Health & Fitness

Personalized medicine aims to tailor treatments to individual patients. Until now, this has been done using a small number of parameters to predict the course of a disease. However, these few parameters are often not enough to understand the complexity of diseases such as cancer. A team of researchers has developed a new approach to this problem using artificial intelligence (AI).

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/yClBO0G

Researchers have shown that plumes of wildfire smoke can carry contaminants hundreds of kilometers, leaving a toxic and lingering footprint which has the potential to be re-released into the environment.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/vRXtQPC

Calorie labels on restaurant menus are negatively impacting people with eating disorders, according to a new study. The review found that individuals who have been diagnosed with an eating disorder changed their behaviors if presented with a menu featuring calorie labels.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/IUsFSJA

A recent study has revealed that moderate-intensity exercise can significantly influence appetite-related hormones and perceptions in males with obesity.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/k1OKo6D

A new study finds that prompts do a good job of getting drivers to engage with their environment and take over control of the vehicle when necessary while using partially automated driving systems -- with one exception. If drivers are deeply distracted, these system-generated prompts have little or no effect.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/72GFpzZ

A team of stem cell scientists have successfully used embryonic stem cell engineering to create a bi-paternal mouse -- a mouse with two male parents -- that lived until adulthood. Their results describe how targeting a particular set of genes involved in reproduction allowed the researchers to overcome previously insurmountable challenges in unisexual reproduction in mammals.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/oWHbkva

Researchers have uncovered how specific patterns in brain activity can predict an individual's sensitivity to pain, expanding opportunities for improved pain management strategies.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/VoMXd4f

Researchers have found a promising drug candidate that could help restore vision in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological conditions that damage neurons.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/iSzyckE

Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) harboring BRAF V600E mutations benefited from first-line treatment with the targeted therapies encorafenib and cetuximab plus a mFOLFOX6 chemotherapy regimen, according to results from the PhaseIII BREAKWATER trial.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/8h9azor

A scientific team looks at the progress and challenges in the research and development of brain implants. New achievements in the field of this technology are seen as a source of hope for many patients with neurological disorders and have been making headlines recently. As neural implants have an effect not only on a physical but also on a psychological level, researchers are calling for particular ethical and scientific care when conducting clinical trials.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/lvyq63b

Although obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) can be treated, research has shown that people with the disorder tend to have a lower quality of life than neurotypical people. Many struggle to achieve the same levels of education and financial stability as people without the disorder. Researchers theorized one cognitive process could be to blame: decision making.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/PBq8laf

A new study shows that long-read sequencing has the potential to improve the rate of diagnosis while reducing the time to diagnosis from years to days -- in a single test and at a much lower cost.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/CfGhF7l

Researchers find blocking the KCNB2 gene can slow tumor growth, paving the way for next-gen treatments for childhood brain cancer.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/vK7xB9T

New guidelines will help doctors identify patients with a common memory-loss syndrome that is often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's disease in older adults. The diagnostic criteria for limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE) have just been published. These guidelines are an important first step in advancing clinical trials and treatments for this lesser-known, but common type of memory loss disorder.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/7yiMbB8

Experts highlight the need for a clear framework when it comes to AI research, given the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence by children and adolescents using digital devices to access the internet and social media.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/dkzA5TL

Like humans, mice will compete over territory and mates, and show increased confidence in their fighting skills the more they win. At first, a brain chemical called dopamine is essential for young males to master this behavior. But as they gain experience, the chemical grows less important in promoting aggression, a new study shows.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/KvqEFo7

A clinical trial demonstrates the effectiveness of telephone-delivered acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in reducing fatigue's interference with functioning and improving the quality of life for survivors of metastatic breast cancer. The ACT intervention helped study participants to fall asleep with greater ease. Fatigue remains a significant challenge for these survivors, affecting up to 63 percent of patients and severely impacting daily functioning.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/7cxYT1M

When children with obesity undergo weight-loss treatment, the effects have repercussions later in life and the risk of serious health problems and premature death is lower as they reach young adulthood. However, this is not the case for depression and anxiety, a study reports.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/vVYNcIG

People with pockets of fat hidden inside their muscles are at a higher risk of dying or being hospitalized from a heart attack or heart failure, regardless of their body mass index, according to new research. This 'intermuscular' fat is highly prized in beef steaks for cooking. However, little is known about this type of body fat in humans, and its impact on health. This is the first study to comprehensively investigate the effects of fatty muscles on heart disease. The new finding adds evidence that existing measures, such as body mass index or waist circumference, are not adequate to evaluate the risk of heart disease accurately for all people.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/c9Aspfe

Over half of our genomes consists of thousands of remnants of ancient viral DNA, known as transposable elements, which are widespread across the tree of life. Once dismissed as the 'dark side' of the genome, researchers have now revealed their crucial role in early embryo development.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/cStj1yY

Researchers have determined how children's immune systems react to different kinds of cancer depending on their age. The study reveals significant differences between the immune response of children and adults, and has the potential to lead to new tailored treatments for children with cancer.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/i8Ghf0a

Subtle changes in the brain, detectable through advanced imaging, blood and spinal fluid analysis, happen approximately twenty years before a clinical motor diagnosis in people with Huntington's disease, finds a new study.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/zXj73Yn

Cutting-edge fluorescent cholesterol probes now enable scientists to visualize cholesterol movement and distribution in live cells with unprecedented detail. By combining computer simulations with live-cell imaging, researchers have uncovered how different probe designs influence cholesterol probe behavior. These probes could reveal how cholesterol imbalances drive Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative disorders, aiding drug development to modulate lipid activity and potentially offering new treatments or prevention strategies.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/hWunag4

Fetuses of pregnant people who gained excess weight in the first trimester of pregnancy show signs of excess fat distribution in the upper arm and in the abdomen, according to a new study. These findings may inform efforts to prevent excessive weight gain early in life, a risk factor for adult obesity and related conditions, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/iAQyNqB

A new storage technique can keep protein-based drugs and vaccines stable without keeping them cold. The discovery could eliminate the need for refrigeration for hundreds of life-saving medicines like insulin, monoclonal antibodies and viral vaccines.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/SUqZCr3

Researchers find that allergy medicine could help patients with a rare genetic disease avoid liver transplants.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/59l1MXc

Astronomers have now produced the highest resolution direct images ever taken of a supermassive black hole in the infrared, using the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/urQU753

Most treatments being pursued today to protect against Alzheimer's disease focus on amyloid plaques and tau tangles that accumulate in the brain, but new research points to a novel -- and noble -- approach: using Xenon gas. The study found that Xenon gas inhalation suppressed neuroinflammation, reduced brain atrophy, and increased protective neuronal states in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. A phase 1 clinical trial of the treatment in healthy volunteers will begin in early 2025.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/lZSJBoA

Two new articles document progress in neuroprosthetic technology that lets people feel the shape and movement of objects moving over the 'skin' of a bionic hand.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/aQPsoLM

A new study found that younger siblings generally receive more favorable treatment from parents. Meanwhile, older siblings are often granted more autonomy, and parents are less controlling towards them as they grow up.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/VoL8rfA

A little-known mouse protein disrupts cancer-causing chemical changes to genes associated with human colorectal cancer cells and potentially could be used to treat solid tumors, according to a new study.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/q64bGus

Using advanced imaging techniques and precise microfluidics control to stretch out curly DNA into a straight line, new research demonstrates techniques for stretching and immobilizing DNA with minimum thermal fluctuation to enable detailed analysis. A team at Nagoya University experimented with ways to uncurl a DNA molecule using pressure applied to liquid flowing in a channel, with the pressure flow providing shear force that uncurled the DNA molecule. They found that controlling the flow velocity of the liquid helps fine-tune the shear force applied and allows precise adjustments of the stretch ratio of the DNA.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/inzN6p2

New genetic risk factors for depression have been identified across all major global populations for the first time, allowing scientists to predict risk of depression regardless of ethnicity. The world's largest and most diverse genetic study ever into major depression has revealed nearly 300 previously unknown genetic links to the condition, experts say.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/d0SgRWx

A new study shows that the risk of developing dementia anytime after age 55 among Americans is 42%, more than double the risk reported by older studies.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/DsMI3EX

Scientists have succeeded in controlling the structure and function of biological membranes with the help of 'DNA origami'. The system they developed may facilitate the transportation of large therapeutic loads into cells. This opens up a new way for the targeted administration of medication and other therapeutic interventions. Thus, a very valuable instrument can be added to the toolbox of synthetic biology.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/6VzSkTo

Researchers have developed a method for quickly detecting and identifying very low concentrations of gases, which, could form the basis for highly sensitive real-time sensors for applications such as environmental monitoring, breath analysis and chemical process control.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/qekmuvn

More than half of 23-year-olds in a European study show restrictive, emotional or uncontrolled eating behaviors, according to new research. Structural brain differences appear to play a role in the development of these eating habits.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/HvnLWR6

Scientists have discovered that T cells -- white blood cells that can destroy harmful pathogens -- can completely prevent viral infection, to an extent previously thought only possible due to neutralizing antibodies. Their findings reshape our understanding of how our immune system works, paving the way for the design of more effective vaccines.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/WXwoUlp

Researchers have found that pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) -- organizations that negotiate access to medicines for most patients in the United States -- steer patients to use their own pharmacies. However, these pharmacies appear less used in Medicare than in other market segments. These PBMs are part of integrated health care conglomerates that own insurance companies and pharmacies, which may create conflicts of interest.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/YXOizCG

Researchers find cell migration doesn't only rely on generating force. A professor of mechanical engineering and materials science found that groups of cells moved faster with lower force when adhered to soft surfaces with aligned collagen fibers.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/UlS8Juk

A new study reveals evidence of electrical signaling and coordinated behavior in choanoflagellates, the closest living relatives of animals. This elaborate example of cell communication offers key insights into the early evolution of animal multicellularity and nervous systems.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/a9KM2gD

An international team of UK and US scientists discovered that the activity of macrophages -- a type of white blood cell that engulf pathogens and cancer cells -- can be used to predict whether or not a melanoma patient will respond to immunotherapy. Their findings will help clinicians select treatments that are most likely to be effective for their patients.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/DQNAJac

A research team has discovered intricate molecular mechanisms driving the RNA processing defects that lead to Huntington's disease and link HD with other neurodegenerative disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal lobar dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/xhEMvbr

People who care for both their children and older family members -- also known as 'sandwich carers' -- suffer from deterioration in both their mental and physical health over time, finds a new study.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/bolfXG8

Researchers at discovered a critical vulnerability in drug-resistant bacteria: zinc -- or a lack thereof.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3SwaAmi

When children have a place to play outside, programs aimed at reducing their screen time use are more successful.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/n0zP6uF

A new study examined data from more than 1,000 workers over a 10-year period. Sedentary workers experience a 37% increase in insomnia-like symptoms. Employees working nontraditional schedules experience a 66% greater risk of needing 'catch-up sleep.'

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/dZUYt4O

A research team has revealed a previously unknown mechanism that triggers an inflammatory immune response in cells when their DNA is damaged. This discovery deepens the understanding of a new type of cell signaling that may lead to more effective treatments for cancer.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/t6GlLPr

A team has devised a more accurate way of measuring an indicator of kidney function known as glomerular filtration rate (GFR) by taking aging into account.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/PTFX5K9

Researchers uncovered new findings about involuntary muscle movements that come with long-term administration of Parkinson's drug levodopa.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/VmlSsEB

Patients diagnosed with late-stage or metastatic breast cancer have a statistically significant increased risk of pre-diagnosis cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to those with early-stage cancer at diagnosis.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/7K0bULF

An enzyme called MICAL2 promotes tumor growth and metastasis in the most common form of pancreatic cancer, according to a new study.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/9jf6JIE

Researchers have found the pupil is key to understanding how, and when, the brain forms strong, long-lasting memories.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/miDyeG8

Waves of human migration across Europe during the first millennium AD have been revealed using a more precise method of analysing ancestry with ancient DNA, in research led by the Francis Crick Institute.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/408sWMh

A team develops an innovative injectable hydrogel for bone regeneration, addressing the limitations of traditional bone grafts and adhesion methods.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/KvGobNF

A groundbreaking study has shed light on the complex interactions between dystrophin, a protein critical to muscle stability, and its partner protein, dystrobrevin, offering new pathways for understanding and treating Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/KvONn63