A recent study investigated consumer attitudes towards brain-training apps, finding that over two-thirds reported improved thinking, memory, and attention. However, cost was the primary barrier to their use, highlighting a need for evidence-based apps. Strong positive expectations about app effectiveness may also drive user behavior.
Researchers have developed zinc-oxide nanoparticles that can prevent the herpes simplex virus from entering cells and stimulate natural immunity to develop. The particles, called ZOTEN, work by attracting the virus and allowing immune cells to process it.
Researchers at University of Montreal developed programmable DNA thermometers that can measure temperature at the nanoscale. The smallest thermometer is 5 nm-wide and produces an easily detectable signal as a function of temperature.
A new study from Oregon State University found that healthy adults who retired one year past age 65 had an 11 percent lower risk of death from all causes, even when taking into account demographic and lifestyle factors. Working a year longer also had a positive impact on the mortality rate for unhealthy retirees.
A handheld instrument has been developed to detect the Ebola virus quickly and efficiently, allowing for faster treatment and real-time monitoring of viral loads. The device can process four samples simultaneously and produces results in under 37 minutes, significantly reducing the testing time required by conventional methods.
A 500,000-year-old human femur discovered in Morocco shows evidence of being consumed by large carnivores like hyenas. The bone fragment featured fractures and tooth marks, suggesting carnivore chewing, which was likely made shortly after death.
A study of over 300,000 individuals suggests that cholesterol levels are similar whether patients fast or not. This new guideline eliminates the need for fasting before cholesterol testing, benefiting patients and healthcare providers alike.
A University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher has used an experimental drug to reverse damage from the mutation that causes fragile X syndrome in mice. The treatment, Nutlin-3, blocks a chain reaction that leads to memory deficits and neural stem cell formation issues.
A new model of care for patients with low-risk prostate cancer has been tested, improving patient outcomes by increasing surveillance rates among very low-risk patients. The evidence-based approach uses best practices to select and follow patients, enhancing acceptance and use of active surveillance disease management.
A new report argues that landscape ecologists can inform policy decisions on managing global change. The field offers unique insights into combining urban planning and landscape ecology to create sustainable land-use policies. Collaborative efforts between landscape ecologists and policymakers are underway to protect sensitive ecosystems.
New research suggests that even small amounts of air pollution may have long-term health effects on the developing fetus, increasing the risk of premature birth and lifelong neurological and respiratory disorders. The study found biological evidence of intrauterine inflammation in pregnant women exposed to high levels of air pollution.
A meta-analysis of nine published randomized trials found that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) was associated with a reduced risk of depressive relapse/recurrence over 60 weeks. The treatment effect appeared to be larger in patients with higher levels of depression symptoms at baseline.
Certain scalp-pulling hairstyles, such as tight ponytails and braids, are associated with traction alopecia in African-American women. Moderate-risk styles include thermal straightening, permanent waving, and wig use, while low-risk styles include loose buns and natural styles that avoid chemicals.
Five Harvard research projects have received sustaining funding through the Physical Sciences & Engineering Accelerator, which aims to bridge the 'chasm of death' between discovery and product development. The funded projects include a shell scripting language for improved security, a pattern-detection algorithm for enhanced drug evalu...
A recent study published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology found that women are significantly less likely to stick to cardiac rehabilitation programs than men. Despite women-specific clinical practice guideline recommendations, women face unique barriers, including lack of access and tailored advice.
A faith-based health promotion program, Abuelas en Acción, successfully motivated older Latinas to adopt healthier lifestyles by integrating spiritual and family values. Participants showed significant improvements in physical activity, nutrition, and stress management.
A team at the University of New South Wales has achieved the world's highest efficiency rating for a full-sized thin-film solar cell using CZTS technology. The innovation uses abundant materials and is non-toxic, making it suitable for widespread use in buildings.
A new study led by NCAR finds that widespread ocean oxygen loss due to climate change will be detectable between 2030 and 2040, posing a threat to marine life. The research uses climate simulations to distinguish between natural variability and deoxygenation caused by climate change.
Researchers Warren Savary and Rob Bryson have discovered a new species of scorpion in the Sierra Nevada foothills, related to several previously described species from California. The discovery highlights the state's vast and underexplored biodiversity, with many scorpion species remaining to be described.
A team of scientists from the Scripps Research Institute is studying the role of microRNAs in memory, sleep and synapse function. The five-year study will use Drosophila fruit flies to answer key questions about microRNA mechanisms in the brain.
The James Webb Space Telescope's primary mirror is the largest yet sent into space, made of 18 beryllium segments coated with a thin layer of gold. The telescope will study the formation of solar systems capable of supporting life on planets similar to Earth, as well as the evolution of our own solar system.
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center found that sedentary behavior is associated with increased amounts of calcium deposits in heart arteries, leading to a higher risk of heart attack. Reducing daily sitting time by 1-2 hours can have a significant positive impact on future cardiovascular health.
Researchers exposed small worms to artificial climate change, finding that a half-degree warmer soil caused rapid genome changes. The study provides insight into evolution's ability to adapt to climate change, suggesting it may be more resilient than previously thought.
A new study by Ann Owens found that neighborhood income segregation is driven by increased income inequality and school district options among families with children. This trend has significant implications for low-income families and their educational outcomes.
Breast cancer cells challenged with a small-molecule inhibitor targeting specific invasive properties switch to an alternative mode-of-action, rendering them even more aggressive. The results suggest that inhibiting one pathway may not block all aggressiveness in breast cancer cells.
A unique study of 60,000 refugee immigrants in Sweden found that living in high-deprivation neighborhoods significantly increased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes over time. The study suggests a direct link between neighborhood deprivation and health, particularly for vulnerable populations.
A new study from Simon Fraser University's Beedie School of Business found that consumers earning moderate to high incomes are viewed as moral for purchasing ethical goods, while those on welfare are judged immoral. This disparity has implications for charitable organizations and the decisions made by individuals on financial aid.
According to a study published in The Journal of Pediatrics, nearly 1 in 4 babies in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) received acid-suppressing medications from 2006 to 2013. While the number has decreased since then, concerns remain about the medication's potential risks and effectiveness.
Scientists have identified hundreds of infected cells at different points of initial entry and developed a technology that lights up the location of first cells to be infected. This discovery will enable researchers to develop more effective vaccines against HIV by targeting the primary target of transmission, Th17 cell.
Researchers have created a new machine-learning algorithm that reduces timing uncertainties in changing events by up to 300 times, allowing for more accurate dating and analysis of past events. The tool has applications in various fields, including geology, metrology, chemistry, biology, and astronomy.
Researchers found that serotonin shortens apnoeic events by interacting with the 5-HT3 receptor, which is highly expressed in healthy babies. This discovery may provide a new lead in understanding and treating SIDS and asphyxia., Serotonin's role in promoting inspiration and stopping apnea could be key to preventing these infant deaths.
Researchers from Oregon State University found that coal-tar based sealcoats contain high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which can be toxic to humans and wildlife. Asphalt-based sealcoats, on the other hand, were found to be significantly less toxic.
A one-week language course improves attention levels in students of all ages. Regular practice maintains these benefits. The study found that acquiring a new language enhances cognitive functions, particularly for older adults.
Scientists created a dissolvable device component using egg proteins, magnesium, and tungsten, outperforming non-degradable memristors. The components worked reliably for over three months under dry conditions but dissolved in hours in water.
Scientists at UC Riverside discovered a strain of beneficial nitrogen-fixing bacteria that has spread across California, forming tumor-like nodules on plant roots. The epidemic strains were found to be highly successful in the soil and in competition to infect plants, explaining their persistence and dominance.
Researchers use machine learning to analyze factors influencing patient recruitment, predicting acceptance rates of up to 72% compared to traditional methods. The algorithm analyzes objective and subjective factors, including demographics, attitudes towards medical research, and health conditions.
A new study by Northwestern Medicine reveals that low-income families spend 2.5 times more on emergency department and hospitalization costs for children with food allergies, highlighting a significant gap in preventive care and access to special foods and epinephrine auto-injectors.
The study details the transmission of Zika virus through mosquitoes and human-to-human contact, as well as its association with neurological disorders and birth defects. Researchers emphasize the need for antiviral agents and vaccines to combat the outbreak.
A team of researchers has built a chip that generates multiple frequencies from a robust quantum system producing time-bin entangled photons. This feature can enable multiplexed and multi-channel quantum communications and increased quantum computation information capacity.
Research finds that intact coral reef areas with extensive live coral cover harbor the greatest amount of genetic diversity, supporting targeted protection of reefs throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Genetic diversity varies across the region, highlighting the need for diverse conservation approaches.
Researchers discovered that rainwater can channel up the Alpine Fault and overwhelm contributions from mantle-derived fluids, focusing it onto the fault. This finding sheds light on the trigger mechanisms for major seismic events and has implications for understanding catastrophic earthquakes.
A Polish Academy of Sciences team devised a chemical sensor to detect fungi in just a few minutes, reducing detection time from days to hours. The sensor uses D-arabitol, a compound indicating fungal presence, detected with high certainty even in the presence of interfering substances.
A recent study found that MOOC students are more engaged on Facebook groups than built-in course message boards and forums. The researchers suggest that social media tools can provide another communication channel for students, build a sense of community and trust, and offer better organization.
Katya Ravid, a Boston University professor, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar Award to conduct innovative interdisciplinary research in hematopoiesis and megakaryocte/platelet biomedical research in France. She will serve as an advisor to ongoing institutional programs at the University of Strasbourg and INSERM.
A Duke University study found high levels of contaminants in brine-laden wastewater from fracking spills, exceeding federal drinking water guidelines. Soil samples contained higher levels of radioactivity downstream from spill sites, suggesting radium builds up in the environment.
Biologists at the University of Iowa have identified a group of genes, gamma-protocadherins, that regulate dendrite growth in neurons. These genes must be an exact match for each neuron to correctly grow dendrites.
A cancer drug has improved learning and memory in mice with fragile X syndrome by coaxes neural stem cells to generate neurons critical for cognitive function. The treatment targets the MDM2 enzyme, which is overactive in FMRP-deficient cells, leading to enhanced proliferation but reduced differentiation.
Scientists have identified 91 novel microRNAs in the dog genome, which can help understand their role in regulating gene expression and potentially lead to breakthroughs in human diseases. The discovery provides a significant opportunity for future studies on biomedicine, evolution, and animal domestication.
Researchers at the Center for BrainHealth will investigate how changes in brain blood flow affect cognition in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). They will use fMRI to examine cerebral blood flow and neural metabolic rate, aiming to pinpoint the brain systems responsible for cognitive slowing in MS.
Scientists at MPFI have discovered a simple rule that explains how neural circuits combine information supplied by different types of cells in the retina to build a coherent representation of visual information. The discovery reveals that fine-scale retinal spatial information is preserved by OFF response regions, while ON response reg...
A new method combines structured expert judgment and probabilistic inversion to provide a single, consistent set of probabilities for future sea-level rise. This approach aims to address the lack of formality in evaluating climate model uncertainty, which can impact policy and preparedness.
A computer algorithm can recognize human emotions with high accuracy, transferring players' emotions to avatars or communicating with other players. The emotion detector system uses mathematical processing to analyze eyebrow position, eye openness, and mouth shape to correlate with basic human emotions.
New research from Cornell Food & Brand Lab highlights the importance of leveraging inside sources for real consumer insights. By utilizing experts such as sales associates or food service workers, researchers can gain unexpected and notable observations about target population behavior.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have developed a computational model to discover new protein-protein interactions associated with schizophrenia. The study identified over 500 never-before-known PPIs, which could lead to greater understanding of the disease and its relation to other complex diseases.
QUT researchers are developing new technologies to turn sugarcane trash into renewable fuels for the sugar industry. The project aims to reduce or eliminate the use of fossil fuels in sugarcane production, resulting in lower greenhouse gas emissions and cost savings.
A study published in Annals of Emergency Medicine found that dexamethasone was effective in treating mild to moderate asthma in ER patients with only slightly higher relapse rates compared to a 5-day course of prednisone. The single-dose medication eliminates prescription adherence barriers such as forgetfulness and cost.
A new membrane inspired by cacti can improve fuel cell efficiency by up to four times in hot and dry conditions. This technology could transform the electric vehicle industry by reducing water management issues and increasing performance.
Researchers discovered that Pseudomonas aeruginosa can multiply within human fluids from burn wounds, leading to increased virulence factors. Exudates from burns contain immune molecules and enzymes that favor P. aeruginosa growth, making it difficult to treat infections.
Researchers developed a genetically encoded chemical 'block' that can be removed from kinases, enabling the investigation of their activity in both lab dishes and whole animals. This breakthrough allows for a better understanding of kinase roles in disease processes.
Hot melt extrusion (HME) and injection moulding (IM) are becoming increasingly prevalent in the pharmaceutical industry due to their ability to increase solubility of poorly water-soluble drugs. HME-IM can manufacture a range of dosage forms, from oral tablets to implantable devices.