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Tag: "boosts" at biology news

International trial of two microbicides begins

...rGel, a product of ReProtect, Inc., Baltimore, MD, boosts the natural acidity of the vagina in the presence of seminal fluid that neutralizes the vaginal environment. An acidic environment inactivates HIV as well as other pathogens. Each woman in the trial will be placed at random into one of four equally ...

MetaChip provides quick, efficient toxicity screening of potential drugs

...rGel, a product of ReProtect, Inc., Baltimore, MD, boosts the natural acidity of the vagina in the presence of seminal fluid that neutralizes the vaginal environment. An acidic environment inactivates HIV as well as other pathogens. Each woman in the trial will be placed at random into one of four equally ...

Alaskan puzzles, monitoring provide insight about North Pacific salmon runs

...es of salmon runs and their management. The grant boosts research into climate and other factors affecting salmon in the Northeast Pacific and determining such things as how much habitat -- parts of streams or entire watersheds -- is needed to sustain salmon. Puzzles include Alaska's Kvichak River, the wo...

Two chemicals boost immune cells' ability to fight HIV without gene therapy

...ew chemicals activate telomerase -- a protein that boosts immune cells' ability to divide, enabling them to continue destroying HIV-infected cells. "The immune cells that fight HIV naturally produce telomerase during the infection's early phase, but stop once HIV becomes a chronic condition," explained Rit...

Depression gene may weaken mood-regulating circuit

...bles risk of depression following life stresses,** boosts amygdala activity while viewing scary faces,*** and has been linked to anxious temperament. Yet, how it works at the level of brain circuitry remained a mystery. The NIMH research team first scanned 114 healthy subjects using magnetic resonance imag...

HIV Therapy Greatly Extends Life of Key T Cells, Scientists Find

...ng technique, the researchers determined that IL-2 boosts the numbers of two subsets of CD4+ cells: naïve cells, those that have never encountered an infectious agent; and central memory cells, those that have encountered an infectious agent before and are primed to respond quickly if they encounter the sam...

Duke Experiments Boost Radiation's Cancer-Killing Effects

...to radiation." Moreover, because radiation itself boosts HIF-1 levels, blocking HIF-1 at the height of its activity ?after radiation has occurred -- is the most logical sequence of therapy, said Dewhirst. HIF-1 has become the focus of numerous anti-cancer therapies worldwide, said Dewhirst. Yet its impact...

IBM Transforms the Art of Scientific Expeditions

...to radiation." Moreover, because radiation itself boosts HIF-1 levels, blocking HIF-1 at the height of its activity ?after radiation has occurred -- is the most logical sequence of therapy, said Dewhirst. HIF-1 has become the focus of numerous anti-cancer therapies worldwide, said Dewhirst. Yet its impact...

Scientists get first glimpse at how plants, most animals repair UV-damaged DNA

... visible light excites the photolyase molecule and boosts the energy of electrons in its atoms. This in turn enables the enzyme to inject an electron into the DNA molecule at the UV damage site temporarily to perform repairs. They also report something that was unexpected: Water plays a key role in the pro...

Scientists observe how a close bond activates the immune system

...ually the outer edge of immunological synapse that boosts activation, not the center. Dr. Dustin's group is now conducting additional experiments to see if dendritic cells actively present proteins to T cells in patterns that stimulate the periphery of the bull's eye in the immunological synapse, using mo...

BiovaxID?yields 89 percent survival in patients with aggressive non-Hodgkins

...es in the setting of B-cell depletion, but vaccine boosts after B-cell recovery may be necessary for optimal humoral responses," concluded the investigators. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell. There are two types of lymphocytes: B-cell lymphocytes, which produce antibodies ("humoral" immunity) in ...

Aggression-related gene weakens brain's impulse control circuits

...circuit. In this study also, the gene version that boosts serotonin levels resulted in impaired emotion-related lower brain structures, increased fear hub activation and a weaker response of its regulatory circuits. Yet, the effects of the L version of MAO-A were more extensive, perhaps reflecting the fact ...

Two NIH initiatives launch intensive efforts to find roots of common diseases

...rthritis and Alzheimer's disease. One initiative boosts funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a multi-institute effort to identify the genetic and environmental underpinnings of common illnesses. The other initiative launches a public-private partnership between NIH, the Foundation for th...

Just the expectation of a mirthful laughter experience boosts endorphins 27 percent, HGH 87 percent

... immune reactivity. In addition, mirthful laughter boosts secretion of growth hormone, an enhancer of these same key immune responses. The physiological effects of a single one-hour session viewing a humorous video has appeared to last up to 12 to 24 hours in some individuals," Berk noted, " while other stu...

Brittle prions are more infectious

...spread infection much more quickly. The discovery boosts basic understanding of prion infections, and could provide scientists with new ideas for designing drugs that discourage or prevent prion seeding, said the study's senior author Jonathan Weissman, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at the...

UCLA study of community health project shows how group dynamics affect fitness, eating habits

...ong participants. A 12-week curriculum, meanwhile, boosts fruit and vegetable intake while reducing feelings of sadness and depression, and can even reduce waistlines. "Creating a culture of healthy living within an organizational framework requires buy-in by leadership, staff and clientele," said Dr. Ant...

Gene linked to rare disease activates fat breakdown

...ersity of Graz in Austria, now reports that CGI-58 boosts the activity of so-called adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) up to 20-fold. "We knew that the enzyme responsible for CDS must be very important for fat breakdown, but its involvement in neutral lipid catabolism remained unexplained," Zechner said. "...

Hair samples show babies can be exposed to 'crystal meth' while in the womb

...se the chemical evidence it holds. Crystal meth boosts alertness and promotes a sense of wellbeing, euphoria, and exhilaration. It also curbs appetite and enhances sexual arousal. But long term abuse damages nerves in the brain and can lead to psychotic behaviour and aggression. The drug is very ea...

A natural chemical found in strawberries boosts memory in healthy mice

...ects and promotes survival of cultured neurons and boosts memory in healthy mice make it a promising candidate for further studies. Notes Maher, "This is the first time that the function of a defined natural product has been characterized at the molecular level in the central nervous system and also shown t...

Need to pull an all-nighter?

...infused with a nitric oxide "donor" ?an agent that boosts nitric oxide levels ?during a normal sleep-wake cycle, adenosine levels increased and the rats fell into a sleep much like the "recovery" sleep that occurs after prolonged wakefulness. Blocking adenosine receptors with caffeine prevented this nitric-...

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