Category: Features
Samoa’s unvaccinated citizens to show red flags in country-wide vaccination against measles
The tiny Pacific nation of 200,000 is to widen its vaccination programme against measles, a highly infectious and deadly disease outbreak. Previous efforts were concentrated on children, who marked most of the dead, but will now include the entire population […]
Finnish study finds link between antibiotic exposure and Parkinson’s disease
Around 10 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD), a condition which affects the area of the brain related to movement; its patients also stand to develop symptoms of depression, sleep disruption, urinary difficulties and constipation, among […]
Daily avocado intake reduces “bad” cholesterol, promotes eye health
Researchers at Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), US, have recently found that eating an avocado a day led to lower levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) – specifically small, dense LDL particles – and oxidised LDL in adults classed as overweight […]
Fibrous membrane designed in Switzerland to protect heart pacemakers
As useful as pacemakers may be, they do need to be surgically replaced every few years and may sport a layer of fibrous tissue on its surface by then, which could complicate the removal process, risk infections and so on. […]
UK study highlights link between inflammation and mental sluggishness
The ‘sluggishness’ or ‘brain fog’ that most people feel alongside a chronic illness may have more to do with inflammation – according to scientists at the Centre for Human Brain Health (CHBH) at the University of Birmingham, UK, inflammation specifically […]
Sleep deprivation has more dangerous affects than on just attention span, US study finds
A recent sleep study by Michigan State University’s (MSU) Sleep and Learning Lab has uncovered a greater impact of sleep deprivation on cognitive function than thought previously. Psychology Professor Kimberly Fenn said that sleep deprivation doubles the odds of placekeeping […]
US researchers find “undead” neurons causing Parkinson’s troubles
A new lead has opened up in the study of Parkinson’s disease (PD) – its seemingly “dead” neurons have not only stopped working but can induce surrounding healthy neurons to stop working as well. Uncommon to the nerve cells of […]
Single, antibody-based injection reduces effects of peanut allergy for weeks
Soon, treatment for peanut allergy could be made possible through a single injection – medical scientists at Stanford University, in California, US, found that an (etokimab) injection alone ensured those with severe allergies could stomach peanuts for a time. By […]
Neuromodulation therapy made easier with injectable electrodes
Implanted electrodes, for conditions that require nerve-stimulating treatment, are rigid, costly and usually involve surgery. However, a new “injectrode” (injectable electrode) solution could provide a much simpler, and cheaper, alternative to traditional implants. Biomedical engineers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison […]
Double-sided tape invention provides alternative to surgical sutures
Sutures are the go-to method to close up wounds within the body but scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have recently developed a special double-sided tape – inspired by nature’s glue, produced by spiders – to instead finish the […]
