ScienceDaily: Top Health News

Unraveling the mystery of touch

Posted: 11 Oct 2021 08:08 AM PDT

Researchers uncover mechanism that underlies the exquisite sensitivity of certain skin surfaces. The analysis, conducted in mice, reveals that the higher sensitivity of certain regions of the skin stems from a greater number of and stronger connections between neurons in these regions and corresponding brain areas that receive signals from them. The findings set the stage for better understanding the mechanisms that underlie abnormalities of touch seen in certain neurodevelopmental disorders in humans.

Teaching ancient brains new tricks

Posted: 11 Oct 2021 08:08 AM PDT

Scientists have found a way to decode the brain activity associated with individual abstract scientific concepts pertaining to matter and energy, such as fermion or dark matter.

Winter-swimming Scandinavian men can teach us how the body adapts to extreme heat and cold

Posted: 11 Oct 2021 08:08 AM PDT

The Scandinavian winter swimming culture combines brief dips in cold water with hot sauna sessions -- and now, a study of young men who participate regularly in these polar plunges finds that winter swimming may allow the body to adapt to extreme temperatures. The findings suggest that routinely alternating swims or dips in chilly water with sauna sessions might affect how brown fat, also known as brown adipose tissue (BAT), burns energy and produces heat.

Precision medicine data dive shows diuretic pill may be viable to test as Alzheimer's treatment

Posted: 11 Oct 2021 08:08 AM PDT

A commonly available, FDA-approved oral diuretic pill may be a potential candidate for an Alzheimer's disease treatment for those who are at genetic risk, according to new findings.

Link between COVID vaccination and reduced household transmission, Swedish study finds

Posted: 11 Oct 2021 08:08 AM PDT

People without immunity against COVID-19 were at considerably lower risk of infection and hospitalization as the number of family members with immunity from a previous infection or full vaccination increased, according to a new study from Sweden.

Adverse complications for COVID positive pregnant women and their newborns

Posted: 11 Oct 2021 06:13 AM PDT

A new study, which finds an increased risk of poorer outcomes for the new-borns and symptomatic women with COVID-19, adds further weight to the argument for pregnant women to be vaccinated for the virus.

A cryptography game-changer for biomedical research at scale

Posted: 11 Oct 2021 06:13 AM PDT

Using cutting-edge cryptographic techniques (multiparty homomorphic encryption), a new platform called FAMHE will act as a game-changer towards precision, personalized medicine.

Researchers find warning signs for dementia in the blood

Posted: 11 Oct 2021 06:12 AM PDT

Researchers have identified molecules in the blood that can indicate impending dementia. Their findings are based on human studies and laboratory experiments. The biomarker is based on measuring levels of so-called microRNAs. According to the study data, microRNAs could potentially also be targets for dementia therapy.

Sleep loss does not impact ability to assess emotional information

Posted: 11 Oct 2021 06:12 AM PDT

It's no secret that going without sleep can affect people's mood, but a new study shows it does not interfere with their ability to evaluate emotional situations. It is often assumed that feeling more negative will color people's experience of emotional images and events in the environment around them. However, researchers found that while going 24 hours without sleep impacted study participants' mood, it did not change their performance on tests evaluating their ability to process emotional words and images.

A visit from a social robot improves hospitalized children’s outlook

Posted: 09 Oct 2021 06:31 AM PDT

A new study finds a visit from human-controlled robot encourages a positive outlook and improves medical interactions for hospitalized children.

More severely COVID-19 infected mothers more likely to have preterm birth, study finds

Posted: 08 Oct 2021 01:04 PM PDT

Researchers have discovered that the more severely infected with COVID-19 a mother is, the more likely she is to experience preterm birth.

A rare feat: Material protects against both biological and chemical threats

Posted: 08 Oct 2021 01:04 PM PDT

Researchers have developed a versatile composite fabric that can deactivate both biological threats, such as the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, and chemical threats, such as those used in chemical warfare. A material that is effective against both classes of threats is rare. The new material also is reusable. It can be restored to its original state after the fabric has been exposed to threats by a simple bleach treatment.

Excess deaths in people with mental health conditions increased during the COVID-19 pandemic

Posted: 08 Oct 2021 08:29 AM PDT

The greater number of deaths amongst those with mental health conditions and intellectual disabilities has been amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic, a study based on more than 160,000 patients has revealed.

Using indoor air sampling surveillance to sniff out COVID-19

Posted: 08 Oct 2021 07:57 AM PDT

A team of scientists and doctors has developed a capability to detect airborne SARS-CoV-2 RNA -- the nucleic acid coding for the virus that causes COVID-19 -- indoors through air sampling. When trialed in two inpatient wards of a major Singaporean hospital caring for active COVID-19 patients the air surveillance approach produced a higher detection rate of environmental SARS-CoV-2 RNA (72%) compared to surface swab samples (9.6 percent) collected in the same area.

Stem cell population identified that is key for bone regeneration

Posted: 08 Oct 2021 07:57 AM PDT

Researchers have identified a subpopulation of mesenchymal stem cells in the bone marrow that express the marker CD73. These cells have a higher potential for proliferation and differentiation, and play a significant role in bone healing, migrating to the site of a fracture and developing into cartilage and bone cells as part of the repair process. These cells have potential for regenerative medicine.

Alzheimer's and COVID-19 share a genetic risk factor, study finds

Posted: 07 Oct 2021 07:45 PM PDT

An anti-viral gene that impacts the risk of both Alzheimer's disease and severe COVID-19 has been identified by researchers.

Lung maintains long-term memory of COVID infection

Posted: 07 Oct 2021 11:59 AM PDT

After infection with the COVID virus, where does the immune system store the memory? A new study finds memory cells take up residence in the lung to protect against reinfection.

Non-English-language science could help save biodiversity

Posted: 07 Oct 2021 11:58 AM PDT

It is commonly assumed that any important scientific knowledge would be available in English, and so scientific knowledge used in international studies is predominantly sourced from English-language documents. But is this assumption correct? According to new research, the answer is no, and science written in languages other than English may hold untapped information crucial to the conservation of global biodiversity.

Kids with MIS-C mount normal T cell response to COVID-19, study finds

Posted: 07 Oct 2021 09:22 AM PDT

A new study suggests multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a rare condition associated with COVID-19, is not caused by abnormal T cell response to COVID-19 virus as previously hypothesized.

Meditation training reduces long-term stress, hair analysis shows

Posted: 07 Oct 2021 09:22 AM PDT

A new study finds that mental training reduces the concentration of the stress hormone cortisol in hair. The amount of cortisol in hair provides information about how much a person is burdened by persistent stress.

Ear sensor enables safe telemedical care for COVID-19 risk patients

Posted: 07 Oct 2021 09:21 AM PDT

Using telemedicine, COVID-19 patients can be cared for safely at home -- from initial home isolation to recovery or, in case problems arise, admission to hospital. Researchers have now successfully demonstrated this in a study involving 150 patients with risk factors for a severe progression of the disease.

mRNA COVID vaccines highly effective at preventing symptomatic infection in health workers, study finds

Posted: 07 Oct 2021 07:10 AM PDT

Health care personnel who received a two-dose regimen of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine had an 89 percent lower risk for symptomatic illness than those who were unvaccinated. For those who received the two-dose regimen of the Moderna vaccine, the risk was reduced by 96 percent.

Orphaned children: More than 140,000 U.S. children lost a primary or secondary caregiver due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Posted: 07 Oct 2021 07:10 AM PDT

One U.S. child loses a parent or caregiver for every four COVID-19 deaths, a new modeling study reveals. The findings illustrate orphanhood as a hidden and ongoing secondary tragedy caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasizes that identifying and caring for these children throughout their development is a necessary and urgent part of the pandemic response -- both for as long as the pandemic continues, as well as in the post-pandemic era.