Body

New research published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism reveals that a high proportion of long-term care residents have a B12 deficiency. Researchers from the University of Waterloo and the Schlegel-University of Waterloo Research Institute for Aging found that the current state of B12 levels for elderly individuals in long-term care facilities in Ontario warrants considering B12 screening at admission in order to ensure effective treatment.

HOUSTON - (Jan. 19, 2016) - Rice University scientists have developed a tool to speed the design of molecular diagnostics that depend on the specific recognition of pathogen DNA and RNA.

The Rice lab of bioengineer David Zhang introduced a method that cuts the time required to analyze the thermal behaviors of DNA and RNA strands from months to hours. The open-access method described this week in Nature Communications will help scientists build a universal database of biophysical properties of genetic molecules.

Philadelphia, PA, January 19, 2016 - In a landmark study, investigators from Europe propose a new and simple method to assess the risk of malignancy of women with an adnexal mass. The method identified between 89-99% of patients with ovarian cancer using the results of ultrasound examination, which can be obtained in referral and non-referral centers. The work is based on the "Simple Rules", criteria developed by the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) group to improve accurate diagnosis of ovarian cancer before surgery.

Researchers from KU Leuven, Belgium, have improved a test for ultrasound diagnosis of ovarian tumours. Professors Dirk Timmerman and Ben Van Calster collaborated with scientists from Imperial College London and Lund University.

How does the size of the table we eat at influence how much we eat? This is the question that researchers posed and answered in a new study published in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research. They found that table size does have a significant impact on how people perceive the food it holds and consequently how much people eat.

More than 2.6 million stillbirths continue to occur globally every year with very slow progress made to tackle this 'silent problem', according to new research published in The Lancet. Despite significant reductions in the number of maternal and child deaths, there has been little change in the number of stillbirths (in the third trimester of pregnancy) [1] even though the majority are preventable.

1. ACP and CDC advise physicians to think twice before prescribing antibiotics for common respiratory infections

Antibiotics are overused for the common cold, bronchitis, sore throat, and sinus infections - illnesses that often resolve on their own

Philadelphia, January 19, 2016 -- In a paper published today in Annals of Internal Medicine, the American College of Physicians (ACP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued advice for prescribing antibiotics for acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in adults.

Two consecutive nights of extended sleep, a typical weekend occurrence, appears to counteract the increased risk of diabetes associated with short-term sleep restriction during the work week, at least in lean, healthy, young men eating a controlled diet.

The finding, based on a study performed at the University of Chicago sleep laboratory published early online by the journal Diabetes Care, could affect large numbers of people who work long hours.

A new clinical imaging method developed in collaboration with a University of Exeter academic may enable doctors to tackle one of the main killers of patients with weakened immune systems sooner and more effectively.

The spores of the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus are tiny, everywhere in the air and breathed in by humans every day.

Latest research reveals why geckos are the largest animals able to scale smooth vertical walls - even larger climbers would require unmanageably large sticky footpads. Scientists estimate that a human would need adhesive pads covering 40% of their body surface in order to walk up a wall like Spiderman, and believe their insights have implications for the feasibility of large-scale, gecko-like adhesives.

Biophysicists have discovered why the bacteria that cause tuberculosis (TB) are naturally somewhat resistant to antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones. Their findings, based on mapping the detailed three-dimensional structure of the drugs interacting with an essential enzyme in the TB germ, also reveal why some TB drugs are more potent than others and suggest how drug developers can make fluoroquinolones more efficacious against mutations that make the lung disease drug resistant.

ITHACA, NY-- A new study by researchers at Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) has uncovered a veritable trove of genes used by plants to form symbiotic relationships with fungi, vastly increasing the knowledge of the genetic basis for this agriculturally valuable interaction.

LA JOLLA, CA - Jan. 18, 2016 - Many cells have microscopic gates, called ion channels, which open to allow the flow of ions across the cell membrane. Thanks to these gates, cells can detect stimuli such as heat, pain, pressure and even spicy food.

In the ever-escalating evolutionary battle with drug-resistant bacteria, humans may soon have a leg up thanks to adaptive, light-activated nanotherapy developed by researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder.