New research involving shipyard and metal fabrication workers finds that increased exposure to the chemical element manganese in welding fumes is linked to the worsening of parkinsonism. This is a group of disorders that share some of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, such as slow movement and stiffness. The researchers found that cumulative exposure...
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Scientists confirm a ‘new’ human organ
For centuries, the mesentery (which links the intestine to the abdomen) has been treated as a group of distinct structures in your digestive system. It wasn’t anything special. However, the medical world now has to rethink that belief. Scientists recently determined that the mesentery is really one, cohesive entity — that’s right, they confirmed the existence of...
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‘We could make that!’ — chance meeting leads to creation of antibiotic spider silk
A chance meeting between a spider expert and a chemist has led to the development of antibiotic synthetic spider silk. After five years’ work an interdisciplinary team of scientists at The University of Nottingham has developed a technique to produce chemically functionalised spider silk that can be tailored to applications used in drug delivery,...
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Bionic Humans: This Sleek Power Suit Helps Restore Mobility
IN BRIEF Superflex is looking to bring power suits to market that can help the elderly and disabled complete everyday tasks. The company has to release an initial concept but plan for the suit to fit nicely under any clothing and be ready for purchase by 2018. “INTELLIGENT WEARABLE STRENGTH” Superflex, a California-based startup, is...
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The Future of Brain-Based Medicine
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 58 million adult Americans suffer from mental illness in any given year, and that number is growing. In 2013, an estimated 15.7 million adults had at least one major depressive episode (ranging from mental depression to physical suicide and even murderous attacks on others, including their own...
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Parents of autistic children call ‘Buzzies’ a game changer
PHOENIX – Trouble focusing in class and wanting to get up and leave are issues that a lot of 17-year-olds deal with during the school day, but for Jacob Holma these are problems he really struggles with on a daily basis. Jacob has Autism and has a difficult time concentrating both inside and outside of...
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Affordable Room-Scale Mobile VR Arrives with NOLO Motion Tracking System
Truly immersive virtual reality is finally coming to smartphones, but you need to act fast. VR developers LYRobotix have announced a brand new motion tracking system that brings room-scale virtual reality and motion-tracking to smartphones for the first time. For just $89 you get the entire Nolo Motion Tracking System, consisting of a single base station (Much...
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Portable vision testing kit puts an eye doctor in your smartphone
Attach the mini microscope to your smartphone to take the test Despite the fact that many of us spend a good portion of our day in front of a computer or pouring over documents, chances are we don’t get our eyes checked as often as we should. Whatever the reason for this, there’s now...
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New drug gives hope for those with progressive multiple sclerosis
As many as 400,000 Americans are believed to suffer from multiple sclerosis — a debilitating disease of the central nervous system. A new drug may provide relief from the most devastating form of MS. Six years ago, at age 45, Jerrie Gullick suddenly developed leg and back pain, numbness, and severe fatigue. She was barely able to...
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ANCIENT CHINESE MALARIA REMEDY FIGHTS TB
A centuries-old herbal medicine, discovered by Chinese scientists and used to effectively treat malaria, has been found to potentially aid in the treatment of tuberculosis and may slow the evolution of drug resistance. In a promising study led by Robert Abramovitch, a Michigan State University microbiologist and TB expert, the ancient remedy artemisinin stopped the...