|  Canadian discoveries pivotal to science of toxins, illness associated with E. coli  | Many Canadian scientists and clinicians were unsung heroes during the early years (1977–1983) of research unfolding around verotoxigenic E. coli (VTEC). In an article published today, a clinician and medical microbiologist documents the history of this area of study, focusing on the key discoveries and major contributions made by Canadians to the science of what many people refer to as "hamburger disease." | Read More » Surviving -- then thriving  | Modern medicine usually considers trauma -- both the physical and the psychological kinds -- as unequivocally damaging. Now researchers are lending support to a more philosophical view of suffering, finding that trauma, however terrible, may have distinct psychological benefits. | Read More » How fat could help solve part of the diabetes problem  | The pancreas is a large organ that wraps around our gut, and produces the exact amount of insulin our bodies need when we eat -- except when we start to develop diabetes, and insulin production slows down. Scientists describe how a fat recycling system within pancreatic "beta cells" determines the amount of insulin they secrete, and so may provide a target for future diabetes therapies. | Read More » The dawn of male equality in Europe  | A fumbling men's movement is dawning in Europe, there is a widespread concern about boys' academic performance in school, and child custody and breakups are controversial issues. | Read More » Pregnant rats exposed to obesity hormone lose birth's protective effect on breast cancer  | Like humans, young rats that give birth have a reduced risk of breast cancer later in life. But a new study shows that this protective effect in animals is negated if they're exposed to an obesity-linked hormone during pregnancy. | Read More » Geneticists map human resistance to AIDS  | The key to future HIV treatment could be hidden right in our own genes. Everyone who becomes infected deploys defense strategies, and some even manage to hold the virus at bay without any therapy at all. Scientists retraced the entire chain of events in these battles, from the genome of the virus to the genome of the victim, and have published their results. | Read More » New drug to help common bowel disease  | An international team has identified the mechanism of pain relief of a new drug for treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation, based on nonclinical studies, and quantified its effectiveness in pain relief in human trials. | Read More » Mrsa declines are sustained in veterans hospitals nationwide  | Five years after implementing a national initiative to reduce MRSA rates in Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers, cases have continued to decline, according to a study. | Read More » Earthworms invade New England  | At least sixteen species of earthworms are now found in Vermont and elsewhere in New England. All are exotic and many are invasive. As they spread, they devour organic matter, disrupting forests and releasing carbon dioxide. But they also store carbon deep in the soil. So, do the worms, on balance, slow or accelerate climate change? Vermont researchers are on the case. | Read More » Impact of education, information on hand hygiene compliance  | How often do you clean your hands? One observed hospital staff on 161,526 occasions to monitor how often they cleaned their hands (i.e., hand hygiene) between July 2008 to Dec. 2012 and found that hand hygiene compliance improved from 60 percent to 89 percent over that time period. | Read More » One in 10 older teens misuse painkillers, sedatives  | With prescription drug abuse at epidemic levels nationwide, and overdoses killing more people than auto accidents in many states, a new study provides striking new data about the misuse of potent prescription painkillers and sedatives by teens and young adults. In all, 10.4 percent of the teens and young adults treated in the emergency room for any reason admitted to misusing a prescription painkiller or sedative at least once in the last year. | Read More » Scientists shine light on world's least-studied bat  | The Mortlock Islands flying fox, a large, breadfruit-eating bat native to a few remote and tiny Pacific islands, has long been regarded as one of the world's least studied bats. Today researchers published a wealth of new information on this "forgotten" species, including the first detailed observations of wild populations. | Read More » How poverty molds the brain  | Groundbreaking research nearly two decades ago linking a mother's educational background to her children's literacy and cognitive abilities stands out among decades of social science studies demonstrating the adverse effects of poverty. Now new research has taken that finding in a neuroscientific direction: linking poor processing of auditory information in the adolescent brain to a lower maternal educational background. | Read More » What makes creativity tick?  | Neuroscientists have created a quick but reliable test that can measure a person's creativity from single spoken words. | Read More » 'Molecular Velcro' may lead to cost-effective alternatives to natural antibodies  | Taking inspiration from the human immune system, researchers have created a new material that can be programmed to identify an endless variety of molecules. The new material resembles tiny sheets of Velcro, each just 100 nanometers across. But instead of securing your sneakers, this molecular Velcro mimics the way natural antibodies recognize viruses and toxins, and could lead to a new class of biosensors. | Read More » Moral in the morning, but dishonest in the afternoon  | Our ability to exhibit self-control to avoid cheating or lying is significantly reduced over the course of a day, making us more likely to be dishonest in the afternoon than in the morning, according to a new article. | Read More » Warm winters let trees sleep longer  | In the temperate zones, vegetation follows the change of the seasons. Researchers have now brought a new correlation to light: The colder the winter, the earlier native plants begin to grow again. Since warmer winters can be expected as the climate changes, the spring development phase for typical forest trees might start later and later -- giving an advantage to shrubs and invasive trees that don't depend on the cold. | Read More » Vibrating micro plates bring order to overcrowded radio spectrum  | GSM, WiFi, Bluetooth, 4G, GPS: a smartphone already has to handle many wireless standards. And this number will only increase further. There are still no good filters to keep all those future standards separate. Researchers have now taken an important step with a new type of filter, based on micromechanics. | Read More » Porpoises on European coasts maintain their populations but migrate southwards  | Seven oceanographic research vessels and three light aircraft from the SCANSII Project have recorded the abundance and distribution of small cetaceans in the waters of the European Atlantic shelf. Their results reveal that the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena, also known as the common porpoise) is the most abundant on these shores and the only species that has moved further southwards to live. | Read More » Re-examination of JFK assassination medical data reviews single shooter versus conspiracy theories  | Fifty years after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the medical and scientific evidence may support the possibility of the "single shooter, three bullet theory" of the event. Yet new insights into the old medical data simultaneously suggest there may have been multiple shooters, according to a new article. | Read More » Unpublished trial data 'violates an ethical obligation' to study participants, say researchers  | Almost one in three (29 percent) large clinical trials remain unpublished five years after completion. And of these, 78 percent have no results publicly available, finds a new study. | Read More » New global policy effort to tackle crisis of plastic litter in oceans urged  | A new report explores the sources and impacts of plastic marine litter, and offers domestic and international policy recommendations to tackle these growing problems -- a targeted, multifaceted approach aimed at protecting ocean wildlife, coastal waters and economies, and human health. | Read More » Gimball: A crash-happy flying robot  | Gimball bumps into and ricochets off of obstacles, rather than avoiding them. This 34-cm in diameter spherical flying robot buzzes around the most unpredictable, chaotic environments, without the need for fragile detection sensors. | Read More » Brain regions can be specifically trained with video games  | Video gaming causes increases in the brain regions responsible for spatial orientation, memory formation and strategic planning as well as fine motor skills. This has been shown in a new study. The positive effects of video gaming may also prove relevant in therapeutic interventions targeting psychiatric disorders. | Read More » World's most powerful terahertz quantum cascade laser  | Terahertz waves are invisible, but incredibly useful; they can penetrate many materials which are opaque to visible light and they are perfect for detecting a variety of molecules. Terahertz radiation can be produced using tiny quantum cascade lasers, only a few millimeters wide. This special kind of lasers consists of tailor made semiconductor layers on a nanometer scale. A new world record has now been set; using a special merging technique, two symmetrical laser structures have been joined together, resulting in a quadruple intensity of laser light. | Read More » Understanding the difference between 'human smart' and 'computer smart'  | Considering 798 to be an odd number is endemic to human cognition, reveals a new study. A common assumption in the cognitive sciences is that thinking consists of following sets of rules (as it does in a computer). A recent research argues that unlike digital computers, which are designed to follow rules, the computations performed by the neural networks that make up our brain are inherently context dependent. People sometimes make seemingly strange mistakes like thinking that 798 is an odd number despite knowing how to identify odd and even numbers. | Read More » Staying one step ahead of influenza  | Every fall, the latest batch of flu vaccines attempts to keep society a step ahead of the evolution of the flu virus. Heroic worldwide surveillance efforts have avoided a repeat of the 1918 flu pandemic, but as shown in the recent H1N1 outbreak, viruses can still outwit even the best public health efforts. | Read More » Baking blueberries changes their polyphenol content, health benefits  | Blueberries are called a "superfood" for their high polyphenol content, but when served as warm, gooey pie filling or when lending bursts of sweet flavor to a muffin, their "super" health benefits change. Scientists studied how cooking and baking affect the increasingly popular fruit's polyphenols and reported their mixed findings in a new article. | Read More » New forensic technique for identifying cloth fibers  | Analysis of chemical signatures on common fibers may help solve crimes, and research is helping to push that forward. | Read More » National rates of SIDS reduced 50 percent  | Two mothers share their experience with following the loss of an infant. Research and educational programs have contributed to a significant decrease in the rate of SIDS during the past 20 years. | Read More » Weight at time of diagnosis linked to prostate cancer mortality  | Men who are overweight or obese when they are diagnosed with prostate cancer are more likely to die from the disease than men who are of healthy weight, according to a study. | Read More » Sedentary behavior linked to recurrence of precancerous colorectal tumors  | Men who spend the most time engaged in sedentary behaviors are at greatest risk for recurrence of colorectal adenomas, benign tumors that are known precursors of colorectal cancers. Although there is extensive evidence supporting an association between higher overall levels of physical activity and reduced risk of colorectal cancer, few studies have focused on the impact of sedentary behavior on colorectal cancer risk. | Read More » Estrogen protects women with NASH from severe liver fibrosis  | New research suggests that estrogen protects women with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis from severe liver fibrosis. According to research, men are at higher risk of more severe fibrosis compared to women prior to menopause, but liver fibrosis severity is similar in men and post-menopausal women. | Read More » Human immune system shapes skin microbiome  | Our skin plays host to millions of beneficial and potentially disease-causing microorganisms; however, whether our immune system influences these microbial communities to prevent disease is unknown. In a study published, researchers have explored the microbes living on the skin of patients with primary immunodeficiencies with eczema-like skin conditions. | Read More » Interventions by non-mental health specialists may improve perinatal mental health disorders  | In middle-income countries such as China, interventions that have a psychological or social component (often referred to as psychosocial interventions) delivered by health workers who are not mental health specialists could help women during the perinatal period, according to a study published. | Read More » Quality of care improves for cancer patients who get palliative care consultation  | Research now offers compelling evidence that establishing standardized criteria for calling a palliative care consultation improves the quality of care for patients hospitalized with advanced cancer. The investigators saw improvements in the use of hospice services, inpatient mortality, and hospital readmissions among patients offered the intervention. | Read More » News that is better or worse than expected influences health decisions  | Patients who are unrealistically optimistic about their personal health risks are more likely to take preventive action when confronted with news that is worse than expected, while unrealistic pessimists are less likely to change their behavior after receiving feedback that is better than expected. | Read More » | |
