A new diagnostic test developed at A*STAR is helping researchers around the world identify gene mutations that put people at risk of severe eczema and other chronic skin diseases. The skin’s outer layer forms a protective barrier against the external environment, thanks to a gene called FLG. People lacking a functional copy of this gene, […]
Beauty is simpler, and less special, than we realize
Beauty, long studied by philosophers, and more recently by scientists, is simpler than we might think, New York University psychology researchers have concluded in a new analysis. Their work, which appears in the journal Current Biology, offers a new perspective on the value of aesthetics. “Beauty is famously subjective and supposed to be intractable by […]
Working memory might be more flexible than previously thought
Breaking with the long-held idea that working memory has fixed limits, a new study by researchers at Uppsala University and New York University suggests that these limits adapt themselves to the task that one is performing. The results are presented in the scientific journal eLife. You can read this sentence from beginning to end without […]
Right-sided colon cancer patients have poorer survival than those with left-sided disease
ORLANDO (July 23, 2018): Patients with colorectal cancer tumors on the right side may have poorer five-year survival rates than those whose tumors are located on the left side. However, a new large-scale retrospective study is the first to demonstrate a potential improvement of these outcomes. Study results show that nearly doubling the benchmark number […]
People who tan in gyms tan more often, and more addictively, than others, new research shows
Gyms are places people go to get healthier. But nearly half the gyms in the U.S. contain a potentially addictive carcinogen—tanning beds, report UConn researchers in the July 18 issue of JAMA Dermatology. Exercise reduces the risk of every cancer except one—melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. People who exercise heavily are at greater […]
Why vaccine opponents think they know more than medical experts
One of the most contentious areas of health policy over the past two decades has been the safety of vaccination. Vaccines prevent the outbreak of diseases that used to be widespread, like polio, and scientific consensus strongly supports their safety. Yet many Americans refuse or delay the vaccination of their children out of fear that […]
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 […]
FYI: White Wine Could Be Doing More Harm Than You Think
Let’s be honest – we’re always happy to rave about wine’s slated health benefits but a little less inclined to have a closer look at the drawbacks of our favourite drop. And unfortunately, white wine has been found to have a few of them. A recent study, published in the Journal of the American Academy […]
A Bloke On Why He Enjoys Watching Women's Sport More Than Men's Sport
I’ve been a dedicated cricket fan my whole life, I spend hours each summer at games and days in front of my TV (yep, summer’s a real riot at our house). Then, in winter, I watch the NRL and AFL. But I’ve never, apart from the occasional tennis game, watched women’s sport – until now. Over […]