|  New treatment for 'arthritis of the spine' prevents paralysis  | In a world-first, decompression surgery has been shown to be an effective procedure to treat cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) – a common progressive, degenerative disease of the spine that can lead to paralysis – according to the results of a multi-centre clinical trial. | Read More » Study helps deconstruct estrogen's role in memory  | Deciphering the exact mechanism of estrogen activation in the brain could lead to new targets for drug development that would provide middle-aged women the cognitive benefits of hormone replacement therapy without increasing their risk for cardiovascular disease or breast cancer. | Read More » X-ray science taps bug biology to design better materials and reduce pollution  | Bug spray, citronella candles, mosquito netting -- most people will do anything they can to stay away from insects during the warmer months. But those creepy crawlers we try so hard to avoid may offer substantial solutions to some of life's problems. | Read More » New way to identify good fat  | When it comes to fat, you want the brown type and not so much of the white variety because brown fat burns energy to keep you warm and metabolically active, while white fat stores excess energy around your waist, causing health problems. Researchers are studying brown fat with a goal of fighting obesity. | Read More » Genomic test accurately sorts viral vs bacterial infections  | A blood test developed has showed more than 90-percent accuracy in distinguishing between viral and bacterial infections when tested in people with respiratory illnesses. | Read More » Today's worst watershed stresses may become the new normal  | Nearly one in 10 US watersheds is "stressed," with demand for water exceeding natural supply, according to a new analysis of surface water in the United States. | Read More » Motor control development continues longer than previously believed  | Research into fine motor control in children shows that developmental improvements continue much later than previously believed, and aren't isolated to the brain. | Read More » Fluorescent compounds allow clinicians to visualize Alzheimer's disease as it progresses  | What if doctors could visualize all of the processes that take place in the brain during the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease? Such a window would provide a powerful aid for diagnosing the condition. Now, researchers have developed a new class of imaging agents that enables them to visualize tau protein aggregates, a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative disorders, directly in the brains of living patients. | Read More » Inhaled corticosteroids raise pneumonia risk  | Use of inhaled corticosteroids leads to twofold risk of repeat pneumonia among older populations, according to results of a new study. | Read More » Lifestyle, age linked to diabetes-related protein  | A large, newly published study that includes more than 13,500 postmenopausal women has yielded the most definitive associations yet between certain lifestyle and demographic factors and levels of a promising early biomarker of type 2 diabetes risk. | Read More » Toxoplasma infection permanently shifts balance in cat and mouse game  | Infection with the toxoplasma parasite makes mice fearless in the presence of cats -- to their regret. But how does the protozoan do that? Scientists looked at the effects of three common strains of toxoplasma and found that they remove the fear of cat urine for as long as four months, long after the mice have cleared the parasite from their brains. The parasite appears to make permanent changes in the brain's neurons. | Read More » Coma: researchers observe never-before-detected brain activity  | Researchers have found brain activity beyond a flat line EEG, which they have called Nu-complexes (from the Greek letter n). According to existing scientific data, researchers and doctors had established that beyond the so-called "flat line" (flat electroencephalogram or EEG), there is nothing at all, no brain activity, no possibility of life. This major discovery suggests that there is a whole new frontier in animal and human brain functioning. | Read More » Jupiter's moon: Long-stressed Europa likely off-kilter at one time  | By analyzing the distinctive cracks lining the icy face of Europa, scientists found evidence that this moon of Jupiter likely spun around a tilted axis at some point. | Read More » The secret life of underground microbes: Plant root microbiomes rule the world  | We often ignore what we cannot see, and yet organisms below the soil's surface play a vital role in plant functions and ecosystem well-being. These microbes can influence a plant's genetic structure, its health, and its interactions with other plants. | Read More » True colors: Female squid have 2 ways to switch color  | The female common market squid -- Doryteuthis opalescens -- may not be so common after all. Researchers have discovered that this glamorous cephalopod possesses a pair of stripes that can sparkle with rainbow iridescence. These flank a single stripe, which can go from complete transparency to bright white. | Read More » Researchers demonstrate a new strategy to stop the TB bacterium  | Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, may have an Achilles' heel: it needs a particular enzyme to survive. Inhibiting that enzyme's function, researchers have shown, will kill the bacteria, pointing toward a design strategy for new TB drugs. | Read More » E-readers can make reading easier for those with dyslexia  | As e-readers grow in popularity as convenient alternatives to traditional books, researchers have found that convenience may not be their only benefit. The team discovered that when e-readers are set up to display only a few words per line, some people with dyslexia can read more easily, quickly and with greater comprehension. | Read More » Crystal quantum memories for quantum communication  | Research into the strange phenomenon known as quantum entanglement - once described as 'spooky' by Albert Einstein - could revolutionise ICT over the coming years, enabling everything from ultra-fast computing to completely secure long-distance communications. | Read More » New role for protein family could provide path to how crop traits are modified  | Pioneering new research has shown for the first time that a protein which has been long known to be critical for the initiation of protein synthesis in all organisms can also play a role in the regulation of gene expression in some bacteria, and probably land plants as well. | Read More » African dust storms in our air: Dust storms in Africa affect US and the Caribbean's air quality  | Dust clouds from the African Sahara can travel thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean, every year and in large quantities. Scientists found that the average air concentrations of inhalable particles more than doubled during a major Saharan dust intrusion in Houston, Texas. | Read More » Shifting employee bonuses from self to others increases satisfaction and productivity at work  | Providing employees with a bonus to spend on charities or co-workers may increase job satisfaction and team sales. | Read More » What's that smell? Ten basic odor categories sniffed out with math  | Taste can be classified into five flavors that we sense, but how many odors can we smell? There are likely about 10 basic categories of odor. | Read More » Contaminants may cause birds to sing a different tune  | In some environments songbirds exhibit inconsistency in their songs which may be caused by non-lethal levels of contaminants that persist in the sediments of the Hudson River region. Biologists studied songbirds that nest along the Hudson River valley, a region with legacy levels of PCBs as a result of decades of electronics manufacturing upriver. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are synthetic chemical pollutants with demonstrated detrimental toxic and developmental effects on humans and wildlife. | Read More » Examining the source behind Sherpa mountain fitness  | The Sherpa population in Tibet is world-renowned for their extraordinary high-altitude fitness, as most famously demonstrated by Tenzing Norgay's ability to conquer Mount Everest alongside Sir Edmund Hillary. The genetic adaptation behind this fitness has been a topic of hot debate in human evolution, with recent full genome sequencing efforts completed to look for candidate genes necessary for low oxygen adaptation. However, few have looked at the Sherpa population by sequencing their mitochondrial genomes -- the powerhouse of every cell that helps determine the degree of respiratory fitness by providing 90 percent of the human body's energy demand, as well as controlling the metabolic rate and use of oxygen. | Read More » Different stories play different roles in patients' health decision-making  | Health communicators have debated whether stories should be included in patient decision-aids (which are informational materials designed to help patients make educated choices about their health) because they worry stories are too biased. Now, a researcher has found that stories used in decision-aids don't necessarily bias patients' decision-making; rather, certain types of stories can help patients confidently make informed decisions that fit their individual health needs. | Read More » National registry report shows increase in radial stenting, other CV trends  | Cardiologists are increasingly accessing coronary arteries by way of the wrist rather than the groin to insert life-saving stents into patients with blocked arteries. | Read More » How old memories fade away  | The discovery of a gene essential for memory extinction could lead to new PTSD treatments. | Read More » Study suggests overfishing of sharks is harming coral reefs  | A team of scientists from Canada and Australia have discovered that the decline in shark populations is detrimental to coral reefs. Where shark numbers are reduced due to commercial fishing, there is also a decrease in the herbivorous fishes which play a key role in promoting reef health. | Read More » Colonoscopy screening every ten years could prevent 40% of colorectal cancers  | According to a large, long-term study, 40% of all colorectal cancers might be prevented if people underwent regular colonoscopy screening. The new research also supports existing guidelines that recommend that people with an average risk of colorectal cancer should have a colonoscopy every 10 years. | Read More » Tiny bottles and melting corks: Temperature regulates a new delivery system for drugs and fragrances  | Microscopic, bottle-like structures with corks that melt at precisely-controlled temperatures could potentially release drugs inside the body or fragrances onto the skin, according to a recently published study. | Read More » Scientists help tame tidal wave of genomic data  | Sequencing the DNA of an organism, whether human, plant, or jellyfish, has become a straightforward task, but assembling the information gathered into something coherent remains a massive data challenge. Researchers have now created a faster and more effective way to assemble genomic information, while increasing performance. | Read More » New sensor could prolong the lifespan of high-temperature engines  | A new, highly-accurate temperature sensor could save manufacturers millions in maintenance costs, lower fuel consumption, and prolong the lifespan of jet engines, nuclear reactors and other types of large gas turbine engines. | Read More » Why parents think your partner isn't good enough  | It is common for parents to influence mate choice -- from arranged marriages to more subtle forms of persuasion -- but they often disagree with their children about what makes a suitable partner. A new study has found an evolutionary explanation for why some parents try to control who their children pair up with. | Read More » Earth expected to be habitable for another 1.75 billion years  | Habitable conditions on Earth will be possible for at least another 1.75 billion years – according to astrobiologists. "If we ever needed to move to another planet, Mars is probably our best bet. It's very close and will remain in the habitable zone until the end of the Sun's lifetime -- six billion years from now," one of the researchers said. | Read More » Hospital readmission rates linked with quality of surgical care  | Researchers have found strong evidence of a relationship between surgical readmission rates and quality of surgical care. | Read More » After the storms, a different opinion on climate change  | Extreme weather may lead people to think more seriously about climate change, according to new research. In the wake of Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, New Jersey residents were more likely to show support for a politician running on a "green" platform, and expressed a greater belief that climate change is caused by human activity. | Read More » Gulf of Finland's coastal waters same as last year: Oxygen on deep-sea floors deteriorating  | The oxygen situation on deep-sea floors, in open seas in the Gulf of Finland, has deteriorated compared to last year. Results obtained during an expedition by the research vessel Aranda in early summer shows an increase in salinity stratification in the Gulf of Finland, which has weakened the oxygen situation. At these sites, zoobenthic communities had also declined compared to last year. During the expedition in August, water layers close to the sea floor were found to be anoxic at these same sites. Hydrogen sulphide was found at sites on the Estonian side of the Gulf. | Read More » Giant prehistoric elephant slaughtered by early humans  | Archaeologists have found evidence that early humans, who lived thousands of years before Neanderthals, were able to work together in groups to hunt and slaughter animals as large as the prehistoric elephant. | Read More » Glass or plastic? Container's material properties affect the viscosity of water at the nanoscale  | Water pours into a cup at about the same rate regardless of whether the water bottle is made of glass or plastic. But at nanometer-size scales for water and potentially other fluids, whether the container is made of glass or plastic does make a significant difference. | Read More » Nanoscale neuronal activity measured for first time  | A new technique that allows scientists to measure the electrical activity in the communication junctions of the nervous systems has been developed, and offers a new and unique viewpoint into something not seen before in science. | Read More » Interference with cellular recycling leads to cancer growth, chemo resistance  | Overactivity of a protein that normally cues cells to divide sabotages the body's natural cellular recycling process, leading to heightened cancer growth and chemotherapy resistance, researchers have found. | Read More » Performance and pay suffer when clients don't understand what professionals do  | A new study looks at what can happen when certain jobs aren't fully understood. Certain assumptions on the part of the client lead to a lack of confidence or understanding of the job, and that affects not only the professional's performance, but the pay coming his/her way. The study examined architects, accountants, nurse practitioners, and lawyers, but applies to many more professions. | Read More » Gender equality creates new school boys, Norwegian research shows  | Boys in Norway in primary school talk about their feelings and hold hands. And they are very, very concerned about their bodies and appearance, according to new research on gender equality. | Read More » Can vitamin B supplements help stave off stroke?  | New evidence suggests that taking vitamin B supplements may help reduce the risk of stroke. | Read More » Dirty job made easier: Microfluidic technique recovers DNA  | A team of researchers has demonstrated an improved microfluidic technique for recovering DNA from real-world, complex mixtures such as dirt. The technique delivers DNA from these crude samples with much less effort and in less time than conventional techniques. | Read More » World Cup football (soccer) is a risk factor for domestic violence  | Domestic abuse increases during England World Cup football matches – especially if the team lose. | Read More » In water as in love, likes can attract  | Researchers have shown that, contrary to the scientific axiom that only opposite charges attract, when hydrated in water, positively charged ions can pair up with one another. | Read More » Got calcium? Mineral is key to restoring acid rain-damaged forests  | Scientists have reversed the decline of a New Hampshire watershed by gradually adding calcium back into the soil over 15 years. The experimental forest had suffered depletion of key soil nutrients due to acid rain. The study not only illustrates the impact of acid rain, but a potential treatment to help reverse the damage. | Read More » Are both the economic development and spatial impacts of High Speed Rail worth it?  | With the High Speed Rail project being debated widely in both the U.K. parliament and the media, it is important to review and understand the economic impacts of HSR. Scientists now make the link between past studies on HSR economic impacts and future predictions, while evaluating both the positive and negative effects of HSR on Planning and Urban form transformations. | Read More » Researchers develop a method that automatically delimits areas of brain in medical images  | Researchers have developed a method that improves the delimitation of tumors in medical images. | Read More » The piano as a typewriter  | It is quite simple for pianists like the Chinese virtuoso Lang Lang: Whether it is music by Mozart, Rachmaninoff or Tchaikovsky, they can play the piano quickly. Researchers transferred this skill in piano playing to text entry by developing a computational approach that assigns words and letters to notes and chords. In this way experienced as well as hobby-pianists can enter text as fast professional typists. | Read More » Can't sleep? Quit smoking  | As the NHS prepares to launch Stoptober 2013, new research has found another reason to quit smoking - giving up smoking improves sleep. Smoking is a leading cause of preventable death and while the numerous health problems directly caused by smoking are well documented, less is known about the effects of smoking on sleep. | Read More » Researchers tease apart workings of a common gene  | Researchers have discovered why a tiny alteration in a brain gene, found in 20 percent of the population, contributes to the risk for anxiety, depression and memory loss. | Read More » Boys go camping, get shock of their lives  | Eight-year-old twin boys, camping in a backyard tent, received penetrating blast injuries when a bolt of lightning struck a transformer near their tent, sending them to the emergency department for treatment. | Read More » Check-cashing stores target areas with high crime  | Check-cashing outlets may be strategically targeting persons who live in high-crime neighborhoods, according to researchers. | Read More » Islet cell transplant procedure offers improved outcomes for type 1 diabetes  | The latest approach to islet transplantation has produced substantially improved results for patients with type 1 diabetes, and may offer a more durable alternative to a whole pancreas transplant. Participants in the study received islet cells isolated from the pancreas of organ donors to help their bodies produce insulin. The new approach, which allowed the harvested cells a short period of rest prior to transplant, resulted in increased levels of insulin production to the degree that patients were able to discontinue daily insulin injections. | Read More » Mantas, devil rays butchered for apothecary trade now identifiable  | Dried filters from the mouths of filter-feeding rays started appearing in apothecary shops in recent years, but there's been no way to know which of these gentle-natured rays was being slaughtered. Now scientists have discovered enough differences to identify the giant manta and eight devil rays using the dried filters. | Read More » A brake in the head: New insights into the working of the brain  | Scientists have managed to acquire new insights into the functioning of a region in the brain that normally is involved in spatial orientation, but is damaged by the Alzheimer's disease. They investigated how nerve signals are suppressed inside the so-called entorhinal cortex. According to the researchers, this neuronal inhibition leads nerve cells to synchronize their activity. | Read More » Immune cells open window to breast cancer risk  | Researchers have made a major discovery that highlights the important role played by immune cells in the risk of developing breast cancer. | Read More » Promising way to boost body's immune surveillance via p53 in fight against cancer  | Researchers have discovered a new mechanism involving p53, the famous tumor suppressor, to fight against aggressive cancers. This strategy works by sabotaging the ability of the cancer cells to hide from the immune system. This research opens a new avenue to improve targeted cancer therapy by harnessing the body's own immune system to control and eliminate cancer cells. | Read More » Older adults live longer with a few extra pounds – if they don't add more  | Some overweight older adults don't need to lose weight to extend their lives, but they could risk an earlier death if they pack on more pounds. | Read More » Earthworms can survive and recover after three-week drought stress  | A study suggests that earthworms could be established in drought-prone dryland soils to improve soil quality. | Read More » New insights into the ribosome; important implications for disease  | In a first-of-its-kind study that broadly examines the composition of the riboproteome, a scientific team reveals previously unappreciated components of the ribosome, uncovering a large and dynamic structure that, among other things, can be altered in cancer. | Read More » Strategy for helping 'tired' cells affected by mitochondrial disease  | New research findings have the potential to change the lives of patients with mitochondrial diseases, a group of pathologies characterized by malfunction of mitochondria, the organelles that supply the energy vital for cell function. | Read More » Endocrine-disrupting chemicals pose global health threat, experts say  | Endocrine experts agreed that endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) pose a threat to human health and to the ecosystems of Earth. The editorial comes in response to a commentary (Dietrich et al. Chem Biol Interact) signed by a number of editors of toxicology journals that dismisses the state-of-the-science on EDCs and argues for the status quo in the regulation of these hazardous substances. | Read More » Turtle eye muscle adapts to deal with obstructed vision  | While researchers expected that the pond turtle's eyes would operate like other animals with eyes on the side of their heads, this particular species of turtle appears to have characteristics of both front and side-eyed animals. | Read More » Protein 'motif' crucial to telomerase activity  | In an effort to understand and control telomerase activity, researchers have discovered a protein "motif," named TFLY, which is crucial to the function of telomerase. Altering this motif disrupts telomerase function, they found, a fact that they believe will help them in their efforts to identify inhibitors of telomerase with potential cancer therapeutic properties. | Read More » Clues to growth of colossus in Coma cluster of galaxies  | Astronomers have discovered enormous arms of hot gas in the Coma cluster of galaxies. These features, which span at least half a million light years, provide insight into how the Coma cluster has grown through mergers of smaller groups and clusters of galaxies to become one of the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity. | Read More » Disarming HIV with a pop  | Pinning down an effective way to combat the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus, the viral precursor to AIDS, has long been challenge task for scientists and physicians, because the virus is an elusive one that mutates frequently and, as a result, quickly becomes immune to medication. A team of researchers is trying to get one step ahead of the virus with a microbicide they've created that can trick HIV into "popping" itself into oblivion. | Read More » New protein knowledge offers hope for better cancer treatment  | Researchers have developed a sophisticated method for identifying modified proteins that affect a cell's ability to repair DNA damage. This offers hope for improving treatment options for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer using the latest type of treatments involving the so-called PARP inhibitors. | Read More » Bracing is effective in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis, study suggests  | A multi-center study examining whether wearing back braces would prevent the need for spinal correction surgery in children with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis was cut short when early results were overwhelmingly in favor of bracing. | Read More » | |
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