Three-month-old infants can learn abstract relations before language comprehension

Three-month-old babies cannot understand words and are just learning to roll over, yet they are already capable of learning abstract relations. In a new study, Northwestern University researchers show for the first time that 3-month-old infants can learn same and different relations. “Recent theories have suggested that humans’ fluency in relational learning—our ability to make comparisons between objects, events or […]

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Flare-responsive hydrogel developed to treat arthritis

Arthritis flares – the unpredictable and often sudden worsening of arthritis symptoms—can be debilitating. These episodes can make the management of inflammatory arthritis, which includes rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, challenging for patients and physicians. But investigators at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have found that flares may also represent an important opportunity for improving treatment options for patients. In experiments […]

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Mathematical modeling offers new way to understand variable responses to targeted therapy

Cancer therapies that target a specific protein have improved outcomes for patients. However, many patients eventually develop resistance to these targeted therapies and their cancer comes back. It is believed that differences among tumor cells, or heterogeneity, may contribute to this drug resistance. Moffitt Cancer Center researchers are using a unique approach by combining typical cell culture studies with mathematical […]

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Key heart risks decline for older Americans

(HealthDay)—Older Americans dramatically reduced their risks for heart attack and stroke over a recent 20-year period, a new analysis finds. The likely reason: greater use of drugs to control cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as a decline in smoking, according to researchers from the University of Southern California. The benefits were seen in both sexes, which suggests women are […]

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Red or blue in the face? Study says conservatives show less emotion

If playing in a high-stakes poker game, it may be better to face opponents on the liberal side of the political spectrum. That’s because new research from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln has demonstrated a correlation between political ideology and facial expressivity: Conservatives have better poker faces, while liberals may allow more tells. Previous research has shown that people can identify […]

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Gene-based tests may improve treatment for people with bipolar disorder

Bipolar affective disorder (BPAD) affects around 2% of the world’s population, leaving them with bouts of severe depression and episodes of what is commonly referred to as “mania”. A range of drug treatments are available, but choosing the right medication, or range of medications, can be a struggle – sometimes spanning many years. But new research aims to shorten this […]

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Scientists develop novel cancer cell culture test kit for personalised, precise cancer therapy

A team of scientists led by Professor Lim Chwee Teck, Principal Investigator at the Mechanobiology Institute, Singapore (MBI) and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and NUS Ph.D. graduate Dr. Khoo Bee Luan, has developed a novel and robust cancer cell-based assay that could help clinicians to diagnose cancer, monitor the disease state and […]

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Study explores safety of rear-facing car seats in rear impact car crashes

Rear-facing car seats have been shown to significantly reduce infant and toddler fatalities and injuries in frontal and side-impact crashes, but they’re rarely discussed in terms of rear-impact collisions. Because rear-impact crashes account for more than 25 percent of all accidents, researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center conducted a new study to explore the effectiveness of rear-facing […]

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Treating women subsistence farmers for intestinal worms improved fitness and could boost food production

A new study in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) found that treating women subsistence farmers with just a single dose of a cheap deworming medication significantly improved their physical stamina for the grueling agriculture work needed for their family’s survival. The results of treatment could be twofold: improved health for farming women and increased food production by women who […]

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New technique makes heart valve replacement safer for some high-risk patients

Scientists have developed a novel technique that prevents coronary artery obstruction during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a rare but often fatal complication. The method, called Bioprosthetic Aortic Scallop Intentional Laceration to prevent Iatrogenic Coronary Artery obstruction (BASILICA), will increase treatment options for high-risk patients who need heart valve procedures. The findings by researchers at the National Institutes of Health […]

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