One million years ago a change in the tropics made the northern hemisphere ice masses expand
Researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and Durham University (UK) have discovered that a million years ago, global climate changes occurred due to changes in tropical circulation in the Pacific similar to those caused by El Niño today. Changes in atmospheric circulation caused variations in heat fluxes and moisture transport, triggering a large expansion of the polar ice she
For the first time, stem cell researchers at the University of Minnesota have coaxed human embryonic stem cells to create cancer-killing cells in the laboratory, paving the way for future treatments for various types of cancers (or tumors). The research will be published in the Oct. 15 issue of the Journal of Immunology.
Researchers generated “natural killer” cells from the human embryonic stem cells. As part of the immune system, natural killer cells normally are present in t
Dietary supplements containing vanadium are used by body builders to help beef up muscles and by some diabetic people to control blood sugar. New research now suggests the naturally occurring but easily toxic element may help prepare the body to recover speedily from infections from gram-negative organisms such as E. coli.
In research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, scientists are trying to understand how recovery might be encouraged and why people with diab
The floodwaters that inundated New Orleans immediately following Hurricane Katrina were similar in content to the city’s normal storm water and were not as toxic as previously thought, according to a study by researchers at Louisiana State University. Their study, the first peer-reviewed scientific assessment of the water quality of the Katrina floodwaters, is good news for those who’ve been exposed directly to the floodwaters, the scientists say.
But the LSU researchers caution t
Understanding how voltage-gated ion channels operate is requisite for improving disease treatment
One of the biggest mysteries in molecular biology is exactly how ion channels – tiny protein pores through which molecules such as calcium and potassium flow in and out of cells – operate. Such channels can be extremely important; members of the voltage-gated ion channel family are crucial to generating electrical pulses in the brain and heart, carrying signals in nerves and muscles.
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered that the small intestine communicates with the liver to control the production of bile acids – a finding that has great medical implications in treating people at risk for certain types of liver disease.
“We’ve discovered a new hormone, and new hormones are always exciting,” said Dr. Steven Kliewer, professor of molecular biology and pharmacology and senior author of a study available online and appearing in t
A novel vaccine targeted to multiple HIV subtypes found worldwide has moved into the second phase of clinical testing, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced today. The study investigators plan to enroll a total of 480 participants at sites in Africa, North America, South America and the Caribbean to test the safety and immune response to the vaccine.
The experimental vaccine was developed by
Long-term tobacco use associated with dulled thinking and lower IQ, study finds
Smokers often say that smoking a cigarette helps them concentrate and feel more alert. But years of tobacco use may have the opposite effect, dimming the speed and accuracy of a person’s thinking ability and bringing down their IQ, according to a new study led by University of Michigan researchers.
The association between long-term smoking and diminished mental proficiency in 172 alcohol
The gene encoding an enzyme that hinders muscle from burning fat manufactures three times more enzyme in the muscle of obese people than lean people, researchers from Duke University Medical Center and Louisiana State University have found. This causes the obese muscle tissue to both store more fat and burn less fat, the researchers said.
“Obesity is a very complex disease, and this metabolic pathway does not fully explain obesity, but it is a likely contributor,” said Debor
Authors say patients and policies should favor high-volume practitioners.
As the implantation of cardioverter-defibrillator devices to prevent sudden cardiac death becomes increasingly popular, patients are likely to get the best results when they are treated by physicians who perform the procedures frequently, according to a new study in the Oct. 18, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
“Defibrillator implantations performed by physicians w
Study of otherwise healthy men reveals indications of coronary artery disease
Erectile dysfunction may be a sign that coronary artery disease is developing, even in men without typical risk factors, according to a new study in the Oct. 18, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
“We think that erectile dysfunction represents the ’tip of the iceberg’ of a systemic vascular disorder; thus potentially preceding severe cardiovascular event
Patients on statin treatment need not worry about cholesterol dropping too low
(Very low LDL cholesterol levels appear to be safe for heart patients on statin therapies, according to a new study in the Oct. 18, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
“There was no apparent safety concern for patients whose resultant LDL on intensive therapy was lower than current guidelines. There was a trend toward improved clinical outcomes in the lowest LDL
UCI study shows link between infant stress and later deficits in brain-cell communication for learning and memory function
Psychological stress during infancy has been found to cause early impaired memory and a decline in related cognitive abilities, according to a UC Irvine School of Medicine study. The study suggests that the emotional stress associated with parental loss, abuse or neglect may contribute to the type of memory loss during middle-age years that is normally seen in
Researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and Durham University (UK) have discovered that a million years ago, global climate changes occurred due to changes in tropical circulation in the Pacific similar to those caused by El Niño today. Changes in atmospheric circulation caused variations in heat fluxes and moisture transport, triggering a large expansion of the polar ice sheets and a reorganisation of the Earth’s climate. The discovery, published in Geology, shows that local climate
While we generally think of water in nature as a cool liquid that we can see — streams, lakes, oceans — there is a great deal of “hot fluid” activity taking place far out of sight, deep within the earth, that influences what ultimately takes place on the surface, including the amount of rainfall and the buildup of new land mass.
What exactly is the nature of that hidden fluid deep beneath the surface and what changes does it undergo as it seeks an ever-deeper venue?
Answ
The Ikerlan Centre for Technological Research is part of the team which is to work on, from this December onwards, the Flame Sofc Europeo project, the object of which is to design and develop a household electrical appliance based on a fuel cell that produces electricity and heat in a way that the dwelling can be self-sufficient and reduce the emission of contaminant elements.
The Flame Sofc project will last for four years and has an overall budget of 13,545,627 Euro. Ikerlan,
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