If you want to learn to walk a tightrope, it’s a good idea to go for a short run after each practice session. That’s because a recent study in NeuroImage demonstrates that exercise performed immediately after practicing a new motor skill improves its long-term retention. More specifically, the research shows, for the first time, that […]
FDA: Zephyr Endobronchial Valve approved for severe emphysema
(HealthDay)—A new device, the Zephyr Endobronchial Valve (Zephyr Valve), has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of breathing difficulties associated with severe emphysema. During a procedure in a hospital setting, the Zephyr Valves are placed into the diseased areas of the lung airways using a flexible bronchoscope. The device […]
Cost-effective universal screening for hepatitis C in France
An estimated 75,000 people in France are unaware they are infected by hepatitis C virus. An ANRS-funded study by Sylvie Deuffic-Burban, Ph.D., a research associate at IAME (Infection, Antimicrobials, Modeling, Evolution) (Inserm—Université Paris Diderot—Université Paris 13), and her team show that a universal screening strategy applied to hepatitis C is cost-effective and improves life expectancy […]
Child passport photographs ineffective for reliable identification at borders: study
Passport style photographs are not a reliable way to validate a child’s identity at border control or in child protection cases, according to a new study into the facial identification of infants. Psychologists presented research participants with pairs of photos, some showing only infant faces and some showing both an infant and an older child’s […]
Scientists identify mechanism that may explain why males are more at risk than females for neurodevelopmental disorders
Researchers have recently begun to realize that biological sex plays a key role in disease risk. Sex plays a role in hypertension, diabetes, arthritis—and in many neurological and psychiatric disorders. Depression and anxiety affect females more, while neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders, early onset schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity, affect more males. Males are […]
Cardiac hybrid imaging an effective tool for predicting heart attacks
Cardiac hybrid imaging with CT and nuclear stress testing is an excellent long-term predictor of adverse cardiac events like heart attacks in patients being evaluated for coronary artery disease, according to a study published in the journal Radiology. Coronary artery disease is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Invasive coronary angiography (ICA) is […]
GWS Giants Star Maddy Collier On What It's Like To Be Recognised For Her Sport
Maddy Collier was just 21 years old when she was made history as the first player to be selected for the GWS Giants AFL Women’s team. Almost one year later, after an amazing season in the inaugural AFLW competition, Maddy is adjusting to the realities of being a footy player in a televised, national league. […]
Link to brain protein holds promise for new depression treatments
Scientists have long known that an imbalance in brain chemistry can lead to depression. University of Victoria researchers have taken this knowledge a step further, examining what happens inside the brain’s cells in order to better understand how depression occurs. The results of that research raise the possibility of new treatments in the future for […]
Prostate cancer diagnosis later for Kiwi men
New Zealand men are being diagnosed with prostate cancer later in life at a higher prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level and higher disease grade compared to men in the United States according to University of Auckland research. Dr. Nishi Karunasinghe and colleagues at the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre at the University’s Faculty of Medical and […]
New small molecules for the treatment of autoinflammatory diseases
EPFL scientists have discovered two small-molecule compound series that can effectively block a central pathway of the innate immune system, offering a promising new way for treating autoinflammatory diseases. The study is published in Nature. The innate immune system is the first line of defense, with cells that quickly identify “foreign” motifs from viruses and […]