Researchers at École Polytechnique de Montréal have successfully guided a microdevice inside an artery using computer control and a clinical MRI system. The breakthrough could enable interventional medicine to target inaccessible sites using nanorobots.
A new mathematical model developed by USC College computational biologist Peter Calabrese simulates the evolution of genetic recombination hotspots in the human genome. The model reveals that hotspots are not as fixed as previously thought, but rather vary across populations and can be found in multiple ethnic groups.
The black-white life expectancy gap has narrowed from 1983 to 2003, primarily due to improvements in mortality rates for homicide, HIV disease, and heart disease. However, the current difference remains substantial, with blacks experiencing a 6.3-year gap over whites.
Researchers at Yale University developed a new procedure to estimate individual embryo reproductive potential, potentially reducing multiple births. The method uses proton NMR spectroscopy to analyze metabolic profiles of embryos, correlating with pregnancy outcomes.
A study found that warming temperatures since 1981 have caused annual losses of roughly $5 billion for major cereal crops. Global crop yields respond negatively to warmer temperatures, with a 3-5% drop in yield for each 1 degree Fahrenheit increase.
A new study by Carnegie Institution and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory reveals that global warming has already affected global food supply, with average yield drops of 3-5% for every 1 degree F increase in temperature. The study estimates annual losses of $5 billion for major food crops.
Chan will develop new simulation theories to create fast models that predict real-time results, using mathematical programming techniques. He plans to involve graduate and undergraduate students in his research, creating hands-on experience and educational software for high school students.
Virginia Tech researcher Yong Xu seeks to create an optical microscope that can image nanostructures at one nanometer resolution, a breakthrough in arranging atoms on the molecular scale. Observing the vacuum field at this resolution could help solve quantum electrodynamics' remaining mysteries.
A new nanoscale apparatus developed at JILA measures the wiggling of a tiny gold beam using electrons, enabling faster scanning tunneling microscopes. The device offers a potential 500-fold increase in speed and can measure atomic vibrations in high definition.
A new study reveals racial disparities in male breast cancer survival rates, with African-American men facing a higher risk of death. The research analyzed data from over 510 men diagnosed with stage I-III breast cancer and found five-year survival rates of 66% among African-American men versus 90% among white men.
NIST has created a new Standard Reference Material (SRM) to help diagnose chronic kidney disease more accurately. The SRM consists of frozen human blood serum with two different concentrations of creatinine, which is a metabolic by-product of muscles.
Dr. Kenneth Lyons Jones, a pioneering researcher, has received the 2007 March of Dimes/Colonel Harland Sanders Award for his groundbreaking work on dysmorphology and fetal alcohol syndrome. His research has focused on identifying mechanisms of normal and abnormal fetal development.
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine has awarded $6 million in comprehensive grants to the Burnham Institute for Medical Research to support long-range stem cell studies aimed at developing new treatments for heart disease and brain repair. The funds will enable researchers to develop a supply of nerve cells for brain rep...
A University of Alberta study reveals that older adults feel less confident about their computer knowledge due to memory issues and health problems. The research highlights the importance of adapting computer technology to accommodate vision, hearing, and motor skills impairments.
Three UCI projects focus on mitochondria, spinal cord injuries and genetic manipulation of human embryonic stem cells. Researchers aim to develop therapies and treatments for degenerative diseases and cancers.
The American Physiological Society awarded $47,000 travel fellowships to 38 underrepresented minority students and scientists for the 2007 Experimental Biology conference. The program aims to encourage more students from diverse groups to pursue careers in science.
A new study has developed an antimicrobial approach using gallium to defeat drug-resistant bacteria. The researchers interfered with a key bacterial nutrient, killing microbes in laboratory experiments and eliminating life-threatening infections in mice.
Researchers at Yale University have discovered four genetic variants associated with spontaneous preterm birth in Hispanic women. The study found that mothers carrying these polymorphisms were significantly more likely to experience preterm birth. Notably, the ENPP1 variant was linked to the highest risk of preterm birth.