NASA on the hunt for space poop geniuses
When you've got to go, but you're out there in space, zipped up in a spacesuit, with no toilet in sight and a crew of other astronauts around, what do you do?
Last update NASA on the hunt for space poop geniuses, 1 hour ago
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In highly lethal type of leukemia, cancer gene predicts treatment response
Patients with the most lethal form of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) - based on genetic profiles of their cancers - typically survive for only four to six months after diagnosis, even with aggressive chemotherapy. But new research ...
Just add water: New discovery in plant-disease mechanism
We all know that when it rains, plants grow. When it doesn't, they don't.
For wearable electronic devices, NIST shows plastic holes are golden
In science, sometimes the best discoveries come when you're exploring something else entirely. That's the case with recent findings from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where a research team has ...
Sliding on flexible graphene surfaces has been uncharted territory until now
Graphene, a two-dimensional form of carbon in sheets just one atom in thick, has been the subject of widespread research, in large part because of its unique combination of strength, electrical conductivity, and chemical ...
Scientists find huge reduction in African dust plume led to more Saharan monsoons 11,000 years ago
Every year, trade winds over the Sahara Desert sweep up huge plumes of mineral dust, transporting hundreds of teragrams—enough to fill 10 million dump trucks—across North Africa and over the Atlantic Ocean. This dust ...
Coconut crab claws pinch with the strongest force of any crustacean
The claws of coconut crabs have the strongest pinching force of any crustacean, according to a study published November 23, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Shin-ichiro Oka from Okinawa Churashima Foundation, Japan, ...
Can face classifiers make a reliable inference on criminality?
(Tech Xplore)—Researchers have worked on a new program that they say can pick up criminality just by analyzing facial features.
Your dog remembers what you did
People have a remarkable ability to remember and recall events from the past, even when those events didn't hold any particular importance at the time they occurred. Now, researchers reporting in the journal Current Biology ...
Changes in the diet affect epigenetics via the microbiota
You are what you eat, the old saying goes, but why is that so? Researchers have known for some time that diet affects the balance of microbes in our bodies, but how that translates into an effect on the host has not been ...
Missed connections: As people age, memory-related brain activity loses cohesion
Groups of brain regions that synchronize their activity during memory tasks become smaller and more numerous as people age, according to a study published in PLOS Computational Biology.
Going beyond genetics yields clues to challenging childhood brain cancer
Cancer is often seen as a disease of genetic changes. But one type of childhood brain tumor has stymied efforts to identify a recurring genetic defect.
Cancer signaling pathway could illuminate new avenue to therapy
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and Carbone Cancer Center have better defined a pro-growth signaling pathway common to many cancers that, when blocked, kills cancer cells ...
Mood ring materials—a new way to detect damage in failing infrastructure
"Mood ring materials" could play an important role in minimizing and mitigating damage to the nation's failing infrastructure.
Pioneering study of invertebrates discovers 1,445 viruses including several new families
A groundbreaking study of the virosphere of the most populous animals - those without backbones such as insects, spiders and worms and that live around our houses - has uncovered 1445 viruses, revealing people have only scratched ...
New study reveals when West Antarctica's largest glacier started retreating
Reporting this week (Wednesday Nov. 23) in the journal Nature an international team led by British Antarctic Survey (BAS) explains that present-day thinning and retreat of Pine Island Glacier, one of the largest and fastest ...
Researchers develop soft, microfluidic 'lab on the skin' for sweat analysis
A Northwestern University research team has developed a first-of-its-kind soft, flexible microfluidic device that easily adheres to the skin and measures the wearer's sweat to show how his or her body is responding to exercise.
Harnessing the power of predatory bacteria as a 'living antibiotic'
A naturally occurring predatory bacterium is able to work with the immune system to clear multi-drug resistant Shigella infections in zebrafish, according to a study published today in Current Biology.
Aviation enhancements, better biosensors could result from new sensor technology
Piezoelectric sensors measure changes in pressure, acceleration, temperature, strain or force and are used in a vast array of devices important to everyday life. However, these sensors often can be limited by the "white noise" ...
Major finding identifies nitrogen as key driver for gut health
Scientists are one step closer to understanding the link between different diet strategies and gut health, with new research presenting the first general principles for how diet impacts the microbiota.
Jet lag and obesity share similar pathways to liver cancer
Since 1980, the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of liver cancer, has nearly tripled, and obesity related liver disease is one of the driving forces behind the increasing number of cases. Baylor ...
Researchers put mouse embryos in suspended animation
UC San Francisco researchers have found a way to pause the development of early mouse embryos for up to a month in the lab, a finding with potential implications for assisted reproduction, regenerative medicine, aging, and ...
Gov't wants phone makers to lock out most apps for drivers
The government wants smartphone makers to lock out most apps when the phone is being used by someone driving a car.
Scientists develop vaccine against fatal prescription opioid overdose
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have developed a vaccine that blocks the pain-numbing effects of the opioid drugs oxycodone (oxy) and hydrocodone (hydro) in animal models. The vaccine also appears to decrease ...
How to protect your laptop—even when it's asleep
In the age of WikiLeaks, Russian hacks and increased government surveillance, many computer users are feeling increasingly worried about how best to protect their personal information—even if they aren't guarding state ...
Scientists trace 'poisoning' in chemical reactions to the atomic scale
Researchers have revealed new atomic-scale details about pesky deposits that can stop or slow chemical reactions vital to fuel production and other processes. This disruption to reactions is known as deactivation or poisoning.
DNA influences selection of partners for educational achievement
A study co-led by the University of East Anglia (UEA) has found that people with genes for high educational achievement tend to marry, and have children with, people with similar DNA.
Genomics reveals hen harrier is two distinct species
The study, published as the cover article in BioMed Central's Avian Research, led by the Earlham Institute and the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at the University of California, explores the phylogenetic relationship between ...
Scientists create first intermetallic double salt with platinum
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory are being credited with creating the first intermetallic double salt with platinum.
Study in rats finds low blood alcohol levels have no effect on total calories consumed
Laboratory rats will drink alcohol if it's available, and may even get a little tipsy, researchers report in a new study. But they won't voluntarily drink until they're drunk. And while ethanol is calorie-rich, rats that ...
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Google also gets fooled by fake election news (Update)
Google's search engine highlighted an inaccurate story claiming that President-elect Donald Trump won the popular vote in last week's election, the latest example of bogus information spread by the internet's gatekeepers.
Too stressed to make smart purchases? Multitasking can affect shopping performance
For all the wonders of mobile communications, the ability to multitask via phone while shopping in a store may not be a blessing, according to new research. Studies show that shoppers engaged in a mobile phone conversation ...
Low use of 'agent animation' means first-mover opportunity in bringing brand to life
When the Pixar lamp buries the letter "I" by jumping on it, this is an example of what's called "agent animation" - self-directed motion of a brand logo that makes it feel alive. New research by two Boston College marketing ...
After election rupture, CEOs seek unity for staff, customers
Apple CEO Tim Cook is telling his employees to "keep moving forward." Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is saying "progress does not move in a straight line." T-Mobile's CEO John Legere tweeted "let's see what an out of the box, ...
Lyft lifts off with new look, light-up beacons
Ride-hailing service Lyft, the underdog rival to Uber, is getting rid of its iconic pink moustache logo and replacing it with something more useful—beacons.
Scaling the odds at Vietnam's pangolin rehab
Pangolin Mi Bo has seen better days. He arrived at a rescue centre in Vietnam missing a paw after it was cut off in a snare trap.
Army Corps wants more study on Dakota Access oil pipeline
The Army Corps of Engineers on Monday said it has finished a review of the disputed Dakota Access pipeline but wants more study and tribal input before deciding whether to allow it to cross under a Missouri River reservoir ...
Three new species of miniaturized tropical salamanders are already endangered
An international team of researchers has completed a decades-long study of tiny salamanders found in the high-mountain forests of Oaxaca, Mexico, and concluded that they represent three new species of the enigmatic genus ...
Rare river crossing by female raises hopes for boost in Florida panther population
Efforts to save the Florida panther may have broken through a longtime barrier: a female cat appears to have forged the Caloosahatchee River to stake out new territory to the north.
South Korea to test self-driving car in real traffic
Self-driving cars soon will hit the road in South Korea as the country seeks to overtake other nations that have sped ahead with automated driving technology.
Record growth in atmospheric CO2 despite stable anthropogenic emissions due to weaker sinks
In spite of almost no growth in emissions, the growth in atmospheric CO2 concentration was at a record-high in 2015 and could be a record high again in 2016, at 23 and 25 Gt CO2 per year, respectively, compared to an average ...
Study could explain mechanism behind polling errors in Clinton-Trump election
A new study by an economics professor at the University of Arkansas could explain one mechanism driving polling errors in the presidential election: Voters show an increasing disparity between who they are and are not willing ...
Building a bright future for lasers
Invisible to the human eye, terahertz electromagnetic waves can "see through" everything from fog and clouds to wood and masonry—an attribute that holds great promise for astrophysics research, detecting concealed explosives ...
Can protein in common skin bacteria offer disease protection?
(HealthDay)—Our most common skin bacteria may help shield us from some skin diseases, a new study suggests.
Mercury levels dropping in north Atlantic tuna
(HealthDay)—Mercury levels in one tuna species have decreased along with industrial emissions of the dangerous chemical element, a new study finds.
Don't get stuffed on Thanksgiving
(HealthDay)—Weight gain is a common problem during the holiday season, but it can be avoided if you have a plan and a bit of self-discipline, a nutrition specialist says.
Many nursing home residents not taking beta-blockers after AMI
(HealthDay)—Many nursing home (NH) residents do not initiate beta-blocker use after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), according to a study published online Nov. 15 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Mental distress common in survivors of teen, young adult CA
(HealthDay)—Survivors of adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer are more likely to have mental distress than individuals without cancer, but most do not talk to mental health professionals, according to a study published ...
Lean six methodology can cut health care-linked infections
(HealthDay)—Application of the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology can reduce the risk of health care-associated infections (HAI) among patients undergoing surgical procedures, according to a study published online Nov. 18 ...
Antidepressants + exercise beneficial in late-life depression
(HealthDay)—For older adults with late-life major depression (LLMD), the combination of antidepressants (AD) and physical exercise (PE) seems beneficial, especially for individuals with specific characteristics, according ...
Review suggests yoga beneficial in irritable bowel syndrome
(HealthDay)—Yoga is associated with decreased bowel symptoms, disease severity, and anxiety in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to a review published in the December issue of Clinical Gastroenterology ...
In highly lethal type of leukemia, cancer gene predicts treatment response
Patients with the most lethal form of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) - based on genetic profiles of their cancers - typically survive for only four to six months after diagnosis, even with aggressive chemotherapy. But new research ...
Generation X at greater risk of stroke than baby boomers, study finds
Older baby boomers—those born between 1945 and 1954—can proudly boast a new label: the "stroke-healthiest generation," according to a Rutgers study that found the lowest incidence of ischemic stroke in this age group ...
Creative activities promote day-to-day wellbeing
Everyday creative activity may lead to an "upward spiral" of increased wellbeing and creativity in young adults, new research from New Zealand's University of Otago suggests.
Changes in the diet affect epigenetics via the microbiota
You are what you eat, the old saying goes, but why is that so? Researchers have known for some time that diet affects the balance of microbes in our bodies, but how that translates into an effect on the host has not been ...
Missed connections: As people age, memory-related brain activity loses cohesion
Groups of brain regions that synchronize their activity during memory tasks become smaller and more numerous as people age, according to a study published in PLOS Computational Biology.
Going beyond genetics yields clues to challenging childhood brain cancer
Cancer is often seen as a disease of genetic changes. But one type of childhood brain tumor has stymied efforts to identify a recurring genetic defect.
Cancer signaling pathway could illuminate new avenue to therapy
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and Carbone Cancer Center have better defined a pro-growth signaling pathway common to many cancers that, when blocked, kills cancer cells ...
Major finding identifies nitrogen as key driver for gut health
Scientists are one step closer to understanding the link between different diet strategies and gut health, with new research presenting the first general principles for how diet impacts the microbiota.
Jet lag and obesity share similar pathways to liver cancer
Since 1980, the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of liver cancer, has nearly tripled, and obesity related liver disease is one of the driving forces behind the increasing number of cases. Baylor ...
Researchers put mouse embryos in suspended animation
UC San Francisco researchers have found a way to pause the development of early mouse embryos for up to a month in the lab, a finding with potential implications for assisted reproduction, regenerative medicine, aging, and ...
Study in rats finds low blood alcohol levels have no effect on total calories consumed
Laboratory rats will drink alcohol if it's available, and may even get a little tipsy, researchers report in a new study. But they won't voluntarily drink until they're drunk. And while ethanol is calorie-rich, rats that ...
Fibroblasts could provide new target for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
A study led by researchers at the University of Birmingham reveals the key role of different types of fibroblast cells in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), opening up a new avenue for research into treatment of ...
Study finds link between surgery and Guillain-Barre syndrome
A new study suggests that having surgery may be linked to developing Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) for people with cancer or autoimmune disorders. The study, published in the November 23, 2016, online issue of Neurology ...
Mutant prion protein could help reveal neurodegenerative disease mechanisms
For the first time, scientists have isolated a mutated prion protein that can multiply in the lab but not in living animals, according to a PLOS Pathogens study. The mutant prion provides new insights into the mechanisms ...
Study suggests that parental health behaviors may influence children's sleep
A new study indicates that children's sleep duration may be influenced by parental sleep duration and confidence, which suggests that efforts to address insufficient sleep among children may require family-based interventions.
Stuttering related to brain circuits that control speech production
Researchers at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) have conducted the first study of its kind, using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to look at brain regions in both adults and children who stutter.
Researchers find potential therapy for brain swelling during concussion
A team of biomedical engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas have identified a cause of fluid swelling of the brain, or cellular edema,that occurs during a concussion.
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Video: Engineering a new mosquito
Scientists have long been looking for ways to reduce or get rid of insect-borne diseases, and NC State University's Sophia Webster is taking a new approach that involves genetically engineering the mosquitoes.
Image: Supermoon and Expedition 50 Soyuz
The moon, or supermoon, is seen rising behind the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad in Kazakhstan, Monday, Nov. 14, 2016.
Research finds consumers are more accepting of native advertisements
The line between online content written by journalists and story-like ads that are paid for by specific corporations can be blurry, but, according to a new study, consumers don't seem to mind-as long as the content meets ...
Refusing to be labelled as 'homeless' has positive impact
People experiencing homelessness who reject being defined 'homeless' not only reduce stigma associated with the label but are also more likely to increase their feeling of self-worth.
New search tool for inactive patents
A new patent search tool developed by engineers at Michigan Technological University makes it easier to discover and track inactive patents.
Hacking a revolution in biology
Graduate studies within any single scientific discipline are challenging endeavors on their own. But imagine combining graduate school-level training in physics and mathematics with advanced research in engineering and biology.
Why virtual reality won't replace cadavers in medical school
Virtual reality has been described as a game changer for medical education. Some even predict it will see an end to using cadavers to teach anatomy.
Humans are still evolving but in ways that might surprise you
It's often said that through our innovations in science, agriculture and medicine humans have become masters of our biological destiny.
How mammary glands appeared in the course of evolution
A joint team of geneticists from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, demonstrated that the emergence of mammary glands in placental mammals and marsupials ...
Urban planner suggests 'carbon is not the enemy'
(Phys.org)—Architect, author and urban planner William McDonough has published a Comment piece in the journal Nature promoting his belief that it is time to change the way the word "carbon" is used in science and in society ...
New biofuel cell with energy storage
Researchers have developed a hybrid of a fuel cell and capacitor on a biocatalytic basis. With the aid of enzymatic processes, what's known as a biosupercapacitor efficiently generates and stores energy. The trick: the enzymes ...
Controlling electrons in time and space
In an electron microscope, electrons are emitted by pointy metal tips, so they can be steered and controlled with high precision. Recently, such metal tips have also been used as high precision electron sources for generating ...
Active-duty military find PTSD relief through individual cognitive therapy
Although both group and individual therapy can ease post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in active-duty military service members, individual therapy relieved PTSD symptoms better and quicker, according to a study ...
Imaging technique measures toxicity of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's proteins
Researchers have developed a new imaging technique that makes it possible to study why proteins associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases may go from harmless to toxic. The technique uses a technology called multi-dimensional ...
In the EU, death comes sooner in Latvia than Spain
Death in the European Union will be coming a lot earlier in Latvia than Spain.
Scientists find new way to improve MERS vaccines
Since the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) was identified in 2012, more than 1,800 people have been infected with the virus that causes MERS, and the fatality rate is a concerning 36 percent. There's still no approved ...
Study suggests home-based telemental health delivers better quality of life for veterans
Home-based telemental health for depression is well received by patients and delivers as good a quality of life as in-person visits, according to the results of a clinical trial in 241 depressed elderly veterans reported ...
Diet quality low but steadily improving among US kids
On the whole, the diet of U.S. children improved markedly between 1999 and 2012 but it remains poor, said the authors of a new study that examined diet quality data from more than 38,000 kids. Moreover, disparities remain ...
An Alzheimer's drug fails, but many others still in testing
Another major Alzheimer's drug study has failed, leaving patients and families wondering if there ever will be a treatment to slow or reverse the most common form of dementia, which afflicts more than 5 million in the United ...
Malaria elimination in Sub-Saharan Africa predicted to be possible under right conditions
Malaria elimination in historically high transmission areas like southern Africa is possible with tools that are already available, provided those tools are deployed aggressively - according to new research published in PLOS ...
Study shows low-dose chemotherapy regimens could prevent tumor recurrence in some cancers
Conventional, high-dose chemotherapy treatments can cause the fibroblast cells surrounding tumors to secrete proteins that promote the tumors' recurrence in more aggressive forms, researchers at Taipei Medical University ...
CDC: US abortion rate falls to lowest level in decades
The number and rate of abortions tallied by federal authorities have fallen to their lowest level in decades, according to new data released Wednesday.
Another failure in search for treatment to slow Alzheimer's
An experimental treatment for Alzheimer's failed again in a widely anticipated study, disappointing many who had hoped drugmaker Eli Lilly had finally found a way to slow the progression of the mind-robbing disease.
Average lifespan in EU tops 80: study
The average lifespan of people in the EU has topped 80 for the first time, but preventable illnesses caused by smoking, alcohol and obesity are taking a huge toll, a study said Wednesday.
Scientists discover neuron-producing stem cells in the membranes covering the brain
In a cross-domain study directed by professor Peter Carmeliet (VIB - KU Leuven), researchers discovered unexpected cells in the protective membranes that enclose the brain, the so called meninges. These 'neural progenitors' ...
Suicide rates drop among members of White Mountain Apache tribe
Deaths by suicide among the White Mountain Apache in Arizona dropped by nearly 40 percent between 2006 and 2012 compared to the previous six-year period, new research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health ...
Medicare beneficiaries face high out-of-pocket costs for cancer treatment
Beneficiaries of Medicare who develop cancer and don't have supplemental health insurance incur out-of-pocket expenditures for their treatments averaging one-quarter of their income with some paying as high as 63 percent, ...
Substantial percentage of patients surveyed report new visual symptoms following LASIK surgery
In a study published online by JAMA Ophthalmology, Malvina Eydelman, M.D., of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Md., and colleagues examined the frequency of patient-reported visual symptoms, dry eye symptoms, ...
Educational intervention improves rate of knee replacement among black patients
A decision aid that consisted of a video that describes the risks and benefits of total knee replacement surgery significantly increased the rate of this surgery among black patients, according to a study published online ...
Depression prevalence in patients with mild cognitive impairment
Depression commonly occurs in patients with mild cognitive impairment and a new review of the medical literature suggests an overall pooled prevalence of 32 percent, according to an article published online by JAMA Psychiatry.
New study evaluates national trends in enteral access procedures
According to a new study by the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute, the last two decades have seen a substantial decline in new enteral access procedures in the Medicare population. The study, published online in the ...
A new tool to find latent HIV will advance the current treatment strategies
A group of researchers at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) and the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) in Barcelona, Spain, have developed a new technology that sheds light on the HIV infection and offers a first glance ...
Juno Therapeutics halts study after more patient deaths
Juno Therapeutics again halted its study of an experimental leukemia treatment Wednesday after two more patients died of complications.
Survival tips for holiday road trips
(HealthDay)—If you're among the millions of Americans planning to hit the highway over the Thanksgiving holiday, it's important to anticipate bumps in the road, according to a group dedicated to public education and advocacy.
Your recipe for a healthy, delicious holiday season
(HealthDay)—The holidays can become one big pig out, but experts say it's possible to maintain healthy eating habits while you celebrate.
Computer order entry system ups antimicrobial policy compliance
(HealthDay)—Use of a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system can improve compliance with antimicrobial restriction policies, according to a study published online Nov. 16 in the Journal of Pharmacy Practice and ...
Benzodiazepine and related drug use increases hip fractures in persons with Alzheimer's disease
The use of benzodiazepines and related drugs increases the risk of hip fracture by 43% in persons with Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study from the University of Eastern Finland. The hip fracture risk was investigated ...
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