Subtle chemical changes in brain can alter sleep-wake cycle
A new study by Maiken Nedergaard, co-director of the University’s Center for Translational Neuromedicine, reveals that our sleep-wake state appears to be dependent upon the concentration and balance of ions in the cerebral spinal fluid.
Are we alone? Setting some limits to our uniqueness
Are humans unique and alone in the vast universe? This question– summed up in the famous Drake equation–has for a half-century been one of the most intractable and uncertain in science. But a new paper shows that the recent discoveries of exoplanets combined with a broader approach to the question makes it possible to assign a new empirically valid probability to whether any other advanced technological civilizations have ever existed.
Immune cells contribute to bone breakdown in rheumatoid arthritis
Medical Center researchers have uncovered a new mechanism of bone erosion and a possible biomarker for rheumatoid arthritis. The group is the first to demonstrate that immune cells, called B cells, contribute directly to the breakdown of bone.
Cross-border financing squeezes domestic banking sector
A new study coauthored by accounting professor Sudarshan Jayaraman predicts that access to cross-border financing by multinational firms reduces the firms’ reliance on domestic banks, causing those banks to take on more risk to remain competitive.
‘Honeycomb’ of nanotubes could boost genetic engineering
Medical Center researchers have developed a new and highly efficient method for gene transfer that could successfully deliver DNA into tens of thousands of cells simultaneously.
Study uncovers the science behind bodily secretions
The secretion of fluids such as saliva and digestive juices is vital to keeping our bodies running day and night. A new study at the School of Medicine and Dentistry uncovers a previously mysterious process that makes these secretions possible.
Experimental therapy shrinks pancreas tumors
The results of an Wilmot Cancer Institute clinical trial for pancreatic cancer show that an experimental drug, coupled with chemotherapy, can control tumors well enough to make some patients eligible for surgery.
Q&A: New ways to make molecules
Daniel Weix specializes in developing better ways of creating molecules with the goal of speeding up the discovery of useful compounds, including pharmaceuticals.
A new way to determine the age of stars?
Rochester researchers have developed a new conceptual framework for understanding how stars similar to our Sun evolve. Their framework helps explain how the rotation of stars, their emission of x-rays, and the intensity of their stellar winds vary with time. According to Eric Blackman, professor of physics and astronomy, the work could also “ultimately help to determine the age of stars more precisely than is currently possible.”
Can a computer tell if you’re drinking while tweeting?
Computer science graduate student Nabil Hossain and his collaborators have taught computers to analyze tweets about drinking to determine if people were actually drinking at the time they were tweeting and if they were tweeting from home or some other location.