Blind tadpoles learn visually after researchers graft eyes onto tails and treat them with neurotransmitter drugs Blind tadpoles were able to process visual information from eyes grafted onto their tails after being treated with a small molecule neurotransmitter drug that augmented innervation, integration, and function of the transplanted organs, according to a paper published online today by researchers at the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University in npj Regenerative Medicine, a Nature Re...

Households in Australia Changing demography The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) is the Australian Government's key research body in the area of family wellbeing. AIFS conducts original research to increase understanding of Australian families and the issues that affect them. Listed below are the findings; Types of families in Australia Types of households Projections: 2011-36 couple families with children will decrease from 44.1% in 2011 to 40.2% in ...

A 195-year-old discovery is behind a new system that will save vehicles hundreds of litres of fuel and reduce their carbon emissions by as much as 2 to 3 tonnes per year. Working with automotive manufacturer Scania, researchers from KTH Royal Institute of Technology have been testing semi trucks equipped with a system that converts exhaust heat into power — through a process called thermoelectric generation (TEG). The voltage produced by the system can power the truck and reduce...

UC Davis researchers have shown that combining high-intensity focused ultrasound with two immunotherapies (a PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor and TLR9 agonist) can produce excellent response rates in mouse models of epithelial cancer. They also found that, for the combination to be effective, immunotherapies must come first. Kathy Ferrara “These combination protocols can achieve a complete response in a large fraction of solid tumors,” said Katherine Ferrara, professor of the UC Davis Department of ...

  Researchers from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have confirmed that a prescription weight-loss pill decreases the urge to use opiates such as oxycodone. In a study published in ACS Chemical Neuroscience, the researchers led by UTMB scientist Kathryn Cunningham found that the drug, lorcaserin, reduced the use and craving for the opioid oxycodone in preclinical studies. Cunningham is director of UTMB’s Center for Addiction Research and a professor in the departmen...

A group of researchers from Nagasaki University, led by Dr Matsuo Tomohiro, has studied salt intake in a group of 321 men and women who had a high salt intake and had problems sleeping -- Japanese people tend to have a higher than average salt intake. The patients were given guidance and support to reduce salt consumption. They were followed for 12 weeks, and salt consumption measured biochemically. 223 members of the group were able to reduce their salt intake from 10.7 gm per day to 8.0 gm/...

  Semiconductor nanowires, with lasing emission at room temperature, can be transferred in a controlled way to specific locations on diverse substrates and organized into bespoke spatial patterns. Semiconductor nanowire (NW) lasers provide coherent light sources with highly localized emission and extremely small footprints. Such lasers may thus have the potential to revolutionize the field of photonics. Indeed, NW lasers are expected to play a key role in future optoelectronic sys...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today granted accelerated approval to Bavencio (avelumab) for the treatment of adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), including those who have not received prior chemotherapy. This is the first FDA-approved treatment for metastatic MCC, a rare, aggressive form of skin cancer. “While skin cancer is one of the most common cancers, patients with a rare form called Merkel cell cancer have not had an appro...

To cope with negative experiences or to share an insight, people often use the word "you" rather than "I." "You" is an overlooked word that people use to express norms and rules, new University of Michigan research found. Researchers conducted nine experiments with nearly 2,500 people to understand why people curiously use "you" not only to refer to specific others, but also to reflect on their own experiences. "It's something we all do as a way to explain how things work and to find me...

GuardPeanut is a Smart Anti-Theft Alarm that watches over your belongings and alerts you if they are moved. GuardPeanut simply connects to your smartphone using Bluetooth Smart. Using the SensePeanut companion app, you will be alerted when any of your valuables or objects are moved when they shouldn’t be. You can also view an unlimited timeline of the object’s movement history. Simply attach GuardPeanut to the object you want to protect. A bunch of free accessories are in the box such a...

South Korean robotics manufacturer Hankook Mirae Technology debuted its first prototype piloted mech, the Method-2. Method-2 stands 13-feet tall, weighs 1.3 tons and wields a pair of 286-pound, motion-tracking metal arms. Hankook Mirae considers this robot the world's first manned bipedal robot built to work in extreme hazardous areas where humans cannot go unprotected. If you consider this as something from Transformers, Robocop or Terminator, you should know that the company has spent more ...

  Innovative startup's that are helping local governments provide services, transparency, reach and better quality of life for its citizens. MuniRent MuniRent is a website that makes it easy for public agencies to share equipment and personnel. AmigoCloud AmigoCloud is a geospatial platform that helps you collect, manage, analyze, visualize, and publish your location data. All without installing any software. Neighborland Neighborland empowers organizations to collaborate with resi...

The first strength training wearable with patented weight sensing technology. The Delta Gloves automatically track your workout and help you reach your goals.   https://youtu.be/6A57iNuDads   RECORD WORKOUT Automatically records exercise, sets, reps & weight lifted in real time so you can focus on getting the most out of every set. MEASURE PROGRESS Review history of specific exercises or compare different workouts by comparing your power output (Watts). ...

UNSW researchers have identified a critical step in the molecular process that allows cells to repair damaged DNA – and it could mean big things for the future of anti-ageing drugs, childhood cancer survivors and even astronauts. Professor David Sinclair (front) and Dr Lindsay Wu (far left) with the UNSW research team. Photo: Britta Campion UNSW researchers have made a discovery that could lead to a revolutionary drug that actually reverses ageing, improves DNA repa...

The German Center for Research and Innovation will be hosting the Falling Walls Lab New York on September 14, 2017.   Falling Walls Lab New York is an exciting forum for scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs to present their ideas in 3 minutes with the chance to win a travel grant to participate in the Falling Walls Finale in Berlin on November 8, 2017.     Participation is open to bachelor’s and master’s students, PhD candidates, as well as postdocs, junior researchers ...

A landmark decision by the International Football Association Board (The IFAB) at its 130th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Cardiff, Wales, will pave the way for the introduction of live experiments with video assistant referees in football. In the meeting held at the St David’s Hotel and chaired by the President of the Football Association of Wales David Griffiths, also saw the most substantial revision of the Laws of the Game get the green light plus key outcomes on other agenda items inclu...

A protein originally discovered at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) appears to be involved in how the body controls breathing, according to a new study led by scientists at TSRI and Harvard Medical School. The study, published in Nature, shows how the Piezo2 protein, previously shown to be the principal sensor of touch and proprioception, also plays a critical role in sensing lung expansion. “The discoveries here could provide important clues on how to treat patients with respiratory dis...

DNA is a precious molecule. It encodes vital information about cellular content and function. There are only two copies of each chromosome in the cell, and once the sequence is lost no replacement is possible. The irreplaceable nature of the DNA sets it apart from other cellular molecules, and makes it a critical target for age-related deterioration. To prevent DNA damage cells have evolved elaborate DNA repair machinery. Paradoxically, DNA repair can itself be subject to age-related changes ...

Individuals with lower leg injuries could soon be saying goodbye to traditional crutches with the development of a hands-free alternative that is more comfortable and potentially more effective. The device, developed by Purdue University graduates, could provide ergonomic and natural movement and transmit real-time recovery data to physicians. “Six and a half million people in the U.S. today use devices such as wheelchairs, walkers, crutches and canes. Traditional crutches are the most common...

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham are developing and testing a new peptide that they hope will lead to better treatment options for familial hypercholesterolemia. FH is a genetic condition that results from the body’s inability to clear low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or bad cholesterol, from the blood. This results in startlingly high cholesterol levels. There are two forms of FH: heterozygous FH (HeFH) and homozygous HoFH, which is the most serious type of FH. If untreat...

A nanosensor technology has been developed using nanostructures: single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), combined with a silicon-based microfabrication and micromachining process. This technology provides a sensor array that can accommodate different nanostructures for specific applications with the advantages of high sensitivity, low power consumption, compactness, high yield and low cost. BenefitNanotechnology based chemical sensors can provide high sensitivity, low power and low cost p...

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a technique that uses light to get two-dimensional (2-D) plastic sheets to curve into three-dimensional (3-D) structures, such as spheres, tubes or bowls. The advance builds on earlier work by the same research team, which focused on self-folding 3-D structures. The key advance here is that rather than having the plastic fold along sharp lines – into polygonal shapes such as cubes or pyramids – the plastics bend and curve. Res...

A research team led by Professors Doman Kim and Tae Sub Park of the Graduate School of International Agricultural Technology found that chicken feed including naturally fermented buckwheat increases the production of eggs by over 8%. The researchers used Rhizopus – a fungus causing the group of infections referred to as zygomycosis and usually found in decaying breads, fruits, and vegetables - to ferment the buckwheat. The team found that chickens eating the buckwheat feed laid more and larger e...