Brightsurf Science News and Current Science EventsScience news and current science events. Science news from private research facilities, universities, government agencies and medical centers covering earth, life, space and general sciences.How flesh-eating bacteria attack the body's immune system- (Found August 15, 2008 ) "Flesh-eating" or "Strep" bacteria are able to survive and spread in the body by degrading a key immune defense molecule, according to researchers at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine and Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.http://www.brightsurf.com/news/headlines/39536/How_flesh-eating_bacteria_attack_the_bodys_... Extinction most likely for rare trees in the Amazon rainforest- (Found August 15, 2008 ) Common tree species in the Amazon will survive even grim scenarios of deforestation and road-building, but rare trees could suffer extinction rates of up to 50 percent, predict Smithsonian scientists and colleagues in the Aug. 12 issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.http://www.brightsurf.com/news/headlines/39562/Extinction_most_likely_for_rare_trees_in_th... Protein complementarity may offer new insights into autoimmune diseases- (Found August 15, 2008 ) The discovery of "complementary" antibodies against plasminogen in patients with blood vessel inflammation caused by anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCAs) may lead to new approaches to research, testing, and treatment of ANCA vasculitis and other autoimmune diseases, suggests a paper in the December Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).http://www.brightsurf.com/news/headlines/39544/Protein_complementarity_may_offer_new_insig... Duke-NIEHS team shows how DNA repairs may reshape the genome- (Found August 15, 2008 ) Researchers at Duke University Medical Center and at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) have shown how broken sections of chromosomes can recombine to change genomes and spawn new species.http://www.brightsurf.com/news/headlines/39556/Duke-NIEHS_team_shows_how_DNA_repairs_may_r... UNC researchers find MSG use linked to obesity- (Found August 15, 2008 ) eople who use monosodium glutamate, or MSG, as a flavor enhancer in their food are more likely than people who don't use it to be overweight or obese even though they have the same amount of physical activity and total calorie intake, according to a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health study published this month in the journal Obesity.http://www.brightsurf.com/news/headlines/39558/UNC_researchers_find_MSG_use_linked_to_obes... Emory study of former child soldiers yields new data to guide mental health interventions- (Found August 15, 2008 ) Former child soldiers in Nepal are more than twice as likely to suffer from symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as Nepali children who experienced war trauma as civilians, according to a study led by Brandon Kohrt, an Emory University graduate student.http://www.brightsurf.com/news/headlines/39560/Emory_study_of_former_child_soldiers_yields... For high-risk patients, stroke-prevention surgical procedure does not equate with high surgical risk- (Found August 15, 2008 ) New research published in the August issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that "high-risk" patients with multiple medical conditions, including high blood pressure and coronary artery disease, can safely undergo carotid endarterectomy - a stroke-preventing surgical procedure that clears blockages from the neck's carotid arteries.http://www.brightsurf.com/news/headlines/39564/For_high-risk_patients_stroke-prevention_su... Trees, forests and the Eiffel tower reveal theory of design in nature- (Found August 15, 2008 ) What do a tree and the Eiffel Tower have in common According to a Duke University engineer, both are optimized for flow. In the case of trees, the flow is of water from the ground throughout the trunk, branches and leaves, and into the air. The Eiffel Tower's flow carries stresses throughout the structure without collapsing under its own weight or being downed by the wind.http://www.brightsurf.com/news/headlines/39565/Trees_forests_and_the_Eiffel_tower_reveal_t... A direct gaze enhances face perception- (Found August 15, 2008 ) Gaze direction is significant for the processing of visual information from the human face. Researchers in an Academy of Finland funded research project have discovered that the visual system of the brain processes another person's face more efficiently when the person's gaze is straight ahead than when the gaze is averted.http://www.brightsurf.com/news/headlines/39545/A_direct_gaze_enhances_face_perception.html Sensitivity to antidepressants linked with TrkB-mediated neural proliferation- (Found August 15, 2008 ) Scientists have unveiled a functional link between production of new neurons and the effectiveness of antidepressants (ADs) in an animal model. The study, published by Cell Press in the August 14 issue of the journal Neuron, provides exciting insight into a mechanism that might underlie a poor response to antidepressive medications for anxiety or depression.http://www.brightsurf.com/news/headlines/39539/Sensitivity_to_antidepressants_linked_with_... |