Under Pressure: Novel technology to model pressure-induced cellular injuries in the brain
Brain injuries -- whether caused by trauma, tumors, hemorrhage or developmental anomalies -- often produce elevated intracranial pressure (ICP), which in turn causes cellular injuries in the brain and additional neurological deficits beyond those associated with the initial insult. Little is known about the mechanisms underlying secondary ICP-induced cellular injuries. Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina have developed a model of ICP-induced brain injury that could help elucidate those mechanisms and uncover novel therapeutics.
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/muos-upn120117.php
From Alaska to Amazonia: First global maps of traits that drive vegetation growth
Detailed global maps of key traits in higher plants have been made available for the first time, thanks to work led by researchers from the University of Minnesota's (UMN) College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS).
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/uom-fat120117.php
Researchers develop graphene nano 'tweezers' that can grab individual biomolecules
Researchers from the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering have found yet another remarkable use for the wonder material graphene -- tiny electronic 'tweezers' that can grab biomolecules floating in water with incredible efficiency. This capability could lead to a revolutionary handheld disease diagnostic system that could be run on a smart phone.
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/uom-rdg120117.php
Bottle gourd genome provides insight on evolutionary history, relationships of cucurbits
Researchers from the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and collaborators in China and France have produced the first high-quality genome sequence for the bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) and a reconstructed genome of the most recent Cucurbitaceae ancestor.
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/bti-bgg113017.php
Why do we see similarities across languages? Human brain may be responsible
For years, researchers have been interested in the similarities seen across human languages. New University of Arizona research suggests that those similarities may stem from the brain's preference for efficient information processing.
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/uoa-wdw120117.php
Exceptionally preserved eggs and embryos reveal the life history of a pterosaur
Dr. WANG Xiaolin, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and his team reported on hundreds of three-dimensional (3-D) pterosaur eggs of the species Hamipterus tianshanensis from a Lower Cretaceous site in the Turpan-Hami Basin, 16 of which contain embryonic remains, allowing for an unexpected look at the embryology and reproductive strategy of these flying reptiles.
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/caos-epe112917.php
Sperm RNA may serve as biomarkers of future health, Wayne State researchers find
Human sperm may hold the potential to serve as biomarkers of the future health of newborn infants, according to a new study by a Wayne State University School of Medicine research team.
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/wsu--srm120117.php
Study links child abuse, high school dropout
Children who have been victims of violence are more likely to drop out of high school before graduation than their peers, according to a new study co-authored by a Duke scholar. One in five people in the United States drop out of high school before graduation, which decreases their lifetime earning potential by 20 percent. More than 30 percent of the survey sample were victims of violence before the age of 16.
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/du-slc120117.php
New method to determine before surgery which prostate tumors pose a lethal threat
A team at CSHL reports success in a small-scale test of a new analytical method to improve the early detection of potentially lethal prostate cancer. Based on diagnostic biopsy samples, the method promises to more accurately parse men who need surgery from those who do not.
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/cshl-nmt120117.php
Drought-resistant plant genes could accelerate evolution of water-use efficient crops
Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have identified a common set of genes that enable different drought-resistant plants to survive in semi-arid conditions, which could play a significant role in bioengineering and creating energy crops that are tolerant to water deficits.
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/drnl-dpg120117.php
Uranium to replace plastic? Chemistry breakthrough could pave the way for new materials
Uranium can perform reactions that previously no one thought possible, which could transform the way industry makes bulk chemicals, polymers, and the precursors to new drugs and plastics, according to new findings from The University of Manchester.
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/uom-utr120117.php
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/
