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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 8, 2013 at 7:29am

http://www.authintmail.com/news/science/health/new-treatments-tackl...
New treatments to tackle allergies
Scientists have zeroed-in on new treatments for people with allergies to grasses and to dust mites.

The treatments are from a new class of therapy, known as 'synthetic peptide immuno-regulatory epitopes', or SPIREs.

There are two treatments, one for grass allergy, which is commonly known as hay fever, and the other for dust mite allergy.

These are expected to help people who, as a reaction to grass pollen or the tiny bugs that live in house dust, have sneezing bouts, itching eyes and a running nose, impacting their productivity at school or work.

The two studies were conducted by Adiga Life Sciences, a joint venture between McMaster University and Circassia, a UK-based biotechnology company, and was supported by St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton.

It is estimated that these allergens together are responsible for more than 50 percent of allergic respiratory disease. Between 15 and 25 per cent of the population in North America and Europe is sensitive to pollen from different grass species.

One in four people is sensitised to house dust mites, more than any other common allergen, which includes millions of people in these regions, reports Science Daily.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 8, 2013 at 7:27am

http://www.examiner.com/article/disinhibition-neurons-discovered
Disinhibition neurons discovered
Dr. Adam Kepecs led a group of a team of neuroscientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory that is the first to elucidate a class of inhibitory neurons that specialize in inhibiting the action of other inhibitory neurons. The research was published in the Oct. 6, 2013, edition of the journal Nature.

The new class of neurons called VIP interneurons provides a secondary layer of inhibition of neuronal expression for both inhibitory neurons and minimizing the expression of neurons that cause excitation to occur in brain. The VIP interneurons release vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and function in the auditory cortex and the medial prefrontal cortex.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 8, 2013 at 7:25am

http://www.guampdn.com/article/20131007/OPINION02/310070007
Good science news isn't covered

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 6, 2013 at 10:55am

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/a-cure-for-jetlag-scienti...

A cure for jetlag? Scientists discover body clock 'reset button'

The findings could reduce the symptoms of jet lag after travelling through different time zones

Scientists have discovered the body clock 'reset button', taking them one step closer to tweaking the clock in order to make jet lag and shift work less painful.

The findings could reduce the symptoms of travelling through different time zones and working unsociable hours, which often makes people either tired or unable to sleep. Results from the study, published in journal Science, suggest the newly-found button could be used to switch the master clock to a new time zone, for example from London to Beijing, in just one day.

A team based at Kyoto University in Japan discovered the 'reset button' in the brain. There are clocks located throughout the body but the master clock is found within the brain, where it works to keep the body in tune with the world around us, creating fatigue at night and alertness during daylight.

The clock uses light to monitor time, but adjusts slowly. For every time zone travelled, it takes the body approximately a full day to catch up, according to the BBC.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 6, 2013 at 8:34am

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 4, 2013 at 9:12am

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/important-for-scientists-to-publi...
‘Important for scientists to publish work globally’

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 3, 2013 at 6:14am

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=italy-abruzzo-eart...
Faulty Justice: Italian Earthquake Scientist Speaks Out against His Conviction

Geophysicist Enzo Boschi slams the poor communication that could put him behind bars for six years
Seismologists can only estimate probability and risk, they cannot predict the when and where of a quake.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 2, 2013 at 9:20am

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2013/10/01/alternative.antibiotics

Alternative to antibiotics
As they destroy bacteria very efficiently, plasmas constitute an alternative to chemical disinfectants and potentially to antibiotics, as well. How they achieve this effect has been investigated by biologists, plasma physicists and chemists at the Ruhr-Universität (RUB). Cold atmospheric-pressure plasmas attack the prokaryote's cell envelope, proteins and DNA. "This is too great a challenge for the repair mechanisms and the stress response systems of bacteria," says Junior Professor Dr Julia Bandow, Head of the Junior Research Group Microbial Antibiotic Research at the RUB. "In order to develop plasmas for specific applications, for example for treating chronic wounds or for root canal disinfection, it is important to understand how they affect cells. Thus, undesirable side effects may be avoided right from the start." The team reports in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface. Plasmas affect cell envelope, DNA and proteins

Depending on their specific composition, plasmas may contain different components, for example ions, radicals or light in the ultraviolet spectrum, so-called UV photons. Until now, scientists have not understood which components of the complex mixture contribute to which extent to the antibacterial effect. Julia Bandow's team has analysed the effect of UV photons and reactive particles, namely radicals and ozone, on both the cellular level and on the level of single biomolecules, namely DNA and proteins. On the cellular level, the reactive particles alone were most effective: they destroyed the cell envelope. On the molecular level, both plasma components were effective. Both UV radiation and reactive particles damaged the DNA; in addition, the reactive particles inactivated proteins.

No effective antibiotics in ten years' time?

Atmospheric-pressure plasmas are already being used as surgical tools, for example in nasal and intestinal polyp extraction. Their properties as disinfectants may also be of interest with regard to medical applications. "In ten years, bacteria might have developed resistance against all antibiotics that are available to us today," says Julia Bandow. Without antibiotics, surgery would become impossible due to high infection rates.
Source: Ruhr-Universitaet-Bochum

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 2, 2013 at 9:18am

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/flowers-have-bloomed-for-...
Flowers have bloomed for 240m years

Flowers appeared on Earth 100 million years earlier than was previously thought, according to evidence from ancient fossilised pollen grains.

The beautifully preserved pollen, found in cores drilled from a site in northern Switzerland, is dated to 240 million years ago. Until recently scientists were convinced flowering plants only emerged in the Early Cretaceous period around 140 million years ago, when dinosaurs ruled the Earth.

In 2004, scientists identified much older flowering plant-like pollen from cores from the bottom of the Barents Sea, south of Spitsbergen in Norway, but the evidence was not conclusive. The new find appears to confirm an ancient origin for flowering plants, or angiosperms, which evolved from extinct cousins of conifers, ginkgos, cycads and seed ferns.

It also suggests the primitive flowers were blossoming across a broad ecological range. The research, led by Dr Peter Hochuli from the University of Zurich, appears in the latest issue of the journal Frontiers in Plant Science.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 2, 2013 at 9:17am

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2013/10/01/scientists.who.share.da...
Scientists who share data publicly receive more citations

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