Availability of consultants is not the cause of the so-called 'weekend effect' in hospitals

A major study led by the University of Birmingham has revealed that a lack of available specialist consultants in hospitals at the weekend is not the cause of the so-called "weekend effect."

Deficiency in how gut microbiome-produced substances are detected in high blood pressure

A new study led by Monash University scientists has found that microbial genetic pathways are different in people suffering from hypertension.

AI reveals how glucose helps the SARS-CoV-2 virus

Why do some people get sick and die from COVID-19 while others seem to be completely unaffected? EPFL's Blue Brain Project deployed its powerful brain simulation technology and expertise in cellular and molecular biology to try and answer this question.

Crawling important step in development of risk perception

The more crawling experience a baby has, the more likely they are to avoid falling into water, a University of Otago study shows.

Not-so-blind mice can make strategic and acute visual choices

New research from the RIKEN Center for Brain Science shows that mice can teach us about decision-making strategies. Mice in the study autonomously trained themselves to make decisions about detailed pictures on a screen. A dataset of over 1.3 million viewings of black and white striped lines revealed that mice were highly sensitive to small differences in how slanted the lines were. This sensitivity allowed fine visual discriminations, which illuminated the underlying, sometimes random nature of the decisions. The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on July 27.

CO2 as a raw material for plastics and other products

Carbon dioxide is one of the main drivers of climate change—which means that we need to reduce CO2 emissions in the future. Fraunhofer researchers are highlighting a possible way to lower these emissions: They use the greenhouse gas as a raw material, for instance to produce plastics. To do this, they first produce methanol and formic acid from CO2, which they convert via microorganisms into building blocks for polymers and the like.

Alternative to fishing – cell-based fish from the bioreactor

Already about 90 percent of all fish stocks are considered maximally exploited or overfished, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. But as the world's population continues to grow, more and more people rely on fish as a source of protein. Bluu GmbH—a spin-off of the Fraunhofer Research and Development Center for Marine and Cellular Biotechnology EMB, which is an associated center of the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Individualized and Cell-Based Medical Engineering IMTE—has a solution to the problem. The company specializes in the production of cell-based fish, which is made from real fish cells and grown in a bioreactor. Unlike wild-caught fish, this is not at the expense of animal welfare.

What Olympic athletes can teach us about regulating our emotions and staying dedicated

Olympians are often seen as the epitome of human performance, with incredible physical and mental strength. And with the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games well underway, it's hard to not be impressed by the sheer talent and determination of athletes competing from all over the world.

Male fertility is declining, environmental toxins could be a reason

In the U.S., nearly 1 in 8 couples struggles with infertility. Unfortunately, physicians like me who specialize in reproductive medicine are unable to determine the cause of male infertility around 30% to 50% of the time. There is almost nothing more disheartening than telling a couple "I don't know" or "There's nothing I can do to help."

Study: Working from home improves baby sleep

As the world transitions from pandemic lockdowns, pediatric sleep experts have found some pluses of working from home, including more sleep for babies and less daytime drowsiness for parents.

Muscles are important, but stiff tendons are the secret ingredient for high-speed performance

The fastest sprinter is the world right now is Lamont Marcell Jacobs, who won Olympic gold in the men's 100-meter sprint with a time of 9.80 seconds. You might be surprised to learn that most of the explosive power displayed by Jacobs and other elite athletes doesn't come from their muscles, or even from their minds—it comes from somewhere else.

Alert on Australian youth mental healthcare and youth suicide

Headspace and Better Access have been challenged by Australian psychiatry researchers to integrate more seamlessly with public health systems and state and local databases to make wholescale inroads into cutting mental health problems in young people.

The antibody with a secret: Scientists uncover IgA antibodies' ability to fight malaria

Antibodies have drawn a spotlight over the past year and a half as scientists and lay people alike have asked how long the infection-fighting proteins persist in the face of a formidable enemy—a pandemic virus that has been transmitted on every continent of the planet.

Study shows common insecticide is harmful in any amount

A new UC Riverside study shows that a type of insecticide made for commercial plant nurseries is harmful to a typical bee even when applied well below the label rate.

Cutting 250 calories daily and exercising may improve heart health in obese older adults

Cutting just 250 calories a day with moderate exercise reaped bigger rewards than exercise alone for older, obese adults. Among older adults with obesity, combining aerobic exercise with a moderate reduction in daily calories resulted in greater improvements in aortic stiffness (a measure of vascular health, which impacts cardiovascular disease), compared to exercise only or to exercise plus a more restrictive diet, according to new research published today in the American Heart Association's flagship journal Circulation.

Millions under virus lockdown as China battles Delta outbreak

Millions of people were confined to their homes in China Monday as the country tried to contain its largest coronavirus outbreak in months with mass testing and travel curbs.

Florida breaks record for COVID-19 hospitalizations

A day after it recorded the most new daily cases since the start of the pandemic, Florida on Sunday broke a previous record for current hospitalizations set more than a year ago before vaccines were available.

Panda loaned to France gives birth to twins: zoo

Huan Huan, a giant panda on loan to France, gave birth to twin cubs very early Monday, according to the Beauval zoo.

No 'eureka moment': the evolution of climate science

What if Earth's atmosphere was infused with extra carbon dioxide, mused amateur scientist Eunice Foote in an 1856 research paper that concluded the gas was very good at absorbing heat.

Where you live may affect your long term survival after heart attack

A study of more than 31,000 Kaiser Permanente members in Southern California showed that Black patients from disadvantaged neighborhoods were significantly more likely to die within 5 years of surviving a heart attack than white patients. In contrast, there was no difference in rates of death between white patients and black patients who lived in well-resourced neighborhoods.

New model shows how cities can safely lift COVID-19 restrictions

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 57% of people in the U.S. 12 years of age and older are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. While the high vaccination rates in certain areas are helping local authorities to safely reopen, there is no consensus on a common approach, particularly as the Delta variant spreads. Furthermore, areas with a vaccine hesitant population, or ones with less access to the vaccine must still take a cautious approach to lifting or potentially reinstating restrictions.

Girls are less likely to see science as a viable career when taught alongside scientifically confident classmates

Being in a classroom surrounded by children who are confident and interested in science can actually put girls off pursuing a career in STEM subjects, according to a new study. In contrast, boys seem to be inspired by their peers' confidence and are more likely to see themselves in STEM roles as a result.

Plastic creates 'evolutionary trap' for young sea turtles

Plastic pollution creates an "evolutionary trap" for young sea turtles, new research shows.