RecQ helicases can either unwind or anneal strands of DNA. This dual functionality is explained by electron microscopy studies; higher-order oligomers appear responsible for annealing, whereas lower-order oligomers control DNA unwinding.
Start! is an American Heart Association movement calling on all Americans and their employers to live longer, more heart-healthy lives through walking and other healthy habits.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the School of Arts and Sciences have shown that a well-known protein structure acts as a molecular spring, explaining one way that clots may stretch and bend under such physical stresses as blood flow. This knowledge will inform researchers about clot physiology in such conditions as wound healing, stroke and cardiovascular disease.
Members of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority discussed the broad principles for handling any research proposals into hybrid and chimera research. The HFEA has received two applications from scientific teams to carry out research using human cells and animal eggs to produce stem cells.
According to the National Eye Institute, Americans are facing increasing rates of visual impairment from age-related diseases. The articles in this special issue on vision address three general areas: screening for diabetic retinopathy, basic research on treating and preventing vision loss, and management of patients with low vision.
Gonorrhea, a common sexually transmitted infection, can double the risk of bladder cancer in men, researchers said. Earlier studies had already suggested a link and scientists from the Harvard School of Public Health in Massachusetts who monitored the health of 51,529 American men found 286 cases of bladder cancer in men who had had the infection.
It may get a lot safer to leak sensitive documents about unethical behavior by governments or organizations if a new online service goes ahead. WikiLeaks, which hopes to launch in February, is designed to allow anyone to post documents on the Web site without the fear of being traced and thrown into jail. The Web site will exploit an anonymizing protocol which routes data through servers that use cryptography to safeguard the user’s identity.
Scientists have identified a set of biomarkers that could help clinicians identify a group of hematologic malignancies known as myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), which affect approximately 300,000 individuals worldwide and often progress to acute myeloid leukemia.
Researchers studying a group of vegetarians who’d maintained a diet relatively low in protein and calories found that they had lower blood levels of several hormones and other substances that have been tied to certain cancers.
A simple blood test for the protein NT-proBNP accurately predicts the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke and death in patients with known cardiovascular disease, according to a study led by a researcher at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.