| New microscope controls brain activity of live animals Posted: 05 Apr 2016 07:13 PM PDT For the first time, researchers have developed a microscope capable of observing -- and manipulating -- neural activity in the brains of live animals at the scale of a single cell with millisecond precision. The device, which uses lasers to create holographic images within the brain, is envisioned as a "Rosetta Stone" to crack the code on how brains work. |
| General practice in England nearing 'saturation point' Posted: 05 Apr 2016 07:12 PM PDT The largest analysis of GP and nurse consultations to date shows workloads in general practice have increased by 16 percent over the past seven years, with more frequent and longer consultations. The researchers warn the increases are unsustainable, and that general practice in England could be reaching saturation point. |
| World’s fastest electron diffraction snapshots of atomic motions in gases Posted: 05 Apr 2016 03:36 PM PDT Scientists have made a significant advance toward making movies of extremely fast atomic processes with potential applications in energy production, chemistry, medicine, materials science and more. Using a superfast, high-resolution "electron camera," a new instrument for ultrafast electron diffraction (UED), researchers have captured the world's fastest UED images of nitrogen molecules rotating in a gas, with a record shutter speed of 100 quadrillionths of a second. |
| Can your fitness tracker save your life in the ER? Posted: 05 Apr 2016 03:30 PM PDT Emergency physicians used a patient's personal activity tracker and smartphone to identify the time his heart arrhythmia started, which allowed them to treat his new-onset atrial fibrillation with electrical cardioversion and discharge him home. This was the first case report using information in an activity tracker/smartphone system to assist in medical decision-making. |
| Controlling cell turnover in the intestinal lining Posted: 05 Apr 2016 03:29 PM PDT The lining of the intestine is the most rapidly-renewing tissue in the body. Routine shedding of epithelial cells from this lining is a key element of tissue turnover, and is thus essential to maintaining optimal health. Altered shedding is associated with multiple disorders, ranging from inflammatory bowel disease to colorectal cancer. |
| New methods to study 'genetic invasion' detect the escape of crop genomes into the wild Posted: 05 Apr 2016 03:29 PM PDT Agricultural practices create opportunities for crop DNA to invade wild plant gene pools. This allelic introgression concerns conservationists because the resulting changes in genetic diversity can reduce a population's ability to withstand changes like climatic shifts, disease, or pest outbreaks. In a new study, researchers found substantial flaws in traditional methods used to track crop-wild gene flow, and developed a new, more sensitive approach to test agricultural systems for risk assessment of transgene escape. |
| 240-million-year-old fossils indicate how dinosaurs grew from hatchlings to adults Posted: 05 Apr 2016 03:29 PM PDT Paleontologists have found that muscle-scarred fossil leg bones of one of the closest cousins of dinosaurs that lived approximately 240 million years ago can shine new light on a large unknown: How early dinosaurs grew from hatchlings to adults. The findings are surprising: dinosaurs and their close relatives had much more variation in growth patterns then ever expected, and this variation does not appear to be related to differences between males and females. |
| Irregular heart rhythm may affect walking, strength in older adults Posted: 05 Apr 2016 03:29 PM PDT When people over age 70 develop atrial fibrillation, the most common type of irregular heartbeat, it accelerates age-related declines in walking speed, strength, balance and other aspects of physical performance. |
| Hispanics/Latinos at higher risk for cardiac dysfunction, heart failure Posted: 05 Apr 2016 03:29 PM PDT Hispanics/Latinos have higher rates of cardiac dysfunction but are rarely aware they have the heart-pumping problem that can lead to heart failure. Hispanics/Latinos have higher rates of risk factors for cardiac dysfunction, including diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. Increasing preventive therapies may be the best strategy to keep cardiac dysfunction from turning into heart failure. |
| A lesson from wheat evolution: From the wild to our spaghetti dish Posted: 05 Apr 2016 03:29 PM PDT Scientists examined the rich evolutionary history of pasta wheat by measuring the changes in metabolic content from three different populations and exploiting innovative population genomics methods. The authors have now shown that the initial domestication of emmer wheat involved a reduction in unsaturated fatty acids and the secondary domestication of durum wheat from emmer wheat involved changes in amino acid content. |
| How printing a 3-D skull helped save a real one Posted: 05 Apr 2016 03:24 PM PDT Doctors 3D printed a 15-year-old's skull to prepare for surgery to remove a rare tumor lodged deep in his sinuses. The rare and aggressive tumor in this child's nose is known as juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma, a mass that grows in the back of the nasal cavity and predominantly affects young male teens. |
| Suicide risk can be intercepted in the emergency department Posted: 05 Apr 2016 03:23 PM PDT Universal suicide risk screening in emergency departments nearly doubled the number of patients who were positively identified as thinking about or having attempted suicide. In a new study, suicide risk screenings among 236,791 ED visits over five years rose from 26 to 84 percent, increasing detection of suicide risk from 2.9 to 5.7 percent. |
| Model aids efforts to reduce cost of carbon nanostructures for industry, research Posted: 05 Apr 2016 03:21 PM PDT A simulation technique has been developed as part of a project to help reduce the cost of carbon nanostructures for research and potential commercial technologies, including advanced sensors and batteries. |
| Cancer link offers another reason to avoid highly processed carbs Posted: 05 Apr 2016 03:21 PM PDT A new study finds that consuming sugary beverages, processed foods and other energy-dense carbohydrate-containing foods markedly increased the risk of prostate cancer, choosing healthy carbs like legumes, fruits and whole grains was associated with a substantial reduction in the risk for breast, prostate and colorectal cancers. |
| Scientists find safer way to make common blood thinner heparin Posted: 05 Apr 2016 03:21 PM PDT Contaminated heparin has caused the deaths of dozens of U.S. patients in recent years. Scientists have discovered how to make this common blood-thinning medication using human cells in the laboratory, offering a safer alternative to current production methods, which rely on animal byproducts largely sourced in China. |
| Is risk-taking behavior contagious? Posted: 05 Apr 2016 02:57 PM PDT Why do we sometimes decide to take risks and other times choose to play it safe? In a new study, researchers explored the neural mechanisms of one possible explanation: a contagion effect. |
| A step towards new, faster-charging, and safer batteries Posted: 05 Apr 2016 02:56 PM PDT Researchers found a simple solution to the limited durability in aluminum-ion batteries – an electrode composed of graphite. In this work, the internal gaps in the foam allowed faster motion of the ions inside the negative electrode that enhance the rate of charging. |
| Blueberries may offer benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder Posted: 05 Apr 2016 02:56 PM PDT In a series of studies conducted in rats, researchers have found that eating blueberries could help to reduce the genetic and biochemical drivers behind depression and suicidal tendencies associated with PTSD. |
| Key to Herbal Remedy’s Success May Be in the Bacteria Posted: 05 Apr 2016 02:56 PM PDT Juzen-taiho-to, also known as shi quan da bu tang, is a most popular herbal formula in China and Japan and is used in the West by practitioners of traditional Asian medicine. New research suggests the remedy's immune-boosting effects are due, at least in part, to bacteria that grow on the roots of one of the formula's component herbs. |
| The down side of your sweet and salty addiction: Rapid onset high blood pressure? Posted: 05 Apr 2016 02:56 PM PDT High levels of fructose similar to amounts consumed within the American diet may predispose individuals to fast-onset, salt-sensitive hypertension, according to new research. |
| Move over, polar bear plunge: Ice swimming is next big extreme winter water sport Posted: 05 Apr 2016 02:56 PM PDT Hundreds of athletes around the globe are competing in one-mile ice swims. Performance and human physiological response in water 5 degrees Celsius or less has not been well-studied. Researchers will present new data on how age, gender and environmental factors such as wind chill affect ice swimming performance. |
| Exercise Reduces Cardiovascular Risk Factors From Constant Stress Posted: 05 Apr 2016 02:56 PM PDT Constant stress is associated with signs of poor blood vessel health and increased risk of cardiovascular disease. New research finds that aerobic exercise kept the blood vessels of stressed rats working normally. |
| New study reports on suicidal thinking among US veterans Posted: 05 Apr 2016 01:13 PM PDT Nearly 14 percent of veterans reported suicidal thinking at one or both phases of a two-year study. The research involved more than 2,000 men and women who took part in the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. |
| Cold mountain streams offer climate refuge: Future holds hope for biodiversity Posted: 05 Apr 2016 01:13 PM PDT A new study offers hope for cold-water species in the face of climate change. The study addresses a longstanding paradox between predictions of widespread extinctions of cold-water species and a general lack of evidence for those extinctions despite decades of recent climate change. |
| Certain gastrointestinal tumors associated with higher mortality Posted: 05 Apr 2016 01:13 PM PDT Certain gastrointestinal stromal tumors are more deadly than previously reported in medical literature, researchers have found, adding that further studies are needed to develop novel risk assessments for patients with these small tumors, to determine appropriate indications for surgery and/or medical therapy. |
| Potential for capturing waste heat via nanotubes Posted: 05 Apr 2016 01:13 PM PDT A finely tuned carbon nanotube thin film has the potential to act as a thermoelectric power generator that captures and uses waste heat, according to researchers. |
| Scientists pinpoint solar cell manufacturing process Posted: 05 Apr 2016 01:12 PM PDT Scientists have been able to pinpoint for the first time what happens during a key manufacturing process of silicon solar cells. The paste used in the manufacturing of the solar cells contains silver powder, glass frit, and an organic binder. Researchers are looking for an alternative because silver is costly and lead oxide in the glass frit can harm the environment. |
| Can urban gardeners benefit ecosystems while keeping food traditions alive? Posted: 05 Apr 2016 01:12 PM PDT Urban gardeners have the potential to contribute to ecosystem services by growing a diverse array of plants that could benefit wildlife. In Chicago, African American, Chinese-origin, and Mexican-origin gardeners grew a wide variety of plants, but their use of synthetic fertilizer and avoidance of shade trees may limit benefits to the ecosystem. Each cultural group grows unique crops that contribute to food security and a sense of community. |
| Rooftop solar energy could provide almost 40 percent of US electricity Posted: 05 Apr 2016 01:12 PM PDT Analysts have used detailed light detection and ranging data for 128 cities nationwide, along with improved data analysis methods and simulation tools, to update its estimate of total US technical potential for rooftop photovoltaic systems. The analysis reveals a technical potential of 1,118 gigawatts of capacity and 1,432 terawatt-hours of annual energy generation, equivalent to 39 percent of the nation's electricity sales. |
| 'Forgotten' fish turns up in West Texas Posted: 05 Apr 2016 01:12 PM PDT With no more 'swimmable' water than thirsty West Texas has, it's hard to imagine a fish, even a minnow-sized fish could remain 'missing' for more than a century. But due to a case of mistaken identity, such is the case, says a scientist. |
| Online comment sections may influence readers' opinions on health issues Posted: 05 Apr 2016 01:12 PM PDT A new study reveals that one-sided comments posted on online news articles may influence readers' opinions about health-related topics. This raises questions about how health social media should be moderated, especially considering the potentially polarized nature of these forums. |
| US national security decision-making processes need trimming Posted: 05 Apr 2016 01:12 PM PDT A leaner, more-focused national security decision-making system can help the United States succeed in a period of tumultuous change, according to a new report. Increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the National Security Council is necessary as the country contends with many more state and nonstate actors, around-the-clock public scrutiny and exploding nontraditional threats, according to the report. |
| Multitasking New Horizons observed solar wind changes on journey to Pluto Posted: 05 Apr 2016 01:12 PM PDT In addition to its history-making encounter with Pluto last July, the New Horizons spacecraft also recorded significant changes in how the solar wind behaves far from the sun. |
| Summer melt-driven streams on Greenland's ice sheet brought into focus Posted: 05 Apr 2016 01:11 PM PDT Erosion by melt-driven streams during summers on Greenland's ice sheet during shapes landscapes similarly to, but much faster than, rivers do on land, says a geologist. The methods used to study the ice sheet should help scientists better understand melt rates and improve projections about glacial response to climate change. |
| Researchers test new Risk of Bias assessment tool for non-randomized intervention studies Posted: 05 Apr 2016 01:11 PM PDT The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions shows potential value in systematic reviews in an assessment. |
| The science behind bodily secretions Posted: 05 Apr 2016 01:11 PM PDT The secretion of fluids like saliva and digestive juices are important in countless activities that keep our bodies running day and night. When secretions are disrupted, diseases like dry mouth and pancreatitis occur. A new study uncovers a previously mysterious process that makes these secretions possible. |
| New mouse model to aid testing of Zika vaccine, therapeutics Posted: 05 Apr 2016 01:11 PM PDT Scientists have established a mouse model for testing of vaccines and therapeutics to battle Zika virus. The model mimics aspects of the infection in humans. |
| Scientists get first-ever glimpse of 'teenage' HIV-neutralizing antibody Posted: 05 Apr 2016 01:11 PM PDT Scientists have described the first-ever immature or 'teenage' antibody found in a powerful class of immune molecules effective against HIV. The new knowledge of the evolution and key traits of anti-HIV antibodies could help researchers design a vaccine to prevent AIDS, they say. |
| Interventions requiring less individual agency should be prioritized to fight obesity Posted: 05 Apr 2016 01:11 PM PDT Public health interventions that require individuals to invest fewer individual personal and psychological resources are likely to be most effective and equitable; such 'low-agency' approaches should therefore be central to public health action on diet and obesity. |
| Uninfected or asymptomatic? Diagnostic tests key to forecasting major epidemics Posted: 05 Apr 2016 01:11 PM PDT Major epidemics such as the recent Ebola outbreak or the emerging Zika epidemic may be difficult to forecast because of our inability to determine whether individuals are uninfected or infected but not showing symptoms, according to a new study. The finding emphasizes the need to develop and deploy reliable diagnostic tests to detect infected individuals whether or not they are showing symptoms, say the researchers. |
| 'It's not worth me having a long-life lightbulb': Rare insight into attitudeson death among the very old Posted: 05 Apr 2016 01:11 PM PDT Death is a part of life for people over 95 years old, who mainly live day-to-day, concludes a rare study of attitudes to death and dying amongst the very old. The research finds that this group is willing to discuss dying and their end-of-life care, but is seldom asked. |
| Trophoblasts resistant to Zika/Zika in the mouse Posted: 05 Apr 2016 01:11 PM PDT Two unrelated studies on the Zika virus -- one ruling out a theory for how Zika may be passing through the human placenta and another on using mouse models to trace Zika pathogenesis have just been published. |
| Cuckolded fathers rare in human populations Posted: 05 Apr 2016 01:11 PM PDT Despite the urban myth reinforced by many a daytime talk show, researchers say the emerging evidence consistently indicates that very few fathers have unknowingly raised children who were not biologically their own. The collective evidence for low rates of extra-pair paternity challenges the notion that it pays, evolutionarily speaking, to sleep around, the researchers say. |
| Research finds evidence of lung abnormalities in light-use waterpipe smokers Posted: 05 Apr 2016 09:29 AM PDT A study of light-use hookah or waterpipe smokers found evidence of lung function abnormalities, including marked changes in cells lining the airways, a new study shows. |
| Novel 3-D imaging offers new tool for identifying advanced fibrosis in liver Posted: 05 Apr 2016 09:27 AM PDT Researchers have conducted a prospective study of 100 patients (56 percent women) with biopsy-proven NAFLD to assess the efficacy of two-dimensional magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) and a novel 3-D version. They found that both MRE technologies were highly accurate for diagnosing advanced fibrosis, with 3-D perhaps providing additional capabilities in some patients. |
| Few children get 60 minutes of vigorous physical activity daily Posted: 05 Apr 2016 09:26 AM PDT Only 15 percent of children achieve the recommended daily average of at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and only 8 percent achieve the school-time recommendation of 30 minutes, shows a new American study. Girls, compared to boys, had significantly fewer minutes of physical activity. |
| Better fix for torn ACLs Posted: 05 Apr 2016 09:26 AM PDT A torn anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is one of the most common knee injuries. Approximately 200,000 Americans experience a torn ACL each year, and more than half undergo surgical repairs. Now, researchers have developed a model to show that a newer surgical technique results in a stronger, more natural ACL repair. |
| Household food insecurity at record high in the North, say Canadian researchers Posted: 05 Apr 2016 09:26 AM PDT Despite anti-poverty efforts, hunger in Canada has not decreased, and it has now reached epidemic levels in Nunavut, where almost half of households suffer from food insecurity, according to a new study. |
| Cooling chips with the flip of a switch Posted: 05 Apr 2016 09:26 AM PDT While electrocaloric materials have been investigated as a method of on-demand microclimate control, there's a catch -- the external field needs to remain active, which is energy-consuming and heats the material. However, researchers have developed a unique blend of ferroelectric polymers which can hold absorbed heat after the external field has been switched off - a system which could be adapted for a variety of small-scale systems. |
| Landscapers benefit from organic land care extension program Posted: 05 Apr 2016 09:20 AM PDT Researchers assessed the need for and impact of Rutgers University's Organic Land Care Certificate Program, through which land care professionals learn to restore and enhance biological cycles. After two years, participants reported that 38% of the acres under their management either transitioned to or were completely converted to organic management. Respondents also reported significant decreases in use of synthetic fertilizers, significant increases in use of organic fertilizer, and decreases in median synthetic pesticide usage. |
| A movie of the microworld: Physicists create nanoparticle picture series Posted: 05 Apr 2016 09:20 AM PDT Physicists have developed a method for taking a series of X-ray images that show the explosion of superheated nanoparticles at the femtosecond level. |
| Back to basics with thermoelectric power Posted: 05 Apr 2016 09:20 AM PDT The force that puts electrons to work to harness waste heat is linked to the ability of electrons to diffuse through the material. Potential applications in the field of electrical power production from waste heat include thermoelectric devices designed to boost power over a range spanning ten orders of magnitude. |
| Sugar shock: Insulin costs tripled in 10 years, study finds Posted: 05 Apr 2016 09:20 AM PDT People with diabetes who rely on insulin have seen the cost of that drug triple in just a decade -- even as doctors have prescribed higher doses to drive down their blood sugar levels. Meanwhile, the cost of other diabetes drugs has stayed about the same or even gone down. |
| Pain, physical function improve after weight-loss surgery Posted: 05 Apr 2016 09:20 AM PDT Among a group of patients with severe obesity who underwent bariatric surgery, a large percentage experienced improvement in pain, physical function, and walking capacity over three years, according to a study. |
| Screening for COPD not recommended Posted: 05 Apr 2016 09:20 AM PDT The US Preventive Services Task Force does not recommend screening for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in persons who do not have symptoms suggestive of COPD, a new report says. |
| Breaking metamaterial symmetry with reflected light Posted: 05 Apr 2016 09:20 AM PDT Optical activity is well known to occur within materials that differ from their mirror image. But what happens if this symmetry is broken by the direction of illumination rather than the material itself? Curiosity about this has led to the discovery of a new type of optical activity. Breaking the symmetry of metamaterials with reflected light will enable novel applications because it causes optical activity of unprecedented magnitude -- far exceeding previously known specular optical activity. |
| Small increases in sleep improve grades Posted: 05 Apr 2016 08:47 AM PDT Elementary school-age children who improved their sleep habits also improved in their academic performance, according to a new study. |
| A real Peter Rabbit tale: Biologists find key to myxoma virus/rabbit coevolution Posted: 05 Apr 2016 08:47 AM PDT Biologists have found a molecular explanation for myxoma virus/rabbit coevolution in Australia. The study of myxoma virus — related to the smallpox virus — may give insight to pathogen evolution. |
| Rhythm of oscillations in cerebral cortex, key to understanding Down syndrome Posted: 05 Apr 2016 08:46 AM PDT A first-ever identification has been made of the alterations in the neuronal circuit that impact cerebral cortex physiology, and that could be the cause of cognitive deficits in Down Syndrome. The study explains how a gene linked to Down Syndrome is associated with altered oscillations in the cerebral cortex, the region responsible for our capacity for reasoning, language and social behavior. |
| Pharmacists in care teams improve care for patients with dementia Posted: 05 Apr 2016 08:46 AM PDT Problems related to elderly patients' medical drug treatments are widespread and commonly result in hospital admissions for people with dementia. New research shows that including clinical pharmacists in health care teams might improve the quality and safety of patient care and halve the risk of drug-related hospital readmissions. |
