French scientists, examining the possibility of using nuclear medicine with gene therapy to fight heart diseases, reported their findings at the Society of Nuclear Medicine’s 52nd Annual Meeting June 18–22 in Toronto.
Previous studies have suggested a beneficial effect of Cyr61–a cysteine-rich, angiogenic inducer protein–in rabbits submitted to ischemic limb disease. However, no data have been available on using Cyr61 in vivo for fighting chronic myocardial ischemia (insuf
Integrated onto the backs of chips
A new technique for fabricating liquid cooling channels onto the backs of high-performance integrated circuits could allow denser packaging of chips while providing better temperature control and improved reliability.
Developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology, the wafer-level fabrication technique includes polymer pipes that will allow electronic and cooling interconnections to be made simultaneously using automated manufacturing
Purdue University researchers may have isolated the substance most responsible for the tissue damage that follows initial spinal cord injury, a discovery that could also improve treatments for a host of other neurodegenerative conditions.
A research team led by Riyi Shi (REE-yee SHEE) has found that a chemical called acrolein, a known carcinogen, is present at high levels in spinal tissue for several days after a traumatic injury. Although acrolein is produced by the body and is no
Virginia Tech’s Freshwater Mussel Conservation Center and Virginia’s Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center in Marion, Va., released several thousand mussels that have been propagated into the Clinch River. Partners in this replenishing project include the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Town of Cedar Bluff, where the restocking took place. The site along Rt. 460 is owned by The Nature Conservancy.
Dick Neves,
When people hear “thalidomide,” many think “birth defects,” however, evidence has come to light that this once-banned drug can be used as a potent anti-cancer treatment. In a new study, researchers from the University of Bologna, Italy, demonstrate that Thal-Dex (thalidomide used in combination with dexamethasone) is more powerful than conventional chemotherapy for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Their findings will be published in the July 1, 2005, issue of Blood, the official journal of the Am
Engineers have introduced a new magnetic shepherding approach for deftly moving or positioning the kinds of tiny floating objects found within organisms, in order to advance potential applications in fields ranging from medicine to nanotechnology.
The authors of a new research article said their method avoids pitfalls of using tiny light beams, electric currents or even a competing magnetic approach to micromanipulate so-called “colloidal” objects. “Biology is composed prima
Understanding how the Amazon River varies in time, what causes those variations, and how sensitive it will be to ongoing, and accelerating, deforestation is a focus of study for scientists at the Woods Hole Research Center. Population and development pressures in the last several decades have led to significant areas of deforestation in the Amazon, most in the eastern and southern portion of the basin. By using a combination of numerical models and data from several disciplines to assess the poss
The route to a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease may have become more straightforward with the discovery that a key enzyme known to have a major role in this disease is in fact part of a family of enzymes. Only some family members play a role in the progression of this brain-wasting illness, new research at the University of Toronto has found.
“It was previously thought that an enzyme called gamma-secretase contributed to the development of protein deposits in the Alzheimer&#
Tumor control persists four to six years, could be treatment of choice for certain patients
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers have shown that radiofrequency ablation (RFA) – a minimally invasive way of destroying tissue – is an effective, longlasting treatment for small kidney tumors in selected patients. In a followup to research published in 2003, the investigators found that RFA treatment of renal cell carcinoma, the most common kidney cancer, continued to be s
Finding may impact understanding of mechanical facets of many diseases
An international team led by Jeffrey J. Fredberg, professor of bioengineering and physiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, has found that the cell modulates its mechanical properties in much the same way as a glassblower shapes fine glassware. This new view of cellular functions sheds light on mechanical facets of phenomena as diverse as asthma, cancer, inflammation, and vascular disease. These findi
Tri-modality imaging on live small animals introduced at Society of Nuclear Medicine’s Annual Meeting June 18–22 in Toronto
The first imaging system to offer researchers three different imaging techniques in one instrument–allowing flexibility in configuring anatomical and functional imaging modalities that will best support their research objectives–was introduced at the Society of Nuclear Medicine’s 52nd Annual Meeting June 18–22 in Toronto.
“For years researcher
The discovery of green sulfur bacteria living near hydrothermal vents has major implications for where photosynthesis happens and where life may reside
A team of researchers, including a photosynthesis expert from Arizona State University, has found evidence of photosynthesis taking place deep within the Pacific Ocean. The team found a bacterium that is the first photosynthetic organism that doesn’t live off sunlight but from the dim light coming from hydrothermal vents nearly
A key step for satellite navigation in Europe was achieved on 16 June 2005, with the formal completion of the technical qualification of the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) and the acceptance of the EGNOS system delivered to ESA.
This formal review, called the Operational Readiness Review (ORR), marked the completion of more than 8 years of intensive work by ESA and European industry. The ORR involved the acceptance of the EGNOS system delivered to E
Researchers at the University of Essex are claiming a world record for the amount of computer data sent over a point-to-point wireless channel.
The results achieved by the team from the Department of Electronic Systems Engineering are the equivalent of more than 162,000 phone calls or over 10,000 broadband internet connections being made simultaneously. Such large capacity could revolutionise wireless internet download times for many households and local businesses, small and larg
Quad bikes and jet skis, as well as computer models, are being used by scientists and engineers to measure and predict storm damage.
Every winter hundreds of British homes are at risk from being flooded when storms hit our shores. Global warming is expected to make matters worse for the future.
Environmental scientists from the University of East Anglia and maritime computer modellers from the University of Liverpool have been collaborating on a project – funded b
“Nanomech is a new non-volatile memory technology which is completely different to the existing one,” explains Dr Mike Beunder, CEO of Cavendish Kinetics. “The existing technology involves storing charge whereas ours operates mechanically like a switch.”
Cavendish Kinetics develops nanotechnology-based non-volatile memory. To support this activity, Cavendish Kinetics has developed its own patent-protected range of Nanomech™ embedded non-volatile memory products.
Nanomech™
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