Saturday, 21 June 2014

This weeks selection of my top 10 science news.


      'Feel-good hormones' make sun exposure addictive, study suggests.
Now that summer is here, people will be out in their numbers enjoying the weather and for a bit of a tan. But report this week claims that sun bathing can be addictive based on a study in shaved mice.  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/278581.php

     Fish-eating spiders are crawling all over the world, scientists find.
I’ve always thought spiders made use of their web in trapping food. But apparently there’s more to spiders than just its web. 8 out of 109 spider species are able to feed on fish by injecting them with lethal doses of venom. http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/jun/20/fish-eating-spiders-crawling-all-over-world

     No-Drill Filling: Teeth To Repair Themselves.                                                                            
       Gladly, I’ve never had any work done on my teeth but this news will be appealing to many who’ve experienced tooth in fills. Scientists at Kings College, London have come up with a technique of repairing tooth decay using electrical pulses. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/no-drill-filling-teeth-repair-themselves-111634178.html#UAuFAZV


      Mitochondrial mutation linked to congenital myasthenic syndrome
Mitochondria is a bugger. It’s an organelle found in the cells if most eukaryotic organism and it is involved in many key cellular processes such that a defect can have serious consequences.” Congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS) are a group of inherited neuromuscular disorders characterized by muscle weakness (myasthenia)”. Scientist at New Castle University have discovered a gene defect in mitochondria which may be responsible for the abnormalities in the neuromuscular junctions of the patients. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140620120335.htm

      A bacterial ballistic system
Overcoming bacteria resistance is a real challenge in our day. Any discovery which could lead to a potential novel antibiotic to combating the issue is always good news. The structure of one of the secretory systems which pathogenic bacteria use to deliver toxic proteins to a host cell has been uncovered. http://phys.org/news/2014-06-bacterial-ballistic.html

           Gene variant tied to diabetes in Greenlanders
The catch to this article for me is “the need for specialized studies to uncover genetic contributions to common diseases”. A rare gene variant linked to a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes has been discovered in people in Greenland. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/gene-variant-tied-diabetes-greenlanders

            New blood test identifies heart-transplant rejection earlier than biopsy can
Researchers from Stamford University have developed an alternate diagnostic for identifying organ rejection in heart – transplant patients which does not require a biopsy. This means data is received weeks earlier than previously possible.

        Washing chicken 'spreads infection'
This headline caught my attention but seriously! Agreed, thorough cooking kills the germs but good personal, kitchen and hand hygiene should minimise cross contamination. Another excuse to take the easy way out if you ask me. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-27832220

           Huge increase in Crohn's disease hospital admissions
I’ve seen what impact crohns can have on a person’s quality of life and I find this worrying especially if junk food and antibiotics turn out to be responsible for the increase. http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/27810066  

      Frog's tongue 'can lift three times own body weight'

I could not leave out the bionic frog. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-27794722






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