Technology reveals ’molecular map’ of organic matter
A new facility unveiled today at U of T at Scarborough provides an unprecedented view of the molecular secrets found in organic matter-shedding new light on fields such as climate change, environmental contamination and forensic science.
The Environmental Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Centre is the first of its kind in Canada dedicated to research in environmental science. Husband-and-wife researchers Myrna Si
Managing the explosion of Europe’s online travel market requires flexible systems that incorporate niche offers with legacy systems. DAFNE’s Europe-wide infrastructure enables spontaneous cooperation among online applications on different networks.
A successor to the IST project FETISH, the main thrust of the recently completely DAFNE project, also funded by the European Commission’s IST programme, is to enhance the effects of existing FETISH network technology and commercially exploit the
New research from the University of Warwick reveals that Queens and prostitutes bared their breasts in the media of the 1600s to titillate the public, and that the exposure of a single breast in portraits and prints was common in portrayals of court ladies. While Janet Jackson’s action of baring her right breast at the Super Bowl earlier this year was considered outrageous, such exposure in 17th century media wouldn’t have raised so much as an eyebrow.
In expensive portraits and c
Because they target and track deadly brain tumor cells – even those that migrate within the brain – neural stem cells appear to be effective “delivery systems” to transport cancer-killing gene and immune products. But not all neural stem cells take on this tracking role.
Now researchers at Cedars-Sinai’s Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute, using mouse and human cells, have defined a subset of neural stem cells that have this tumor-tracking potential. They also have identified a bioc
Think of ESA’s Proba as the little satellite that does a lot. It is only the size of a washing machine but its main instrument – the smallest hyperspectral imager ever flown in space – has an expanding portfolio of uses encompassing agricultural mapping, water quality monitoring, charting forest fire damage and disaster management.
Launched in October 2001, the Project for Onboard Autonomy (Proba) satellite measures just 60 x 60 x 80 cm. Its main instrument takes up around a third of t
University of Central Florida researcher worries images of unattainable bodies may encourage steroid use
TV images of muscular, bare-chested men lifting weights and endorsing cologne leave men feeling depressed and unhappy with their muscularity, which may lead to steroid abuse and unhealthy, extreme exercising, University of Central Florida researchers have concluded.
While many studies have shown how images of thin, beautiful models affect women’s self-esteem, UCF psy
A Purdue University research team has found a set of genes that may orchestrate insects’ ability to fight the effects of pesticides.
“Our study suggests that more than one gene may be involved in making insects resistant to certain pesticides,” said Barry Pittendrigh, associate professor of entomology. “Using a music analogy, metabolic resistance may not be a single individual playing a single instrument. It’s more likely a symphony with numerous instruments playing a role i
Since November, a physics experiment called the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS II) has been looking for components of dark matter, the primary “stuff” of which the universe is made. Conducted from the Soudan Underground Mine in northern Minnesota, the search is for postulated dark matter particles called WIMPS–weakly interacting massive particles. So far, the experiment has found no WIMPs, but neither has it found contamination from stray neutrons. CDMS II member Priscilla Cushman, a physics pro
Cells derived from the inside of a tooth might someday prove an effective way to treat the brains of people suffering from Parkinson’s disease
A study in the May 1 issue of the European Journal of Neuroscience shows dental pulp cells provide great support for nerve cells lost in Parkinson’s disease and could be transplanted directly into the affected parts of the brain. The study’s lead author is Christopher Nosrat, an assistant professor of biological and materials sci
Certain types of cells from fat tissue can repair skull defects in mice, say researchers at Stanford University Medical Center. Because this type of healing process does not depend on the use of embryonic stem cells or gene therapy, it may one day allow doctors to use a patient’s own unmodified cells as building blocks to heal fractures, replace joints, treat osteoporosis or correct defects in bone growth or healing.
“These cells are from you, for you and by you,” said Lucile Packard Child
A team at the University of Rochester has found that the human brain makes much more extensive use of highly complex statistics when learning a language than scientists ever realized. The research, appearing in a recent issue of Cognitive Psychology, shows that the human brain is wired to quickly grasp certain relationships between spoken sounds even though those relationships may be so complicated they’re beyond our ability to consciously comprehend.
“We’re starting to learn just
Teens who suffered iron deficiency as infants are likely to score lower on cognitive and motor tests, even if that iron deficiency was identified and treated in infancy, a new University of Michigan study shows.
Betsy Lozoff, who has studied iron deficiency for nearly three decades, followed Costa Rican children who were diagnosed with severe, chronic iron deficiency when they were 12-23 months old and were treated with iron supplements.
She and her collaborators examined 191 child
What’s a little male fish’s secret weapon for attracting the lady fish? Something some guys but few other males in the animal kingdom have thought of: It acts like a good dad.
Sand gobies, small fish native to the European coast, are among about 20 percent of fish families worldwide that display some form of care for eggs or hatchlings. But in experiments reported in the current issue of the journal Behavioral Ecology, a team that includes a University of Florida scientist reports
Researchers at Purdue University are working with industry to develop an “intelligent” system that could save U.S. companies $1 billion annually in manufacturing costs by improving precision-grinding processes for parts production.
“Precision grinding is currently an art that relies heavily on the experience and knowledge of employees who have been in the business for years,” said Yung Shin, a professor of mechanical engineering who is leading the Purdue portion of the research. “The problem
Benign breast masses can be safely and effectively removed without surgery—using a vacuum assisted breast biopsy system, preliminary results of a study show
The study found that breast masses as large as 3 cm could be completely removed with just a small incision. The study included 24 patients, with 27 lesions, said Priscilla Slanetz, MD, director of breast imaging at Caritas St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Boston, MA, a teaching affiliate Tufts University School of Medicine.
Multidetector CT (MDCT) is superior to plain film x-rays for detecting problems that occur in patients who have undergone hip replacements, a new study shows.
Hip prostheses generally last 10-15 years, said Joshua Farber, MD, vice chair of clinical affairs at Indiana University Hospital in Indianapolis. Then a series of complications can occur. Dr. Farber studied 45 patients who had pain in their replaced hip, using both plain film x-rays and MDCT to diagnose the problem. MDCT was 100
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