Mensagens Recentes

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NotĂ­cias e Artigos / Good news for nanomedicine: Quantum dots appear safe in pioneering study on prim

« Última Mensagem: por Emanuel Online Hoje às09:52:15 pm »

A pioneering study to gauge the toxicity of quantum dots in primates has found the tiny luminescent crystals are safe over a one-year period, a hopeful outcome for doctors and scientists seeking new ways to battle diseases like cancer through nanomedicine.

In the study, scientists found that four rhesus monkeys injected with cadmium-selenide quantum dots remained in normal health over 90 days. Blood and biochemical markers stayed in typical ranges, and major organs developed no abnormalities. The animals didn’t lose weight. Two monkeys observed for an additional year also showed no signs of illness.

http://www.kurzweilai.net/good-news-for-nanomedicine-quantum-dots-appear-safe-in-pioneering-study-on-primates

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NotĂ­cias e Artigos / Why great ideas can come from zoning out

« Última Mensagem: por Emanuel Online Hoje às09:51:01 pm »

Psychologists at the University of California, Santa Barbara have found evidence for the value of mind-wandering.

The researchers presented 145 undergraduate students with two “unusual uses” tasks that gave them two minutes to list as many uses as possible for everyday objects such as toothpicks, clothes hangers and bricks.

http://www.kurzweilai.net/why-great-ideas-can-come-from-zoning-out

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NotĂ­cias e Artigos / No more needles: new device images blood flow non-invasively

« Última Mensagem: por Emanuel Online Hoje às09:47:35 pm »

Good news if you hate being jabbed with needles and then waiting around for the test results — which is everybody. Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) researchers have developed a device that provides high-resolution images of red and white blood cells in vivo and does an instant diagnosis — simply by shining a light on the skin.

By eliminating the long wait time for blood test results, the new microscope might help spotlight warning signs, like high white blood cell count, before a patient develops severe medical problems.  The portability of the device could also enable doctors in rural areas without easy access to medical labs to screen large populations for common blood disorders.

http://www.kurzweilai.net/no-more-needles-new-device-images-blood-flow-non-invasively

 

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NotĂ­cias e Artigos / DARPA, Venter launch assembly line for genetic engineering

« Última Mensagem: por Emanuel Online Hoje às09:42:06 pm »

DARPA has launched a program called called “Living Foundries,”designed to apply the conventions of manufacturing to living cells, Wired Danger Room reports.

DARPA has awarded seven research grants worth $15.5 million to six different companies and institutions, including the University of Texas at Austin, Cal Tech, and the J. Craig Venter Institute.

http://www.kurzweilai.net/darpa-venter-launch-assembly-line-for-genetic-engineering

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NotĂ­cias e Artigos / Zooming in on bacterial weapons in 3D

« Última Mensagem: por Emanuel Online Hoje às09:39:30 pm »

Imaging of the structure of bacteria’s injection needles at atomic resolution has been achieved by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in cooperation with colleagues at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology and the University of Washington.

Their findings might contribute to drug tailoring and the development of strategies which specifically prevent the infection process.

http://www.kurzweilai.net/zooming-in-on-bacterial-weapons-in-3d

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NotĂ­cias e Artigos / Role of neo-neurons in learning, memory revealed

« Última Mensagem: por Emanuel Online Hoje às09:32:30 pm »

Researchers at the Institut Pasteur and the CNRS have identified the role played by neo-neurons formed in the adult brain of mice.

By using selective stimulation, the researchers were able to show that these neo-neurons increase the ability to learn and memorize difficult cognitive tasks, which c0uld open up new avenues in the treatment of some neurodegenerative diseases.

http://www.kurzweilai.net/role-of-neo-neurons-in-learning-memory-revealed

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NotĂ­cias e Artigos / Bioengineers Make DNA Into a Living Flash Drive

« Última Mensagem: por Emanuel Online Hoje às09:27:03 pm »

Bioengineers looking to turn microbes into manufacturers have longed for a kit of components as regular and predictable as those used by electrical engineers. But biology is a lot messier. Now a group of engineers at Stanford University say they’ve managed to make one such component—the genetic equivalent of a reliable memory device.

http://spectrum.ieee.org/biomedical/devices/bioengineers-make-dna-into-a-living-flash-drive

Leitura bastante interessante. Com poucos bits pode-se fazer muito coisa ao nĂ­vel da saĂşde.

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Notícias e Artigos / Jovem de 15 anos cria detector não-invasivo para cancro do pâncreas

« Última Mensagem: por Emanuel Online Hoje às09:16:43 pm »

Jack Andraka é um jovem norte-americano de 15 anos, de Crownsville (Maryland), que durante a competição anual Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), em Pittsburgh, apresentou um novo teste não-invasivo para detectar o cancro do pâncreas – o que lhe valeu o primeiro prémio, no valor de 75 mil dólares.

O adolescente participou na categoria de Medicina e Ciências da Saúde e para criar o projecto baseou-se nos testes para diabéticos. Criou um sensor feito de papel que através da urina ou do sangue detecta se existe cancro do pâncreas, de forma rápida e sem grandes custos. Aliás, é cem vezes mais sensível, tem 90 por cento de fiabilidade e é 28 vezes mais rápido que os testes existentes no mercado.

http://www.cienciahoje.pt/index.php?oid=54246&op=all

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Notícias e Artigos / Investigadores transformam células de pele em células de coração

« Última Mensagem: por Emanuel Online Hoje às09:15:32 pm »

Cientistas de Israel conseguiram transformar pela primeira vez células da pele de doentes coronários em células saudáveis do coração. Segundo os investigadores este é mais um passo para se desenvolverem tratamentos que possibilitem tratar doentes com as suas próprias células.

Noutras investigações tinha-se já conseguido reprogramar células de indivíduos saudáveis e jovens. Mas esta é a primeira vez que se fez este tipo de intervenção a partir de células de pacientes com doenças de coração e idosos.

http://www.cienciahoje.pt/index.php?oid=54273&op=all

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Notícias e Artigos / “Good” Cholesterol Not So Good After All, New Study Shows

« Última Mensagem: por Emanuel Online Maio 21, 2012, 10:39:18 am »

The revelation that high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is the “good cholesterol” has suffered a major blow. A meta-study involving over a hundred thousand participants used two different strategies to see if genetic mutations that increased levels of HDL also decreased risk for heart disease. In both cases the answer was a resounding no. The researchers were shocked when they saw the data. Now it’s their turn to shock HDL proponents and drug companies looking to cash in on the HDL craze.

The study, which was published recently in The Lancet, is causing quite a stir in the field. As Dr. James de Lemos, from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, told the New York Times, “I’d say the HDL hypothesis is on the ropes right now.” Dr. de Lemos was not involved in the study.

http://singularityhub.com/2012/05/20/good-cholesterol-not-so-good-after-all-new-study-shows/