Less is better: Malaria parasites able to sense their hosts' calorie intake

A new study has shown that the infectious agent responsible for malaria, the Plasmodium parasite, is able to to sense and actively adapt to the host's nutritional status.

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Sufferers of both Type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea could lose eyesight within four years

Patients who suffer from both Type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea are at greater risk of developing a condition that leads to blindness within an average period of less than four years, new research has found.

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Flipping the switch on height variation

A genetic 'switch' that changes the activity of a key skeletal gene related to height has been discovered by a team of researchers, who have also pinpointed a genetic variant in the switch that favors shortness and is far more prevalent among Eurasian populations than expected. The study also uncovered a surprising link - between the sequence that favors shortness and an increased risk of osteoarthritis.

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3D-printed robot aims to fight cancer

The world’s smallest and most accurate 3D-printed biopsy robot has been revealed by developers.

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New dental materials developed, with bioactive glass doped with fluoride, to stop degradation of demineralized dentin and evoke remineralization

Innovative new dental biomaterials have now been developed for the regeneration of dental hard tissues, outlines a new report.

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Do blind people express their emotions in the same way as people who can see?

Facial expressions play a powerful role in social interactions from birth to adulthood. Fear, joy, anger — all our emotions are articulated and understood thanks to universal codes. Common sense sees this enterprise as an act of imitation: children imitate their parents by reproducing the facial expression linked to each emotion. But if this is the case, does the same hold true for people who were born blind? Researchers analyzed 21 scientific studies conducted between 1932 and 2015 to find the answer.

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Differences in US infant mortality rates among black, white babies

Trends in overall and cause-specific infant mortality rates between non-Hispanic black and white infants have been the object of recent study because infant mortality is an important indicator of population health, report investigators.

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Shingles increases risk of heart attack, stroke

Contracting shingles, a reactivation of the chickenpox virus, increases a person's risk of stroke and heart attack, according to a research letter.

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Finnish mothers discovered to have gene variants that protect them from pre-eclampsia

Some Finnish mothers carry rare gene variants that protect them from pre-eclampsia, also known as toxaemia of pregnancy, suggests new research.

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Viruses over antibiotics: Determining the 3D structure of phages at atomic resolution closer thanks to new method

Phages have become a focus of research in the battle against antibiotic resistance. These bacteria-eating viruses have already proven effective in experiments against multidrug-resistant bacteria. However, the atomic structure of these small helpers is unknown. Researchers have now succeeded in developing a new method that makes it possible to determine the complex structure in detail, down to the atomic level.

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State revenue declines lead to cuts in children's Medicaid benefits, education spending

State spending cuts during economic downturns fall more heavily on children than the elderly, according to new research.

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Mapping genes could improve cancer diagnosis

Large-scale changes to the structure of the genome are often seen in cancer cells. Scientists have found a way to detect these changes, which could enhance cancer diagnosis and aid the use of targeted treatments.

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New method for synthesising complex molecules

A recent computational modelling-based study aimed to understand the processes involved in chemical synthesis and improve them, report investigators.

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Combining antibiotics proves more effective against common infection

The common and highly resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterium is a fatal threat to weakened and ill patients. A new study now shows that a combination treatment using two different types of antibiotics can reduce mortality up to five times.

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Novel mechanism underlying efficacy of common heart failure drug identified

Beta-blocker drugs serve a key role in the treatment of heart failure, preventing bombardment of the heart by catecholamines -- substances like epinephrine and norepinephrine -- which overexcite and stress the heart. But not all HF patients respond to beta-blockers, for reasons that are unclear. Now, researchers show that dysfunction of beta-adrenergic receptor 3 and consequent decreases in a critical cardioprotective phospholipid may be to blame.

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Menstruation doesn't change how your brain works -- period

It has long been assumed that your period affects your brain's performance. A new study set out to determine whether changes in hormones during the menstrual cycle really do change how well brains work. By increasing the sample size and following participants over more than one menstrual cycle, they found evidence that your brain's performance isn't affected by your cycle.

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Celebrate the 4th in the Most Northern City in America

The sun doesn't set in the summer in Utqiagvik, Alaska. But locals prove you don't need fireworks to be patriotic.

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Blood of SIDS infants contains high levels of serotonin

Blood samples from infants who died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) had high levels of serotonin, a chemical that carries signals along and between nerves, according to a study. The finding raises the possibility that a test could be developed to distinguish SIDS cases from other causes of sleep-related, unexpected infant death.

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New research describes the differences between mice and humans

New research could explain why diabetes drugs which have worked in animal experiments are not equally successful in humans. The researchers discovered differences -- but also unknown similarities - in the function of insulin-producing beta cells.

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Cases of recurrent Clostridium difficile infection are soaring

The most difficult C. difficile cases, known as multiple recurring C. difficile infections (mrCDI), are rapidly becoming more common, evidence suggests.

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