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pH comes from the term “power of Hydrogen”, or the hydrogen ion concentration present in a given solution. It helps to measure the acidity or alkalinity of a substance.

New microneedle insulin pill avoids injections, applies insulin to gut wall

Quite a few drugs such as insulin are made up of protein and hence can’t be taken internally, as the gut breaks them down, rendering them useless. Thus these have to be administered by injection, and in the case of drugs that have to be taken several times a day this is a definite limitation.

10 Oct 2019

Nervous system plays vital role in age-related weakness, study finds

A study recently published by researchers from the Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, in collaboration with a colleague from outside Ohio University, finds new evidence to support the belief that the nervous system plays an important role in age-related weakness.

9 Oct 2019

New insight into presynaptic distribution and profile of mitochondria in calyx of Held

The ability to hear relies on neurons to constantly transmit information at very rapid timescales. This rapid rate of information transmission results in intense energetic demands. Within our cells, microscopic power plants called mitochondria provide the main source of energy keeping our bodies moving.

9 Oct 2019

β-blockers could regenerate infant heart muscle, mitigate effects of congenital heart disease

Surgery can mend congenital heart defects shortly after birth, but those babies will carry a higher risk of heart failure throughout the rest of their lives. Yet, according to a Science Translational Medicine study published today by UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh researchers, β-blockers could supplement surgery to regenerate infant heart muscle and mitigate the lasting effects of congenital heart disease.

9 Oct 2019

New smart prosthetic sockets aim to improve comfort, performance in prostheses

As a physically active college student Trevor LeMaster is no stranger to bodily aches and pains. He is a runner and a former high school wrestler who experiences soreness and workout injuries. LeMaster is also a transfemoral amputee and has first-hand knowledge of the impacts the fit of his prosthetic device has on his residual limb.

9 Oct 2019

Maintaining weight loss over long-term can benefit patients with Type 2 diabetes

People with Type 2 diabetes who regained weight forfeited the initial benefits of reduced risk of heart disease or stroke compared to those who maintained their weight loss, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the open access journal of the American Heart Association.

9 Oct 2019

Dog owners live longer

Taking care of pets has been shown to provide a plethora of health benefits. Now, dog lovers may have a new reason to love their pets more as two new studies found that owning a dog is tied to a longer life, with a lower risk of premature death, especially among those who had a heart attack and stroke.

9 Oct 2019

Research provides evidence to support expansion of insurance coverage of NIPT

Research conducted by the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences provides evidence to support expansion of insurance plan coverage of noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT), a simple maternal blood draw which screens for fetal chromosomal disorders including trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome), trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome), and trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), to women under the age of 35.

8 Oct 2019

Combination treatment cures pancreatic cancer, reprograms the immune system

A University of Rochester Wilmot Cancer Institute research team reports that combining a type of radiation therapy with immunotherapy not only cures pancreatic cancer in mice, but appears to reprogram the immune system to create an "immune memory" in the same way that a vaccine keeps the flu away.

8 Oct 2019

Differences at the single-cell level can predict responses to BRAF inhibitor therapy

Patients with advanced melanoma have been able to live longer because of several newly approved targeted treatment options, including BRAF and MEK inhibitors. However, patients will often have different responses to the same treatment due to genetic variability.

8 Oct 2019

Unique program to initiate breastfeeding in vulnerable infants

The benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and child are well-recognized, including for late preterm infants. But because LPI do not have fully developed brains, they may experience difficulties latching and/or sustaining a latch on the breast to have milk transfer occur.

8 Oct 2019

Eye disease in infants detected using smartphone app

Examining eyes in babies is difficult to say the least. Researchers at the Baylor University in Waco, Texas, have come up with a smart phone app that could help ophthalmologists detect eye diseases in infants. The results of the testing of the app were published in the latest issue of the journal Science Advances.

8 Oct 2019

Researchers determine how the colon prioritizes gas detox over energy use

Onions, cabbage, garlic. While nutritious, eating these foods can lead to an embarrassing side effect: smelly flatulence. More than just smelly, hydrogen sulfide, the chemical compound responsible for the rotten-egg aroma, is deadly if inhaled at doses of more than 700 parts per million.

7 Oct 2019

New device can accelerate bone regeneration in difficult cases

Within minutes of breaking a bone, the body begins to repair itself.

7 Oct 2019

Eco-friendly washing machines may harbor harmful bacteria

A new study has revealed that eco-friendly home washing machines may be facilitating the spread of harmful bacteria.

7 Oct 2019

Potential metabolism target could slow or prevent breast cancer metastasis

Cancer cells - especially the more aggressive ones - seem to have an ability to change. It's how they evade treatment and spread throughout the body.

4 Oct 2019

GW researchers to study the underlying pathophysiology of myasthenia gravis

The National Institutes of Health awarded a research team at the George Washington University $7.8 million to establish a rare disease network for myasthenia gravis. The network, which will be part of 25 established NIH Rare Diseases Clinical Research Networks, will include basic and clinical investigators, patient advocacy groups, and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies working together to enhance therapeutic development for this rare disease.

4 Oct 2019

Gender-affirming surgery can lead to long-term mental health benefits for transgender individuals

For transgender individuals, gender-affirming surgery can lead to long-term mental health benefits, according to new research published online today in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

4 Oct 2019

Study finds prevalence of antibiotic-resistant genes in groundwater

With climate change comes increasing water shortages, and potentially longer periods of drought. As policymakers look urgently to wastewater recycling to stem the gap in water resources, the question is-- how best to reuse water and ensure public safety.

4 Oct 2019