Staying at elementary school for longer associated with higher student attainment

A new study has discovered that U.S. students achieve better results in reading and mathematics tests when they stay in elementary school for grades six (age 11–12) and seven (age 12–13), rather than transfer to middle school. In contrast, students in grade eight (age 13–14) achieve better results in middle school than high school.

Tumor resistance is promoted by anti-cancer protein

Lack of oxygen, or hypoxia, is a biological stressor that occurs under various conditions such as wound healing and stroke. To rescue the tissue, the body has innate mechanisms that "kick in" to make the cells of the hypoxic tissue more resistant and assist in tissue repair. One such mechanism is the expression of a protein called Hypoxia Induction Factor (HIF), which controls several processes such as glucose uptake, growth of blood vessels and cell proliferation. Despite its beneficial role in some diseases, HIF has also been found to be an important contributor towards cancer progression.

For the first time walking patterns identify specific types of dementia

Walking may be a key clinical tool in helping medics accurately identify the specific type of dementia a patient has, pioneering research has revealed.

Fighting to save Europe's endangered rivers

Did you know that 60 percent of Europe's rivers are not healthy? Or that the rivers and freshwater wetlands of the world have lost 83 percent of their biodiversity since the 1970s? As we celebrate World Rivers Day, we talk to Eva Hernández, Coordinator of WWF's Living European Rivers Initiative and Therese Noorlander, Sustainability Director Europe for Coca-Cola, about the importance of protecting Europe's endangered rivers.

Poor diet may affect long-term spatial memory, study finds

UNSW researchers have found links between junk food consumption and loss of spatial memory in a recent animal study.

Misused and overprescribed: Issues with anxiety drug persist despite 2017 policy

A national policy to curb inappropriate use and prescribing of anxiety drug alprazolam—more commonly known as Xanax—has not had the desired effect, a team of researchers led by UNSW Medicine's Centre for Big Data Research in Health has found.

Child's gluten intake during infancy linked to increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes

New research presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Barcelona, Spain (16-20 September) shows that a child's intake of gluten at age 18 months is associated with a 46% increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes for each extra 10g of gluten consumed. There was no association found between the mother's intake of gluten during pregnancy and type 1 diabetes in her child, conclude the authors who include Dr. Nicolai Lund-Blix, Oslo University Hospital, and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.

Researchers identify new target regulating mitochondria during stress

Like an emergency response team that is called into action to save lives, stress response proteins in the heart are activated during a heart attack to help prevent cell death. As part of this process, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University researchers show for the first time that one of these specialized emergency responder proteins, known as MCUB, temporarily decreases harmful levels of calcium transport into mitochondria, the energy-generating batteries of cells.

Protective effect of breastfeeding on childhood obesity risk linked to leptin gene modification

Breastfed children have a lower risk of obesity, which may be linked to reduced expression of the hormone, leptin; according to research presented today at the 58th Annual European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology Meeting. The study reported that genetic modifications known to suppress leptin levels were more common in breastfed babies than formula-fed, and that these differences may play a role in the development of obesity. Understanding the link between genetic modification of leptin and obesity risk could advance strategies to prevent and treat childhood obesity and, its complications, in the future; as prevention is better than cure.

Sparks fly as Germany's climate plan hits rural landscapes

German farmer Edgar Thomas already has two towering pylons spoiling the view of the picturesque rolling hills around his land, and he's exasperated that his area is being asked to find room for more.

Large meta-analysis links IVF to higher gestational diabetes risk

Women who give birth to singleton babies following assisted reproductive technologies including vitro fertilisation (IVF) are at greater risk of developing gestational diabetes than those who conceive naturally, according to a meta-analysis involving over almost 2 million singleton pregnancies.

Melting snowcaps spell water trouble for world's highest capital

Water resources are running dry in the world's highest-elevation capital due to the combined effect of the Andean glaciers melting, drought and mismanagement.

Patients with high blood sugar variability much more likely to die than those with stable visit-to-visit readings

New research presented at this year's Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Barcelona, Spain (16-20 Sept) shows that patients with the highest variability in their blood sugar control are more than twice as likely to die as those with the most stable blood sugar measurements. The study is by Professor Ewan Pearson, University of Dundee, UK and Dr. Sheyu Li, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, and University of Dundee, UK, and colleagues.

Underweight babies more likely to develop type 2 diabetes more than a year earlier

Previous research has shown that people born weighing 2.7 kg (6 lbs) or less face an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) as adults. New research being presented at this year's European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting in Barcelona, Spain (16-20 September) is the first study to show that babies born underweight are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes at a younger age (by more than one year) and have less severe obesity at the time of diabetes diagnosis with higher concentrations of HDL cholesterol (known as good cholesterol).

Poor diabetes control costs the NHS in England 3 billion a year in potentially avoidable hospital treatment

Poor diabetes control was responsible for £3 billion in potentially avoidable hospital treatment in England in the operational year 2017-2018, according to new research comparing the costs of hospital care for 58 million people with and without diabetes.

Indonesia returning hundreds of containers of waste to West

Indonesia is sending back hundreds of containers of contaminated waste to the West after shipments supposedly containing plastic meant for recycling were found to hide hazardous substances, customs officials said.

Malaysia, Indonesia shut thousands of schools over forest fires haze

Thousands of schools were shuttered across Malaysia and Indonesia Thursday, affecting at least 1.7 million pupils, officials said, as toxic haze from rampant forest fires sent air quality plummeting.

Solar panels, vegan diets, no flights: meet America's climate revolutionaries

The last time Californian climate scientist Peter Kalmus was on an airplane was in 2012: He says it made him feel physically sick and like he was "stealing" from his children's future, and vowed never to fly again.

Huawei in public test as it unveils sanction-hit phone

Chinese tech giant Huawei launches its latest high-end smartphone in Munich on Thursday, the first that could be void of popular Google apps because of US sanctions.

Reduce waste, save money: France's poorest city goes green

At her home in Roubaix, a former industrial centre in northern France that is now the country's poorest city, Magdalene Deleporte is making her own deodorant.

Apple Arcade could boost ranks of video game players

Apple's entry into online games with a low-cost subscription plan is expected to bring a fresh set of consumers into gaming and potentially reshape the multibillion-dollar market.

California looks for ways to preserve environmental clout

In eliminating California's authority to set its own emission standards for cars and trucks, the Trump administration would take away leverage the state needs to convince the world's largest automakers to make more environmentally friendly vehicles.

Medical education does not equip students to provide high quality nutritional care to patients

Worldwide, nutrition is insufficiently incorporated into medical education, meaning that medical students lack the confidence, skills and knowledge to provide nutritional care to patients, according to a systematic review of 24 studies published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal.

For people with pre-existing liver disease, toxic algae may be more dangerous

Toxins produced during harmful algal blooms may be more harmful to people than previously known.

Study estimates more than 100,000 cancer cases could stem from contaminants in tap water

A toxic cocktail of chemical pollutants in U.S. drinking water could result in more than 100,000 cancer cases, according to a peer-reviewed study from Environmental Working Group—the first study to conduct a cumulative assessment of cancer risks due to 22 carcinogenic contaminants found in drinking water nationwide.

Teen e-cigarette use doubles since 2017

Data from the 2019 Monitoring the Future Survey of eighth, 10th and 12th graders show alarmingly high rates of e-cigarette use compared to just a year ago, with rates doubling in the past two years. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, scientists who coordinate and evaluate the survey released the data early to The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) to notify public health officials working to reduce vaping by teens. The survey is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health.