Category Health/Medical

The INTERACTION system. Credit: Image courtesy of University of Twente

From now on it will be possible to accurately monitor and analyse how stroke patients move during everyday life. This involves the use of a new suit fitted with 41 sensors, plus the infrastructure needed to transmit, store and process all of the data collected. This technology and information will make it possible to improve the rehabilitation process and cut healthcare costs. Bart Klaassen developed the system together with an international team of engineers and healthcare professionals. He will defend his thesis (which is based on this research) on 30 November, at the University of Twente. “The technology is finally ready.”

As many as 33 million people throughout the world suffered strokes in 2010...

Aerobic exercise preserves brain volume and improves cognitive function

Using a new MRI technique, researchers found adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who exercised 4 times a week over a 6-month period experienced an increase in brain volume in specific, or local, areas of the brain, but adults who participated in aerobic exercise experienced greater gains than those who just stretched. The study included 35 adults with MCI participating in a randomized, controlled trial of exercise intervention. Individuals with MCI are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) which affects >5 million Americans today.

The participants were divided into two groups...

Researchers have developed a specialized type of glowing metal organic framework, or LMOF (molecular structure at center), that is designed to detect and remove heavy-metal toxins from water. At upper left, mercury (Hg) is taken in by the LMOF. The graph at lower left shows how the LMOF’s fluorescence is turned off as it binds up the mercury. Its properties make this LMOF useful for both detecting and trapping heavy-metal toxins. Credit: Rutgers University

X-ray study explores atomic structure of tiny traps for heavy metals. Tiny, glowing crystals that detect and capture heavy-metal toxins such as lead and mercury could prove to be a powerful new tool in locating and cleaning up contaminated water sources...

Image1: A platypus. The same hormone produced in the gut of the platypus to regulate blood glucose is also produced in their venom, researchers have found – and that hormone could be used in possible type 2 diabetes treatments. Image2: An echidna. The same hormone produced in the gut of the echidna to regulate blood glucose is also produced in their venom, researchers have found – and that hormone could be used in possible type 2 diabetes treatments.

Australian researchers have discovered remarkable evolutionary changes to insulin regulation in two of the nation’s most iconic native animal species – the platypus and echidna – which could pave the way for new treatments for type 2 diabetes in humans...