― Implantable artificial kidney to replace dialysis
[machineslikeus.com]
UCSF researchers today unveiled a prototype model of the first implantable artificial kidney, in a development that one day could eliminate the need for dialysis.
― Water in Earth's mantle key to survival of oldest continents
[sciencedaily.com]
Earth today is one of the most active planets in the Solar System, and was probably even more so during the early stages of its life. Thanks to the plate tectonics that continue to shape our planet's surface, remnants of crust from Earth's formative years are rare, but not impossible to find. A new paper examines how some ancient rocks have resisted being recycled into Earth's convecting interior.
― Value of oxygen therapy in end-of-life care challenged in new study
[sciencedaily.com]
Millions of patients with advanced disease in palliative care settings receive oxygen therapy to help them breathe more easily. But a new study says roughly half of them don't benefit from the intervention, and among those who do benefit, it doesn't make a bit of difference whether they get pure oxygen or just plain old room air -- both offer equal benefit.
― Cigarette smoke may contribute to lung inflammation through a new chemical pathway
[sciencedaily.com]
Cigarette smoke shuts off a key enzyme in airways that regulates the body's response to inflammation, according to new findings. Researchers say smoke inhibits the enzyme, called Leukotriene A4 Hydrolase (LTA4H), causing it to fail in its job of shutting down white blood cells following a successful response to inflammation.
― Serendipity contributes to MRSA susceptibility findings
[sciencedaily.com]
Researchers have found two genes in mice which might help identify why some people are more susceptible than others to potentially deadly staph infections.
― Experiment records ultrafast chemical reaction with vibrational echoes
[sciencedaily.com]
To watch a magician transform a vase of flowers into a rabbit, it's best to have a front-row seat. Likewise, for chemical transformations in solution, the best view belongs to the molecular spectators closest to the action. Those special molecules comprise the "first solvation shell," and although it has been known for decades that they can sense and dictate the fate of nearly every chemical reaction, it has been virtually impossible to watch them respond -- until now.