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जीवघेणा लेप्टोस्पायरोसिस

पावसाने सध्या दडी मारली असली तरीही मागच्या महिन्यात पडून गेलेल्या आणि मधून एखादी सर आणि बाकी वेळ ऊन असं काहीसं वातावरण असल्यामुळे बरेच आजार डोकं वर काढतायेत. त्यातलाच एक आजार म्हणजे लेप्टोस्पायरोसिस. सध्या राज्यात या आजाराने धुमाकूळ घातला आहे. हळूहळू बळींच्या संख्येने ४०चा आकडा केव्हाच पार केला आहे. हा आजार नेमका काय आहे, कशामुळे तो होतो, थोडक्यात आजाराची माहिती जाणून घेऊ या.

लेप्टोस्पायरोसिस हा आजार जिवाणूंमुळे होत असून तो इतर दिवसांच्या मानाने पावसाळ्यात अधिक प्रमाणात दिसून येतो. म्हणजे या दिवसांत या आजाराचं संक्रमण अधिक होतं. हा असा आजार आहे, जो आणखी काही आजारांची पैदास करतो. हे जिवाणू मानवी शरीरात थेट शिरत नाही तर म्हैस, घोडा, बकरी, कुत्ता आदी प्राण्यांच्या साहाय्याने मानवी शरीरात प्रवेश करतो. म्हणजे नेमका कसा? तर या प्राण्यांच्या मूत्र विसर्जनातून तो हवेत पसरतो.

आद्र्रतेमध्ये हा जिवाणू दीर्घकाळापर्यंत जिवंत राहतो. आणि तो मानवी शरीराच्या संपर्कात आला की त्या व्यक्तीला लॅप्टोस्पायरोसिस नावाचा हा आजार होतो. प्रथमदर्शनी या आजाराची कोणतीही लक्षणं दिसत नाहीत. खरं म्हणजे हा आजार जंगली प्राण्यांमध्ये अधिक आढळतो. हे प्राणी पाळीव प्राण्यांच्या संपर्कात आल्यावर त्या पाळीव प्राण्यांना होतो. आणि त्यांच्यामार्फत मग या प्राळीव प्राण्यांचे मालकांपर्यंत हा आजार पसरतो.

दूषित पाण्याच्या संपर्कात आल्यामुळेही हा आजार उद्भवतो. म्हणजे दूषित पाण्याच्या संपर्कात येणा-या व्यक्तीचे डोळे, त्वचा आणि शौचावाटे हा आजार वेगाने पसरला जातो. प्रामुख्याने या आजारात किडणीला बाधा होते. म्हणूनच या आजाराची बाधा प्रामुख्याने पूरग्रस्त भागात किंवा शेतीवाडी करणारी मंडळी तसंच अन्य रुग्णांना पटकन होते. असं असलं तरीही सध्या कानावर पडणा-या बातम्यांमुळे या दिवसांत सर्वसामान्य लोकांनीही सतर्क असणं आवश्यक आहे.

काही डॉक्टरांच्या मते, हा आजार जीवघेणा आहे. ज्या व्यक्तीला या आजाराची लागण होते, त्या व्यक्तीचे वाचण्याची शक्यता कमी असते. याची लक्षणं अगदी लवकर समजली तरच त्यावर उपचार करणं अधिक सोपं असतं. याला अनेक नावं आहेत. उदाहरणच द्यायचं झालं तर ७-डे फिव्हर, हार्वेस्ट फिव्हर, फिल्ड फिव्हर, माईल्ड फिव्हर, रॅट कॅचर्स यलोज, अशी अनेक नावं आहेत. त्याचबरोबर ब्लॅक जाँडिज म्हणूनही ओळखला जातो.

लक्षण

» डोळे लाल होणे

» डोकं, कंबर आणि पाय दुखणे हे प्रमुख लक्षण आहे.

» स्नायू दुखणे

» त्वचेवर रॅश येणे

वेळेवर निदान न झाल्यास पुढील लक्षणं दिसतात.

» मेनेन्जायटिस

» कावीळ होणे,

» किडणीला सूज येऊन किडणी निकामी होणे

» लघवी वाटे रक्त पडणे.

ही लक्षण काही ठरावीक काळामध्येच जाणवतात. उदाहरणार्थ पहिल्या ७-१२ दिवसांत याची लक्षणं दिसतात. साधारणत: ३-७ दिवसांपर्यंत आजारपण जाणवतो. यावर काही अँटिबायोटिक्स घेतली तर ही लक्षणं नष्ट होतात. ही लक्षणं पुन्हा डोकं वर काढतात. बहुतांश लोकांना अल्प काळातला आजार होतो. मात्र दुसरी पायरी ही मॅनेन्जायटिससारख्या आजाराने होते.

उपाय काय कराल?

वर सांगितलेली लक्षणं कोणत्याही व्यक्तीत आढळली तर त्वरित डॉक्टरांशी संपर्क करणं आवश्यक आहे.
आपल्या परिसरात गोशाळा किंवा अन्य कोणती जागा असेल तर त्या ठिकाणांची स्वच्छता करणं आवश्यक आहे.
पावसात साचलेल्या पाण्यात खेळणा-या मुलांना थांबवायला हवं. किंबहुना पावसाच्या पाण्यात खेळायला पालकांनी सोडू नये.

ज्यांची रोगप्रतिकारशक्ती उत्तम असते त्यांच्या मलमूत्रविसर्जनावाटे हे जिवाणू बाहेर टाकले जातात. मात्र ज्यांची रोगप्रतिकारशक्ती कमी असते त्यांना अशा आजाराची लागण पटकन होते.

काळजी काय घ्याल?

» पावसाळ्यात साचलेल्या पाण्यातून जाणं टाळावं.

» तुम्हाला अशा ठिकाणी जावंच लागणार असेल तर प्रथम डॉक्टरांशी सल्लामसलत करून त्यासंबंधीची औषधं बरोबर ठेवावीत, म्हणजे तुमचा या आजारापासून बचाव होईल.

» उंदीर-घुशींचा नायनाट करावा.

» कच-याची त्वरित विल्हेवाट लावावी.

» पूर्ण विश्रांती आणि हलका आहार घ्यावा.

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कॅन्सरच्या रुग्णांना दिलासा..

कॅन्सरमधून बचावणे आणि कॅन्सरच्या उपचारांमधून सहीसलामत बाहेर येणे या दोन्ही मोठया गोष्टी आहेत.

कॅन्सरमधून बचावणे आणि कॅन्सरच्या उपचारांमधून सहीसलामत बाहेर येणे या दोन्ही मोठया गोष्टी आहेत. तुम्ही कॅन्सरच्या उपचारांमधून गेला असाल, तर तुम्ही नक्कीच हा विचार करत असाल की, तुम्ही त्यावर नियंत्रण ठेवण्याकरता काय करू शकता? हो, कॅन्सरवर नक्कीच नियंत्रण मिळवता येऊ शकतं आणि ते तुम्हाला वाटतं तितकं अवघड नाही. अर्थात, वय आणि जनुकीय जडणघडण अशा अपरिहार्य गोष्टी त्या आड येऊ शकतात, पण तुम्ही तुमचे आयुर्मान वाढवण्याकरता नक्कीच प्रयत्न करू शकता.

व्यायाम करण्याने आणि योग्य तेच खाण्याने कॅन्सरला रोखता येतं, हे पुराव्याने सिद्ध झालेलं आहे. व्यायामाच्या जोडीने योगा केल्यास स्तनाच्या कॅन्सरसारख्या अनेक प्रकारच्या कॅन्सरपासून स्वत:चं रक्षण करता येतं. वजन नियंत्रणात येण्यास मदत होणे हा व्यायामाचा आणि योगाचा पहिला फायदा होय!

अमेरिकन कॅन्सर सोसायटी (एसीएस)च्या अभ्यासातून असं दिसून आलं आहे की, वयाच्या १८व्या वर्षापासून ९ ते १४ किलो वजन वाढलेल्या स्त्रियांना, ३ किलोपेक्षा जास्त वजन वाढू न दिलेल्या स्त्रियांच्या तुलनेत स्तनाचा कॅन्सर होण्याची शक्यता ४० टक्के जास्त असते.

पेशींची अतिवाढ आणि तात्पर्याने स्तनाच्या कॅन्सरला चालना देणा-या इस्ट्रोजनची निर्मिती हे त्यामागील कारण होय. रजोनिवृत्तीच्या आधी स्त्रीच्या शरीरातील इस्ट्रोजन अंडाशयात तयार होत असते. रजोनिवृत्तीनंतर अंडाशय हार्मोन्सची निर्मिती थांबवते आणि इस्ट्रोजन चरबीतून तयार होण्यास सुरुवात होते. स्त्रीच्या शरीरात चरबी जितकी जास्त, तितके जास्त इस्ट्रोजन तयार होते.

व्यायामामुळे इस्ट्रोजनच्या चयापचयामध्ये बदल होत जातात. व्यायाम करणा-या स्त्रियांमध्ये 'चांगल्या' इस्ट्रोजनचे 'वाईट' इस्ट्रोजनशी असलेले गुणोत्तर २५ टक्क्यांनी सुधारते, तात्पर्याने स्तनाचा कॅन्सर होण्याचा धोकाही कमी होतो. व्यायामाला योगाची जोड दिल्याने कॅन्सरचा धोका तर टळतोच, शिवाय कॅन्सर बळावण्याची शक्यताही कमी होते.

योग्य तेच खाणे, व्यायाम करणे, निरोगी वजन राखणे आणि नियमितपणे चाचण्या करून घेण्यावर भर देणे, यामुळे कॅन्सर पुन्हा बळावण्याला रोखता येईल. वैद्यकीय चाचण्यांमधून असं निष्पन्न झालं आहे की, व्यायाम हे स्तनाच्या कॅन्सर असलेल्या रुग्णांकरिता तसेच कोलोरेक्टल कॅन्सरमधून बचावलेल्या रुग्णांकरिता वरदान आहे. या कॅन्सरमधून बचावलेले आणि नियमितपणे व्यायाम करणारे रुग्ण व्यायाम न करणा-या रुग्णांपेक्षा अधिक काळ जगल्याचं दिसून आलं आहे.

कॅन्सरमधून बचावलेल्या रुग्णांनी किंवा कॅन्सरला आळा घालून इच्छिणा-या व्यक्तींनी आठवडयातून १ ते २ तास जलद चालण्याचा व्यायाम करावा किंवा १५० मिनिटं मध्यम तीव्रतेचा व्यायाम करावा. थोडक्यात, आठवडयातील ५ दिवस ३० मिनिटं व्यायाम करावा किंवा जलद चालावे.

व्यायामामध्ये अवयवांचे चलनवलन उत्तम राखण्याकरिता स्ट्रेचिंग, जलद चालणे, धावणे आणि पोहण्याचा समावेश असावा. या व्यायामांमुळे कॅलरी जळण्यात आणि वजन घडण्यात मदत होते. त्यामुळे तुमचा कार्डियोव्हॅस्क्युलर फिटनेस वाढण्यात आणि त्या अनुषंगाने हृदयविकार, पक्षाघात आणि मधुमेह होण्याचा धोका कमी होण्यात मदत होते.

कॅन्सरवरील उपचार घेऊन झाल्यानंतर करायच्या व्यायाम प्रकारांखेरीज योगा करणे, स्तनाचा कॅन्सर असलेल्या रुग्णांना लाभदायी ठरते. सततचे उपचार संपल्यानंतर रोजचे आयुष्य जगायला सुरुवात करणे कधीकधी तणावपूर्ण ठरू शकते. या आयुष्याशी जुळवून घेण्याकरिता योगासारखी शरीरावर आणि मनावर सकारात्मक परिणाम करणारी प्रणाली अवलंबिल्यास हा बदल अधिक सुसहय़ करता येऊ शकतो.

बैठया आणि निष्क्रिय जीवनशैलीमुळे स्त्रियांमधील स्तनाच्या कॅन्सरचा धोका वाढतो. त्यामुळे वजन आटोक्यात ठेवण्याकरिता शक्य तेवढे सर्व प्रयत्न करणे आणि व्यायाम करणे अशा उपाययोजनांतून आरोग्यदायी राहणीमान साध्य करता येते.

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टाकळा

आतापर्यंत आपण मसाले आणि फळं यांचं आपल्या आरोग्याच्या दृष्टीने काय महत्त्व आहे हे पाहिलं. थोडक्यात त्यांचे औषधी फायदे जाणून घेतले. आता आपण भाज्या आणि त्यांचे औषधी उपयोग जाणून घेऊया. सध्या पावसाळा सुरू असल्याने या पावसाळ्यात मिळणा-या काही विशिष्ट भाज्यांनी सुरुवात करू या. आपल्याकडे कित्येक भाज्या पावसाळ्यात मिळतात. त्यांची नावंदेखील आपल्याला माहीत नसतात. टाकळा, गोमेटू, कुर्डू अशी काही नावं सांगता येतील. कारण ही जंत्री तशी मोठीच आहे. प्रथम आपण टाकळा या भाजीविषयी जाणून घेऊ या.

ही वनस्पती प्रामुख्याने पावसाळ्यात उगवते. सिसालपिनेसी या कुळातील असलेल्या या भाजीचं नाव कॅसिया टोरा असं आहे. ही भाजी पडीक किंवा ओसाड जमीन, शेतात, बागांमध्ये, जंगलात, रस्त्याच्या कडेने कुठेही वाढते.

महाराष्ट्राच्या काही भागांत खासकरून कोकणात ही भाजी टायकळा किंवा टाकळा या नावाने ओळखली जाते. तर काही ठिकाणी ती तरोटा किंवा तरवटा या नावानेही ओळखली जाते.

ही भाजी साधारण एक ते दोन फुटांपर्यंत उंच वाढते. याला पिवळसर रंगांची फुलं येतात. पान द्विलिंगी असून रात्रीच्या वेळी ती मिटतात. ही पानं लांबट-गोल किंवा अंडाकृती-आयताकृती असतात. काळसर किंवा करडया रंगाच्या शेंगा असून त्यांचं टोक आडवं कापल्यासारखं असतं. मात्र कठीण आवरणाच्या असतात. या वनस्पतीचा वास उग्र असतो.

» टाकळ्याच्या पानांत विरेचन द्रव्य आणि एमोडीन ग्लुकोसाईड असतं.

» सर्व प्रकारच्या त्वचारोगांमध्ये ही वनस्पती अतिशय उपयुक्त आहे. भाजी किंवा बियांचा लेप वाटून तो त्वचाविकारावर लावावा. पानं आणि बियांमध्ये कायझोजेनिक आम्ल असून ते त्वचाविकारावर अतिशय गुणकारी आहे. त्वचा जड झाल्यास ही वनस्पती खाल्ल्याने विशेष उपयोग होतो. याशिवाय इसब, अ‍ॅलर्जी, सोरायसिस, खरूज यासारखे त्वचाविकारही कमी होतात.
लिंबाच्या रसात मुळं उगाळून ती गजकर्णासाठी वापरतात.

» पानांचं भाजीच्या रूपात सेवन केल्याने पोटातील कृमी नष्ट होतात.

» दात येणा-या लहान मुलांना ताप येतो. अशा वेळी टाकळ्याच्या पानांचा काढा त्यांना दिल्याने तापावर नियंत्रण येतं.

» पित्त, हृदयविकार, श्वास, खोकला आदी विकारांवर पानाचा रस मधातून द्यावा. आराम पडतो.

» टाकळ्याची भाजी ही मुळात उष्ण असल्यामुळे शरीरातील वात आणि कफदोष कमी होण्यास मदत होते.

» या भाजीचं वरचेवर सेवन केल्याने शरीरात अतिरिक्त मेद कमी होण्यास मदत होते.

» पचायला हलकी, तुरट आणि मलसारक आहे.

» पावसाळ्यात शरीराला सुटणारी खाजही कमी होते.

Read More »
 
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ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Robotics and the law: When software can harm you

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 05:57 PM PDT

Twenty years in, the law is finally starting to get used to the Internet. Now it is imperative that the law figure out how to deal effectively with the rise of robotics and artificial intelligence, an expert says.

Elective surgery is associated with lower risk of death than drugs for ulcerative colitis treatment

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 05:57 PM PDT

Patients over 50 with ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic disease of the colon, who undergo surgery to treat their condition live longer than those who are treated with medications, according to a new study.

Liquid biopsy identifies mutations in colorectal cancer undetected in tissue biopsy

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 05:54 PM PDT

The CORRECT study is one of the largest trials to date comparing data provided by liquid versus tissue biopsy in metastatic colorectal cancer patients. According to the study, liquid biopsy (BEAMing technology) could become an essential tool for analyzing tumor genotypes in real time, and identifying significant mutations that occur during the course of disease and are not detected by tissue biopsy.

One in four UK show dogs competing at Crufts is overweight

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 05:54 PM PDT

One in four dogs competing in the world's largest canine show (Crufts) is overweight, despite the perception that entrants are supposed to represent ideal specimens of their breed, reveals research.

Funeral directors may be at heightened risk of progressive neurodegenerative disease

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 05:54 PM PDT

Funeral directors, who prepare bodies for burial, may be at heightened risk of the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS for short, as a result of the formaldehyde used in embalming fluid.

When attractive people do or don't choose equally good-looking mates

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 05:51 PM PDT

Partners who become romantically involved soon after meeting tend to be more similar in physical attractiveness than partners who get together after knowing each other for a while, according to new findings.

Gene fuels age-related obesity and diabetes

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 02:22 PM PDT

Practically everyone gets fatter as they get older, but some people can blame their genes for the extra padding. Researchers have shown that two different mutations in a gene called ankyrin-B cause cells to suck up glucose faster than normal, fattening them up and eventually leading to the type of diabetes linked to obesity.

Certain abnormal prenatal testing results and subsequent diagnosis of maternal cancer

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 02:22 PM PDT

In preliminary research, a small number of occult (hidden) malignancies were subsequently diagnosed among pregnant women whose noninvasive prenatal testing results showed chromosomal abnormalities but the fetal karyotype was subsequently shown to be normal, according to a new study.

Young adults who survive cancer hospitalized more often than the general population

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 02:22 PM PDT

Up to 20 years after people in the 20-44 age group are declared cancer-free, they still have more hospitalizations than the general public, new research has found.

Stem cells provide lasting pain relief in mice

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 02:22 PM PDT

Researchers have identified a promising stem cell based-therapy to address the chronic pain that affects more than one-third of the US adult population. In mice, bone marrow stromal cells were found to provide lasting relief for chronic pain caused by nerve damage. The findings also may advance cell-based therapies in chronic pain conditions, lower back pain and spinal cord injuries.

Aerosolized vaccine protects primates against Ebola

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 02:22 PM PDT

Scientists have developed an inhalable vaccine that protects primates against Ebola.

Lung cancer patients who stop smoking live longer

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 01:15 PM PDT

Tobacco cessation provided significant survival benefit for lung cancer patients who quit smoking shortly before or after diagnosis, despite the severity of the disease.

An elusive molecule, finally revealed

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 01:14 PM PDT

A long-standing chemistry puzzle has been solved, with potential implications ranging from industrial processes to atmospheric chemistry.

Chemotherapeutic coatings enhance tumor-frying nanoparticles

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 01:14 PM PDT

In a move akin to adding chemical weapons to a firebomb, researchers have devised a method to deposit a thin layer of hydrogels on the surface of nanoshells designed to absorb infrared light and generate heat to destroy tumors. When heated by the nanoshells, these special hydrogels lose their water content and any drugs trapped within, creating a formidable one-two punch.

Nanoscale light-emitting device has big profile

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 01:14 PM PDT

Engineers have created a nanoscale device that can emit light as powerfully as an object 10,000 times its size. It's an advance that could have huge implications for everything from photography to solar power.

Cancer discovery links experimental vaccine and biological treatment

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 01:14 PM PDT

A new study has linked two seemingly unrelated cancer treatments that are both now being tested in clinical trials. One treatment is a vaccine that targets a structure on the outside of cancer cells, while the other is an altered enzyme that breaks apart RNA and causes the cell to commit suicide. The new understanding could help both approaches.

Better memory with faster lasers

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 01:14 PM PDT

By studying the effect of femtosecond laser pulses on the types of materials used to make DVDs, researchers made a discovery that could one day lead to better information storage in computers.

Fossils indicate human activities have disturbed ecosystem resilience

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 01:14 PM PDT

A collection of fossilized owl pellets in Utah suggests that when the Earth went through a period of rapid warming about 13,000 years ago, the small mammal community was stable, even as individual species changed along with the habitat and landscape. By contrast, human-caused changes to the environment since the late 1800s have caused an enormous drop in biomass and 'energy flow' in this same community. The resilience that these lands once had to environmental change is being lost.

Is upward mobility bad for your health?

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 01:14 PM PDT

Youth from low-income families who succeed academically and socially may actually pay a price -- with their health -- according to a new study.

Nutrients turn on key tumor signaling molecule, fueling resistance to cancer therapy

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 01:14 PM PDT

Tumors can leverage glucose and another nutrient, acetate, to resist targeted therapies directed at specific cellular molecules, according to Ludwig Cancer Research scientists studying glioblastoma, a deadly brain cancer. The findings demonstrate that nutrients can strongly affect the signaling molecules that drive tumors.

Fat fish illuminate human obesity

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 01:14 PM PDT

Blind cavefish that have adapted to annual cycles of starvation and binge-eating have mutations in the gene MC4R, the same gene that is mutated in certain obese people with insatiable appetites, according to a new study.

Lung simulation could improve respiratory treatment

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 01:14 PM PDT

The first computer model that predicts the flow of liquid medication in human lungs is providing new insight into the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Drug-resistant bacteria possess natural ability to become vulnerable to antibiotics

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 12:12 PM PDT

Infections with one of the most troublesome and least understood antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" are increasing. But now scientists have shown the bacteria, A. baumannii, can naturally relinquish its defenses against antibiotics.

Antioxidants help treat skin-picking disorder in mice

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 12:08 PM PDT

Two antioxidant supplements are effective in treating skin-picking disorder in mice, according to a new study.

First-responders' role in end-of-life calls

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 12:08 PM PDT

Paramedics and emergency medical technicians are trained to save lives. But they sometimes enter situations where a dying patient's end-of-life wishes contradict their professional code.

New method of identifying sweet corn hybrids for increased yield and profit

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 12:08 PM PDT

Corn hybrids with improved tolerance to crowding stress, grown at higher plant populations than their predecessors, have been a driver of rising field corn yields in recent decades. Large differences in crowding stress tolerance (CST) recently reported among popular sweet corn processing hybrids has growers and processors wondering if newly emerging hybrids also offer improved CST. A recent study identifies a more efficient method for comparing and identifying processing sweet corn hybrids for CST.

Losing half a night of sleep makes memories less accessible in stressful situations

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 12:08 PM PDT

It is known that sleep facilitates the formation of long-term memory in humans. Researchers now show that sleep does not only help form long-term memory but also ensures access to it during times of cognitive stress.

Consumers should seek a variety of fiber sources to get the maximum health benefits

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 11:41 AM PDT

Consumers who get fiber from many sources -- both naturally occurring and added in manufacturing -- may benefit more than people who limit their intake to a single type, according to an expert.

Algae, quinoa, legumes top list of alternative protein choices

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 11:41 AM PDT

Algae is evolving as the next new alternative protein source consumers are anxious to bite into as an ingredient in crackers, snack bars, cereals and breads, according to an expert.

Scientist works on taste, texture and color of lab-produced hamburger

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 11:41 AM PDT

A researcher is confident his recipe for his $300,000 cultured hamburger will not only come down in price but someday make it to market.

3D printers poised to have major implications for food manufacturing

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 11:41 AM PDT

The use of 3D printers has the potential to revolutionize the way food is manufactured within the next 10 to 20 years, impacting everything from how military personnel get food on the battlefield to how long it takes to get a meal from the computer to your table, according to new research.

How opium poppies synthesize morphine

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 11:36 AM PDT

After years of leading research on the opium poppy scientists have characterized a novel gene that encodes the gateway enzyme in the formation of morphine -- which is to say, they've begun to understand how poppies synthesize the pain killing enzymes. The discovery opens the door to alternative production systems, aside from the plant itself.

Cancers caught during screening colonoscopy are more survivable

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 11:36 AM PDT

Patients whose colorectal cancer is detected during a screening colonoscopy are likely to survive longer than those who wait until they have symptoms before having the test.

Method to untangle, analyze 'controlled chaos' devised

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 11:36 AM PDT

A researcher has developed a new mathematical framework to more effectively analyze 'controlled chaos.' The new method could potentially be used to improve the resilience of complex critical systems, such as air traffic control networks and power grids, or slow the spread of threats across large networks, such as disease outbreaks.

Wireless data delivery over active TV channels tested

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 11:36 AM PDT

Engineers have demonstrated the first system that allows wireless data transmissions over UHF channels during active TV broadcasts.

Baby's first stool can alert doctors to future cognitive issues

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 11:36 AM PDT

A newborn's first stool can signal the child may struggle with persistent cognitive problems. In particular, high levels of fatty acid ethyl esters found in the meconium (a newborn's first stool) from a mother's alcohol use during pregnancy can alert doctors that a child is at risk for problems with intelligence and reasoning.

Lithosphere of the Central Iranian Plateau

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 11:32 AM PDT

Geologists describe thinning of the lithosphere that they associate with the formation of a metamorphic core complex in the Central Iranian plateau.

Leisure time sitting linked to higher risk of specific cancers

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 10:14 AM PDT

Spending more leisure time sitting was associated with a higher risk of total cancer risk in women, and specifically with multiple myeloma, breast, and ovarian cancers, according a new study.

Online registry improves clinical research study participation

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 10:14 AM PDT

Research for Her, an online registry that matches women with research studies and clinical trials, enrolled study participants more quickly when compared with traditional paper-based registries, according to new research.

Learning impacts how the brain processes what we see

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 10:14 AM PDT

From the smell of flowers to the taste of wine, our perception is strongly influenced by prior knowledge and expectations, a cognitive process known as top-down control. Neuroscientists and neurobiologists report that in mouse models, the brain significantly changed its visual cortex operation modes by implementing top-down processes during learning.

Polymer mold makes perfect silicon nanostructures

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 10:14 AM PDT

In a breakthrough for nanoscience, polymer engineers have made such a mold for nanostructures that can shape liquid silicon out of an organic polymer material. This paves the way for perfect, 3-D, single crystal nanostructures.

New compounds may treat depression rapidly with few side effects

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 10:13 AM PDT

A new study has identified promising compounds that could successfully treat depression in less than 24 hours with few side effects. The compounds could offer significant advantages over current antidepressant medications.

Clay sheets stack to form proton conductors

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 10:13 AM PDT

A researcher employs a clay typically used for gardening to develop a proton-conducting, bulk nanostructured material.

New drug combo could make cancer more sensitive to chemo

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 10:13 AM PDT

Combining chemotherapy with new drugs that target a protein that helps cancer cells to withstand chemotherapy could drastically improve treatment, according to new research.

Eating wild, foraged mushrooms can result in liver failure or death as misidentification is common

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 10:13 AM PDT

Foraging and eating wild mushrooms can result in liver failure and even death because mistaking toxic mushrooms for edible varieties is common, illustrates a recent case.

New approach to treating B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia shows promise

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 10:13 AM PDT

A new compound that locks a disease-related protein into an inactive position stifled the growth of an aggressive form of leukemia in laboratory and animal tests, researchers report.

Lynchpin molecule for the spread of cancer found

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 09:23 AM PDT

A single molecule called DNA-PKcs may drive metastatic processes that turn cancer from a slowly growing relatively benign disease to a killer.

Transistor built from a molecule and a few atoms

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 09:22 AM PDT

Physicists have used a scanning tunneling microscope to create a minute transistor consisting of a single molecule and a small number of atoms. The observed transistor action is markedly different from the conventionally expected behavior and could be important for future device technologies as well as for fundamental studies of electron transport in molecular nanostructures.

Kidney, bladder stones do not increase postmenopausal women's risk of osteoporosis

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 09:20 AM PDT

Postmenopausal women with kidney or bladder stones are not at increased risk for osteoporosis, but they do have about a 15 percent increased risk of another painful stone, physician-scientists report.

'Biosimilars' for children with IBD need more research

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 09:20 AM PDT

Children with inflammatory bowel disease who are doing well on specific biological medications should not be switched to recently approved 'biosimilar' products, concludes an expert consensus statement of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.

From sticks to balls: The shape of bacteria is evolving to better adapt to the throat

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 09:20 AM PDT

It's no coincidence that the earthworm's slender shape makes it perfect for weaving through narrow tunnels. Evolution molds the shapes of living creatures according to the benefits they offer. At the microscopic level, do the various shapes of bacteria also contribute to their survival? Does a spherical bacterium (coccus) have a better chance of infecting its host than its stick-shaped neighbor (bacillus)?

Nerve-wracking flyby of Pluto: New Horizons probe begins complicated dance

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 08:36 AM PDT

The moment is finally here: after a decade of travel, the New Horizons probe is about to encounter Pluto. Flying faster than a speeding bullet -- literally -- the probe has to perform complex maneuvers, and go completely silent before scientists on Earth will hear anything, an astronomer says.

New cell division mechanism discovered

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 08:34 AM PDT

Chromosomes play an active role in animal cell division, reports an international team of researchers. This occurs at a precise stage – cytokinesis – when the cell splits into two new daughter cells, say the scientists.

Rainfall drives rapid melt, flow of the Greenland ice sheet

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 08:34 AM PDT

The Greenland ice sheet has been shown to accelerate in response to surface rainfall and melt associated with late-summer and autumnal cyclonic weather events, new research shows.

Stopping or reducing cocaine use associated with lower cardiovascular risk marker levels

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 08:33 AM PDT

For people who use cocaine, stopping or reducing cocaine use is associated with decreased levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1) -- a protein that plays a key role in the development of coronary artery disease.

Ocean warming leads to stronger precipitation extremes

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 08:33 AM PDT

Due to climate change, not only atmospheric, but also oceanic, temperatures are rising. A new study shows that increases in sea surface temperature can contribute to the development of stronger precipitation events.

Plump cartoon characters provoke indulgent eating in kids, says study

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 08:33 AM PDT

Children consume more low-nutrition, high-calorie food such as cookies and candy after observing seemingly overweight cartoon characters, according to a first-of-its-kind study.

Novel disease gene causing neurodegenerative disorders identified

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 08:33 AM PDT

Researchers have discovered and characterized a previously unknown disease gene linked to the degeneration of optic and peripheral nerve fibers.

Treatment of patients with haemophilia

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 08:33 AM PDT

For patients with severe haemophilia A, studies provide both hints and an indication of an added benefit of prophylactic versus on-demand treatment with factor concentrates.

The quantum physics of artificial light harvesting

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 08:33 AM PDT

Plants and bacteria make use of sunlight with remarkably high efficiency: nine out of ten absorbed light particles are being put to use in an ordinary bacterium. For years, it has been a pressing question of modern research whether or not effects from quantum physics are responsible for this outstanding performance of natural light harvesters. Scientists have now examined these quantum effects in an artificial model system.