Researchers find way to make tumor cells easier to destroy May 7, 2008
Tumors have a unique vulnerability that can be exploited to make them more sensitive to heat and radiation, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report. The Washington University radiation oncology researchers found that tumors have a built-in mechanism that protects them from heat (hyperthermia) damage and most likely decreases the benefit of hyperthermia and radiation as a combined therapy ... By interfering with that protection, the researchers have shown that... (EurekAlert!)
Local students take science fair by storm Apr 20, 2008
Renee' Jolissaint, a Plaquemine High senior, captured fourth place in plant science for "Effects on Plant Growth by Ionizing Radiation.". Winners in the Junior Division for grades six to eight included Madeline LeBlanc, a sixth grader at East Iberville Elementary School, for her exhibit "Amylase Activity in Food," which took fourth place in biochemistry. (Plaquemine Post South, LA)
An Earth Day look at nuclear energy, climate change Apr 15, 2008
Additionally, how many know that the 2006 Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR) study conducted by the National Academy of Science determined that there are no safe levels of radiation exposure ... C-10 s primary role as an agency is to conduct real time monitoring of the radiation levels emanating from Seabrook Station ... The foundation receives its funding through a 10 percent assessment from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, or MEMA. These funds are provided by the... (Amesbury News, MA)
Dr. Mom Was Right -- And Wrong -- About Washing Fruits And Vegetables Apr 14, 2008
Now, new findings from scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture suggest that irradiation, a food treatment currently being reviewed by the FDA, can effectively kill internalized pathogens that are beyond the reach of conventional chemical sanitizers. Irradiation exposes food to a source of electron beams, creating positive and negative charges ... "This is the first study to look at the use of irradiation on bacteria that reside inside the inner spaces of a leaf or buried within a... (Science Daily)
New Drug Prevents Radiation Damage Apr 13, 2008
Radiation damage is one of the most frightening aspects of catastrophic nuclear events but, more often, cancer patients suffer the gut-wrenching side effects of the radiation that is administered in an effort to kill the tumor and save the life ... Andrei Gudkov, affiliated with the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, has developed CBLB502, the code name for his new drug that protects healthy cells from the damage caused by radiation even while killing off the cancerous cells ... When healthy cells... (MedHeadlines)
USDA scientists say irradiation could be key to food safety Apr 12, 2008
Al Seib / Los Angeles TimesCALIFORNIA SPINACH: New research suggests that irradiation may be the only way to penetrate leafy greens and kill bacteria inside ... Al Seib / Los Angeles TimesCALIFORNIA SPINACH: New research suggests that irradiation may be the only way to penetrate leafy greens and kill bacteria inside ... But new research shows the steps that California companies rely on to protect consumers do not kill dangerous bacteria inside the leaves, whereas zapping them with radiation... (Los Angeles Times)
Washing Produce May Not Fight Poisoning Apr 12, 2008
Irradiation Kills Microbes Inside Leaves ... But radiation kills microbes that go inside the food, including E. coli and salmonella, the agency said ... Ionizing radiation, in contrast, significantly reduced the pathogen population in both the spinach and the lettuce leaves by more than 99 percent. (Click2Houston, TX)
New procedure in diagnosing small bowel disorders proves efficient and effective Apr 12, 2008
Both of these techniques are associated with increased exposure to radiation. PET-CT enteroclysis is a new promising technique, but also requires ionizing radiation ... This examination is simple, non-invasive, without radiation, cheap and can be used as an initial investigation in patients with suspected small bowel diseases, he said. (EurekAlert!)
Treating Uterine Fibroids with Ultrasound Safe and Effective Apr 11, 2008
In contrast to having major abdominal surgery with possible removal of their uterus, a patient can have a safe and effective, totally noninvasive procedure in an outpatient setting without the risks of general anesthesia, no ionizing radiation and a much shorter recovery period, said Dr. Arleo. Patients have returned to work as early as one day after MRgFUS, instead of approximately three days after UAE or six weeks after a myomectomy or hysterectomy, she said. (Newsmax)
Is DNA Repair A Substitute For Sex? Apr 6, 2008
In the first PNAS paper, MBL adjunct scientist Matthew Meselson and Eugene Gladyshev, both of Harvard University, demonstrate the enormous DNA repair capacity of bdelloid rotifers by zapping them with ionizing radiation (gamma rays), which has the effect of shattering its DNA into many pieces. We kept exposing them to more and more radiation, and they didn t die and they didn t die and they didn t die, says Mark Welch ... Even at five times the levels of radiation that all other animals are... (Science Daily)
Climate Change Is Not Caused By Cosmic Rays, According To New Research Apr 4, 2008
At the high altitudes and latitudes commercial airlines fly, crews are subjected to higher-than-normal radiation levels from the sun and cosmic rays. . (Science Daily)
Looking For Life On Mars? Search For Cellulose Apr 1, 2008
"So in looking for evidence of life on Mars, for bacteria or higher plants that existed on Mars or other planets in the solar system, then looking for cellulose in salt deposits is probably a very good way to go. Cellulose appears to be highly stable and more resistant to ionizing radiation than DNA. And if it is relatively resistant to harsh conditions such as those found in space, it may provide the ideal 'paper trail' in the search for life on other planets.". Co-authors along with Griffith... (Science Daily)
For the paper trail of life on Mars or other planets, find cellulose Mar 31, 2008
Cellulose appears to be highly stable and more resistant to ionizing radiation than DNA. And if it is relatively resistant to harsh conditions such as those found in space, it may provide the ideal paper trail in the search for life on other planets. . (EurekAlert!)
Are teenage brains really different? Mar 29, 2008
Pinning down these differences in a rigorous way had been elusive until MRI was developed, offering the capacity to provide extremely accurate quantifications of brain anatomy and physiology without the use of ionizing radiation. Writing in the article, Dr. Giedd comments, Adolescence is a time of substantial neurobiological and behavioral change, but the teen brain is not a broken or defective adult brain. (EurekAlert!)
Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority Releases March Advisory Highlighting Communication Issues That Affect Patient Safety Mar 28, 2008
March 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pregnant patients received x-rays (ionizing radiation) in over 90 cases reported to the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority in which many of the patients had indicated they were not pregnant, according to analysis published in the Authority's March 2008 Patient Safety Advisory ... Risk also varies depending upon the radiation dose and the period of gestation of the fetus ... "However, we also give several prevention strategies for facilities to consider... (PR Newswire)
Common Aquatic Animals Show Extreme Resistance To Radiation Mar 28, 2008
27, 2008) Scientists at Harvard University have found that a common class of freshwater invertebrate animals called bdelloid rotifers are extraordinarily resistant to ionizing radiation, surviving and continuing to reproduce after doses of gamma radiation much greater than that tolerated by any other animal species studied to date ... Because free radicals such as those generated by radiation have been implicated in inflammation, cancer, and aging in higher organisms, the findings -- published... (Science Daily)
Mounting evidence shows red wine antioxidant kills cancer Mar 26, 2008
The research has many implications for patients, said lead author Paul Okunieff, M.D., chief of Radiation Oncology at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Although red wine consumption during chemotherapy or radiation treatment has not been well studied, it is not "contraindicated," Okunieff said ... In fact, the research suggests resveratrol not only reaches its intended target, injuring the nexus of malignant cells, but at the same time protects... (EurekAlert!)
Black Fungus Found in Chernobyl Eats Harmful Radiation Mar 3, 2008
The fungus Cladosporium sphaerospermum can harness dangerous radiation to grow. Fungi could eat dangerous radiation to survive, an unexpected finding that could one day help feed astronauts in space at least those willing to eat a crawling fungus ... The fungus was rich with , the same pigment that gives human skin its color, protecting the skin from solar and ultraviolet radiation. (Fox News)
Essential and distinct roles of the F-box and helicase domains of Fbh1 in DNA damage repair Mar 3, 2008
DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are induced by exogenous insults such as ionizing radiation and chemical exposure, and they can also arise as a consequence of stalled or collapsed DNA replication forks. Failure to repair DSBs can lead to genomic instability or cell death and cancer in higher eukaryotes. (BioMed Central)
Gene Found To Play A Suppressor Role In Skin Cancer Development Feb 8, 2008
ATF2 is a protein that regulates gene transcription, which is the first step in the translation of genetic code, in response to extracellular stresses such as ultraviolet light and ionizing radiation ... 9, 2006) Researchers at Purdue University have discovered a molecular mechanism that may play a crucial role in cancer's ability to resist chemotherapy and radiation treatment and that also may be involved in. (Science Daily)
Could A Nanotube-based Drug Prevent Radiation Injury? Jan 30, 2008
Could A Nanotube-based Drug Prevent Radiation Injury ... Could A Nanotube-based Drug Prevent Radiation Injury ... 29, 2008) The Department of Defense has commissioned a nine-month study from Rice University chemists and scientists in the Texas Medical Center to determine whether a new drug based on carbon nanotubes can help prevent people from dying of acute radiation injury following radiation exposure. (Science Daily)
Nuclear Plant Workers Show Higher Cancer Risks Jan 30, 2008
"It is plausible," Richardson and his colleagues write, "that occupational hazards, including asbestos and ionizing radiation, contribute to these excesses.". The findings highlight the importance of ongoing government research into former nuclear workers' health, according to the researchers. (MEDLINEplus)
Feds fund study of drug that may prevent radiation injury Jan 28, 2008
The Department of Defense has commissioned a nine-month study from Rice University chemists and scientists in the Texas Medical Center to determine whether a new drug based on carbon nanotubes can help prevent people from dying of acute radiation injury following radiation exposure. The new study was commissioned after preliminary tests found the drug was greater than 5,000 times more effective at reducing the effects of acute radiation injury than the most effective drugs currently available... (EurekAlert!)
High-energy ultrasound sharpens view of liver tumors Jan 8, 2008
The study suggests that the imaging method known as Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) ultrasound might offer a new tool for screening patients at increased risk for liver cancers, according to the researchers ... Ultrasound has advantages in that it is widely available, low cost and doesn't expose patients to ionizing radiation. (EurekAlert!)
Breast Cancer Imaging Jan 6, 2008
It has the advantages of flexible angles of visualization and not using ionizing radiation. However, it is an expensive modality with questionable screening capabilities. (Suite101.com)
Imaging Diagnostic Systems CEO Announces Retirement Dec 28, 2007
The procedure is non-invasive, painless, and does not expose the patient to ionizing radiation or painful breast compression. CTLM is designed to be used in conjunction with mammography. (PR Newswire)
Nuclear Medicine Procedures Can Trigger Radiation Alarms In Public Places, Surprising Patients Dec 15, 2007
"Patients undergoing diagnostic procedures are less likely than patients undergoing therapeutic procedures to be informed that they could activate radiation alarms in public places," said Armin Ansari, a health physicist in the radiation studies branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Ga. "We also found that many health care professionals who administer radiopharmaceuticals to patients or who communicate with them regarding the radiation safety aspects of their... (Science Daily)
Fear versus science Dec 15, 2007
None of the foods produced through mutagen breeding is labeled "mutagen bred" or "engineered using ionizing radiation or toxic chemicals.". 1. (International Herald Tribune -- Ed/Op)
Coal Ash is More Radioactive than Nuclear Waste Dec 14, 2007
By burning away all the pesky carbon and other impurities, coal power plants produce heaps of radiation ... CONCENTRATED RADIATION: By burning coal into ash, power plants concentrate the trace amounts of radioactive elements within the black rock ... In fact, fly ash a by-product from burning coal for power contains up to 100 times more radiation than nuclear waste. (Scientific American)
Radiation Exposure Of Pregnant Women More Than Doubles In Ten Years Nov 30, 2007
"Through medical imaging examinations, we are exposing pregnant women to twice the amount of radiation as we did 10 years ago," said Elizabeth Lazarus, M.D., assistant professor of diagnostic imaging at the Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University in Providence, R.I. "Overall, the levels of radiation to which we are exposing pregnant women are low, but they do carry a slight risk of harm to the developing fetus.". The researchers conducted a retrospective review of selected imaging... (Science Daily)
More CT Scans Mean Higher Radiation Exposure Nov 30, 2007
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - US researchers argue that the growth in the number of CT scans performed over the years has increased the likelihood of higher radiation exposures, which may result in a significant public health problem ... David J. Brenner and Eric J. Hall, from Columbia University Medical Center in New York, discuss the radiation dose in CT scans -- which use x-rays -- the biologic effect of low doses of ionizing radiation, and the risks of CT use ... This increase in CT usage is... (MEDLINEplus)
CT Scan Cancer Risk Underestimated, Study Says Nov 29, 2007
Over 20 Million People Unnecessarily Exposed To Radiation From CT Scans Each Year, Study Suggests ... Over 20 Million People Unnecessarily Exposed To Radiation From CT Scans Each Year, Study Suggests ... This is of particular concern, because perhaps one-third of all CT scans performed in the United States may not be medically necessary, the radiation researchers say. (Science Daily)
Columbia researchers: Growth of CT scan use may lead to significant public health problem Nov 29, 2007
This is of particular concern, because perhaps one-third of all CT scans performed in the United States may not be medically necessary, the radiation researchers say ... Because CT scans result in a far larger radiation exposure compared with conventional plain-film X-ray, this has resulted in a marked increase in the average personal radiation exposure in the United States, which has about doubled since 1980, largely because of the increased CT usage ... It used to be widely believed that all... (EurekAlert!)
New Device Will Make Quality Control Of Radiotherapy Treatments Possible Nov 28, 2007
27, 2007) The research team from the Department of Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Granada (UGR), together with the Department of Radiology at the Hospital Virgen de las Nieves in Granada, have designed a portable and low-cost device which can measure the ionizing radiation someone is exposed to, for example, during radiotherapy ... Ionizing radiations play a vital role in the treatment and diagnosis of malignant neoplastic illnesses as well as in the diagnosis of other... (Science Daily)
Study sees rise in imaging exams for pregnant women Nov 27, 2007
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Pregnant women are receiving more high-tech imaging exams, exposing their babies to higher doses of radiation than a decade ago, a study said on Tuesday ... While the levels of radiation exposure are low, they carry a slight risk of harm to the developing fetus, said study author Elizabeth Lazarus, a professor of diagnostic imaging at the Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island ... An abdominal ultrasound, a routine exam performed... (Yahoo News -- Top Stories)
Albert Lea Seed House welcomes growth in organic Nov 22, 2007
Organic food produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Food production that is certified organic has to be inspected annually, and it takes farms three years to transition from conventional to organic. (Albert Lea Tribune, MN)
Older Workers Stress Less, Study Suggests Nov 21, 2007
20, 2005) The ages at which workers are exposed to low doses of ionizing radiation apparently make a difference in whether they will develop cancer, according to a new University of North Carolina at Chapel. (May 29, 2007) New research reveals that US employees are bullied up to 50 percent more often than workers in Scandinavia. (Science Daily)
Cancer fighter Nov 19, 2007
It kills thyroid cancer, but is radiation safe ... Preventive methods: Holly Russell-Milstein covered surfaces in the row house she rented while waiting for radiation from her cancer treatment to drop to a level safe enough for her to return to her family ... THYROID CANCER AND RADIATION. (USA Today)
Don't bomb Iran Nov 9, 2007
The use of nuclear weapons on deeply buried targets would be even worse, with radiation sickness, burning bodies, and years and years of misery and land contaminated through all of time. Even a nuclear weapon used on a remote target (and this they say is likely, because at least one of the important targets is buried and remote) would cause tens of thousands of deaths from ionizing radiation. (Boulder Colorado Daily, CO)
Antioxidants could provide all-purpose radiation protection Nov 5, 2007
SINGAPORE -- Two common dietary molecules found in legumes and bran could protect DNA from the harmful effects of radiation, researchers from the University of Maryland report. Inositol and inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) protected both human skin cells and a skin cancer-prone mouse from exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, the damaging radiation found in sunlight, the team reported today at the American Association for Cancer Research Centennial Conference on Translational Cancer Medicine... (EurekAlert!)
Children Would Need Different Medical Care In Wake Of Dirty Bomb Nov 1, 2007
31, 2007) If terrorists were to attack with a dirty bomb, medical authorities should be prepared to treat children differently than adults because their developing bodies would absorb and respond to the radiation exposure in distinct ways, according to a new study from the University of Rochester Medical Center ... Investigators studied plasma cytokine changes and the expression of tissue biomarkers when adult and juvenile mice were exposed to a single low dose of external radiation between 0... (Science Daily)
Combination Targets For Cancer: Some Drugs Work Well Together, Studies Suggest Oct 30, 2007
"Furthermore, HIF is associated with protecting tumors from the effects of radiation.". As a cancer treatment, radiotherapy, which works by damaging DNA with ionizing radiation, is relatively less effective against tumors that are deprived of oxygen, or hypoxic, the researchers say ... Shannon and her colleagues studied the combined effects of radiation and AZD6244 on human lung cancer cell cultures and a mouse model of human lung cancer, in studies funded by AstraZeneca. (Science Daily)
Intravenous gene therapy protects normal tissue of mice during whole-body radiation Oct 29, 2007
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 28 Gene therapy administered intravenously could be an effective agent to protect vital organs and tissues from the effects of ionizing radiation in the event of large-scale exposure from a radiological or nuclear bomb, according to an animal study presented today by University of Pittsburgh researchers at the 49th annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) in Los Angeles. Ionizing radiation can be extremely damaging to cells,... (EurekAlert!)
Ask the pilot (68) Oct 29, 2007
Well, X-rays are ionizing radiation; perhaps they neutralized the static charge that was attracting the dog hair ... If those machines were using THAT much ionizing radiation, you would have a serious ozone problem on your hands ... Cosmic Radiation Maybe. (Salon)
Management of an Inherited Predisposition to Breast Cancer Oct 18, 2007
The probability that mutation carriers have a high sensitivity to ionizing radiation may not be negligible,2,3 as was shown regarding the BRCA2 mutation in an animal model. 4 This risk is. (New England Journal of Medicine)
Nanomagnets are attractive future option Oct 11, 2007
The U.S. Department of Defense and NASA are among organizations that could be interested, since magnets, unlike semiconductors, can work under ionizing radiation, common in nuclear explosions or re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. Operating on a $360,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, Litvinov says his work could have a powerful impact worldwide. (Houston Business Journal, TX)
CT scan benefits outweigh risks for kids Sep 15, 2007
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The increased risk of cancer from the radiation used in a CT scan is negligible compared with the benefits for children who need a scan, according to investigators at Cincinnati's Hospital for Children in Ohio ... Their goal was to "provide pediatricians with information that will be helpful in discussing with patients and families/caregivers the radiation risks of CT examinations and the important clinical advantage of these studies." ... ADVERTISEMENT (article... (Scientific American)
John Gofman, anti-nuclear activist & lipid researcher, has died UCB, Sep. 04 Sep 5, 2007
John William Gofman, a University of California, Berkeley, professor who first discovered the role of LDL and HDL in heart disease and went on to document and publicize the health dangers of low-level radiation, died Aug. 15 of heart failure at his home in San Francisco ... To the public, however, Gofman is best known for his research since the 1960s on the biological effects of low doses of radiation ... Spurred by increasing radioactive fallout around the globe from the testing of nuclear... (University of California Newswire, CA)
Tiahrt to sponsor Atomic Vet bill Aug 23, 2007
These test site participants were utilized as test subjects in providing the answers for the scientists, researchers, and government policy makers on the unknowns and effects of ionizing radiation. The bill, cited as the Atomic Veterans Medal Act of 2007 will ultimately say Thank You to the Atomic Veterans, Larry Halloran, senior chief, USNR Ret. (Derby Daily Reporter, KS)
County teeming with organic farmers Aug 13, 2007
Organic farmers are federally certified to grow and process food generally without using conventional pesticides, synthetic fertilizers or sewage sludge, bioengineering, antibiotics, growth hormones or ionizing radiation. By contrast, UC Davis' 2005 statistical review of California's organic farming reported that the California county with the next highest number of organic farmers, Sonoma County, had 113 that year. (North County Times)
Where Broken DNA Is Repaired Aug 7, 2007
Ionizing radiation, toxic chemicals, and other agents continually damage the body's DNA, threatening life and health: unrepaired DNA can lead to mutations, which in turn can lead to diseases like cancer. A cell nucleus is shown after irradiation by high-energy particles like those in cosmic rays ... At top, the white arrow tracks one particle through regions of high-density DNA (blue) and low-density DNA. Green signals are RIF, "radiation-induced foci," accumulations of proteins associated with... (Science Daily)
Study Estimates Cancer Risk From Radiation Exposure During Cardiac CT Scans Jul 19, 2007
An analysis based on computerized simulation models suggests that the lifetime risk of cancer associated with radiation exposure from a computed tomography (CT scan) coronary angiography varies widely, with the risk greater for women and younger patients, according to a study in the July 18 issue of JAMA. ... It has been predicted that CTCA may emerge as the diagnostic test of choice for patients with intermediate pretest probability of disease, yet there are little data on its associated cancer... (Science Daily)
Radiographers attend safety course Jul 17, 2007
The X-ray machines, though necessary for diagnostic analysis, have the tendency of causing damage to patients, radiation workers and the general public if not properly handled or their use not properly controlled. Dr. Elias Sory, Director-General of the Ghana Health Services, in a speech read for him, said the health effects as a result of undue exposure of patients, staff and the general public to ionizing radiation needed to be brought to the attention of users periodically to continually... (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Don't shut the book on cancer cluster: ABC staff Jul 16, 2007
"Our advice from the experts said the results from the (radiation) monitors that were recovered are sufficient to establish that ionizing radiation was not the cause of the cluster," he said. SPONSORED LINKS. (Brisbane Times)
Pressure on to speed up cancer compo Jul 15, 2007
The union has asked Mr Scott, who is overseas, for a commitment by July 18 to complete the Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) and ionizing radiation testing that was begun at Toowong but interrupted when the riverside buildings were abandoned just before Christmas last year. ABC employees in the newsroom are unanimously calling for the testing to be completed, Mr Waters said. (The Australian)
Million-dollar magnet arrives in N. Albany Jun 29, 2007
MRIs allow physicians to explore the human body without ionizing radiation or invasive procedures. The machines use a strong magnetic field and radio waves to construct a computer image, which is printed on film and can be analyzed by a radiologist. (Corvallis Gazette Times, OR)
Story ideas from Molecular & Cellular Proteomics Jun 27, 2007
Pending questions include how this protein is expressed in normal and cancer cells, how it helps cancer cells escape ionizing radiation and chemotherapy, and which patients will benefit from treatment with a drug targeting clusterin. Claus Lindbjerg Andersen, Torben Falck Orntoft, and colleagues discovered that clusterin is not expressed in normal cells, while in 25 percent of colorectal tumors, the cancer cells contained clusterin. (EurekAlert!)
Radiation Levels Up Jun 21, 2007
Rise in radiation exposure leads to warning - International Herald Tribune ... Rise in radiation exposure leads to warning ... The downside is that Americans are being exposed to record amounts of ionizing radiation, the most energetic and potentially hazardous form of radiation. (International Herald Tribune)
Mesenchymal stem cells with high telomerase expression do not actively restore their chromosome arm specific telomere length pattern after exposure to ionizing radiation Jun 13, 2007
For this aim we studied telomere length in primary human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) and their telomerase-immortalised counterpart (hMSC-telo1) during extended proliferation as well as after irradiation ... The cells were then exposed to a high dose of ionizing radiation ... Irradiation caused profound changes in chromosome specific telomere lengths, effectively destroying the telomere length pattern. (BioMed Central)
Alcorn president battles leukemia Jun 6, 2007
Natural or artificial ionizing radiation. Certain kinds of chemicals. (The Clarion-Ledger)
Enzyme Delivered In Smaller Package Protects Cells From Radiation Damage Jun 5, 2007
A University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine research team, collaborating with scientists from Stanford University, have developed a new, smaller gene therapy vector that may be effective in delivering a radioprotective enzyme systemically throughout the body which may spare healthy tissue the long-term consequences of therapeutic irradiation ... Combined with intensive chemotherapy, high dose whole-body irradiation often is given to patients with blood and lymphatic cancers to wipe out their... (Science Daily)
New Method For Making Improved Radiation Detectors Jun 2, 2007
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, with funding from DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration*, have devised ways to improve the performance of radiation detectors, such as those used by law enforcement agencies to locate and identify radioactive material. Brookhaven physicist Aleksey Bolotnikov demonstrates cadmium zinc telluride crystals at various steps in radiation detector fabrication ... "Improving the performance of radiation detectors... (Science Daily)
Do Fungi Feast on Radiation? May 26, 2007
Do Fungi Feast on Radiation ... May 26, 2007 News May 22, 2007 Do Fungi Feast on Radiation ... RADIATION EATERS: New research may show that fungi with melanin the protective pigment in human skin thrive in the presence of ionizing radiation. (Scientific American)
Analysis Reveals Extent Of DNA Repair Army May 26, 2007
Stress caused by environmental factors such as exposure to ultraviolet light, ionizing radiation or other environmental phenomena can cause DNA to break apart or rearrange its nucleotide base pairs in unhealthy ways ... Elledge's group studied human cells in culture and mapped their response to ionizing radiation and ultraviolet light. (Science Daily)
SDSU physicist wants to study effects of radiation on cells May 26, 2007
LEAD - How does low-level radiation actually affect cellular behavior ... Using the underground rock as a shield from radiation in the Homestake Mine, McTaggart plans to study different types of bacteria, mold and insects to determine changes in their metabolism or other genetic differences after being exposed to reduced levels of radiation ... The proposal, McTaggart said was inspired by the "BEIR Report," (Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation) which studied the effects of very low levels... (Black Hills Pioneer, SD)
