22 Sep, 2014 | by Labroots
Why do Older People Sleep Less?You might think that the stresses of daily life and increased physical challenges might cause older people to sleep more. But, as we know, often the opposite is true. People over 70 tend to have more trouble sleeping than they did in their youth. Now scientists at Bostonâs Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Rush University in Chicago and the University of Toronto may have spread light on why this...... Read More
19 Sep, 2014 | by Labroots
Kids’ Drawings Might Predict Intelligence 10 Years LaterThose drawings your preschooler did that are hanging on the refrigerator may predict how many Aâs might appear on his or her middle school report card. A study published in Psychological Science found that the accuracy of a childâs observational skills as demonstrated by their drawings is tied directly to their level of intelligence in adolescence. 7,752 pairs of 4-year old identical and non-identical...... Read More
12 Sep, 2014 | by Labroots
Cholesterol Drug Slashes Heart Attack, Stroke Risk in Initial TestsAn investigational cholesterol-reducing drug lowered patientsâ levels of bad cholesterol by about 62 percent after six months, and halved their risk of premature death, stroke, and heart attack versus a placebo, researchers report. The drug, calledalirocumab, was developed by Sanofi, Paris, and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, NY. The companies are encouraged by the findings, but say a...... Read More
11 Sep, 2014 | by Labroots
Ebola Pill: Supply and DemandEbola is starting to make an impact on people in the Western world. A recently released Harvard School of Public Health/SSRS poll shows that four in ten (39%) US adults are concerned there will be a large outbreak in the United States, and a quarter (26%) are concerned they or someone in their close family may get sick with Ebola over the next year. We can debate whether this is because more than...... Read More
10 Sep, 2014 | by Labroots
Israel-Shanghai Collaboration in Health Emergency ManagementBen Gurion University (BGU) is leading a unique workshop on emergency preparedness and response for Chinese senior officials from Shanghai. Â The workshop is designed to achieve two major goals. Â The first is to promote the policy initiated by the Israeli government to enhance relations between Israel and China. Â The second is the firm belief that global disaster management can be best attained through...... Read More
04 Sep, 2014 | by Labroots
Street Drug 15 Times More Powerful Than HeroinAn emerging street drug that is up to 15 times more potent than heroinâsold to users as heroinâis looming on the horizon, according to an article in the journal in Annals of Emergency Medicine. The quasi-legal drug, called acetyl fentanyl, is an opiate that is brewed into street drugs. Users generally inject it intravenously. The drug has no accepted medical use, and it is not regulated. It is...... Read More
03 Sep, 2014 | by Labroots
Too Many Tomatoes? Make Car Parts!If youâre a gardener, this is the time of year where you might be drowning in an abundance of ripe, juicy tomatoes. Donât worry; if youâre getting tired of caprese salad and tomato sauce you can turn them into car parts. In June, the Ford Motor Company announced a partnership with Heinz to develop a plastic derived from leftover tomato skins. The plan is to use the tomato-based plastic to produce...... Read More
02 Sep, 2014 | by Labroots
Flipping a Switch to Drop the PoundsResearchers at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) in La Jolla, California have found a way to âswitch onâ a calorie-burning process in brown fat cells. The study, which was reported on in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences looks at a process known as âbrown fat thermogenesis.â Most of our fat cells are âwhite fatâ cells used for storing fat in reserve for when energy...... Read More
21 Aug, 2014 | by Labroots
Penn Medicine Neuropathologist Receives Doris Duke Grant to Study Brain DisordersEdward B. Lee, M.D., Ph.D, an assistant professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, has received a three-year Clinical Scientist Development Award (CSDA) for $486,000 from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation to support his research in frontotemporal lobar degeneration and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Lee...... Read More
19 Aug, 2014 | by Labroots
New Computer Chip Mimics Brain FunctionIBM has developed a radically different computer chip whose architecture seeks to mimic that of the brain. A prototype was first built in 2011 based on designs from a monkey brain. It simulates the functions of neurons and synapses. The chip took 10 years to develop and relied on $53.5 million in funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Unlike conventional chips, this new...... Read More