PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] -- A team of Brown University researchers has made substantial progress in an effort to create a new type of molecular data storage system.
Baby diapers, contact lenses and gelatin dessert. While seemingly unrelated, these items have one thing in common -- they're made of highly absorbent substances called hydrogels that have versatile applications. Recently, a type of biodegradable hydrogel, dubbed microporous annealed particle (MAP) hydrogel, has gained much attention for its potential to deliver stem cells for body tissue repair. But it is currently unclear how these jelly-like materials affect the growth of their precious cellular cargo, thereby limiting its use in regenerative medicine.
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Researchers at Michigan State University's Precision Health Program have helped develop a fascinating new method for detecting the density of proteins in the blood - a method that could vastly improve the rate at which diseases are detected and diagnosed.
If you're concerned about rising health care costs and overwhelming medical bills, you're not alone. According to statistics reported in 2019:
Approximately 30% of an average health care bill is paid for out of pocket by the patient (Association of Credit and Collection Professionals International).
About 67% of Americans are either very worried or somewhat worried about unexpected medical bills, compared to only 41% who are concerned about not being able to pay their rent or mortgage (Kaiser Family Foundation).
WASHINGTON, February 4, 2020 -- Motor-related brain activity, particularly its accurate detection, quantification and classification capabilities, is of great interest to researchers. They are searching for a better way to help patients with cognitive or motor impairments or to improve neurorehabilitation for patients with nervous system injuries.
Scientists from Trinity College Dublin, Species360 and NUI Galway have quantified what drives attendance to zoos by assessing how variations in animal collections affect footfall. Crucially, they link their findings to the contributions made to conservation efforts in situ (in the wild), and find that zoos are making significant, positive impacts on our attempts to conserve biodiversity as our planet enters its sixth mass extinction.
Odense, Denmark - As a sixth mass extinction sends shock waves through whole categories of species, modern zoos and aquariums stand as leading sources of conservation funding and safe havens for populations deemed threatened in the wild.
Collectively, members of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) attract 10% of the planet population and contribute with more than $350 million annually to conservation programs in the wild, making them the world's third largest funder after World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and The Nature Conservancy.
In the first comprehensive study mapping global patterns of stillbirth rates, University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers have found that pregnant women who are poor and have lower access to education and employment are more likely to experience a child's death at delivery.
A team of chemical engineers has developed a new way to produce medicines and chemicals on demand and preserve them using portable "biofactories" embedded in water-based gels called hydrogels. The approach could help people in remote villages or on military missions, where the absence of pharmacies, doctor's offices or even basic refrigeration makes it hard to access critical medicines, daily use chemicals and other small-molecule compounds.
With an advanced X-ray combination technique, scientists have traced nanocarriers for tuberculosis drugs within cells with very high precision. The method combines two sophisticated scanning X-ray measurements and can locate minute amounts of various metals in biological samples at very high resolution, as a team around DESY scientist Karolina Stachnik reports in the journal Scientific Reports. To illustrate its versatility, the researchers have also used the combination method to map the calcium content in human bone, an analysis that can benefit osteoporosis research.