ScienceDaily: Top Health News

More intense roasting of cocoa beans lessens bitterness, boosts chocolate liking

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 03:03 PM PST

Confection makers who want to develop products containing 100% chocolate and no sugar for health-conscious consumers can reduce bitterness and optimize flavor acceptance by roasting cocoa beans longer and at higher temperatures.

Interaction with lung cells transforms asbestos particles

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 01:17 PM PST

Asbestos fibers can cause lung cancer and other diseases, often multiple decades following exposure. Many researchers have sought to elucidate disease mechanisms, but a new study took the opposite approach, using a high-tech microscope to look at how the mineral changed upon interaction with lung cells. Their findings suggest that the mineralogical transformations inside the cells may play a role in triggering disease.

Transparent ultrasound chip improves cell stimulation and imaging

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 01:15 PM PST

Ultrasound scans -- best known for monitoring pregnancies or imaging organs -- can also be used to stimulate cells and direct cell function. A team of researchers has developed an easier, more effective way to harness the technology for biomedical applications.

Anti-tumor drug promotes weight loss in mice

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 11:08 AM PST

An anti-tumor drug promotes weight loss in mice at low doses by activating a natural hunger-suppressing pathway, according to a new study. The results provide a promising new avenue for development of anti-obesity treatments.

More sensitive X-ray imaging

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 11:08 AM PST

Making nanoscale patterns in 'scintillator' materials that convert X-rays into light could allow a tenfold signal enhancement for medical or industrial imaging, researchers report. This method might lead to improvements in medical X-rays or CT scans, to reduce dose exposure and improve image quality.

Chemical synthesis yields potential antibiotic

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 11:08 AM PST

Chemists developed a new way to synthesize himastatin, a natural compound that has shown potential as an antibiotic. A new strategy for producing a natural compound could also be used to generate variants with even stronger antimicrobial activity.

Largest ever human family tree: 27 million ancestors

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 11:08 AM PST

Researchers have taken a major step towards mapping the entirety of genetic relationships among humans: a single genealogy that traces the ancestry of all of us.

Stem cell signaling: Molecular morse code in stem cells encrypting differentiation information

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 11:08 AM PST

Divide, differentiate or die? Making decisions at the right time and place is what defines a cell's behavior and is particularly critical for stem cells of an developing organisms. Decision making relies on how information is processed by networks of signaling proteins. Scientists have now revealed that ERK, a key player in stem cell signaling, processes information through fast activity pulses. The duration of the pulsing interval, might encode information essential for divergent fate decision in stem cell cultures.

Scientists uncover a new approach for treating aggressive cancer

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 09:52 AM PST

Researchers have uncovered a new role of a chromatin-modulatory enzyme, termed EZH2, during cancer development. They then designed a new small-molecule, MS177, based on the proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology, that targets both EZH2 and cMyc and thus inhibits cancer growth.

Antibacterial bioactive glass doubles down on microbial resistance to antibiotics

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 09:52 AM PST

Infections linked to medical devices such as catheters, dental implants, orthopaedics and wound dressings could be dramatically reduced using a simple technique, according to new research.

Patient-centered approach to treating obesity

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 09:06 AM PST

In short, health professionals on both sides of the debate should strive to improve access to compassionate, evidence-based and patient-centered care in order to fight weight stigma and end diet culture, the researchers argue, adding that the emphasis should be on health, not weight.

California's push for computer science education examined

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 08:37 AM PST

Despite California's computer science education policies, gender, racial and ethnic disparities persist among the high schools that offer these courses, the students enrolled in them and the faculty who teach them.

The impacts from using genetic testing to track down relatives

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 08:26 AM PST

Genetic genealogy has become a popular hobby over the past several years, thanks to direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing and relative-finder services offered by some DTC genetic testing companies. Researchers now report results from a survey that asked people who had participated in these services what effect the discovery of previously unknown relatives had on their lives.

New stem cell population provides a new way to study the awakening of the human genome

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 08:26 AM PST

Researchers have discovered a new type of stem cell that resembles cells in the early human embryo during the transition of 'genomic power' from mother to embryo. During this major developmental event the genome is reset and reorganized with large numbers of embryonic genes being expressed for the first time. If unsuccessful, further embryo development fails or there may be implications for later developmental stages. The newly identified stem cells provide the closest model available to study this process without the need for human embryos. This model of the early embryo will allow the study of human genome activation in a much more detailed way, providing important functional insights into genome regulation, developmental disorders, and early embryo loss.

How the immune system responds to tissue damage can aid cancer spread

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 08:26 AM PST

Researchers have uncovered how a process involved in the regeneration of tissue damaged by radiation can aid the spread of cancer.

Discovery of new Hendra virus variant a lesson in emerging disease surveillance

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 08:26 AM PST

New research has uncovered an unrecognized variant of the Hendra virus, prompting re-evaluation of spillover risk from horses and their carers to other humans.

Stepping stones along the exercise stress response pathway

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 08:26 AM PST

A research team confirmed that interference with the action of arginine vasopressin and corticotrophin-releasing hormone inhibits stress responses in rats during moderate-intensity exercise. Their findings suggest that these factors cooperatively regulate adrenocorticotropic hormone secretion.

How a single nerve cell can multiply

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 08:26 AM PST

Neurons are constantly performing complex calculations to process sensory information and infer the state of the environment. For example, to localize a sound or to recognize the direction of visual motion, individual neurons are thought to multiply two signals. However, how such a computation is carried out has been a mystery for decades. Researchers have now discovered in fruit flies the biophysical basis that enables a specific type of neuron to multiply two incoming signals. This provides fundamental insights into the algebra of neurons -- the computations that may underlie countless processes in the brain.

Cancer: When viruses and bacteria cooperate

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 08:26 AM PST

Infections with several pathogens simultaneously increase the risk of cervical cancer, according to a new study conducted on artificial 3D tissue models.

Pancreatic cancer: Cellular process suggests path to new treatment options

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 08:26 AM PST

Drug resistance is a major obstacle in the treatment of cancers. In an aggressive type of pancreatic cancer, for instance, drug resistance is associated with the suppression of programmed cell death, which results in the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells. Until recently, the process underlying this phenomenon had remained unknown. A team of researchers has now elucidated the way in which different factors interact in order to enable these cancer cells to survive. They were able to show that inhibition of a key protein limits cancer growth. The researchers' findings may herald a new treatment target for aggressive cancers.

Unravelling the mysteries around type-2 diabetes

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 06:11 AM PST

For more than 30 years, scientists have been trying to unravel the mystery of how a key biological molecule self assembles into a rogue protein-like substance known as amyloid, which is thought to play a role in the development of type-2 diabetes - a disease that affects 300 million people worldwide. A team of scientists at the University of Leeds has, for the first time, been able to identify the step-by-step changes that take place in the molecule known as human islet amyloid polypeptide, or hIAPP, as it changes into amyloid.

Walkable neighborhoods can reduce prevalence of obesity, diabetes

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 06:11 AM PST

People who live in walkable neighborhoods with access to parks and other outdoor activities are more active and less likely to have diabetes or obesity, according to a new article.

Surprise small-cell lung cancer discovery suggests new treatment

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 06:11 AM PST

Scientists say the unexpected discovery about small-cell lung cancer could lead to new treatment approaches for that cancer and other forms of cancer as well.

Feeling connected to nature linked to lower risk of snake and spider phobias

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 06:10 AM PST

A study of over a thousand people in Hungary has found for the first time that people who feel more connected to nature are less likely to be affected by snake and spider fears or phobias.

Smart packaging could improve how older adults take medication

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 06:10 AM PST

Older adults are open to using smart packaging to improve their medication-taking experience, a new study finds.

Do pets have a positive effect on your brain health?

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 06:00 PM PST

Owning a pet, like a dog or cat, especially for five years or longer, may be linked to slower cognitive decline in older adults, according to a preliminary study.

Touch sensitive brain cells controlled by micromagnets

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 05:28 PM PST

Scientists have developed a new technique that uses microscopic magnetic particles to remotely activate brain cells; researchers say the discovery in rats could potentially lead to the development of a new class of non-invasive therapies for neurological disorders.

Low-meat and meat-free diets associated with lower overall cancer risk

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 05:28 PM PST

Eating meat five times or less per week is associated with a lower overall cancer risk, according to two studies.

Brazilian babies born with Zika virus syndrome at greater risk of death in first three years of life than those born without

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 02:25 PM PST

Babies born with congenital Zika syndrome (CZS), due to infection with the Zika virus during pregnancy, are at more than 11x greater risk of dying during the first three years of life than those born without the syndrome, according to a new study.

New 'cocktail' drug could benefit up to 45 per cent of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 01:46 PM PST

A new 'cocktail' drug under development could provide an effective and economical treatment to lessen symptoms for up to 45 per cent of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a chronic muscle-wasting disease.

Having a poor score on a simple memory test may be linked to Alzheimer’s biomarkers

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 01:46 PM PST

Among people with no memory or thinking problems, having a poor score on a simple memory test may be linked to biomarkers in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease as well as very early signs of memory impairment that precede dementia by several years, according to a new study.

High CAC, high cholesterol increase heart attack/stroke risk, cardiologists find

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 12:33 PM PST

Patients with both a high lipoprotein(a) and high coronary artery calcium score (CAC) face a more than 20% risk of heart attack or stroke over the following 10 years, according to findings from a multicenter study led by preventive cardiologists.

A cellular stress state predicts a poor chemotherapy response in ovarian cancer patients

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 11:34 AM PST

A discovery made in a new study helps to identify poor response tumors already prior chemotherapy is applied and opens new avenues for the development of combination therapies.

Older Japanese dog owners may face lower risk of disability than non-dog owners, study finds

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 11:33 AM PST

An analysis of data from more than 11,000 older Japanese adults suggests that seniors who own a dog may be at lower risk of disability than those who have never been dog owners.

Blood pressure rose during the pandemic, study finds

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 10:35 AM PST

Blood pressure rose moderately during the early months of the pandemic, according to a study of patients who monitored themselves at home.

Researchers feed worms a natural plant extract; watch them fatten, live 40% longer

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 10:35 AM PST

A new study looks at how a natural plant extract of a particular kind of wormwood, Artemisia scoparia, could lead to longer lifespans, including potentially for humans. The key lies in enhanced metabolic health.

New artificial intelligence tool detects often overlooked heart diseases

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 10:35 AM PST

Physician-scientists have created an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that can effectively identify and distinguish between two life-threatening heart conditions that are often easy to miss: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and cardiac amyloidosis.

How well do boosters work? Depends on your genes

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 10:34 AM PST

Genetics play an important role in how our bodies respond to vaccines and booster shots, suggesting that certain protective responses elicited by vaccination could be more effective with personalization, according to a new study.

Pioneering simulations focus on HIV-1 virus

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 10:34 AM PST

First-ever biologically authentic computer model was completed of the HIV-1 virus liposome. Key finding from the simulations is the formation of sphingomyelin and cholesterol rich microdomains. HIV-1 is known to preferentially bud from regions of the host cell membrane where these constituents are in high abundance. Scientists are hopeful this basic research into viral envelopes can help efforts to develop new HIV-1 therapeutics, as well as laying a foundation for study of other enveloped viruses such as the novel coronavirus.

Discovery of a new ALS and dementia disease mechanism raises treatment hopes

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 08:13 AM PST

A pioneering new study has revealed, for the first time, why a common genetic variant worsens disease outcomes for people with the devastating adult-onset neurodegenerative diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

Extreme heat linked to increase in mental health emergency care

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 08:13 AM PST

During periods of extreme heat, clinicians should expect to see an increase in patients requiring mental health services, according to a new study. The study found that days with higher-than-normal temperatures during the summer season in the United States were associated with increased rates of emergency department (ED) visits for any mental health-related condition, particularly substance use, anxiety and stress disorders, and mood disorders. This nationwide study is the largest and most comprehensive analysis of daily ambient temperature and mental health-related ED visits among US adults of all ages.

Predicting the chaos in Tourette syndrome tics

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 08:12 AM PST

New research into Tourette syndrome may signal that a diagnostic tool is near. Scientists have replicated and expanded on previous work to show that tics associated with Tourette syndrome have a fractal pattern. They also discovered that a key characteristic of that pattern in any individual can predict how severe the disease will become.

Researchers identify a promising drug for treating serious COVID-19 complication in children

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 08:12 AM PST

A drug developed to reverse intestinal permeability in celiac disease reduced MIS-C symptoms in a small number of children.

How some gut microbes awaken 'zombie' viruses in their neighbors

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 08:12 AM PST

Gut bacteria brew all sorts of chemicals, but we don't know what most of them do. A new study suggests that one such compound, previously linked to cancer, may serve as a bizarre weapon in microbial skirmishes.

Patients with rare skin cancer face 40% recurrence rate

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 08:12 AM PST

Patients treated for Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) face a five-year recurrence rate of 40% -- markedly higher than the recurrence rates for melanoma and other skin cancers. Additionally, in the study cohort of more than 600 patients, 95% of MCC recurrences happened in the first three years, suggesting that surveillance efforts should be focused on that span.

Mouse study may help doctors choose treatments for leukemia patients

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 07:49 AM PST

Some genetic mutations linked to leukemia are less than useful guides to making treatment decisions for patients. A new study suggests a group of clinical signs that can be paired with genetic testing to better inform the timing of more aggressive treatment.

Diet, malaria and substance use linked to Pacific preterm births

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 07:49 AM PST

A new study has found diet, malaria, substance use and a lack of antenatal care services are linked to one in 10 babies in the Pacific Island region being born preterm and of low birth weight.

Eating disorders linked to diabetic eye issues

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 07:49 AM PST

Eating disorders are associated with an increased risk of people with diabetes developing diabetic retinopathy -- a condition that can cause blindness if untreated -- according to new research.

Gene allowing humans to feel touch may play a role in sense of smell

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 07:30 AM PST

Researchers have determined that a gene linked to feeling touch may moonlight as an olfactory gene. That's the conclusion drawn from studying a very small, transparent worm that shares many similarities with the human nervous system.

Obesity may lead to a decline in lung function in premenopausal and postmenopausal women

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 06:43 AM PST

Obesity has been linked to a wide array of health problems. A new study suggests that abdominal obesity as measured by body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, may result in a greater risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma.

Possible driver of Parkinson’s disease

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 06:43 AM PST

Study shows how blocking cellular housekeeping system leads to buildup and spread of abnormal protein aggregates in the brain.

More adults are falling every year, despite prevention efforts

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 06:43 AM PST

Falls are a leading cause of hospitalization and institutionalization for older adults in the U.S. and fall prevention efforts are an important part of geriatric education and health.

'E-nose' could someday diagnose Parkinson's disease by 'smelling' skin

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 05:58 AM PST

Scientists have been trying to build devices that could diagnose Parkinson's disease (PD) through odor compounds on the skin. Now, researchers have developed a portable, artificially intelligent olfactory system, or 'e-nose,' that could someday diagnose the disease in a doctor's office.

Smoking before and after conception is linked to delayed embryonic development

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 05:58 AM PST

Smoking by mothers during the period immediately before and after conception is linked to a delay in embryonic development, smaller fetuses at the time of the 20-week ultrasound scan, and lower birth weight.

Monitoring breast milk for PFAS

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 05:58 AM PST

A research team has estimated concentrations of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in breast milk -- and raise the need for more research.

Neural disruptions underlying feeding, swallowing disorders in children identified

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 05:58 AM PST

Scientists depict the early development of pain-sensing and movement-sensing neurons in the face and throat. The findings reveal a previously unexplored feature of brain and cranial nerve development underlying eating, swallowing, and speech.

RNA molecules control repair of human DNA in cancer cells

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 05:57 AM PST

A new study shows how certain RNA molecules control the repair of damaged DNA in cancer cells, a discovery that could eventually give rise to better cancer treatments.

Children eat what they like, but food intake driven more by what they dislike

Posted: 22 Feb 2022 01:18 PM PST

It is often said that 'children eat what they like,' but the results of a new study by nutritionists and sensory scientists suggests that when it comes to meals, it is more accurate and more relevant to say, 'children do not eat what they dislike.'

Evidence grows for vaping's role in gum disease

Posted: 22 Feb 2022 12:19 PM PST

New studies highlight how e-cigarettes alter oral health and may be contributing to gum disease. The latest research finds that e-cigarette users have a unique oral microbiome that is less healthy than nonsmokers but potentially healthier than cigarette smokers, and measures worsening gum disease over time.

Gene therapy for thalassemia ends need for transfusions in young children

Posted: 22 Feb 2022 12:18 PM PST

Over 90 percent of patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder, no longer needed monthly blood transfusions years after receiving gene therapy, according to an international Phase 3 clinical trial that for the first time included children younger than 12 years of age. Twenty-two patients were evaluated (ranging in age 4-34 years), including pediatric patients.