The drug cetuximab, a promising new targeted therapy better known as Erbitux, offers another option for patients who have colorectal cancer that resists standard chemotherapy treatment, according to an editorial written by two Mayo Clinic cancer researchers that will be published in the July 22 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
The editorial is co-authored by Mayo Clinic’s Charles Erlichman, M.D., chair of the Department of Oncology and a specialist in the research and t
James Bond-style technologies such as cell phones the size of earpieces and invisible sensors sprinkled about to detect toxins are closer to reality. University of Michigan researchers have figured out how to build wireless systems even smaller while still retaining range and power efficiency.
One obstacle to further shrink small wireless devices has been trying to fit all the components onto one chip but U-M researchers have built a tiny silicon-compatible antenna and frequency resonator
A research team at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has created a new type of reflector that has dramatically improved LED (light-emitting diodes) luminance. The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded the research team a three-year, $210,000 grant to move the patented omni-directional reflector to market.
“We have developed an omni-directional reflector (ODR) for LEDs that will accelerate the replacement of conventional lighting used for a multitude of applications, such as lig
Background noise that interferes with cellphone conversations could be a thing of the past thanks to a dual microphone system developed at the University of Toronto.
“In typical environments there is background noise and reverberations that make it hard to carry on a cellphone conversation,” says lead researcher Professor Parham Aarabi of U of T’s Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “This system employs two microphones that, just like the two human ears,
A new study has caught a newborn star similar to the sun in a fiery outburst. X-ray observations of the flare-up, which are the first of their kind, are providing important new information about the early evolution of the sun and the process of planet formation.
The study, which was conducted by a team of astronomers headed by Joel Kastner of the Rochester Institute of Technology that included David Weintraub from Vanderbilt, is reported in the July 22 issue of the journal Nature.
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Babies as young as five months old make distinctions about categories of events that their parents do not, revealing new information about how language develops in humans. The research by Sue Hespos, assistant professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University, and Elizabeth Spelke, professor of psychology at Harvard University, was published in the July 22 issue of Nature in the article “Conceptual precursors to language.”
“It’s been shown in previous studies that adults actually categorize
American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) accreditation increases the quality of ultrasound practice, according to an article published in the August 2004 issue of the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine. The article, “The Accreditation of Ultrasound Practices: Impact on Compliance With Minimum Performance Guidelines,” by Alfred Z. Abuhamad et al, concludes that “ultrasound accreditation adds value to the practice by improving compliance with AIUM minimum standards and guidelines for the pe
Doctors are reporting some success in treating one of the most troubling symptoms of dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease. A drug commonly used to treat schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders appears effective at reducing actions like screaming at or slapping caregivers – agitated behaviors that occur in as many as half of patients.
The work, led by researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center, was presented July 22 at the 9th International Conference on Alzheimer
A biological process in plants, thought to be useless and even wasteful, has significant benefits and should not be engineered out — particularly in the face of looming climate change, says a team of UC Davis researchers.
The researchers have found that the process, photorespiration, is necessary for healthy plant growth and if impaired could inhibit plant growth, particularly as atmospheric carbon dioxide rises as it is globally. Their findings are published this week in the Proceedings
New sources of computing power – derived from such novel areas as neuron-like cells and powerful chemical reactions – could form the heart of the next generation of computers. The University of the West of England and four research partners have just won £1.8 million in government funding to carry out research into computers that are inspired by nature. This means UWE is playing a key role in two out of only five nationally funded projects aimed at such exciting multidisciplinary research.
People who suffer from chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma and heart problems should benefit from a new remote, home care monitoring system that could also bring an end to overcrowded waiting rooms.
With project partners in Estonia, Latvia and the UK facing research costs of over €2 million, the development of Doc@HOME® was made possible with the help of a grant of €1.1 million from the Information Society Technology (IST) Programme of the European Union’s Fram
Researchers at the University of Dundee with colleagues at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine have discovered how the sand-fly spreads one of the world’s most serous tropical diseases – Leishmaniasis.
With reported British deaths due to the sand-fly bite, the researchers have worked out how the Leishmania parasite has manipulated the sand-fly as the perfect transmission system for itself.
This paper, to be published in Nature by Matt Rogers and Paul Bates from the Liverpool
“When I started at Rolls-Royce last September, I didn’t think I would have the chance to work on a new engine concept.” Angel Gallo, graduate trainee, Rolls-Royce. Researchers from Cambridge University and graduate trainees from Rolls-Royce are currently working together in a quest to explore possible future designs for a completely new type of aircraft engine.
Engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce is a partner in the Cambridge-MIT Institute’s ‘Silent Aircraft’ Initiative. This is a unique thre
EMBO fellowships extend eligibility criteria to promote equal opportunities
The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) today announced pioneering new eligibility criteria for its long-term and short-term fellowships. The new criteria cater for applicants with childcare commitments and scientists returning to work after a career break for childcare reasons. Further amendments aim to attract applicants from outside Europe and to encourage international mobility and collaborati
Cancers of the gut are one of the major causes of death from cancer, but a review published this week shows that they are also amongst the most preventable through changes in diet.
Of the 10 million new cases of cancer diagnosed in 2000, around 2.3 million were cancers of the digestive organs – pharynx, oesophagus, stomach or colorectum. Studies have shown that they are not purely genetic and can be modified by diet.
Professor Ian Johnson, author of the review and head of Gastroint
A team of European researchers plans to perfect techniques for producing antibodies and vaccines, obtained from plants, to prevent and treat major human diseases, such as AIDS, rabies and TB. The idea is to use genetically modified (GM) crops eventually to produce plant-based pharmaceuticals. Pharma-Planta is a consortium of eleven European countries and South Africa which, thanks to €12 million in EU funding, plans to produce vaccines and other treatments for major diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, rab
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