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Ketogenic diet may be effective in treating schizophrenia

Research by James Cook University scientists has found a diet favoured by body-builders may be effective in treating schizophrenia.

17 Dec 2015

Zoledronate drug can protect stem cells from ageing

Stem cells can be protected from the effects of ageing by a drug currently used to treat patients with osteoporosis, a breakthrough study has found.

17 Dec 2015

CRCHUM researchers find mechanism responsible for rejection of organ transplants

A new cellular structure responsible for previously unexplained rejection of organ transplants has been identified by researchers at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre.

17 Dec 2015

Cardiff scientists find way to aid recovery, reduce risk of life-threatening infections in brain damaged patients

Cardiff University scientists believe they may have found a way to aid recovery and minimise the risk of life-threatening infections in patients with traumatic brain injuries.

17 Dec 2015

A glass of clean drinking water contains 10 million bacteria

Researchers from Lund University in Sweden have discovered that our drinking water is to a large extent purified by millions of "good bacteria" found in water pipes and purification plants. So far, the knowledge about them has been practically non-existent, but this new research is about to change that.

17 Dec 2015

UCA researchers identify compounds that favour generation of new neuronal cells

Many neurology pathologies cause irreversible loss of neurons. They are mostly the so-called neurodegenerative diseases although there exist other causes for a focal loss of neurons, as it is the case in strokes or traumatic brain injuries. All these pathologies lack nowadays of an efficient treatment not being possible to regenerate dead neurons. In fact, although the brain has the ability to regenerate as many studies has proved, this regeneration is very low, ranging from 0.2% to a maximum of 10% depending on the type of injury and the damaged area.

17 Dec 2015

Men perform wayfinding tasks better than women

It's been well established that men perform better than women when it comes to specific spatial tasks. But how much of that is linked to sex hormones versus cultural conditioning and other factors? Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) decided to explore this idea by administering testosterone to women and testing how they performed in wayfinding tasks in a virtual environment.

17 Dec 2015

Research project explores use of nanoparticles as a way to disinfect wounds

Infections contracted during surgical operations are a serious healthcare problem, leading to death in some cases. Now, a research project at the University of Huddersfield is investigating the use of nanoparticles as a way to disinfect wounds. It could prove to be much more effective than existing techniques because the particles would be tiny enough to enter the skin via hair follicles, ensuring much better penetration of the area affected by surgery.

17 Dec 2015

Study examines links between genetic background, physical activity level and lifespan

Animal studies have already shown that a strong link exists between genetic background and physical activity level. The purpose of our study was to investigate the associations between genetic background, physical activity level, and lifespan.

17 Dec 2015

Feeling sad can alter levels of inflammatory proteins linked to increased risk of comorbid diseases

Feeling sad can alter levels of stress-related opioids in the brain and increase levels of inflammatory proteins in the blood that are linked to increased risk of comorbid diseases including heart disease, stroke and metabolic syndrome, according to a study by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

17 Dec 2015

New study suggests that musclin may promote muscle health

A new study in mice shows that exercise causes muscle to release a peptide that builds the muscle's capacity for energy production and increases physical endurance, allowing for longer and more intense exercise.

17 Dec 2015

UMMS researchers identify new life cycle stage in HIV infection

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School have identified a new life cycle stage in HIV infection, thanks to a novel technique they developed to take images of intact infected cells.

17 Dec 2015

Salk researchers move one step closer to unlocking how the brain functions

How the brain functions is still a black box: scientists aren't even sure how many kinds of nerve cells exist in the brain. To know how the brain works, they need to know not only what types of nerve cells exist, but also how they work together. Researchers at the Salk Institute have gotten one step closer to unlocking this black box.

17 Dec 2015

Understanding how thought arises from brain structure

Using 20 years of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from tens of thousands of brain imaging experiments, computational neuroscientists Hava Siegelmann and a postdoctoral colleague at the University of Massachusetts have created a geometry-based method for massive data analysis to reach a new understanding of how thought arises from brain structure.

17 Dec 2015

Mutual eye contact synchronizes brain activity, facilitates face-to-face social interaction

Researchers at the National Institute of Physiological Science have revealed that mutual eye contact synchronizes spontaneous activity in specific areas of the brains of two interacting parties. The finding indicates that this synchronized brain activity is crucial in establishing and facilitating face-to-face social interaction.

17 Dec 2015

Scientists reveal major players in severe muscle damage caused by sepsis

Scientists from the Institut Pasteur, Paris Descartes University, Sainte-Anne Hospital and the CNRS have recently published a paper in Nature Communications in which they reveal major players in the severe muscle damage caused by sepsis, or septicemia, which explains why many patients suffer debilitating muscle impairment long-term after recovery.

17 Dec 2015

Berkeley Lab researchers develop new mouse model for most common form of breast cancer

The first clinically-relevant mouse model of human breast cancer to successfully express functional estrogen receptor positive (ER+) adenocarcinomas has been developed by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

17 Dec 2015

Researchers identify cells that give rise to blood vessels within the kidney

In a significant step toward growing replacement kidneys, researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have identified the cells that give rise to the blood vessels within the kidney. It's a discovery of critical importance, as efforts to grow kidneys have long been frustrated by the inability to create the vasculature necessary for a functional organ.

17 Dec 2015

Study sheds new light on the causes of autism

Evidence of autism may be found in the composition and malfunction of the brain's blood vessels, a team of scientists has found. Their research sheds new light on the causes of autism, which previously had pointed to neurological make-up rather than to the vascular system, and identifies a new target for potential therapeutic intervention.

17 Dec 2015

Oxford research programmes to explore link between metabolism, inflammation in metabolic diseases

Two innovative Oxford research programmes will explore the relationship between metabolism and inflammation in metabolic diseases. Obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and associated cardiovascular disease (CVD) -- all metabolic diseases -- are an epidemic global health problem.

17 Dec 2015