julie.a.ashworth

A clearer picture of how the classic diabetes medication metformin works has emerged. A recent study indicates that the clinical effect -- control of blood glucose -- is achieved through modulation of the gut microbiota.

Berkeley should emulate what the Victorians did — redirect all homeless aid to private sector control, such as the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities or Richmond Rescue.

The post Opinion: Berkeley homeless policy and the moral hazard problem appeared first on Berkeleyside.

Two randomized trials that examined the effects of zinc lozenges for the duration of common cold symptoms found that colds were shortened on average by 4.0 days and by 1.77 days. However, the shortest colds in the placebo groups of both studies lasted for only two days.

Until now, scientists have only had a murky understanding of how these relationships arise. Now they have an answer. It's good news and bad news, germophobes: The bad news? Mutualistic bacteria start out by invading animal cells just like malevolent disease-causing bacteria do. The good news? Once they're in, they calm down and play nice.

This brown-shingle duplex had to be moved to make way for the construction of the 205-unit Acheson Commons complex.

The post 116-year-old brown-shingle home moved through the streets of Berkeley appeared first on Berkeleyside.

Tuesday night, the Berkeley City Council unanimously approved, in concept, a 20-year vision to improve the city's bicycling infrastructure.

The post Officials approve $62.5M ‘visionary’ bicycle plan appeared first on Berkeleyside.

New submitter reyahtbor warns of a "massive" phishing attack sweeping the web: Multiple media sources are now reporting on a massive Gmail/Google Docs phishing attack. The Independent is among the top publications reporting about it: "Huge numbers of people may have been compromised by the phishing scam that allows hackers to take over people's email accounts. It's not clear who is running the quickly spreading scam or why. But it gives people access to people's most personal details and information, and so the damage may be massive. The scam works by sending users an innocent looking Google Doc link, which appears to have come from someone you might know. But if it's clicked then it will give over access to your Gmail account -- and turn it into a tool for spreading the hack further. As such, experts have advised people to only click on Google Doc links they are absolutely sure about. If you have already clicked on such a link, or may have done, inform your workplace IT staff as the account may have been compromised. The hack doesn't only appear to be affecting Gmail accounts but a range of corporate and business ones that use Google's email service too. If you think you may have clicked on it, you should head to Google's My Account page. Head to the permissions option and remove the 'Google Doc' app, which appears the same as any other." UPDATE 5/3/17: Here's Google's official statement on today's phishing attack: "We have taken action to protect users against an email impersonating Google Docs & have disabled offending accounts. We've removed the fake pages, pushed updates through Safe Browsing, and our abuse team is working to prevent this kind of spoofing from happening again. We encourage users to report phishing emails in Gmail."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

George Lakoff believes Democrats are relying on the use of logic to convert voters rather than appealing to people's worldviews, or unconscious beliefs. That's a losing strategy.

The post Berkeley author George Lakoff says, ‘Don’t underestimate Trump’ appeared first on Berkeleyside.

A research team has developed a new global coral bleaching database that could help scientists predict future bleaching events. The new database contains 79 percent more reports than previous, widely used voluntary databases.

Results from a clinical review find nearly 1 billion people worldwide may have deficient or insufficient levels of vitamin D due to chronic disease and inadequate sun exposure related to sunscreen use.

Although the city had braced itself for violent clashes based on previous experience, April 27 was relatively peaceful. A few moments captured on camera proved popular.

The post The photos that resonated with our readers from Thursday’s protest appeared first on Berkeleyside.

Scientists have looked at all 14,500 participants in Children of the 90s and found that if a girl's maternal grandmother smoked during pregnancy, the girl is 67 percent more likely to display certain traits linked to autism, such as poor social communication skills and repetitive behaviors.

Researchers have found that a single measurement of GCD59, a novel biomarker for diabetes, at weeks 24-28 of gestation identified, with high sensitivity and specificity, women who failed the glucose challenge test as well as women with gestational diabetes. It was also associated with the probability of delivering a large-for-gestational-age newborn.

A new study that followed more than 2,600 men and women for 16 years found that consuming less sodium wasn't associated with lower blood pressure. The study adds to growing evidence that current recommendations for limiting sodium intake may be misguided.

Scientists used a powerful genetic technique to test seafood dinners sold in six District restaurants and found 33 percent had been mislabeled. The swaps, they found, were mostly with closely related species, say the investigators.

Synthetic rubber and plastics -- used for manufacturing tires, toys and myriad other products -- are produced from butadiene, a molecule traditionally made from petroleum or natural gas. But those humanmade materials could get a lot greener soon, thanks to a team of scientists that has invented a process to make butadiene from renewable sources.

Generally speaking, plastic is incredibly resistant to breaking down. That's certainly true of the trillion polyethylene plastic bags that people use each and every year. But researchers may be on track to find a solution to plastic waste. The key is a caterpillar commonly known as a wax worm.

You probably know that walking does your body good, but it's not just your heart and muscles that benefit. Researchers found that the foot's impact during walking sends pressure waves through the arteries that significantly modify and can increase the supply of blood to the brain.

A geography professor built the most detailed map of racial diversity yet to study the way America's neighborhoods are changing.

Sunflower seeds are frequently contaminated with a toxin produced by molds and pose an increased health risk in many low-income countries worldwide, researchers have found.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Jehovah's Witnesses were an "extremist" organization and must disband and hand over all property to the state, local media said.

The 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill did $17.2 billion in damage to the natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico, a team of scientists recently found after a six-year study of the impact of the largest oil spill in US history.

Gig Car Share, launching in Berkeley and Oakland on April 30, is the Bay Area’s first floating, one-way ride sharing program.

The post Bay Area’s first one-way car share debuts in Berkeley and Oakland appeared first on Berkeleyside.

We've all heard it: eating salty foods makes you thirstier. But what sounds like good nutritional advice turns out to be an old-wives' tale. In a study carried out during a simulated mission to Mars, an international group of scientists has found exactly the opposite to be true. 'Cosmonauts' who ate more salt retained more water, weren't as thirsty, and needed more energy.

If you're small, smells are a good way to stand out. A team of researchers has demonstrated for the first time that two different types of micro-organisms -- bacteria and fungi -- use fragrances, known as terpenes, to hold conversations. And that's not all. The researchers suggest that terpenes are the most popular chemical medium on our planet to communicate through.

Genome mapping complements DNA sequencing, offering insight into huge, intact molecules between 150,000 and 1 million base pairs in length. Obtaining measurements of such large segments is not without its challenges, but new research into the physics of nanochannel mapping may help overcome a (literal) knot in the process and advance genome mapping technology.

This week, for the first time ever, Berkeley police were given carte blanche to speak openly about gang activity in town, and what can be done to help those who may be drawn to it.

The post Gangs in Berkeley: Police break silence appeared first on Berkeleyside.

If you need a reason to become a dog lover, how about their ability to help protect kids from allergies and obesity? A new study showed that babies from families with pets -- 70 per cent of which were dogs -- showed higher levels of two types of microbes associated with lower risks of allergic disease and obesity.