| High-fat diet during pregnancy contributes to offspring's increased weight  | Exposure to a high-fat diet in the womb and after birth can permanently change the cells in the brain that control food intake, predisposing monkeys to overeating and an increased preference for fatty and sugary foods, a new study finds. | Read More »  Coatings could help medical implants function better  | Researchers have been working on the customized synthesis of biocompatible polymers that can coat sensors that are then implanted into the body to cloak them from the immune system. | Read More » Healthy, full-term babies use a different stress hormone than their mother  | New research has identified how a steroid hormone may indicate infant distress during labor and delivery. The study suggests that a full-term, healthy baby preferentially secretes a different stress hormone than its mother does. | Read More » Simple and inexpensive process to make a material for carbon dioxide adsorption  | Researchers in South Korea have developed a novel, simple method to synthesize hierarchically nanoporous frameworks of nanocrystalline metal oxides such as magnesia and ceria by the thermal conversion of well-designed metal-organic frameworks. | Read More » Uniquely shaped enzyme amazes chemists  | Chemists in the Netherlands have found that a uniquely shaped enzyme that has never been seen before in biology is real: two interlocked ring structures, known as catenanes. | Read More » Cells play 'tag' to determine direction of movement  | Researchers have found that cells in our bodies, when moving collectively, carry out something similar to a game of 'tag' to coordinate their movement in a particular direction. | Read More » Bariatric surgery restores nerve cell properties altered by diet  | Understanding how gastric bypass surgery changes the properties of nerve cells that help regulate the digestive system could lead to new treatments that produce the same results without surgery, according to scientists who have shown how surgery restores some properties of nerve cells that tell people their stomachs are full. | Read More » Efficient and inexpensive: Researchers develop catalyst material for fuel cells  | Efficient, robust and economic catalyst materials hold the key to achieving a breakthrough in fuel cell technology. Scientists have developed a material for converting hydrogen and oxygen to water using a tenth of the typical amount of platinum that was previously required. With the aid of state-of-the-art electron microscopy, the researchers discovered that the function of the nanometre-scale catalyst particles is decisively determined by their geometric shape and atomic structure. | Read More » Polymer-coated catalyst protects 'artificial leaf'  | One option is to use the electrical energy generated inside solar cells to split water by means of electrolysis, in the process yielding hydrogen that can be used for a storable fuel. | Read More » Predators affect the carbon cycle, study shows  | A new study shows that the predator-prey relationship can affect the flow of carbon through an ecosystem. This previously unmeasured influence on the environment may offer a new way of looking at biodiversity management and carbon storage for climate change. | Read More » New way to improve antibiotic production  | New research findings could reduce production times and therefore costs for antibiotic producers. | Read More » Study finds the sweet spot -- and the screw-ups -- that make or break environmental collective actions  | Sustainability programs are a Goldilocks proposition -- some groups are too big, some are too small, and the environment benefits when the size of a group of people working to save it is just right. Scientists have found a sweet spot -- a group size at which the action is most effective. More importantly, the work revealed how behaviors of group members can pull bad policy up or drag good policy down. | Read More » Voices may not trigger brain's reward centers in children with autism  | In autism, brain regions tailored to respond to voices are poorly connected to reward-processing circuits, according to a new study. | Read More » Pesticides significantly reduce biodiversity in aquatic environments  | The pesticides, many of which are currently used in Europe and Australia, are responsible for reducing the regional diversity of invertebrates in streams and rivers by up to 42 percent, researchers report. | Read More » New drug reverses loss of brain connections in Alzheimer's  | The first experimental drug to boost brain synapses lost in Alzheimer's disease has been developed by researchers. | Read More » Underwater springs reveal how coral reefs respond to ocean acidification  | Ocean acidification due to rising carbon dioxide levels will reduce the density of coral skeletons, making coral reefs more vulnerable to disruption and erosion, according to a new study of corals growing where submarine springs naturally lower the pH of seawater. The study is the first to show that corals are not able to fully acclimate to low pH conditions in nature. | Read More » Mapping a room in a snap: Four microphones and a computer algorithm are enough to produce a 3-D model of a simple, convex room  | An algorithm makes it possible to measure the dimensions of a room using just a few microphones and a snap of your fingers. There are many promising applications on the horizon. | Read More » New compound excels at killing persistent and drug-resistant tuberculosis  | Scientists have identified a highly promising new anti-tuberculosis compound that attacks the tuberculosis bacterium in two different ways. | Read More » 'Undruggable' cancer may be druggable after all: New target identified  | Researchers have identified in the most aggressive forms of cancer a gene known to regulate embryonic stem cell self-renewal, beginning a creative search for a drug that can block its activity. | Read More » Promising biomarker for predicting HPV-related oropharynx cancer  | Researchers have found that antibodies against the human papillomavirus may help identify individuals who are at greatly increased risk of HPV-related cancer of the oropharynx, which is a portion of the throat that contains the tonsils. | Read More » Quality of waking hours determines ease of falling sleep  | The quality of wakefulness affects how quickly a mammal falls asleep, researchers report in a study that identifies two proteins never before linked to alertness and sleep-wake balance. | Read More » Researchers demonstrate use of stem cells to analyze causes, treatment of diabetes  | Scientists have generated patient-specific beta cells, or insulin-producing cells, that accurately reflect the features of maturity-onset diabetes of the young. | Read More » Obesity leads to brain inflammation, and low testosterone makes it worse  | Low testosterone worsens the harmful effects of obesity in the nervous system, a new study in mice finds. | Read More » Diet may affect Alzheimer's disease risk  | The lipidation states (or modifications) in certain proteins in the brain that are related to the development of Alzheimer disease appear to differ depending on genotype and cognitive diseases, and levels of these protein and peptides appear to be influenced by diet, according to a new report. | Read More » Directed in vitro technique may increase insulin resistance among offspring  | A special type of in vitro fertilization, or IVF, may increase the risk for insulin resistance among children conceived in this way, according to a new study from Greece. | Read More » Improving overall employee wellness could yield multiple benefits  | Controlling health care costs is crucial for manufacturers to remain competitive. That's why researchers are working with manufacturers to determine if employee wellness programs will cut costs and improve productivity. | Read More » Obesity associated with hearing loss in adolescents  | Obese adolescents are more likely than their normal-weight counterparts to have hearing loss, according to results of a new study. Findings showed that obese adolescents had increased hearing loss across all frequencies and were almost twice as likely to have unilateral (one-sided) low-frequency hearing loss. | Read More » New medication treats drug-resistant prostate cancer in the laboratory  | A new drug called pyrvinium pamoate inhibits aggressive forms of prostate cancer that are resistant to standard drugs, according to a study conducted in an animal model. | Read More » Preventing eggs' death from chemotherapy: Scientists discover cause of immature eggs' death from cancer drug and how to prevent it  | Young women who have cancer treatment often lose their fertility because chemotherapy and radiation can damage or kill their immature ovarian eggs, called oocytes. Now, scientists have found the molecular pathway that can prevent the death of immature ovarian eggs due to chemotherapy, potentially preserving fertility and endocrine function. Scientists achieved this in mice by adding a currently approved chemotherapy drug, imatinib mesylate, to another chemotherapy drug cisplatin. | Read More » 'Chemical architects' build materials with potential applications in drug delivery and gas storage  | Home remodelers understand the concept of improving original foundations with more modern elements. Using this same approach -- but with chemistry -- researchers have now designed a family of materials that could make drug delivery, gas storage, and gas transport more efficient and at a lower cost. | Read More » Doctors in veterinary, human medicine team to give burned horse a second chance  | The unlikely pairing of an equine veterinarian and a burn surgeon is providing a second chance at a normal life for a horse that was doused in flammable liquid and set on fire late last summer. | Read More » Blocking overactive receptor in Alzheimer's recovers memory loss and more, mouse study suggests  | A new study shows that memory pathology in older mice with Alzheimer's disease can be reversed with treatment. | Read More » How useful is fracking anyway? Study explores return of investment  | The value of a fuel's long-term usefulness and viability is judged through its energy return on investment; the comparison between the eventual fuel and the energy invested to create it. The energy return on investment study finds that shale gas has a return value which is close to coal. | Read More » Planes, trains, or automobiles: Travel choices for a smaller carbon footprint  | Planes, trains, or automobiles: what's the most climate-friendly way to travel? A new study by researchers from IIASA and CICERO brings better estimates of how much personal travel impacts the climate. | Read More » Infections increase risk of mood disorders, study suggests  | New research shows that every third person who is diagnosed for the first time with a mood disorder has been admitted to hospital with an infection prior to the diagnosis. The study is the largest of its kind to date to show a clear correlation between infection levels and the risk of developing mood disorders. | Read More » Observation is safe, cost-saving in low-risk prostate cancer, study suggests  | Researchers find many men with low-risk, localized prostate cancers can safely choose observation instead of undergoing immediate treatment and a have better quality of life while reducing health care costs. | Read More » Treating infection may have sting in the tail, parasite study shows  | Using drugs to treat an infection could allow other co-existing conditions to flourish, a study in wild animals has shown. | Read More » Rotavirus vaccine given to newborns in africa is effective  | Scientists have shown that a vaccine given to newborns is at least 60 percent effective against rotavirus in Ghana. Rotavirus causes fever, vomiting and diarrhea, which in infants can cause severe dehydration. In developed nations, the condition often results in an emergency room visit or an occasional hospitalization, but is rarely fatal. In developing countries, however, rotavirus-related illness causes approximately 500,000 deaths per year. | Read More » Chemical nanoengineering: Designing drugs controlled by light  | A new breakthrough will help with the development of light-regulated therapeutic molecules. | Read More » Potential genetic drivers behind male heart disease risk  | University of Leicester scientists have discovered a potential genetic contributor to the increased risk of heart disease among men. | Read More » IQ link to baby's weight gain in first month  | New research shows that weight gain and increased head size in the first month of a baby's life is linked to a higher IQ at early school age. | Read More » A microphone that listens with light: microphones have hyper-acute hearing and a sense of direction  | A new sensor will help to make microphones hypersensitive: "Think of traditional videoconference equipment. Several people are sitting around the table, but the microphone has been placed where its sound reception is less than optimal. With technology of this sort, a microphone will be able to "see" where the sound comes from, pick up the voice of the person speaking, and filter out other sources of noise in the room," explains one of the researchers. | Read More » It's the way you tell em': Study discovers how the brain controls accents and impersonations  | A study has identified the brain regions and interactions involved in impersonations and accents. | Read More » Parenting and home environment influence children's exercise and eating habits  | Kids whose moms encourage them to exercise and eat well, and model those healthy behaviors themselves, are more likely to be active and healthy eaters, according to researchers. Their findings remind parents that they are role models for their children, and underscore the importance of parental policies promoting physical activity and healthy eating. | Read More » Iodine in bread not enough for pregnant women  | Iodized salt used in bread is not enough to provide healthy levels of iodine for pregnant women and their unborn children, new research shows. | Read More » New virus isolated from patients with severe brain infections  | A new study describes a new virus isolated from patients with severe brain infections. Further research is needed to determine whether the virus is responsible for the symptoms of disease. | Read More » Exposure to high pollution levels during pregnancy may increase risk of having child with autism  | Women in the US exposed to high levels of air pollution while pregnant were up to twice as likely to have a child with autism as women who lived in areas with low pollution. | Read More » Which qubit my dear? New method to distinguish between neighboring quantum bits  | Researchers have proposed a new way to distinguish between quantum bits that are placed only a few nanometers apart in a silicon chip, taking them a step closer to the construction of a large-scale quantum computer. In a significant feat of atomic engineering, they were also able to read-out the spins of individual electrons on a cluster of phosphorus atoms that had been placed precisely in silicon. | Read More » Small dam construction to reduce greenhouse emissions is causing ecosystem disruption  | Researchers conclude in a new report that a global push for small hydropower projects, supported by various nations and also the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, may cause unanticipated and potentially significant losses of habitat and biodiversity. | Read More » Herbal extract boosts fruit fly lifespan by nearly 25 percent  | The herbal extract of a yellow-flowered mountain plant long used for stress relief was found to increase the lifespan of fruit fly populations by an average of 24 percent, according to researchers. | Read More » Beliefs about causes of obesity may impact weight, eating behavior  | Whether a person believes obesity is caused by overeating or by a lack of exercise predicts his or her actual body mass, according to new research. | Read More » Early-life air pollution linked with childhood asthma in minorities  | Scientists have found that exposure in infancy to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a component of motor vehicle air pollution, is strongly linked with later development of childhood asthma among African Americans and Latinos. | Read More » Fiber-optic pen helps see inside brains of children with learning disabilities  | For less than $100, researchers have designed a computer-interfaced drawing pad that helps scientists see inside the brains of children with learning disabilities while they read and write. | Read More » Chemical probe confirms that body makes its own rotten egg gas, H2S, to benefit health  | A new study confirms directly what scientists previously knew only indirectly -- that poisonous "rotten egg" gas hydrogen sulfide is generated by the body's blood vessel cells. Researchers made the confirmation by developing a chemical probe that lights up in reaction to rotten egg gas. The scientists observed the process in real-time through a microscope. | Read More » Getting enough sleep could help prevent type 2 diabetes  | Getting more sleep increases insulin sensitivity and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. | Read More » Timing of calcium and vitamin D supplementation may affect how bone adapts to exercise  | Taking calcium and vitamin D before exercise may influence how bones adapt to exercise, according to a new study. | Read More » Nanog protein promotes growth of head and neck cancer  | Researchers have identified a biochemical pathway in cancer stem cells that is essential for promoting head and neck cancer. The study shows that a protein called Nanog, which is normally active in embryonic stem cells, promotes the growth of cancer stem cells in head and neck cancer. The findings provide information essential for designing novel targeted drugs that might improve the treatment of head and neck cancer. | Read More » Aspirin may fight cancer by slowing DNA damage  | Aspirin is known to lower risk for some cancers, and a new study points to a possible explanation, with the discovery that aspirin slows the accumulation of DNA mutations in abnormal cells in at least one pre-cancerous condition. | Read More » Printing tiny batteries  | Three-dimensional printing can now be used to print lithium-ion microbatteries the size of a grain of sand. The printed microbatteries could supply electricity to tiny devices in fields from medicine to communications, including many that have lingered on lab benches for lack of a battery small enough to fit the device, yet provide enough stored energy to power them. | Read More » Personality test finds some mouse lemurs shy, others bold  | In the last 10 years the study of animal personality has gained ground with behavioral ecologists. Researchers have now found distinct personalities in the grey mouse lemur, the tiny, saucer-eyed primate native to the African island of Madagascar. | Read More » New resistance mechanism to chemotherapy in breast and ovarian cancer  | A new study explains why tumors with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations stop responding to PARP inhibitor drugs. | Read More » New approach to battling tuberculosis  | Scientists have discovered a drug that cripples tuberculosis bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) in a novel way, by dissolving the protecting fatty coating of the bacteria. The drug killed the bacterium in culture without the emergence of drug resistance. | Read More » Working backward: Computer-aided design of zeolite templates  | Taking a page from computer-aided drug designers, researchers have developed a computational method that chemists can use to tailor the properties of zeolites, one of the world's most-used industrial minerals. The method allows chemists to work backward by first considering the type of zeolite they wish to make and then creating the organic template needed to produce it. | Read More » | |
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