Daily non-political popular news in brief.

UGA research may lead to reassessment of some foundations of statistical mechanics

03-13-2007 · EurekAlert!

A new research paper, just published in the online version of the journal Physical Review Letters by M. Howard Lee, Regents Professor of Physics at the University of Georgia may lead to a reassessment of some foundations of statistical mechanics, according to its author.

Keywords: uga, research, lead, reassessment, foundations, statistical, mechanics, foundation, mechanic

« Previous | Next »

Similar news on "UGA research may lead to reassessment of some foundations of statistical mechanics":

Scripps research team discovers a chemical pathway that causes mice to overeat and gain weight
02-12-2007 · EurekAlert!
Researchers from the Scripps Research Institute who are studying how body temperature and energy metabolism are regulated have discovered a pathway that appears to play a critical role in the onset of obesity. Further study of the pathway could lead to better understanding of the physiological foundation of obesity in humans and even the discovery of new treatments for the condition.
Similar news · Read more »
New study zeroes in on genetic roots of Alzheimer's
04-10-2007 · EurekAlert!
Scientists have long known that individuals with a certain gene are at higher risk for developing Alzheimer's disease. Now a new study helps explain why this is so. The research, led by scientists at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, has uncovered a molecular mechanism that links the susceptibility gene to the process of Alzheimer's disease onset. The findings appear in the Journal of Neuroscience and may lead to new pathways for development of Alzheimer's therapeutics.
Similar news · Read more »
Quantum mechanics predicts unusual lattice dynamics of vanadium metal under high pressure
10-11-2007 · EurekAlert!
A Swedish-American research team has used theoretical calculations to understand a totally new type of high-pressure structural phase transition in Vanadium. Their findings could lead us to the next breakthrough in superconducting materials.
Similar news · Read more »
Sharks' 'bite force' researched by University of Tampa biologist
08-23-2007 · EurekAlert!
Dan Huber, University of Tampa assistant professor of biology, is analyzing the "bite force" and feeding mechanics of great white sharks. Earlier this summer Huber traveled to Australia to dissect a rare 8-foot great white shark, and help create the first high-res 3-D computer model of its bite. Huber's research may lead to advances in protective swimwear, shark-proofing equipment and a better understanding of flexible cartilage -- which forms the sharks' whole skeletons.
Similar news · Read more »
Quality on peer review must be raised with co-operation, says ESF report
04-20-2007 · EurekAlert!
Scientists are questioning whether peer review, the internationally accepted form of scientific critique, is able to meet the challenges posed by the rapid changes in the research landscape. A report published by the European Science Foundation has showcased a number of options that could lead to a greater openness to innovative research.
Similar news · Read more »
Advance in understanding of blood pressure gene could lead to new treatments
02-04-2007 · EurekAlert!
Research by scientists at UCL (University College London) has clearly demonstrated for the first time the structure and function of a gene crucial to the regulation of blood pressure. The discovery could be important in the search for new treatments for illnesses such as heart disease, the UK's biggest killer. In a paper published online today in Nature Medicine, the team, led by Professor Patrick Vallance and Dr James Leiper, UCL Department of Medicine, reveal the role of the human gene dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH), showing that loss of DDAH activity disrupts nitric oxide (NO) production. NO is critical in the regulation of blood pressure, nervous system functions and the immune system. The role of DDAH is to break down modified amino acids (Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and monomethyl arginine (L-NMMA)) that are produced by the body and have been shown to inhibit NO synthase. These molecules accumulate in various disease states including diabetes, renal failure and pulmonary and systemic hypertension, and their concentration in plasma (the fluid component of blood) is strongly predicative of cardiovascular disease and death. In a healthy human body, the majority of ADMA is eliminated through active metabolism by DDAH. Scientists have hypothesised that if DDAH function is impaired, NO production is reduced, and that this could be an important feature of increased cardiovascular risk. To examine this pathway in more detail, the researchers deleted the DDAH gene in mice. These mice went on to develop hypertension, or high blood pressure. They also designed specific inhibitors (small molecules) which bind to the active site of human DDAH. These small molecule inhibitors also induced hypertension in mice, confirming the importance of DDAH in the regulation of blood pressure. Dr Leiper, UCL Medicine, said: “These genetic and chemical approaches to disrupt DDAH showed remarkably consistent results, and provide compelling evidence that loss of DDAH function increases the concentration of ADMA and thereby disrupts vascular NO signalling. “There has been considerable scientific interest in this pathway and the role of ADMA as a novel risk factor, but so far there's been little evidence to support the idea that it's a cause of disease, rather than just a marker. Genes and their pathways are crucial to our understanding of cardiovascular disease and a better understanding of DDAH-1 could lead to important new treatments. “It could help us to establish if genetic variation predisposes certain people to these diseases, or whether environmental factors exert some of their effects through modulation of DDAH activity. “Our research also shows that this pathway could be harnessed therapeutically to limit production of NO in certain situations where too much nitric oxide is a bad thing; for example, hypotension and septic shock. These are some of the biggest problems in intensive care medicine and there is a huge unmet need for drug treatments.” The study, which was carried out at UCL's Rayne Institute, was funded by grants from the British Heart Foundation, the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council. Professor Jeremy Pearson, Associate Medical Director of the British Heart Foundation, said: "The unexpected finding in the 1980s that a simple gas, nitric oxide (NO), is made by cells in the blood vessel wall and is a powerful control of blood vessel relaxation led to the award of the Nobel Prize in 1998 to its discoverers. "More recently, there has been increasing evidence that impairment of NO production is likely to be an important factor in the development of heart and circulatory disease, but the mechanisms responsible are not fully understood. "This study suggests for the first time that the loss of the activity of the enzyme DDAH-1 leads to reduced NO production and may cause heart and circulatory disease. These findings are likely to be important in the search for new ways to optimise the health of our blood vessels." ### Notes for Editors 1. For more information, please contact Ruth Metcalfe in the UCL Media Relations Office on tel: +44 (0)20 7679 9739, mobile: +44 (0)7990 675 947, out of hours: +44 (0)7917 271 364, e-mail: r.metcalfe@ucl.ac.uk2. 'Disruption of methylarginine metabolism impairs vascular homeostasis' is published in the February issue of the journal Nature Medicine. Advance online publication is embargoed to 18.00 GMT (13.00 US Eastern) Sunday 4 February 2007. Journalists can obtain copies of the paper by contacting the UCL Media Relations Office.3. The study was funded by the British Heart Foundation, the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council. About UCL Founded in 1826, UCL was the first English university established after Oxford and Cambridge, the first to admit students regardless of race, class, religion or gender, and the first to provide systematic teaching of law, architecture and medicine. In the government's most recent Research Assessment Exercise, 59 UCL departments achieved top ratings of 5* and 5, indicating research quality of international excellence. UCL is the fourth-ranked UK university in the 2006 league table of the top 500 world universities produced by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University. UCL alumni include Mahatma Gandhi (Laws 1889, Indian political and spiritual leader); Jonathan Dimbleby (Philosophy 1969, writer and television presenter); Junichiro Koizumi (Economics 1969, Prime Minister of Japan); Lord Woolf (Laws 1954, Lord Chief Justice of England & Wales); Alexander Graham Bell (Phonetics 1860s, inventor of the telephone), and members of the band Coldplay.
Similar news · Read more »
'Cogwheel' discovery could lead to more efficient and greener fuel-cells
11-22-2007 · University of Bath
Recent research by Professor Saiful Islam on new materials which could make environmentally-friendly fuel cells more efficient has been published in the leading journal Nature Materials
Similar news · Read more »
Intensive training post-spinal cord injury can stimulate repair in brain and spinal cord
12-18-2007 · EurekAlert!
Intensive rehabilitation training for patients with spinal cord injuries can stimulate new branches growing from severed nerve fibers, alongside compensatory changes in the brain, say Canadian researchers. Most importantly, it could lead to restoring hand function and the ability to walk.A study recently published in Brain highlights the remarkable benefits of rehabilitation training after cervical spinal cord injury -- something that has been overshadowed in recent years by the promise of cutting-edge stem cell research.
Similar news · Read more »
The 'best ever' marketing strategy? Maybe not, says UGA study
03-27-2007 · EurekAlert!
In a study published in the March issue of the Journal of Consumer Research, a team led by UGA Terry College of Business assistant professor Vanessa Patrick finds that people take notice when they feel worse than they thought they would, but -- oddly -- not when they feel better than expected. The message for marketers, Patrick said, is that too much hype can hurt a company when people realize that their expectations haven't been met.
Similar news · Read more »
Male circumcision overstated as prevention tool against AIDS
06-20-2007 · EurekAlert!
In new academic research published today in the online, open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal PLoS ONE, male circumcision is found to be much less important as a deterrent to the global AIDS pandemic than previously thought. The author, John R. Talbott, has conducted statistical empirical research across 77 countries of the world and has uncovered some surprising results.
Similar news · Read more »