One might think that the rate of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) could have an impact on whether an organism evolves monogamous behaviour, but a new study shows that it’s likely not as important as other factors. Researchers built a mathematical model to assess whether the benefit of reducing infection risk via monogamous behaviour outweighs the […]
Posts by Kelly Fram (KellyFram)
Des nanoparticules pour les yeux secs
Des chercheurs ont développé un nouveau médicament utilisant des nanoparticules afin de traiter les yeux secs et irrités. En ce moment, les traitements, comme les gouttes oculaires, doivent être pris jusqu’à trois fois par jour. Ce nouveau traitement pourrait être pris seulement une fois par semaine. Ces nanoparticules ne causent pas d’irritation dans les yeux […]
Drug-carrying nanoparticles could relieve sore eyes
Those suffering from dry eyes have to use eye drops as often as three times a day; a new nanoparticle-based technique could reduce that to once a week. Because our eyes naturally try to flush out any foreign substance, most of the drugs in an eye drop never actually reach the eye. The new nanoparticles […]
Retour sur le gras saturé et la santé
Une nouvelle revue de la littérature conclut que les cibles nationales de consommation de gras saturé pourraient être revues à la hausse. Les auteurs expliquent que les gras saturés peuvent augmenter le taux de cholestérol dans le sang. Toutefois, l’impact des gras saturés est relativement neutre sur plusieurs autres facteurs de risques des maladies cardio-vasculaires. […]
Saturated fat and heart disease, revisited
A new review suggests that national guidelines on the amount of saturated fats we consume per day need to be revisited. The authors note that while saturated fats can raise cholesterol levels, they have a relatively neutral impact on other key risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and that recent data from population studies challenge the […]
Pitcher plant inspires non-stick surface for medical implants
Researchers have developed a non-stick coating that could make implanted devices – such as blood catheters to artificial hearts – safer to use. Currently, some patients using these devices must be treated with drugs to prevent clots from forming, but these drugs pose risks to elderly or injured patients, making them prone to uncontrolled bleeding. The […]
Des plantes carnivores inspirantes
Des chercheurs ont développé un revêtement non adhésif qui rendre les cathéters et les coeurs artificiels plus sécuritaires. Ce nouveau nouveau revêtement utilise une combinaison de perfluorocarbure liquide et immobile, une composante chimique semblable au Teflon, afin de créer une surface ultra glissante avec des propriétés semblables aux pièges de certaines plantes carnivores. Les chercheurs […]
Records de chaleur en Chine
L’est de la Chine a connu des canicules sans précédent en 2013, et une nouvelle étude montre que ces températures extrêmes pourraient devenir la nouvelle norme. Des chercheurs ont trouvé que la température moyenne estivale dans les villes chinoises de la côte Est a augmenté de 0,82°C entre 1950 et 2013. Les auteurs concluent que […]
China heats up
Eastern China experienced a record-breaking summer heatwave in 2013, but analysis shows that this extreme could soon become the new normal. Researchers looked at temperature records in eastern China from 1950 to 2013 and found that average summer temperatures have increased by 0.82 C during that time. Summers as hot as 2013 are now 60 […]
Les patients dans les hôpitaux ne se lavent pas assez les mains
Les patients dans les hôpitaux ne se lavent les mains que 30% du temps après être allé aux toilettes. Des chercheurs ont attaché des transpondeurs à des bracelets d’hôpitaux capables de communiquer avec les distributeurs de désinfectants. Ils ont ensuite analysé le comportement de 200 patients pour constater qu’ils se lavaient les mains seulement 30% […]
Electronic monitoring reveals poor handwashing among hospital patients
A new system for monitoring handwashing has revealed that patients in hospitals only wash their hands about 30 per cent of the time while using the washroom. The study used electronic transponders attached to hospital bracelets and soap and hand sanitizer dispensers; by picking up ultrasonic signals from these devices, researchers could track who was […]
Changements climatiques: les poissons migrent lentement vers les pôles
Une nouvelle analyse informatique montre qu’avec le réchauffement des océans des espèces de poissons avec une valeur commerciale migrent vers les pôles et pourraient disparaître des eaux tropicales en 2050. Les auteurs de l’étude ont analysé 802 espèces de poissons et montrent que ceux-ci vont migrer vers les pôles de 15 à 26 km par […]
Climate change will shift fish toward poles
A new analysis using computer models indicates that many commercially important species of fish are moving toward the poles and that some could disappear from the tropics altogether by 2050. The analysis used multiple models and covered 802 species to show that fish ranges are moving at a rate between 15 and 26 km per year. […]
Common cause: how genes influence autism
A new study finds that mutations in two very different genes can have similar effects on developing brain cells, shedding light on the origins of autism. Researchers looked at neuronal stem cells with mutations in one of two genes; in humans, each of these mutations leads to a different neurodevelopmental disorder, although both disorders are […]
‘X-treme’ neutron stars
Researchers have discovered that a bright, pulsing neutron star is the source of ultra-bright X-rays coming from near the centre of the nearby galaxy Messier 82. Researchers have previously thought that only a black hole could emit so brightly in the X-ray region, but the team found that the source was pulsing, which black holes […]
Rock art of ages – cave paintings from Indonesia
Cave paintings on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi date back nearly 40,000 years, on par with the oldest known human artwork from caves in Europe. The paintings include stencils of hands that date back as far as 39,900 years ago, making them the oldest known hand stencils. The paintings also include representations of a babirusa, […]
