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Teenagers' brains affected by preterm birth
Computer science helping the aged stay home
Babies born to stressed mothers more likely to be bullied at school
Researchers Find Way to Boost WiFi Performance 400-700 Percent
Researchers have analysed the atomic structure of amorphous silica
Driving drones can be a drag
No more advantage for left-handed players in professional tennis?
Study finds high exposure to food-borne toxins
Genital Injuries: Painful Yet Mostly Preventable
Scientists tracking down genes that help bees defend against mites
Ancient foot massage technique may ease cancer symptoms
A novel electrotherapy greatly reduces the energy needed to shock a heart back into rhythm
Targeting Downstream Proteins in Cancer-Causing Pathway Shows Promise in Cell, Animal Model, Penn Study Finds
Vitamin D prevents clogged arteries in diabetics

Teenagers' brains affected by preterm birth

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 07:07 AM PST

New research at the University of Adelaide has demonstrated that teenagers born prematurely may suffer brain development problems that directly affect their memory and learning abilities.

The research, conducted by Dr Julia Pitcher and Dr Michael Ridding from the University of Adelaide's Robinson Institute, shows reduced 'plasticity' in the brains of teenagers who were born preterm (at or before 37 weeks gestation).

The results of the research are published today in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Computer science helping the aged stay home

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 07:03 AM PST

University of Adelaide computer scientists are leading a project to develop novel sensor systems to help older people keep living independently and safely in their own homes.

The researchers are adapting radio-frequency identification (RFID) and sensor technologies to automatically identify and monitor human activity; to be able to determine if an individual's normal routine is being maintained so that timely assistance can be provided if it is needed.

Babies born to stressed mothers more likely to be bullied at school

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 07:00 AM PST

Children whose mothers were overly stressed during pregnancy are more likely to become victims of bullying at school.

New research from the University of Warwick shows stress and mental health problems in pregnant women may affect the developing baby and directly increases the risk of the child being victimised in later life.

The study has been published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and is based on 8,829 children from the Avon Longtitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).

Researchers Find Way to Boost WiFi Performance 400-700 Percent

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 06:46 AM PST

As many WiFi users know, WiFi performance is often poor in areas where there are a lot of users, such as airports or coffee shops. But researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new software program, called WiFox, which can be incorporated into existing networks and expedites data traffic in large audience WiFi environments – improving data throughput by up to 700 percent.

Researchers have analysed the atomic structure of amorphous silica

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 06:39 AM PST

We can look through glass, but what glass itself looks like on the inside has so far remained a mystery - at least as far as the precise position of the atoms is concerned. Scientists at the Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max Planck Society in Berlin are now the first to have imaged the network of silicon and oxygen atoms - the main components of glass - in a silica film.

Driving drones can be a drag

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 06:30 AM PST

On its surface, operating a military drone looks a lot like playing a video game: Operators sit at workstations, manipulating joysticks to remotely adjust a drone’s pitch and elevation, while grainy images from the vehicle’s camera project onto a computer screen. An operator can issue a command to fire if an image reveals a hostile target, but such adrenaline-charged moments are few and far between.

No more advantage for left-handed players in professional tennis?

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 04:30 AM PST

During the past forty years of professional tennis a number of left-handed champions such as Rod Laver, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe or Martina Navratilova dominated the tour. More recently, the left-handed player Rafael Nadal was Roger Federer’s toughest competitor for the world number one in men’s tennis for several years. While success in tennis is likely to dependent on diverse aspects such as highly developed motor or psychological skills, left-handedness in particular was oftentimes considered beneficial for high level achievement in this sport.

Study finds high exposure to food-borne toxins

Posted: 13 Nov 2012 04:34 PM PST

In a sobering study published in the journal Environmental Health, researchers at UC Davis and UCLA measured food-borne toxin exposure in children and adults by pinpointing foods with high levels of toxic compounds and determining how much of these foods were consumed. The researchers found that family members in the study, and preschool children in particular, are at high risk for exposure to arsenic, dieldrin, DDE (a DDT metabolite), dioxins and acrylamide. These compounds have been linked to cancer, developmental disabilities, birth defects and other conditions.

Genital Injuries: Painful Yet Mostly Preventable

Posted: 13 Nov 2012 04:28 PM PST

The infamous bathroom scene in the 1998 film “There’s Something About Mary” made audiences cringe, but for hundreds of men each year, it’s no laughing matter.

A comprehensive survey of genital injuries over the last decade involving mishaps with consumer products — like overzealous zipping — that brought adults to U.S. emergency rooms reveals that such accidents are common and may be preventable, according to doctors at UCSF.

Scientists tracking down genes that help bees defend against mites

Posted: 13 Nov 2012 04:21 PM PST

Purdue University researchers are zeroing in on genes that help honeybees defend against varroa mites, one of the largest factors in bee population declines.

Varroa mites are parasites that attack honeybees and infect them with viruses that cause death. The mites can infest and kill entire bee colonies.

Ancient foot massage technique may ease cancer symptoms

Posted: 13 Nov 2012 04:14 PM PST

A study led by a Michigan State University researcher offers the strongest evidence yet that reflexology – a type of specialized foot massage practiced since the age of pharaohs – can help cancer patients manage their symptoms and perform daily tasks.

Funded by the National Cancer Institute and published in the latest issue of Oncology Nursing Forum, it is the first large-scale, randomized study of reflexology as a complement to standard cancer treatment, according to lead author Gwen Wyatt, a professor in the College of Nursing.

A novel electrotherapy greatly reduces the energy needed to shock a heart back into rhythm

Posted: 13 Nov 2012 12:29 PM PST

Implantable defibrillators currently on the market apply between 600 and 900 volts to the heart, almost 10 times the voltage from an electric outlet, says Ajit H. Janardhan, MD, PhD, a cardiac electrophysiology fellow at the Washington University’s School of Medicine.

After being shocked, he says, some patients get post-traumatic stress disorder. Patients may even go so far as to ask their physicians to remove the defibrillator, even though they understand that the device has saved their lives.

Targeting Downstream Proteins in Cancer-Causing Pathway Shows Promise in Cell, Animal Model, Penn Study Finds

Posted: 13 Nov 2012 12:23 PM PST

The cancer-causing form of the gene Myc alters the metabolism of mitochondria, the cell’s powerhouse, making it dependent on the amino acid glutamine for survival. In fact, 40 percent of all “hard-to-treat” cancers have a mutation in the Myc gene.

Accordingly, depriving cells of glutamine selectively induces programmed cell death in cells overexpressing mutant Myc.

Vitamin D prevents clogged arteries in diabetics

Posted: 13 Nov 2012 12:19 PM PST

People with diabetes often develop clogged arteries that cause heart disease, and new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that low vitamin D levels are to blame.

In a study published Nov. 9 in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the researchers report that blood vessels are less like to clog in people with diabetes who get adequate vitamin D. But in patients with insufficient vitamin D, immune cells bind to blood vessels near the heart, then trap cholesterol to block those blood vessels.