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Breakthrough enables ultra-fast transport of electrical charges in polymers

A research team at Umeå University in Sweden has showed, for the first time, that a very efficient vertical charge transport in semiconducting polymers is possible by controlled chain and crystallite orientation. These pioneering results, which enhance charge transport in polymers by more than 1,000 times, have implications for organic opto-electronic devices and were recently published in the journal Advanced Materials.

Bed bugs have developed resistance to neonicotinoids

A new study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology is the first to report that bed bugs have developed resistance to a class of insecticides known as neonicotinoids, or neonics, the shortened name. Neonics are the most widely used group of insecticides today, and several products have been developed for bed bug control over the past few years that combine neonics with pyrethroids, another class of insecticide.

Bedbugs develop resistance to widely used chemical treatments, rendering them ineffective

One of the most of the most widely used commercial chemicals to kill bedbugs are not effective because the pesky insects have built up a tolerance to them, according to a team of researchers from Virginia Tech and New Mexico State University.

Millions of dollars have been spent on insecticides to kill the bugs that have wreaked havoc on everything from hotels in New York City to homes in Los Angeles. But this is the first study to show that overuse of certain insecticides has led to an increased resistance to the compounds, making them much less effective than advertised.

Study shows minorities had lower risk of coronary heart disease than whites

OAKLAND, Calif., January 28, 2016 -- In a study of more than 1.3 million Kaiser Permanente members in Northern California that stretched over 10 years, researchers found that blacks, Latinos and Asians generally had lower risk of coronary heart disease compared to whites. The study was published today in American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Study finds toxic pollutants in fish across the world's oceans

A new global analysis of seafood found that fish populations throughout the world's oceans are contaminated with industrial and agricultural pollutants, collectively known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The study from researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego also uncovered some good news?concentrations of these pollutants have been consistently dropping over the last 30 years.

Toward a better understanding of the mechanisms blocking cancer cell growth

Montreal, January 28, 2016 - DNA damage can lead to gene inactivation or deregulation and cause various diseases such as cancer; however, many DNA repair mechanisms allow cells to survive against such damage. A study lead by Antoine Simoneau of the laboratory of Dr.

Drugs and other contaminants found in private drinking wells on Cape Cod

Recent news about tainted water in Flint, Michigan, and other parts of the country have called into question the safety of the nation's drinking water supply. Adding to this, a new study finds that pollutants from household wastewater--pharmaceuticals and consumer product chemicals--can make their way into people's private wells, and that backyard septic systems are likely to blame. The findings reinforce growing concerns about the health risks posed by unregulated chemicals in drinking water.

Experts offer new approach to prioritizing research on the environmental impacts of pharmaceuticals

Researchers have developed a new way to prioritize investigations on the environmental impacts of the estimated 1500 active pharmaceutical ingredients currently in use.

Coroporate philantrhopy can have a positive impact on employees

Corporate philanthropy benefits organizations in many ways: Giving enhances a business's reputation and strengthens a business's efforts toward corporate social responsibility. But does corporate philanthropy do anything to benefit a business's employees?

New material with built-in vitamin A may reduce scarring

While scarring is a natural part of any healing process, scar formation within our blood vessels can be deadly.

"When injury occurs, cells proliferate and migrate into the blood vessel, creating scar-like tissue," said Northwestern University's Guillermo Ameer. "It can create blockages that impair blood flow."

Penn medicine: Transplant centers often reject potential donor livers for sickest patients in need

PHILADELPHIA - As patients in desperate need of a liver transplant lay waiting, many livers that might give them a new life go unused by centers across the nation, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The new findings are published in the Journal of Hepatology.

Study: Incentive pay not motivating enough for some managers

Incentive compensation is becoming an increasingly popular practice, with firms offering managers incentive pay in the hopes of improving company performance. But not all managers respond to performance-based pay, according to new research from The University of Texas at Dallas.

Pollinator competition may drive flower diversification

Male hummingbirds drive female birds away from their preferred yellow-flowered plant, which may have implications for flower diversification, according a study published Jan. 27, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Ethan Temeles from Amherst College, USA, and colleagues.

Study: Head shape and genetics augment understanding of rattlesnake species

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Using head shape and genetic analyses, new research challenges the formerly designated subspecies within the western rattlesnake species. These findings have important implications for ecological conservation efforts across the United States and could provide the basis for new species designations.

The results are published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Slender mice, heart disease and diabetes -- what do they have in common?

Removal of a gene protected mice against arterial disease, and they stayed lean even when they ate more. The phenomenon underlying this beneficial phenotype is more active brown adipose tissue.

Scientists from Finland developed a mouse model which did not gain weight or develop hardening of arteries, even when they were fed a high-fat diet. The study was published by Science Translational Medicine.