SciGlow | All Science News In One Place
SciGlow is a newsletter of science stories from the major research labs. Headlines link to in-depth articles and editorials. SciGlow keeps scientists and others up-to-date on current research.
A smart shirt that measures lung function by sensing movements in the chest and abdomen has proved to be accurate when compared to traditional testing equipment, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress. Researchers have used the smart shirts, together with a mobile app, to reliably measure breathing in healthy people … Read more
In response to seizures, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), a network of flattened tubes in the cell that packages and transports proteins, triggers a stress response that reduces brain activity and seizure severity. The new findings, reported by Nien-Pei Tsai and colleagues at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on 26th September in PLOS Genetics, may have important … Read more
In 1999, West Nile virus was detected in the United States for the first time, and within five years it had spread from New York across the contiguous United States and into Canada, Mexico, and Central and South America. Transmitted to humans by mosquitoes that feed on infected birds, West Nile virus has served as … Read more
Researchers have discovered that gene expression regulators work together to raise an individual’s risk of developing schizophrenia. Schizophrenia-like gene expression changes modeled in human neurons matched changes found in patients’ brains. The researchers, led by Kristen Brennand, of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, report on their findings in Nature Genetics. … Read more
UQ researchers have discovered a potential drug target for Alzheimer’s disease — an enzyme which has effects on both the immune and nervous systems. Dr Ramón Martínez-Mármol and Professor Frédéric A. Meunier from the Queensland Brain Institute Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research found that targeting one enzyme could combat the disease on two … Read more
Redesigning molecules originally developed to treat the skin disease psoriasis could lead to an effective new drug against malaria, according to an international team of researchers. The team modified a class of molecules called pantothenamides to increase their stability in humans. The new compounds stop the malaria parasite from replicating in infected humans and from … Read more
A UCLA-led study has found that using three-dimensional virtual reality models to prepare for kidney tumor surgeries resulted in substantial improvements, including shorter operating times, less blood loss during surgery and a shorter stay in the hospital afterward. Previous studies involving 3D models have largely asked qualitative questions, such as whether the models gave the … Read more
It’s a highly anticipated rite of passage for many high schoolers – finally getting to drive your friends around. But having teens who carpool with peers can be a nerve-wracking experience for many parents, with more than half in a new national poll saying their child has probably been in an unsafe situation as a … Read more
The political sanctions imposed on Iran by the US are curtailing global scientific progress, suggests an analysis published in the online journal BMJ Global Health. Iranian scientists have been denied opportunities to publish their findings, attend meetings, and access essential supplies and information, to the detriment of international collaboration and nations’ ability to respond to health … Read more
Many people struggle to keep their weight in check as they get older. Now new research at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has uncovered why that is: Lipid turnover in the fat tissue decreases during ageing and makes it easier to gain weight, even if we don’t eat more or exercise less than before. The study … Read more