How do malaria parasites invade human red blood cells where they multiply and cause infection? And can we use this knowledge to find a way to prevent this happening? To my mind, despite decades of research, we still know very little about this question or how to capitalise on our understanding of this mosquito-borne disease that […]
Music is all around us – in the wind, in the air, in the rain – and is an important part of our lives. Now, a new tool developed by a team of scientists, at the University of Southampton, can help people with severe hearing loss appreciate music. The computer-based Interactive Music Awareness Programme (IMAP) – […]
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Stimulating the brain with electric current can boost memory, according to scientists at Imperial College, London. They found that applying a low voltage current can bring different areas of the brain in sync with one another, enabling people to perform better on tasks involving working memory. The hope is that the approach could one day […]
Telemedicine in general practice has yet to become the norm. The way we receive healthcare has not changed significantly in over 100 years and is certainly not something that will change overnight. But with the average waiting time for a patient to see a GP in the UK rising to nearly two weeks, there is clearly […]
Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is much more common than people realise. We now know that it probably affects around one in 250 people in the UK, which is twice the estimate of a few years ago. To give you a sense of scale, that means it is similar to the numbers of cases of childhood type […]
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It may sound like science fiction, but scientists are closer to developing robotic prosthetic arms that can be guided by thought alone. According to a study, published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, six volunteers, who were either amputees from the shoulder down or just above the elbow, were fitted with prosthetics which were controlled […]
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When I watch a TV programme like CSI or Killed, featuring fictional forensic investigators, I am always surprised by how quickly they get crystal clear results pointing the finger straight at the culprit with a high degree of certainty. That’s also the impression you get if you read the popular press – DNA profiling will […]
My dad was the chief engine designer for the Benetton engine that won Michael Schumacher his first world championship, something I am rightly proud of. In addition to his ability, passion and flair, Michael Schumacher’s race-winning formula was also dependent on engineers providing world-class engine parts and carbon-fibre cars. Now, after his tragic skiing accident, […]
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Every year in the UK around 100,000 new cases of stroke with arm weakness are diagnosed. An even larger number of people are afflicted by arthritis or other diseases affecting arm function. Often these problems impair people’s ability to carry out daily activities, requiring long-term care. Physiotherapy is an essential mainstay of treatment for both sorts of problem, and […]
Test to see if you’ll get statins side-effects – available 2020 Eight million people take statins in the UK, which help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart attack, but many suffer side effects. A major study of more than 100,000 people who’d been prescribed statins from 2000 to 2008 found that 17 percent […]