Fluorescent proteins found in nature have been employed in a variety of scientific research purposes, from markers for tracing molecules in biomedicine to probes for testing environmental quality. Until now, such proteins have been identified mostly in jellyfish and corals, leading to the belief that the capacity for fluorescence in animals is exclusive to such primitive creatures.
Inheriting two genetic mutations that can individually cause epilepsy might actually be 'seizure-protective,'said researchers. "In the genetics of the brain, two wrongs can make a right,"said one of the scientists "We believe these findings have great significance to clinicians as we move toward relying upon genes to predict neurological disease."
A new study shows that massage therapy decreases pain levels for patients after heart surgery. Researchers created pilot studies and research protocols for massage therapy, music therapy and guided imagery for patients, as well as stress education classes for patients and family members.
Despite the availability of life-saving antiretroviral treatment, people infected with HIV continue to die and suffer from complications of AIDS, mainly due to delayed diagnosis and initiation of treatment. Scientists have shed light on why this problem persists.
Researchers have carried out studies into one of the two survival motor neuron genes that set suffers from spinal muscular atrophy apart from the rest of the population.
Are math problems bugging your kids? Tell them to talk back -- using their hands. Psychologists report that gesturing can help kids add new and correct problem-solving strategies to their mathematical repertoires. What's more, when given later instruction, kids who are told to gesture are more likely to succeed on math problems.
The widely accepted (albeit unproven) theory that manmade global warming will accelerate itself by creating more heat-trapping clouds is challenged by new research. Instead of creating more clouds, individual tropical warming cycles that served as proxies for global warming saw a decrease in the coverage of heat-trapping cirrus clouds.
The radar system on ESA's Mars Express has uncovered new details about some of the most mysterious deposits on Mars: The Medusae Fossae Formation. It has given the first direct measurement of the depth and electrical properties of these materials, providing new clues about their origin.
Scientists are using adult neural stem cells to develop a new stem-based drug delivery therapy that may ultimately help treat a variety of inherited disorders like Hunter syndrome. They are creating genetically engineered adult neural stem cells for delivery to patients'brains, where they will be programmed to produce an essential missing protein.
A previously undetected chemical process within the oxygen-carrying molecule hemoglobin has been discovered. It could have far-reaching implications for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
Children recovering from orthopaedic surgery feel less pain and leave the hospital sooner when they go home with a small pouch that delivers local anesthetic agents and blocks pain transmission from surgical sites. Already used in adults, doctors at adapted the technique for children.
Two common dietary molecules found in legumes and bran could protect DNA from the harmful effects of radiation, researchers report. Inositol and inositol hexaphosphate protected both human skin cells and a skin cancer-prone mouse from exposure to ultraviolet B radiation, the damaging radiation found in sunlight, the team reported.
Because even mild asthma among young inner-city children appears to be more unpredictable than ever, four or more check-ups a year after diagnosis is a wise move as a hedge against dangerous flare-ups of wheezing and trips to the emergency room, according to a new study.
Three new extrasolar planets have been discovered. The planets orbit around stars similar to our Sun that are located at a distance of 850 light-years away from the Earth. Two are in the constellation of Phoenix visible only from the Southern hemisphere, while the third is in the Northern constellation of Lyra.
