Brazilian researchers have published a systematic review of the scientific literature showing that some warm-up strategies such as dynamic stretching can effectively prepare soccer players to maintain kicking accuracy, whereas intense physical exercises have a negative effect on the velocity of the ball when kicked, and consumption of carbohydrate beverages during a match can enable
At the time of writing, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is seriously threatening human lives and health throughout the world. Before effective vaccines and specific drugs are developed, non-pharmacological interventions and numerical model predictions are essential. To this end, a group led by Professor Jianping Huang from Lanzhou University, China, developed the Global Prediction System of
A team of neuroscientists has identified a potential means to address the loss of cognitive function due to Alzheimer’s disease by targeting protein synthesis in mice. Their findings, reported in the journal Science Signaling, reveal that synthetic pharmaceuticals could rescue the activity of brain cells needed for memory formation. “This work is the first to
UT Southwestern scientists have adapted a classic research technique called forward genetics to identify new genes involved in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In a study published this week in eLife, the researchers used this approach in mice to find one such gene called KDM5A. Approximately 1 in 54 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with
A research team led by Michael Fox, a professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, has identified the type of brain cell that produces collagen 19, a protein that is crucial for the formation of inhibitory circuits in the brain. The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, depicts a previously unknown molecular
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for rapid and accurate nucleic acid detection at the point of care. To meet this need, scientists from the Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology have developed a novel amplification-free rapid SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid detection platform based on hybrid capture fluorescence immunoassay (HC-FIA). The use of the
THURSDAY, Dec. 10, 2020 — The first known case of COVID-19 triggering a recurrence of Guillain-Barré syndrome has been reported by researchers. Guillain-Barré syndrome — which can be sparked by viral and bacterial infections — is a rare disorder where the body’s immune system attacks nerves. It can result in respiratory failure and death. There
A new genetic risk factor for Motor Neurone Disease (MND), which if treated could halt or prevent the degenerative condition, has been identified in so-called ‘junk DNA’ by scientists at the University of Sheffield. The newly discovered genetic changes are present in up to one percent of MND patients. The pioneering research, published in the
Synapses are specialized brain structures where learning and memory occur. The efficient transmission of synaptic signals relies on the delicate structure and complex molecular composition of the synapses. However, the small size (several hundred nanometers in diameter) and heterogeneous nature of the synapses pose significant challenges in direct observation of the molecules inside synapses. Based
The attentional control that organisms need to succeed in their goals comes from two abilities: the focus to ignore distractions and the discipline to curb impulses. A new study by MIT neuroscientists shows that these abilities are independent, but that the activity of norepinephrine-producing neurons in a single brain region, the locus coeruleus, controls both
Signals from two key proteins are essential for the survival of our ‘immunological memory’, according to new research from scientists at the Francis Crick Institute, published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. Memory B cells are long-lived cells that confer immunological memory by providing rapid and robust antibody responses to infections our body has seen
In breakthrough colon cancer research, scientists at ChristianaCare’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute have discovered a link between two key signaling pathways crucial to the development and growth of colon cancer. The study is published today in the journal PLOS ONE. The scientists identified the link between the retinoic acid or RA
Michigan State University researchers have created for the first time a miniature human heart model in the laboratory, complete with all primary heart cell types and a functioning structure of chambers and vascular tissue. In the United States, heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death. “These minihearts constitute incredibly powerful models in which
Scientists have identified an oncogene (a cancer-causing gene) responsible for glioblastoma, the deadliest brain tumor. The discovery offers a promising new treatment target for a cancer that is always fatal. The researchers say the oncogene is essential to the survival of the cancer cells. Without it, the cancer cells die. Scientists have already developed many
Scientists are already working on a coronavirus vaccine – but warn it will likely be years before there is a shot to prevent the contagious illness which has so far killed 17 people A new coronavirus has sickened more than 500 people worldwide and killed 17 in China, where it originated The first US case
Scientists find ‘missing link’ in allergic reactions to popular skin creams: Fragrances, alcohols and immune protein combine to cause itchy rashes Contact dermatitis allergic reactions have been on the rise as the skin care and cosmetic industry has grown But scientists have been unsure how skin creams and other products trigger the itchy red rash
Researchers from Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) and University of Salento, both in Lecce, Italy, and Harvard Medical School in Boston have developed a new light-based method to capture and pinpoint the epicenter of neural activity in the brain. The approach, described in Nature Methods, lays the foundation for novel ways to map connections across
Scientist Mary Rodgers spends her days tracking killers—elusive, constantly mutating viruses that travel the globe and are responsible for illness or death in millions of people. Wednesday, in an article published in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, Rodgers and her team at Abbott, along with co-authors at the University of Missouri, announced their
Researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center—Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC—James) report a discovery that helps scientists understand why some tumors lack immune cell infiltration and are therefore unresponsive to newer PD-1 targeted therapies. PD-1 is a checkpoint protein on T cells, a type of immune
Is THIS what causes mysterious polio-like illness in kids? Scientists discover signs that a common cold virus may trigger life-threatening paralysis in children Since 2014, nearly 600 people – mostly young children – have been diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis The mysterious polio-like condition has left young children with mysterious paralysis that becomes life-threatening for some