Multidrug-resistant malaria spreading in Asia

Multidrug-resistant forms of Plasmodium falciparum parasites, the most lethal species causing human malaria, have evolved even higher levels of resistance to antimalarial drugs and spread rapidly since 2015, becoming firmly established in multiple regions of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, where they are causing alarmingly high treatment failure rates to a widely used frontline malaria drug combination.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/multidrug-resistant-malaria-spreading-in-asia

Research shows high prices of healthy foods contribute to malnutrition worldwide

Poor diets are the now the leading risk factor for the global burden of disease, accounting for one-fifth of all deaths worldwide. While the causes of poor diets are complex, new research finds the affordability of more nutritious foods is an important factor.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/research-shows-high-prices-of-healthy-foods-contribute-to-malnutrition-worldwide

Researchers unveil experimental compound to block therapeutic target in blood cancer

Researchers at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center have discovered a hyperactive cell signal that contributes to tumor growth in an aggressive blood cancer. They also developed an experimental therapeutic to block the signal and slow tumor growth.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/researchers-unveil-experimental-compound-to-block-therapeutic-target-in-blood-cancer

Critical heart drug too pricey for some Medicare patients

An effective drug to treat chronic heart failure may cost too much for senior citizens with a standard Medicare Part D drug plan, said a study co-authored by a John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) researcher at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/critical-heart-drug-too-pricey-for-some-medicare-patients

Obstructive sleep apnea may be one reason depression treatment doesn't work

When someone is depressed and having suicidal thoughts or their depression treatment just isn't working, their caregivers might want to check to see if they have obstructive sleep apnea, investigators say.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/obstructive-sleep-apnea-may-be-one-reason-depression-treatment-doesnt-work

Connection to HIV care helps hardly reached US populations suppress the virus

Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men and transgender women with HIV, who are not in care, can be engaged in care when reached and connected with HIV treatment services, according to findings from a clinical trial supported by the National Institutes of Health. Nearly half of the study participants achieved and maintained viral suppression by one year, researchers reported today at the 10th IAS Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2019) in Mexico City.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/connection-to-hiv-care-helps-hardly-reached-us-populations-suppress-the-virus

Gene test picks out prostate cancers that could respond to 'search-and-destroy' medicine

Testing for genetic weaknesses in repairing DNA could pick out men who may benefit from a new type of targeted nuclear medicine, a new study reports.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/gene-test-picks-out-prostate-cancers-that-could-respond-to-search-and-destroy-medicine

People are more likely to try drugs for the first time during the summer

American teenagers and adults are more likely to try illegal or recreational drugs for the first time in the summer, a new study shows.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/people-are-more-likely-to-try-drugs-for-the-first-time-during-the-summer

Medicare for All unlikely to cause surge in hospital use

As political leaders debate the merits of a future Medicare for All system in the U.S., some analysts predict that implementing universal coverage could cause a sharp, unaffordable increase in hospital use and costs, overwhelming the system. But new research by a team at Harvard Medical School and The City University of New York at Hunter College, published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine, contradicts that assumption, finding that past insurance expansions did not result in a net increase in hospital use. Instead, researchers found a redistribution of care, with increases in hospital care among those newly insured that was offset by small decreases among healthier and wealthier Americans.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/medicare-for-all-unlikely-to-cause-surge-in-hospital-use

How public money for science leads to new medicines

Public funding for fundamental research is essential for innovation and the development of new medicines. This is demonstrated by Professor Science Based Business Simcha Jong and his colleague Hsini Huang after studying U.S. federal funding restrictions for stem cell research under President George W. Bush. They published their findings in the July edition of Journal of Management Studies.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/how-public-money-for-science-leads-to-new-medicines

Sophisticated molecular machines in action

Almost all living organisms from bacteria to humans have gate-like protein complexes in their cell membranes that get rid of unwanted or life-threatening molecules. This is not always advantageous, since in the case of bacteria or cancer cells, these complexes, known as ABC transporters, are also responsible for resistance to antibiotics or chemotherapy. Researchers at Goethe University Frankfurt, together with the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, which is also located in Frankfurt, have now succeeded in decrypting all the stages of the transport mechanism.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/sophisticated-molecular-machines-in-action

Imaging the chemical structure of individual molecules, atom by atom

For physicist Percy Zahl, optimizing and preparing a noncontact atomic force microscope (nc-AFM) to directly visualize the chemical structure of a single molecule is a bit like playing a virtual reality video game. The process requires navigating and manipulating the tip of the instrument over the world of atoms and molecules, eventually picking some up at the right location and in the right way. If these challenges are completed successfully, you advance to the highest level, obtaining images that precisely show where individual atoms are located and how they are chemically bonded to other atoms. But take one wrong move, and it is game over. Time to start again.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/imaging-the-chemical-structure-of-individual-molecules-atom-by-atom

LightSail 2 is sending home new pictures of Earth

LightSail 2, the brainchild of the Planetary Society, has released two new gorgeous images of Earth. The small spacecraft is currently in orbit at about 720 km, and the LightSail 2 mission team is putting it through its paces in preparation for solar sail deployment sometime on or after Sunday, July 21st.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/lightsail-2-is-sending-home-new-pictures-of-earth

The 'Mandela effect' and the science of false memories

There's a theory doing the rounds online that nuclear research experiments caused the world to shift into an alternate reality where Donald Trump became president. This might sound stupid, but some people genuinely believe it to be true. And to back up their theory they cite the "Mandela effect," a phenomenon that supposedly occurs when large groups of people believe something happened even though evidence shows it isn't true.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/the-mandela-effect-and-the-science-of-false-memories

How a drilling ship pulls cores from 2.5 miles below the sea

An ocean drilling ship is not an ocean drilling ship without the skilled and experienced personnel that control, execute and overview the drilling operations. The JOIDES Resolution is no exception.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/how-a-drilling-ship-pulls-cores-from-2-5-miles-below-the-sea

Seeing smaller through cells: A natural single-cell biomagnifier for subwavelength imaging

Optical microscopes and tweezers can image and manipulate objects at the microscale for applications in cellular and molecular biology. The optical resolution is, however, hampered by the diffraction limit and therefore both microscopes and tweezers are unable to image and manipulate nano-objects directly. Emerging techniques in plasmonic/photonic nanoscopes and nanotweezers aim to achieve nanometer-scale resolution, although high-index material structures can easily cause mechanical and photothermal damage to the nanoscale biospecimens.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/seeing-smaller-through-cells-a-natural-single-cell-biomagnifier-for-subwavelength-imaging

Animals' body sizes shrinking from climate change, study finds

University of Cape Town (UCT) researchers have collected clear evidence—over a 23 year period between 1976 and 1999—that climate change is shrinking animals' body sizes.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/animals-body-sizes-shrinking-from-climate-change-study-finds

How do distance learners connect?

In a typical college classroom, social connections are formed through face-to-face interactions. Through informal chats before and after class, group project meetings, and other exchanges, students are able to build community with their classmates and peers that often enrich their academic experience.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/how-do-distance-learners-connect

Is New Zealand's food system unsustainable?

New research from Massey University's College of Health shows overwhelming support for sustainability characteristics to be included in the Eating and Activity Guidelines for New Zealand Adults, set out by the Ministry of Health.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/is-new-zealands-food-system-unsustainable

The opioid crisis: Drug overdose deaths are down for the first time in 30 years

Drug overdoses cause more deaths in the U.S. than gun violence, car accidents, or H.I.V. did when they reached their most lethal peaks. For almost three decades, the number of overdose deaths increased unabated. But, according to a recent government report, the U.S. experienced a slight decrease in overdose deaths last year, marking the first decline in drug mortality rates since 1990.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/the-opioid-crisis-drug-overdose-deaths-are-down-for-the-first-time-in-30-years

Genetic characteristics of peripheral artery disease

Peripheral artery disease (PAD)—a narrowing of the arteries serving the legs and feet —affects as many as 12 million Americans and 200 million people worldwide. It is a manifestation of clogged arteries, but until now, scientists lacked information about why some people with the disease presented with problems with their legs, some with their heart and some with strokes.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/genetic-characteristics-of-peripheral-artery-disease

Wool odor could be key to protecting sheep from flystrike

A global research project led by The University of Western Australia in collaboration with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Western Australia has identified compounds in Merino sheep wool that are attractive to Australian blowflies.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/wool-odor-could-be-key-to-protecting-sheep-from-flystrike

Old vaccine brings new surprises

New research about an old vaccine—one that has been in use for nearly 100 years—has not only shown how effective it is but also suggests it improves our immune response to a wider range of bacteria than originally intended.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/old-vaccine-brings-new-surprises

Audit: Hospitals put Native Americans at risk with opioids

Government hospitals placed Native American patients at increased risk for opioid abuse and overdoses, failing to follow their own protocols for prescribing and dispensing the drugs, according to a federal audit released Monday.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/audit-hospitals-put-native-americans-at-risk-with-opioids

Heat and humidity grip East Coast as Midwest gets reprieve

The East Coast on Sunday sweated through another day of extreme heat and humidity as organizers in Boston canceled a benefit run, Delaware Civil War re-enactors got the day off and the New York Police Department implored residents to take it easy.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/heat-and-humidity-grip-east-coast-as-midwest-gets-reprieve

More ED visits because of alcohol, 175% increase in 25- to 29-year-olds seeking care

New research shows dramatically rising visits to emergency departments (ED) related to alcohol, especially for women, with a 175% increase in alcohol-related visits from young people aged 25 to 29. The article, published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal), shows increases in ED visits related to alcohol that are occurring much faster than overall ED usage.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/more-ed-visits-because-of-alcohol-175-increase-in-25-to-29-year-olds-seeking-care

School readiness impaired in preschoolers with ADHD symptoms, study finds

Preschoolers with symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are much less likely than other children their age to be ready for school, new research from the Stanford University School of Medicine has found.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/school-readiness-impaired-in-preschoolers-with-adhd-symptoms-study-finds

Plasticizer interaction with the heart

Calling an ambulance during an emergency, emailing a breaking news or journal article before a 5 p.m. deadline and maintaining conditions during the fifth week of a 6-week lab study, without altering the light or temperature, requires electricity and translates into time, money and lives. During critical moments, we appreciate the tiny particles and ions in electric currents that power our phones, computers or laboratory equipment. We seldom think about the speed of these connections or potential disruptors when conditions are stable. The same applies to the electric currents, or electrophysiology, of our heart.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/plasticizer-interaction-with-the-heart

Study finds children with autism more likely to be bullied at home and at school

A major new study has found children with autism are more likely to be bullied by both their siblings and their peers, meaning that when they return from school, they have no respite from victimisation.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/study-finds-children-with-autism-more-likely-to-be-bullied-at-home-and-at-school

Failure to launch: Parents are barriers to teen independence

Something most parents don't want to hear from their teenager: I am not prepared to be an adult, and it's your fault.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/failure-to-launch-parents-are-barriers-to-teen-independence

Gun ownership linked to greater incidence of domestic homicides

A new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, reveals a unique and strong association between firearm ownership and the risk of domestic homicides. For each 10 percent increase in household gun ownership rates, the findings show a significant 13 percent increased incidence of domestic firearm homicide. The homicide risk differed across victim-offender relationships, with nondomestic firearm homicide rising only 2 percent among firearm owners.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/gun-ownership-linked-to-greater-incidence-of-domestic-homicides

More colorectal cancer cases are being diagnosed in younger patients

The incidence of colorectal cancer in adults younger than 50 years of age has increased in the United States since 1970. A new study published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, found that the proportion of adults diagnosed with colorectal cancer under age 50 in the United States has continued to increase over the past decade, and younger adults are diagnosed with more advanced disease.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/more-colorectal-cancer-cases-are-being-diagnosed-in-younger-patients