Scientists working at the WiCell Research Institute, a private laboratory affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, have developed a precisely defined stem cell culture system free of animal cells and used it to derived two new human embryonic stem cell lines.
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In the Jan. 1, 2006 issue of the journal Clinical Cancer Research, a University of Wisconsin-Madison physics team reports on research into using a new radiotherapy technique for fighting glioblastoma with the element gadolinium. The approach may lead to less invasive treatment and possibly a cure of this disease.
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NASA ’s Space Technology 5 (ST5) micro-satellites have arrived at the Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., launch site and are in the beginning stages of final launch preparation. ST5 is scheduled to launch in February 2006. ST-5 will pave the way for future science missions by demonstrating the benefits of a constellation of small low-cost spacecraft obtaining simultaneous measurements in different locations.
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Although cystic fibrosis patients in clinical trials had more severe illness, worse lung function, a lower weight level, and more respiratory infection than non-participants, their involvement in research studies resulted in less lung function decline over a 7-year period.
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Motorcycles collectively emit 16 times more hydrocarbons, three times more carbon monoxide and a “disproportionately high” amount of other air pollutants compared to passenger cars, according to a Swiss study to be published in the Jan. 1 issue of the American Chemical Society’s journal Environmental Science & Technology. Particularly worrisome are the high levels of hydrocarbons emitted by these two-wheelers. Some hydrocarbons have been linked to global warming, while others are suspected of being carcinogenic.
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During the initial phase of the nation’s largest clinical trial for depression, about a third of “real world” patients reached a remission, with an additional 10 to 15 percent experiencing some improvement, in 12 to 14 weeks of treatment with an antidepressant. Clinicians adjusted dosages based on easy-to-use ratings of symptoms and side-effects, achieving similar results in both medical and specialty mental health care settings.
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People, including professional bartenders, pour 20 to 30 percent more liquor into short, squat glasses than into tall, thin ones, finds a study by Cornell Professor Brian Wansink, published in a December 2005 issue of the British Medical Journal. Wansink thinks the vertical-horizontal optical illusion is the reason.
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There is a strong, progressive association between tooth loss and heart disease, researchers report in a study published in the latest issue of American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
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The Big Woods of Arkansas provides rare suitable habitat for the ivory-billed woodpecker, including old-growth forest that was decimated from the southern United States after the Civil War.
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Researchers at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research have provided detailed insights into the early formation of the heart. A team lead by Dr. Rolf Bodmer found that two proteins, called Robo and Slit, are required for normal development of the heart and that malfunction of either of these proteins severely impacts the heart’s structure, resulting in congenital heart defects. These findings were published in the journal Current Biology released on December 20th.
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