Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Rapid blood test to diagnose sepsis at the bedside could save thousands of lives
Researchers have identified a biomarker -- a biological 'fingerprint' -- for sepsis in the blood, and showed it could be possible to diagnose the condition within two hours by screening...
Separating the good from the bad in bacteria
New microfluidic technique quickly distinguishes bacteria within the same strain; could improve monitoring of cystic fibrosis and other diseases.
Babies Know When Reactions Don't Match Emotions - At 18 Months
A new paper says that babies can tell when something is wrong — as early as 18 months. read more
Schizophrenia Linked To Abnormal Brain Waves
Schizophrenia patients often suffer from a breakdown of organized thought, accompanied by delusions or hallucinations - neuroscientists have observed the neural activity that appears to produce this disordered thinking and...
New Technology That Sorts Cells by Stiffness May Help Spot Disease
Researchers have developed a new technology to sort human cells according to their stiffness, which might one day help doctors identify certain diseases in patients, according to a new study.
Life After Death? New Techniques Halt Dying Process
The line between life and death is not as clear as once thought, now that developments in the science of resuscitation have made it possible to revive people even hours...
As chimpanzees grow, so does yawn contagion
As sanctuary-kept chimpanzees grow from infant to juvenile, they develop increased susceptibility to human yawn contagion, possibility due to their increasing ability to empathize, says a study published October 16,...
Study shows how Staph toxin disarms the immune system
Researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center have discovered a new mechanism by which the deadly Staphylococcus aureus bacteria attack and kill off immune cells. Their findings, published today in the...
Homeopathic nosodes 'should not be on the shelf'
Certain homeopathic products, called nosodes, are advertised and sold in Canada to prevent flu and other illnesses but carry the potential for harm, public health experts say.
Sex Positions That Won't Break Your Artificial Hip, According To Science
Brand New Hip NIH These are questions you try not to think about when your graddad gets his hip replaced, but when you get an artificial joint, some hip-shaking activities become...
Hopes raised for Ebola treatment
Most monkeys given dual therapy survive infection with lethal virus.
What makes a data visualization memorable?
It's easy to spot a "bad" data visualization—one packed with too much text, excessive ornamentation, gaudy colors, and clip art. Design guru Edward Tufte derided such decorations as redundant at...
Don't panic! These cyborg roaches are trained for emergencies
Hundreds of cyborg insects carrying radio transmitters like backpacks may one day scurry in to help emergency responders survey damaged or contaminated buildings after an earthquake, chemical spill or nuclear...
Light triggers death switch in cancer cells
Researchers have created a peptide (a small piece of protein), linked to a light-responsive dye, capable of switching 'on' death pathways in cancer cells. The peptide remains inactive until exposed...
'Individualized' therapy for the brain targets specific gene mutations causing dementia, ALS
Scientists have developed new drugs that — at least in a laboratory dish — appear to halt the brain-destroying impact of a genetic mutation at work in some forms of...
Using mobile devices to look up drug info prevents adverse events in nursing homes
Nearly nine out of 10 nursing home physicians said that using their mobile devices to look up prescription drug information prevented at least one adverse drug event in the previous...
Medical Journals Refuse to Publish Tobacco-Funded Research (Op-Ed)
Editors of journals published by the BMJ Group will no longer consider publishing research that is partly or wholly funded by the tobacco industry, the journals have said in an...
Researchers discover, treat toxic effects of ALS mutation in neurons using patients' skin cells
Researchers have discovered how the most common genetic abnormality in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia kills neurons, and have successfully developed a therapeutic strategy to block this neurodegeneration...
Get Rid Of Pills: Happiness Could Trigger A Dose Of Meds
Daily Pills Dvortygirl via Wikimedia Commons Taking a medication every day, or multiple times a day, is way too much work. You're bound to forget every once in a while. So what...
Taking stock of research on sleepless soldiers
Various behavioral treatment options are helping to treat the sleeplessness experienced by American soldiers who have been deployed in recent military operations. A review of research has been done on...
Participation in cardiac rehab program improves recovery in stroke patients
Stroke patients who participate in a cardiac rehabilitation program for six months make rapid gains in how far and fast they can walk, the use of weakened limbs and their...
Poor rural youth in Haiti are rich in family ties, rooted in their own culture
Haitian teens, especially those who live in the country's rural areas, are among the poorest persons in the Western Hemisphere, but they are rich in their family relationships and strongly...
Science publishing: The golden club
Publishing in the most prestigious journals can open doors, but their cachet is under attack.Nature 502 291 doi: 10.1038/502291a
Research assessments: Judgement day
Many governments are assessing the quality of university research, much to the dismay of some researchers.Nature 502 288 doi: 10.1038/502288a
Scientists 'Eavesdrop' On A Brain
Brain Teaser Medi-Mation A team of researchers from Stanford say they've created a system to "eavesdrop" on the brain, allowing them to monitor a person's brain activity while that person moves around (and thinks) in...
Predicting health risks of everyday chemicals
Concern over the safety of everyday household products, such as baby bottles and soaps, has spurred a wide-ranging research effort into predicting the health risks of tens of thousands of...
Angelina Jolie's Breast Surgeon Speaks Out
The plastic surgeon who performed Angelina Jolie's recent breast reconstruction is speaking out, calling for a team approach, with plastic surgeons involved from the time a woman is considering treatment...
Pill recall prompts Health Canada to pledge faster notice
Health Canada says it has a plan to better communicate with the public about risks from recalled products after an independent review criticized how the recall of Alysena 28 birth-control...