ScienceDaily: Top Health News

Food science meets cell science in bid to explain inner workings of membrane-free cell compartments

Posted: 09 Sep 2021 11:12 AM PDT

Researchers report that food science principles have helped them determine how unusual droplets within cells stay organized and avoid dissolving into the rest of the cell's gelatinous interior.

Enzyme could be major driver of preeclampsia

Posted: 09 Sep 2021 09:42 AM PDT

A new study indicates that an enzyme called protein phosphatase 2 (PP2A) appears to be a major driver of preeclampsia, a dangerous pregnancy complication characterized by the development of high blood pressure and excess protein in the urine. The finding could lead to new treatments for preeclampsia other than premature delivery, which is often the only option.

Potential indicator for obesity risk detected during sleep

Posted: 09 Sep 2021 09:40 AM PDT

Researchers have shown that people with inflexible metabolisms burn less fat at night than those with flexible metabolism. The team measured the respiratory quotient throughout the night and found that despite equal ages, BMIs, and amount of fat, people with inflexible metabolisms burned more carbohydrates and less fat than did people with flexible metabolisms. The higher sleep-time quotient could be a previously unknown indicator for the risk of future metabolic disease.

Newly developed software unveils relationships between RNA modifications and cancers

Posted: 09 Sep 2021 09:40 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a software called ModTect that can help reveal the relationships between RNA modifications and the development of diseases and disorders. Their work highlights the potential of using RNA modifications as biomarkers to test for diseases.

Disease genes help developing brains

Posted: 09 Sep 2021 09:39 AM PDT

If the cerebral hemispheres of the forebrain fail to divide properly in an unborn child, this results in holoprosencephaly. A team has discovered candidate genes that can positively influence the severity of this congenital malformation of the forebrain.

Office air quality may affect employees’ cognition, productivity

Posted: 09 Sep 2021 09:39 AM PDT

The air quality within an office can have significant impacts on employees' cognitive function, including response times and ability to focus, and it may also affect their productivity, according to new research.

Learning by doing: How the brain's motor system can support vocabulary learning

Posted: 09 Sep 2021 09:39 AM PDT

Neuroscientists present new findings on how the motor cortex can help learn foreign vocabulary more quickly. The new data suggests that learning techniques that involve the performance of gestures instead of simple audio or visual information can benefit learners.

Behind the scenes, brain circuit ensures vision remains reliable

Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:06 PM PDT

As mice watched movies, neuroscientists watched their brains to see how vision could be represented reliably. The answer is that consistency in representation is governed by a circuit of inhibitory neurons.

Limiting screen time for young adults after concussion results in shorter duration of symptoms

Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:06 PM PDT

Newly published research shows that young adults who limited screen time for 48 hours immediately after suffering a concussion had a significantly shorter duration of symptoms than those who were permitted screen time.

Firefighter exposure to wildfire smoke compounds varies, depending on duties

Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:06 PM PDT

Every summer, wildfires rage across the western U.S., and wildland firefighters are tasked with putting them out. But in the process, they inhale smoke and all the compounds in it, which can be harmful at high amounts. Now, researchers have evaluated the presence of particulate matter and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) around firefighters actively combating blazes, finding the highest exposures among hotshot crews and those creating firebreaks.

What the brain shows: The benefits of virtual reality in creative arts therapies

Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:05 PM PDT

Researchers examined the differences in prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation between two distinct drawing tasks in virtual reality. Results of the study indicated significant differences between a rote tracing task and a creative self-expression task, with the rote tracing task showing an increase in PFC activity. It also showed there was reduced PFC activation for creative self-expressive tasks, indicating a possible relaxation response.

People with Parkinson's may benefit from seven walking strategies

Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:05 PM PDT

Various strategies can help people with Parkinson's who have difficulty walking, but a new study finds that many people have never heard of or tried these strategies. The study also found that how well different compensation strategies worked depended on the context in which they were used, such as indoors versus outdoors, under time pressure or not.

No serious COVID-19 vaccine side effects in breastfeeding moms, infants, study finds

Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:05 PM PDT

Researchers found that breastfeeding mothers who received either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccination reported the same local or systemic symptoms as what has been previously reported in non-breastfeeding women, with no serious side effects in the breastfed infants.

Forest fires linked to tens of thousands of avoidable deaths

Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:05 PM PDT

Setting fire to forest and agricultural land in Southeast Asia to prepare it for cultivation or grazing causes air pollution that is contributing to an estimated 59,000 premature deaths a year, according to a new study.

Good sleep-time recovery is associated with a healthier diet and lower alcohol consumption

Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:04 PM PDT

Good sleep-time recovery is associated with a health-promoting diet and health-promoting eating habits, as well as with lower consumption of alcohol, according to a new study investigating psychological and physiological well-being among working-age Finnish adults.

New information on the early stages of dementia with Lewy bodies

Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:04 PM PDT

Results from a new study reinforce the notion that dementia with Lewy bodies can be pathologically classified into two different disease types.

Impaired immune response may cause bone resorption in patients with genetic disorder

Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:04 PM PDT

Researchers have determined that enhanced bone resorption activity due to a faulty immune response may underpin multifocal osteomyelitis -- painful, chronic bone infections -- in children with MSMD, a rare genetic condition resulting from a range of immune system mutations.

Zoning policies that boost affordable housing: Good for the heart?

Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:04 PM PDT

Inclusionary zoning policies that increase the supply of affordable housing may be good for the heart, according to new research. The study notes that such zoning programs were associated with lower rates of heart disease.

New study on COVID-19 vaccinations in the largest US cities finds stark inequities

Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:25 AM PDT

In a study of the nine largest U.S. cities, researchers found stark racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic inequities in COVID-19 vaccination rates across neighborhoods. The study showed that high vaccination neighborhoods had more white residents, fewer people of color, higher incomes, and lower poverty rates. These high vaccination neighborhoods also had lower historical COVID-19 death rates, showing that lifesaving vaccines have been slow to reach the areas that were hardest-hit by the pandemic.

Why do people with diabetes develop severe COVID-19?

Posted: 07 Sep 2021 02:53 PM PDT

The enzyme SETDB2 is implicated in the development of runaway inflammation characteristic of severe COVID-19 in patients with diabetes who are infected with coronavirus.

Optical techniques offer fast, efficient COVID-19 detection

Posted: 07 Sep 2021 01:05 PM PDT

Without the prospect of herd immunity on the immediate horizon, speedy detection for COVID-19 remains imperative for helping to curb the pandemic. Point-of-care testing that can provide immediate results is an urgent need. Researchers investigated the opportunities and challenges in developing rapid COVID-19 sensing techniques and discuss the prospects of optical biosensors for point-of-care COVID-19 testing.

New QIBA profile for knee cartilage MRI

Posted: 07 Sep 2021 08:07 AM PDT

New recommendations will help provide more reliable, reproducible results for MRI-based measurements of cartilage degeneration in the knee, helping to slow down disease and prevent progression to irreversible osteoarthritis.

Massage stones help scientists uncover role of prefrontal cortex in sensory perception

Posted: 07 Sep 2021 08:07 AM PDT

An image of a beautiful beach conjures up certain sensations -- one can imagine the sun's warmth and the sound of waves breaking on the shore. But how is it that the brain produces these impressions when someone isn't actually standing on a beach? Using massage stones, pictures of sunny beaches and snowy landscapes, and sounds of noisy cities and quiet forests, research suggests the prefrontal cortex generalizes perceptual experiences from information received through different senses.

Nanofiber face masks improve filtration efficiency, need replacing more often

Posted: 07 Sep 2021 08:07 AM PDT

Innovations to improve mask efficacy, with increasing focus on nanofiber manufacturing, have resulted in higher filtration efficiency, greater comfort, and easier breathing capacity. However, the effects of microwater droplets on the integrity of nanofibers are relatively unclear. Researchers examine these ambiguities through a visualization of nanofibers interacting with water aerosol exposure. They used high-speed microscopic videos to systematically visualize the evolution of nanofibers with different contact angles, diameters, and mesh sizes under water aerosol exposure.