28 February, 2018

Firearm Injuries Drop 20 Percent When Gun Owners Leave For NRA Conventions


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Firearm Injuries Drop 20 Percent When Gun Owners Leave For NRA Conventions

The obesity paradox debunked: People with extra pounds do not live longer, study shows


Reduction in Firearm Injuries during NRA Annual Conventions: there is a 20% reduction in gun injuries during convention dates vs identical days in surrounding 3 weeks; Largest reductions in men, who comprise majority of convention attendees


New Species of Tardigrade Discovered in Japanese Parking Lot


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New Species of Tardigrade Discovered in Japanese Parking Lot

A rare signal from the early universe sends scientists clues about dark matter


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A rare signal from the early universe sends scientists clues about dark matter

A star will soon zip by the Milky Way's supermassive black hole at nearly 3% the speed of light. The star, named Source 2, was recently shown to lack a binary companion, meaning it will be used to further test Einstein's Theory of General Relativity.


The US Could Supply 80 Percent of Its Energy with Wind and Solar


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The US Could Supply 80 Percent of Its Energy with Wind and Solar

Alternative Nuclear Technology: 1 ton of thorium is estimated to provide the same amount of energy as 200 tons of uranium or 3.5 million tons of coal.


Researchers claim to have evidence of the existence of dark matter in the universe.


Young women who get abortions don’t face an increased risk of depressive symptoms, according to results of a new study.


Study suggests growing up in greener spaces can result in a higher volume of white and grey matter in certain areas of the brain, which has beneficial effects on cognitive function


Newly discovered CRISPR mechanism may help prevent dangerous gene editing errors


50% of familial breast cancer cases cannot be explained by what we currently know about genetic risk. In a new study, researchers identify non-genetic, but heritable, epigentic marks which modulate disease risk. Suggests a role for heritable environmental influence on cancer risk.


Hi Reddit! I’m Richard Reynolds, Professor of Cellular Neurobiology at Imperial College London and Chair of the 3Rs Advisory Group. My research team and I are currently studying multiple sclerosis using a combination of cell cultures, animal models, and human brain tissues. Ask Me Anything.


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Multiple sclerosis is a devastating condition that affects the nervous system of young adults and results in significant disability.

Research in my group aims to understand the reasons for damage to neurons in the brain in MS and how we can develop drugs to stop it.

To do this we use a combination of neurons grown in cell cultures, animal models of MS (primarily rats) and human brain tissues.

Research involving animals forms an important element of our work, but is not undertaken lightly. In recent years, we have worked at improving the animal models of MS to make them better reflect what we know about how MS affects the human brain.

This has also led us to carry out more of our research using human brain tissues donated after death, which has resulted in a substantial reduction in our use of animals.

This is also a reflection of my role as Chair of the 3Rs Advisory Group and my effort to improve and disseminate the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) principles among Imperial researchers (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/about-imperial-research/research-integrity/animal-research/regulation/).

Proof:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/r.reynolds

Multiple sclerosis research by me and my team:

Extensive grey matter pathology in the cerebellum in multiple sclerosis is linked to inflammation in the subarachnoid space (2015) http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nan.12199/abstract;jsessionid=A067D6A5EA8B2B97DB524DF6BCBFCC8C.f02t02

Cortical grey matter demyelination can be induced by elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines in the subarachnoid space of MOG-immunized rats (2013) https://academic.oup.com/brain/article/136/12/3596/445144

An ex-vivo multiple sclerosis model of inflammatory demyelination using hyperbranched polymer (2013) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142961213004547?via%3Dihub

Other info:

Animal research at Imperial College London: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/about-imperial-research/research-integrity/animal-research/ About the Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Tissue Bank: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/medicine/multiple-sclerosis-and-parkinsons-tissue-bank/ Animal research report 2016/17: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/about-imperial-research/research-integrity/animal-research/annual-report/

">Hi Reddit! I’m Richard Reynolds, Professor of Cellular Neurobiology at Imperial College London and Chair of the 3Rs Advisory Group. My research team and I are currently studying multiple sclerosis using a combination of cell cultures, animal models, and human brain tissues. Ask Me Anything.

LSD produces a new type of ‘harmonic’ order in the brain, according to neuroimaging study - The drug resulted in the “emergence of new type of order in the brain,” the researchers found.


Chimpanzees, bonobos, and even humans may share ancient body language


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Chimpanzees, bonobos, and even humans may share ancient body language

People with more authoritarian attitudes are more likely to be disgusted by foul-smelling body odours, and the more easily disgusted a person is, the more they are likely to support Donald Trump. Scientists believe this disgust is related to avoidance, whether to new people and ideas or pathogens.


27 February, 2018

Solar flares at star nearest our sun are so intense there basically can't be any life on its sole exoplanet - study


Scientists Recorded What Brain Cells Did in the Last Minutes Before People Died


Study finds standing desks increase bodily pain and slow down people’s cognitive functions at work. Experts have warned that despite the “feverish” trend towards adopting the adjustable desks, there is little solid evidence to support their use, as well as concerns they may do more harm than good.


These giant viruses may challenge our preconceptions of what life is. Two newly discovered viruses are the first capable of making all 20 standard amino acids, the building blocks of life.


Don't Panic, but Researchers Have Discovered That Stress is Contagious


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Don't Panic, but Researchers Have Discovered That Stress is Contagious

Ancient puppy remains show human care and bonding nearly 14,000 years ago


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Ancient puppy remains show human care and bonding nearly 14,000 years ago

Single fathers experience 3 times greater mortality risk than other types of parents, according to a new study. They are 3 times more likely to suffer from cancer, and have greater rates of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.


Scientists have shown in mice that skin cells re-programmed into brain stem cells, transplanted into the central nervous system, help reduce inflammation and may be able to help repair damage caused by multiple sclerosis


Air pollution tied to higher risk of abnormal fetal growth - "In a new study, researchers consistently identified positive associations between high levels of exposure to a mixture of pollutants from car fumes, industry emissions, or construction activities and fetal head circumference overgrowth."


Sexting is on the rise among teens: ~27% get nudes, other racy messages. Researchers found no gender differences in sending and receiving rates.


Geophysicists have developed a detailed map of the stresses that act in the Earth throughout the Permian Basin in West Texas and southeastern New Mexico, highlighting areas of the oil-rich region that could be at greater risk for future earthquakes induced by production operations.


Sea Level Science Agency Publishes Response to 'Completely Unwarranted' Attacks from Climate Deniers | explains how all the data, methodology, and adjustments made by PSMSL are in the public domain, countering claims from climate science deniers of a secretive conspiracy to deceive.


north Pole surges above freezing in the dead of winter.


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north Pole surges above freezing in the dead of winter.

60 per cent of offenders have experienced a head injury which is linked to greater violence. Screening and support in prison could support could help to reduce the likelihood of re-offending and reduce the societal costs of incarceration, a new study says.


north Pole surges above freezing in the dead of winter.


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north Pole surges above freezing in the dead of winter.

Astronomers have investigated a small population of stars in the halo of the Milky Way Galaxy, finding its chemical composition to closely match that of the Galactic disk. This similarity provides evidence that these stars have originated from within the disk, rather than from merged dwarf galaxies


Community-based wildlife conservation can quickly result in ecological success.


Microbes Found In One Of Earth's Most Hostile Places, Giving Hope For Life On Mars


Men with higher levels of testosterone tend to devote more energy to keeping their romantic partners faithful and in a relationship with them. The study, published in the journal Physiology & Behavior, examined what is known as mate retention behavior.


A certain level of anxiety can actually boost your memory, study shows - "To some degree, there is an optimal level of anxiety that is going to benefit your memory. If anxiety is too high, or it turns into fear, this can lead to memories becoming tainted, and the benefit no longer there."


26 February, 2018

Compared with people who gobbled their food, those who ate at a normal speed were 29 percent less likely to be obese. But those who ate slowly were up to 42 percent less likely to be obese.


A low socioeconomic status is so damaging to health, it reduces life expectancy by 2.1 years. That's worse than obesity or high blood pressure and a consortium of global researchers are calling for it to be treated like any other major health risk factor.


New, 'Exotic State of Matter' Found Far Below Freezing


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New, 'Exotic State of Matter' Found Far Below Freezing

Health staff 'too stressed' to deal with disasters. Staff suffer from increasing workload and stricter performance measures with less flexibility. This has caused psychological and physical stress and makes them unable to respond to any further stress associated with major hazards.


Closer to a cure for Huntington's disease: scientists develop a new CRISPR method that can safely excise CAG repeats from the HTT gene in patient-derived cell lines. If it could be efficiently and safely delivered to Huntington patient brains, it could represent a cure. A big if, obviously.


The Gut Microbiome and Mental Health: Implications for Anxiety- and Trauma-Related Disorders


Women feel more comfortable interacting with gay men than straight men, study finds


Students who show interest in school report greater income 50 years later, regardless of IQ, parental income


EPA Report Proves That Black Communities More Likely to Breathe Toxic Air | People of color have a 35 percent higher chance of living near emission polluting facilities than their White counterparts—and the number is higher for Black residents.


Study says though college roommates are sensitive to one another's distress, they often underestimate the severity of that distress


Saturn’s Rings Might Be Shredded Moons


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Saturn’s Rings Might Be Shredded Moons

Women reported higher levels of incivility from other women than their male counterparts. In other words, women are ruder to each other than they are to men, or than men are to women, finds researchers in a new study in the Journal of Applied Psychology.


Hi Reddit! We’re Loren Pena, a researcher from the Undiagnosed Diseases Network, and Jamie Mills, the father of a little boy diagnosed with a novel rare genetic condition last year. Ask us anything about rare diseases or the Undiagnosed Diseases Network!


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Since accepting its first patient in 2015, the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN), which is funded by the National Institutes of Health, has been working to find answers for patients with unknown disorders that have nowhere else to turn. The 13 UDN sites across the country conduct basic and clinical research to improve the level of diagnosis and uncover the underlying disease mechanisms associated with these rare conditions. The UDN is an expansion of an Undiagnosed Diseases Program initiated in 2008 at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD. Many liken our work to the popular television show House M.D., although we would argue that diagnosing a rare disease in one hour is pretty much impossible!

Rare diseases aren’t that rare. The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), as well as the Rare Diseases Act of 1983, defines a rare disease as one that affects fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. It has been estimated that approximately 25 million Americans have a rare disease. This week, we and others around the globe will be celebrating Rare Disease Day. We’re doing this AMA to raise awareness about rare and undiagnosed diseases among the scientific community and share information about rare diseases and their impact on patients and families.

A bit more about us. We are:

  • Dr. Loren Pena: a clinical geneticist and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Duke Medicine, one of seven clinical sites within the UDN. I see patients in the Duke genetics clinic and evaluate patients enrolled in the UDN at Duke.

  • Mr. Jamie Mills: the father of Quinn, a 3-year-old boy diagnosed with an extremely rare genetic disease by the Duke UDN team last year. Quinn’s particular mutation is so rare that at this time there are only 10 known cases around the world. I am also co-chair of the UDN Participant Engagement and Empowerment Resource (PEER), a group of participants and family members who have participated in the UDN.

We will be answering your questions at 1 p.m. ET – Ask Us Anything!

">Hi Reddit! We’re Loren Pena, a researcher from the Undiagnosed Diseases Network, and Jamie Mills, the father of a little boy diagnosed with a novel rare genetic condition last year. Ask us anything about rare diseases or the Undiagnosed Diseases Network!