Studies and Analyses

New York University biologists have uncovered how the innate immune system in mice’s brains fights viral infection of neurons. The findings, published as the cover study in the latest issue of Virology, show that proteins in neurons fight the virus at multiple stages–by preventing the formation of viral RNA and proteins, and blocking the virus’ release, which could infect other cells in the brain.

“There is no magic bullet in fighting viral infections in neurons,” sai

American Society of Plastic Surgeons Reports Annual Statistics

Hispanics had nearly 553,000 cosmetic plastic surgery procedures in 2004, an increase of 49 percent from 2000 and a 7 percent increase from 2003, according to statistics released today by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). Hispanics led all minority groups in the number of procedures performed, comprising 6 percent of the 9.2 million cosmetic surgery procedures performed in 2004, followed by African Americ

Experiments on ceria (cerium oxide) nanoparticles carried out at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory may lead to catalytic converters that are better at cleaning up auto exhaust, and/or to more-efficient ways of generating hydrogen — a promising zero-emission fuel for the future. Brookhaven chemist Jose Rodriguez will present results from two studies exploring the composition, structure, and reactivity of these versatile nanoparticles during the 229th National Mee

In the largest and most comprehensive prospective study of its kind, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have concluded that the risk of ischemic heart disease and, ultimately, cardiac death following radiation treatment for breast cancer has steadily declined over the last quarter century, according to a new study published in the March 16 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

This study offers scientific evidence to what was long

A study in the April issue (currently available online) of Nature Genetics establishes a model that may take scientists closer to understanding how cells in the human body determine their own fate.

Researchers, led by Anthony Firulli, Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics and of medical and molecular genetics at the Indiana University School of Medicine, investigated the interaction of proteins responsible for Saethre-Chotzen Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder associated wit

Erik Thiessen’s research also sheds light on why adults may struggle to learn a second language

Adults may feel silly when they talk to babies, but those babies will learn to speak sooner if adults talk to them like infants instead of like other adults, according to a study by Carnegie Mellon University Psychology Professor Erik Thiessen published in the March issue of the journal Infancy.

Most adults speak to infants using so-called infant-directed speech: short, s