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Computerized brain shows how depressive episodes affect memory

Scientists have used a computational model to show how depressive episodes affect the brain’s ability to store and recall memories.

8 Jun 2018

Livestock may play important role in epidemiology of leptospirosis in sub-Saharan Africa

Leptospirosis, which affects more than one million people worldwide each year, is known to be transmitted to humans from a wide range of animals. Now, researchers reporting in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases have discovered that more than 7 percent of the cattle and 1 percent of sheep and goats in local slaughterhouses in northern Tanzania are infected with Leptospira bacteria.

8 Jun 2018

Study finds cattle as possible source of human leptospirosis in Africa

The bacterial infection leptospirosis is increasingly recognized as an important cause of fever in Africa. Now, researchers reporting in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases have analyzed the major risk factors for contracting leptospirosis and discovered that rice and cattle farming are associated with acute infection.

8 Jun 2018

Research shows link between higher serum vitamin D levels and lower cholesterol in children

There is a link between higher serum vitamin D levels and lower plasma cholesterol levels in primary school children, new research from the University of Eastern Finland shows. Children whose serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels exceeded 80 nmol/l had lower plasma total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels than children whose serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were below 50 nmol/l, which is often regarded as a threshold value for vitamin D sufficiency

8 Jun 2018

Scientists find role of schizophrenia gene in brain development

A USC research team identified 150 proteins affecting cell activity and brain development that contribute to mental disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar condition and depression.

8 Jun 2018

Uncertainty about potential partners' romantic interest reduces sexual appeal, shows study

According to a new study, those who feel greater certainty that a prospective romantic partner reciprocates their interest will put more effort into seeing that person again, while rating the possible date as more sexually attractive than they would if they were less certain about the prospective date's romantic intentions.

8 Jun 2018

New research provides clues into development of mammalian cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex - the brain's epicenter of high-level cognitive functions, such as memory formation, attention, thought, language and consciousness - has fascinated neuroscientists for centuries.

8 Jun 2018

Synthetic cannabis use may increase risk of heart attack and stroke

The warning follows their treatment of a 25 year old prison inmate who had no family history of heart disease or traditional cardiovascular risk factors, and who was left with a permanent disability.

8 Jun 2018

Study finds decline in pregnancy and birth rates among teens in Minnesota

Pregnancy and birth rates continue to decline for 15-19-year-olds in Minnesota, with rates decreasing the most among youth from communities of color.

8 Jun 2018

New model explains how the brain stores memories of tangible events

Dr. Thomas Hainmüller and Prof. Dr. Marlene Bartos of the Institute of Psychology of the University of Freiburg have established a new model to explain how the brain stores memories of tangible events.

8 Jun 2018

Treating silent malaria cases could help stop spread of disease, shows study

In regions where malaria illness is widespread, it is common to find many individuals who are infected with malaria parasites, but without symptoms.

8 Jun 2018

Customized resistance exercise helps female fibromyalgia patients improve health

Fibromyalgia and resistance exercise have often been considered an impossible combination. But with proper support and individually adjusted exercises, female patients achieved considerable health improvements, according to research carried out at Sahlgrenska Academy, Sweden.

8 Jun 2018

Researchers uncover why people with Parkinson's disease suffer from sleep disturbances

A team of researchers at VIB and KU Leuven has uncovered why people with a hereditary form of Parkinson's disease suffer from sleep disturbances.

8 Jun 2018

Army researchers develop new app to optimize caffeine consumption

It's 9 a.m. and you're facing a dilemma: should I have a second cup of coffee? Caffeine spurs the central nervous system, making a person feel more awake, alert, and prepared to withstand the barrage of work meetings. It's why it's the most commonly used stimulant in the world.

8 Jun 2018

People using low rather than high nicotine e-cigarettes may be vaping more intensely, study finds

Vapers using low rather than high nicotine e-cigarettes may be using their devices more intensely, potentially increasing the risk of exposure to toxins in the vapour, according to new research funded by Cancer Research UK and published in Addiction today.

8 Jun 2018

Scientists find key biomarker of Parkinson's disease in the retina

A research involving scientists from the University of Alicante and the United States notes that the accumulation of a protein known as alpha-synuclein in the retina is a key Parkinson's biomarker that could help detect the degree of severity of the disease.

8 Jun 2018

New analytical method improves diagnosis and monitoring of cancer

Ten times more sensitive than current techniques, the technique allows, from a blood serum sample, to simultaneously detect different biomarkers related to cancer.

8 Jun 2018

Some tumors use two levels of protection against immune system, shows study

In research published today, Babraham Institute researchers have shown that some tumors use not one but two levels of protection against the immune system.

8 Jun 2018

Researchers identify culprit that spurs damaging inflammation following heart attack

Scientists have zeroed in on a culprit that spurs damaging inflammation in the heart following a heart attack. The guilty party is a type of immune cell that tries to heal the injured heart but instead triggers inflammation that leads to even more damage.

8 Jun 2018

Study reveals new genetic causes of non-syndromic cleft lip and palate

A study conducted by an international research team, which included investigators from Seattle Children's Research Institute, implicates variants in four genes as a primary cause of non-syndromic cleft lip and palate in humans.

8 Jun 2018