Category: Features
Scientists invent electrical scaffolding-like material to help heal broken bones
Current implants or scaffold materials that mimic the body’s own electrical field, to stimulate bone cells into reproducing, are bulky, inconvenient and need to be surgically removed once the broken bone has healed. A new, wirelessly powered innovation by scientists at the University of Connecticut (UConn), US, now ensures that the implants would promote bone […]
Digital edition of CAREhab postponed to later date in July 2020
The digital edition of Asia’s annual healthcare platform CAREhab 2020 and conference element 6th Singapore Rehabilitation Conference, previously announced to take place live via the CAREhab GO platform from 10-11 July 2020, has been postponed due to the Singapore general elections. The live virtual edition of CAREhab – Singapore Rehabilitation Conference 2020 will now be held […]
Babies recognise when adults imitate them and perceive imitators as more friendly
Imitating young infants seems to be an effective way to catch their interest and bond with them, researchers from Lund University, Sweden, observe after meeting and playing together with 6-month old babies in their homes for a time. The babies would look and smile longer at a stranger who imitated them, approached them more, and […]
Children develop unique cognitive offloading strategy to simplify thinking
Children as young as 4 years old tend to use various cognitive aids – including notepads and apps – to simplify tasks as necessary, according to a recent study from the University of Queensland (UQ) in Brisbane, Australia. This process is known as “cognitive offloading” – the harder a task is, the more likely an […]
Philippines DOH warns public against “steam inhalation” to prevent COVID-19
The Department of Health (DOH) in the Philippines recently cautioned against the practice of “tuob” or steam inhalation with salt, lemon, and other ingredients,to prevent COVID-19 infection. Steam inhalation purportedly kills SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the deadly coronavirus disease. DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said there is no scientific evidence proving that inhalation of […]
Targeted ultrasound-microbubbles “blast apart” and destroy cancer cells
Scientists experimenting with microbubbles as a way of treating cancer have made an exciting new discovery –biomedical engineers at Israel’s Tel Aviv University (TAU) found potential weapons in ultrasound-powered microbubbles, which can tear apart the majority of tumour cells in breast cancer models. The microbubbles are filled with gas and, when subjected to sound waves […]
Moderate drinking also bears severe consequences, more so for men
A new study by researchers at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR) at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, showed that limited alcohol consumption did protect women from death from heart attack, but not for men, “who experienced harm at all drinking levels.” Using British Columbia-specific alcohol exposure data from substance […]
MIT’s innovative surgical tape can patch up wet organs and peel off harmlessly
Last year, a team of MIT engineers developed an impressive alternative to sutures – a surgical adhesive or double-sided tape that could stick to the wet surfaces of organs and even attach implantable medical devices to tissues. Now, the engineers have introduced a way to safely remove the adhesive when it’s no longer needed, without […]
Opportunistic gut pathogens associated with likelihood of Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease (PD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, has been linked to the gut many a time, and a new study by neurologists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), US, has identified a type of overabundant pathogen in the guts of PD patients which is thought to influence their disease. The neurologists looked at […]
US study finds living environment, socioeconomic status greatly impact longevity
A living environment that supports healthy aging is more likely to influence longevity rather than good genes. According to a new study conducted at Washington State University’s (WSU) Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washingtonians who live in highly walkable, mixed-age communities may be able to live to their 100th birthday, as will those located […]
