Fibres from the Australian native spinifex grass are being used to improve latex that could be used to make condoms as thin as a human hair without any loss in strength.
Working in partnership with Aboriginal traditional owners of the Camooweal region in north-west Queensland, the Indjalandji-Dhidhanu People, researchers from The University of Queensland have developed a method of extracting nanocellulose -- which can be used as an additive in latex production -- from the grass.
University of Warwick research indicates that a fall in one to one nursing care of very sick and premature new-borns is linked to a higher death rate in neonatal intensive care.
The findings which have been published in the in the Archives of Disease in Childhood (Fetal & Neonatal Edition) show the proportion of this type of nursing care provided in intensive care units fell by around a third between 2008 and 2012.
A higher nurse to patient ratio is linked to a reduced risk of inpatient death, finds a study of staffing levels in NHS hospitals, published in the online journal BMJ Open.
In trusts where registered (professionally trained) nurses had six or fewer patients to care for, the death rate was 20 per cent lower than in those where they had more than 10.
Policies geared towards substituting registered nurses with healthcare support workers (healthcare assistants and nursing auxiliaries) should at the very least be reviewed, conclude the researchers
A fall in the provision of one to one nursing care of very sick and premature newborns is linked to a higher death rate in neonatal intensive care, finds research published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood (Fetal & Neonatal Edition).
The proportion of this type of nursing care provided in neonatal intensive care units fell by around a third between 2008 and 2012, the findings show.
Ask Americans to name the former U.S. president whose face currently graces the U.S. $10 dollar bill and most will be quick to answer Alexander Hamilton.
Sure, it's a trick question. But a new study from memory researchers at Washington University in St. Louis confirms that most Americans are confident that Alexander Hamilton was once president of the United States.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- For previous generations of Americans, homeownership was seen as one of the final rites of passage into adulthood and financial independence.
As population growth, greater food consumption, competition for land use, and climate change pose challenges to world food production, managing loss of crop due to pests and weeds becomes increasingly important. While chemical pesticides offer effective means for control, potential loss of crop yield is still significant, as is cost. Global potential loss from pests has been estimated to be between 50% and 80% of yield based on crop type.
Everyone marches to the beat of their own drum: From walking to talking to producing music, different people's movements occur at different speeds. But do these differences influence coordination of group actions? The answer is yes, according to McGill University researchers. The finding has the potential to help us predict for each person how successful they will be in a group task, depending on how similar their partners are to them in their internal rhythms.
Montreal, Feb. 9, 2016 -- Ever have your street repaved one year, only to have it torn up for sewage work shortly afterwards? Municipal blunders like this may soon be a thing of the past, thanks to new software developed by researchers at Concordia University in MOntreal.
A short animated film commissioned by two University of Kent historians challenges the concept that migration at current levels is a new phenomenon.
With migration now a major topic of debate across Europe, Professor Ray Laurence and Dr Julie Anderson, working with the University of Reading's Dr Hella Eckardt, created a script and commissioned the film to provide the public, schools and policy makers with a better understanding of its history.
The 75 second animation draws from research on the Roman Empire and the First World War.
The use of a structured, task-oriented rehabilitation program, compared with usual rehabilitation, did not result in better motor function or recovery after 12 months for patients with moderate upper extremity impairment following a stroke, according to a study in the February 9 issue of JAMA.
PASADENA, Calif., February 9, 2016 -- A large study demonstrated that health plan members who accessed their health information online and received timely alerts about potential gaps in care were more likely to receive preventive tests and screenings than those who did not use the service. The Kaiser Permanente study was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
TUCSON, Ariz. - In contrast to enduring stories about extraordinarily high rates of alcohol misuse among Native Americans, University of Arizona researchers have found that Native Americans' binge and heavy drinking rates actually match those of whites. The groups differed regarding abstinence: Native Americans were more likely to abstain from alcohol use.
Babies born to mothers exposed to air pollution from traffic during pregnancy have an increased risk of developing asthma before the age of six, according to new UBC research.
"Our study results highlight the danger of exposure to pollution while babies are still in the womb," said lead author Hind Sbihi, research associate in UBC's School of Population and Public Health. "Air pollution from traffic sources increased the risk of developing asthma during early years before children reach school age, even in an urban area like Vancouver with relatively low levels of air pollution."
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (February 9, 2016) - Recent years have seen an increase in those suffering from allergies, including baby boomers. And because older people tend to have additional chronic diseases, diagnosis and management of allergic rhinitis (hay fever) can be a challenge. A new study shows immunotherapy (allergy shots) reduced symptoms by 55 percent after three years of therapy, and decreased the amount of medication needed for relief of symptoms by 64 percent.