What Are Comets? Comets are small, fragile, irregularly shaped bodies composed of a mixture of grains and frozen gases. They have highly elliptical orbits that repeatedly bring them very close to the Sun and then swing them deeply into space, often beyond the orbit of Pluto. Comet structures are diverse and very dynamic, but they … Read more
Sun allergy is a term often used to describe a number of conditions in which an itchy red rash occurs on skin that’s been exposed to sunlight. The most common form of sun allergy is polymorphic light eruption, also known as sun poisoning. Some people have a hereditary type of sun allergy, while others develop … Read more
Earth’s Axis Is Imaginary In astronomy, an axis refers to the imaginary line that an object, usually a planet, rotates around. Earth’s rotational axis is an imaginary straight line that runs through the North and South Pole. In our illustrations, Earth’s axis is drawn as a straight red line. When an object the size of … Read more
For many decades, Aboriginal Australians have campaigned for the return of ancestral remains that continue to be stored in museums worldwide. But in many instances these remains cannot be repatriated – as their geographic origin, tribal affiliation or language group was never identified. Without this information it is impossible for museums to determine appropriate custodians, … Read more
A unique collaboration between University of British Columbia (UBC) zoologists and U of T Engineering’s aviation expert Professor Philippe Lavoie provides new insights into how gulls configure their wing shape—known as wing morphing—to stabilize their flight. The findings could be used to design more efficient flying vehicles, including soaring drones for farming or environmental monitoring. … Read more
Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an inherited autosomal dominant disorder which is characterized by substantially increased Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. Timely reduction of LDL-C is of paramount importance to ameliorate the risk for CV disease as patients with FH have a significantly higher risk for Cardiovascular (CV) events. Pro-protein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors … Read more
In a small trial, brain scans revealed who was most at risk of relapsing after being treated for addiction to stimulants like amphetamines or cocaine. The finding could identify people who need help staying drug-free. Predicting who will remain drug-free and who will relapse following treatment for drug addiction has been impossible – so far. … Read more
A research team led by scientists at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health report on a new method to help health officials control outbreaks of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, a life-threatening antibiotic-resistant infection often seen in hospitals. The researchers are the first to reveal the invisible dynamics governing the spread of these … Read more
Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare form of heart failure that affects women in their last month of pregnancy and up to five months after giving birth. PPCM can be difficult to detect because its symptoms—swelling in the feet and legs and shortness of breath—mimic many of those of third trimester pregnancy. The disease, which … Read more
As early as 3 months of age, infants with a severe form of epilepsy called Dravet syndrome start having convulsive seizures, during which their arms and legs jerk repeatedly. As they become toddlers, another type of seizure begins to appear. These seizures do not cause obvious convulsions, but disrupt consciousness and can occur more than … Read more
It’s a challenging proposition for anyone: Lie flat on your back, helmet covering half of your face, in a tight-quartered MRI capsule that would make even the non-claustrophobe jittery. Then try not to move for 45 minutes. For children and adolescents with autism and low verbal and cognitive performance (LVCP), that proposition has been nearly … Read more
A tiny fingernail sensor has been worked up that monitors diseases and movement disorders. IBM Research tells their prototype story in a video. The IBM team designed the tiny fingernail sensors to help clinicians detect and monitor the progression of disease via AI analysis and grip strength. Why choose fingernails as the window to what … Read more
University of Colorado Boulder chemistry researchers have developed a novel way to synthesize and optimize a naturally-occurring antibiotic compound that could one day be used to fight lethal drug-resistant infections such as Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as MRSA. Antibiotic-resistant infections afflict over 2 million people annually and result in over 23,000 deaths in the U.S. … Read more
Micropores in fabricated tissues such as bone and cartilage allow nutrient and oxygen diffusion into the core, and this novel approach may eventually allow lab-grown tissue to contain blood vessels, according to a team of Penn State researchers. “One of the problems with fabrication of tissues is that we can’t make them large in size,” … Read more
As mammals age, their sense of smell deteriorates. In a study published in the journal Cell Reports, an interdisciplinary research team at Helmholtz Zentrum München and the University Medical Centre Mainz investigated why this is the case. For their study, the researchers tracked the development of stem cells in the brains of mice using what … Read more