In this study of 45 families by the Division of Pediatric Neurology, Alberta Children’s Hospital, about 40 percent reported seizure-specific reaction from their dogs, and about 15 percent of the dogs overall showed the ability to anticipate a seizure among the children they lived with. Children in the study ranged in age from 6.8 years to 17.5 years. The most common response behavior was licking, often of the face, followed by decreased motor activity, “protective” behavior without aggression, and wh
One billion people, a sixth of the world’s population, currently live in the path of potential major flood disasters, according to a recent report from the UN University in Tokyo. In Britain, dramatic flooding of rivers has become a regular feature of evening news programmes. And each time major flooding occurs in the UK, the public demands an immediate response from the authorities.
ESRC-funded research at the University of Middlesex has examined the process by which floods policy has ch
On 2 May 2004, the High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on board the ESA Mars Express spacecraft obtained images from the central area of the Mars canyon called Valles Marineris.
The images were taken at a resolution of approximately 16 metres per pixel. The displayed region is located at the southern rim of the Melas Chasma at Mars latitude 12°S and Mars longitude 285°E. The images were taken on orbit 360 of Mars Express.
This region shows several clues to the morphological and
MicroRNAs (miRNAs), tiny pieces of genetic material that can serve as stop signs for gene expression and protein synthesis, are thought to be important in the development of cancer. Now, researchers at Jefferson Medical College and the Kimmel Cancer Center of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia have developed a technique that allows them to find which miRNA genes are expressed – and how – in both cancerous and normal tissue.
Scientists, led by Carlo Croce, M.D., director of Jefferson’s K
Ovarian stimulation of male steroids is the culprit behind this disorder.
A woman finds herself with excessive facial hair, obesity, menstrual abnormalities, infertility, and enlarged ovaries may have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), an unfortunate condition thought to be caused by excessive secretion by the ovaries of androgen, a hormone associated with male characteristics. Men and women both have hormones expressing male and female characteristics. Yet, the cause of this excess
Just after 3 a.m. on July 10, University of Colorado at Boulder researcher John Gille expects to watch a new NASA satellite blast into orbit from the dark California coastline on a mission to study Earth’s protective ozone layer, climate and air quality changes with unprecedented detail.
Gille, principal investigator on the satellite’s High Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder (HIRDLS) instrument, said he and his sleep-deprived colleagues will probably only get to watch the rocket for
Project marks unique collaboration with NASA
NASA’s Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite will reach a major milestone on Thursday, June 24, 2004 – the five-year anniversary of its launch atop a Delta-II rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
The 18-foot tall, 3,000 pound satellite continues to operate from its perch nearly 500 miles above the Earth’s surface, gathering unique data about everything from planets and nearby stars to galaxies and quasars billi
By making use of model compounds in drug design, chemists at the University of California, San Diego identified a class of molecules that could lead to treatments for a wide range of diseases, including cancer, arthritis, and heart disease.
Enzymes—protein catalysts—in the body that help break down connective tissue like collagen are important in growth and wound healing, but also play a role in many diseases. For example, these enzymes are overactive in arthritis and are used by cancer cell
European-funded research projects to reduce aircraft noise and fuel consumption are now running at full speed. Included is one of Europe’s largest-ever noise-reduction research ventures, known as SILENCE(R). A consortium of 51 companies is testing new technologies to reduce aircraft noise by up to 6 decibels (dB) by 2008, with the EU contributing half the funding for SILENCE(R), with a total budget over €110 million. Other significant initiatives include FRIENDCOPTER, to reduce helicopter engine and
Despite the technical advances of digital FM radio, offering increased choice and crystal clear, disturbance-free radio reception, AM (medium and long-range) radio is still the most common medium used to broadcast news and entertainment around the world. Now EUREKA project E! 2390 DIAM has combined the benefits of digital radio with the range and popularity of AM. Following on from the work of the EUREKA project E! 1557 NADIB which defined the technical standard necessary to achieve digital a
High-quality video transmission with multi-channel sound through DSL connections finally becomes reality thanks to an up to now unmatched efficiency in audio and video compression. The revolutionary new multimedia technology can be licensed one-stop at Fraunhofer IIS.
MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding AVC allows screen-filling video in good quality at data rates of less than one megabit per second. High Efficiency Advanced Audio Coding Surround (HE-AAC Surround) is the ideal audio companion for
Two researchers affiliated with the University of Verona have reviewed the literature on depression caused by medications in an article published in the July-August issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. Certain medications may contribute to the etiology of depressive symptoms and disorders. Research in this area, however, has been hampered by methodological and conceptual problems. This review had two objectives: to identify evidence linking medical drugs to depressive symptoms and disor
A modern form of working, teleworking offers many benefits; no travelling to the office, no need for an office and flexible working hours. The IST project TELESOL is successfully promoting teleworking between countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Europe.
“TELESOL is not a research action; it’s about coordinating existing tools and research to make people aware of this new way of working,” says project manager Serguei Smaguine of EDNES. “We can help them overcome the
Study results published in the August issue of the journal Cancer reinforce previous findings that the laminin-8 genes and the resulting protein may be highly valuable targets in the fight against malignant brain tumors.
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai’s Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute report that over-expression of laminin-8 can be used as a predictor of a tumor’s grade, its potential for recurrence, and the patient’s length of survival. This follows their earlier findings that laminin-
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has received a grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to create a photonic research center to develop ultra-fast light sources for high-speed signal processing and optical communications systems. The grant will provide $6.2 million in funding over four years.
The Hyper-Uniform Nanophotonic Technology Center is directed by Norman K.Y. Cheng, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and a researcher at the university’
A small Ohio study has offered the first published evidence that aggressively treating brain blood clots at their source soon after symptoms start can produce a good outcome for many stroke patients.
In the study, published in a recent issue of the journal Neurosurgery, 50 percent of stroke patients had little or no neurological disability one to three months after clot-dissolving medication was delivered directly to the site of the blockages, compared to 39 percent of patients with similar
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