EurekAlert! - Breaking NewsThe premier online source for science news since 1996. A service of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.Complexity of Crohn's disease revealed as 'gene' count tops 30- June 29, 2008 New research has trebled the number of genetic regions known to be implicated in Crohn's disease, a form of inflammatory bowel disease, to over thirty. The research, published today in the journal Nature Genetics, has identified a number of potential new targets for drug development as well as providing surprising new links between the condition and other common diseases including asthma.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/wt-coc062508.php International team identifies 21 new genetic risk factors for Crohn's disease- June 29, 2008 An international consortium of Crohn's disease researchers has combined data from three independent studies to identify 21 new genetic variants associated with the inflammatory bowel disorder, bringing the total number of risk factors to 32. Several of these are involved with the immune system's inital response to pathogens, supporting earlier evidence that disruptions in a process called autophagy may lead to the disorder's characteristic immune system overactivity.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/mgh-iti062608.php UIC researchers make promising finding in severe lung disease- June 29, 2008 Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have identified a novel function for an enzyme that plays a role in the tissue injury in acute respiratory distress syndrome, also known as ARDS.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/uoia-urm062608.php NYU, Rutgers study shows how using mental strategies can alter the brain's reward circuitry- June 29, 2008 The cognitive strategies humans use to regulate emotions can determine both neurological and physiological responses to potential rewards, a team of New York University and Rutgers University neuroscientists has discovered. The findings, reported in the most recent issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience, shed light on how the regulation of emotions may influence decision making.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/nyu-nrs062508.php New efficiency benchmark for dye-sensitized solar cells- June 29, 2008 In a paper published online June 29 in the journal Nature Materials, EPFL professor Michael Graetzel, Shaik Zakeeruddin and colleagues from the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have achieved a record light conversion efficiency of 8.2 percent in solvent-free dye-sensitized solar cells.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/epfd-neb062708.php Drought tolerance in potatoes- June 28, 2008 Scientists are studying these varieties to identify the genes and molecular mechanisms of drought tolerance in order to engineer new drought-resistant crops of potato, as well as other Solanaceous vegetables.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/asop-dti062308.php Mate choice in plants- June 28, 2008 Understanding the molecular mechanisms of pollen recognition is important for designing novel plant breeding systems as well as ensuring safeguards against unwanted pollination by genetically modified crops.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/asop-mci062308.php Homosexual behavior due to genetics and environmental factors- June 28, 2008 Homosexual behavior is largely shaped by genetics and random environmental factors, according to findings from the world's largest study of twins.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/qmuo-hbd062608.php Evolution of fruit size in tomato- June 28, 2008 In general, domesticated food plants have larger fruits, heads of grain, tubers, etc, because this is one of the characteristics that early hunter-gatherers chose when foraging for food. In addition to size, tomatoes have been bred for shape, texture, flavor, shelf-life, and nutrient composition, but it has been difficult to study these traits in tomatoes, because many of them are the result of many genes acting together.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/asop-eof062308.php OptiNose presents data on highly effective migraine treatment- June 28, 2008 OptiNose AS will present new Phase II data at the American Headache Society meeting in Boston on June 28. The Phase II clinical trial studied the safety and efficacy of sumatriptan, a migraine drug, when delivered to the nose by the OptiNose powder delivery device. The OptiNose and sumatriptan combination produced efficacy results comparable to previously published results on sumatriptan injections, the fastest (and also most painful) migraine treatment currently available.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/o-opd062508.php |