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Stages of liver disease. Image credit: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Researchers Identify Liver Fibrosis-Causing Protein

May 4, 2017 by News Staff

An international team of scientists has identified a long-sought protein that causes liver fibrosis (scarring), paving the way for new treatments. The...

Most previous attempts at creating a womb-like device used artificial pumps to drive the blood through the system, causing heart failure. In the system invented by Partridge et al, the fetal heart is the only pump. It is different in other key ways. Use of the bag, rather than a more open container, nearly eliminated the infection issues that contributed to previous failures. And while previous attempts relied on blood vessels in the neck, the authors figured out how to quickly and successfully insert tubes (cannulas) into the notoriously touchy umbilical vessels. Image credit: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

New Womb-Like Device May Transform Care for Extremely Premature Infants

Apr 26, 2017 by News Staff

A unique womb-like environment designed by pediatric researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia — which is in an experimental stage using...

Regular Consumption of Sugary Beverages Affects Brain

Apr 26, 2017 by News Staff

Researchers using data from the Framingham Heart Study (FHS), a joint project of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and Boston University, have...

Physical activity is inversely associated with chronic subclinical myocardial damage, according to a study by Florido et al. Image credit: Skeeze.

Physical Activity Can Lower Risk of Heart Damage, Says New Study

Apr 25, 2017 by News Staff

According to a new study, physical activity can lower the risk of myocardial damage in middle-aged and older adults and reduce the levels of myocardial...

This image shows the Wide-spread fungoid frog (Hydrophylax bahuvistara) in its native environment in southern India. Image credit: Sanil George / Jessica Shartouny.

Frog Skin Peptide ‘Urumin’ Kills H1 Influenza Viruses

Apr 20, 2017 by News Staff

An international team of scientists from the United States and India has discovered that a component of the skin mucus secreted by a South Indian fungoid...

Drinking a beetroot juice before exercise makes the aging brain perform more efficiently. Image credit: Ken Bennett, Wake Forest University.

Beetroot Juice before Exercise Keeps Aging Brain Sharp

Apr 19, 2017 by News Staff

According to a study published recently in the Journals of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, drinking a beetroot juice before exercise makes the brain of...

This is an image to demonstrate visual ‘crowding’ and test peripheral vision. Ensure that the red dot in the center of the image is at eye level and focus on it. While holding your focus on the red dot, try to read the middle ‘C’ in every triplet. Is the gap facing left or right? You may find it easier to read in some directions than others. People usually find it easier to read below the dot than above, and easier still to the left or right. Image credit: John Greenwood, University College London.

Ability to Distinguish Objects in Peripheral Vision Varies between Individuals, Study Finds

Apr 14, 2017 by News Staff

New research led by University College London, UK, shows that on average we are worse at spotting objects in crowded environments when they are above or...

According to Dr. Samuel and co-authors, patients at high risk of CAD should have regular check-ups to avoid early cardiac events by initiating preventive therapy. Image credit: Arek Socha.

Gray Hair Linked with Increased Risk of Coronary Artery Disease in Men

Apr 12, 2017 by News Staff

Gray hair has been linked with an increased risk of coronary artery disease in men, in a study presented this month at EuroPrevent 2017 in Malaga, Spain. According...

This micrograph depicts the gram-positive bacterium Propionibacterium acnes grown in thioglycollate medium at 48 hours. Propionibacterium acnes is a very common obligate anaerobic, non-spore forming rod, and the etiologic pathogen responsible for acne vulgaris, or pimples. It normally resides in the sebaceous glands of the skin. Image credit: Bobby Strong, CDC.

Unbalanced Skin Microbiome May Be Key to Acne Development, Study Finds

Apr 6, 2017 by News Staff

The overall balance of the bacteria on a person’s skin, rather than the presence or absence of a particular bacterial strain, appears to be an important...

A maple syrup extract increases the potency of common antibiotics. Image credit: Three-Shots.

Maple Syrup Extract Synergizes with Common Antibiotics

Apr 3, 2017 by News Staff

A phenolic-rich extract from maple syrup can make disease-causing bacteria more susceptible to common antibiotics, according to new research from McGill...

Visualization of resident megakaryocytes in the lungs. Image credit: Emma Lefrançais et al, doi: 10.1038/nature21706.

Lungs Play Previously Unknown Role in Blood Production

Mar 27, 2017 by News Staff

Using video microscopy in a living mouse lung, a team of researchers at the Universities of California, San Francisco (UCSF) & Los Angeles (UCLA),...

Supplementation with an anthocyanin-rich blueberry concentrate improved brain perfusion and activation in brain areas associated with cognitive function in healthy older adults. Image credit: Xicocool.

Study: Concentrated Blueberry Juice Improves Brain Function in Older Adults

Mar 27, 2017 by News Staff

New research from the University of Exeter, UK, has demonstrated that regular consumption of concentrated blueberry juice improves brain function in healthy...

Map of the United States (including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico), showing the mean annual temperature and the magnitude of the β coefficients from the obesity-adjusted meta-regression analysis, per state or territory over the period 1996–2009. The β coefficient from meta-regression analysis, representing the difference in diabetes incidence rate per 1 degree Celsius increase in temperature; red circles indicate a positive β coefficient, while blue circles indicate a negative β coefficient. Adjusted for the effect of time passage. Diabetes incidence rate is the age-adjusted diabetes incidence rate per 1,000. Image credit: Lisanne L. Blauw et al, doi: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2016-000317.

Rising Global Temperatures Could Be Contributing to Worldwide Diabetes Epidemic

Mar 21, 2017 by News Staff

Growing global temperatures may be playing a part in the rising numbers of people developing type 2 diabetes, suggests new research from the Leiden University...

Tsimane village from the water. Image credit: Hillard Kaplan et al.

Bolivian Tsimane People Have World’s Healthiest Arteries, Study Says

Mar 20, 2017 by News Staff

According to a new study published in The Lancet, the Tsimane (pronounced chee-MAH-nay) — an indigenous people of lowland Bolivia — have the...

Feng et al found that regular tea consumption is associated with lower risk of neurocognitive disorders among Chinese elderly. Image credit: Deaphen.

Regular Tea Consumption Reduces Risk of Neurocognitive Disorders in Older Adults, Study Says

Mar 17, 2017 by News Staff

Regular consumption of tea lowers the risk of cognitive impairment in older adults by 50%, according to a new study in the Journal of Nutrition, Health...

Modig et al found that people who had at least one child tended to live longer.

Being Parent Could Add Extra Years to Your Life

Mar 14, 2017 by News Staff

Parenthood is associated with a longer life than childlessness, particularly in older age, according to a study led by Karolinska Institute researcher...

Young Tasmanian devil. Image credit: Keres H. / CC BY-SA 4.0.

Researchers Find Potential Cure for Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumor Disease

Mar 13, 2017 by News Staff

A study led by University of Tasmania researchers Cesar Tovar and Gregory Woods has shown that immunotherapy can cure Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii)...

Lactobacillus reuteri bacteria (blue). Image credit: Alistair Walsham & Stephanie Schüller, doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00244.

Lactobacilli Can Reverse Depression Symptoms, Study Finds

Mar 10, 2017 by News Staff

Lactobacilli, a group of probiotic bacteria that ferment milk into yogurt and aid in the digestive process in the body, can reverse depression-like behavior...

Indiana University Professor Hui-Chen Lu and co-authors have identified 24 compounds that increase the brain’s production of the enzyme NMNAT2, which helps prevent the formation of tau tangles associated with neurodegenerative disorders. Image credit: National Institute on Aging / National Institutes of Health.

Study: Caffeine, 23 Other Compounds Boost Dementia-Fighting Enzyme

Mar 9, 2017 by News Staff

A team of scientists at Indiana University, Bloomington, has identified 24 compounds — including caffeine, retinoic acid, and rolipram — with...