Category Health/Medical

Mitosis, stage four (stock image). At the start of an individual’s life there is a single fertilized egg cell. One day after fertilization there are two cells, after two days four, after three days eight and so on, until there are billions of cells at birth. The order in which our genes are activated after fertilization has remained one of the last uncharted territories of human development. Credit: © Tatiana Shepeleva / Fotolia

The fertilized egg gene mapping provides an in-depth understanding of early embryonic development in humans – and scientists now hope that the results will help finding for example new therapies against infertility and genetic disease. There are ~23,000 human genes in total...

A) Images of one front foot of each species used in this study, displayed in proportion to one another, with species ordered by increasing body size. B) Experimental method used to record maximum adhesive force (Fc) and system compliance (C), showing G. vittatus with front feet placed flat on glass plate, just before plate extends upward (denoted by the arrow) away from gecko, and C) sample recordings from each species showing Fc and gecko stiffness (1/C). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0134604.g001

A few years ago Geckskin,a flexible adhesive was invented . It mimics a gecko’s ability to strongly yet easily attach and detach their feet to walk on walls and ceilings...

Bacterial growth rates computed with the new method are shown (top, average; bottom, for specific species, red represents faster replication) for a human subject that underwent a radical dietary change. Compared are days in which only white boiled rice was consumed (grey area) and days of normal diet (white area). A global change in bacterial growth dynamics was observed between dietary regimens. Credit: Weizmann Institute of Science

The reproduction rates of the bacteria in one’s gut may be a good indicator of health or disease, scientists say. In their examination of human microbiome data, the research group found that particular changes in bacterial growth rates are uniquely associated with type II diabetes; others are tied to inflammatory bowel disease, for example.
The study began w...

A blueberry extract could lead to a new therapy for periodontitis and a reduced need for antibiotics. Many people have had some degree of gum inflammation, or gingivitis, caused by dental plaque. The gums get red and swollen, and they bleed easily. If left unchecked, the condition can progress to periodontitis. The plaque hardens into tartar, and the infection can spread below the gum line and destroy the tissue supporting the teeth. To treat this condition, dentists scrape off the tartar and sometimes have to resort to conventional antibiotics. But recently, researchers have started looking at natural antibacterial compounds to treat gum disease...