| Newborn screening for cystic fibrosis Posted: 04 May 2016 02:49 PM PDT The benefits of newborn screening for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients has been reinforced by new research. The findings add to the increasingly overwhelming evidence in favor of newborn screening as a way to improve the quality of life for patients living with this chronic disease that is still incurable. |
| Biological 'good guy' has a dark side, researchers find Posted: 04 May 2016 02:48 PM PDT A pair of scientists has discovered that an enzyme previously thought only to be beneficial could, in fact, pose significant danger to developing embryos. The new research could have implications not only for prenatal development but also for treating lymphedema and liver damage resulting from acetaminophen overdose. |
| Women ratchet themselves up the social ladder, one high heel at a time Posted: 04 May 2016 02:48 PM PDT Fashion seems to embrace two opposite goals -- fitting in with the crowd and standing out from it. Now new research reveals that the choice to fit in or stand out depends on who exactly the crowd is -- and the size of their high heels. That is, women adjust their fashion to look similar to the rich but different from the poor. |
| In-patient rehab recommended over nursing homes for stroke rehab Posted: 04 May 2016 02:48 PM PDT New guidelines have been released on adult stroke rehabilitation calling for intensive, multidisciplinary treatment. Before leaving the hospital, patients and caregivers should receive a formal falls-prevention program to prevent accidents at home. Whenever possible, initial rehabilitation should take place in an inpatient rehabilitation facility rather than a nursing home. |
| Ozanimod as effective in treating ulcerative colitis, study shows Posted: 04 May 2016 02:48 PM PDT Ozanimod, a novel drug molecule, is moderately effective in the treatment of ulcerative colitis, researchers have demonstrated. Ulcerative colits is a debilitating autoimmune disease that causes chronic diarrhea. |
| Not so safe: Security software can put computers at risk Posted: 04 May 2016 01:16 PM PDT Is the antivirus program running on your computer really making your computers safer to use, say, for online banking? Is the parental control software you bought to keep your child off inappropriate sites transparent for the overall safety of your computer? New research shows security software might actually make online computing less safe. |
| Dengue fever's economic 'bite' estimated by investigators Posted: 04 May 2016 12:20 PM PDT The global cost of dengue is an estimated US$8.9 billion annually, higher than several other major infectious diseases such as cholera, rotavirus gastroenteritis, canine rabies and Chagas, say investigators. |
| New evidence connects dung beetle evolution to dinosaurs Posted: 04 May 2016 12:20 PM PDT Researchers have found an evolutionary connection between dinosaurs and dung beetles. Scientists uncovered the first molecular evidence indicating that dung beetles evolved in association with dinosaurs. The findings place the origin of dung beetles in the Lower Cretaceous period, with the first major diversification occurring in the middle of the Cretaceous. This timeline places their origins approximately 30 million years earlier than previously thought. |
| Engineers create a better way to boil water, with industrial, electronics applications Posted: 04 May 2016 12:20 PM PDT Engineers have found a new way to induce and control boiling bubble formation, that may allow everything from industrial-sized boilers to advanced electronics to work better and last longer. |
| 'Kidney on a chip' could lead to safer drug dosing Posted: 04 May 2016 12:19 PM PDT Researchers have used a 'kidney on a chip' device to mimic the flow of medication through human kidneys and measure its effect on kidney cells. The new technique could lead to more precise dosing of drugs, including some potentially toxic medicines often delivered in intensive care units, they say. |
| Comparative analysis reveals use patterns of deeper Caribbean coral reefs by shark species Posted: 04 May 2016 12:19 PM PDT Three species of shark, tiger, lemon and Caribbean reef, all use deeper coral reefs in the Virgin Islands, but only lemon shark presence was associated with seasonal grouper spawning aggregations, according to a new study. |
| Children in developing world infected with parasite -- even without appearing ill -- may be more prone to stunted growth Posted: 04 May 2016 12:19 PM PDT Children infected even just once with a certain type of waterborne parasite are nearly three times as likely to suffer from moderate or severe stunted growth by the age of two than those who are not -- regardless of whether their infection made them feel sick, new research suggests. |
| New mobile phone app for grassroots mapping Posted: 04 May 2016 12:19 PM PDT Academics have created an app that could help aid humanitarian rescue work in disaster-struck regions by using geographic data to map landscapes. |
| Newborn screening test developed for rare, deadly neurological disorder Posted: 04 May 2016 12:19 PM PDT Soon after birth, a baby's blood is sampled and tested for a number of rare inherited conditions, such as cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia. A new study describes a novel newborn screening test for a progressive neurodegenerative disease, called Niemann-Pick type C (NPC), that typically is not diagnosed until at least age 2, after neurological symptoms have begun to develop. |
| The contented shall inherit the Earth: The glum? Not so much Posted: 04 May 2016 12:18 PM PDT The survival of the fittest might just be the survival of the steadfast instead. Researchers say having a positive attitude is advantageous in a computational model that simulates evolution. |
| Supervised autonomous in vivo robotic surgery on soft tissues is feasible Posted: 04 May 2016 12:18 PM PDT Surgeons and scientists have demonstrated that supervised, autonomous robotic soft tissue surgery on a live subject (in vivo) in an open surgical setting is feasible and outperforms standard clinical techniques in a dynamic clinical environment, according to a new study. |
| Long-term monitoring reveals effects of sea star wasting along Oregon coast Posted: 04 May 2016 12:18 PM PDT The 2013-2014 sea star wasting epidemic along the Oregon coast may have been caused by multiple factors and had significant effects on the sea star population and its prey in the area, according to a new study. |
| Our brain uses statistics to calculate confidence, make decisions Posted: 04 May 2016 11:21 AM PDT The brain produces feelings of confidence that inform decisions the same way statistics pulls patterns out of noisy data. This feeling of confidence is central to decision making, and, despite ample evidence of human fallibility, the subjective feeling relies on objective calculations. |
| Scientists find root cause of appetite loss during illness Posted: 04 May 2016 11:16 AM PDT Loss of appetite during illness is a common and potentially debilitating phenomenon—in cancer patients, especially, it can even shorten lifespan. The research also points to possible drug targets to reduce appetite and possibly support weight loss for those with metabolic disorders. |
| New method allows first look at key stage of human development, embryo implantation Posted: 04 May 2016 11:14 AM PDT Almost nothing is known about the stage of human development called implantation, when the developing embryo attaches to the uterus. Now scientists have devised a method that replicates implantation in an experimental setting, providing a revolutionary system capable of answering basic questions about our own development. |
| Discovery of cancer gene may predict survival in patients with mouth cancers Posted: 04 May 2016 11:14 AM PDT A newly discovered tumor gene may help to predict survival outcomes in patients with cancer of the mouth and tongue. If the gene is expressed (turned on), patients are 4.6 times more likely to die at any given time. The finding could help guide treatment, researchers say. |
| How tree crickets tune into each other's songs Posted: 04 May 2016 11:14 AM PDT As temperature changes, tree crickets can adjust their ears at a cellular and therefore mechanical level to match the changing frequency of each others song. |
| How migrants' traditional cuisines cost them calories Posted: 04 May 2016 11:14 AM PDT When migrants move, they often try to keep eating their native cuisine. But a new study reveals an economic tension underneath this practice: Migrants who hang on to their old cuisines often pay more to eat, because they tend to move to places where their familiar foods are more expensive. In turn, poor migrants on tight budgets must reduce the amount of calories they can consume. |
| Simple arm test accurately identifies markers of frailty in older adults facing surgery Posted: 04 May 2016 11:14 AM PDT A simple arm test that employs a novel wearable technology can rapidly and accurately identify physiological frailty in older adults, according to new study results. |
| Parental roles matter in fostering relationships between children, stepgrandparents Posted: 04 May 2016 11:13 AM PDT Researchers are shedding new light on what happens within a family when the stepgrandparent had no active role in raising the parent of the stepgrandchild. Their findings indicate that how a parent behaves toward the stepgrandparent determines the relationship between their child and the stepgrandparent. |
| Phoney protection for passwords: Honeywords provide additional password security Posted: 04 May 2016 11:13 AM PDT Corporate data breaches seem to be on the rise, rarely a week passes without a company revealing that its database has been hacked and regrettably usernames, passwords, credit card details and its customers' personal information has been leaked on to the open internet. A new protection, nicknamed Phoney, may help. |
| Ketamine lifts depression via a byproduct of its metabolism Posted: 04 May 2016 11:11 AM PDT A chemical byproduct, or metabolite, created as the body breaks down ketamine likely holds the secret to its rapid antidepressant action. This metabolite singularly reversed depression-like behaviors in mice without triggering any of the anesthetic, dissociative, or addictive side effects associated with ketamine. The discovery fundamentally changes scientists' understanding of how this rapid antidepressant mechanism works and holds promise for improved treatments. |
| 'Bugs' as drugs: Harnessing novel gut bacteria for human health Posted: 04 May 2016 11:11 AM PDT Scientists have grown and catalogued more than 130 bacteria from the human intestine. Imbalances in our gut microbiome can contribute to complex conditions and diseases such as obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome and allergies. This research will enable scientists to understand how our bacterial 'microbiome' helps keep us healthy and start to create tailor-made treatments with specific beneficial bacteria. |
| Star with different internal driving force than the sun Posted: 04 May 2016 11:11 AM PDT A star like the sun has an internal driving in the form of a magnetic field that can be seen on the surface as sunspots. Now astrophysicists have observed a distant star in the constellation Andromeda with a different positioning of sunspots and this indicates a magnetic field that is driven by completely different internal dynamics. |
| Equilibrium modeling increases contact lens comfort Posted: 04 May 2016 11:11 AM PDT Researchers have designed an equilibrium model to demonstrate the elastic stresses and suction pressure distribution between a soft hydrogel contact lens and an eye. The model allows arbitrary (radially-symmetric) lens shapes, eye shapes, and thickness profiles, and illustrates the dependence of pressure distribution on lens and eye shape. |
| Humans have faster metabolism than closely related primates, enabling larger brains Posted: 04 May 2016 11:11 AM PDT Researchers have found humans have a higher metabolism rate than closely related primates, which enabled humans to evolve larger brains. The findings may point toward strategies for combating obesity. |
| Inheritable bacterium controls Aedes mosquitoes' ability to transmit Zika Posted: 04 May 2016 11:11 AM PDT Aedes mosquitoes carrying the bacterium Wolbachia -- found inside the cells of 60 percent of all insect species -- are drastically less able to transmit Zika virus, say researchers. |
| Venus flytrap exploits plant defenses in carnivorous lifestyle Posted: 04 May 2016 11:08 AM PDT Venus flytraps have fascinated biologists for centuries, however, the molecular underpinnings of their carnivorous lifestyle remain largely unknown. Researchers have now characterized gene expression, protein secretion, and ultrastructural changes during stimulation of Venus flytraps and discover that common plant defense systems, which typically protect plants from being eaten, are also used by Venus flytraps for insect feeding. |
| High-fructose diet during pregnancy may harm placenta, restrict fetal growth Posted: 04 May 2016 11:08 AM PDT Research in mice and women found that consuming a high-fructose diet during pregnancy may cause defects in the placenta and restrict fetal growth, potentially increasing a baby's risk for metabolic health problems later in life. However, the generic drug allopurinol, frequently prescribed to treat gout and kidney stones, appears to mitigate the negative maternal and fetal effects. |
| Study shows pain causes older adults to develop more inflammation over time Posted: 04 May 2016 11:08 AM PDT When older relatives complain about their pains, show a little empathy, because new research suggests that as we age, we may all become more sensitive to pain. A small, preliminary study has suggested for the first time that inflammation may occur more quickly and at a higher magnitude -- and stays around longer -- when older adults experience pain versus when younger adults experience pain. |
| Use of personal care products during pregnancy linked to adverse effects in newborns Posted: 04 May 2016 11:07 AM PDT A new study presents evidence linking personal care products used during pregnancy to adverse reproductive effects in newborns. The antimicrobial compound, triclocarban, mainly added to soaps, was associated with shorter gestational age at birth. |
| Squished cells could shape design of synthetic materials Posted: 04 May 2016 09:22 AM PDT Cell membranes stand up to significant amounts of stretching and bending, but only recently have scientists started to fully appreciate the useful organization and functions that result from all that stress. A multidisciplinary group is trying to recreate aspects of those broad design principles in synthetic systems comprised of simple membranes and complex fluids. |
| You could mistakenly believe you're allergic to this common antibiotic Posted: 04 May 2016 09:22 AM PDT According to an allergist, most people who believe they're allergic to this common antibiotic may not be allergic at all. In fact, 10 years after a mild reaction to the drug, up to 90 percent of people will have outgrown a penicillin allergy. |
| Second strongest shock wave found in merging galaxy clusters Posted: 04 May 2016 09:22 AM PDT Astronomers have discovered the second-strongest merger shock in clusters of galaxies ever observed. |
| Antiviral therapies give hepatitis C cirrhosis patients similar life expectancy as general population Posted: 04 May 2016 09:20 AM PDT The survival rate of patients with hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis who respond well to antiviral therapies equals that of the general population, say investigators. |
| Can thinking about your pet help you cope with social rejection? Posted: 04 May 2016 09:19 AM PDT Do animals have a unique ability to comfort people, or are they just distractions from social pain? |
| How one microorganism erodes coral reefs Posted: 04 May 2016 09:18 AM PDT Researchers have discovered how a particular type of cyanobacteria, a photosynthetic microbe, is able to bore into and live within solid carbonates, the main mineral that makes up coral skeletons and seashells -- hastening their erosion and causing trouble for shellfish farmers. |
| Researchers prove utility of imaging tool in surgeon's hand Posted: 04 May 2016 09:18 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated the utility of new brain tumor imaging tool in the surgeon's hand. This research largely focuses on new means to incorporate imaging methods to view cells of brain tumors with a hand held instrument that a neurosurgeon can use to visualize the individual cells during the progress of the operation. |
| Stocks overvalued longer and more often than previously thought, says study Posted: 04 May 2016 09:18 AM PDT A study of the most commonly-traded US stocks over the last 13-years finds 13,000 'bubbles,' or periods when the stocks were overpriced. |
| Holistic approach to mealtimes could help dementia sufferers Posted: 04 May 2016 09:18 AM PDT Eating together could help people with dementia avoid dehydration and malnutrition, new research shows. Researchers looked at mealtime interventions including changing the color of the plate, increasing exercise, waitress service, playing different types of music, singing, doing tai-chi, and boosting the social aspect of eating. They found that eating family-style meals with care givers, playing music, and engaging with multisensory exercise could boost nutrition, hydration and quality of life. |
| Readability of online health information for patients with pancreatic cancer Posted: 04 May 2016 09:18 AM PDT Online information on pancreatic cancer overestimates the reading ability of the overall population and lacks accurate information about alternative therapy, according to a study. |
| Better bone replacement: 3-D printed bone with just the right mix of ingredients Posted: 04 May 2016 09:18 AM PDT To make a good framework for filling in missing bone, mix at least 30 percent pulverized natural bone with some special human-made plastic and create the needed shape with a 3-D printer. That's the recipe for success reported by researchers in a new article. |
| Made better through science: Calcite tuned to be mollusk-tough Posted: 04 May 2016 09:16 AM PDT Researchers have jointly led an expansive, years-long international collaboration that has resulted in a paper detailing the ability to control and increase resistance to deformation in pure calcite through the introduction of amino acids. |
| Genetic test shows risk for serious adverse reaction to toxic goitre treatment Posted: 04 May 2016 09:16 AM PDT Adverse drugs reactions are a leading cause of admission to hospital. Genetic variation is believed to contribute to a majority of serious immune-mediated adverse drug reactions. Now gene variants that predict the risk of a serious adverse reaction to drugs used for the treatment of hyperthyroidism have been found by researchers. |
| Alcohol makes you momentarily happier but not more satisfied Posted: 04 May 2016 09:16 AM PDT Research suggests people are momentarily happier when drinking alcohol -- but that over longer periods, drinking more does not make them more satisfied with life. |
| Comet craters: literal melting pots for life on Earth Posted: 04 May 2016 09:16 AM PDT Large meteorite and comet impacts into the sea are now believed to have formed the nurseries from which life on Earth first sparked. |
| Children with ADHD sleep both poorly and less Posted: 04 May 2016 09:16 AM PDT There is some truth to the claim by parents of children with ADHD that their children have more difficulty falling asleep and that they sleep more poorly than other children, new research indicates. |
| Top 10 most popular reptiles (also the scariest...) Posted: 04 May 2016 09:16 AM PDT Scientists have ranked the world's most 'popular' reptiles, revealing the species that capture the public's imagination and providing valuable quantitative data towards the debate surrounding conservation priorities. |
| Unique nano-capsules promise the targeted drug delivery Posted: 04 May 2016 09:14 AM PDT An international team of researchers has developed a completely new type of drug carrier for targeted delivery to the sick organ -- the gel nano-capsules with a double shell. |
| Bats' flight technique could lead to better drones Posted: 04 May 2016 09:14 AM PDT Long-eared bats are assisted in flight by their ears and body, according to a new study. The recent findings improve researchers' understanding of the bats' flying technique and could be significant for the future development of drones, among other things. |
| Human heart cells respond less to e-cig vapour than tobacco smoke Posted: 04 May 2016 09:14 AM PDT Substantial differences have been observed in the way human heart cells respond to e-cigarette smoke and conventional cigarette smoke. Researchers have investigated how the same type of cells as those found in the arteries of the heart, known as human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC), responded when they were exposed to both e-cigarette aerosol and conventional cigarette smoke. |
| Researchers develop 'designer' chemical separation membranes Posted: 04 May 2016 09:14 AM PDT A new synthetic method has been developed for producing molecularly designed polymer membranes that has the potential to make chemical separation processes up to two orders of magnitude more efficient than using conventional membranes. |
| Our brain suppresses perception related to heartbeat, for our own good Posted: 04 May 2016 09:13 AM PDT Researchers have discovered that the human brain suppresses the sensory effects of the heartbeat. They believe that this mechanism prevents internal sensations from interfering with the brain's perception of the external world. This mechanism could also have something to do with anxiety disorders. |
| Help is just a phone call away: Telephone CPR improves cardiac arrest outcomes Posted: 04 May 2016 09:13 AM PDT It is feasible to save lives from cardiac arrest through implementing and measuring this key intervention of Telephone-CPR instructions delivered by 9-1-1 dispatchers, a new report suggests. |
| As global temperatures rise, children must be central climate change debates Posted: 04 May 2016 09:13 AM PDT Forecasts suggest that by 2050, the world could see 200 million environmental migrants, many of whom would be children. And yet, children are largely left out of discussions about appropriate responses to climate change, according to a new article. |
