MRI can measure early benefits of cholesterol-lowering drugs

Using modified magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, researchers at Johns Hopkins have been able to detect the early benefits of a cholesterol-lowering medication much sooner than before. The researchers applied MRI to measure the success of simvastatin, a widely used form of so-called statin therapy, in reducing plaque formation in patients with hardened and clogged arteries, or atherosclerosis. Reductions in plaque levels were detected within six months after therapy began. Traditionally, MRI has been unable to show results until one or two years after the onset of treatment.

NASA studies space railway to explore planets, stars

A NASA-led team is studying the construction of a railway in space for a pair of telescopes that will provide views of planet, star, and galaxy formation in unprecedented detail. The proposed Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope mission will also examine the atmospheric chemistry of giant planets around other stars. SPIRIT will consist of two telescopes at opposite ends of a 120-foot (40-meter) beam. The telescopes will move along the beam like cars on a railway, combining their images using the techniques of interferometry to achieve the resolving power of a single giant telescope 120 feet across.

Alcohol may be associated with irregular heart beat in men

Alcohol consumption may slightly increase the risk for developing a certain type of irregular heart beat, known as atrial fibrillation, or atrial flutter, according to a new study. According to researchers, evidence for a link between alcohol consumption and atrial fibrillation is conflicting. ”Consumption of alcohol was associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation or flutter in men,” the researchers write. ”In women, moderate consumption of alcohol did not seem to be associated with risk of atrial fibrillation or flutter.”

Faces age due to fat loss, skin changes – not gravity

To the surprise of many people, the loss of fat and sun exposure play a bigger role than gravity in aging the face, according to a study presented today at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ 2004 conference in Philadelphia. ”People make assumptions about how the face ages because when they pull up on their facial skin, they look better,” said Val Lambros, MD, ASPS member and author of the study. ”Actually the pull of gravity on facial tissues is not a significant component of facial aging. Instead, other factors, like the loss of facial fat and sun damage are more contributory in the complex process of aging.”

Bionanotechnology recipe finds elusive bacteria

A team of researchers has created tiny hybrid particles that can speedily root out even one isolated E. coli bacterium lurking in ground beef or provide a crucial early warning alarm for bacteria used as agents of bioterrorism and for early disease diagnosis. ”Our focus is the development of a bionanotechnology that combines the strengths of nanotechnology and biochemistry to generate a new type of ‘bionanomaterial,’ which has some unique properties… Because of these properties, we’re able to finish the detection of a single bacterium in 20 minutes.”

Botox could play a key role in pain control during breast reconstruction

Botox, a household name for wrinkle reduction, could be assuming a new role as a pain reliever. In a study presented today at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Plastic Surgery 2004 conference in Philadelphia, women injected with Botox in the pectoral muscles following the surgical removal of their breast experienced significantly less pain and shorter hospital stays. ”As surgeons, our top priorities are the safety and comfort of our patients,” said Julio Hochberg, MD, ASPS member and co-author of the study. ”We are always searching for ways to decrease pain for breast reconstruction patients and found that using Botox after surgery significantly decreased the pain and discomfort they experienced.”

Satellite produces global air pollution map

Based on 18 months of Envisat observations, this high-resolution global atmospheric map of nitrogen dioxide pollution makes clear just how human activities impact air quality. ESA’s ten-instrument Envisat, the world’s largest satellite for environmental monitoring, was launched in February 2002. Its onboard Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Chartography (SCIAMACHY) instrument records the spectrum of sunlight shining through the atmosphere. These results are then finely sifted to find spectral absorption ‘fingerprints’ of trace gases in the air.

Correlation found between values, salary preferences of execs

Executives who downplay ethics and values in their decision making may also be the ones who prefer extraordinarily high salaries for themselves, according to new research. By comparison, those executives who are more inclined to consider ethics and values in their decisions preferred more fair pay throughout their organizations. In addition, executives who are more likely to downplay values in decisions and prefer extraordinarily high salaries are also the ones who have received more business education.

Switch of a gene turns cancer cells healthy in mice

Conventional wisdom holds that cancer cells contain so many mutations that there’s no way to return them to the straight and narrow path of their normal neighbors. This has led to cancer treatments that focus on destroying or removing the cancerous cells.But new research at the Stanford University School of Medicine, suggests that cancer cells can be reformed. The work could lead to new ways of treating the most common forms of cancer.

Barbed sutures, wrinkle fillers offer non-surgical options

Patients without time for a facelift or intimidated by surgery now have more minimally invasive options that produce effective results. Barbed sutures, ultrasonic body contouring and soft tissue fillers, three emerging trends in the plastic surgery industry, offer patients faster results without the downtime of surgery, according to a program held today at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) Plastic Surgery 2004 conference in Philadelphia.

An Important Step Toward Molecular Electronics

Silicon microelectronics has undergone relentless miniaturization during the past 30 years, leading to dramatic improvements in computational capacity and speed. But the end of that road is fast approaching, and scientists and engineers have been investigating another promising avenue: using individual molecules as functional electronic devices. Now a team of engineers at Northwestern University has become the first to precisely align multiple types of molecules on a silicon surface at room temperature — an important step toward the goal of molecular electronics.

Why rocks curl

One of sport’s greatest scientific mysteries has been solved, sort of. Two University of Northern British Columbia physicists have explained the centuries-old question of why a curling stone curls, or moves laterally, in a counter-intuitive direction. The solution — published in the current issue of the Canadian Journal of Physics — isn’t an elegant equation of the kind mathematicians adore, say the scientists, but rather one that involved a lot of experimental sweeping. The explanation, nonetheless, could spark controversy at rinks — and even result in a new super-curl shot.

Soy can help heart, bones of premenopausal women

New research in monkeys suggests that a diet high in soy could be good for the hearts and bones of premenopausal women. The findings are from two separate studies. The results suggest that for cholesterol and bone density, the natural plant estrogens in soy may be most effective in conjunction with the body’s own estrogen — which would make it especially potent in women who haven’t reached menopause. They also point to the possibility the estrogen-soy synergy could have other benefits as well.

Polymer could replace sutures used for cataract surgery

People who need cataract surgery, but don’t like the prospect of having their eyes sutured, may be in for some good news: A team of researchers has developed a novel, adhesive hydrogel that can be painted over incisions from cataract surgery and offers the potential for faster, improved repair, they say. The hydrogel may help avoid complications associated with sutures — the most common repair method for those types of incisions — or unsutured incisions that are left to heal on their own, another repair method of cataract surgery.