http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. (Phys.org) —While the natural world is replete with compounds that form the basis of many disease-fighting pharmaceuticals, it is also the case that humans and other mammals produce their own host-defense peptide-derived broad-spectrum antibiotics to combat bacterial and fungal infections. By attacking microbial cell membranes, these peptides prevent bacteria from developing rapid antibiotic resistance. While over 1,700 of these peptides are known, the structural and mechanical aspects of their functional activity have remained an unanswered question. Recently, however, scientists at Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, The University of Edinburgh, and other instiutions1 determined the X-ray crystal structure as well as solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, electrophysiology, and molecular dynamic (MD) simulations of human dermcidin (DCD), revealing its mechanism at atomic scale. The researchers conclude that their results may lead to the peptide structure-based design of second-generation antibiotics. http://phys.org/news286537497.html Chemistry Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:45:17 EST news286537497 Facebook said it was buying a startup specializing in powering mobile applications as part of its drive to make the social network friendlier to smartphones and tablet computers. http://phys.org/news286166436.html Technology Fri, 26 Apr 2013 03:40:45 EST news286166436 Using a broad spectrum of analytical tools, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have uncovered a class of novel compounds that can alter cell signaling activity, resulting in a variety of responses including a strong anti-inflammatory effect. These findings could lead to new strategies for treating diseases such as breast cancer. http://phys.org/news283508641.html Chemistry Tue, 26 Mar 2013 09:24:14 EST news283508641 (Phys.org)—Copper is one of the world's most widely used metals. Now researchers at the University of Dundee have found that blackening copper using industry-standard lasers could make it even more adaptable and efficient. http://phys.org/news277555639.html Physics Wed, 16 Jan 2013 10:47:28 EST news277555639 Most people are not aware of the fact that 84% of the European crops are partially or entirely dependent on insect pollination. While managed honeybees pollinate certain crops, wild bees, flies and wasps cover a very broad spectrum of plants, and thus are considered the most important pollinators in Europe. http://phys.org/news264416614.html Biology Fri, 17 Aug 2012 10:04:26 EST news264416614 As organisms develop, their internal organs arrange in a consistent asymmetrical pattern--heart and stomach to the left, liver and appendix to the right. But how does this happen? http://phys.org/news261669294.html Biology Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:00:04 EST news261669294 Researchers at Saarland University together with associates in Bologna and Naples have developed a robotic hand that can accomplish both tasks with ease and yet including the actuators is scarcely larger than a human arm. http://phys.org/news252322981.html Electronics Fri, 30 Mar 2012 10:43:16 EST news252322981 Food-borne diseases might soon have another warrior to contend with, thanks to a new molecule discovered by chemists at the University of Illinois. The new antibiotic, an analog of the widely used food preservative nisin, also has potential to be a boon to the dairy industry as a treatment for bovine mastitis. http://phys.org/news251382754.html Chemistry Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:00:06 EST news251382754 With one simple experiment, University of Illinois chemists have debunked a widely held misconception about an often-prescribed drug. http://phys.org/news245928544.html Chemistry Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:00:01 EST news245928544 Sometimes neatness may not be necessary. Researchers have demonstrated that a tangled coating of randomly positioned nanowires can increase solar cell efficiency by absorbing more light. http://phys.org/news235045241.html Nanotechnology Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:21:09 EST news235045241 Fungi that cause severe infections in those with compromised immune systems are resisting the action of the latest group of antifungal drugs. Uncovering their strategies for doing this will lead to more effective treatments, says a scientist speaking at the Society for General Microbiology's Autumn Conference at the University of York. http://phys.org/news234587707.html Biology Wed, 07 Sep 2011 04:15:18 EST news234587707 Cancer treatments often have the side effect of impairing the patient's immune system. This can result in life-threatening secondary infections from bacteria and fungi, especially since bacteria, like Staphylococcus aureus, are becoming multi-drug resistant (MRSA). New research published by BioMed Central's open access journal Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials investigates the potency of Indian wild plants against bacterial and fungal infections in the mouths of oral cancer patients. http://phys.org/news225077895.html Biology Fri, 20 May 2011 02:38:43 EST news225077895 Asymptomatic colonization by Clostridium difficile, absent the use of antibiotics, is common in infants and when it happens changes occur in the composition of the gut microbiota according to research published in the March 2011 issue of the Journal of Clinical Microbiology. http://phys.org/news222523353.html Biology Wed, 20 Apr 2011 13:02:49 EST news222523353 Patients admitted to hospital with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) face a sixfold greater risk of death if they become infected with Clostridium difficile, a new study has found. The researchers say IBD patients should be screened on admission to protect them from serious illness. http://phys.org/news222489432.html Medicine & Health Wed, 20 Apr 2011 03:37:32 EST news222489432 Members of a Syracuse University research team have shown that an obscure phenomenon called stochastic resonance (SR) can improve the clarity of signals in systems such as radar, sonar and even radiography, used in medical clinics to detect signs of breast cancer. It does this by adding carefully selected noise to the system. http://phys.org/news180711513.html Technology Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:50:10 EST news180711513 From 1995 to 2006 the rate of antibiotic prescriptions for acute respiratory tract infections decreased significantly, attributable in part to a decline in ambulatory visits for ear infections in young children, according to a study in the August 19 issue of JAMA. But prescription rates for broad spectrum antibiotics, namely azithromycin and quinolones, increased substantially during the study period. http://phys.org/news169832126.html Medicine & Health Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:00:01 EST news169832126 (PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at the University of Liverpool are constructing highly sensitive detectors as part of an international project to understand the elements that make up the universe. http://phys.org/news168770462.html Physics Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:10:01 EST news168770462