Hit your head, lose your sense of smell

It's long been known that people who suffer a major concussion can lose their sense of smell temporarily and also develop affective problems, such as anxiety and depression. Now scientists have found that's true even for people who get a minor concussion.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/hit-your-head-lose-your-sense-of-smell

Researchers unlock access to pain relief potential of cannabis

University of Guelph researchers are the first to uncover how the cannabis plant creates important pain-relieving molecules that are 30 times more powerful at reducing inflammation than Aspirin.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/researchers-unlock-access-to-pain-relief-potential-of-cannabis

Zhang group identifies gene that may make TNBC cells vulnerable to existing

Certain therapies that have proven effective in treating some types of breast cancers are ineffective for women diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In fact, there is limited targeted drug therapy for this type of breast cancer—the most aggressive type, diagnosed in about 20 percent of breast cancer patients.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/zhang-group-identifies-gene-that-may-make-tnbc-cells-vulnerable-to-existing

Active pharmaceutical ingredients can persist in the environment

Homeowners who rely on private wells as their drinking water source can be vulnerable to bacteria, nitrates, and other contaminants that have known human health risks. Because they are not connected to a public drinking water supply, the homeowners are responsible for ensuring that their own drinking water is safe.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/active-pharmaceutical-ingredients-can-persist-in-the-environment

PrEP use high but wanes after three months among young African women

In a study of open-label Truvada as daily pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV among 427 young African women and adolescent girls, 95% initiated the HIV prevention strategy, and most used PrEP for the first three months. However, PrEP use fell among participants in this critical population during a year of follow-up clinic visits, although HIV incidence at 12 months was low. The preliminary results suggest that tailored, evidence-based adherence support strategies may be needed to durably engage young African women in consistent PrEP use. The study, known as HPTN 082, was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), both parts of the National Institutes of Health. The data were presented at the 10th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/prep-use-high-but-wanes-after-three-months-among-young-african-women

E. coli superbug strains can persist in healthy women's guts

A recent study of over 1,000 healthy women with no symptoms of urinary tract infections showed nearly 9 percent carried multi-drug resistant Escherichia coli strains in their guts.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/e-coli-superbug-strains-can-persist-in-healthy-womens-guts

Study identifies cells required for the development of a healthy uterus

Knowledge of the biological processes involved in the development of the uterus is important for understanding uterine health and fertility. A research team led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has uncovered important insights on a type of cell that is critical for the formation of a functioning uterus.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/study-identifies-cells-required-for-the-development-of-a-healthy-uterus

Researchers map protein-gene interactions involved in Alzheimer's disease

Among the confounding challenges of diagnosing and treating Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the fact that patients with asymptomatic and symptomatic versions of the degenerative condition may share similar neuropathological burdens but experience significantly different rates of cognitive decline.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/researchers-map-protein-gene-interactions-involved-in-alzheimers-disease

Most women use vaginal ring for HIV prevention in open-label study

In an open-label study of women in southern and eastern Africa, a vaginal ring that is inserted once a month and slowly releases an antiviral drug was estimated to reduce the risk of HIV by 39%, according to statistical modeling. In addition, the study found that participants appeared to use the ring more in the open-label study than in a previous clinical trial. These and other results of the HIV Open Label Extension (HOPE) study were presented today at the 10th IAS Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2019) in Mexico City.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/most-women-use-vaginal-ring-for-hiv-prevention-in-open-label-study

Cane toad testes smaller at the invasion front

Understanding the dynamics of cane toad dispersal is vital information for scientists helping native animals survive the spread of the poisonous invasive species.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/cane-toad-testes-smaller-at-the-invasion-front

Left eye? Right eye? American robins have preference when looking at decoy eggs

Just as humans are usually left- or right-handed, other species sometimes prefer one appendage, or eye, over the other. A new study reveals that American robins that preferentially use one eye significantly more than the other when looking at their own clutch of eggs are also more likely to detect, and reject, a foreign egg placed in their nest by another bird species—or by a devious scientist.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/left-eye-right-eye-american-robins-have-preference-when-looking-at-decoy-eggs

Psychological support 'not available' to one in three cancer patients who need it

People with cancer have trouble accessing appropriate psychological support, a new global report published today by the All.Can international cancer initiative reveals.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/psychological-support-not-available-to-one-in-three-cancer-patients-who-need-it

Eyes on VENUS: ORNL to deliver unique US neutron imaging capability for science discovery

The ability to directly see the atomic fabric of materials provides pivotal information in accelerating the design and improving the performance of future technologies. Visualizing in real space the behaviors and dynamics of materials requires powerful probes and advanced instrumentation.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/eyes-on-venus-ornl-to-deliver-unique-us-neutron-imaging-capability-for-science-discovery

'Browning' white fat cells opens new avenue to obesity prevention

Scientists are getting closer to understanding how to turn the body's energy-storing white fat cells into energy-burning beige fat cells, opening up hopes that fat deposits could one day be deliberately manipulated to prevent obesity and related health conditions.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/browning-white-fat-cells-opens-new-avenue-to-obesity-prevention

Finding one's way in the rainforest

Knowing which direction to go in order to reach food or home is important for many animal species, including humans. For human foragers who travel long distances every day for hunting and gathering, orientation skills are essential. Haneul Jang and her colleagues from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology set out to study how the Mbendjele BaYaka people in Republic of the Congo orient themselves in the dense rainforest. The researchers conducted more than 600 pointing tests with 54 Mbendjele BaYaka men, women and children aged between six and 76 years, in which the participants were asked to point to an out-of-sight target in more than 60 different rainforest locations (including the camp).

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/finding-ones-way-in-the-rainforest

Microfluidics device helps diagnose sepsis in minutes

A novel sensor designed by MIT researchers could dramatically accelerate the process of diagnosing sepsis, a leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals that kills nearly 250,000 patients annually.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/microfluidics-device-helps-diagnose-sepsis-in-minutes

How stimulant treatment prevents serious outcomes of ADHD

An analysis of three previous studies of children and young adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) quantifies for the first time the extent to which stimulant treatment reduces the development of mood disorders, school problems, conduct disorders, substance use disorders and other problems. The study led by Massachusetts General Hospital investigators is being published online in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/how-stimulant-treatment-prevents-serious-outcomes-of-adhd

Rise of Candida auris blamed on global warming

Global warming may have played a pivotal role in the emergence of Candida auris, according to a new study published in mBio, an open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. C. auris, which is often multi-drug resistant and is a serious public health threat, may be the first example of a new fungal disease emerging from climate change.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/rise-of-candida-auris-blamed-on-global-warming

The properties of composites for constructing reliable trains

Composite materials are increasingly popular. One of the primary composite materials for modern structures is glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP), which is commonly used in aviation, modern transport and wind power plants. Scientists of South Ural State University have carried out extensive studies of ballistic properties of GFRP to improve the efficiency of its use.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/the-properties-of-composites-for-constructing-reliable-trains

How did Africa's grasslands get started?

Between 10 million and 6 million years ago, vegetation across much of the world underwent a transformation, as warmth-adapted grasses displaced previously dominant plants, shrubs and trees. The new grasses carried out the chemical reactions required for photosynthesis in a distinct new way. Scientists have labeled this new process the C4 pathway. In East Africa, the changeover coincided with the evolution of mammal lineages that we recognize today, including early human ancestors. Today, C4 plants comprise about one-quarter of the Earth's vegetation, from the Great Plains of North America to western China, Australia and much of sub-Saharan Africa.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/how-did-africas-grasslands-get-started

Hands-on dads more prone to jealousy in the face of infidelity

A new international study has found fathers who invest time and money in their children are likely to be more jealous when their partner cheats on them compared with dads who are less involved.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/hands-on-dads-more-prone-to-jealousy-in-the-face-of-infidelity

Adolescents who skip breakfast may develop obesity

A paper published in Scientific Reports describes how researchers affiliated with the University of São Paulo's Medical School (FM-USP) in Brazil and colleagues at institutions in Europe evaluated behaviors leading to weight gain in adolescents. Childhood obesity can favor the premature emergence of health issues such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/adolescents-who-skip-breakfast-may-develop-obesity

Rejected and unfilled prescriptions for new, more expensive cholesterol drugs tied to higher heart, stroke risk

Patients appear to be at higher risk of heart problems or stroke when prescriptions for the newest cholesterol-lowering drugs are rejected by insurance companies or unfilled by patients, according to new research in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/rejected-and-unfilled-prescriptions-for-new-more-expensive-cholesterol-drugs-tied-to-higher-heart-stroke-risk

North Carolina coastal flooding is worsening with climate change, population growth

A historic 120-year-old data set is allowing researchers to confirm what data modeling systems have been predicting about climate change: Climate change is increasing precipitation events like hurricanes, tropical storms and floods.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/north-carolina-coastal-flooding-is-worsening-with-climate-change-population-growth

Spontaneous magnetization in a non-magnetic interacting metal

Over the past decade, numerous physics studies have explored how oscillating electric fields produced by lasers or microwave sources can be used to dynamically alter the properties of materials on demand. In a new study featured in Nature Physics, two researchers at the University of Copenhagen and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), in Singapore, have built upon the findings of these studies, uncovering a mechanism through which a non-magnetic interacting metal can spontaneously magnetize.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/spontaneous-magnetization-in-a-non-magnetic-interacting-metal

Scientists discover new chemistry that may help explain the origins of cellular life

Before life began on Earth, the environment likely contained a massive number of chemicals that reacted with each other more or less randomly, and it is unclear how the complexity of cells could have emerged from such chemical chaos. Now, a team led by Tony Z. Jia at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and Kuhan Chandru of the National University of Malaysia has shown that simple α-hydroxy acids, like glycolic and lactic acid, spontaneously polymerize and self-assemble into polyester microdroplets when dried at moderate temperatures followed by rehydration. This could be what happened along primitive beaches and river banks, or in drying puddles. These form a new type of cell-like compartment that can trap and concentrate biomolecules like nucleic acids and proteins. These droplets, unlike most modern cells, are able to merge and reform easily, and thus could have hosted versatile early genetic and metabolic systems potentially critical for the origins of life.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/scientists-discover-new-chemistry-that-may-help-explain-the-origins-of-cellular-life

Garlic on broccoli: A smelly approach to repel a major pest

Agricultural insect pests seek out familiar scents to find their plant hosts. However, they can also be repelled by odors from other plant species.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/garlic-on-broccoli-a-smelly-approach-to-repel-a-major-pest

Protests spread as activists fight telescope in Hawaii

Demonstrations against a giant telescope planned for Hawaii's tallest peak have spread to New York, Las Vegas and Honolulu's tourist mecca of Waikiki as Native Hawaiians push to protect what they say is a sacred place.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/protests-spread-as-activists-fight-telescope-in-hawaii

How fat prawns can save lives

Before bite-sized crustaceans like crayfish, shrimp and prawns land on our dinner plates, they first have to get fat themselves—and it turns out they relish the freshwater snails that transmit the parasite that causes schistosomiasis, the second most devastating parasitic disease worldwide, after malaria.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/how-fat-prawns-can-save-lives