5,993 articles from JUNE 2020

Accounting for nature in economies

Gross Domestic Product, the standard metric for measuring national economies, doesn't account for the valuable services provided by nature. A new approach could help fill the gap.

AGA does not recommend the use of probiotics for most digestive conditions

After a detailed review of available literature, the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) has released new clinical guidelines finding that for most digestive conditions there is not enough evidence to support the use of probiotics. This is the first clinical guideline to focus on probiotics across multiple GI diseases while also considering the effect of each single-strain or...

Alzheimer research: Noise-inducing neurons shut down memories

Neurons that are responsible for new experiences interfere with the signals of neurons that contain memories and thereby disturb the recall of memories - at least in mice. The research group of Martin Fuhrmann of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) reports this phenomenon in the scientific journal 'Nature Neuroscience'. The results of this study potentially shed new light on...

An unusual cobalt compound

A research team from Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) and Carleton University in Ottawa has manufactured a novel, highly versatile cobalt compound. The molecules of the compound are stable, extremely compact and have a low molecular weight so that they can be evaporated for the production of thin films. Accordingly, they are of interest for applications such as battery or accumulator production....

Artificial intelligence enhances brain tumour diagnosis

A new machine learning approach classifies a common type of brain tumour into low or high grades with almost 98% accuracy, researchers report in the journal IEEE Access. Scientists in India and Japan, including from Kyoto University's Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS), developed the method to help clinicians choose the most effective treatment strategy for individual...

Biohybrid model uses organic lungs, synthetic muscles to re-create respiration mechanics

Discussed in APL Bioengineering, researchers created a high-fidelity respiratory simulator that accurately represents the interplay between the abdomen, diaphragm, lungs and pleural space, the fluid-filled membrane surrounding the thorax and lungs. The model, using swine lungs, soft robotic materials and artificial muscles, allows precise tuning of pressure in each part of the system, so specific...

Botox is an effective treatment for some common sports injuries, new research suggests

While botulinum toxin is commonly known as a cosmetic treatment for facial lines and wrinkles, a growing body of evidence suggests that 'Botox' can also be an effective treatment for certain sports injuries and chronic pain conditions, according to a review in the June issue of Current Sports Medicine Reports, official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). The journal is...

COVID-19 loneliness linked to elevated psychiatric symptoms in older adults

A new study has linked COVID-19-based loneliness in older adults with elevated psychiatric symptoms of anxiety, depression, and trauma symptoms that immediately follow exposure to trauma. Notably, the researchers found that the effect of loneliness on psychiatric symptoms was most pronounced among participants who felt subjectively older than their chronological age. On the other hand,...