Culture
A team of researchers led by Yale-NUS College Professor of Science (Environmental Studies) Stephen Pointing has discovered a link between two different ecosystems, continental Australia and the Great Barrier Reef, due to airborne microbes that travel from the former to the latter. The finding showed that the health of these two ecosystems are more interconnected than previously believed, hence holistic conservation efforts need to span different ecosystems.
Regular consumers of popular caffeinated energy drinks may need help kicking the habit.
New research at Flinders University in Australia, published in the international journal PLOS One, put a form of cognitive incentive retraining - a form of computer-based training aimed at reducing decision-making biases in purchasing energy drinks - to the test on more than 200 regular consumers of energy drinks aged between 18 and 25.
Urinary tract infections (UTI's) are painful and usually short lived - but for millions of people this is simply not the case.
Low levels of infection can be found long after it's thought to have cleared, and research suggests this could be an unknown, but leading cause of chronic bladder dysfunction.
But the fight against pain, discomfort and a constant urge to urinate has taken a step forward with scientists identifying how the immune systems defence against bladder infection causes nerves to magnify the sensations felt by patients.
Hokkaido University scientists are getting closer to understanding how a rare hereditary disease impairs the skin's barrier function, which determines how well the skin is protected.
The gene mutation that causes ichthyosis prematurity syndrome--characterized by premature birth; difficulty breathing shortly after birth; and very dry, thick and scaly skin--dramatically reduces the synthesis of acylceramide, a key skin lipid in forming the skin barrier. The discovery provides us with a better understanding of the condition, which is currently untreatable.
Why do BMW and Audi owners often seem to drive like idiots? Is it the car that makes them behave aggressively behind the wheel, or are specific types of people drawn to such cars as well being more likely to break traffic regulations? New research at the University of Helsinki provides some answers.
Jan-Erik Lönnqvist (link), professor of social psychology, had made the same observation in traffic as many others: Audi and BMW drivers seemed much more likely to ignore traffic regulations and drive recklessly.
The new mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variant drastically speeds up the disease progression in a mouse model of GRACILE syndrome. This discovery provides a new tool for studies of mitochondrial diseases.
GRACILE syndrome, a member of the Finnish disease heritage, is a severe neonatal metabolic disease caused by a point mutation in the nuclear BCS1L gene.
Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS) in Japan and colleagues at Osaka University have found genetic variations in humans related to specific dietary habits. Published in Nature Human Behaviour, the genome-wide association study found 9 gene locations associated with eating and drinking foods like meat, tofu, cheese, tea, and coffee. Among them, three were also related to having particular diseases such as cancer or diabetes.
The reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel could become safer and more efficient in future after researchers found a way to modify the structure of molecules to remove radioactive materials.
The research is published in a recent edition of the influential Chemistry - A European Journal (7th January 2020) and is described by the editors of the journal as being of great significance.
The reprocessing operation
Workers in many industries inadvertently bring home toxic contaminants, endangering the health of their families. Those at greatest risk are the least likely to benefit from current regulations.
A new review by researchers from the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health calls for recognition of "take-home" exposures--exposures to toxic contaminants inadvertently brought home from a family member's work--as a public health hazard. The review was published in Annals of Work Exposures and Health.
Despite the immense progress in the field of AI in recent years, we are still very far from human intelligence. Indeed, if current AI techniques allow to train computer agents to perform certain tasks better than humans when they are trained specifically for them, the performance of these same agents is often very disappointing when they are put in conditions (even slightly) different from those experienced during training.
Solitary female bees inspect other nests for signs of danger before making decisions on where to build their own, a new London-based study suggests.
The study, led by researchers at Queen Mary University of London, found the clever bees looked for signs of parasite infection in other species' nests and used this information to select a safe place to bring up their own brood.
Analysis finds that highly innovative drugs took longer to reach NHS patients than more conventional treatments
Increasing numbers of cancer drugs are being licensed - but treatments are taking longer to progress through trials and approval
Researchers warn whole system of drug discovery and development - including researchers, companies and regulations - is too risk averse
Innovative drugs play an essential role in tackling cancer evolution and drug resistance - the biggest challenge in cancer research and treatment today
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy leads to poorer cognitive functioning in children, according to the most comprehensive review on the issue to date. The University of Bristol research published today [29 January] in the International Journal of Epidemiology, reviewed 23 published studies on the topic and found evidence that drinking in pregnancy could also lead to lower birthweight. The findings reinforce the UK Chief Medical Officers' #DRYMESTER guidelines, which is abstaining from alcohol in all trimesters.
Dissatisfaction with democratic politics among citizens of developed* countries has increased from a third to half of all individuals over the last quarter of a century, according to the largest international dataset on global attitudes to democracy ever made.
In fact, researchers found that across the planet - from Europe to Africa, as well as Asia, Australasia, both Americas and the Middle East - the share of individuals who say they are "dissatisfied" with democracy has jumped significantly since the mid-1990s: from 47.9% to 57.5%.
High levels of protein in a patient's urine shortly after an episode of acute kidney injury is associated with increased risk of kidney disease progression, providing a valuable tool in predicting those at highest risk for future loss of kidney function.