Tag: USA
An age-old problem: How SENS Research Foundation is looking at age-related disease in a new way
Despite time, energy and money being poured into age-related disease research around the world, humans are yet to find cures for illnesses such as Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. SENS Research Foundation believe this is because current research is approaching the problem from the wrong angle. Research Outreach found out more from the Foundation’s Chief Science Officer and co-founder Dr […]
The role of extra chromosomal circular DNA in rapid adaption to glyphosate resistance in pigweed
Plants, like other living organisms, have genetic stress-avoidance mechanisms that allow them to become resistant to specific chemicals when continuously exposed to them. Dr Christopher Saski from Clemson University and Dr William Molin from the U.S. Department of Agriculture are researching the extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) structure known as the replicon of pigweed, which contains the EPSPS gene, the gene […]
The Benefits of Exercise on the Mind
Exercise has long been advocated as a way to enhance physical health, but it has also been shown to have several benefits on the mind. More recently, research has focused on how exercise can improve cognitive function. Over the past three decades, Drs Phillip D. Tomporowski and Caterina Pesce from the University of Georgia and the University of Rome, respectively, […]
Social context shapes age-crime distributions
Professors Steffensmeier, Lu and Na present evidence from diverse societies with vastly different sociocultural practices and beliefs, which show clear differences in age-crime relationships. These differences are discussed with reference to the social contexts which appear to protect adolescents from becoming involved in crime. These researchers put forward a research agenda for better understanding nations where crime is most heavily […]
Viral encephalitis and virus-mediated memory disorders
Viral encephalitis is a debilitating consequence of viral infections: invasion of the brain by viruses causes an inflammation that, even months or years after recovery from the viral infection, can impair cognitive functions such as learning and memory. Prof Robyn S. Klein from Washington University School of Medicine has developed novel animal models and approaches to study virus-mediated memory disorders, […]
Metadichol® a novel nano lipid formulation
Many drugs target individual actions of a specific virus or bacteria. However, development and application of a broad-spectrum compound which targets the whole immune response would allow one therapy to have a global application for human disease. Dr P. R. Raghavan, CEO of Nanorx Inc, has invented one such dietary supplement, Metadichol®, which is thought to act via vitamin D […]
Inspiration from surfactants gives Li-S cells longer life
The renewable-fuelled future is reliant on improvements in battery energy density to smooth the grid and power electric vehicles for longer journeys. Lithium-ion cells – the industry standard – are almost at their capacity. Lithium-sulfur cells could be the answer, current technology degrades quickly due to an effect called redox shuttling. Dr Gao Liu, a staff scientist and his team […]
Geovisualization for insights into infectious disease risk
Environmental, social, and economic factors influence infectious disease transmission and resulting risk. Using exploratory data analysis techniques can help uncover previously unknown relationships between these factors, contributing to improved public health efforts. Drs Abhishek Kala, Samuel Atkinson, and Chetan Tiwari from the University of North Texas, USA, use geovisualization to identify the spatial context and factors that are strongly associated […]
Asthenospheric flow and plate tectonics in the Antarctic
New geophysical research has provided evidence to support a 40-year-old theory about the effects of the split in the Earth’s tectonic plates which separated South America and Antarctica. In studies carried out by Manuel Catalán for the Spanish Royal Naval Observatory and Yasmina M. Martos, for NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and the University of Maryland (UMD) in the […]
Vitamin A: Seeing into the past, the present and the future
Why is Vitamin A critical to animal and human health, and what functions does it have in the body other than in vision? In this thought-provoking and informative interview, neuroscientist and Professor at Harvard University John Dowling takes us through the history of research into the topic, from the first mention of night blindness in 3500 BC to current and […]