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A.
Researchers Monitoring for Avian Influenza Outbreaks
Narrator: This is Science Today. Avian influenza, or bird flu, is a contagious viral infection found primarily in wildlife birds that, if passed on to domestic waterfowl or poultry, can potentially infect humans. Dr. Terra Kelly, a wildlife veterinarian at the University of California , Davis , says even though humans have yet to be infected in the United States , there's a growing concern around the country that a deadly strain of avian flu could potentially turn into a quick-moving pandemic among humans.
Kelly: There is a possibility that through methods of transmission, whether it be from migratory birds coming into the United States along the flyways and potentially infecting poultry or people coming over from Asia that are infected. One of the ways that it can enter the United States from outbreaks in Asia is through waterfowl populations migrating down the Pacific flyway, so UC Davis has established with collaborators a detection system along the flyways in the United States to look for and monitor for avian influenza viruses.
Narrator: For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
B.
A New Approach to Understanding the Cellular Processes of Alzheimer's Disease
Narrator: This is Science Today. Amyloid plaques have long been thought to be the cause of Alzheimer's disease, but scientists have puzzled over whether and how amyloid formation actually kills cells and causes disease. According to a study led by research scientist Ratnesh Lal of the University of California , Santa Barbara , the answer may come from misshapen, misfolded proteins that damage cell membranes and disrupt their electrical activity.
Lal: This is a paradigm shift where we are looking at the basic cause of the diseases which are related to amyloids and that range from Alzheimer's to cystic fibrosis and so and so.
Narrator: Using a technique called atomic force microscopy, Lal and his colleagues discovered these proteins folded into a well-defined structure called the ion channel, which is in the cell membrane.
Lal: All of the misfolding happens when they interact with a cell membrane and when they misfold, they become toxic. And now, we are looking for how to control the activity of the channels trying to figure out what/how you can modify it.
Narrator: For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
C.
Toucan Beaks are Models for Lightweight Strength
Narrator: This is Science Today. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering have discovered why the lightweight strength of the Toco Toucan's beak are models of lightweight strength. Materials scientist Marc Meyers led the study.
Meyers: The reason why we are studying the toucan beak is that it is such an intricate and complex system and it's extremely lightweight and considering that the materials in which it is made, it's extraordinarily strong. We want to learn these lessons from nature and this is called biomimicking to develop synthetic systems that have a much higher strength than the existing systems.
Narrator: The researchers used computer modeling and sophisticated magnification techniques and revealed a rigid foam made up of bony fibers and drum-like membranes sandwiched between an outer layer of keratin, that protein that makes up fingernails, hair and horn. This was the first ever detailed engineering analysis of toucan beaks and Meyers says this avian bio-composite could someday inspire the design of ultra-light aircraft and vehicle components. For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
D.
A Heat Source that Enables Lead-free Soldering
Narrator: This is Science Today. The development of a material called NanoFoil®, a nanoengineered heat source that enables lead-free soldering and brazing of materials at room temperature, was based on work initiated and performed in the laboratory or Troy Barbee, a senior scientist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
Barbee: The issue here is to be able to do a variety of things that have to do with joining sensitive parts, in fuel maintenance and welding and a variety of things like that. One can actually do hermetic sealing of sensitive devices for electronics. You can do energetic materials, you can use it to ignite various kinds of materials, studying the joining of aluminum and essentially eliminate the need to do riveting of airplane skins. And so that's being addressed.
Narrator: NanoFoil® works by heating only the interface being joined and permits large and small components to be metallically bonded with no thermal damage. For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
E.
A Genetic Mutation Identified that Causes Feline Heart Disease
Narrator: This is Science Today. For the first time, a genetic mutation responsible for causing a devastating heart disease in cats has been identified. Mark Kittleson, a veterinary cardiologist at the University of California , Davis , says the disease is called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Kittleson: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a primary disease of the heart muscle where the muscle of the left ventricle of the heart gets too thick over time and because its so thick, its not well-nourished by blood supply, so some of the heart muscle dies off over time and is replaced by scar tissue and so the left ventricle then becomes stiffer than normal. So it has to fill at a higher pressure and that causes all sorts of potential problems – heart failure being one of them.
Narrator: Kittleson's group studied a colony of Maine Coon cats with this heritable disease, but it's the most common heart disease in all cats. The hope is, now that there is a mutation identified the disease can be tested early and eventually wiped out in breeds that are affected. For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
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