EurekAlert! - Breaking NewsThe premier online source for science news since 1996. A service of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.Scientists find how neural activity spurs blood flow in the brain- June 26, 2008 New research from Harvard University neuroscientists has pinpointed exactly how neural activity boosts blood flow to the brain. The finding has important implications for our understanding of common brain imaging techniques such as fMRI, which uses blood flow in the brain as a proxy for neural activity.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/hu-sfh062608.php On the boil: New nano technique significantly boosts boiling efficiency- June 26, 2008 A new study from researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute shows that by adding an invisible layer of the nanomaterials to the bottom of a metal vessel, an order of magnitude less energy is required to bring water to boil. This increase in efficiency could have a big impact on cooling computer chips, improving heat transfer systems, and reducing costs for industrial boiling applications.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/rpi-otb062608.php New study examines the validity of epo testing- June 26, 2008 Epo is a hormone sometimes misused by athletes to boost their endurance. Since the test to identify the drug's presence was introduced in 2000, 33 labs have been accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency to administer the procedure. A research team has examined test results at two WADA labs, and found the detection power at the labs was poor.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/aps-nse062608.php Higher coffee consumption associated with lower liver cancer risk- June 26, 2008 A new large, prospective population-based study confirms an inverse relationship between coffee consumption and liver cancer risk. The study also found that higher levels of gamma-glutamyltransferase in the blood were associated with an increased risk of developing the disease.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/w-hcc062608.php What price for a more effective health care system- June 26, 2008 The pressures from an aging population on the rising costs of health care in Australia will be the subject of the third annual Menzies Oration to be held at the Australian National University tonight.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/ra-wpa062608.php Lack of fragile X and related gene fractures sleep- June 26, 2008 Lack of both the fragile X syndrome gene and one that is related could account for sleep problems associated with the disorder, which is the common cause of inherited mental impairment, said a consortium of researchers led by scientists at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Their findings appear in a report in the current issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/bcom-lof061908.php Improving university recruitment process may increase female surgical faculty, study finds- June 26, 2008 New research published in the June issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that improving the university recruitment strategy and process could raise the number of women faculty in medicine. The study also suggests that specific procedural steps could assist in identifying and actively recruiting qualified women for faculty positions in surgery departments.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/wsw-iur062508.php Study finds safer, more efficient medication for hepatitis B treatment- June 26, 2008 Patients with hepatitis B who did not respond to lamivudine therapy had a better virological response after switching to entecavir for a year.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/w-sfs062608.php Researchers identify promising cancer drug target in prostate tumors- June 26, 2008 Scientists at Dana-Farber report they have blocked the development of prostate tumors in cancer-prone mice by knocking out a molecular unit they describe as a "powerhouse" that drives runaway cell growth. The researchers say the growth-stimulating molecule called p110beta -- part of a cellular signaling network disrupted in several common cancers -- is a promising target for novel cancer therapies designed to shut it down.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/dci-rip062608.php ORNL demonstrates super-sensitive explosives detector- June 25, 2008 Using a laser and a device that converts reflected light into sound, researchers at the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory can detect explosives at distances exceeding 20 yards.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/drnl-ods062508.php |