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Microscopic brain imaging in the palm of your hand

New portable device captures pictures beneath the living brain's surfaceResearchers at Stanford University have demonstrated a promising, minimally invasive optical technique that can capture micron-scale images from deep in the brains of live subjects. The method, called two-photon microendoscopy, combines a pair of powerful optical and mechanical techniques into one device that fits in the palm...

New results validating Pall prion reduction filter disclosed at ISBT Congress

Safety in transfusion medicine is an ongoing challenge to blood services worldwide as new threats, such as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), emerge. An update on the latest measures to protect the public from the human form of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), commonly called Mad Cow Disease, and minimize risk of transmission through blood transfusion was presented here at the Inter...

Adult stem cells aid recovery in animal model of cerebral palsy

Have you ever wondered how the myriad insect forms—beetles, flies, dragonflies, mosquitoes, grasshoppers, ants, wasps, bees, and countless others—evolved? Insects make up 75% of all species known. The large number of insect species is probably a result of a combination of one or more factors: a high rate of formation of new species, or speciation, an ability to adapt to new environments an...

Paleontologists learn how not to become a fossil

The best way to avoid becoming a fossil is to be small and live in deep, tropical waters. So say four paleontologists who have published a detailed, global study of clam preservation. Their work is intended to enhance evolutionary studies by determining what's missing from the fossil record and why. "Everyone talks about how imperfect the fossil record is, but not many people do anything a...

Stem cell transplants improve recovery in animal models for stroke, cerebral palsy

A single dose of adult donor stem cells given to animals that have neurological damage similar to that experienced by adults with a stroke or newborns with cerebral palsy can significantly enhance recovery from these types of injuries, researchers say. Using a commonly utilized animal model for stroke, researchers administered a dose of 200,000-400,000 human stem cells into the brain of an...

Rhesus monkeys in Nepal may provide new alternative for HIV/AIDS research

Scientists investigating the genetic makeup of rhesus macaque monkeys, a key species used in biomedical research, have found the rhesus in Nepal may provide a suitable alternative to alleviate a critical shortage of laboratory animals used in work to develop vaccines against diseases such as HIV/AIDS. Writing in the cover story of the current issue of the American Journal of Primatology,...

Alarming decline in Nepal's rhinos and tigers in former Maoist stronghold

Washington ?Results released today by World Wildlife Fund of the first assessment done in two years in one of Nepal's premier national parks reveal an alarming decline in tiger and rhino populations, indicating widespread poaching. The area only became accessible for visits since the ceasefire between the Maoist insurgents and government troops a month ago. Since 1986, 70 rhinos were trans...

Paleontologists discover new mammal from Mesozoic Era

An international team of American and Chinese paleontologists has discovered a new species of mammal that lived 125 million years ago during the Mesozoic Era, in what is now the Hebei Province in China. The new mammal, documented in the March 15 issue of the journal Nature, provides first-hand evidence of early evolution of the mammalian middle ear--one of the most important features for a...

Palau's coral reefs show differential habitat recovery following the 1998 bleaching event

Coral reef bleaching, believed to be one of the detrimental effects of climate change, may receive a welcomed "buffer" through effective local management, according to new research by a team of scientists recording the long-term recovery of coral reefs in Palau and elsewhere. "It appears that coral reefs are very resilient and can bounce back magnificently if subjected to good management p...