Health & Fitness

A new study of human skeletal remains from the wreck of the 16th century English warship Mary Rose suggests that whether a person is right- versus left-handed may influence how their clavicle bone chemistry changes as they age.

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An important new study has demonstrated that a combination therapy can slow cognitive decline in older adults at risk for dementia.

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Medical scientists involved in a large international study have identified new signs of kidney transplant rejection that could lead to more precise diagnosis and treatment for transplant recipients. The research examined more than 16,000 kidney transplant biopsies and found that certain results previously thought to be of questionable significance actually indicate an increased risk of transplant failure.

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Researches made major strides toward the creation of artificial kidney tissue by demonstrating an undiscovered mechanism behind kidney development and a novel technique for culturing kidney cells, both of which could ultimately reduce the need for both dialysis and transplantation.

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Propofol is used in the operating room to induce anesthesia. To maintain anesthesia, a continuous infusion of the agent via a separate syringe pump is the standard procedure for total intravenous anesthesia. However, this is not entirely sustainable: propofol produces about 45 percent of the drug waste in the operating room, and a quarter of the agent remains unused. Researchers have now shown that an alternative method reduces the amount of waste.

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An ancient gene mutation among First Nations inhabitants of Oceania may make them more susceptible to infectious diseases like influenza, according to a new study.

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Researchers have identified a key biochemical mechanism relevant to the development of Huntington's Disease. This discovery opens up the possibility of studying the disease before its clinical onset and eventually stopping its progression.

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Researchers have developed a miniature soft lithium-ion battery that could be used as a defibrillator to control heart rhythm during surgery. The flexible lithium-ion battery is constructed by assembling biocompatible hydrogel droplets. The state-of-the-art device is the smallest soft lithium-ion battery with the highest energy density. The research opens the way to developing tiny bio-integrated devices, with a range of applications in robotics, biology, and medicine.

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Researchers have elucidated the role of the p53 gene in ulcerative colitis. The study suggests a potential new drug target to stop disease progression to cancer.

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A new analysis shows that political polarization also poses significant health risks -- by obstructing the implementation of legislation and policies aimed at keeping Americans healthy, by discouraging individual action to address health needs, such as getting a flu shot, and by boosting the spread of misinformation that can reduce trust in health professionals.

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Elite ice hockey players with a history of concussion report heightened mental health symptoms, according to a new study.

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Researchers have successfully developed an ultra-sensitive pressure sensor for electronic skin modeled after the nervous system in the human brain. This technology is applicable to future devices, including AI-based digital healthcare devices, and is expected to be utilized across various fields, such as transparent displays and wearable devices, due to its transparency and physical flexibility.

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A new study reveals that setting reminders can eliminate some age-related declines in memory. The findings offer a significant breakthrough in addressing the cognitive challenges faced by older adults, particularly in the context of prospective memory, which is the ability to remember to perform an intended action at the right moment, like taking medication or attending appointments.

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A new paper explains why there needs to be a shift in cannabis policies to a public health approach as opposed to the prevailing, more punitive approach that pushes abstinence instead of public education. With cannabis now legal to some extent in most U.S. states, the authors say the case for such a shift is all the more urgent.

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Workplace bullying poses a serious threat to employees' health and well-being. A study sheds new light on the impact of social relationships on workplace bullying. Focusing on the dynamics of social relationships, the study shows how workplace culture, interaction and social relationships play a role in bullying.

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While artificial intelligence (AI) systems, such as home assistants, search engines or large language models like ChatGPT, may seem nearly omniscient, their outputs are only as good as the data on which they are trained. However, ease of use often leads users to adopt AI systems without understanding what training data was used or who prepared the data, including potential biases in the data or held by trainers. A new study suggests that making this information available could shape appropriate expectations of AI systems and further help users make more informed decisions about whether and how to use these systems.

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SARS-CoV-2 has an enzyme that can counteract a cell's innate defense mechanism against viruses, explaining why it is more infectious than the previous SARS and MERS-causing viruses. The discovery may point the way to the development of more effective drugs against this and possibly similar, future diseases.

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A device that delivers direct stimulation to the brain was found to be a safe and effective means of treating depression at home, according to a new study.

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New research quantified the association between loneliness and dementia by analyzing data from more than 600,000 people around the world. The meta-analysis of 21 longitudinal studies showed that experiencing feelings of loneliness increased the risk of developing dementia by 31%.

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A new PET scan reliably detects benign tumors in the pancreas, according to new research. Current scans often fail to detect these insulinomas, even though they cause symptoms due to low blood sugar levels. Once the tumor is found, surgery is possible.

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U.S. babies died at a higher rate in the months following the Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health decision, and infant mortality was highest among those born with chromosomal or genetic abnormalities, new research has found. The findings mirror previous research analyzing the experience in Texas after a ban on abortions in early pregnancy and illuminate the consequences of restricting access to abortion care, said researchers who conducted the national analysis.

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Researchers created a liquid gel that quickly transforms into a spongelike antimicrobial foam to stymie severe bleeding and ultimately preserve lives.

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Research provides evidence that a drug used to slow the progression of the disease ALS shows promise in suppressing the self-renewing cancerous stem cells that challenge the present standards of care for these lethal grade 4 brain tumours.

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How do complex mixtures of chemicals affect our health? New research has shown that chemicals that occur in complex mixtures and in concentration ratios as found in humans act together. Even if the concentrations of the individual substances were each below the effect threshold, the chemicals in the mixture showed a cumulative neurotoxic effect.

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For people with ischemic stroke, treatment with the clot-busting drug tenecteplase is associated with a slightly higher likelihood of an excellent recovery and reduced disability three months later than the drug alteplase, according to a meta-analysis. Researchers found that the likelihood of good recovery was similar between the two treatments.

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Bacteria-based therapies represent an exciting breakthrough in cancer treatment, harnessing their remarkable ability to specifically target and attack tumors. To fully harness the potential of this approach, an efficient and safe method for producing natural anticancer bacteria is needed. Now, researchers from Japan have developed a novel scaffold-based method to culture antitumor bacteria. This method not only enhances the tumor-killing properties and safety of the bacteria but also presents a simple approach for large-scale cultivation.

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Researchers used mouse models and human post-mortem brain tissue to study the molecular underpinnings that may increase the risk of Alzheimer's after traumatic brain injury (TBI).

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Researchers from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Perelman School of Medicine have found that YY1 knockout pro-B cells can generate T lineage cells helping B cells produce antibodies.

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A new study suggests that large-scale adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) could lead to significant population-level health benefits. The research team used computer simulations to show that aggressive electrification of the U.S. vehicle fleet, coupled with an ambitious rollout of renewable electricity generation, could result in health benefits worth between US$84 billion and 188 billion by 2050. Even scenarios with less aggressive grid decarbonization mostly predicted health benefits running into the tens of billions of dollars.

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Distinct immune 'signatures' in patients who develop adverse events while taking immunotherapy for cancer may help oncologists identify patients at risk and treat them early to prevent serious side effects, suggests a new study.

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Researchers have developed an innovative approach to epidemic modeling that could transform how scientists and policymakers predict the spread of infectious diseases. The study introduces a new framework that incorporates socioeconomic status (SES) factors -- such as income, education, and ethnicity -- into epidemic models. The study underscores an urgent need for more comprehensive epidemic modeling frameworks as societies continue to grapple with the lingering impacts of COVID-19 and prepare for future pandemics. By expanding beyond the conventional focus on age and context, this new approach opens the door to a more detailed understanding of disease transmission and offers a powerful tool for addressing health inequities.

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Alzheimer's disease may damage the brain in two distinct phases, based on new research using sophisticated brain mapping tools. According to researchers who discovered this new view, the first, early phase happens slowly and silently -- before people experience memory problems -- harming just a few vulnerable cell types. In contrast, the second, late phase causes damage that is more widely destructive and coincides with the appearance of symptoms and the rapid accumulation of plaques, tangles, and other Alzheimer's hallmarks.

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Preeclampsia is a life-threatening pregnancy complication marked by persistent high blood pressure that is even more serious when it occurs early in the first trimester. The exact cause of early-onset preeclampsia is unknown, and it is difficult to predict, prevent and diagnose. Now researchers report on six proteins that could be used as targets to diagnose and treat the condition.

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Use of a lifesaving drug to reverse opioid drug overdoses is growing, but not fast enough.

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Medicare could save up to 74% of the money lost from discarded Alzheimer's drug lecanemab by the simple introduction of a new vial size that would reduce the amount of unused medication that is thrown away. As it is, nearly 6% of the medication is discarded, costing Medicare $1,600 per patient per year.

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Higher levels of HDL-C -- known as the 'good cholesterol' -- have been shown to correlate with heightened risk for Alzheimer's disease. A new study might explain why.

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Results of the first phase of a Ceramide Ring Trial have just been published, representing a significant landmark in the field of lipidomics. This achievement represents a groundbreaking advance in the establishment of ceramide reference values, plasma lipids involved in such as cardiovascular diseases.

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A new study shows that people with type 2 diabetes have lower levels of the protein that breaks down and converts creatine in the muscles. This leads to impaired function of the mitochondria, the 'powerhouses' of the cell.

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Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, the second leading cause of maternal deaths worldwide, may be sending a significantly higher number of pregnant people to the emergency department.

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Opioid drugs are highly effective at relieving pain but come with severe drawbacks. Their side effects range from dizziness to potentially fatal respiratory depression. Their illegal use contributes to nearly half a million deaths worldwide each year. Researchers have discovered a molecule, called nanobody NbE, which binds tightly and durably to the cell receptors that usually bind to opioids, thereby blocking the drugs' activity. Moreover, the scientists were able to create even smaller molecules that retain the same properties, which could prove far more effective than current treatments in mitigating the harmful effects of opioids.

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Scientists have long wondered why animals get the DNA inside their mitochondria, the cell's energy center, only from their mothers. New research explains why and offers hope for treating mitochondrial disorders.

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Smiling during conversations often elevates the experience of knowing someone, but this understanding has been subjective. A new study investigated the reciprocal relationship between people who indulge in smiling during face-to-face conversations. The researchers found that speakers smile more when listeners smile more, particularly in paired individuals of the same biological sex. These findings provide evidence of synchronized smiling behavior, highlighting the influence of facial expressions on interpersonal relationships.

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Just as a musician can train to more sharply distinguish subtle differences in pitch, mammals can improve their ability to interpret hearing, vision, and other senses with practice. This process, which is called perceptual learning, may be enhanced by activating a major nerve that connects the brain to nearly every organ in the body, a new study in mice shows.

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Researchers have developed a soft robotic 'finger' with a sophisticated sense of touch that can perform routine doctor office examinations, including taking a patient's pulse and checking for abnormal lumps.

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Fratricide-resistant CD7 CAR-T therapy by NUS proves effective in treating relapsed or refractory T-cell leukaemia

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Microbiologists found that showerheads and toothbrushes are teeming with an extremely diverse collection of viruses -- most of which have never been seen before.

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We often only realize how important our sense of smell is when it is no longer there: food is not as tasty as it once was, or we no longer react to dangers such as the smell of smoke. Researchers have investigated the neuronal mechanisms of human odor perception for the first time. Individual nerve cells in the brain recognize odors and react specifically to the smell, the image and the written word of an object, for example a banana. The results of this study close a long-standing knowledge gap between animal and human odor research.

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A cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) app has been found to significantly prevent increases in depression in young people who are at high risk -- and could be implemented as a cost effective public mental health measure.

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Two new apps will enable blind people to navigate indoor buildings with spoken directions from a smartphone app, providing a safe method of wayfinding where GPS doesn't work.

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Doctors have long believed the cancer drug 5-fluorouracil works by damaging the building blocks of DNA, but researchers have now found that in certain cancers, it kills cells by interfering with RNA synthesis. The findings could help researchers design better drug combinations for colon and gastrointestinal cancers.

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Toddlers in the UK obtain nearly half (47%) of their calories from ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and this rises to 59% by the age of seven, according to a new study. The most common UPFs consumed by the toddlers -- who were 21 months when their parents recorded their diets -- were flavored yogurts and wholegrain breakfast cereals, products typically seen as healthy. By the age of seven, the most common UPFs were sweet cereals, white bread and puddings.

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Auditory hallucinations are likely the result of abnormalities in two brain processes: a 'broken' corollary discharge that fails to suppress self-generated sounds, and a 'noisy' efference copy that makes the brain hear these sounds more intensely than it should, according to a new study.

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Mindset and expectations, not just the external environment, shape the 'table of contents' into which our brains organize the day.

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A new study estimates that thousands of lives could have been saved during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic if convalescent plasma had been used more broadly, particularly in outpatients at high risk for severe disease and in hospitalized patients during their first few days of admission.

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A new study showed that reducing daily sitting prevented back pain from worsening over six months. The result strengthens the current understanding of the link between activity and back pain as well as the mechanisms related to back pain.

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The genetic confirmation of a suspected diagnosis of 'hereditary colorectal cancer' is of great importance for the medical care of affected families. However, many of the variants identified in the known genes cannot yet be reliably classified in terms of their causal role in tumor formation. Scientists have reassessed the medical relevance of a significant number of unclear variants and thus significantly reduced their number.

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Farming is a notoriously hard profession with long hours spent operating dangerous equipment and performing other arduous tasks. New research finds that indigenous farm employees -- many of whom have legal status in the U.S. after moving from Latin America -- may experience more physical pain on the job than undocumented workers.

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