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Researchers develop new way to monitor radiation doses for cancer patients

More than half of all cancer patients undergo radiation therapy and the dose is critical. Too much and the surrounding tissue gets damaged, too little and the cancer cells survive.

16 Feb 2020

New wearable device to diagnose Alzheimer's disease

With tens of millions of people the world over being affected by dementia, and almost 80% of them suffering from Alzheimer's disease (AD), the Early Detection of Neurodegenerative diseases (Edon) is looking into a novel device to test for AD early in the process, using wearable technology. This will play a crucial role in intervening and preventing the progression of this disease, the prevalence of which has increased by almost 90% since 2000.

16 Feb 2020

Breakthrough in artificial biomimetic sight

In a new study published in February 2020 in the journal Science Advances, researchers report the development of a nanoscale device that acts like the brain's visual cortex to directly see things in its path. The scientists created a new superstructure through the use of two nanomaterials in tandem that could help to make a machine that uses AI to simulate a human mind's function.

16 Feb 2020

Generating genomes and encoding new abilities into artificial DNA

A new study to be presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in February 2020 will report on the generation of the world’s first artificially created bacterial genome using a digital design algorithm along with the synthesis of DNA building blocks on a large scale. This genome takes form by chemical rather than template-based synthesis. The research is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

16 Feb 2020

Drinking cocoa could relieve peripheral arterial disease

Someday, according to a new study, doctors might prescribe chocolate or cocoa to help patients with peripheral arterial disease to walk easier. The study published in February 2020 in the journal Circulation Research of the American Heart Association (AHA) reports a significant improvement in walking distance in patients following regular cocoa consumption.

16 Feb 2020

Stress in kids could have long term genetic consequences finds study

Researchers have found that being separated from parents at a young age could lead to a rise in stress hormones, which could have direct consequences on altering the genetic makeup of the child, which can then be passed on to the future generations. The study titled, "Childcare outside the family for the under-threes: cause for concern?" was published in the latest issue of the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.

16 Feb 2020

Scientists map molecular steps in the development of endometrial cancer

A new study reveals the molecular steps that bring about endometrial cancer, commonly known as uterine cancer, which is the sixth most common cancer in women across the globe.

16 Feb 2020

Scientists develop "smart" remote-control bandage for chronic wounds

People with diabetes suffer from chronic and non-healing wounds, often leading to severe infection and, eventually, amputation of the limb. The essential treatment for these wounds is the continuous application of medicines and the regular changing of bandages to prevent infection.

16 Feb 2020

Bile duct cancer treatment could be improved by tailored medication

Treatment of patients suffering from bile duct cancer could be improved by tailoring medication to the levels of a key protein in people with the disease, according to new research.

16 Feb 2020

Surgical jackets and head covers do not reduce surgical site infections, study shows

A study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham published in JAMA Surgery on Feb. 12 indicates that surgical jackets and head covers known as bouffants did not reduce the incidence of surgical site infections.

16 Feb 2020

Wayne State researchers receive grant to develop new treatments for Barth syndrome

Barth syndrome is a rare and life-threatening, X-linked genetic disorder that primarily affects males and is passed from mother to son; women who are carriers do not show symptoms of the disorder.

16 Feb 2020

Study suggests potential treatment to alleviate disorders of consciousness

A small amount of electricity delivered at a specific frequency to a particular point in the brain will snap a monkey out of even deep anesthesia, pointing to a circuit of brain activity key to consciousness and suggesting potential treatments for debilitating brain disorders.

16 Feb 2020

Advancing a protein drug in lettuce leaves to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension

In pulmonary arterial hypertension, high blood pressure in the lungs' arteries causes the heart to work extra hard to pump blood to the lungs and around the rest of the body.

16 Feb 2020

Breakthrough discovery could open up new treatments for some blood cancers

Reversing runaway inflammation in the bone marrow could lead to major breakthroughs in treatments for some blood cancers, according to a new publication by scientists at Hackensack Meridian Health's Center for Discovery and Innovation.

16 Feb 2020

Vitamin E can safely treat fatty liver disease in patients with HIV

A type of fatty liver disease that commonly affects patients with HIV can be safely treated with vitamin E, a McGill-led study has found.

16 Feb 2020

Subtle differences in cognitive performance predict progression to Alzheimer's pathology

Alzheimer's disease is progressive, but slow to develop -- or at least to reveal itself. In a new study, published online February 14, 2020 in the journal Biological Psychiatry, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues elsewhere, report that early, subtle differences in cognitive performance, such as fewer words recalled on a memory test, are a sign that harmful proteins are accumulating in the brain, even if levels of those proteins do not yet qualify as dangerous.

16 Feb 2020

Mason researchers working to improve upper limb prosthetics

Siddhartha Sikdar, Professor, Bioengineering, Volgenau School of Engineering, Parag Chitnis, Assistant Professor, Bioengineering, and Guoqing Diao, Associate Professor, Statistics, are working to develop and evaluate a prototype prosthetic control system that uses wearable ultrasound imaging sensors to sense residual muscle activity rather than electromyography.

16 Feb 2020

Out-of-network primary care linked to rising ACO costs, study finds

Accountable Care Organizations -- or ACOs -- formed for the first time in 2011, designed to combat rising medical costs and provide more coordinated care to Medicare patients. But the savings have been inconsistent nationwide.

16 Feb 2020

Combination of green tea extract and exercise mitigates fatty liver disease in mice

The combination of green tea extract and exercise reduced the severity of obesity-related fatty liver disease by 75% in mice fed a high-fat diet, according to Penn State researchers, whose recent study may point to a potential health strategy for people.

16 Feb 2020

Vitamin C may shorten duration of mechanical ventilation in critical care patients

Vitamin C administration shortened the duration of mechanical ventilation in critical care patients, but the effect depended on the severity of illness.

16 Feb 2020