http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress provides the latest news from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute A new study from engineering researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute shows, for the first time, how the little-understood protein osteocalcin plays a significant role in the strength of our bones. The findings could lead to new strategies and therapeutics for fighting osteoporosis and lowering the risk of bone fracture. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-brittle-bones-broccoli-spinach.html Medical research Tue, 11 Dec 2012 13:12:40 EST news274453912 Antibodies developed by researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are unusually effective at preventing the formation of toxic protein particles linked to Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, as well as Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-antibodies-combating-alzheimer-parkinson-disease.html Neuroscience Mon, 03 Dec 2012 12:51:26 EST news273761473 Adolescents can be chronically sleep deprived because of their inability to fall asleep early in combination with fixed wakeup times on school days. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), almost 70 percent of schoolchildren get insufficient sleep—less than eight hours on school nights. This type of restricted sleep schedule has been linked with depression, behavior problems, poor performance at school, drug use, and automobile accidents. A new study from the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute shows that exposure to morning short-wavelength "blue" light has the potential to help sleep-deprived adolescents prepare for the challenges of the day and deal with stress, more so than dim light. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-short-wavelength-beneficial-stress-hormone-response.html Health Thu, 25 Oct 2012 10:50:05 EST news270380786 Video gamers are generally the biggest consumers of computer graphics cards, using the devices to boost the speed and resolution of their digital quests to fend off invading extraterrestrials or outwit hostile dragons. But researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute seek to harness the power of these computer graphics cards to solve one of the world's most pressing health care technology challenges: radiation exposure from X-ray and CT imaging scans. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-video-cards-effective-inexpensive-supercomputing.html Medical research Tue, 25 Sep 2012 08:39:59 EST news267781190 (Medical Xpress)—A new study from the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute shows that a two-hour exposure to electronic devices with self-luminous "backlit" displays causes melatonin suppression, which might lead to delayed bedtimes, especially in teens. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-self-luminous-tablet-affect-evening-melatonin.html Medical research Mon, 27 Aug 2012 18:24:08 EST news265310635 (Medical Xpress) -- Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) often sleep during the day and are awake at night. The situation can turn life-threatening if they leave their homes and wander around outside. This irregular sleep schedule and night wandering, and the consequent burden on their caretakers, is a primary reason individuals with ADRD are placed in more controlled environments such as nursing homes. A new study from the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute lays the foundation for the importance of tailored light exposures as a viable treatment option for the reduction of sleep disturbances in older adults and those with ADRD. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-exposure-alzheimer-patients.html Alzheimer's disease & dementia Thu, 19 Jul 2012 09:10:43 EST news261907830 Most medical imaging equipment is not designed with overweight and obese patients in mind. As a result, these individuals can be exposed to higher levels of radiation during routine X-ray and CT scans. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-obese-patients-higher-exposure-ct.html Medical research Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:57:30 EST news252842237 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Biologist Lee Ligon has found a previously unknown connection between breast cancer tumor cells and the surrounding healthy tissue. The results provide new information on the earliest stages of breast cancer metastasis. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-biologists-uncover-breast-cancer-cells.html Cancer Wed, 14 Mar 2012 13:41:40 EST news250951294 Chemicals in pharmaceutical drugs can obviously save lives. But as more and stronger chemicals have been introduced, our basic knowledge of the broader health impact of all these chemicals has not kept up with the rapid pace of innovation. There is exceptionally little information on how chemicals in our drugs and also in the environment around us, including on the food we eat, impact some of the most important cells in our body: stem cells. Without basic knowledge and tests on the impact of chemicals on our stem cells, we may be unwittingly damaging essential regenerative functions in our body. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-chemicals-drugs-impact-stem-cells.html Medical research Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:10:01 EST news246033516 (Medical Xpress) -- Even for highly trained physicians and surgeons, there’s no teacher like experience. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-virtual-room-sharpen-surgeons-smarts.html Other Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:54:17 EST news243064423 Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a new method to design antibodies aimed at combating disease. The surprisingly simple process was used to make antibodies that neutralize the harmful protein particles that lead to Alzheimer's disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-alzheimer-antibodies.html Medical research Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:44:27 EST news242649831 Robert Linhardt is working to forever change the way some of the most widely used drugs in the world are manufactured. Today, in the journal Science, he and his partner in the research, Jian Liu, have announced an important step toward making this a reality. The discovery appears in the October 28, 2011 edition of the journal Science in a paper titled "chemoenzymatic synthesis of homogeneous ultra-low molecular weight heparins." http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-discovery-paradigm-drugs.html Medications Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:00:01 EST news238941017 Engineering researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are combining automation techniques from oil refining and other diverse areas to help create a closed-loop artificial pancreas. The device will automatically monitor blood sugar levels and administer insulin to patients with Type 1 diabetes, and aims to remove much of the guesswork for those living with the chronic disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-weapons-juvenile-diabetes.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 06 Jun 2011 12:02:53 EST news226580549