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University of Toronto: Researchers
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Researchers at the University of Toronto have developed a new prototype device that uses infrared waves to gather data about the surface properties of teeth. Experimentally the device has been able to see deeper, and more accurately than x-rays without exposing the patient to any ionizing radiation. The device is an integration of the worlds of dentistry and mechanical engineering, where IR lasers are frequently used to characterize surfaces. Here's a clip from MIT's Technology Review about the technology:
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Researchers at Singapore's National University are reported to have developed a system of modifying genes to delay fruit ripening by up to four months. Researchers have cloned and modified the genes that fruits and plants use to produce ethylene, the gas that causes ripening. Pua Eng Chong, associate professor of the biological sciences department, said fruit with doctored genes produces 90 percent less ethylene. Currently, the researchers are focusing on bananas, a $US 1.5-billion a year industry. Eng Chong said when the technology is perfected, the food industry will be able to time exactly when bananas ripen.
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Research from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio suggests that people who drink diet soft drinks are more likely to become overweight. The study, which was presented at the American Diabetes Association’s 65 th Annual Scientific Session, monitored the drinking habits of 1,177 patients for 8 years. However, this recent study is inconsistent with the majority of scientific research on this topic. The researchers are ... quick to point out that this study does not prove a direct relationship between drinking diet soft drinks and weight gain. It is well established that in order to lose weight, a person must consume fewer calories than they expend.
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At a satellite symposium, HIV specialist Dr. Paul Volberding from the University of California, San Francisco joined several hepatitis experts to discuss similarities and differences between the HIV and HCV viruses and their treatment. Research on hepatitis C is some five to 10 years behind HIV research, Volberding estimated. Hepatitis C researchers are at a disadvantage because HCV cannot be grown in the laboratory, which is important for understanding the virus life cycle and early drug testing (instead, various model systems are used). But patients with hepatitis C enjoy a big advantage: HCV can essentially be eradicated, while HIV persists indefinitely in long-lived memory T-cells.
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Toronto Star – August 1, 2004 – University of Guelph researchers have developed a feed for cows that produces DHA-enriched milk. Most North Americans’ diets don’t provide enough DHA, a nutrient that promotes brain, retina, and nerve function. Larry Milligan, AFMNet’s Network Manager, says it is one of the omega-3 fatty acids essential to human health.
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Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System have made an exciting discovery: a combination of human-safe treatments reversed the course of Type 1 diabetes in mice. Using this model, the researchers found that a combined therapy of lisofylline (LSF) and exendin-4 (Ex-4) effectively reversed newly acquired Type 1 diabetes... called autoimmune diabetes.
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