Protein offers way to stop microscopic parasites in their tracks
Scientists may have found a way to throw a wrench in the transmissions of several speed demons of the parasite world. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Harvard University have identified a protein that could help them develop drugs to stop or slow cell invasion by malaria and other parasites known as apicomplexans. Results of the study will appear in...Stopping smallpox in its tracks: A new anti-viral approach
Natural or deliberate exposure to smallpox poses a great health threat, especially since routine smallpox vaccinations have been discontinued and no clinically approved treatment currently exists. In the February 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Ellis Reinherz and colleagues from Harvard Medical School propose a new antiviral therapy ?a low molecular weight inhibitor of signaling...Venom doc tracks down snake bioweapons
Bryan Grieg Fry, Ph.D., a scientist from the University of Melbourne, Australia, has conducted the first comprehensive analysis of the origin and evolution of one of nature's most sophisticated bioweapons: snake venom. His results are reported in the March issue of the journal Genome Research. Venomous snakes, all of which belong to the superfamily Colubroidea, evolved glands for the stora...MERIS monitoring tracks planetary photosynthesis levels
Daily multispectral observations from Envisat's MERIS sensor are being combined with a sophisticated processing algorithm and powerful Grid computing to reveal global photosynthesis activity on land. This permits researchers to trace the state of health of terrestrial plant cover, identifying areas under stress and assessing damage from drought or fires. An algorithm developed by the Europ...U. of Colorado researcher identifies tracks of swimming dinosaur in Wyoming
With their long stalks and feathery arms, marine animals known as sea lilies look a lot like their garden-variety namesakes. Perhaps because of that resemblance, scientists had always assumed that sea lilies stayed rooted instead of moving around lik...Are women opting out or shut out from career tracks?
A new Harvard Business Review article, " On Ramps and Of...State tracks more angel investment, at least $19M last year
The investor tax credits offered through Act 255 have let Wisconsin, for the first time, start to officially track the volume of investments by individuals. "Even though it's not entirely complete, it's the first good pictu...Fond du Lac County tracks cell phones in emergencies
Fond du Lac County can now pinpoint the locations of cell-phone users when they call 911, making it just the second county in Wisconsin to install the necessary equipment. The system has been in place for about six weeks and has already been field-tested, In one case, th...Stop HIV/AIDS in its Tracks with Education
A nine year saga of HIV Positive patient Shenequa Flucas is an eye opener to the benefits of HIV education, known to hold the key to curb its escalation. // She was diagnosed with aids in 1997 and subsequently delivered her second baby. Depressed with low self esteem, she is today, a changed person, because of the education and encouragement she received, that opened her mind rather tha...Team Tracks Genetic Origins of Eye Cancer
A West Virginia University professor and two alumni have tracked the chromosomal abnormalities associated with a tumor that develops in the eye and often leads to blindness and death.// They're hopeful their findings could someday lead to improved treatment for those who suffer from it. Joginder Nath, professor of genetics and developmental biology, and former doctoral students Jason W...'Sex-change' Only on Paper? Health Watch Dog Backtracks on Proposal
New York City's Board of Health in a surprise move went back on a proposal that would have allowed people to change the sex on their birth //certificates, without physically undergoing a sex–change surgery. This proposal was keenly seconded by mental health professionals and transgender supporters, who felt that the move would seek to remove any discrimination against people who desire...CDC Study Tracks Levels of Heart Diseases Across the U.S.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, West Virginia has a higher prevalence of heart disease than any other state,// while the U.S. Virgin Islands has the lowest. The findings were based on an analysis of 2005 data collected through the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a random phone survey of adults conducted by state a...New Imaging Technique Tracks Traffic Patterns of White Blood Cells
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have just developed an advanced imaging technique to capture the movement of the microdomains of leukocytes// or white blood cells. Microdomains are restricted areas on the surface of the cells in which receptors and signaling molecules accumulate during cell activation. Using digital multi-channel videomicroscopy, researchers were able to vie...