Science & Technology
Dietary cholesterol worsens inflammation, sickness in mice with influenza
New research suggests high levels of dietary cholesterol make mice sicker when infected with influenza. This study links cholesterol in the diet with exacerbation of a viral infection.
New breathable gas sensors may improve monitoring of health, environment
Newly developed flexible, porous and highly sensitive nitrogen dioxide sensors that can be applied to skin and clothing have potential applications in health care, environmental health monitoring and military use, according to researchers.
Using everyday WiFi to help robots see and navigate better indoors
Engineers have developed a low cost, low power technology to help robots accurately map their way indoors, even in poor lighting and without recognizable landmarks or features. The technology uses WiFi signals, instead of light, to help the robot ‘see’…
Scientists devise method to prevent deadly hospital infections without antibiotics
Some 1.7 million Americans each year acquire hospital infections, resulting in nearly 100,000 deaths from infection-related complications. The biggest culprits: medical devices like catheters, stents and heart valves, whose surfaces often become covere…
Lost or extinct? Study finds the existence of more than 500 animal species remains uncertain
An international study provides the first global evaluation of all terrestrial vertebrate species that have not been declared extinct and identifies more than 500 species considered to be ‘lost’–those that haven’t been seen by anyone in more than 50 y…
Epilepsy drug stops nervous system tumor growth in mice
People with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) develop tumors on nerves throughout their bodies. Researchers have discovered that nerve cells with the mutation that causes NF1 are hyperexcitable and that suppressing this hyperactivity with the epilepsy dru…
Scientists reveal how seascapes of the ancient world shaped genetic structure of European populations
Scientists have explored the importance of sea travel in prehistory by examining the genomes of ancient Maltese humans and comparing these with the genomes of this period from across Europe. Previous findings from the archaeological team had suggested …
Some people fared better than others during COVID-19 pandemic due to genetics
Everyone has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but a new study finds that some individuals weathered the stress of the pandemic better than others, in part, due to their genetics.