Research - SlashGear

Climate change threatens to eradicate humanity’s vital wild vegetables

Brittany A. Roston | Dec 14, 2019

Rising temperatures have impacted various crops around the world, raising concerns about food insecurity and famines in some regions. Though many studies have largely focused on the big cereal crops, a new study warns that climate change also threatens the wild versions of humanity's most commonly consumed cultivated vegetables. Most of these wild relatives aren't stored in gene banks, leaving cultivated veggies at risk of decimation by environmental changes.

Short-term hormone use may increase breast cancer risk for decades

Brittany A. Roston | Dec 13, 2019

During the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium today, researchers highlighted a concerning risk associated with the use of certain hormone pills: greater odds of developing breast cancer. The research dates all the way back to 2002 when a study revealed that taking combination hormone pills featuring both estrogen and progestin as a way to deal with menopause symptoms may have tragic consequences.

Study shows plasma ‘clock’ as potential key to aging

Chris Burns | Dec 13, 2019

The Plasma Proteomic Clock, as Standford scientists called it, linked distinct points of aging to three specific years in a recent study. In this study, they showed how the human body does not age in a smooth fashion. Based on readings of protein in blood plasma, these scientists were able to predict the chronological age of each test subject - with some significant similarities between those points at which predictions deviated from "true" age.

Researchers create molecular drills to destroy superbugs

Shane McGlaun | Dec 13, 2019

One of the biggest challenges in modern medicine is devising new antibiotics that can kill so-called superbugs that have developed resistance to nearly all antibiotics. Scientists have created a new method of killing these superbugs known as a molecular drill. In some cases, these molecular drills can make antibiotics effective again.

Eating sweet treats during winter is surprisingly risky for some people

Brittany A. Roston | Dec 12, 2019

The holiday season is often full of sweet treats and other sugary foods, but you may want to avoid them to protect your health, according to a new study from the University of Kansas. People who are prone to depression may experience a lapse in their mental health that is ultimately triggered by eating too much sugary during the winter months when other negative factors are already present.

Microsoft and Ford team up to help ease traffic on roads

Shane McGlaun | Dec 12, 2019

Microsoft and Ford Motor Company have announced that they have been working together for years to figure out ways to ease congestion on roads. Ford says that lots of drivers try and use GPS systems to route them around traffic-congested areas. The issue is that the current navigation systems will route drivers in a vacuum without considering routes other drivers in the area are also planning to use.

Low-risk ultrasound procedure revolutionizes prostate cancer treatment

Brittany A. Roston | Dec 11, 2019

A new treatment shows promise for revolutionizing prostate cancer treatment, offering a minimally-invasive and relatively low-risk alternative to traditional surgeries and radiotherapies. Called TULSA, this method uses sound waves to eliminate the diseased tissue in the prostate, leaving the rest of the healthy tissues behind. According to the researchers, patients treated with this method experience 'minimal side effects.'

Researchers develop vaccine that targets Crohn’s disease and obesity

Brittany A. Roston | Dec 11, 2019

Researchers with INSERM in Paris have detailed their development of a new vaccine strategy that shows promise for treating inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn's disease, as well as metabolic conditions like obesity. Key to the vaccine's potential effectiveness is gut microbiota, abnormalities of which have been linked to a variety of health conditions. The new vaccine works by modifying these bacteria to protect the intestinal wall.

Greenland’s ice is melting much faster than we thought – that’s a huge problem

Chris Davies | Dec 11, 2019

Greenland's ice is melting much faster than earlier predictions warned, new research has discovered, exposing millions more people to rising sea levels and flooding. While scientists have been monitoring the melting ice caps for years now, and extrapolating just how many coastal communities run the risk of being submerged completely, a new study suggests even those predictions weren't quite severe enough.

Human bone inspired new 3D printed material

Shane McGlaun | Dec 11, 2019

Scientists from Cornell University, Purdue University, and Case Western Reserve University have created a new 3D printed material that has a design inspired by bone. The team says that bones and 3D-printed buildings have something in common. Both have columns and beams on the inside that determine how long they last.

Researchers create material that uses magnetic fields to transform

Shane McGlaun | Dec 11, 2019

Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Ohio State University have developed a new soft polymer material. The material is called magnetic shape memory polymer. It can use magnetic fields to transform into a variety of shapes. The team thinks that the new material could have a range of new applications from antennas that change frequencies on the fly to gripper arms for handling delicate or heavy objects.

Researcher creates headphones to warn pedestrians of hazards

Shane McGlaun | Dec 10, 2019

A researcher from Columbia University has created a set of headphones that are meant to help break through the oblivion of many pedestrians today. People routinely walk directly into a situation that can have catastrophic consequences for them because they are distracted by music or video on smartphones and can't hear or don't see hazards.