11 Aug, 2014 | by Labroots
How Do You Face Up to Negotiations?Many research studies have shown that what we look like affects what other people think of us and can influence our material well-being. Some of these findings are not very surprising. Tall people make more money than shorter people. Blonde women can have an advantage over other women even if they have less education. The most attractive people make about$246,000 more over the course of their lifetimes...... Read More
04 Aug, 2014 | by Labroots
Take a Chip and Call Me in 16 YearsBack in 1993 John Santini, an undergraduate at the University of Michigan inspired by a presentation given by MIT professor Michael Cima, started to develop the idea of storing tiny doses of medicine in a chip like those found in electronic devices and then using an electronic signal to release the medicine over months or years. This idea became the basis for the Lexington, MA-based company, MicroCHIPS....... Read More
24 Jul, 2014 | by Labroots
A Missile Detector that can stop Malaria?What can we do with a retired anti-tank Javelin missile-detector? Apparently we can use it to identify malaria parasites in blood. The detector is meant for sensing Javelin heat-seeking missiles and contains a focal plane array that gives specific information on a target area in minutes. Research published in the journal Analyst shows that this same technology works well in identifying malaria parasites...... Read More
22 Jul, 2014 | by Labroots
Some Day a Simple Blood Draw Could Help Personalize Cancer TreatmentA paper by Massachusetts General Hospital researchers that was recently published in Science, revealed a method that with a simple blood draw, could allow personalized treatment of a patientâs cancer. In this method a blood sample is taken and the cancer cells are isolated, placed in a laboratory dish, and experimented with to find which drugs work best to inhibit the growth of tumor cells in the...... Read More
15 Jul, 2014 | by Labroots
New Approaches Needed to Speed up New Drug DevelopmentScientific advances are bringing the time closer to when personalized approaches will become more common in treating illnesses. Medicines would take into account the patientâs history, disease risk and pathology and be tailor-made to be most effective for that specific patient. But, slowing the developments of these therapies is todayâs clinical trial process, which has fallen behind scientific...... Read More
11 Jul, 2014 | by Labroots
Resetting Your Internal Clock with DietOur internal biological clock (or circadian clock) plays an important role in regulating the daily rhythms of human behavior and biology. The human circadian clock enables maximum expression of genes at appropriate times of day to help the body adapt to the earthâs rotation. Desynchronization of the clock with the environment can affect physiological performance as well as increase risk of certain...... Read More
10 Jul, 2014 | by Labroots
Massachusetts Governor Patrick Signs Bill Granting Patient Access to Interchangeable Biologic MedicinesThe Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MassBio) commended Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick for signing legislation yesterday designed to create a pathway for the substitution of interchangeable biologic medicines. The policies outlined in House Bill 3734 align withall five of BIOâs principles on biologic substitution. BIO and MassBio commended...... Read More
08 Jul, 2014 | by Labroots
Could Zombies Help Us During An Infectious Disease Outbreak?Zombies are enjoying a recent surge in popularity, but our interest in them spans centuries. Their origins trace back to the folklore of tribes in Western Africa. Can our current interest in zombies be used to educate about public health infrastructure and the spread of infectious disease? Melissa Nasiruddin, Monique Halabi, Alexander Dao, Kyle Chen, and Brandon Brown of the University of California,...... Read More
02 Jul, 2014 | by Labroots
Do You Worry A Lot? Good.Worrying about skin cancer appears more effective in getting people to wear sunscreen than disease statistics, a new study from the University of Buffalo finds. Research on whether people use sunscreen or not usually tends to focus on education and what information people have read about and retain. Now, it seems worrying about the potential of getting cancer is more influential than knowledge, though...... Read More
30 Jun, 2014 | by Labroots
New Research Offers Hope That Dyslectic Children Can Get Off to a Smooth Start in SchoolItâs estimated that about 10 to 15% of the U.S. has some degree of dyslexia. But, before their condition is diagnosed it can be a confusing and difficult time for children and their parents as they struggle to figure out why their children are having trouble in school. But, now thereâs hope that dyslectic children can be identified and helped before they get into a cycle of failure. Dyslexia is...... Read More