ScienceDaily: Top Health News

Why climate change is driving some to skip having kids

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 01:00 PM PDT

A new study finds that overconsumption, overpopulation and uncertainty about the future are among the top concerns of those who say climate change is affecting their reproductive decision-making.

AI algorithms can influence people's voting and dating decisions in experiments

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 12:12 PM PDT

Researchers have found that artificial intelligence algorithms can influence people's preferences for fictitious political candidates or potential romantic partners, depending on whether recommendations were explicit or covert.

Mice master complex thinking with a remarkable capacity for abstraction

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 09:46 AM PDT

Categorization is the brain's tool to organize nearly everything we encounter in our daily lives. Grouping information into categories simplifies our complex world and helps us to react quickly and effectively to new experiences. Scientists have now shown that also mice categorize surprisingly well. The researchers identified neurons encoding learned categories and thereby demonstrated how abstract information is represented at the neuronal level.

Wildfire smoke linked to skin disease

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 09:46 AM PDT

Wildfire smoke can trigger a host of respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms, ranging from runny nose and cough to a potentially life-threatening heart attack or stroke. A new study suggests that the dangers posed by wildfire smoke may also extend to the largest organ in the human body, and our first line of defense against outside threat: the skin.

SARS-CoV-2: Infection induces antibodies capable of killing infected cells regardless of disease severity

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 09:46 AM PDT

Researchers demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 infection induces polyfunctional antibodies. Beyond neutralization, these antibodies can activate NK cells or the complement system, leading to the destruction of infected cells. Polyfunctional antibodies were found in all individuals (symptomatic and asymptomatic). These findings show that infection induces antibodies capable of killing infected cells regardless of the severity of the disease.

Prevalence of COVID-19 symptoms among high-risk children

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 09:46 AM PDT

Children with weakened immune systems have not shown a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 infection despite commonly displaying symptoms, a new study suggests.

Improved management of farmed peatlands could cut 500 million tons CO2

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 09:45 AM PDT

Substantial cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions could be achieved by raising water levels in agricultural peatlands, according to a new study in the journal Nature. A team of researchers led by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology estimates halving drainage depths in these areas could cut emissions by around 500 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) a year, which equates to 1 per cent of all global greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activities.

How SARS coronaviruses reprogram host cells to their own benefit

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 09:45 AM PDT

Researchers have found a specific mechanism that enables SARS viruses to replicate efficiently in infected cells.

Bypassing broken genes

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 09:45 AM PDT

A new approach to gene editing using the CRISPR/Cas9 system bypasses disease-causing mutations in a gene, enabling treatment of genetic diseases linked to a single gene, such as cystic fibrosis, certain types of sickle cell anemia, and other rare diseases. The method involves inserting a new, fully functional copy of the gene that displaces the mutated gene.

Illuminating invisible bloody fingerprints with a fluorescent polymer

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 09:45 AM PDT

Careful criminals usually clean a scene, wiping away visible blood and fingerprints. However, prints made with trace amounts of blood, invisible to the naked eye, could remain. Dyes can detect these hidden prints, but the dyes don't work well on certain surfaces. Now, researchers have developed a fluorescent polymer that binds to blood in a fingerprint -- without damaging any DNA also on the surface -- to create high-contrast images.

Shift-work causes negative impacts on health, affects men and women differently

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 05:29 AM PDT

Shift-work and irregular work schedules can cause several health-related issues and affect our defense against infection, according to new research.

Augmented reality in retail and its impact on sales

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 05:29 AM PDT

Augmented reality is an effective technology that marketers can use to improve sales.

New insights on inflammation in COVID-19

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 05:29 AM PDT

Severe cases of COVID-19 can involve extensive inflammation in the body, and clinicians have wondered if this state is similar to what are called cytokine storm syndromes. A new study indicates that different markers in the blood clearly differentiate excessive inflammation in critical COVID-19 from cytokine storm syndromes.

Science and need -- not wealth or nationality -- should guide vaccine allocation and prioritization, say experts

Posted: 19 Apr 2021 03:20 PM PDT

Ensuring COVID-19 vaccine access for refugee and displaced populations, and addressing health inequities, is vital for an effective pandemic response. Yet, vaccine allocation and distribution has been neither equitable nor inclusive, despite that global leaders have stressed this as a critical aspect to globally overcoming the pandemic.