As a child, my grandfather had instilled in my sister and I a love for stories involving the paranormal. One of the stories in a book, gifted by him one summer, was about the Bermuda triangle. Right from the beginning, it caught our attention. How could an area of the world be such that flights
Traumatic stress affects the brain of adolescent girls & boys differently
A study by Stanford University shows accelerated maturation of a brain region involved in the integration of emotion and actions that occurs in adolescent girls with PTSD but not in boys of the same age group. According to a study by the Stanford University School of Medicine, traumatic stress can affect the developing brains of
Are the new drugs in diabetes treatment really as good as they seem?
Diabetes is a common life-long health condition, which affects more than 60 million people in Europe. It is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases seen around Europe. Left untreated, diabetes can lead to many complications including heart attacks, stroke, kidney failure and nerve damage. Left untreated, diabetes can lead to many complications including heart
The rise of pseudo-embryos
Life. There is no more needed for an animal’s life to begin than only two cells- females oocyte and males spermatozoid. The fusion of these cells brings life to continuity by enabling a vigorous proliferation thus making embryo precursor of independent, self sustaining biological system; an animal. Not only 24% of the mouse embryos fully
The first cases of multi-drug resistant Candida auris fungal infections have hit the US
Researches have established that Candida auris is an emerging pathogenic fungus that causes invasive infections. This was reported on four continents during 2009-2015 by CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The organism is deceptively difficult to find using traditional diagnostic methods. Some isolates have been found to be resistant to all three major anti-fungal
New male contraceptive shows early promise before being axed
After showing much promise, a multicentre clinical trial of a hormonal contraceptive has been stopped. A new study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism shows a male contraceptive injection to be highly effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies but at the cost of several side effects. This study looked at the contraceptive effectiveness
Music culture – are we born to like a specific kind of music?
Wherever you are in the world, music is performed, listened to and enjoyed. But what does Justin Bieber and panflute music from Peru have in common? A new study reveals this secret. It shows that several universal features exist in the music all around the world. This includes features related to pitch, rhythm, performance style
Are mobile phone apps better at diagnosing diseases than your Doctor?
The JAMA Network recently published a research paper comparing the diagnostic accuracy of a physician and a medical app. Physician error is common; the flow of information is quicker with the advent of mobile phone apps and online symptom checkers. Due to the rise of internet educated patients, people often tend to diagnose themselves. But
Coffee & Cigarettes
An aromatic cup of coffee accompanied by a lit cigarette is a classical combination. Why do these two seem to complement each other so well? Does it depend on environmental or genetic factors? In what was to become the largest twin study of its kind, scientists at the Department of Biological Psychology at the University of
Portable, Biomolecular manufacturing puts vaccines on the frontline
Researchers at the Wyss Institute, Harvard University have developed a portable method for biomolecular manufacturing. They have used this novel technique to create vaccines on demand with no need for power of refrigeration – “just add water”. This will allow vaccines to reach the frontline in remote areas where they are desperately needed the most.