Washington, November 7 : Duke University bioengineers say that gold nanostars may revolutionise medical diagnoses, and testing for environmental contaminants.

The researchers have revealed that their proposition is based on a comparison between all the shapes of nanoparticles studied to date, including rods, cones, cubes, and spheres.

They say that any such revolution would depend upon how light reflects off the particles, and nanostars can dramatically enhance the reflected light.

According to them, this increases their potential usefulness as a tracer, label, or contrast agent.

Washington, Nov 7 : Scientists have found evidence that Beta-alanine (BA), a dietary supplement widely used by athletes and body builders, can boost fitness levels in older adults.

BA is an amino acid that, together with histidine, forms the dipeptide carnosine.

Carnosine is found in muscle tissue and makes an important contribution to the maintenance of intracellular pH, which is vital for normal muscle function during intense exercise. An increased intake of BA significantly raises muscle carnosine levels.

The study, led by Jeffrey Stout, PhD from the University of Oklahoma, USA, also suggested that BA supplementation improves muscle endurance in the elderly.

Washington, Nov 7 : For the first time ever, MIT engineers have attached tiny "backpacks" in cells, allowing them to deliver chemotherapy agents, diagnose tumours or become building blocks for tissue engineering.

According to Michael Rubner, director of MIT''s Center for Materials Science and Engineering and senior author of a paper on the work, this is the first time anyone has attached such a synthetic patch to a cell.

The polymer patch system consists of three layers, each with a different function, stacked onto a surface. The bottom layer tethers the polymer to the surface, the middle layer contains the payload, and the top layer serves as a "hook" that catches and binds cells.

Washington, Nov 7 : Staying active, acting early and learning the warning signs of lymphedema – an adverse effect of breast cancer treatment caused by damage to the lymph system – can help women fighting the deadly disease avoid developing chronic lymphedema.

That’s what the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has suggested that women can learn more about how to protect themselves from this common and distressing adverse effect of treatment.

Washington, Nov 7 : Growth hormone therapy can significantly increase height in children with short stature, says a new study.

The study involving 150 short children, followed over a period of 20 years showed that growth hormone was effective in increasing the final height of in GH deficient children with short stature, as well as non GH deficient kids. However, further studies are still required.

The kids were randomized to no treatment, low GH dosage, or high GH dosage. The treatment could increase their height to nearly eight inches.

Washington, Nov 7 : In a new study, researchers at the UC Davis M. I. N. D. Institute found that infants later diagnosed with autism exhibited unusual exploration of objects long before being diagnosed.

These findings could help paediatricians diagnose and treat autism earlier, reducing some of the social and educational challenges associated with the disorder.

While studying a group of kids at high risk for developing autism, the researchers found that those eventually diagnosed with the disorder were more likely to spin, repetitively rotate, stare at and look out of the corners of their eyes at simple objects, including a baby bottle and a rattle, as early as 12 months of age.