,
'These modifications of the DNA can lead to cancer, 'Vasquez said. According to Paul Okano, program director at the Division of Cancer Biology of the National Cancer Institute,
'The focus of Dr. Vasquez'research on the mechanisms of alternate DNA structure-induced mutations, DNA breaks,
Dr. Vasquez'studies on the role of non-B DNA sequences in these mechanisms can contribute to our knowledge of the etiology of human cancer.'
Then the number of these iterations needs to be multiplied by the length of the DNA, then by the number of the translocations in our cancer patients,
'COSMIC is maintained a database by the Sanger Institute in the U k. of mutations found in human somatic, or noninheritable cancer.'
'We had 20,000 translocations from human cancers from the COSMIC database; 200 bases of DNA for each translocation;
''With TACC's support, we were able to see that this is at least one plausible explanation in human cancer etiology,
'Our overarching interest is to understand how DNA structure can influence cancer development. With access to TACC, we are more confident that DNA sequences capable of forming particular unusual structures present a plausible explanation for how DNA breaks can lead to translocations in cancer,
'Vasquez said.''Our next steps are to go forward with a mouse model that can detect mutations
and translocations in the mouse genome using human sequences from these cancer breakpoints, 'Vasquez said.
'The long term goal for these studies is to develop better prevention or treatment strategies for cancer patients,
''If we can help clinical scientists apply mechanistic information such as we hope will be gained from our research to better cancer treatment and a cancer prevention strategies,
Most cardiomyocytes don't replenish themselves after a heart attack or other significant heart muscle damage. The UT Southwestern researchers were able to devise a new cell-tracing technique,
who holds the James T. Willerson, M d. Distinguished Chair in Cardiovascular diseases and the Frank M. Ryburn, Jr.
as well as in cancers, the researchers said. Traditional fate mapping, which is somewhat like developing a family tree for cells, labels cells based on the expression of a certain gene.
Instead, the researchers developed a sophisticated protein-tracking technique based on the presence of a hypoxia-responsive protein called Hif-1alpha.
"This fate-mapping approach, based on protein stabilization rather than gene expression, is an important tool for studying hypoxia in the whole organism.
and even in cancer,"said Dr. Sadek, whose lab focuses on cardiac regeneration and stem cell metabolism m
'said Professor Shankar Balasubramanian of the Department of chemistry and the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, who led the research.'
and the role that these modifications may play in the development of certain diseases, 'said Balasubramanian.'
'The research was supported by Cancer Research UK, the Wellcome Trust and the Biotechnology and Biological sciences Research Council UK K
gastric cancer Researchers have devised a breath test that can help doctors diagnose the early signs of esophageal and gastric cancer in minutes.
They found that the test can discriminate between malignant and benign esophageal cancer in patients for the first time.
The test can also be applied to detect gastric (stomach) cancer tumours. According to the researchers, economic modelling showed that the test could save the NHS £145 million a year
Esophageal and gastric malignancies account for 15 per cent of cancer-related deaths globally. Both cancers are diagnosed usually in the advanced stages
because they rarely cause any noticeable symptoms when they first develop. As a result, the long-term survival rate is 13 per cent for esophageal cancer and 15 per cent for gastric cancer in the UK.
However diagnosis of these cancers at an early stage can improve survival rates. Doctors diagnose esophageal and gastric cancers by carrying out an endoscopy.
This is a procedure where the inside of the body is examined using a probe with a light source and video camera at the end via the mouth and down the gullet.
However, the procedure is invasive and costs the NHS around £400-£600 per endoscopy. Only two per cent of patients who are referred for an endoscopy by GPS are diagnosed with esophageal or gastric cancer.
The first study, published in the Annals of Surgery was carried out by an international team led by scientists at Imperial College London and clinicians at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
"Esophageal and gastric cancers are on the rise in the UK with more than 16,000 new cases diagnosed each year.
The current method for detecting these cancers is expensive, invasive and a diagnosis is made usually at a late stage
and often the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. This makes it harder to treat and results in poor long-term survival rates.
"The test looks for chemical compounds in exhaled breath that are unique to patients with esophageal and gastric cancer.
The cancers produce a distinctive smell of volatile organic compounds (VOC), chemicals that contain carbon and are found in all living things,
which can help doctors detect early signs of the disease. Researchers were able to identify for the first time the number of VOCS in breath samples by using a selected ion flow tube mass spectrometer,
This quantitative technology identified VOCS that were present at significantly higher concentrations in patients with esophageal and gastric cancer than in non-cancerous patients.
a biological feature used to measure the presence or progress of a disease. To take the test,
The researchers used breath samples of patients with esophageal and gastric cancer at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust from 2011 to 2013.
Patients who are at risk of developing these cancers and those who had benign tumours were tested also.
#New mechanism that regulates tumor initiation, invasion in skin basal cell carcinoma Researchers at the Université libre de Bruxelles,
ULB uncover a new mechanism that regulates tumour initiation and invasion in skin basal cell carcinoma.
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cancer found in human with several million of new patients affected every year around the world.
directly controls skin cancer formation by regulating the expansion of tumor initiating cells and the invasive properties of cancer cells.
In collaboration with Pr Véronique Del Marmol (Department of Dermatology, Erasme Hospital, ULB) and the group of Pr François Fuks (Laboratory of cancer epigenetics, Faculty of medicine, ULB), Larsimont and colleagues demonstrated that
Sox9 begins to be expressed in pre-cancerous lesions and is maintained in invasive tumors. Deletion of Sox9 prevents skin cancer formation demonstrating the essential role of Sox9 during tumorigenesis
and leads to the progressive disappearance of the oncogene expressing cells.""It was really exciting to see that the deletion of only one gene was sufficient to completely prevent tumor formation.
It was even more surprising to observe that in absence of Sox9, pre-cancerous cells disappear over time,
suggesting that we can eliminate oncogene expressing cells before cancer formation"comments Jean-Christophe Larsimont, the first author of this study.
as well as the gene network regulated by Sox9 during the early steps of skin tumor initiation
cell adhesion and cytoskeleton dynamics required for tumor invasion. These results have important implications for the development of novel strategies to block tumor formation and invasion in the most frequent cancer in humans."
"Given that the majority of human cancers express Sox9, it is likely that the results of this study will be relevant for other cancers in humans
and will help to define new strategies to prevent cancer formation and block tumor invasion"comments Cédric Blanpain, the last and corresponding author of this study.
This work was supported by the FNRS, Fondation Contre le Cancer, Foundation ULB, ERC the Fonds Gaston Ithier, the Fond Yvonne Boël, the foundation Bettencourt Schueller,
and the foundation Baillet-Latour. Cédric Blanpain is an investigator of WELBIO o
#X marks the spot: Novel method for controlling plasma rotation confirmed Such a method could prove important for future facilities like ITER,
the huge international tokamak under construction in France that will demonstrate the feasibility of fusion as a source of energy for generating electricity.
and proliferation of these neuron-damaging compounds--a discovery that may accelerate the development of new drugs to treat this incurable disease.
The researchers added that the cell-to-cell"seeding"property of these mutant proteins seems to be a critical part of the disease's progression.
which--like many neurodegenerative diseases--is characterized by an accumulation of misfolded mutant proteins that interfere with brain function.
"Determining if a treatment modifies the course of a neurodegenerative disease like Huntington's or Alzheimer's may take years of clinical observation,
Additionally, gauging the seeding property of misfolded proteins may prove to be useful in the development of new treatments for other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, ALS and Parkinson's.
-funded effort to develop stem cell treatments for Huntington's disease. In this project, Thompson and her colleagues plan to create a therapy employing human embryonic stem cells that can be evaluated in clinical trials s
While conventional lithium-ion batteries are composed of brittle electrodes that can crack under stress, the new formulation produces battery cells that can be bent,
safety and reliability of the device that restores vision in those blinded by a rare, degenerative eye disease.
and quality of life for people blinded by retinitis pigmentosa. They are being published online in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Retinitis pigmentosa is an incurable disease that affects about 1 in 4 000 Americans and causes slow vision loss that eventually leads to blindness.
The Argus II system was designed to help provide patients who have lost their sight due to the disease with some useful vision.
Through the device, patients with retinitis pigmentosa are able to see patterns of light that the brain learns to interpret as an image.
The system uses a miniature video camera stored in the patient's glasses to send visual information to a small computerized video processing unit which can be stored in a pocket.
"This study shows that the Argus II system is a viable treatment option for people profoundly blind due to retinitis pigmentosa--one that can make a meaningful difference in their lives
including treatment for other diseases and eye injuries
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