Accupuncture proven to be effective for weight control
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe School of Chinese Medicine (SCM) of Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) recently completed a clinical trial on the use of acupuncture for weight control. After an eight-week treatment, the participants’ average body weight decreased by 2.47 kg, with a weight loss of 7.2 kg for the most successful participant, whose Body Mass Index (BMI) […]
Everyday chemicals linked to chronic disease in men
Reading Time: < 1 minuteCHEMICALS found in everyday plastics materials are linked to cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes and high blood pressure in men, according to Australian researchers. Researchers from the University of Adelaide and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) investigated the independent association between chronic diseases among men and concentrations of potentially harmful chemicals known […]
Can wastewater be the solution to fight drug-resistant bugs?
Reading Time: 2 minutesMUNICIPAL WASTEWATER may become a key ally in the fight against antibiotic-resistant disease-causing bacteria and fungi, a new study at Stellenbosch University (SU) found. “Certain bacteria in municipal wastewater produce antimicrobial compounds or biosurfactants that can help prevent the growth of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms which cause serious infections in humans,” says Dr Thando Ndlovu a postdoctoral […]
Scientists reveal source of human heartbeat in 3-D
Reading Time: 2 minutesA PIONEERING new study is set to help surgeons repair hearts without damaging precious tissue. A team of scientists from Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), The University of Manchester, Aarhus University and Newcastle University, have developed a way of producing 3D data to show the cardiac conduction system – the special cells that enable our […]
REMDII Sensitive helps in healing eczema
Reading Time: 2 minutesBY AZMAN ZAKARIA A group of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) researchers have successfully developed a product to treat skin disorder or eczema without involving the use of steroids and managed to reduce itchiness, flaking and intensively repair despaired skin conditions within just two weeks. The product, a deep moisturising cream – REMDII Sensitive, is formulated […]
Researchers discover new method to control bacteria growth
Reading Time: 2 minutesA team of researchers at Princeton has discovered a new method to control bacterial growth through special coating surfaces that can instruct or prevent bacterial growth. This new technology adopts the natural concept of bacterial growth – a process called quorum sensing whereby microbes release biomolecules that can stop or trigger their growth. [ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” […]
Accessing DNA in the cell’s powerhouse to treat disease
Reading Time: 2 minutesFOR the first time, a synthetic compound has been made that can bind to DNA in the cells’ energy powerhouses, suppressing a gene associated with nerve and muscle disease. Pyrrole-imidazole polyamides (PIPs) are compounds that can read specific DNA sequences inside living cells and silence dis-ease-causing genes. They prevent proteins, called transcription factors, from binding […]
Researchers use crab shells and silver to halt malaria
Reading Time: 2 minutesA four-nation team of scientists from India, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, and Italy has recently discovered the promising potential of eradicating malaria using silver and crab shells from Taiwan’s northeast coast. The study, published in the journal Hydrobiologia on May 11, described the usage of fine-sized silver mixed with crab shell powder rich in chitosan to […]
Impact of global warming on mosquito-borne diseases
Reading Time: 2 minutesAS TEMPERATURES rise with climate change, mosquito season extends past the summer months in many parts of the world. The question has been how this lengthened season influences the risk of being infected with mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika. Now, in a paper published in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Stanford researchers modelled […]
Cancer-killing power of plants
Reading Time: 2 minutesFour species of Phyllanthus, herbs commonly found throughout the tropics and subtropics, pose great potential as nontoxic breast cancer treatments. While their therapeutic properties have been reported, a team from the University of Malaya recently investigated specifically how the plants’ extracts combat breast cancer. Phyllanthus is a large family of flowering plants with hundreds of […]