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Obstetrics and Gynecology News
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- Complex wiring of the nervous system may rely on a just a handful of genes and proteins
Researchers have discovered a startling feature of early brain development that helps to explain how complex neuron wiring patterns are programmed using just a handful of critical genes. The findings may help scientists develop new therapies for neurological disorders, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and provide insight into certain cancers.
Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:53:53 EST
- Human cognitive performance suffers following natural disasters
Not surprisingly, victims of a natural disaster can experience stress and anxiety, but a new study indicates that it might also cause them to make more errors - some serious - in their daily lives. Researchers have explored how cognitive performance can decline after earthquakes and other natural disasters.
Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:53:53 EST
- Putting the squeeze on planets outside our solar system
Using high-powered lasers, scientists have discovered that molten magnesium silicate undergoes a phase change in the liquid state, abruptly transforming to a more dense liquid with increasing pressure. The research provides insight into planet formation.
Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:53:53 EST
- Environment's effects on evolution of survival traits
Advances in studying genes mean that scientists in evolutionary developmental biology or “evo-devo” can now explain more clearly than ever before how bats got wings, the turtle got its shell and blind cave fish lost their eyes, says an evolutionary biologist.
Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:50:50 EST
- Dramatic improvements and persistent challenges for women in science
The underrepresentation of women in science has received significant attention. However, there have been few studies in which longitudinal data were used to assess changes over time. Now researchers find that women in the field of ecological studies have experienced dramatic improvements, but persistent challenges remain.
Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:50:50 EST
- Drug halts organ damage in inflammatory genetic disorder, study suggests
A new study shows that Kineret (anakinra), a medication approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, is effective in stopping the progression of organ damage in people with neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease. This rare and debilitating genetic disorder causes persistent inflammation and ongoing tissue damage.
Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:34:34 EST
- EEG pattern reflects brain's shift into low-energy, protective mode
A distinctive pattern of brain activity associated with conditions including deep anesthesia, coma and congenital brain disorders appears to represent the brain's shift into a protective, low-activity state in response to reduced metabolic energy.
Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:34:34 EST
- Night, weekend delivery OK for babies with birth defects
Weekday delivery is no better than night/weekend delivery for infants with birth defects, according to a new study. Researchers found that infants with birth defects that were delivered at night or over the weekend fared just as well as those delivered on a weekday -- they stayed at the hospital for the same amount of time, were admitted to the NICU at the same rate, and were given antibiotics or got help breathing just as often.
Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:33:33 EST
- New method for creating tissue engineering scaffolds
Researchers have developed a new method for creating scaffolds for tissue engineering applications, providing an alternative that is more flexible and less time-intensive than current technology.
Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:33:33 EST
- Protein libraries in a snap
One undergraduate student will depart university with not only a degree but also a possible patent for his invention of an efficient way to create protein libraries, an important component of biomolecular research.
Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:33:33 EST
- Grass to gas: Genome map speeds biofuel development
Researchers have taken a major step in the ongoing effort to find sources of cleaner, renewable energy by mapping the genomes of two originator cells of Miscanthus x giganteus, a large perennial grass with promise as a source of ethanol and bioenergy.
Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:33:33 EST
- Numeracy: The educational gift that keeps on giving?
Cancer risks. Investment alternatives. Calories. Numbers are everywhere in daily life, and they figure into all sorts of decisions. A new article examines how people who are numerate -- that's like literacy, but for numbers -- understand numbers better and process information differently so that they ultimately make more informed decisions.
Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:33:33 EST
- Hovering not hard if you're top-heavy
Top-heavy structures are more likely to maintain their balance while hovering in the air than are those that bear a lower center of gravity, researchers have found. Their findings are counter to common perceptions that flight stability can be achieved only through a relatively even distribution of weight—and may offer new design principles for hovering aircraft.
Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:32:32 EST
- The power of estrogen: Male snakes attract other males
A new study has shown that boosting the estrogen levels of male garter snakes causes them to secrete the same pheromones that females use to attract suitors, and turned the males into just about the sexiest snake in the neighborhood -- attracting dozens of other males eager to mate.
Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:13:13 EST
- Kids show cultural gender bias
A recent study examining whether speaking French influenced how children assigned gender to objects yielded some interesting observations. Researchers found some differences between the monolingual English children and the bilingual French-English children they surveyed.
Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:12:12 EST
- Cannabis use doubles chances of vehicle crash
Drivers who consume cannabis within three hours of driving are nearly twice as likely to cause a vehicle collision as those who are not under the influence of drugs or alcohol claims a paper published today on bmj.com.
Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:12:12 EST
- Metastatic breast cancer hitches a free ride from the immune system
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is the most lethal form of breast cancer . It spreads easily through the lymphatic and blood vessels, forming metastasis which can lead to multi-organ failure. New research demonstrates how IBC cells use IL-8, secreted as part of the anti-inflammatory response by a specific set of white blood cells (monocytes), to increase fibronectin expression.
Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:12:12 EST
- A novel method for simultaneously measuring blood pressure and arterial stiffness
Arterial stiffness due to is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease but is very difficult to measure. A new method for measuring arterial stiffness has been developed. This simple, non-invasive, calculation is able to interpret standard oscillometric measurements to quantify both arterial stiffness and blood pressure simultaneously.
Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:12:12 EST
- A mineral way to catalysis?
Catalytic materials, which lower the energy barriers for chemical reactions, are used in everything from the commercial production of chemicals to catalytic converters in car engines. However, with current catalytic materials becoming increasingly expensive, scientists are exploring viable alternatives.
Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:05:05 EST
- Risks and benefits of birthing facilities
Researchers have found that the risk of obstetric intervention is lower for women who deliver or intend to deliver outside of hospitals, but there are some higher risks for newborns intended for home births compared to hospital births.
Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:02:02 EST
- Neurologic improvement detected in rats receiving stem cell transplant
Researchers report that early transplantation of human placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells into the lateral ventricles of neonatal rats with birth-related brain damage is possible, and that the donor cells can survive and migrate in the recipient's brain. The study was designed to have the rat's brain damage mimic brain injury in infants with very low birth weight.
Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:02:02 EST
- Controlling parents more likely to have delinquent children
Authoritarian parents whose child-rearing style can be summed up as “it’s my way or the highway” are more likely to raise disrespectful, delinquent children who do not see them as legitimate authority figures than authoritative parents who listen to their children and gain their respect and trust, according to new research.
Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:59:59 EST
- Curry spice component may help slow prostate tumor growth
Curcumin, an active component of the Indian curry spice turmeric, may help slow down tumor growth in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients on androgen deprivation therapy, a new study suggests.
Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:58:58 EST
- Unpicking HIV's 'invisibility cloak'
Drug researchers hunting for alternative ways to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections may soon have a novel target -- its camouflage coat. HIV hides inside a cloak unusually rich in a sugar called mannose, which it uses to slip past the immune system before infecting its host's cells. Recently, however, biochemists discovered a family of chemical compounds that stick strongly to mannose. Understanding how this mechanism works could reveal a way to make drugs adhere to and kill HIV.
Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:47:47 EST
- Electrical engineers build 'no-waste' laser
Researchers have built the smallest room-temperature nanolaser to date, as well as an even more startling device: a highly efficient, "thresholdless" laser that funnels all its photons into lasing, without any waste.
Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:33:33 EST
- 'Dark plasmons' transmit energy
Microscopic channels of gold nanoparticles have the ability to transmit electromagnetic energy that starts as light and propagates via "dark plasmons," according to researchers.
Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:29:29 EST
- Ultraviolet protection molecule in plants yields its secrets
Lying around in the sun all day is hazardous not just for humans but also for plants. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun can damage proteins and DNA inside cells, leading to poor growth and even death. But plants have evolved some powerful adaptive defenses, including a complex array of protective responses orchestrated by a UV-sensing protein molecule known as UVR8. Now, scientists have put together a detailed picture of UVR8's structure and inner workings.
Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:28:28 EST
- Tell me how you are, and I know how long you will live
The way people rate their health determines their probability of survival in the following decades. Researchers have demonstrated that for ratings ranging from "excellent," "good," "fair," and "poor" to "very poor," the risk of mortality increases steadily – independently of such known risk factors as smoking, low education levels or pre-existing diseases.
Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:28:28 EST
- Most lethal known species of prion protein identified
Scientists have identified a single prion protein that causes neuronal death similar to that seen in "mad cow" disease, but is at least 10 times more lethal than larger prion species.
Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:28:28 EST
- To perform with less effort, practice beyond perfection
Whether you are an athlete, a musician or a stroke patient learning to walk again, practice can make perfect, but more practice may make you more efficient, according to a surprising new study.
Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:40:40 EST
- 3-D laser map shows earthquake before and after
Geologists have a new tool to study how earthquakes change the landscape down to a few inches, and it's giving them insight into how earthquake faults behave.
Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:40:40 EST
- Drug quickly reverses Alzheimer's symptoms in mice
Neuroscientists have made a dramatic breakthrough in their efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease. The use of a drug appears to quickly reverse the pathological, cognitive and memory deficits caused by the onset of Alzheimer's in mice.
Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:40:40 EST
- Gene therapy boosts brain repair for demyelinating diseases
Our bodies are full of tiny superheroes -- antibodies that fight foreign invaders, cells that regenerate, and structures that ensure our systems run smoothly. One such structure is myelin, a material that forms a protective cape around the axons of our nerve cells so that they can send signals quickly and efficiently. But myelin becomes damaged in demyelinating diseases like multiple sclerosis, leaving neurons without their sheaths. Researchers now believe they have found a way to help the brain replace damaged myelin.
Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:02:02 EST
- Ocean warming causes elephant seals to dive deeper
Global warming is having an effect on the dive behavior and search for food of southern elephant seals. Researchers have discovered that the seals dive deeper for food when in warmer water. The scientists attribute this behavior to the migration of prey to greater depths and now wish to check this theory using a new sensor which registers the feeding of the animals below water.
Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:02:02 EST
- Physically abused children report higher levels of psychosomatic symptoms
Children who display multiple psychosomatic symptoms, such as regular aches and pains and sleep and appetite problems, are more than twice as likely to be experiencing physical abuse at home than children who do not display symptoms. Researchers who studied 2,510 children found a strong association between reported physical abuse and three or more psychosomatic symptoms. The association was highest in children who were physically abused and also witnessed intimate partner violence.
Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:53:53 EST
- Secrets of immune response illuminated in new study
When disease-causing invaders like bacteria infect a human host, cells of various types swing into action, coordinating their activities to address the threat. Scientists have now investigated the coordination of a particular type of immune response, involving the release of of IFN-λ -- a cell-signaling protein molecule known as a cytokine.
Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:51:51 EST
- Largest-ever gene study of Type 2 diabetes finds variants across many ethnic groups
The largest genetics study to date of Type 2 diabetes has identified new gene variants associated with risk for the common metabolic disease. An international scientific consortium, studying multi-ethnic populations, uncovered genes that may point to biological targets for developing more effective drugs for T2D.
Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:50:50 EST
# Science Daily
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Health and Medicine News