Tag: "operation" at biology news

First clinical trial of gene therapy for childhood blindness

...activity in these cells should restore vision. The operation delivers the normal genes to the retina, using a harmless virus or "vector" to carry the gene into the cells. The vector has been manufactured for this trial by Targeted Genetics, Seattle, USA. Previous work using animal models has demonstrated t...

Switching genes to overdrive improves muscular dystrophy symptoms in mice

...lls. PGC-1alpha is also required for the normal operation of genes that control the development of neuromuscular junctions (NMJ) ?sites on muscle fibers where nerves attach and signal the fibers to contract. Part of the reason that exercise builds stronger muscles is that it increases PGC-1alpha activity. C...

Are one-third of costly implanted heart devices unnecessary? New study suggests yes

...ndidates, as many as one-third could be spared the operation to implant a device, without raising their risk of sudden death. That would mean that Medicare could be spared the additional $90,000 lifetime cost of each device compared to best medical therapy. The study, published in the January issue of the J...

Keeping the body in sync -- The stability of cellular clocks

... basis by a central master clock in the brain. The operation of the cellular clocks is controlled by the coordinated action of a limited number of core clock genes. The oscillators work like this: the cell receives a signal from the master pacemaker in the hypothalamus, and then these clock genes respond by se...

Surgeons develop simpler way to cure atrial fibrillation

...ncisions of the Cox-maze III," Damiano says. "This operation is very effective, and we now use the Cox-maze IV technique exclusively."...

Scientists map key landmarks in human genome

... its original embryonic state, which is a critical operation in cloning. David E. Fisher, MD, PhD, and his Dana-Farber colleagues describe their findings in Nature Biotechnology, which has published the paper as an advanced online publication on its Web site, www.nature.com/nbt/journal/vaop/ncurrent/index.ht...

Cells use 'noise' to make cell-fate decisions

...tuations within cells interferes with the reliable operation of biological systems. However, Dr. Süel's research team hypothesized that noise in one particular genetic circuit might be beneficial, linked to a process that controls cell fate. To determine the biological role for noise, the researchers analyz...

In presence of fragrant cleaning products, air purifiers that emit ozone can dirty the air

...ly 100 milligrams of ozone per hour. Continuous operation of the ionic purifier without limonene resulted in...ction in the average particle concentration, while operation of the ozonolysis purifier resulted in no detectable effect on the particle level. When limonene was...

Cryoablation -- A new treatment option for some kidney tumor patients

...n be used for some larger tumors with simultaneous operation of multiple cryoprobes guided by ultrasound. The ablation margin (the edge of the frozen tissue) can be accurately monitored with CT, to ensure that the total tumor mass is treated. The researchers reviewed the records of the 23 men and 17 women ...

Researchers in Montréal and the US create model of key immune-system component

...re than 600 proteins that may be involved with the operation of the phagosome. They then constructed a detailed map of the interactions among these proteins and were able to identify previously unknown regulators of phagocytosis and potential molecular pathways of immune defense. "Phagocytosis is very simi...

MIT material stops bleeding in seconds

...ty during the operation. "The time to perform an operation could potentially be reduced by up to 50 percent," said Ellis-Behnke. Unlike some methods now used for hemostasis, the new materials can be used in a wet environment. And unlike some other agents, it does not induce an immune response in the animal...

Artificial cornea offers better results for infants, some blind patients

...and not a single one has needed to undergo another operation due to complications. This is in marked contrast to a group of 31 patients whom he also operated on, using a different technology, nearly 30 years ago. That group underwent a total of 51 additional operations to fix problems such as the implant poppi...

Successful lung cancer surgery not enough to break nicotine dependence in many smokers

...p their cigarettes - some on the same day as their operation - and who saw smoking as a pleasurable activity they would have difficulty giving up, were also the first to resume the habit. And they concluded that patients who were able to hold out the longest before they took up a cigarette after surgery were ...

Squid-inspired design could mean better handling of underwater vehicles

..."Reliable docking mechanisms are essential for the operation of underwater vehicles, especially in harsh environments," Mohseni said. "We set out to resolve the trade off that many researchers settle for, which is a faster, but less precise, vehicle or a boxier one that is not as fast and more difficult to tr...

Resistance and genetic sensitivity to sleeping sickness

...genetic epidemiology, are currently being put into operation in order to check up on possible effects of genetic predisposition already observed. The results obtained will help improve our knowledge about host-parasite interactions, by means of identifying genetic markers signalling risk. That should open the ...

For super-obese patients, duodenal switch beats gastric bypass

...198 duodenal-switch patients within 30 days of the operation and no deaths before 30 days among 152 gastric-byp...astric bypass, which is generally a very effective operation in severely obese patients. Our study demonstrates an advantage with regards to weight loss." "We ...

Gene therapy study takes aim at prostate cancer

...ease will recur (or come back)," said Kadmon. "The operation itself is highly successful in eradicating local tumors (in the prostate)." The design of the study is simple, said Kadmon. "One injection into the prostate that should take no more than 10 minutes, although patients will be monitored in a specia...

Better sludge through metagenomics

...mechanisms will undoubtedly lead to more efficient operation of the process and to the development of more robust designs." Microorganisms are well equipped to do the job, but activated sludge is a black box, at least for those engineers who are dependent on the microbial aspect of the equation. To shed som...

MUHC announces a transplant first in Quebec

...t received his new heart and liver during a 6-hour operation on April 14, 2006 and was discharged 10 days later. The complex procedure involved 15 physicians, surgeons and other health care professionals. The MUHC conducts the most organ transplants in Quebec and has the most comprehensive multi-organ transpla...

Harmful Algal Blooms monitored from space in Chile

...its of the CAP project are directly related to the operation of our company. The environmental monitoring and HAB detection is part of our daily operation procedures. Also, historical environmental information supports our strategic decisions for farm sit...

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