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Biomedical Science Medical and Health News Headlines
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All Recent Biomedical Science Medical News Headlines |
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Current search for heart disease treatment may not be fruitful
New research suggests C-reactive protein does not cause coronary heart disease - News Release (Source: Imperial College News)...
POSTED 06/30/2009 at 06:00 PM --
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Mobile pollution monitors to be trialled across the UK today
Scientists transform pedestrians, cyclists, buses and cars into mobile wireless sensors - News Release (Source: Imperial College News)...
POSTED 06/30/2009 at 06:00 PM --
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Protective effect of glycyrrhizin on nephrotic syndrome induced by adriamycin in rats.
Conclusion: Glycyrrhizin exerts protective effects in rats with NS, reducing the excretion of Upr, Ch, BUN, sCr, and mean arterial blood pressure, and also decreasing expression of LN, FN, Col, TGF?1 and CTGF in the kidney. Renal function is improved and the severity of NS is lessened.
PMID: 19558898 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Clinical and Investigative Medicine)...
POSTED 06/30/2009 at 04:20 PM --
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A 'quantum of sol' – how nanotechnology could hold the key to a solar-powered future
Imperial solar cell physicists take part in the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition - News Release (Source: Imperial College News)...
POSTED 06/29/2009 at 06:00 PM --
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Coordinated Activity in the Brain
Measurements and Relevance to Brain Function and Behavior series: Springer Series in Computational Neuroscience Increasing interest in the study of coordinated activity of brain cell ensembles reflects the current conceptualization of brain information processing and cognition. It is thought that cognitive processes involve not only serial stages of sensory signal processing, but also massive parallel information processing circuitries, and therefore it is the coordinated activity of ... (Source: Springer Biomedical Sciences titles)...
POSTED 06/29/2009 at 10:38 AM --
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Models of epidemics: when contact repetition and clustering should be included
Conclusions:
We show that random mixing models provide acceptable estimates of the total outbreak size if the number of contacts per day is high or if the per-contact transmission probability is high, as seen in typical childhood diseases such as measles. In the case of very short infectious periods, for instance, as in Norovirus, models assuming repeating contacts will also behave similarly as random mixing models. If the number of daily contacts or the transmission probability is low, as assumed for MRSA or Ebola, particular consideration should be given to the actual structure of potentially contagious contacts when designing the model. (Source: Theoretical Biology and Medical Modelling)...
POSTED 06/28/2009 at 06:00 PM --
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Engineers, scientists and clinicians will improve the lives of those living with osteoarthritis, thanks to £11 million grant
Imperial receives £11 million grant to establish a Centre of Excellence in Medical Engineering Solutions for Osteoarthritis – News (Source: Imperial College News)...
POSTED 06/28/2009 at 06:00 PM --
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New trigger for chronic inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis discovered
Signal molecule that triggers immune system into action may be important in the disease - News Release (Source: Imperial College News)...
POSTED 06/28/2009 at 06:00 PM --
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Measuring 13Cbeta chemical shifts of invisible excited states in proteins by relaxation dispersion NMR spectroscopy.
Authors: Lundström P, Lin H, Kay LE
A labeling scheme is introduced that facilitates the measurement of accurate (13)C(beta) chemical shifts of invisible, excited states of proteins by relaxation dispersion NMR spectroscopy. The approach makes use of protein over-expression in a strain of E. coli in which the TCA cycle enzyme succinate dehydrogenase is knocked out, leading to the production of samples with high levels of (13)C enrichment (30-40%) at C(beta) side-chain carbon positions for 15 of the amino acids with little (13)C label at positions one bond removed (approximately 5%). A pair of samples are produced using [1-(13)C]-glucose/NaH(12)CO(3) or [2-(13)C]-glucose as carbon sources with isolated and enriched (>30%) (13)C(beta) positions for 11 and 4 residues, respectively......
POSTED 06/27/2009 at 10:33 PM --
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Deuterium isotope effects on 15N backbone chemical shifts in proteins.
Authors: Abildgaard J, Hansen PE, Manalo MN, LiWang A
Quantum mechanical calculations are presented that predict that one-bond deuterium isotope effects on the (15)N chemical shift of backbone amides of proteins, (1)Delta(15)N(D), are sensitive to backbone conformation and hydrogen bonding. A quantitative empirical model for (1)Delta(15)N(D) including the backbone dihedral angles, Phi and Psi, and the hydrogen bonding geometry is presented for glycine and amino acid residues with aliphatic side chains. The effect of hydrogen bonding is rationalized in part as an electric-field effect on the first derivative of the nuclear shielding with respect to N-H bond length. Another contributing factor is the effect of increased anharmonicity of the N-H stretching vibrational state upon hydrogen ......
POSTED 06/27/2009 at 10:33 PM --
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Selective backbone labeling of proteins using 1,2-13C2-pyruvate as carbon source.
Authors: Guo C, Geng C, Tugarinov V
A simple isotope labeling approach for selective (13)C/(15)N backbone labeling of proteins is described. Using {1,2-(13)C(2)}-pyruvate as the sole carbon source in bacterial growth media, selective incorporation of (13)C(alpha)-(13)CO spin-pairs into the backbones of protein molecules with medium-to-high levels of (13)C-enrichment is possible for a subset of 12 amino acids. The isotope labeling scheme has been tested on a pair of proteins--a 7-kDa immunoglobulin binding domain B1 of streptococcal protein G and an 82-kDa enzyme malate synthase G. A number of protein NMR applications are expected to benefit from the {1,2-(13)C(2)}-pyruvate based protein production.
PMID: 19468838 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Journal of Bimolecular NMR)...
POSTED 06/27/2009 at 10:33 PM --
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Two-point anchoring of a lanthanide-binding peptide to a target protein enhances the paramagnetic anisotropic effect.
Authors: Saio T, Ogura K, Yokochi M, Kobashigawa Y, Inagaki F
Paramagnetic lanthanide ions fixed in a protein frame induce several paramagnetic effects such as pseudo-contact shifts and residual dipolar couplings. These effects provide long-range distance and angular information for proteins and, therefore, are valuable in protein structural analysis. However, until recently this approach had been restricted to metal-binding proteins, but now it has become applicable to non-metalloproteins through the use of a lanthanide-binding tag. Here we report a lanthanide-binding peptide tag anchored via two points to the target proteins. Compared to conventional single-point attached tags, the two-point linked tag provides two to threefold stronger anisotropic effects. Though there is slight res......
POSTED 06/27/2009 at 10:33 PM --
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Calcium-sensing beyond neurotransmitters: functions of synaptotagmins in neuroendocrine and endocrine secretion.
Authors: Gustavsson N, Han W
Neurotransmitters, neuropeptides and hormones are released through the regulated exocytosis of SVs (synaptic vesicles) and LDCVs (large dense-core vesicles), a process that is controlled by calcium. Synaptotagmins are a family of type 1 membrane proteins that share a common domain structure. Most synaptotagmins are located in brain and endocrine cells, and some of these synaptotagmins bind to phospholipids and calcium at levels that trigger regulated exocytosis of SVs and LDCVs. This led to the proposed synaptotagmin-calcium-sensor paradigm, that is, members of the synaptotagmin family function as calcium sensors for the regulated exocytosis of neurotransmitters, neuropeptides and hormones. Here, we provide an overview of the synaptotagmin family, and revie......
POSTED 06/27/2009 at 10:32 PM --
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Focus issue: the protein dynamics of cell signaling.
Authors: Wong W, Gough NR
Science Signaling complements the Science special issue on protein dynamics (http://www.sciencemag.org/sciext/proteindynamics/) with several articles that highlight the dynamic nature of proteins involved in signal transduction. Not only are conformational changes in proteins important for transducing signaling information, proteins also move within the cell and interact with various partners to trigger the appropriate cellular response. Examples of each of these types of protein dynamics are highlighted in this issue.
PMID: 19366989 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Science Signaling)...
POSTED 06/27/2009 at 10:27 PM --
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Visualizing immune system complexity.
Authors: Dustin ML
The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) meeting Visualizing Immune System Complexity, held in January 2009, covered multiple scales, from imaging single molecules to imaging whole animals. In addition to experimental details, there was an emphasis on modeling both for data analysis and as a predictive tool to support experimental design. Imaging technologies discussed included total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, two-photon laser scanning microscopy, and magnetic resonance imaging. The biological systems included basic aspects of adaptive and innate immunity. The type 1 diabetes model was used to illustrate how a human disease was dissected at all the scales, from single-molecule analysis of the interact......
POSTED 06/27/2009 at 10:27 PM --
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Arrestin times for developing antipsychotics and beta-blockers.
Authors: Houslay MD
Heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein)-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest group of structurally related proteins encoded by the human genome. As signal effectors and allosteric regulators, GPCRs dynamically recruit not only specific heterotrimeric G proteins but also the cytosolic scaffold proteins, beta-arrestin 1 and 2, which were originally thought only to serve as negative regulators of GPCR signaling. Although about half of currently available therapeutics target GPCR function, usually at the ligand-binding, orthosteric site, evidence suggests that beta-arrestins may be therapeutic targets themselves. Indeed, a hitherto undiscovered action of various antipsychotics is to inhibit the ability of the dopamine D2 receptor to engage bet......
POSTED 06/27/2009 at 10:27 PM --
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Molecular origin and functional consequences of digital signaling and hysteresis during Ras activation in lymphocytes.
We describe how the complementary analog (Ras-GRP) and digital (SOS) pathways act on Ras to efficiently convert analog input to digital output and make predictions regarding the importance of digital signaling in lymphocyte function and development.
PMID: 19366993 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Science Signaling)...
POSTED 06/27/2009 at 10:27 PM --
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Mechanical signals trigger Myosin II redistribution and mesoderm invagination in Drosophila embryos.
Authors: Pouille PA, Ahmadi P, Brunet AC, Farge E
During Drosophila gastrulation, two waves of constriction occur in the apical ventral cells, leading to mesoderm invagination. The first constriction wave is a stochastic process mediated by the constriction of 40% of randomly positioned mesodermal cells and is controlled by the transcription factor Snail. The second constriction wave immediately follows and involves the other 60% of the mesodermal cells. The second wave is controlled by the transcription factor Twist and requires the secreted protein Fog. Complete mesoderm invagination requires redistribution of the motor protein Myosin II to the apical side of the constricting cells. We show that apical redistribution of Myosin II and mesoderm invagination, both of which are impaired ......
POSTED 06/27/2009 at 10:27 PM --
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Focus Issue: demystifying mTOR signaling.
Authors: Gough NR
The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a master integrator of cell energy state, nutrient status, and growth factor stimulation. This kinase is part of two distinct complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2, and the network that regulates these two complexes is interconnected with distinct and overlapping inputs and outputs. Research published in Science Signaling has revealed new connections between epidermal growth factor receptors and the mTOR pathway, and new insight into the roles of mTOR signaling in vascular disease. The Perspectives in this issue highlight how new pharmacological tools and the ability to knock down the function of complex-specific subunits are providing new insight into the regulation and functions of these complexes in physiological contexts, as well......
POSTED 06/27/2009 at 10:27 PM --
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The pharmacology of mTOR inhibition.
Authors: Guertin DA, Sabatini DM
A flurry of reports indicates that we are entering a new phase in the development of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-based therapies for oncology. Here, we summarize exciting findings regarding mTOR signaling and the outlook for mTOR inhibitors as tools to study the mTOR pathway and as drugs in the clinic.
PMID: 19383975 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Science Signaling)...
POSTED 06/27/2009 at 10:27 PM --
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