Fingerprint Test Could Detect Cocaine Use

Medicine & Technology May 15, 2015

A highly sophisticated new type of drug test can tell if a person has taken cocaine by analyzing chemical traces left behind by their fingerprint, scientists say.

Exercise Beneficial Benefits Those Even in Later Life

May 15, 2015

In a new study from Norway, researchers have discovered that even a little exercise late in life may help men live longer.

California One Step Closer to Abolishing ‘Personal Belief Exemption’ for Immunization

May 15, 2015

A California bill that abolishes the "personal belief exemption" for vaccinations is one step closer to becoming a law. The bill, SB 277, passed 25-10 in the California Senate on Thursday. Its next stop is clearing the Assembly before being signed into law and if it is, it will make it that much harder for parents to avoid vaccinating their children; good news for the fight against infectious disease.

Octopus Arm Inspires Future Surgical Tool

May 15, 2015

A group of scientists in Italy have taken their inspiration from the octopus, creating a robotic arm that can bend, squeeze, and stretch through even cluttered environments. The device was created specifically for surgeons who need to access confined or remote areas of the body more easily.

New Therapy Strips Cancer Cells of their Immortality

May 14, 2015

Cancer's deadly calling card has always been its cells' ability to replicate with abandon. Scientists continue to seek effective means of destroying cancer cells, while at the same time, protecting the healthy cells of the body. New research may have found a way to do just that. By stripping the malignant cells of their immortality.

Weak Handshake Could Mean Your Health Is In Peril

May 14, 2015

Do you have a weak grip when grasping items with your hands or is your handshake weak compared to others? If so, it could mean your health is in danger, according to a new study.

A New Form of College Rivalry: Genetic Engineering Patents

May 14, 2015

College rivalries are nothing new. Some even reach legendary proportions. USC vs. Notre Dame, Alabama vs. Auburn, Army vs. Navy. They make for great football. Not so much when it comes to technological rights, as we're discovering in the ongoing battle between UC Berkeley and MIT, as they wrestle over the patent for a machine that just might revolutionize genetic engineering.

Smokers Have More Success Quitting If They Bet On Themselves

May 14, 2015

Are you having trouble kicking the habit for good? If so, you may want to consider betting money on yourself. In a new study, researchers have found that smokers who wager money on themselves to quit smoking have better odds of finally quitting smoking.

Some Smokers’ Brains Hardwired for Quitting Success

May 13, 2015

Have you ever wondered why you have had such a hard time quitting smoking while other people you know simply put them down and never looked back? In a new study, researchers found that the brains of smokers who do manage to quit may actually be "hardwired" for success in kicking the habit.

Cuban Lung Cancer Vaccine Coming Ashore in the US

May 13, 2015

Just months after the White House announced plans to normalize relations with Cuba, an exciting research partnership is in the works, which just might prolong the lives of those suffering from lung cancer.

Obama Administration Clarifies Birth Control Mandate

May 12, 2015

As part of Obama Care, health insurers must now cover without cost sharing all 18 forms of contraception listed in the FDA's birth control guide, as stated by the Obama Administration in new guidelines issued on Monday.

Seasons May Influence Genes That Trigger Chronic Disease

May 12, 2015

In a new study, researchers have found that the seasons appear to influence when certain genes are active in your body, with those that cause inflammation being more active in winter.

As Ebola Wanes, a New Threat Emerges

May 12, 2015

Just as the Ebola threat wanes, a new pathogen is reaching epidemic proportions across parts of Africa. To make matters worse, it's resistant to traditional antibiotics.

Dietary Supplement Linked to Hemorrhagic Stroke

May 12, 2015

In a disturbing report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine today, the death of a healthy 53-year-old woman was linked to a dietary supplement, β-methylphenylethylamine, which when combined with exercise, can cause hemorrhagic stroke.

How Nerve Damage And "Gluten Free" Collide—Problems With Celiac Disease

May 12, 2015

Swedish researchers headed by Jonas Ludvigsson, MD, PhD, of Stockholm's Karolinska Institute, revealed that patients with celiac disease were 2.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with neuropathy. The study, published this week in the journal JAMA Neurology, was conducted among a large group of patients with celiac disease which had been confirmed by biopsy.