ScienceDaily: Health - December 12, 2024
Top health research news
When does waiting stop being worth it?
Psychologists looked at individuals with damage to different parts of the prefrontal cortex to reveal how the brain evaluates uncertainty and guides split-second decisions.
Image: mantinov/Shutterstock.com
Early-onset colorectal cancer cases surge globally
Researchers show that early-onset colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence rates are rising in 27 of 50 countries/territories worldwide, 20 of which have either exclusive or faster increases for early-onset disease. In 14 countries, including the United States, rates are increasing in young adults while stabilizing in those 50 years and older.
Study finds new blood test predicts prognosis for advanced prostate cancer patients
A new study found that a DNA sequencing test for advanced prostate cancer patients can distinguish between patients with poor and favorable prognoses.
AI thought knee X-rays show if you drink beer -- they don't
A new study highlights a hidden challenge of using AI in medical imaging research -- the phenomenon of highly accurate yet potentially misleading results known as 'shortcut learning.' The researchers analyzed thousands of knee X-rays and found that AI models can 'predict' unrelated and implausible traits such as whether patients abstained from eating refried beans or beer. While these predictions have no medical basis, the models achieved high levels of accuracy by exploiting subtle and unintended patterns in the data.
Feeling itchy? Study suggests novel way to treat inflammatory skin conditions
A new approach to treat rosacea and other inflammatory skin conditions could be on the horizon, according to a new study.
Minuscule robots for targeted drug delivery
An interdisciplinary team has created tiny bubble-like microrobots that can deliver therapeutics right where they are needed and then be absorbed by the body.
Noninvasive imaging method can penetrate deeper into living tissue
Researchers developed a non-invasive imaging technique that enables laser light to penetrate deeper into living tissue, capturing sharper images of cells. This could help clinical biologists study disease progression and develop new medicines.
Tumors grow larger in female fruit flies than males: Here's what that could mean for humans
A new study found that tumors grew 2.5 times larger in female fruit flies than males. With fruit flies sharing many genetic similarities and signaling pathways with humans, the finding could lead to better understanding of cancer development.
Is it possible to pass on the effects of malnutrition? A new animal study found that a protein-deficient diet in one generation created related health risks -- lower birth-weight, smaller kidneys -- in offspring that lasted four generations.
Adoption of AI calls for new kind of communication competence from sales managers
Artificial intelligence, AI, is rapidly transforming work also in the financial sector. A recent study explored how integrating AI into the work of sales teams affects the interpersonal communication competence required of sales managers. The study found that handing routine tasks over to AI improved efficiency and freed up sales managers' time for more complex tasks. However, as the integration of AI progressed, sales managers faced new kind of communication challenges, including those related to overcoming fears and resistance to change.
Organoids represent the complex cell landscape of pancreatic cancer
Researchers have grown tumor organoids -- three-dimensional miniature tumors in the laboratory -- that mimic the different structures and characteristics of pancreatic cancer. The scientists investigated how the various tumor organoids react to established and novel treatments. This opens the door to the development of effective new therapies.
Intelligence requires the whole brain
A team of neuroscientists investigates communication pathways in the brain and predicts intelligence. A new study approach uses machine learning to improve our conceptual understanding of intelligence.
Persistent tobacco smoking from childhood may cause heart damage by the mid-twenties
The majority of children who started smoking tobacco at age 10 years or in their later teens continued to smoke until their mid-twenties. Continuous smoking from childhood significantly increased the risk of premature heart damage, a new study shows.
The maternal microbiome during pregnancy impacts offspring's stem cells in mice
Gut microbiome composition during pregnancy has long-term effects on offspring stem cell growth and development, researchers report. Treating pregnant mice with a common gut microbe resulted in offspring that had more active stem cells in both the brain and intestinal tract. As a result, the offspring were less anxious and recovered quicker from colitis, and these differences were still evident at 10 months of age.
New insights about how 'bad' cholesterol works in the body
Scientists have made a significant breakthrough in understanding how 'bad' cholesterol, known as low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol or LDL-C, builds up in the body. The researchers were able to show for the first time how the main structural protein of LDL binds to its receptor -- a process that starts the clearing of LDL from the blood -- and what happens when that process gets impaired.
The distinct nerve wiring of human memory
The black box of the human brain is starting to open. Although animal models are instrumental in shaping our understanding of the mammalian brain, scarce human data is uncovering important specificities. Neurosurgeons nowshed light on the human hippocampal CA3 region, central for memory storage.
Personalized blood count could lead to early intervention for common diseases
A complete blood count (CBC) screening is a routine exam requested by most physicians for healthy adults. Currently, the results of CBC tests are analyzed using a one-size-fits-all reference interval, but a new study suggests that this approach can lead to overlooked deviations in health. In a retrospective analysis, researchers show that these reference intervals, or setpoints, are unique to each patient. The study revealed that one healthy patient's CBC setpoints can be distinguishable from 98 percent of other healthy adults.
Scientists transform ubiquitous skin bacterium into a topical vaccine
Scientists' findings in mice could translate into a radical, needle-free vaccination approach that would also eliminate reactions including fever, swelling and pain.
Investigators who previously found that a daily statin pill helps prevent heart attacks and strokes in people with HIV have now discovered a potential mechanism that may help to stabilize plaques and prevent their rupture in blood vessels.
Soda taxes don't just affect sales: They help change people's minds
The city of Berkeley's first-in-the-nation soda tax a decade ago, along with more recent Bay Area tax increases on sugar-sweetened drinks, have not only led to reduced sales. They are also associated with significant changes in social norms and attitudes about the healthfulness of sweet drinks.
Enabling AI to explain its predictions in plain language
Researchers developed a system that converts AI explanations into narrative text that can be more easily understood by users. This system could help people determine when to trust a model's predictions.
A new treatment is showing promise for people with high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM). This precancerous condition can progress to active multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer. High-risk SMM carries a higher likelihood of progression.
Mothers' language choices have double the impact in bilingual families
New research shows that mothers have twice the impact on language exposure, challenging traditional parenting advice. In a new study, researchers found that there wasn't a single strategy that could be singled out as 'best' to raise a child bilingually. But when they looked at parents' language use individually rather than the family's overall strategy, they had an unexpected and striking finding: mothers had up to twice the impact on language exposure compared to fathers. They believe these findings will have real-world impact for policymakers, health-care workers and professionals who closely work with and give advice to bilingual families.
Social factors affect pediatric cardiac arrest outcomes
The odds on whether a child survives a cardiac arrest may depend on where they live, according to a new study from the University of Missouri School of Medicine.
Updated Hep B vaccine more effective for people with HIV
A newer vaccine against hepatitis B virus was clearly superior to an older vaccine type in inducing a protective antibody response among people living with HIV who didn't respond to prior vaccination.
Resolving ambiguity: How the brain uses context in decision-making and learning
Life can be tricky. We have so many decisions to make. It's a good thing we have an orbitofrontal cortex and hippocampus to help us. These areas of the brain work together to help us sort through tasks that require resolving ambiguity, that is, situations in which the meaning of stimuli changes depending on context.
Flood disasters associated with preterm births and low birth weights
A new analysis of more than 3,000 studies from around the world reveals that globally, flooding increases preterm births by about 3%. Children who were in utero during a flood event are also more likely to have a low birth weight. Both these outcomes are risk factors for developing chronic health conditions such as asthma and diabetes later in life.
New gene therapy reverses heart failure in large animal model
In a single IV injection, a gene therapy targeting cBIN1 can reverse the effects of heart failure and restore heart function in a large animal model. The therapy increases the amount of blood the heart can pump and dramatically improves survival.
Shape-changing device helps visually impaired people perform location task as well as sighted people
A groundbreaking piece of navigation technology that uses the ability to sense information through touch can help people with visual impairment perform a location task as well as sighted people, according to new research.
Delivering medicines with microscopic 'flowers'
Using microparticles consisting of extremely thin petals, medicines can be delivered via the bloodstream in a precisely targeted manner, for example to a tumour or blood clot. Ultrasound and other acoustic procedures guide the particles through the body and reveal their locations. This makes the particles easy to deploy, as ultrasound procedures are common practice in medicine.
Empowering older adults with home-care robots
The rapidly increasing aging population will lead to a shortage of care providers in the future. While robotic technologies are a potential alternative, their widespread use is limited by poor acceptance. In a new study, researchers have examined a user-centric approach to understand the factors influencing user willingness among caregivers and recipients in Japan, Ireland, and Finland. Users' perspectives can aid the development of home-care robots with better acceptance.
Increased area income improves birthweight rates, researchers find
Higher incomes are often correlated with healthier pregnancies and babies, but is it really the money that matters? Sedimentary rocks that formed 390 million years ago, surprisingly, help provide the answer, at least for those who live above the Marcellus Shale formation, according to a team.
Identifying a proliferating repairman for tissue in damaged lungs
Researchers found that endothelial cells lining the veins in lungs contribute to repair of blood vessels after lung injury.
Ultra-processed foods may drive colorectal cancer risk, study finds
A new study suggests that ultra-processed foods and inflammatory seed oils used in packaged food products may contribute to chronic inflammation, fueling colorectal cancer. Its findings pave the way for a new therapy -- resolution medicine -- which uses natural products in lieu of synthetic drugs to help reverse inflammation and potentially reverse colorectal cancer.
How this cancer drug could make radiation a slam dunk therapy
Radiation is one of the most effective ways to kill a tumor. But these therapies are indiscriminate, and they can damage healthy tissues.
Cancer 'fingerprint' can improve early detection
Different types of cancer have unique molecular 'fingerprints' which are detectable in early stages of the disease and can be picked up with near-perfect accuracy by small, portable scanners in just a few hours, according to a new study. The discovery sets the foundation for creating new, non-invasive diagnostic tests that detect different types of cancer faster and earlier than currently possible.
Rethinking the brain pacemaker: How better materials can improve signals
Researchers have created organic materials for brain and heart pacemakers, which rely on uninterrupted signal delivery to be effective. Using a plastic base known as polypropylene, the researchers added a specially formulated clay called Montmorillonite and different ratios of graphene, one of the strongest lightweight materials. They created five different materials that could be performance-tested and took detailed measurements of the structure of the composite materials using scanning electron microscopy.
Americans are uninformed about and undervaccinated for HPV
Research shows that HPV accounts for 70% of all throat cancers, but only one-third of the public is aware that HPV causes throat cancer.
Researchers 'see' vulnerability to gaming addiction in the adolescent brain
Researchers found that adolescents with more symptoms of gaming addiction showed lower brain activity in the region involved in decision-making and reward processing; this blunted response to reward anticipation is associated with higher symptoms of gaming addiction over time and suggests that reduced sensitivity to rewards, in particular non-gaming rewards, may play a role in problematic gaming.
Toxoplasma gondii parasite uses unconventional method to make proteins for evasion of drug treatment
A study sheds new light on how Toxoplasma gondii parasites make the proteins they need to enter a dormant stage that allows them to escape drug treatment.
'Missing link' between brain and body inflammatory signals identified in the skull
New research provides valuable insights into the brain-body immune connection identifying key communication hubs in the dural sinuses and skull bone marrow at the back of the head.
Online training could help older adults communicate in noisy environments
Online training that helps people recognize and understand new voices could be key to helping older adults improve communication in everyday environments, finds new research.
Short-term cognitive boost from exercise may last for 24 hours
The short-term boost our brains get after we do exercise persists throughout the following day, suggests a new study.
Scientists identify a probable contributor to weakness of the aorta in people with genetic disorder
Studying the cells of people and genetically engineered mice, scientists say they have uncovered a potential reason why patients with Loeys-Dietz syndrome, an inherited connective tissue disorder, are especially prone to developing aneurysms at the root of the aorta.
Scientists create AI that 'watches' videos by mimicking the brain
Imagine an artificial intelligence (AI) model that can watch and understand moving images with the subtlety of a human brain. Now, scientists have made this a reality by creating MovieNet: an innovative AI that processes videos much like how our brains interpret real-life scenes as they unfold over time.
What motivates Americans to eat less red meat?
Limiting red meat consumption is key to a sustainable and healthy diet, yet Americans are among the world's largest consumers of red meat. A new study reveals the demographics of American adults who choose not to eat red meat and finds that environmental concerns may matter more to them than health risks.
Fetal defense: Study reveals early immune protection in the womb
Research revealed that foetuses are not as defenceless as once thought; they can actually fight infections from within the womb. This new understanding could significantly change the way doctors protect foetuses from infections that lead to serious health conditions, like microcephaly, where the baby's head is significantly smaller than expected for its age.
Rotavirus vaccine is safe for use in NICU babies, study suggests
Researchers found that transmission of rotavirus vaccine strains in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is rare and without clinical consequences, strongly suggesting that giving the rotavirus vaccine to eligible infants during their hospitalization provides immune benefits that outweigh any risks. The findings could serve as the basis for a change in clinical practice.
Hazardous PFAS chemicals in drinking water
The chemicals known as PFAS are considered a severe threat to human health. Among other things, they can cause liver damage, cancer, and hormonal disorders. Researchers have now developed a new, efficient method of filtering these substances out of drinking water. They rely on so-called metal-organic framework compounds, which work much better than the materials commonly used to date. Even extremely low concentrations of PFAS in the water can still be captured.
Hair growth drug safe at low doses for breast cancer patients
Oral minoxidil is a commonly prescribed treatment for hair loss. The drug is also the active ingredient in over-the-counter Rogaine. The prescription treatment is known, however, to dilate blood vessels, and experts worry that this could increase the heart-related side effects of chemotherapy and lead to chest pain, shortness of breath, or fluid buildup. Now, a study in women with breast cancer suggests that low oral doses of minoxidil, taken during or after cancer treatment, appear to regrow hair in most patients and without causing any serious heart-related side effects that require additional therapies or hospitalization.
Giving a gift? Better late than never, study finds
If you feel terrible about giving a late gift to a friend for Christmas or their birthday, this study has good news for you. Researchers found that recipients aren't nearly as upset about getting a late gift as givers assume they will be.
Unlocking worm strategies: A path to innovative vaccines and therapies
A research team has uncovered a molecular strategy employed by worm parasites (helminths) to evade host immune defenses. This discovery opens new avenues for the development of innovative vaccines and therapies. The study offers promising solutions for addressing major infectious diseases, allergies, and asthma by leveraging the unique immune-regulatory properties of helminths.
A new study is helping solve the mystery as to why the brain shrinks in a unique pattern, known as atrophy, in chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This research provides novel evidence that cumulative repetitive head impacts are driving the specific patterns of brain degeneration found at the base of the folds of the surface of the brain, known as the cortical sulcus.
Loneliness and isolation: Back to pre-pandemic levels, but still high, for older adults
Loneliness and isolation among older Americans have mostly returned to pre-pandemic rates, but that still means more than one third of people age 50 to 80 feel lonely, and nearly as many feel isolated, a new national study shows.
Brain tumor organoids accurately model patient response to CAR T cell therapy
Researchers used lab-grown organoids created from tumors of individuals with glioblastoma (GBM) to accurately model a patient's response to CAR T cell therapy in real time. The organoid's response to therapy mirrored the response of the actual tumor in the patient's brain. That is, if the tumor-derived organoid shrunk after treatment, so did the patient's actual tumor.
Researchers discover a genetic disposition increasing the risk of breast cancer metastasis
Metastasis is responsible for 90 percent of cancer deaths. Researchers have found that the mutations driving it may stem from a commonly inherited variant of the PCSK9 gene.
Readers trust news less when AI is involved, even when they don't understand to what extent
Researchers have published two studies in which they surveyed readers on their thoughts about AI in journalism. When provided a sample of bylines stating AI was involved in producing news in some way or not at all, readers regularly stated they trusted the credibility of the news less if AI had a role. Even when they didn't understand exactly what AI contributed, they reported less trust and that 'humanness' was an important factor in producing reliable news.
A healthy diet helps the weighty battle with chronic pain
New research shows that adopting a healthy diet can reduce the severity of chronic pain, presenting an easy and accessible way for sufferers to better manage their condition.
Bucking conventionality, boys in Norway are making early gains in reading English as a second language and even outperforming girls at age 10 and 13 -- a new a study of more than one million students suggests.
Keto diet metabolite may power up CAR T cells to kill cancer
A simple dietary supplement may provide a new approach to boost CAR T cell function, according to a new study.