Public Release: 3-Jul-2018 University of Turku When people are administered an anaesthetic, they seem to lose consciousness – or at least they stop reacting to their environment. But is consciousness lost fully during anaesthesia or does consciousness persist in the… Read More ›
Counter Intuitive
Why being left-handed matters for mental health treatment
Public Release: 18-Jun-2018 Cornell University ITHACA, N.Y. – Treatment for the most common mental health problems could be ineffective or even detrimental to about 50 percent of the population, according to a radical new model of emotion in the brain…. Read More ›
Genes found only in humans influence brain size
Public Release: 31-May-2018 New genes arose in human ancestors just before a dramatic increase in brain size and are involved in genetic defects associated with neurological disorders University of California – Santa Cruz IMAGE: Researchers studied the effects of NOTCH2NL… Read More ›
Smarter brains run on sparsely connected neurons
Public Release: 17-May-2018 Princeton researchers crowdsource brain mapping with gamers, discover 6 new neuron types Caption By turning a time-intensive research problem into an interactive game, Princeton neuroscientist Sebastian Seung has built an unprecedented data set of neurons, which he… Read More ›
Skin cancers linked with up to a 92% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease
Public Release: 19-Apr-2018 Wiley Previous studies have demonstrated a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in individuals with various cancers, including non-melanoma skin cancers (including squamous cell cancers and basal cell cancers). A new Journal of the European Academy… Read More ›
We’ll pay more for unhealthy foods we crave, neuroscience research finds
Public Release: 2-Apr-2018 New York University We’ll pay more for unhealthy foods when we crave them, new neuroscience research finds. The study also shows that we’re willing to pay disproportionately more for higher portion sizes of craved food items…. Read More ›
High total cholesterol in late old age may be marker of protective factor
Public Release: 5-Mar-2018 Risk of cognitive decline reduced for people 85 and older with high cholesterol High total cholesterol in late old age may be marker of protective factor The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine … Read More ›
Food abundance driving conflict in Africa, not food scarcity
Public Release: 1-Mar-2018 Dartmouth College In Africa, food abundance may be driving violent conflict rather than food scarcity, according to a study published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, a publication of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association…. Read More ›
Our mitochondria are optimized to run at 122 degrees Fahrenheit ?
Public Release: 25-Jan-2018 Do our mitochondria run at 50 degrees C? PLOS Windows Live Blog Caption Left: Mitochondria of human cells illuminated by the thermo-sensitive probe. Four human cells, each with its nucleus (N) and its numerous hot filamentous mitochondria… Read More ›
Viruses are everywhere, maybe even in space
Public Release: 18-Jan-2018 Portland State University Viruses are the most abundant and one of the least understood biological entities on Earth. They might also exist in space, but as of yet scientists have done almost no research into this possibility…. Read More ›
1500 years ago Life Expectancy was about 70 not 40
Public Release: 3-Jan-2018 Redefining knowledge of elderly people throughout history Australian National University An archaeologist from The Australian National University (ANU) is set to redefine what we know about elderly people in cultures throughout history, and dispel the myth that… Read More ›
Gamers have an advantage in learning
Public Release: 29-Sep-2017 Ruhr-University Bochum Neuropsychologists of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum let video gamers compete against non-gamers in a learning competition. During the test, the video gamers performed significantly better and showed an increased brain activity in the brain areas… Read More ›
Hold the phone: An ambulance might lower your chances of surviving some injuries
Public Release: 20-Sep-2017 Gunshot and stabbing victims more likely to die if transported to the trauma center by ambulance Johns Hopkins Medicine A new study finds that victims of gunshots and stabbings are significantly less likely to die if… Read More ›
Colorectal cancer death rates rising in people under 55
Public Release: 8-Aug-2017 Rise confined to white population American Cancer Society ATLANTA -August 8, 2017- A new report finds that colorectal cancer mortality rates have increased in adults under 55 since the mid-2000s after falling for decades, strengthening evidence… Read More ›
Pro-vaccine messages are having the opposite effect
Public Release: 7-Aug-2017 Pro-vaccine messages can boost belief in MMR myths, study shows University of Edinburgh Current strategies for correcting misinformation about the dangers of vaccinations have the opposite effect and reinforce ill-founded beliefs, a study suggests. Presenting scientific facts… Read More ›
Genes that lead to coronary disease are need for fertility
Public Release: 22-Jun-2017 Human genes for coronary artery disease make them more prolific parents Genome-wide scans suggest that natural selection keeps these genes in the population as they benefit childbearing capacity PLOS Coronary artery disease may have persisted in human… Read More ›
‘Humanlike’ ways of thinking evolved 1.8 million years ago, suggests new study
Public Release: 8-May-2017 Indiana University IMAGE: This is Shelby S. Putt. Credit: University of Iowa By using highly advanced brain imaging technology to observe modern humans crafting ancient tools, an Indiana University neuroarchaeologist has found evidence that human-like… Read More ›
The cold exterminated all of them
Public Release: 6-Mar-2017 Through age determinations that are using the radioactive decay of uranium, scientists have discovered that one of the greatest mass extinctions was due to an ice age and not to a warming of Earth temperature Université… Read More ›
Clean water correlated with higher asthma rates ?
“Those that had access to good, clean water had much higher asthma rates and we think it is because they were deprived of the beneficial microbes,” said Finlay. “That was a surprise because we tend to think that clean is… Read More ›
Experts claim “ There is no threshold for LDL cholesterol below which there are no net benefits of statins “
Public Release: 18-Jan-2017 Experts urge for wider prescription of statins in treatment and prevention Link to diabetes is questionable and inconsequential Florida Atlantic University World-renowned researchers from the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University as well… Read More ›
Scientists engineer animals with ancient genes to test causes of evolution
Public Release: 13-Jan-2017 Study overturns a textbook case of genetic adaptation University of Chicago Medical Center Scientists at the University of Chicago have created the first genetically modified animals containing reconstructed ancient genes, which they used to test… Read More ›
When horses are in trouble they ask humans for help
Public Release: 15-Dec-2016 Kobe University IMAGE: Horse with caretaker at the equestrian club. Credit: Kobe University Research Fellow Monamie RINGHOFER and Associate Professor Shinya YAMAMOTO (Kobe University Graduate School of Intercultural Studies) have proved that when horses face… Read More ›
High school football players, 1956-1970, did not have increase of neurodegenerative diseases
Public Release: 12-Dec-2016 Mayo Clinic ROCHESTER, Minn. – A Mayo Clinic study published online today in Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that varsity football players from 1956 to 1970 did not have an increased risk of degenerative brain diseases… Read More ›
Saturated fat could be good for you ?
“Participants on the very-high-fat diet also had substantial improvements in several important cardiometabolic risk factors, such as ectopic fat storage, blood pressure, blood lipids (triglycerides), insulin and blood sugar.” Public Release: 2-Dec-2016 A Norwegian study challenges the long-held idea that… Read More ›
The decline in industrial emissions also has negative implications
Public Release: 21-Nov-2016 Scientists clarify the causes of the increasing brown colouration of the water in reservoirs Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ Caption The Rappbode reservoir in the Harz region — it also is affected by… Read More ›
Viruses revealed to be a major driver of human evolution
Public Release: 13-Jul-2016 “The discovery that this constant battle with viruses has shaped us in every aspect–not just the few proteins that fight infections, but everything–is profound. “ Study tracking protein adaptation over millions of years yields insights relevant to… Read More ›
USF professor: No association between ‘bad cholesterol’ and elderly deaths
“older people with high levels of a certain type of cholesterol, known as low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), live as long, and often longer, than their peers with low levels of this same cholesterol. “ Public Release: 27-Jun-2016 Systematic review of… Read More ›
Fish can recognize human faces, new research shows
Public Release: 7-Jun-2016 University of Oxford A species of tropical fish has been shown to be able to distinguish between human faces. It is the first time fish have demonstrated this ability. The research, carried out by a team… Read More ›
Body-worn cameras associated with increased assaults against police, and increase in use-of-force if officers choose when to activate cameras
Public Release: 16-May-2016 University of Cambridge New evidence from the largest-yet series of experiments on use of body-worn cameras by police has revealed that rates of assault against police by members of the public actually increased when officers wore… Read More ›
‘A pretend scientist in a bow tie’: Climate-change denying Weather Channel founder SLAMS Bill Nye for criticizing skeptical film ‘Climate Hustle’
A pretend scientist in a bow tie’: Climate-change denying Weather Channel founder SLAMS Bill Nye for criticizing skeptical film ‘Climate Hustle’ John Coleman, Weather Channel founder, attacked TV star Nye Friday Nye had criticized ‘Climate Hustle,’ which denies man-made climate… Read More ›
Carbon dioxide fertilization greening Earth, study finds
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center IMAGE: This image shows the change in leaf area across the globe from 1982-2015. Credit: Credits: Boston University/R. Myneni From a quarter to half of Earth’s vegetated lands has shown significant greening over the… Read More ›
The United States absorbed carbon dioxide despite a drought
Public Release: 25-Apr-2016 “The researchers found that the warm spring caused trees, grasses and crops to start growing earlier in the year. The ecosystems thus absorbed more carbon from the air than during a «normal» spring.” ETH Zurich In the… Read More ›
Children of older mothers do better
Public Release: 12-Apr-2016 The benefits associated with being born in a later year outweigh the biological risks associated with being born to an older mother Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Children of older mothers are healthier, taller and obtain more education than the… Read More ›
Why do sunbathers live longer than those who avoid the sun?
“We found smokers in the highest sun exposure group were at a similar risk as non-smokers avoiding sun exposure” Public Release: 22-Mar-2016 Wiley New research looks into the paradox that women who sunbathe are likely to live longer than… Read More ›
Basic science disappearing from medical journals, study finds
Public Release: 1-Feb-2016 Decline could affect physicians’ understanding of and interest in the basic mechanisms of disease and treatments St. Michael’s Hospital TORONTO, Feb. 1, 2016–A new study has found a steep decline in the number of scholarly papers… Read More ›
Antidepressants double the risk of aggression and suicide in children
Public Release: 27-Jan-2016 BMJ Children and adolescents have a doubled risk of aggression and suicide when taking one of the five most commonly prescribed antidepressants, according to findings of a study published in The BMJ today. However, the true… Read More ›
Memory capacity of brain is 10 times more than previously thought
Public Release: 20-Jan-2016 Salk Institute LA JOLLA–Salk researchers and collaborators have achieved critical insight into the size of neural connections, putting the memory capacity of the brain far higher than common estimates. The new work also answers a longstanding question… Read More ›
Textbook view of how blood is made “doesn’t actually even exist”
“when the team isolated a human blood stem cell in its purest form – as a single stem cell capable of regenerating the entire blood system. “ Public Release: 5-Nov-2015 Stem-cell scientists redefine how blood is made Toppling conventional ‘textbook’… Read More ›
Death rates, health problems, rise among middle-aged white Americans
Public Release: 2-Nov-2015 Suicide, drug and alcohol poisoning, liver diseases are top causes of death NIH/National Institute on Aging Deaths among white U.S. men and women aged 45-54 rose significantly between 1999 and 2013, according to a new analysis. This… Read More ›
Plague in humans ‘twice as old’ but didn’t begin as flea-borne, ancient DNA reveals
Public Release: 22-Oct-2015 University of Cambridge New research using ancient DNA has revealed that plague has been endemic in human populations for more than twice as long as previously thought, and that the ancestral plague would have been predominantly spread… Read More ›
Evidence that Earth’s first mass extinction was caused by critters not catastrophe
Public Release: 2-Sep-2015 A powerful analogy for what is happening today Vanderbilt University NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In the popular mind, mass extinctions are associated with catastrophic events, like giant meteorite impacts and volcanic super-eruptions. But the world’s first known mass… Read More ›
New England Journal of Medicine says Conflicts of Interest are a Good Thing?
Public Release: 2-Jun-2015 Are commercial conflicts of interests justifiable in medical journals? Experts criticize a leading journal’s backtrack regarding policies on conflict of interest BMJ A group of former senior editors, writing in The BMJ today, criticise a “seriously flawed… Read More ›
Viruses: You’ve heard the bad — here’s the good
Public Release: 30-Apr-2015 American Society for Microbiology “The word, virus, connotes morbidity and mortality, but that bad reputation is not universally deserved,” said Marilyn Roossinck, PhD, Professor of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology and Biology at the Pennsylvania State University,… Read More ›
Study links quitting smoking with deterioration in diabetes control
Public Release: 29-Apr-2015 Coventry University Sufferers of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who quit smoking are likely to see a temporary deterioration in their glycaemic control which could last up to three years, according to new research published today in… Read More ›
Humans with genetically long telomeres have an increased risk of dying from cancer – which is the exact opposite of what the researchers expected
Public Release: 29-Apr-2015 Danish discovery may change cancer treatment University of Copenhagen – The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences Danish researchers from the University of Copenhagen and Herlev Hospital have made a discovery that may change the principles for… Read More ›
Link between serotonin and depression is a myth, says top psychiatrist
Public Release: 21-Apr-2015 BMJ The widely held belief that depression is due to low levels of serotonin in the brain – and that effective treatments raise these levels – is a myth, argues a leading psychiatrist in The BMJ this… Read More ›
Mothers Hepatitis B infection may give infants a better survival advantage to counteract bacterial infection during early life.
Public Release: 25-Mar-2015 HBV exposure matures infants’ immune systems Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore IMAGE: This is the hepatitis B virus surface antigen in cord blood cells from HBV positive mothers. Credit: Michelle Hong / Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore… Read More ›
Education may not improve our life chances of happiness
Public Release: 25-Mar-2015 University of Warwick Getting a good education may not improve your life chances of happiness, according to new mental health research from the University of Warwick. In a new study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry,… Read More ›
Medical expansion has made us feel sicker not healthier
Public Release: 19-Mar-2015 Medical expansion has led people worldwide to feel less healthy In 28 countries, more medicine has unexpected effects Ohio State University COLUMBUS, Ohio – Across much of the Western world, 25 years of expansion of the medical… Read More ›
Wealth and power may have played a stronger role than ‘survival of the fittest’
Public Release: 16-Mar-2015 Number of reproducing males declined during global growth Arizona State University Caption 4 to 8,000 years ago, there was an extreme reduction in the number of males who reproduced, but not in the number females. Wealth and… Read More ›
Engineering Evil 