As the central mediators of cell function in biological organisms, proteins are involved in the execution of virtually all cellular processes. They provide the internal scaffolding that gives cells their form, and enable cells to dynamically alter their morphology. They transport substrates back and forth across membranes, and they catalyze…
From Japanese basket weaving art to nanotechnology with ion beams: Ultradense arrays of magnetic quanta in high-temperature superconductors
The properties of high-temperature superconductors can be tailored by the introduction of artificial defects. An international research team around physicist Wolfgang Lang at the University of Vienna has succeeded in producing the world’s densest complex nano arrays for anchoring flux quanta, the fluxons. This was achieved by irradiating the superconductor…
Cardiac device complications vary widely among hospitals
The chances of patients experiencing complications after having a cardiac device implanted vary according to where they have the procedure. A study of 174 hospitals in Australia and New Zealand published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine shows that the quality of care people receive may account for the…
FDA issues new alert on Medtronic insulin pump security
The list of connected devices susceptible to attacks has now expanded once again, as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert on June 27 waring that some insulin pumps from Medtronic are vulnerable to hackers, who could remotely gain access to and control them. WHY IT MATTERS In…
Wearable cooling and heating patch could serve as personal thermostat and save energy
Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a wearable patch that could provide personalized cooling and heating at home, work, or on the go. The soft, stretchy patch cools or warms a user’s skin to a comfortable temperature and keeps it there as the ambient temperature changes….
Critical errors in inhaler technique common in children with asthma
In the first study to evaluate inhaler technique in children hospitalized for asthma — the group at highest risk for complications and death from asthma — researchers found that nearly half of participants demonstrated improper inhaler use, which means they routinely were not taking in the full dose of medication….
Experimental PET scan detects abnormal tau protein in brains of living former NFL players
(Boston) — Using an experimental positron emission tomography (PET) scan, researchers have found elevated amounts of abnormal tau protein in brain regions affected by chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in a small group of living former National Football League (NFL) players with cognitive, mood and behavior symptoms. The study was published…
First birth after robot-assisted uterus transplant
A boy 48 centimeters long, weighing 2900 grams, is the first baby born after the technological shift in Gothenburg’s world-leading research on uterine transplantation. The birth, with the planned cesarean delivery (C-section), took place on Monday April 8th and the whole family is doing fine. “It’s a fantastic feeling to…
Scientists ID new metabolic target to prevent, treat heart failure at earliest stage
Researchers with The Ohio State University College of Medicine and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center have identified a metabolic process in the heart that, if treated, could someday prevent or slow the progression of heart failure. The American Heart Association journal Circulation published the findings today. Before any…
Technique uses well-known dye to watch amyloid plaques in the brain
While amyloid plaques have long been closely associated with mechanisms driving Alzheimer’s disease, visualizing how amyloid proteins assemble continues to prove difficult. The nanometer-sized amyloid fibrils are only a fraction of the size that the best light microscopes are able to resolve. New work repurposing one of the oldest known…
Smart speaker technology harnessed for hospital medical treatments: Research demonstrates value of Amazon Echo and Google Home during medical procedures
-Smart speakers that are customarily used in your living room can be programmed to act as an aid to physicians in hospital operating rooms, according to new research presented today at the Society of Interventional Radiology’s 2019 Annual Scientific Meeting. Smart speakers, such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home,…