Health & Fitness

A new bioluminescence imaging technique has created highly detailed, and visually striking, images of the movement of oxygen in the brains of mice. The method, which can be easily replicated by other labs, will enable researchers to more precisely study forms of hypoxia in the brain, such as the denial of oxygen to the brain that occurs during a stroke or heart attack. The new research tool is already providing insight into why a sedentary lifestyle may increase risk for diseases like Alzheimer's.

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Biologists have uncovered a quality control timing mechanism tied to cell division. The 'stopwatch' function keeps track of mitosis and acts as a protective measure when the process takes too long, preventing the formation of cancerous cells.

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A common GP assessment used to monitor depression treatment does not provide any immediate benefits to patients. Experts testing the PHQ-9 assessment that measures the severity of depression found it did nothing to improve symptoms in first three months.

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Neuroscientists have established in recent decades the idea that some of each day's experiences are converted by the brain into permanent memories during sleep the same night. Now, a new study proposes a mechanism that determines which memories are tagged as important enough to linger in the brain until sleep makes them permanent.

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Researchers have found that parents with chemical intolerance are more likely to report children with autism and ADHD.

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Engineers have developed a novel method for manufacturing CAR T cells, one that takes just 24 hours and requires only one step, thanks to the use of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), the potent delivery vehicles that played a critical role in the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines.

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Those with aging immune systems struggle to fight off novel viruses and respond weakly to vaccination. Researchers were able to revitalize the immune system in mice.

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Dedicated memory tests on smartphones enable the detection of 'mild cognitive impairment', a condition that may indicate Alzheimer's disease, with high accuracy.

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The International Brain pH Project Consortium unveils groundbreaking findings in a large-scale animal model study, indicating altered brain pH and lactate levels as a transdiagnostic endophenotype in neuropsychiatric disorders with cognitive impairment. This collaborative effort, involving 131 researchers across six countries, challenges existing notions and may pave the way for novel strategies in understanding and addressing biologically diverse and debilitating disorders impacting cognitive function.

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Researchers have provided fresh insight into the dangers some common household chemicals pose to brain health. They suggest that chemicals found in a wide range of items, from furniture to hair products, may be linked to neurological conditions.

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Researchers have discovered that a specific mutation in the cancer cells of an aggressive type of blood cancer can prevent novel immunotherapies such as CAR T-cell therapy from working. Their study also explains why the cancer cells are resistant and how this resistance can be overcome: through concomitant pharmacotherapy or genetically improved CAR T-cells.

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There is a surprising dearth of research about how breast cancer cells can go dormant, spread and then resurface years or even decades later, according to a new review of in vitro breast cancer studies.

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Researchers at McMaster University and Stanford University have invented a new generative artificial intelligence model which can design billions of new antibiotic molecules that are inexpensive and easy to build in the laboratory.

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Academics are proposing a new and improved way to help researchers discover when consciousness emerges in human infancy.

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Imagine being able to count the different types of blood cells being formed inside the tiny bones of a mouse and pinpointing the strings and clusters of cells within the bone marrow that are responsible for producing specific types of blood cells. That's exactly what a team of scientists achieved in a far-reaching study. Among the potential applications: developing artificial 'bones' that could produce specific types of blood cells.

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Researchers have found that a specific subtype of a microbe commonly found in the mouth is able to travel to the gut and grow within colorectal cancer tumors. This microbe is also a culprit for driving cancer progression and leads to poorer patient outcomes after cancer treatment. The findings could help improve therapeutic approaches and early screening methods for colorectal cancer, which is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in adults in the U.S. according to the American Cancer Society.

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Researchers have discovered that the causes of age-related memory decline are more complicated than previously believed. Their study, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, found that neural dedifferentiation is driven by different mechanisms depending on the type of visual stimuli the brain is trying to recall.

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Human sweat contains a protein that may protect against Lyme disease. About one-third of the population carries a genetic variant of this protein that is associated with Lyme disease in genome-wide association studies.

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A new study shows how heteroresistance, a transient resistance common in many bacteria, can act as a precursor to the development of antibiotic resistance. According to researchers, this is the first time this link has been demonstrated. 'If heteroresistance is a stepping stone towards resistance, we need to have much better control of its occurrence and effects,' explains the lead researcher behind the study.

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Researchers have developed a new training tool to help artificial intelligence (AI) programs better account for the fact that humans don't always tell the truth when providing personal information. The new tool was developed for use in contexts when humans have an economic incentive to lie, such as applying for a mortgage or trying to lower their insurance premiums.

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After weight loss, people with overweight and obesity express more of the protein Kallistatin in subcutaneous white adipose tissue. Kallistatin improves metabolism and could open up new therapeutic options for people with obesity and type 2 diabetes in future.

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Coronary heart disease is a major global health problem, especially among people with type 2 diabetes. Researchers have identified novel protein biomarkers that are associated with the development of CHD in people with and without diabetes.

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A new method that aims to help people develop grit looks promising.

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Researchers have discovered the reason why immune cells lose energy when they enter the solid tumor microenvironment -- and how to restore their energy levels. A metabolic enzyme, called Acetyl-CoA carboxylase, has been identified as the culprit, for it causes T cells to store fat, rather than burning fat for energy.

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Researchers have discovered a link between gut bacteria and the success of milk-allergy oral immunotherapy. The study found that Bifidobacterium -- a genus of beneficial bacteria in the gut -- was associated with a higher chance of successful treatment. The finding may help in the development of more effective oral immunotherapies, perhaps by combining them with probiotic supplements.

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A positive relationship with a teacher at an early age may help children to feel more engaged with school, but not necessarily in the long term, new research shows. A new study of more than 3,600 young people in Australia shows that their 'school engagement' -- their interest in school and willingness to learn -- fluctuates between ages eight and 15, especially during the transition between primary and secondary education.

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Hunger can drive a motivational state that leads an animal to a successful pursuit of a goal -- foraging for and finding food. In a highly novel study, researchers describe how two major neuronal subpopulations in a part of the brain's thalamus called the paraventricular nucleus participate in the dynamic regulation of goal pursuits. This research provides insight into the mechanisms by which the brain tracks motivational states to shape instrumental actions.

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Research has found a less expensive and easier to use test to learn more about forensic touch DNA. This research has important implications for forensic investigations and being able to identify DNA from a primary contact -- someone who may have committed the crime -- as well as secondary DNA that was inadvertently and indirectly transferred through touch.

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It is known that large amounts of licorice cause high blood pressure. A new study now shows that even small amounts of licorice raise blood pressure. The individuals who react most strongly also show signs of strain on the heart.

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Dartmouth researchers tracked more than 200 undergraduates for all four years of college to capture the most in-depth data yet on how students' self-esteem and mental health fluctuates during their years in academia. The researchers identify key populations and stressors they say administrators could target to improve student well-being. The study -- conducted from 2017 to 2022 -- also provides among the first real-time accounts of how the coronavirus pandemic affected students and resulted in long-lasting behavioral changes that persisted even as the pandemic diminished.

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More than a third of people who self-identify as having a smell disorder have had at least one gas safety scare in the last five years, according to new research.

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Cells possess an innate immune system that defends against invasive pathogens. Previous studies have mapped out the cytoplasmic cGAS-STING pathway in the cytoplasm, known for responding to foreign nucleic acids. The Fusion Visualization system 2 cell line was developed to visualize cellular nuclei with chromosome fusion and resulting micronuclei. Using FuVis2, researchers examined whether micronuclei influence the cGAS-STING response in live cells.

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Researchers have highlighted the importance of continued surveillance of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and vaccine performance as the virus continues to evolve.

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Researchers investigating how exactly the brain processes the incoming stream of information from the heart and lungs, discovered that specific neurons in the thalamus are actively involved in processing cardiac and respiratory signals.

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Approximately 11% of 12th-grade students across the United States reported past-year use of delta-8- tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8-THC, or delta-8 for short), according to an analysis of data from the 2023 Monitoring the Future survey. Delta-8 is a psychoactive substance that is typically derived from hemp, a variety of the Cannabis sativa plant. Delta-8 has intoxicating effects similar to delta-9-THC (delta-9), the primary THC component responsible for the 'high' people may experience from using cannabis.

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Obesity, which could reach 50% of the population in certain developed countries by 2030, is a major public health concern. It not only affects the health of those who suffer from it, but could also have serious consequences for their offspring. Scientists have studied the impact of maternal obesity on the risk of developing liver disease and liver cancer. Using an animal model, the team discovered that this risk was indeed much higher in the offspring of mothers suffering from obesity.

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A new study of how high school students respond to a program designed to increase the frequency and quality of conversations about race in school finds that the anti-racist intervention did not cause stress or feelings of alienation among study participants. The finding rebuts concerns that anti-racist programs are harmful to children and teens.

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The COVID-19 virus can persist in the blood and tissue of patients for more than a year after the acute phase of the illness has ended, according to new research that offers potential clues to why some people develop long COVID.

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Researchers have uncovered blood-based markers linked with healthy and rapid aging, allowing them to predict a person's biological age -- how fast a person's cells and organs age regardless of their birth date.

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Entropy is often associated with disorder and chaos, but in biology it is related to energy efficiency and is closely linked to metabolism, the set of chemical reactions that sustain life. An international research team has now developed a novel methodology for the measurement of entropy production at the scale of a nanometer, meaning one-billionth of a meter. The new approach enabled the scientists to measure the heat flow, known as the entropy production rate, of single red blood cells.

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According to a new study, there is mounting evidence that nature can help humans address the time pressure of contemporary urban lifestyles by contributing to the regulation of human sense of time. A better understanding of the relationship between natural environments and human time perception can help design healthier living environments.

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Axons that are regularly stimulated do not pass on increases in performance to their neighbors, study on mice reveals.

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Smaller class sizes in schools are failing to increase the resilience of children from low-income families, according to a new study.

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For the first time, scientists have developed artificial nucleotides, the building blocks of DNA, with several additional properties in the laboratory.

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The COVID vaccine is safe to administer during pregnancy, researchers report in an important finding on the safety of the vaccine in infants -- despite widespread fear and misinformation.

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A widespread bacteria called Wolbachia and a virus that it carries can cause sterility in male insects by hijacking their sperm, preventing them from fertilizing eggs of females that do not have the same combination of bacteria and virus. A new study has uncovered how this microbial combination manipulates sperm, which could lead to refined techniques to control populations of agricultural pests and insects that carry diseases like Zika and dengue to humans.

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Adults who had amblyopia ('lazy eye') in childhood are more likely to experience hypertension, obesity, and metabolic syndrome in adulthood, as well as an increased risk of heart attack, finds a new study.

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Space weather experts are urging regulators and space tourism innovators to work together to protect their passengers and crews from the risks of space weather radiation exposure.

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Males and females have differential physiological responses to COVID-19 infections, with males having larger increases in skin temperature, breathing rate and heart rate during an acute infection, according to a new study that used data from wearable devices.

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Certain factors associated with developing age-related hearing loss differ by sex, including weight, smoking behavior, and hormone exposure, according to a new study.

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If you recently had trouble figuring out if an image of a person is real or generated through artificial intelligence (AI), you're not alone. A new study found that people had more difficulty than was expected distinguishing who is a real person and who is artificially generated.

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A perplexing problem for people with recurring urinary tract infections (UTIs) is persistent pain, even after antibiotics have successfully cleared the bacteria. Now researchers have identified the likely cause -- an overgrowth of nerve cells in the bladder.

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U.S. flu vaccines are likely to move from quadrivalent to trivalent due to a change in circulating influenza viruses, according to a new paper.

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Scientists have developed a new robot that can 'mimic' the two-handed movements of care-workers as they dress an individual.

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A new study finds younger adults look and feel older on stressful days -- but only on days when they also feel they have relatively less control over their own lives.

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A new neuroimaging study reveals how the brain gets to the creative flow state.

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Continuous, unobtrusive sensors and related monitoring devices are installed in older drivers' vehicles to detect changes in highly complex activities over time. A driver facing camera, forward facing camera, and telematics unit provide video in real-time to enable researchers to analyze abnormal driving such as getting lost, reaction time and braking patterns as well as travel patterns such as miles driven, miles during the night and daytime, and driving in severe weather. Detecting changes in behavior could generate early warning signs of possible changes in cognition.

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Children prenatally exposed to anesthesia for maternal surgery during pregnancy were significantly more likely than unexposed children to receive a diagnosis of a disruptive or internalizing behavioral disorder including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, behavioral disorders, developmental speech or language disorders and autism, according to a new study.

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New research provides compelling evidence that partially substituting animal with plant protein foods can increase life expectancy and decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Importantly, it also suggests that benefits depend on the type of animal protein being replaced. The study drew data from a national nutrition survey to analyze Canadians' dietary records. The study modeled partial replacements (25% and 50%) of either red and processed meat or dairy with plant protein foods like nuts, seeds, legumes, tofu, and fortified soy beverages, on a combination of nutrition, health, and climate outcomes.

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Early riser or night owl, everyone appreciates a good night's sleep. But despite the best of intentions, quality sleep can elude us, sometimes to the point where it can contribute to serious health issues. Now, a new study shows that getting a good night's sleep is tied to how you structure your day, with exercise at the heart of sleep quality.

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The likelihood that a girl will participate in high school sports in the United States is driven not so much by individual choice, new research suggests. Instead, decisions made by parents, the wealth of one's family and community, and racial dynamics matter.

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Solar energy is one of the most promising, widely adopted renewable energy sources, but the solar cells that convert light into electricity remains a challenge. Scientists have turned to the High-Performance Computing Center Stuttgart to understand how strategically designing imperfections in the system could lead to more efficient energy conversion.

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Findings of a review of data from three clinical trials challenge current best practice for use of the drug for primary prevention of heart disease or stroke -- otherwise known as atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The analysis of data from three international clinical trials points to a need for further evidence on best practice among adults already taking aspirin for cardiovascular disease prevention.

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Scientists uncover the mechanism by which cells mark the protein cGAS for degradation, which is critical in preventing the immune system from mistakenly attacking the body's own tissues.

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Scientists have extensively researched the structure and sequence of genetic material and its interactions with proteins in the hope of understanding how our genetics and environment interact in diseases. This research has partly focused on 'epigenetic marks', which are chemical modifications to DNA, RNA, and the associated proteins (known as histones).

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