Categories
Cardiovascular
Diagnostics
Endocrinology
Health Insurance
Medical Devices
Mental Health
Nutrition
Oncology
Public Health
Sexual Health
Popular Articles
Cellulite Cream

Fate Therapeutics To Present Data On Stimulation Of Osteogenic Activity Using Small Molecule Modulators Of Wnt Pathway
Fate Therapeutics, Inc. announced the presentation of data from its research on small molecule modulators of the Wnt pathway for osteo-regeneration at the 7th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) in Barcelona, Spain. In its findings, the Company demonstrated that selected Wnt activators induce the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells to mature, bone-forming osteoblasts. The study highlights the potential for using small molecule Wnt activators as osteogenic agents. Because osteogenic agents stimulate positive bone growth, they may offer an improved course of action in clinical settings ranging from orthopedics to osteoporosis as compared to current medications aimed at preventing bone decay.
generic viagra online
Hydrogen Peroxide In The Immune System
When you were a kid your mom poured it on your scraped finger to stave off infection. When you got older you might have even used it to bleach your hair. Now there"s another possible function for this over-the-counter colorless liquid: your body might be using hydrogen peroxide as an envoy that marshals troops of healing cells to wounded tissue.
News of the day
Effectiveness Of School Closure During A Flu Pandemic
An article published in the August edition of The Lancet Infectious Diseases studies how the closing of schools during flu pandemics causes a health, social, and economic impact. The review is the work of Dr Simon Cauchemez and Professor Neil Ferguson, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, UK, and collaborators. They examined data from earlier epidemics and pandemics worldwide. They conclude that extended school closure early on can considerably relieve saturated hospitals by reducing the number of cases at the highest point of the pandemic. On the other hand, it is uncertain if the intervention would have a major impact on the total number of cases. Also, it is linked with high social and economical costs, and could potentially disrupt health care systems and other vital services. In closing, the review indicates that the ultimate decision to close schools for extended periods should cautiously consider the severity of the pandemic.
Nutrition

Shape Matters In The Case Of Cobalt Nanoparticles

Shape is turning out to be a particularly important feature of some commercially important nanoparticles - but in subtle ways. New studies* by scientists at the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) show that changing the shape of cobalt nanoparticles from spherical to cubic can fundamentally change their behavior. Building on a previous paper** that examined the properties of cobalt formed into spheres just a few nanometers in diameter, the new work explores what happens when the cobalt is synthesized instead as nanocubes. Nanoparticles of cobalt possess large magnetic moments - a measure of magnetic strength - and unique catalytic properties, and have potential applications in information storage, energy and medicine. One striking difference is the behavior of the two different particle types when external magnetic fields are applied and then removed. In the absence of a magnetic field, both the spherical and cubic nanoparticles spontaneously form chains - lining up as a string of microscopic magnets. Then, when placed in an external magnetic field, the individual chains bundle together in parallel lines to form thick columns aligned with the field. These induced columns, says NIST physicist Angela Hight Walker, imply that the external magnetic fields have a strong impact on the magnetic behavior of both nanoparticle shapes. But their group interactions are somewhat different. As the strength of the external field is gradually reduced to zero, the magnetization of the spherical nanoparticles in the columns also decreases gradually. On the other hand, the magnetization of the cubic particles in the columns decreases in a much slower fashion until the particles rearrange their magnetic moments from linear chains into small circular groups, resulting in a sudden drop in their magnetization. The team also showed that the cubes can be altered merely by observing with one of nanotechnology"s microscopes of choice. After a few minutes" exposure to the illuminating beam of a transmission electron microscope, the nanocubes melt together, forming "nanowires" that are no longer separable as individual nanoparticles. The effect, not observed with the spheres, is surprising because the cubes average 50 nm across, much larger than the spheres" 10 nm diameters. "You might expect the smaller objects to have a lower melting point," Hight Walker says. "However, the sharp edges and corners in the nanocubes could be the locations to initiate melting." While Walker says that the melting effect could be a potential method for fabricating nanostructures, it also demands further attention. "This newfound effect demonstrates the need to characterize the physico-chemical properties of nanoparticles extremely well in order to pursue their applications in biology and medicine," she says. Notes: * G. Cheng, R.D. Shull and A.R. Hight Walker. Dipolar chains formed by chemically synthesized cobalt nanocubes. Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, May 11, 2009, Vol. 321, issue 10, pp. 1351-1355. ** G. Cheng, D. Romero, G.T. Fraser and A.R. Hight Walker. Magnetic-field-induced assemblies of cobalt nanoparticles. Langmuir, December 2005. See Oct. 20, 2007, Tech Beat article, "Magnetic Nanoparticles Assembled into Long Chains". Chad Boutin National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)


Add your comment:
Name:
Site address: http://
Your message:
Enter today\\\\'s date, 2 digits
(spam protection):

© Copyright 2009