Speeding Star Observed with VLT Hints at Massive Black Hole
Using ESO’s Very Large Telescope, astronomers [1] have recorded a massive star moving at more than 2.6 million kilometres per hour. Stars are not born with such large velocities. Its position in the sky leads to the suggestion that the star was kicked out from the Large Magellanic Cloud, providing indirect evidence for a massive black hole in the Milky Way’s closest neighbour. These results will soon be published in th
A team of researchers has demonstrated the clinical efficacy and benefits of a vaccine for a type of blood cancer, follicular lymphoma, amongst first time relapse patients. Specialists from two University of Navarre centres – the University Hospital and the Research Centre for Applied Medicine (CIMA) – have worked jointly since 2001 on the research.
According to Dr. Maurizio Bendandi, the team leader, it is the first time that a vaccine against a type of cancer has been able to
Today sees the publication of an authoritative, multidisciplinary report which aims to provide the UK Government with a coherent, feasible solution to the acknowledged problem of the UK’s looming Energy Gap. The report, written by John Loughhead, (Executive Director, UK Energy Research Centre) is the result of a multidisciplinary consensus meeting between 150 scientific, technical, economic and sociological experts at Burlington House on October 12 and 13, under the auspices of The Geologic
People with a specific combination of variants of two genes, encoding two different receptors for the antibody Fc gamma, are three times more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than individuals with different variant combinations. A study published today in the journal Arthritis Research & Therapy confirms previous findings of an association between the Fc gamma Receptor (FCGR) gene family and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The study shows that a specific variant combination of two FCGR genes on
By studying how superconductors interact with magnetic fields, Pitt researchers advance quest for higher-temperature superconducting materials
Superconductors are materials with no electrical resistance that are used to make strong magnets and must be kept extremely cold–otherwise, they lose their superconducting abilities. Even the “high-temperature” superconductors discovered in the 1980s must be kept at around -300°F.
The search for superconductors that function at hi
Queen’s researchers may have opened the door to more effective treatment of a deadly strain of the E. coli bacteria with the discovery of a previously unknown protein.
A team led by biochemistry researcher Zongchao Jia and graduate student Michael Suits has identified a protein that allows the bacterial strain known as E. coli 0157:H7 to obtain the iron it needs for survival in the body.
Iron is a catalyst for bacterial growth, so when a human body detects bacterial i
New software is helping scientists get a more complete view of the environment from satellites that orbit the earth.
Maps that depict the thickness of the ozone layer, for instance, frequently contain blank spots where a satellite wasn’t able to record data on a particular day, explained Noel Cressie, professor of statistics and director of the Program in Spatial Statistics and Environmental Sciences (SSES) at Ohio State University.
He and his colleagues found
The Quaking gene, first described as a mutation in mice that causes rapid tremor, is thought to suppress tumor formation and protect humans from cancer.
Now, a team of researchers from Northwestern University and the University of Wisconsin has shown that the Quaking gene likely suppresses tumor growth by inhibiting production of a protein associated with GLI1, a cancer-causing oncogene highly associated with severe birth defects and several childhood cancers.
The gr
Structural and chemical compositions of Si-Al Oxy-Nitride coatings altered through the use of reactive DC magnetron sputtering
Sialons are ceramics possessing chemical inertness, good thermal shock resistance, and excellent mechanical properties that are retained up to high temperatures. These properties mean sialon systems have found considerable applications in engineering.
Sialons are almost never found as natural minerals and sialon powders must be synthesized. They are
Phosphate tungsten bronzes have been tested as cathodes in electrochemical lithium insertion cells
Since their discovery in 1830 the tungsten bronzes have been extensively studied due to their interesting chemical, electrical and optical properties. An interesting structural feature at the molecular level is the presence of long, empty tunnels. These tunnels can have other ions inserted into them to enhance and alter the properties of the base material.
This study, publis
Researchers at Yale have brought to light a mechanism that regulates the way an internal organelle, the Golgi apparatus, duplicates as cells prepare to divide, according to a report in Science Express.
Graham Warren, professor of cell biology, and his colleagues at Yale study Trypanosoma brucei, the parasite that causes Sleeping Sickness. Like many parasites, it is exceptionally streamlined and has only one of each internal organelle, making it ideal for studying processes of more
Researchers examine the association between several reported risk indicators
Severe periodontal disease causes tooth loss and affects a certain group of people that appear to exhibit increased susceptibility to periodontal destruction, according to a study that appeared in the November Journal of Periodontology.
Researchers found that tooth loss due to periodontal disease is associated with the risk indicators of age, male gender, smoking, lack of professional maintenance,
As the spectacular New England fall foliage gives way to another of the region’s infamous winters, many wonder what this year will bring. Long-time residents think winter just isn’t what it used to be in New England. And mounting evidence from a series of studies suggests they’re right. The total number of days of ice on the region’s rivers has declined significantly in recent decades and particularly in the spring, according to the latest U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) resea
New way of using MRI may show us what the naked eye cannot see
Researchers may have discovered a new way that may ultimately assist in the early diagnosis of schizophrenia – by utilizing MRI to study the patient’s brain. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) looked for subtle brain abnormalities that cannot be seen by the human eye. A study examined the entire brain, looking at distributed patterns of abnormalities rather than differences in speci
A multidisciplinary team consisting of researchers from McGill/MUHC and the CHUM have been awarded a grant of nearly $700,000 by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to continue their groundbreaking research on pain suffered by some women during sexual intercourse. The new funding will allow the team, consisting of psychologists, gynecologists, physical therapists and statistician/epidemiologists, to root-out the cause of a condition experienced recurrently by at least 15% of Canadian
Implications for study of memory, learning, and cognition
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered that nerve-cell dendrites have the capacity to splice messenger RNA (pre-mRNA), a process once believed to only take place in the nucleus of cells. By uncovering this capability in dendrites, the investigators hope to relate this capacity to memory and learning, as well as cognitive dysfunction. Senior author James Eberwine, PhD, Professo
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