Medicine

A team of scientists at the University of California, San Diego has found a way to encapsulate micromotors into pills. The pill’s coating protects the devices as they traverse the digestive system prior to releasing their drug cargo. Karshalev et al created a micromotor pill and demonstrated its attractive use …

According to investigators from the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study, dairy intake of around three standard servings per day is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality, compared to lower levels of consumption. Dairy consumption was associated with lower risk of mortality and major cardiovascular disease …

According to the findings from the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) study, taking a low-dose aspirin daily does not prolong healthy living in older adults. Aspirin is a well-established therapy for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular events. However, its role in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease …

A new study reveals that a traditional Mediterranean-style diet reduces stroke risk among white adults who are at high risk of cardiovascular disease. Led by Norwich Medical School’s Professor Ailsa Welch, the study shows that the diet may be especially protective in women over 40 regardless of menopausal status or …

A team of researchers from the Universities of Queensland and Sydney, Australia, has performed the first comprehensive characterization of a polypeptidic ant venom, that of the giant red bull ant (Myrmecia gulosa), revealing toxins that stimulate the human nervous system to cause pain. The results are published in the journal …

Human skeletal stem cells capable of self-renewal and multilineage differentiation to bone, cartilage, and stroma have been isolated by Dr. Michael Longaker of the Stanford University School of Medicine and colleagues. This is the first time that skeletal stem cells, which had been observed in mice, have been identified in …

According to a new study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, older adults with irregular sleep patterns weigh more, have higher blood sugar and pressure, and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease; irregular sleepers also have increased stress and depression levels, psychiatric factors integrally tied to cardiometabolic disease. Older adults …

According to a comprehensive, systematic review of previous studies, a diet of vegetables, fruits, nuts, plant-based food and fish — typical of a Mediterranean diet — could help lower risk of depression. Adhering to a healthy diet, in particular a traditional Mediterranean diet, or avoiding a pro-inflammatory diet appears to …

Jered Chinnock, 29, injured his spinal cord at the thoracic vertebrae in the middle of his back in a snowmobile accident in 2013. He was diagnosed with a complete loss of function below the spinal cord injury, meaning he could not move or feel anything below the middle of his …

An international team of researchers led by RMIT University has developed paper-based UV sensors that could help people manage vitamin absorption and avoid sun damage. UV active ink can be printed on paper making sensors cheap and easy to produce. Image credit: RMIT University. While humans do need some sun …