ScienceDaily: Health - June 27, 2024
Top health research news
How do our memories last a lifetime? New study offers a biological explanation
A new study by a team of international researchers has uncovered a biological explanation for long-term memories. It centers on the discovery of the role of a molecule, KIBRA, that serves as a 'glue' to other molecules, thereby solidifying memory formation.
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A study has shown that both amateur and professional dancers are less neurotic than people who do not dance. They are also more agreeable, more open, and more extraverted.
Changing the game for sports emergency action plans
A national position statement on emergency action plan development and implementation in sports from an athletic training researcher sets in motion new priorities for responding to catastrophic injuries. The recommendations apply to sports through all levels, from youth to high school to collegiate and professional leagues.
Light-weight microscope captures large-scale brain activity of mice on the move
With a new microscope that's as light as a penny, researchers can now observe broad swaths of the brain in action as mice move about and interact with their environments.
Zebrafish reveal how bioelectricity shapes muscle development
New research describes how nerve cells and muscle cells communicate through electrical signals during development -- a phenomenon known as bioelectricity. The communication, which takes place via specialized channels between cells, is vital for proper development and behavior. The study identifies specific genes that control the process, and pins down what happens when it goes wrong. The finding offers clues to the genetic origins of muscle disorders in humans.
'A hearty debate' concludes plant-based meat alternatives are healthier for your heart than meat
Even though there is substantial variability in the contents and nutritional profiles of plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs), the nutritional profiles tend to reflect a heart-healthy dietary pattern. A review article of the available studies directly comparing the impact of plant-based and animal-based meats consistently suggests that the plant-based alternatives improve cardiovascular risk factors.
Adolescents today are more satisfied with being single
Young people aged 14 to 20 years are nowadays more satisfied with being single than their counterparts ten years ago.
How uncertainty builds anxiety
Alfred Hitchcock observed that 'There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.' A common way to build suspense in a movie scene is for the audience to know something bad is going to happen, but not when it is going to happen. But how does uncertainty work to ratchet up our anxiety? Researchers took a deeper look into what builds fear.
Conversation Is Changing: Why people speak more alike today
Over a 20-year period people from these sectors changed their behavior -- resonating with one another significantly more than they used to and gearing towards a more engaging style. We talk like others to be more inclusive and 'resonate' with them.
Your future medications could be personalized for you on a 3D printer
Scientists are helping to develop standards and safety protocols that would allow pharmacies to print drugs onsite at a dosage best for you.
Next platform for brain-inspired computing
Computers have come so far in terms of their power and potential, rivaling and even eclipsing human brains in their ability to store and crunch data, make predictions and communicate. But there is one domain where human brains continue to dominate: energy efficiency.
Moving objects precisely with sound
Researchers have succeeded in directing floating objects around an aquatic obstacle course using only soundwaves. Their novel, optics-inspired method holds great promise for biomedical applications such as noninvasive targeted drug delivery.
A new study examined the differences in lung transplant graft outcomes from organs recovered from the two types of deceased organ donor care facilities operating in the United States. The research offers insights that could improve the organ donation and transplantation process for patients across the nation.
3D-printed chip sensor detects foodborne pathogens for safer products
Researchers have developed a new method for detecting foodborne pathogens that is faster, cheaper, and more effective than existing methods. Their microfluidic chip uses light to detect multiple types of pathogens simultaneously and is created using 3D printing, making it easy to fabricate in large amounts and modify to target specific pathogens. The researchers hope their technique can improve screening processes and keep contaminated food out of the hands of consumers.
Empathetic children may have poorer health in the face of interparental conflict
Children who report being more empathetic are more likely to show signs of poorer health in the face of more interparental conflict than less empathetic children, according to a new study.
Should you eat more dietary fiber? New study says it depends
Nutritionists generally advise everyone to eat more dietary fiber, but a new study suggests that its effects on health can vary from person to person. The findings indicate that recommendations should be tailored to each individual's gut microbiome.
Rising health care prices are driving unemployment and job losses
Rising health care prices in the U.S. are leading employers outside the health care sector to reduce their payroll and decrease their number of employees, according to a new study. The study found that when health care prices increased, non-health care employers responded by reducing their payroll and cutting the jobs of middle-class workers. For the average county, a 1% increase in health care prices would reduce aggregate income in the area by approximately $8 million annually.
Meet CARMEN, a robot that helps people with mild cognitive impairment
Meet CARMEN, short for Cognitively Assistive Robot for Motivation and Neurorehabilitation -- a small, tabletop robot designed to help people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) learn skills to improve memory, attention, and executive functioning at home.
Myths about intermittent fasting, debunked
Research shows that the increasingly popular weight-loss strategy is safe. Intermittent fasting has become an increasingly popular way to lose weight without counting calories. And a large body of research has shown it s safe. Still, several myths about fasting have gained traction.
Researchers develop RNA-targeting technology for precisely manipulating parts of human genes
Researchers have harnessed a bacterial immune defense system, known as CRISPR, to efficiently and precisely control the process of RNA splicing. The technology opens the door to new applications, including systematically interrogating the functions of parts of genes and correcting splicing deficiencies that underlie numerous diseases and disorders.
Facial recognition linked to close social bonds, not social butterflies
Do you have trouble recognizing faces, or do you never forget a face? The better you are at facial recognition, the more supportive relationships you are likely to have, regardless of your personality type.
Personalized magnetic stimulation may help in treating depression
Not all patients with depression respond to medication. Two recently published studies provide additional information on how an alternative treatment, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), could be further enhanced. Researchers developed more precise methods that could, in the future, help to develop individually tailored magnetic stimulation therapies for depression.
The hippocampus, the cerebral conductor of our daily priorities
How does our brain distinguish between urgent and less urgent goals? Researchers explored how our brain remembers and adjusts the goals we set ourselves on a daily basis. Their study reveals differences in the way we process immediate and distant goals, at both behavioral and cerebral levels. These discoveries, described in the journal Nature Communications, could have significant implications for understanding psychiatric disorders, particularly depression, which can hamper the formulation of clear goals.
New study confirms forever chemicals are absorbed through human skin
A study of 17 commonly used synthetic 'forever chemicals' has shown that these toxic substances can readily be absorbed through human skin.
New study demonstrates the efficacy of a promising celiac disease drug at the molecular level
A recent study investigated whether a transglutaminase 2 inhibitor has potential as a drug to treat celiac disease. Previous tissue studies have shown that the ZED1227 transglutaminase 2 inhibitor prevents gluten-induced intestinal damage. The results of the new study, based on an analysis of the molecular activity of more than 10,000 genes, provide very strong evidence that the first successful drug to treat celiac disease may be at hand.
New mathematical proof helps to solve equations with random components
Many dynamic processes can be described mathematically with the aid of stochastic partial differential equations. Scientists have found a new method which helps to solve a certain class of such equations.
Standardized protocols help hospitals treat strokes faster
Research illustrates that American Heart Association and American Stroke Association guidelines are effective at speeding up hospitals' response times for stroke treatment and can be mastered even by members of 'ad hoc' medical teams that assemble rapidly on the fly.
Study examines acceptability of teleneurology across neurological conditions
Novel blood-powered chip offers real-time health monitoring
Researchers develop the first-ever device powered by blood to measure blood electrical conductivity.
New approach accurately identifies medications most toxic to the liver
A study developed a novel approach to using health care data to measure rates of liver injury since the current method of counting cases is not providing an accurate picture.
Study reveals new opportunities to develop cancer treatments
Researchers uncovered new potential therapeutic targets for cancer and new insights into existing cancer drug targets, expanding the breadth of possibilities for treating this disease.
How much oxygen do very premature babies need after birth?
A study suggests giving oxygen at a concentration of 90 to 100 percent soon after birth could halve the risk of death for very premature babies that need help breathing.
Trial offers hope for cheaper, more tolerable, ketamine treatment
For those suffering from treatment-resistant depression, the anaesthetic drug ketamine offers hope, but it has side effects and can be costly to access -- a clinical trial may change that.
Ketamine slow-release tablet reduces symptoms of severe depression: Clinical trial
A slow-release, tablet form of ketamine with minimal side-effects has the potential to make treatment more affordable and accessible.
Circulating microRNAs likely as effective as A1C for predicting type 2 diabetes in youth
Type 2 diabetes in young people ages 10 to 19 has more than doubled in the past 20 years, yet it remains difficult for physicians to predict who will be diagnosed and who will improve with treatment. A new study shows that measuring the circulating abundance of microRNAs -- which affect insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas -- is likely as effective as measuring the level of sugar in the blood for determining how a young person with the condition will fare.
Semaglutide leads to greater weight loss in women than men with HF and improves HF symptoms
Semaglutide, a medication initially developed for type 2 diabetes and obesity, significantly improves symptoms in men and women with a common type of heart failure that has had few therapeutic options. Women experienced greater weight loss and the same symptom benefits compared with men.
Study identifies first drug therapy for sleep apnea
An international study shows new drug improves sleep, health in patients diagnosed with obesity and sleep apnea.
Simple test for flu could improve diagnosis and surveillance
Fewer than one percent of people who get the flu every year get tested, in part because most tests require trained personnel and expensive equipment. Now researchers have developed a low-cost paper strip test that could allow more patients to find out which type of flu they have and get the right treatment. The test uses CRISPR to distinguish between the two main types of seasonal flu, influenza A and B, as well as seasonal flu subtypes H1N1 and H3N2. It can also identify strains that resist antiviral treatment, and with further work, could potentially detect swine and avian flu strains, including H5N1, which is currently infecting cattle.
Imaging technology captures how neurons communicate with new clarity
Insights from advanced imaging technology show how neurons communicate at the atomic level for the first time.
ChatGPT is biased against resumes with credentials that imply a disability -- but it can improve
Researchers found that ChatGPT consistently ranked resumes with disability-related honors and credentials -- such as the 'Tom Wilson Disability Leadership Award' -- lower than the same resumes without those honors and credentials. But when researchers customized the tool with written instructions directing it not to be ableist, the tool reduced this bias for all but one of the disabilities tested.
Potential targets for prevention and early identification of psychotic disorders
A new study found that nearly 75 per cent of young people with a psychotic disorder had at least one mental health service visit within the three years prior to their first diagnosis of the disorder.
Our bone marrow the fatty, jelly-like substance inside our bones is an unseen powerhouse quietly producing 500 billion new blood cells every day. That process is driven by hematopoietic stem cells that generate all of the various types of blood cells in our bodies and regenerating themselves to keep the entire assembly line of blood production operating smoothly.
Menthol sensing appeared long before cold sensing, suggesting distinct activation modes that can be disentangled, paving the way for new pain therapies without adverse thermal side effects.
Cooling 'blood oranges' could make them even healthier -- a bonus for consumers
An orange teeming with antioxidants and other health benefits may be a shot in the arm for consumers and citrus growers, if the fruit is stored at cool temperatures, a new study shows.
Hidden DNA mechanisms of rare genetic diseases uncovered
Researchers have uncovered how specific DNA rearrangements called inverted triplications contribute to the development of various genetic diseases. The study reveals that during DNA repair, segments may switch templates within inverted repeats, leading to structural variations and gene dosage alterations, impacting conditions like MECP2 duplication syndrome. This discovery opens new avenues for understanding and treating rare genetic disorders.
Resiliency shaped by activity in the gut microbiome and brain
A new study has found that resilient people exhibit neural activity in the brain regions associated with improved cognition and regulating of emotions, and were more mindful and better at describing their feelings.
Membrane protein analogues could accelerate drug discovery
Researchers have created a deep learning pipeline for designing soluble analogues of key protein structures used in pharmaceutical development, sidestepping the prohibitive cost of extracting these proteins from cell membranes.
Lab-grown muscles reveal mysteries of rare muscle diseases
Biomedical engineers have grown muscles in a lab to better understand and test treatments for a group of extremely rare muscle disorders called dysferlinopathy or limb girdle muscular dystrophies 2B (LGMD2B). The research revealed the biological mechanisms underlying the disease and showed that a combination of existing treatments could alleviate its symptoms.
Research finds causal evidence tying cerebral small-vessel disease to Alzheimer's, dementia
While previous studies suggested an association of the most common cerebral small-vessel disease with dementia risk, new research provides evidence of causal link, identifying it as a major vascular factor.
Activating molecular target reverses multiple hallmarks of aging
Researchers have demonstrated that therapeutically restoring 'youthful' levels of a specific subunit of the telomerase enzyme can significantly reduce the signs and symptoms of aging in preclinical models. If these findings are confirmed in clinical studies, there may be therapeutic implications for age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, heart disease and cancer.
How to make aging a 'fairer game' for all wormkind
Researchers have discovered a new fundamental mechanism governing the rules of ageing in worms. The researchers were able to manipulate the mechanism through genetic interventions which dramatically extend not just the lifespan of the worms, but also their health-span. In other words, trading weak, frail old age with vigorous golden years -- all without altering their diet, environment or other external factors.
Unlocking the entrepreneurial brain: New perspectives on cognitive flexibility
Pioneering research highlights the importance of combining neuroscience with traditional entrepreneurial studies to gain a comprehensive understanding of what makes successful entrepreneurs distinct at a neurological level.
Guiding humanity beyond the moon
What actually happens to the human body in space? While scientists and researchers have heavily researched how various factors impact the human body here on Earth, the amount of information available about changes that occur in the body in space is not as well-known. Scientists have been studying for years how the body, specifically on the molecular side, changes in space. Recently, findings depict how the modern tools of molecular biology and precision medicine can help guide humanity into more challenging missions beyond where we've already been.
Pie in the face? Why inflicting mild pain on others pays off
A marketing professor articulates the appeal of inflicting mild misfortune on others, such as tossing pies into faces, for the purpose of charitable fundraising. The paper provides insights on how to best use this strategy to maximize charitable donations.
Walking brings huge benefits for low back pain
Adults with a history of low back pain went nearly twice as long without a recurrence of their back pain if they walked regularly, a world-first study has found.
Scientists devise algorithm to engineer improved enzymes
Scientists have prototyped a new method for 'rationally engineering' enzymes to deliver improved performance. They have devised an algorithm, which takes into account an enzyme's evolutionary history, to flag where mutations could be introduced with a high likelihood of delivering functional improvements. Their work could have significant, wide-ranging impacts across a suite of industries, from food production to human health.
How your sleep patterns change can tell you about your health
Your sleep tracker might give you information about more than just your sleep -- specifically, it might give you information about chronic conditions such as diabetes and sleep apnea, and illnesses such as COVID-19. This is one of the findings of a study that analyzed data from 5 million nights of sleep across roughly 33,000 people.
Sweat health monitor measures levels of disease markers
A wearable health monitor can reliably measure levels of important biochemicals in sweat during physical exercise. The 3D-printed monitor could someday provide a simple and non-invasive way to track health conditions and diagnose common diseases, such as diabetes, gout, kidney disease or heart disease. The monitor was able to accurately monitor the levels of volunteers' glucose, lactate and uric acid as well as the rate of sweating during exercise.
Removal of ovaries before menopause associated with reduced white matter in brain
Women who have their ovaries removed before menopause, particularly before the age of 40, have reduced white matter integrity in multiple regions of the brain later in life, a new study suggests. White matter refers to the nerve fibers that connect neurons in different areas of the brain.
Scientists have developed a new, more energy-efficient way for AI algorithms to process data. His model may become the basis for a new generation of AI that learns like we do. Notably, these findings may also lend support to neuroscience theories surrounding memory's role in learning.