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Better understanding of mechanisms linked to human heart valve disease

A cell-to-cell signaling network that serves as a developmental timer could provide a framework for better understanding the mechanisms underlying human heart valve disease, say University of Oregon scientists.

6 May 2016

UA researchers one step closer to preventing asthma in children

Efforts to improve the health of children at increased risk for asthma will receive a major boost with the launch of a new University of Arizona Health Sciences-led, federally funded national clinical study. For Fernando D. Martinez, MD, and his colleagues at the UA Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center, this study follows 30 years of research to prevent and cure this chronic disease.

6 May 2016

Dieting may suppress metabolism even after weight gain

While it's known that metabolism slows when people diet, new research indicates that metabolism remains suppressed even when people regain much of the weight they lost while dieting.

5 May 2016

Children infected with Cryptosporidium parasite more likely to suffer from stunted growth

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 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health-led research suggests.

5 May 2016

SFU scientists aim to develop new control system for most advanced bionic hands

A Canadian athlete's dream to one day "move" his fingers again after losing an arm in a workplace accident is now within grasp, thanks to a robotic arm prosthesis being developed at Simon Fraser University.

5 May 2016

Use of cosmetics during pregnancy can have adverse effects on newborn’s health

A study led by SUNY Downstate Medical Center's School of Public Health presents evidence linking personal care products used during pregnancy to adverse reproductive effects in newborns.

5 May 2016

Older adults become more sensitive to pain, study shows

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 University of Florida Health 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.

5 May 2016

Scientists discover how immune system molecule hijacks brain circuit to reduce appetite during illness

Loss of appetite during illness is a common and potentially debilitating phenomenon--in cancer patients, especially, it can even shorten lifespan.

5 May 2016

Saliva fingerprints could be useful in searching for signs of disease

Testing for health conditions usually involves needles, X-rays and other invasive or uncomfortable measures. To make diagnostics less burdensome for patients, scientists are developing alternatives, looking for disease markers in urine -- and even spit.

5 May 2016

Perfect nano-capsules for targeted drug delivery may become possible in future

By now, the research is quite fundamental. However, one of the authors, Igor Potemkin argues that the creation of the perfect nano-capsules for targeted drug deliverywould be possibleon the basis of the reported system in the nearest years, and the production will be relatively cheap.

5 May 2016

ITJ researchers develop new hydrating beverage for athletes

Jiquiquilpan's Institute of Technology in Mexico developed a hydrating beverage for athletes that is based on agave's fructans, that not only supplies the adequate water levels to the organisms, but also offers other benefits such as dietetic fiber.

5 May 2016

Enzyme previously thought beneficial could pose threat to developing embryos

A pair of Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientists have 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.

5 May 2016

Blueberry component PS may protect against dry eye disease

Pterostilbene (PS), a component of blueberries, have been found to protect against dry eye disease according to a new study.

5 May 2016

Historical and modern perspectives in management of basilar invagination

Winner of the Vesalius Award Award, Abhidha Harshad Shah, MS, MD, presented her research, Management of Basilar Invagination: A Historical Perspective, during the 2016 American Association of Neurological Surgeons Annual Scientific Meeting.

5 May 2016

New study finds genetic overlap between bipolar disorder and autism

A new study suggests there may be an overlap between rare genetic variations linked to bipolar disorder (BD) and those implicated in schizophrenia and autism.

5 May 2016

Study reveals glioblastoma subtypes tend to develop in different regions of the brain

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have demonstrated that distinct types of glioblastoma, the most common form of brain cancer in adults, tend to develop in different regions of the brain. This finding provides an explanation for how the same cancer-causing mutation can give rise to different types of brain malignancies.

5 May 2016

Human brains constantly make statistical computations to estimate confidence

The directions, which came via cell phone, were a little garbled, but as you understood them: "Turn left at the 3rd light and go straight; the restaurant will be on your right side." Ten minutes ago you made the turn. Still no restaurant in sight. How far will you be willing to drive in the same direction?

5 May 2016

New research shows molecular, cellular processes in human embroyo development

Despite significant biomedical advances in recent decades, the very earliest events of human development¬--those that occur during a critical window just after fertilization--have remained an unobservable mystery, until now.

5 May 2016

EPFL neuroscientists find that the brain can filter out cardiac sensations

Our heart is constantly beating yet we normally do not feel it. It turns out that our brain is capable of filtering out the cardiac sensation so that it doesn't interfere with the brain's ability to perceive external sensations. For the first time, researchers from the Center for Neuroprosthetics at EPFL have identified this mechanism. They discovered that a certain region in the brain determines where internal and external sensations interact. Their work appears in the Journal of Neuroscience.

5 May 2016

New light-based technique may offer improved treatment for eye problems

Researchers have developed a new light-based technique that selectively stiffens tissue in the cornea and might one day offer improved treatment for eye problems caused by weakened corneal tissue.

5 May 2016