Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is the neglected tropical disease with the highest burden in Latin America. Now, researchers report in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases that two commercially-available rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) can be combined for conclusive…
Month: December 2019
Type 1 Diabetes: New starting point to delay autoimmune response
Regulatory T cells (Tregs)* prevent excessive immune reactions in healthy people. In the development of autoimmune type 1 diabetes, this protection is not sufficiently effective. Researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum München and LMU Munich have now deciphered a mechanism that impairs…
Number of people in need of renal replacement therapy is rising
The ERA-EDTA Registry collects data on renal replacement therapy (RRT) from the national and regional renal registries in Europe and from countries bordering the Mediterranean. For the 2017 Annual Report, data sets from 53 national or regional renal registries in…
Researchers investigate factors influencing visceral leishmaniasis death
In the Americas, more than 96% of cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL)–the most severe form of leishmaniasis– occur in Brazil, where the fatality rate has risen in recent years. Now, researchers report in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases that age, HIV…
Novel 3D microscopy technique reveals new phenomena in living cells
Quantitative holo-tomographic microscopy poised to capture previously unseen or unexplained cell behavior, such as spinning nuclei
Acid reflux affects nearly a third of US adults weekly
LOS ANGELES (Dec. 19, 2019) — Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a digestive disorder that causes hearburn and other uncomfortable symptoms, may affect nearly a third of U.S. adults each week, and most of those who take certain popular medications for…
ASH announces 2020 scholar award recipients
(WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 19, 2019) – The American Society of Hematology (ASH) today announced the 39 recipients of its 2020 Scholar Awards. One of ASH’s most prestigious research award programs, the ASH Scholar Awards financially support fellows to junior faculty…
Watermelon supplements bring health benefits to obese mice
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Eating watermelon in the form of powdered supplements helped adult obese mice avoid some detrimental health effects of an unhealthy diet, according to a new Oregon State University study. The study is published in the Journal of…
Finding your way in the dark depends on your internal clock
Surprising results show how circadian rhythm changes the way mammals can see
Gene drives work faster than non-drive approaches to control problem insects
Mosquitoes engineered to spread genes that stop malaria are efficient, but mutations can arise
New gene for male infertility discovered
Investigators describe the first cases of SYCP2-mediated male infertility in humans
Guidelines for clinicians to address youth vaping
BOSTON – In response to the pressing public health issue of vaping, clinicians of all disciplines are being asked to address this issue with youth, families and community members, despite minimal youth-focused screening or treatment guidelines. Physicians from Boston Medical…
Meta-analysis indicates that one-fifth of the world’s population exposed to Toxocara
Human toxocariasis — a neglected tropical disease found worldwide, can cause a range of allergic, neurological, cardiac, and other symptoms. However, it also goes unnoticed in many people who contract the infection. Now, researchers report in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases…
Modern trees emerged earlier than previously believed, new research reveals
Scientists discover 385-million-year-old forest
How can healthcare achieve real technology driven transformation?
New Rochelle, NY, December 18, 2019–Real transformation in healthcare through the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, telecommunications, and other advanced technologies could provide significant improvements in healthcare quality, productivity, and access. The current status and future challenges and opportunities…
Astronomers reveal new image of candy cane-shaped feature in the center of our galaxy
A team of astronomers has produced a new image of an arc-shaped object in the center of our Milky Way galaxy. The feature, which resembles a candy cane, is a magnetic structure that covers an enormous region of some 160…
SUTD and collaborators developed novel methodology to predict spinal fractures in patients
This enables more accurate patient-specific analysis in a non-invasive manner, providing timely opportunities for early treatment
Long work hours at the office linked to both regular and hidden high blood pressure
Hypertension Journal report
Mining metagenomics: A faster and more efficient method to compare metagenomes
Microbiomes can contain thousands of bacteria species, hinting at the complex ecosystem that houses the microbiome as well as the one contained within the microbiome. Yet, until now, researchers have been limited in the tools they have to precisely compare…
Aarhus University opens the world’s first center for ear-EEG
Danish researchers are world leaders in brain measurement via a special device fitted in the ear like a hearing aid. The technology is called ear-EEG, and now Aarhus University has received a grant to ensure further development of the method
New classification system for tumors can guide diagnosis and treatment options for cancer
Based on the largest study of cancer patients of its kind, scientists have created a new way of classifying tumours. Clinicians can use genome sequencing to assign their patients’ tumours to one of sixteen groups in the new classification system,…
When it’s story time, animated books are better for learning
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University found that digital storybooks that animate upon a child’s vocalization offer beneficial learning opportunities, especially for children with less developed attention regulation. “Digital platforms have exploded in popularity, and a huge proportion of the top-selling…
Form of severe malnutrition linked to DNA modification
A group led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine has identified significant differences at the epigenetic level – the chemical tags in DNA that help regulate gene expression – between two clinically distinct forms of acute childhood malnutrition known…
MAGIC system allows researchers to modulate the activity of genes acting in concert
Genomic research has unlocked the capability to edit the genomes of living cells; yet so far, the effects of such changes must be examined in isolation. In contrast, the complex traits that are of interest in both fundamental and applied…
Combining 2 rapid tests for the accurate diagnosis of Chagas disease in the field
This strategy would facilitate the diagnosis of chronically infected individuals in endemic regions with poorly equipped laboratories
Study examines safety-net care for US patients on maintenance dialysis
Highlights This study identified the types of dialysis facilities in the United States that care for “safety-net reliant” dialysis patients–those who are uninsured or have only Medicaid coverage and do not qualify for Medicare. Although 73% of safety net-reliant patients…
Affordable Care Act led to improved treatment of colorectal cancer among young adults
Patients under 26 years had a shift to earlier stage; faster time to adjuvant chemotherapy
Words to express emotion vary greatly in their meanings across languages
Almost all humans feel the emotion of love, but does that mean the Turkish word sevgi or the Hungarian word szrelem, which both translate to love in English, convey the same feeling? Not necessarily, according to a new study. By…
Mowing urban lawns less intensely increases biodiversity, saves money and reduces pests
The researchers combined data across North America and Europe using a meta-analysis, a way of aggregating results from multiple studies to increase statistical strength. They found strong evidence that increased mowing intensity of urban lawns – which included parks, roundabouts…
Fibroblasts involved in healing spur tumor growth in cancer
Vital to healing wounds, fibroblasts have a ‘misguided’ response to cancer cells, according to Tel Aviv University researchers
Improving efficiency, effectiveness of security X-ray technology
Researchers propose a spiral array of X-ray detectors to quickly identify contraband without the need for additional screening.
Augmenting attention treatment therapies for difficult-to-treat anxiety in children and adolescents
First study to show that anxiety could be decreased in youth who did not respond to earlier cognitive-behavior therapy
‘Inconsistent and misleading’ password meters could increase risk of cyber attacks
Password meters are frequently made available to help users secure their personal data against the threats posed by cyber criminals. However, the ‘inconsistent and misleading’ advice offered on some of the world’s most popular websites could actually be doing more…
When good plants go bad
Some native plants can behave as invasive species
Racial/ethnic differences in mortality for dialysis patients in US territories and states
Highlight In an analysis of patients treated with dialysis in the 5 U.S. territories and the 50 U.S. states between 1995 and 2012, the mortality rates were similar for Whites or Blacks, and higher for Hispanics and Asians in the…
Watching TV makes us prefer thinner women
The more TV we watch the more we prefer thinner female bodies, according to a new comprehensive study on body image. The researchers are calling on TV and advertising bosses to show people of all shapes and sizes in order…
ESO observations reveal black holes’ breakfast at the cosmic dawn
Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope have observed reservoirs of cool gas around some of the earliest galaxies in the Universe. These gas halos are the perfect food for supermassive black holes at the centre of these galaxies, which are…
Top ESC stories in the news in 2019
ESC press releases that made the most headlines
Scientists link common immune cell to failure of checkpoint inhibitors in lung cancer
The study published in JCI Insight suggests how to better predict which patients will respond to immunotherapy
Mechanical force as a new way of starting chemical reactions
Researchers have shown mechanical force can start chemical reactions, making them cheaper, more broadly applicable, and more environmentally friendly than conventional methods. Chemical reactions are most conventionally prompted by heating up the reaction mixtures. Within the last ten years, there…
Only 1 in 10 suicide prevention apps cover full guidelines, NTU Singapore study finds
Most (93 per cent) mobile apps for suicide prevention and depression management do not provide all the six suicide prevention strategies that are commonly recommended in international clinical guidelines, a study led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has…
Artificial Intelligence can now predict long-term risks of heart attack and cardiac death
A new study in Cardiovascular Research finds that machine learning, the patterns and inferences computers use to learn to perform tasks, can predict the long-term risk of heart attack and cardiac death. Indeed, machine learning appears to be better at…
New archaeological discoveries reveal birch bark tar was used in medieval England
Scientists from the University of Bristol and the British Museum, in collaboration with Oxford Archaeology East and Canterbury Archaeological Trust, have, for the first time, identified the use of birch bark tar in medieval England – the use of which…
Hepatitis D: The mystery of the virus’ life cycle revealed
Professor Patrick Labonté’s team at the INRS reveals the key role of a cellular process in the development of the Hepatitis D virus
Pollution league tables for UK urban areas reveal the expected and unexpected
The Bedfordshire town of Luton has come bottom of a league table of predicted city-wide air pollution concentrations among UK cities, according to new analysis by the Universities of Birmingham and Lancaster. Although Luton’s air pollution emissions are about as…
Impact of methamphetamine use depends on your genes
Genetic clues which could explain why some people have more severe side effects from long-term methamphetamine use than others
NCI-MATCH: Promising signal for nivolumab beyond colorectal cancer
18 different cancer types studied, mostly rare and none colorectal, with DNA repair defects. The 36% response rate across a range of cancers compares well with a previous 31% response in colon cancer.
Dutch research institutions and Elsevier reach framework agreement
Amsterdam, December 19, 2019 – The Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU), The Netherlands Federation of University Medical Centres (NFU), The Dutch Research Council (NWO), and the global information and analytics business Elsevier , have reached a framework agreement.…
Forecast to help shellfish growers weather toxicity
Deep learning algorithms can help the shellfish industry avoid disruptions caused by harmful algal blooms
2019 seasonal influenza assessment
Currently dominating viruses point at possible heavy impact on the elderly and healthcare systems