A UCI study discovered that enhancing frequency modulation on cochlear implants and hearing aids can significantly boost performance by separating background noise and increasing tonal recognition. This improvement can particularly benefit users of hearing aids, affecting music and certain spoken languages like Mandarin.
A minimally invasive procedure involving stem cells has shown improvement in heart function for patients with severe heart failure and no coronary blockages. All 15 patients who received stem cell injections experienced some degree of improvement, while the control group saw little change.
A study using fMRI reveals separate brain regions for making choices and dealing with conflicts, shedding light on why people with damaged medial frontal cortex struggle with actions and difficult decisions. The findings have implications for understanding human decision-making processes.
Mikos has developed extensive expertise in fabricating synthetic materials with tailored chemistries for specific tissue-engineered repair of orthopaedic injuries. His laboratory has created novel materials based on fumaric acid, non-toxic to surrounding cells and tissues.
A new study by Ohio State University researchers found that calcium supplementation significantly increased bone mass development during a critical childhood growth spurt in pre-adolescent girls. The findings suggest that elevated calcium use during this period may help prevent fractures and osteoporosis later in life.
The ASBMB-Merck Award lecture will focus on the role of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) in cellular signaling and cancer. Recent research has shown that PTPs can function as tumor suppressor genes, with the PTEN gene being a key example.
Researchers at Purdue University found that parts of the human brain think about prepositions in different ways when it comes to time and location. The study used language tests with stroke patients and found that words like 'on' and 'in' are processed independently, regardless of their spatial meaning.
A Harvard University study finds that racial disparities in youth violence are largely driven by social factors, including neighborhood environment, parental marital status, and immigrant status. The research suggests that interventions aimed at improving community well-being may help reduce the gap.
Researchers have developed a model that accurately recreated the series of events surrounding the Prestige oil spill, highlighting its potential for future cleanup and analysis. The study's focus on asphaltenes and resins not easily degradable underscores the need for efficient containment strategies.
Researchers find that adult stem cells are maintained by local environment signals that block gene expression, preventing differentiation. The microenvironment captures cells and prevents them from becoming other types of cells.
A survey found that nearly half of US adults aged 40 and over who are at increased risk of heart disease do not take aspirin to reduce their risk. The study suggests a need for improved communication between doctors and patients about the importance of aspirin therapy.
A Dutch study found that lesbian couples and more privileged heterosexual parents tend to favor openness, while anonymous donors are often associated with lower socioeconomic status and secrecy. The UK study also revealed that many parents feel no reason to disclose information or protect family members.
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center discovered regulatory genes in niche cells instruct stem cells to determine their future path, involving proteins acting as 'on-off' switches for stem cell division. This understanding is crucial for developing stem cell therapies and addressing disorders like infertility and cancer.
Researchers at NYU found that pacemaker neurons transmit signals to target cells and modulate light sensitivity, generating a circadian rhythm in visual sensitivity. This discovery may lead to the identification of genes that can be used to treat sleep disorders and jet lag.
A DNA enzyme found in some animals can repair damage caused by UV light, protecting against skin cancer. Researchers discovered this enzyme helps defend against non-melanoma skin cancer in mice with the transgene.
Land-living crabs, descended from marine ancestors, have developed a sophisticated sense of smell similar to insects. The robber crab's olfactory system is highly sensitive and has adopted strategies used by insects to navigate its air-filled terrestrial environment.
Researchers at Purdue University have improved nuclear reactor safety codes by enhancing their simulation capabilities. The new codes better predict what happens during severe accidents, allowing for more accurate plant designs and reduced risk of meltdowns.
A study published in the Royal Society journal found that chimpanzees' tolerance for inequity increases with their social closeness, mirroring human responses based on relationship quality. This suggests a link between social connections and the sense of fairness in non-human primates.
A new study published in PNAS demonstrates a gene therapy technique that targets and destroys cancer cells while leaving normal cells unharmed. The technique exploits specific molecules found in cancer cells, allowing it to selectively kill tumors such as prostate, ovarian, breast, brain, and skin cancers.
The University of Arizona will collaborate with IBM to build a massive storage environment for diverse types of life sciences data, including MRI images and genomic sequences. The project aims to scale to petabytes of data and enable researchers to manage, integrate, and access their digital assets.
Nanosphere's nanoparticle-based technology allows for rapid and highly-sensitive single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping without gene amplification. The technology can detect a specific gene and its mutation extent with greater than 99 percent confidence threshold.
A study by Imperial College London found that up to nine percent of supermarket bakery workers may have symptoms of asthma. The research also discovered high levels of sensitisation to ingredients involved in the baking process, including flour.
A large-scale study found that excess body size significantly increases the risk of developing kidney stones, with men weighing over 220 pounds facing a 44% higher risk. Weight gain since age 21 also contributes to this increased risk, particularly in older and younger women.
The study reveals that neighborhood environment, parents' marital status, and immigrant status are key factors contributing to the racial gap in violence. Family poverty does not account for the disparity, with youth from married families being less likely to commit violent acts.
High levels of fluoride were found in several brands of instant tea, with amounts ranging from 1.0 to 6.5 parts per million. The study suggests that doctors should ask patients about their tea consumption if they have achiness in their bones.
Reviparin significantly reduced the composite outcome of death, heart attack, and stroke at 7 and 30 days. Its benefits persisted even when initiated very early after symptom onset, with a 13% lowered risk. Reviparin is considered a moderate but important advance in managing patients with acute myocardial infarction.
Researchers find chimpanzees' responses to unfair situations depend on the strength of their social connections. In a study, chimpanzees in long-term groups were less likely to react negatively to unfair situations compared to those in short-term groups.
Researchers found that increased contact with younger siblings reduced the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) by up to 88% in adults. This association was linked to a weaker immune response to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which has previously been shown to increase MS risk.
Researchers found that visual signals can quickly adjust leg movement to prevent balance loss. This fast reaction enables bipedal locomotion over unpredictable terrain, improving balance and stability.
A new study suggests that ancient humans' systematic burning of Australia's interior led to the desertification of the region. The research indicates that this burning altered the flora enough to decrease the exchange of water vapor between the biosphere and atmosphere, causing the failure of the Australian Monsoon over the interior.
Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have successfully petrified wood in days, replicating the natural process that occurs over millions of years. The team used a novel method involving acid and silica to create a silicon carbide ceramic that retains the wood's architecture.
Researchers found that human genes are less carefully controlled due to a small population size, leading to increased disease risk. The study suggests that natural selection would have overridden harmful mutations with a larger population.
Vaccinating 70% of school children, ages 6 to 18, can reduce community-wide transmission to very low levels. This strategy is more effective than vaccinating only high-risk groups.
The study found nearly no conservation in human and chimpanzee gene-regulating elements, indicating hominids are subject to high mutation accumulation. Population size is believed to exert a powerful influence on molecular evolution, with natural selection likely to develop stronger against unwanted mutations.
A Chinese-American team of scientists has discovered a rare isotope, sulfur-36, associated with sodalite in a meteorite. The finding provides strong evidence for the past presence of chlorine-36 in the early solar system, which was likely formed in a supernova explosion.
Recent studies on COX-2 inhibitors have found that celecoxib may not increase blood pressure, while rofecoxib does, and that these drugs are safe for patients with type 2 diabetes. However, patients taking warfarin with COX-2 inhibitors or NSAIDs have an increased risk of upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage.
Blind individuals with superior localization skills exhibit increased activity in the visual cortex while performing monaural tasks. This suggests that the visual cortex is specifically recruited to process subtle monaural cues more effectively.
Researchers have discovered a new leukemia drug that can overcome all forms of Gleevec resistance, a significant breakthrough for patients with advanced CML. The drug, ON012380, blocks a different site in the BCR-ABL protein and induces cell death in all known Gleevec-resistant mutants.
A large study of Swedish twins found no association between neuroticism, extraversion, and increased cancer risk. Despite previous hypotheses linking these traits to cancer, the research suggests that certain personality traits do not influence cancer risk.
A new study published in PLOS Medicine found that patients with KRAS mutations do not respond to targeted therapy drugs erlotinib and gefitinib. Analyzing tumors for EGF receptor and KRAS mutations may be crucial to predicting treatment effectiveness.
A study mapping an entire high school's romantic and sexual relationships reveals a unique network structure with long chains of connections. Unlike adult networks, there is no core group of highly active individuals, but rather a widespread web of indirect links.
Researchers at Purdue University discover a plant protein called osmotin that mimics the behavior of the hormone adiponectin in mammal muscle cells. The study suggests that osmotin could play a role in preventing diseases like diabetes, as it activates the same receptors as adiponectin.
Researchers propose that whales and hippos share a common water-loving ancestor 50-60 million years ago, which evolved into two distinct groups. The study reconciles the fossil record with molecular evidence, providing a new understanding of whale evolution.
Researchers discovered that a lack of enzyme ACC2 turns fat cells into fat burners, leading to increased oxidation of fatty acids and glucose. This transformation contributes to improved energy maintenance and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.
Sprinkles, a powder containing microencapsulated iron and micronutrients, has been found to be as effective as ferrous sulphate in treating anemia in children. The treatment has been shown to have fewer side effects and is more acceptable to caregivers. Sprinkles have been distributed to over 15,000 children in developing countries, re...
According to psychologist Roese, regrets serve a necessary psychological purpose and provide benchmarks for reality. He suggests that acknowledging counterfactuals and their impact on human cognition can lead to hope for the future and corrective action.
The American Academy of Neurology has developed a standardized case definition for polyneuropathy, which improves the accuracy of diagnosis and treatment. The new guideline uses a combination of neuropathic symptoms, signs, and abnormal electrodiagnostic studies to diagnose distal symmetrical polyneuropathy.
Eating baked or broiled fish regularly has been linked to a reduced risk of stroke in older adults. A study found that consuming broiled or baked fish one to four times per week was associated with a 28-32% lower risk of ischemic stroke, while fried fish and fish sandwiches increased the risk by 37-44%.
The trial aims to test whether a vaccine stimulates cellular immunity to prevent or control HIV infection. The study will enroll healthy, HIV-negative volunteers from at-risk populations and gather data on the potential efficacy of the vaccine.
A study of 325 patients who underwent temporal lobe removal found that early seizures after surgery were eight times more likely to lead to persistent epilepsy. This suggests that some individuals may have epilepsy that is more persistent and resistant to treatment.
A new tool developed by Carnegie Mellon University enables location proteomics by classifying and relating proteins inside cells. The tool outperforms existing methods using standardized features and automates clustering of proteins, allowing for fast and objective analysis.
Researchers at UCI create a new method to rapidly discover antigens for vaccines, enabling the expression of hundreds of proteins in just one week. This technique addresses the bottleneck in processing large amounts of data from genome sequences, allowing for faster vaccine development and improved safety.
A study by researchers at Michigan Medicine and the University of South Florida found a significant generation gap in chronic pain coping among black and white adults. Older adults generally scored higher on pain intensity and disability measurements, but younger adults experienced more depression symptoms and sleep disturbances.
A recent study published in Neurology found no significant association between increased physical activity and the risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, it was discovered that higher leisure time physical activities before age 25 resulted in an earlier onset of the disease by seven years.
Researchers found that female crickets pay higher survival costs for mating with attractive males but produce offspring with elevated fitness. The study suggests that choosing costly mates may be beneficial due to the indirect benefits of siring 'sexy' sons.
A study found that obesity can make prostate cancer screenings less accurate, leading to delayed diagnoses and poorer treatment outcomes. The research suggests that physicians should consider adjusting PSA values when screening for prostate cancer in overweight or obese men.
A study found that living in socially deprived areas increases psychological distress, leading to higher rates of depression and injection drug use. Needle exchange programs and employment assistance can improve neighborhood quality and reduce stressors.
A study published in Archives of Internal Medicine found that communication between primary-care physicians and patients can reduce medication-related problems. The researchers discovered that 25% of patients experienced adverse drug events, many of which were preventable, due to a lack of reporting or inadequate doctor response.
Researchers isolated a highly reactive iron-sulfur complex from a bacterium, which outperforms current industrial catalysts in reactivity. The discovery could lead to the development of new, more efficient chemical processes and materials.
A study of 1,551 middle-aged Finnish men found that those consuming higher amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids had a lower risk of cardiovascular death. The researchers suggest that dietary fat quality is more important than quantity in reducing cardiovascular disease mortality in men.