University of Exeter Dementia research insights

Posted on April 30, 2017 by

Dementia can happen to anyone and there's currently no cure. It can strip you of your memory, your relationships and your connection to the world you love, leaving you feeling isolated and alone. https://youtu.be/RT907zjpZUM 1. Your lifestyle could increase your risk of developing dementia There are many different types of dementia; the most common is Alzheimer’s disease. But what many people don't realise is that in about one third of cases lifestyle plays a part in whether or not so...

NASA’s Tiny Probes Hold Big Promise for Future NASA Missions

Posted on April 29, 2017 by

A team of NASA engineers has been working on a new type of Thermal Protection System (TPS) for spacecraft that would improve upon the status quo. Having seen success in the laboratory with these new materials, the next step is to test in space. The Conformal Ablative Thermal Protection System, or CA-TPS, will be installed on a small probe flight article provided by Terminal Velocity Aerospace (TVA) and launched on Orbital ATK’s seventh contracted commercial resupply services missio...

The U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute has discovered Giant viruses appear to have evolved from smaller viruses (not from cells) based on presence of nearly complete set of translation-related genes.

Posted on April 20, 2017 by

Giant viruses appear to have evolved from smaller viruses (not from cells) based on presence of nearly complete set of translation-related genes. Viruses have a ubiquitous presence in the world. Their population is estimated to be 1031, 10 times greater than the nonillion (1030) of microbes on the planet—a figure that surpasses the number of stars in the Milky Way. Giant viruses are characterized by disproportionately large genomes and virions that house the viruses’ genetic material. T...

University Of Seoul researchers have developed gene editing technique that will be helpful in combating genetic mutation that causes diseases such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, and color blindness.

Posted on April 19, 2017April 19, 2017 by

Gene-Editing Breakthrough Professor Kim Jin-Soo and training researcher Kim Daesik, both of the Department of Chemistry, were part of a research team at the Center for Genomic Engineering, within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), that proved that a newly developed gene editing technique will be helpful in combatting genetic mutation that causes diseases such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, and color blindness. The field of biology has been buzzing with the latest developments of...

Music moves brain to pay attention according to Stanford University

Posted on April 19, 2017 by

Music moves brain to pay attention, Stanford study finds Using brain images of people listening to short symphonies by an obscure 18th-century composer, a research team from the Stanford University School of Medicine has gained valuable insight into how the brain sorts out the chaotic world around it. The research team showed that music engages the areas of the brain involved with paying attention, making predictions and updating the event in memory. Peak brain activity occurred ...

You can watch NASA’s rocket lift off LIVE in 360 degrees

Posted on April 18, 2017April 18, 2017 by

NASA wants to put viewers in the middle of the action for its rocket launch Tuesday in a way that's never been done before: by live-streaming a 360-degree video. Viewers can watch an Atlas V rocket lift off on a supply mission to the International Space Station from the vantage point of the launch pad. If you have a virtual reality device, you can use it to feel as if you're actually at Cape Canaveral in Florida for the launch. An Orbital ATK spacecraft will launch the United Launch Alliance (...

University of Washington research have developed a method to identify novel marker for developmental instability by looking at the crooked bite that may indicate early life stress

Posted on April 15, 2017 by

Research has repeatedly confirmed that the first 1,000 days after conception strongly influence a person’s life expectancy and susceptibility to chronic diseases. The primary marker used to identify early life stress is low birth weight, which can, for instance, indicate poor nutrition of the mother during pregnancy. But low birth weight is a marker only until birth, about 280 days – far short of a measurement useful for the first thousand days. New research from University of Washington ...

University of Utah researchers have developed a way to curb chronic pain by modulating genes that reduce tissue- and cell-damaging inflammation.

Posted on April 14, 2017 by

For millions of sufferers, there is nothing more debilitating than chronic back or joint pain. It can feel like a lifetime of misery. But researchers led by University of Utah bioengineering assistant professor Robby Bowles have discovered a way to curb chronic pain by modulating genes that reduce tissue- and cell-damaging inflammation. “This has applications for many inflammatory-driven diseases,” Bowles says. “It could be applied for arthritis or to therapeutic cells that are being deliv...

University of Utah research has discovered that damage to collagen, can occur much earlier at a molecular level from too much physical stress, can be a good early warning system for diseases such as arthritis, tissue damage to ligament, tendon or cartilage

Posted on April 14, 2017 by

By the time someone realizes they damaged a ligament, tendon or cartilage from too much exercise or other types of physical activity, it’s too late. The tissue is stretched and torn and the person is writhing in pain. But a team of researchers led by University of Utah bioengineering professors Jeffrey Weiss and Michael Yu has discovered that damage to collagen, the main building block of all human tissue, can occur much earlier at a molecular level from too much physical stress, alerting doc...

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a member of the American Academy of Neurology research found direct correlation to BMI (Body Mass Index)& Migraine. Both obesity and being underweight are associated with an increased risk for migraine

Posted on April 14, 2017 by

For neurologist Lee Peterlin, migraines run in the family. She and her sister, Jackie, both suffer from migraine headaches that have been, at times, completely debilitating. That’s one reason why, several years ago, she started looking into why they and 30 million other Americans suffer from a neurological disorder whose cause, at least in part, remains a mystery despite the wealth of potential research subjects. One thing researchers have long known, however, is that migraine sufferers—or migr...

University Of Utah Research Suggests Multivitamins May Not Help Men’s Hearts, Even When Diet Is Poor

Posted on April 13, 2017 by

Millions of American men pop a multivitamin each day, but new research shows the pills won't help the heart -- even if a man's nutrition is lacking. "Many had thought that men with 'poor' nutritional status at baseline may benefit more from long-term multivitamin use on cardiovascular outcomes; however, we did not see any evidence for this in our recent analysis," study author Howard Sesso, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, said in a hospital news release. According to background ...

Purdue University researchers have designed hybrid systems that combine solar photovoltaic cells and thermoelectric devices to capture sunlight as efficiently as possible

Posted on April 12, 2017 by

Researchers have shown how to modify commercially available silicon wafers into a structure that efficiently absorbs solar energy and withstands the high temperatures needed for “concentrated solar power” plants that might run up to 24 hours a day. The research advances global efforts to design hybrid systems that combine solar photovoltaic cells, which convert visible and ultraviolet light into electricity, thermoelectric devices that convert heat into electricity, and steam turbines to genera...

Research to understand loneliness and isolation in a society and understand part of the experiences for different situations

Posted on April 12, 2017 by

From Greek mythology and the Bible to modern critiques of the digital age, loneliness has been portrayed as part of the human condition. With modern society requiring more and more attention away from family, its currently being recognized as a significant adverse consequence of loneliness and health. Loneliness and isolation are increasingly part of the experience for many. As societies are evolving globally in many different ways as, reduced inter-generational living, different societies c...

NASA Invests in visionary concepts that so far had been limited to the realm of science fiction – like, Evacuated Airship for Mars, soft robotic spacecraft with flexible surfaces that can anchor to an asteroid, an artificial gravity device for long-duration, deep space missions, along with other technologies

Posted on April 10, 2017 by

NASA Invests in 22 Visionary Exploration Concepts Montage of innovative concepts selected for 2017 NIAC Phase I and Phase II funding Credits: Joel Sercel, Jay McMahon, Siegfried Janson, Adam Arkin, Jonathan Sauder, John Lewis and background, Chris Mann NASA is preparing for a future that could include soft robotic spacecraft with flexible surfaces that can anchor to an asteroid, and an artificial gravity device for long-duration, deep space missions, along with other t...

University of Utah Department of Bioengineering is developing device (Electrode Array) that will allow amputee’s arm to read signals from the brain and then tell the prosthetic hand how to move.

Posted on April 10, 2017 by

University of Utah Department of Bioengineering is developing device (Electrode Array) that will allow amputee’s arm to read signals from the brain and then tell the prosthetic hand how to move. Researchers, led by Clark, are further developing the Utah Slanted Electrode Array, a neural interface that uses 100 electrodes which connect with nerves in an amputee’s arm to read signals from the brain - telling the hand how to move. The Utah Slanted Electrode Array was first developed by Departmen...

The Virtual Surgeon – Medical Realities is a healthcare company using virtual reality, augmented reality and serious games to change the way people look at medical training.

Posted on April 9, 2017April 9, 2017 by

Medical Realities is an innovative group offering medical training products, specializing in virtual reality, augmented reality and serious games. By using consumer-level virtual reality devices such as the Oculus Rift, Medical Realities can reduce the cost of training, reach a wider audience & provide a completely safe learning environment for medical students. Combining 360 video, 3D and interactive content, The Virtual Surgeon™ puts you inside the operating theatre overseeing an op...

Self-monitoring is a low-intensity, secondary prevention strategy designed to improve students’ self- management skills and to support their academic, behavioral, and social development.

Posted on April 9, 2017 by

Students with behavioral and academic difficulties typically have limited awareness and understanding of their own behavior and its effects on others. Self-monitoring interventions equip students to recognize and keep track of their own behavior (Hoff & DuPaul, 1998; Rhode, Morgan, & Young, 1983). Using these strategies, students can learn to identify and increase positive, pro-social behaviors, the behaviors necessary for success in general education settings. Self-monitoring is a lo...

University Of Tokyo research on ‘How plants can tell friend from foe’

Posted on April 7, 2017April 7, 2017 by

The plant’s immune system can recognize whether a piece of RNA is an invader or not based on whether the RNA has a threaded bead-like structure at the end, say University of Tokyo researchers. Their finding provides an answer to the quarter-century-old question of why RNAs belonging to the plant escape its self-defense mechanism, paving the way for future biotechnological techniques to modify crops. Our immune system protects us from diseases and infections by fighting off viruses and other f...

Oak Ridge National Lab research suggest, Blending nanoparticles and polymers enables dramatic improvements in the properties of polymer materials

Posted on April 7, 2017 by

Polymer nanocomposites mix particles billionths of a meter (nanometers, nm) in diameter with polymers, which are long molecular chains. Often used to make injection-molded products, they are common in automobiles, fire retardants, packaging materials, drug-delivery systems, medical devices, coatings, adhesives, sensors, membranes and consumer goods. When a team led by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory tried to verify that shrinking the nanoparticle size would adversely aff...

NIH (National Institute Of Health) funded study suggest peanut patch to treat peanut allergy has shown to provide benefit to children

Posted on April 6, 2017 by

A wearable patch that delivers small amounts of peanut protein through the skin shows promise for treating children and young adults with peanut allergy, with greater benefits for younger children, according to one-year results from an ongoing clinical trial. The treatment, called epicutaneous immunotherapy or EPIT, was safe and well-tolerated, and nearly all participants used the skin patch daily as directed. The ongoing trial is sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious ...

Levo System is a FDA approved personal nightly sound therapy designed to improve the quality of life for patient with Tinnitus

Posted on April 6, 2017 by

As many as 50 million Americans suffer from tinnitus, a debilitating health condition commonly known as "ringing in the ears." Musicians, factory workers, military veterans and many others endure its effects, which include problems with concentration, sleep, anxiety and depression. Many who experience chronic tinnitus turn to sound devices or machines that mask their ringing with white noise. But masking typically offers only short-term relief to those who struggle with the perception of buzz...

Mayo Clinic is close to developing ‘Epidural Neurostimulator’ that can help Paralyzed person from Spinal Cord Injury to move legs on his own

Posted on April 5, 2017 by

It is well accepted that severe spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to functional disconnection of ascending and descending spinal pathways, impairing neural circuitry through and below the SCI. However, in clinically complete SCI, defined as American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) level A, a portion of neural tissue commonly remains intact across the injury site1 and may provide nonspecific supraspinal influence on sublesional spinal circuitry.2, 3, 4, 5 This injury profile is defi...

University of British Columbia has developed system that uses bacteria to turn non-potable water into drinking water

Posted on April 5, 2017 by

A University of British Columbia-developed system that uses bacteria to turn non-potable water into drinking water will be tested next week in West Vancouver prior to being installed in remote communities in Canada and beyond. The system consists of tanks of fibre membranes that catch and hold contaminants—dirt, organic particles, bacteria and viruses—while letting water filter through. A community of beneficial bacteria, or biofilm, functions as the second line of defence, working in concert...

University of Maryland have used modified wood as a unique architecture for the negative electrode of a lithium metal battery, seeking to prevent some of the key factors that lead to battery failur

Posted on April 3, 2017April 3, 2017 by

Inspired by the structure of wood, engineers at the University of Maryland have used modified wood as a unique architecture for the negative electrode of a lithium metal battery, seeking to prevent some of the key factors that lead to battery failure. Lithium ion shuttling in rechargeable batteries provides energy to power phones, laptops, and even light bulbs. When the battery is charged, the lithium metal expands; and when it is discharged, the lithium metal deflates. This rapid c...

VU University Amsterdam research suggest older the population becomes, the more significant a problem heart failure will be for society because of stiffening of the muscle wall of the left ventricle

Posted on April 3, 2017 by

The older the population becomes, the more significant a problem heart failure will be for society. In Western European countries, heart failure is now the leading cause of hospital admissions. Until now, it has always been thought to result from a reduction in the capacity of the heart to contract. However, this explanation has recently become the subject of some doubt, because in more than 50% of cases of heart failure, no such reduction occurs. The heart failure detected in these patie...

‘Universitat Rovira i Virgili’ Spain, research suggest consuming saturated animal fats increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes

Posted on April 2, 2017 by

Consuming saturated animal fats increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes Consuming saturated animal fats is associated with a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes. In particular, the consumption of butter, which is rich in saturated fatty acids and trans fats, has been related to a high risk of suffering from this disease. In contrast, the consumption of whole fat yoghurt is associated with a lower risk. These are the findings of study on more than 3,000 men and women aged between 50 and 80 who are ...

NASA officially has launched a new resource to help the public search and download out-of-this-world images, videos and audio file

Posted on April 2, 2017 by

NASA officially has launched a new resource to help the public search and download out-of-this-world images, videos and audio files by keyword and metadata searches from NASA.gov. The NASA Image and Video Library website consolidates imagery spread across more than 60 collections into one searchable location. https://images.nasa.gov NASA Image and Video Library allows users to search, discover and download a treasure trove of more than 140,000 NASA images, videos and audio files ...

DARPA explores approaches to store and process vast amounts of data using encoded molecules

Posted on April 2, 2017 by

As the complexity and volume of global digital data grows, so too does the need for more capable and compact means of processing and storing data. To address this challenge, DARPA has announced its Molecular Informatics program, which seeks a new paradigm for data storage, retrieval, and processing. Instead of relying on the binary digital logic of computers based on the Von Neumann architecture, Molecular Informatics aims to investigate and exploit the wide range of structural characteristics a...

Emmanuel College researchers have developed mathematical argument for stable families or stable friendships

Posted on April 2, 2017 by

Emmanuel College scientists, Martin Nowak and Ben Allen (Researcher) developed an algorithm to predict whether a social structure is likely to favor cooperation. Their findings suggest strong pairwise relationships, rather than loose scattered networks, are more favorable for cooperation. Professor Allen and his collaborators have derived a condition for when cooperative behaviors will be able to spread across a network via natural selection. Using mathematical modeling, they have found that ...

Purdue University study shows that the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes can live inside the tissue of romaine lettuce, suggesting that conventional post-harvest sanitization practices might not be sufficient to kill the potentially lethal pathogen.

Posted on April 1, 2017 by

A Purdue University study shows that the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes can live inside the tissue of romaine lettuce, suggesting that conventional post-harvest sanitization practices might not be sufficient to kill the potentially lethal pathogen. Research led by Amanda Deering, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Food Science, showed that the bacteria could live within lettuce in every stage of the plant growth process, residing inside the plant tissue. L. monocytogenes can gai...