Friday February 10, 2012
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Grant's Zebras
Credit: Gary M. Stolz / USFWS |
Researchers have developed an interesting theory as to why zebras have stripes. As reported in the Journal of Experimental Biology, zebra's stripes help to ward off biting insects such as horseflies. Also known as tabanids, horseflies use horizontally polarized light to direct them toward water for laying eggs and to locate animals. The researchers state that horseflies are more attracted to horses with dark hides than those with white hides. They concluded that the development of white stripes prior to birth helps to make zebras less attractive to biting insects.
According to the team of researchers, "We conclude that zebras have evolved a coat pattern in which the stripes are narrow enough to ensure minimum attractiveness to tabanid flies." The study indicated that the polarization patterns of reflected light from zebra hides were consistent with stripe patterns that were least attractive to horseflies in tests.
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Thursday February 9, 2012
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| Image: Bill Branson / National Cancer Institute |
Researchers have discovered that the oral bacterium Treponema denticola plays an important role in the development of periodontal disease. A molecule known as CTLP is located on the surface of these bacteria. CTLP enables Treponema denticola to attach to other oral bacteria. CTLP then works in conjunction with other bacterial molecules to cause plaque buildup, bleeding gums, and tissue damage. These conditions are factors that lead to the development of gum disease and even tooth loss.
According to researcher Howard Jenkinson, "CTLP gives Treponema access to other periodontal communities, allowing the bacteria to grow and survive. Inhibiting CTLP would deny Treponema access to the bacterial communities responsible for dental plaque, which in turn would reduce bleeding gums and slow down the onset of periodontal disease and tooth loss." The next step for the researchers is to discover a compound that will inhibit the CTLP molecule. Still, the best way to combat gum disease is to brush your teeth properly at least twice a day.
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Wednesday February 1, 2012
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Two fat-derived stem cells display a continuous cytoskeleton, indicating that they have fused together.
Credit: Yu Suk Choi / UC San Diego |
Researchers have discovered that stem cells generated from fat do a better job of forming functional muscle cells than stem cells from other sources. Unlike muscle cells from other sources, fat-derived muscle cells fuse together and form a continuous cytoskeleton under certain conditions. In addition, the fused cells remain integrated even when transferred to a stiff surface. This is good news in that these cells have the potential to repair and replace damaged muscle tissue which tends to be stiff.
The researchers contend that these cells may be key to the development of new treatments for those suffering from muscle related diseases such as muscular dystrophy. According to researcher Adam Engler, "From the perspective of translating this into a clinically viable therapy, we want to know what components of the environment provide the most important cues for these cells." The researchers plan to test the cells in mice that have a form of muscular dystrophy to determine how effective the cells are at repairing damaged tissue in a living organism.
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Tuesday January 31, 2012
Many people see diet soft drinks as a good alternative to high calorie, sugary sodas. Could consuming too many diet sodas however pose a health risk? A study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine suggests that drinking diet sodas daily increases your chances of having a vascular event. Vascular events are blood vessel related incidents and include heart attack, stroke and vascular death. The results of the study showed that those who drank diet sodas daily had a 43 percent increased chance of suffering a vascular event than those who drank no diet sodas. Interestingly enough, it was also found that those who drank regular sodas had no increased chance of suffering a vascular event.
According to researcher Hannah Gardener, "Our results suggest a potential association between daily diet soft drink consumption and vascular outcomes. However, the mechanisms by which soft drinks may affect vascular events are unclear." It was also discovered that there was no link between light diet soda consumption and vascular event occurrence. Light diet drinkers were considered to be those who drank between one and six diet sodas a week.
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