Culture
Smokers who switch to vaping don't lapse for long - according to new research from the University of East Anglia.
While vapers may occasionally have the odd smoking lapse, they don't see it as 'game over' for their quit attempt and it doesn't have to lead to a full relapse.
The findings, published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review, suggest that vaping encourages not just smoking cessation, but long-term relapse prevention.
Clinical trials for preventing Alzheimer's disease in people with Down syndrome may soon be possible thanks to new research from King's College London. The researchers found changes in memory and attention are the earliest signs of Alzheimer's in Down syndrome, and these changes start in the early 40s.
In daylight, Neonothopanus nambi is a rather unremarkable brown fungus. But a surprise hides behind the drab façade: at night, the fungus glows ghostly green. Neonothopanus nambi is one of over 100 species of mushrooms that emit light. Aristotle already documented this phenomenon, called bioluminescence, when he described glowing, rotting treebark. Now, scientists have for the first time identified the biochemical pathway that allows bioluminescent fungi to light up.
Researchers from the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Seville have recently published a study in which they state that diets supplemented with aqueous extract of Annona muricata L. leaves can prevent the symptoms associated with fibromyalgia, so improving the lives of these patients.
Study lends weight to argument for using mobile apps for routine measurements and clinical trials
Digital versions of existing assessments would be cheaper, greener and improve patient experience
Validating the effectiveness of health apps could be first step to a learning health service
Study by University of Warwick supports call by the Royal College of Physicians for greater use of already available technology in healthcare
Bacteria are capable of extremely rapid growth, but only when the conditions are right. If they lack nutrients, or if it is too cold or dry, they will enter a dormant state to wait it out. Until now, the question of how individual bacterial cells decide whether to divide has generally been studied using populations that are happily growing. But to date nobody has been able to say what it is that prompts a dormant bacterium to wake up and start dividing.
Children who are genetically predisposed to overweight, due to common gene variants, can still lose weight by changing their diet and exercise habits. Around 750 children and adolescents with overweight or obesity undergoing lifestyle intervention participated in the study conducted by researchers from the University of Copenhagen and Holbæk Hospital.
Human skin contains sensitive nerve cells that detect pressure, temperature and other sensations that allow tactile interactions with the environment. To help robots and prosthetic devices attain these abilities, scientists are trying to develop electronic skins. Now researchers report a new method in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces that creates an ultrathin, stretchable electronic skin, which could be used for a variety of human-machine interactions.
Researchers working to understand the biochemistry of cataract formation have made a surprising finding: A protein that was long believed to be inert actually has an important chemical function that protects the lens of the eye from cataract formation.
The lens is made up of cells packed with structural proteins called crystallins. Crystallins within each lens cell form a protein-dense gel, and the gel's optical properties -- like its transparency and the way it refracts light -- help focus light onto the retina.
The scene: a bitter divorce, and a custody battle over the couple's 7-year-old son. Awarded full custody, the mother - perhaps seeking revenge? - sets out to destroy the son's relationship with his father. The mother tells the son lies about the father's behavior, plants seeds of doubt about his fitness as a parent, and sabotages the father's efforts to see his son. The son begins to believe the lies; as he grows up, his relationship with his father becomes strained.
Given the considerable costs of providing alternative sources of care, there is remarkably little good quality evidence to back this approach, conclude the researchers.
Redirecting low need patients from emergency care departments to alternative sources of care, has been proposed as a potential solution to tackling the overcrowding that often occurs in these facilities.
The more often adolescents say they have seen adverts for e-cigarettes, the more often they use both e-cigarettes and smoke tobacco cigarettes, according to a study published in ERJ Open Research [1].
The study took place in Germany, where regulations around tobacco and e-cigarettes advertising are more permissive than in other parts of Europe. Elsewhere there are firm bans on advertising tobacco but certain types of adverts and promotions for e-cigarettes are permitted.
ANN ARBOR--An extremely messy personal space seems to lead people to believe the owner of that space is more neurotic and less agreeable, say University of Michigan researchers.
Psychologists from U-M's Flint and Ann Arbor campuses explored the degree of messiness in one's workspace and how it affects perceptions of the owner's personality.
In three experiments, about 160 participants were randomly assigned to sit in a researcher's office that was clean and uncluttered, or in another office that was either "somewhat" or "very" messy.
Exploring objects through touch can generate detailed, durable memories for those objects, even when we don't intend to memorize the object's details, according to findings published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
CHICAGO - A minimally invasive procedure in which pulses of energy from a probe are applied directly to nerve roots near the spine is safe and effective in people with acute lower back pain that has not responded to conservative treatment, according to a study being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).