Hong Kong Polytechnic University research on shoe insole helps to improve the performance of plantar pressure reduction and perceived comfort.

Posted on June 4, 2017June 4, 2017 by

Hong Kong Polytechnic University research on shoe insole helps to improve the performance of plantar pressure reduction and perceived comfort. Orthotic insoles are commonly used in the treatment of the diabetic foot to prevent ulcerations. The insoles are normally custom-made to provide an optimum fit and reduce and/or redistribute pressure on different plantar regions. The multi-layered design of the insoles not only accommodates the foot shape and provides comfort, but also maximizes the fu...

George Mason University’s College of Health and Human Services research suggest, prunes may prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women

Posted on May 26, 2017 by

If you need yet another reason to increase your intake of nutrient-rich fruits, here’s one. Consuming four to five prunes each day may help prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women, according to a manuscript released this month by Taylor C. Wallace, a professor in George Mason University’s College of Health and Human Services. The beneficial effects of dried plums on bone health could relate to the phenolics, a type of antioxidant, found in fruits, Wallace said. A handful of small clinic...

Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center has developed a novel way to increase lipid production in bacteria

Posted on May 25, 2017 by

If you want to create sustainable biofuels from less and for less, you’ve got a range of options. And one of those options is to go microbial, enlisting the help of tiny but powerful bacteria in creating a range of renewable biofuels and chemicals. In a recent study published in mBio, Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) assistant scientist Kim Lemmer and a team of collaborators focus on the microbes, reporting on a novel way to increase lipid production in bacteria. The finding ...

Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is working to build Cool pavement to help keep cities cool

Posted on May 24, 2017 by

Cool pavements can help keep cities cool, right? Yes, but according to new research from the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), many reflective pavements have some unexpected drawbacks relative to conventional pavements when considering the entire life cycle of the materials. Scientists in Berkeley Lab’s Heat Island Group, in collaboration with the UC Pavement Research Center (UCPRC), the University of Southern California (USC), and thinkste...

Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the University of Washington research found that Tweaking a Molecules Structure Can Send It Down a Different Path to Crystallization

Posted on May 23, 2017 by

Tweaking a Molecules Structure Can Send It Down a Different Path to Crystallization Insights could lead to better control of drug development, energy technologies. And food. A small change to a peptoid that crystallizes in one step sends the modified peptoid down a more complicated path (shown here) from disordered clump to crystal. Image courtesy: Mike Perkins, PNNL Silky chocolate, a better medical drug, or solar panels all require the same thing: just the right crystals making up the mat...

UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN research suggest, food is not just the sum of its nutrients. It is time to rethink nutrition labelling

Posted on May 23, 2017 by

The nutritional value of a food should be evaluated on the basis of the foodstuff as a whole, and not as an effect of the individual nutrients. This is the conclusion of an international expert panel of epidemiologists, physicians, food and nutrition scientists and brought together by the University of Copenhagen and University of Reading. Their conclusion reshapes our understanding of the importance of nutrients and their interaction. Cheese have a lesser effect on blood cholesterol th...

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has solved the mistry as to why some rocks float on water for years

Posted on May 23, 2017 by

It’s true—some rocks can float on water for years at a time. And now scientists know how they do it, and what causes them to eventually sink. X-ray studies at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have helped scientists to solve this mystery by scanning inside samples of lightweight, glassy, and porous volcanic rocks known as pumice stones. The X-ray experiments were performed at Berkeley Lab’s Advanced Light Source (ALS), an X-ray sourc...

University of Illinois, researchers have developed a simple, disposable sensor for detecting hazardous uranium ions

Posted on May 20, 2017 by

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a simple, disposable sensor for detecting hazardous uranium ions, with sensitivity that rivals the performance of much more sophisticated laboratory instruments. The sensor provides a fast, on-site test for assessing uranium contamination in the environment, and the effectiveness of remediation strategies, said Yi Lu, a chemistry professor at Illinois and senior author of a paper accepted for publication in...

Organization for Human Brain Mapping (OHBM) is having its annual meeting on June 25 – 29 2017

Posted on May 18, 2017 by

The Organization for Human Brain Mapping (OHBM) is the primary international organization dedicated to using neuroimaging to discover the organization of the human brain. OHBM is having its annual meeting on June 25 - 29 2017 Key few topic that will be covered include : Network effects of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation on the prefrontal cortex Structural Imaging Evaluation of Subcallosal Cingulate DBS for Treatment-Resistant Depression Structural network architecture predi...

Karolinska Institute in Stockholm research suggest Sleep Deprivation can have social, physical and mental impacts

Posted on May 17, 2017 by

We’ve always known that sleep is good for your brain, but new research from the University of Rochester provides the first direct evidence for why your brain cells need you to sleep (and sleep the right way—more on that later). The study found that when you sleep your brain removes toxic proteins from its neurons that are by-products of neural activity when you’re awake. Unfortunately, your brain can remove them adequately only while you’re asleep. So when you don’t get enough sleep, the toxic p...

Pohang University of Science and Technology Research Suggest ‘Decorin’ can be the new Glue-Like Substance that could Be The Key to Healing Wounds Without Scars

Posted on May 16, 2017 by

Skin scarring after deep dermal injuries is a major clinical problem due to the current therapies limited to established scars with poor understanding of healing mechanisms. From investigation of aberrations within the extracellular matrix involved in pathophysiologic scarring, it was revealed that one of the main factors responsible for impaired healing is abnormal collagen reorganization. Here, inspired by the fundamental roles of decorin, a collagen-targeting proteoglycan, in collagen remodel...

University of Tokyo research findings will now allow development of more effective mucosal vaccines, immunizing agents, that can be administered orally or through the nose rather then current injectable type of vaccines.

Posted on May 16, 2017 by

A research group at the University of Tokyo has identified in a study with mice a protein directly linked to the M cells' function to capture antigens around intestinal and other mucous membrane surfaces. Manipulating the protein, allograft inflammatory factor 1 (Aif1), holds promise of contributing to the development of more effective mucosal vaccines—immunizing agents, administered orally or through the nose, that enter the body via the mucous membrane—as an alternative to the conventional inj...

University of Alabama research have developed more accurate way to determine adolescent obesity

Posted on May 15, 2017 by

The body mass index calculations that physicians have been relying on for decades may not be accurate for assessing body fat in adolescents between the ages of 8 and 17. A new study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics shows that tri-ponderal mass index estimates body fat more accurately than the traditional BMI in adolescents. These new findings are timely as diagnosing, treating and tracking the prevalence of children and adolescents with obesity ...

UNSW Sydney research suggest bad moods are good for you, the surprising benefits of sadness

Posted on May 15, 2017 by

Homo sapiens is a very moody species. Even though sadness and bad moods have always been part of the human experience, we now live in an age that ignores or devalues these feelings. The Conversation In our culture, normal human emotions like temporary sadness are often treated as disorders. Manipulative advertising, marketing and self-help industries claim happiness should be ours for the asking. Yet bad moods remain an essential part of the normal range of moods we regularly experience. D...

MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE OF MOLECULAR CELL BIOLOGY AND GENETICS research found a gene for brain size is only found in humans

Posted on May 8, 2017 by

A gene for brain size – only found in humans This picture shows a cerebral cortex of an embryonic mouse. The cell nuclei are marked in blue and the deep-layer neurons in red. The human-specific gene ARHGAP11B was selectively expressed in the right half of the brain, which is visible by the folding of the neocortical surface. © MPI f. Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics Following the traces of evolution: Max Planck Researchers find a key to the reproduction of brain stem cells Abo...

University of Delaware found that kids who are bullied in fifth grade often suffer from depression and begin using alcohol and other substances

Posted on May 8, 2017 by

When it comes to understanding bullying, "we make a lot of assumptions that aren't based on data," says UD psychologist Julie Hubbard, whose scholarship aims to build a stronger empirical foundation that could lead to new and more successful evidence-based programs for bullying. Although school-based bullying prevention programs already exist, findings suggest they are not particularly effective. Thus, Hubbard, an associate professor of psychology, believes that more basic research is needed ...

Neuron Technology Summer School – JUNE 26TH TO JULY 7TH 2017

Posted on May 8, 2017 by

From JUNE 26TH TO JULY 7TH 2017 | SISSA The 7th Neuron Technology Summer School aims to provide practical and theoretical training on the application of a large spectrum of techniques to neuroscience. The School will address the following topics: Basic Electrophysiology Imaging and optical recordings Optical tweezers microscopy for single cell neurobiology Single-molecule imaging and single cell handling with Atomic Force Microscopy Basic Structural Biology Admission ...

Washington University’s Office of Technology Management Research on mice and patients suggests biomarker could predict vision loss

Posted on May 7, 2017May 7, 2017 by

Glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness worldwide, most often is diagnosed during a routine eye exam. Over time, elevated pressure inside the eye damages the optic nerve, leading to vision loss. Unfortunately, there’s no way to accurately predict which patients might lose vision most rapidly. Now, studying mice, rats and fluid removed from the eyes of patients with glaucoma, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a marker of damage to cells in the ...

University of California research suggest early childhood trauma could be influencing how the microbes in our gut interact with our brains as we grow, demonstrating a two-way street between the development of our nervous system and the microscopic residents of our digestive system.

Posted on May 7, 2017 by

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterized by abdominal pain and altered bowel habits. Visceral hypersensitivity is believed to be a key underlying mechanism that causes pain. There is evidence that interactions within the brain and gut axis (BGA) that involves both, the afferent-ascending and the efferent-descending pathways as well as the somatosensory cortex, insula, amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus are deranged in IBS showing both the activation and inactivation. ...

Scientists have now understood how ice nucleation is formed (moment when the first group of molecules comes together)

Posted on May 6, 2017 by

Scientists have witnessed the birth of atmospheric ice clouds, creating ice cloud crystals in the laboratory and then taking images of the process through a microscope, essentially documenting the very first steps of cloud formation. The team witnessed a process known as ice nucleation in unprecedented detail, taking time-lapse movies of the first few seconds when a particle attracts water vapor, forming ice crystals that become the core of icy cirrus clouds — the high, wispy clouds that act ...

University in China researcher is employing HFIR to explore the mysterious world of quantum spin

Posted on May 6, 2017 by

Jie Ma, a professor from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China, is using neutrons at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s High Flux Isotope Reactor to discover a three-dimensional image of the magnetic lattice of an oxide material (Ba2CoTeO6) containing quantum properties that could provide new insight into how electron “spins” can improve data processing and storage in computers. In condensed matter physics, quantum spin liquid is a state that can be achieved in a system of interacting quantum s...

Georgia Institute of Technology has developed new way to produce single-layer graphene from a simple precursor

Posted on May 6, 2017 by

An international team of scientists has developed a new way to produce single-layer graphene from a simple precursor: ethene – also known as ethylene – the smallest alkene molecule, which contains just two atoms of carbon. By heating the ethene in stages to a temperature of slightly more than 700 degrees Celsius -- hotter than had been attempted before – the researchers produced pure layers of graphene on a rhodium catalyst substrate. The stepwise heating and higher temperature overcame chall...

Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) will be taking on some of the periodic table’s latest heavyweight champions to see how their masses measure up to predictions.

Posted on May 4, 2017 by

New tool at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) will be taking on some of the periodic table’s latest heavyweight champions to see how their masses measure up to predictions. Dubbed FIONA, the device is designed to measure the mass numbers of individual atoms of superheavy elements, which have higher masses than uranium. “Once we have determined those mass numbers, we will use FIONA to learn about the shape and structure of heavy nuclei, guide th...

University of Tokyo has developed new strain of rice that flowers within a certain period of time after being sprayed with commercial chemicals commonly used to protect rice from fungal, regardless of weather, temperature, and other conditions that currently affect cultivation.

Posted on May 3, 2017 by

A new strain of rice that flowers within a certain period of time after being sprayed with commercial chemicals commonly used to protect rice from fungal diseases is now available, say Japanese scientists. This new strain could one day allow rice farmers to dictate the timing of their harvest regardless of weather, temperature, and other conditions that currently affect cultivation. Temperature, day length, and other environmental cues determine when plants flower, making it difficult for far...

Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed new material with ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism that may lead to better computer memory

Posted on May 3, 2017May 3, 2017 by

Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have demonstrated that ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism coexist at room temperature in thin films of bismuth-iron-cobalt oxide. The research could have implications in the next generation of computer memory and sensors. Traditional computer memory, known as DRAM, uses electric fields to store information. In DRAM, the presence or absence of an electric charge is indicated either by number 1 or number 0. Unfortunately, this type of in...

German scientists are working toward a way of spotting tumors using an endoscopic approach that doesn’t involve actually having to take sample to diagnose cancer

Posted on May 3, 2017 by

In an important step toward endoscopic diagnosis of cancer, researchers have developed a handheld fiber optic probe that can be used to perform multiple nonlinear imaging techniques without the need for tissue staining. The new multimodal imaging probe uses an ultrafast laser to create nonlinear optical effects in tissue that can reveal cancer and other diseases. Today, cancer is typically diagnosed by removing a bit of tissue with a biopsy and then sending that tissue to a speci...

University of Texas Medical Branch research suggest nicotine affects the way the brain processes pain due to its effects on neurotransmitters, receptor sites, and the sympathetic nervous system

Posted on May 1, 2017May 1, 2017 by

University of Texas Medical Branch research suggest nicotine affects the way the brain processes pain due to its effects on neurotransmitters, receptor sites, and the sympathetic nervous system Clearly smoking is a tough habit to break and perhaps these scare tactics might work for some. However, routine and habit, psychological stress, nicotine dependence and addiction all make quitting smoking a tough lift. However, there is now one more reason to quit smoking: pain. A recent arti...

Citizen science is the involvement of the public in scientific research – whether community-driven research or global investigations. The Citizen Science Association unites expertise from educators, scientists, data managers, and others to power citizen science.

Posted on May 1, 2017 by

Citizen science is the involvement of the public in scientific research – whether community-driven research or global investigations. The Citizen Science Association unites expertise from educators, scientists, data managers, and others to power citizen science What is Citizen Science? The Oxford English Dictionary recently defined citizen science as: “scientific work undertaken by members of the general public, often in collaboration with or under the direction of professional scientists and ...

Public Lab is a community and non-profit organization that is democratizing science to address environmental issues that affect people

Posted on May 1, 2017May 1, 2017 by

Public Lab is a community where you can learn how to investigate environmental concerns. Using inexpensive DIY techniques, we seek to change how people see the world in environmental, social, and political terms. Communities lack access to the tools and techniques needed to participate in decisions being made about their communities, especially when facing environmental hazards. Public Lab is an open network of community organizers, educators, technologists and researchers working to creat...

Cleveland Clinic research suggest what’s in your gut can play a role with risk for having a heart attack or stroke

Posted on April 30, 2017 by

When most people think of their risk for having a heart attack or stroke, factors like cholesterol and blood pressure come to mind. But a new study by researchers at Cleveland Clinic shows that what’s in your gut can play a role as well. The research, led by Stanley Hazen, MD, PhD, Section Head of Preventive Cardiology, shows that a compound that occurs in your gut after eating meat or high-fat dairy is a risk factor that can occur even if you have low cholesterol and a healthy bloo...