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Visual clue to schizophrenia pathology

Researchers say that retinal imaging could be a useful tool for studying some of the pathologic processes associated with schizophrenia.

19 Sep 2013

Bipolar suicide characteristics found

Italian researchers have identified clinical and psychologic characteristics that could help predict the risk for suicide in patients with bipolar disorder.

19 Sep 2013

Wearing back braces prevents need for spinal correction surgery in children with AIS

A multi-center study led by University of Iowa researchers to determine whether wearing back braces would prevent the need for spinal correction surgery in children with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) was cut short when early results were overwhelmingly in favor of bracing.

19 Sep 2013

Incidence of MRSA bacterial infection increases among Danes

In 2012, 1,556 Danes were found positive with methicillin-resistant staphylococci - MRSA. This represents an increase of 20% from 2011. In fact, the total number of cases has almost doubled since 2009. MRSA bacteria are resistant to antimicrobial agents that are essential for treatment of treating life-threatening infections in humans.

19 Sep 2013

Research offers new perspectives on cortical structure's development

The cerebral cortex is the most complex and vital structure in our brain. It is the nerve centre for those "higher" functions that characterise our species, such as language and abstract thought. The nerve cells - or neurons - which comprise the cortex are key elements in ensuring its functions effectively.

19 Sep 2013

arGEN-X and Shire achieve milestone in SIMPLE Antibody R&D collaboration

arGEN-X, a clinical stage human monoclonal antibody therapeutics company, announces it has attained a key success milestone in its SIMPLE Antibody research and product development collaboration with the Human Genetic Therapies division of Shire Pharmaceuticals. The milestone, which triggered an undisclosed payment from Shire, was the first demonstration of in vivo proof of concept for one of the antibody discovery programs undertaken in the collaboration.

19 Sep 2013

E-Readers may help people with dyslexia read more easily

As e-readers grow in popularity as convenient alternatives to traditional books, researchers at the Smithsonian 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. Their findings are published in the Sept. 18 issue of the journal PLOS ONE.

19 Sep 2013

Shorter course of radiotherapy safe and effective for women with breast cancer

The long-term results of the landmark START trials conclusively confirm that giving radiotherapy as a lower overall dose in fewer, higher doses over a shorter treatment time (hypofractionated) is at least as effective and safe as the current international standard for most women with early breast cancer.

19 Sep 2013

New study indicates that lead concentration may be higher below soil surface

A newly published analysis of data from hundreds of soil samples from 31 properties around southern Rhode Island finds that the lead concentration in soil at the surface is not always a reliable indicator of the contamination a foot deeper.

19 Sep 2013

Researchers receive 2013 SPSP Awards for excellence in personality and social psychology

When you pass by a stranger in need of help, do you stop to lend a hand? Maybe not... A landmark 1973 study found that seminary students in a hurry were less likely to help someone in distress, even when they were on their way to deliver a talk on the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

19 Sep 2013

Researchers develop method that improves delimitation of tumours in medical images

A piece of research submitted by the Artificial Intelligence and Approximate Reasoning Group (GIARA) of the NUP/UPNA-Public University of Navarre received an award from the European Association of Fuzzy Logic and Soft Computing (EUSFLAT) during its biennial meeting (EUSFLAT 2013) held in Milan last week.

19 Sep 2013

Only few service providers are available to help young gay black men, say researchers

Physical, sexual and emotional abuse among young gay black men is a pervasive problem, yet there remains a lack of social services and resources available to help them, a Michigan State University scholar argues in a new study.

19 Sep 2013

Toxoplasma infection makes mice fearless

The Toxoplasma parasite can be deadly, causing spontaneous abortion in pregnant women or killing immune-compromised patients, but it has even stranger effects in mice.

19 Sep 2013

Moderate amount of exercise motivates to pursue healthy lifestyle

The obesity epidemic has massive socio-economic consequences, and decades of health campaigns have not made significant headway. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen are therefore pursuing the development of new, interdisciplinary methods for preventing and treating this widespread problem.

19 Sep 2013

Study: Bird brain can serve as useful model to study human brain

Pursuing their interests in using the brains of birds as a model for the human brain, an international team of researchers led by Duke neuroscientist Erich Jarvis and his collaborators Chun-Chun Chen and Kazuhiro Wada have just completed a mapping of the bird brain based on a 10-year exploration of the tiny cerebrums of eight species of birds.

19 Sep 2013

Use of intensive pesticide in banana plantations leads to contamination

Shoppers spend over -10 billion on bananas annually and now this demand is being linked to the contamination of Central America's crocodilians. New research, published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, analyses blood samples from spectacled caiman in Costa Rica and finds that intensive pesticide use in plantations leads to contaminated species in protected conservation areas.

19 Sep 2013

Researchers develop absorbable implants to promote bone healing

Researchers from Graz University of Technology, together with colleagues from the Medical University of Graz, Vienna University of Technology and the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, have managed to develop absorbable implants to promote bone healing which are broken down by the body.

19 Sep 2013

Decompression surgery: An effective procedure for cervical spondylotic myelopathy

In a world-first, decompression surgery has been shown to be an effective procedure to treat cervical spondylotic myelopathy - a common progressive, degenerative disease of the spine that can lead to paralysis - according to the results of a multi-centre clinical trial published today.

19 Sep 2013

University of Nottingham-led project deals with problem of self-harm among young people

The problem of self-harm among young people in care is to be tackled as part of a new research project being led by The University of Nottingham.

19 Sep 2013

Research discovery suggests whole new frontier in human and animal brain functioning

Researchers from the University of Montreal and their colleagues have found brain activity beyond a flat line EEG, which they have called Nu-complexes (from the Greek letter).

19 Sep 2013