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Science News Archive September 2015 - Page 24


Page 24 of 35

When it comes to touch, to give is to receive

A study found that participants consistently rated the skin of another person as being softer than their own, even if it wasn't. This phenomenon, known as the social softness illusion, may exist to ensure humans build social bonds through touch.

SourceCell Press·JournalCurrent Biology·DateSep 10, 2015

Changing patient's position helps effectiveness of colonoscopy -- especially on one side

A study found that examining the right side of the colon while patients lie on their left side increases polyp and adenoma detection. This position change also improved distension of the colon, allowing for better visualization. The results suggest a more effective tool for ongoing surveillance and prevention.

SourceAmerican Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy·JournalGastrointestinal Endoscopy·DateSep 10, 2015

You'd have to be smart to walk this lazy... and people are

A study published in Current Biology found that people subconsciously change their walking patterns to expend the least amount of energy possible. By wearing robotic exoskeletons and altering resistance levels, researchers showed that participants adapt their step frequency to converge on a new energetic optimum within minutes.

SourceCell Press·JournalCurrent Biology·DateSep 10, 2015

Brain cells get tweaked 'on the go'

Researchers at King's College London have discovered a new molecular 'switch' that controls the properties of neurons in response to changes in their neural network. This finding suggests that the brain's hardware is tuneable and could lead to breakthroughs in education policy and neurological therapies.

SourceKing's College London·JournalScience·DateSep 10, 2015

Clearing a path for cancer research

Researchers at EMBL-EBI have developed a new computational method to study biological signalling pathways and networks, allowing for more precise questions about how drugs affect proteins and pathways. The method uses noisy data from MS experiment, filters the noise, and integrates the data to reconstruct pathways robustly.

SourceEuropean Molecular Biology Laboratory·JournalNature Communications·DateSep 10, 2015

Replicating liver cells for fast drug testing

Researchers have developed a new technique to produce a faithful mimic of the in vivo liver inside a scalable fluid-handling device. The chip-based model demonstrates proof of principle for toxicology tests and opens up potential use in drug testing and personalized medicine.

SourceIOP Publishing·JournalBiofabrication·DateSep 10, 2015