Since its discovery 30 years ago, Ebolavirus has struck repeatedly in several epidemics breaking out mainly in Central Africa. Gorillas and chimpanzees are also victims of the violent haemorrhagic fever attacks the virus triggers.

With the aim of understanding more of Ebola’s action mechanisms, scientists collect viral RNA samples from infected individuals at each outbreak. Hitherto it was only possible to analyse genetic sequences isolated from humans. Research scientists from the IRD and the International Medical Research Centre of Franceville in Gabon recently succeeded in mapping virus sequences from samples taken from anthropoid apes.

A group of Spanish researchers has made a new proposal for classifying mood swings in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.

Although there is a great heterogeneity of depressive states in bipolar patients, there is only one definition in international classifications for describing them. However, this variety seems particularly important to recognize because of the possible exacerbation of some of these bipolar depressive states by antidepressants.

The researchers aimed at assessing whether it is possible to distinguish different forms of bipolar depression using a dimensional approach.

People paralyzed as the result of an accident or a serious illness are reliant on the help of others in many situations. In the Brain2Robot project, an international team of researchers has developed a robot control system based on EEG signals, which could in the future help very severely paralyzed patients to regain a certain degree of independence. You are cordially invited to attend a press demonstration of the Brain2Robot system:

Time: 14 November 2007, 12:30–1:30 p.m.

Place: Medica, Düsseldorf Trade Fair Centre, Hall 3, Booth F92 (BMBF)

To control the robot arm, the Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) developed at Fraunhofer FIRST is combined with an eyetracker, which first of all determines the direction in which the arm should move.

Tel Aviv University Professor (and alumnus) Hudi Benayahu, head of TAU's Porter School of Environmental Studies, has found that soft corals, an integral and important part of reef environments, are simply melting and wasting away. And Prof. Benayahu believes this could mean a global marine catastrophe.

Environmental stress, says Benayahu, is damaging the symbiotic relationship between soft corals and the microscopic symbiotic algae living in their tissues. There is no doubt that global warming is to blame, warns the marine biologist, explaining that this symbiotic relationship is key for the survival of most soft corals.

Human lung-cancer tumors grown in mice have been shown to regress or disappear when treated with a synthetic compound that mimics the action of a naturally occurring “death-promoting” protein found in cells, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center report.

The findings suggest that the compound might one day be used in targeted therapies for lung and possibly other cancers, the researchers said.

“We found that certain kinds of lung-cancer cells were sensitive to this compound, which sends a signal to cancer cells to self-destruct,” said Dr. Xiaodong Wang, professor of biochemistry at UT Southwestern and senior author of the study.

An investigation by researchers published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics indicates the practicing of Zen meditation by psychotherapists matters.

The study aimed to examine whether, and to what extent, promoting mindfulness in psychotherapists in training (PiT) influences the treatment results of their patients.

All therapists direct their attention in some manner during psychotherapy and a special form of directing attention, 'mindfulness', is recommended.