ScienceDaily: Top Health News

The ‘equal-opportunity jerk’ defense: Rudeness can obfuscate gender bias

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 12:56 PM PST

If you're an 'equal-opportunity jerk,' does that mean you can't also be sexist? New research shows that many people think so -- and consider men to be gender blind when they're rude, condescending, and berating to women and men equally.

Physical activity may protect your brain as you age

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 12:56 PM PST

We all know we should exercise and eat healthy foods. But doing that isn't just good for maintaining your figure as you age. New research shows that physical activity could help protect your cognitive abilities as you age. And it doesn't have to be intense exercise to make an impact.

Student researchers discover genes unique to humans in search for source of our evolutionary distinctiveness

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 12:56 PM PST

A team of student researchers has discovered human microRNA genes not shared with any other primate species and which may have played an important role in the unique evolution of the human species. The students found at least three families of microRNA genes on chromosome 21.

New dental tool prototype can spot the acidic conditions that lead to cavities

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 12:56 PM PST

Researchers have shown that a dental tool they created can measure the acidity built up by the bacteria in plaque that leads to cavities.

Research advances understanding of DNA repair

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 12:56 PM PST

A researcher has made a discovery that alters our understanding of how the body's DNA repair process works and may lead to new chemotherapy treatments for cancer and other disorders. Researchers discovered that base excision repair has a built-in mechanism to increase its effectiveness -- it just needs to be captured at a very precise point in the cell life cycle.

Treating heart attacks with a medium chain fatty acid

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 11:11 AM PST

Heart attacks mean energy deprivation. Could a fatty acid found in energy drinks, then, help recovery? A preclinical study explores this question.

Dementia patients struggle to cope with change because of damage to general intelligence brain networks

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 10:05 AM PST

People with dementia struggle to adapt to changes in their environment because of damage to areas of the brain known as 'multiple demand networks', highly-evolved areas of the brain that support general intelligence, say scientists.

Anticipation and accents: Talking like a southerner even if you're not

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 09:01 AM PST

Linguistic convergence refers to temporary (and often subtle) shifts in speech to sound more similar to those around us. A new study shows that even our expectations about how other people might speak (rather than the speech itself) is enough to shape our own speech patterns.

Distinct biological ages across individuals’ various organs and systems

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 08:58 AM PST

It's common to say that someone looks either younger or older than their chronological age, but aging is more than skin deep. Our various organs and systems may have different ages, at least from a biological perspective. Investigators used biomarkers, statistical modeling, and other techniques to develop tools for measuring the biological ages of various organ systems. Based on their findings, the researchers report that there are multiple 'clocks' within the body that vary widely based on factors including genetics and lifestyle in each individual.

Placenta plays active part in transferring vitamin D to fetus during pregnancy

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 08:58 AM PST

Scientists have shed new light on the role of the placenta in managing the relationships between maternal vitamin D and fetal development, according to a new study.

Astrocyte networks in the mouse brain control spatial learning and memory

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 08:56 AM PST

Astrocytes form large networks of interconnected cells in the central nervous system. When these cell-to-cell couplings are disrupted in the brain of adult mice, the animals are no longer able to store spatial information. The astrocytes network is thus essential for spatial learning and memory formation, as neuroscientists now show.

Self-administered screening can provide benefits for patients and providers

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 08:56 AM PST

Doctors wondered if patients might be more forthcoming with honest information by completing a self-administered questionnaire on a tablet computer instead of responding verbally to nursing staff. In a recent study, the tablet screening detected twice as many people with depression, fall risk or intimate partner violence compared to usual in-person screening by nursing staff.

Migrating through small spaces makes cancer cells more aggressive

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 08:56 AM PST

Squeezing through tight spaces makes cancer cells more aggressive and helps them evade cell death, shows a new study.

Intermingling between populations may contribute to HIV spread

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 08:56 AM PST

Sexual partnerships between individuals from different communities may help explain why some community-based HIV prevention efforts were moderately effective, shows a new study.

Single protein prompts mature brain cells to regenerate multiple cell types

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:28 AM PST

A single protein can reverse the developmental clock on adult brain cells called astrocytes, morphing them into stem-like cells that produce neurons and other cell types, UT Southwestern researchers report in a new study. The findings might someday lead to a way to regenerate brain tissue after disease or injury.

Stress damages the movement centers in the brain

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:28 AM PST

Stress seems to have a negative effect on the learning of movements - at least in mice. This is the conclusion of a recent study. According to the study, the neurons of rodents lose some of their contacts with other neurons after stress. The animals also developed motor deficits. The results may be useful for earlier diagnosis and improved therapy of stress-related diseases such as depression. They also document that stress leaves traces in the brain - possibly permanent ones.

Reading builds resilience among at-risk kids

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:28 AM PST

New research from the shows that reading aloud can triple a child's resilience at school, particularly for children at-risk.

Global warming projected to increase health burden from hyponatremia

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:27 AM PST

Global warming is likely to increase the number of people requiring hospitalization due to critically low sodium levels in the blood, a condition known as hyponatremia. A new study projects that a temperature rise of 2 degrees Celsius would increase the burden on hospitals from hyponatremia by almost 14 percent.

Lab-grown pig heart tissue could help replace live animals in heart disease research

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:27 AM PST

A new way to replicate what happens inside the heart after cardiac arrest could open new avenues for the study of heart regeneration whilst reducing the use of live animals in research, according to a new study.

Nordic diet lowers cholesterol and blood sugar – even if you don't lose weight

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:27 AM PST

A healthy Nordic diet can prevent a range of diseases. Until now, the health benefits attributed to a Nordic diet by researchers primarily focused on weight loss. But in a new study, researchers found clear evidence that a Nordic diet can lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels even without weight loss. In particular, they point to the composition of dietary fats as a possible explanation for the diet's positive effects.

Lower chance of pregnancy and childbirth after IVF with one ovary

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:27 AM PST

Women who have had one ovary surgically removed (unilateral oophorectomy) are less likely to become pregnant after in vitro fertilization and give birth to fewer babies than women with both ovaries. That is according to an extensive meta-analysis.

The language of the eyes

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:27 AM PST

What is the significance of the sclera of our eyes? A question which researchers have been interested in for some time now. Recently a research team led by a comparative psychologist has succeeded in deciphering the mystery: The white of the eye contributes decisively to the visibility of directions of gaze through its basic color properties.

New strategy for COVID-19 prophylaxis

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:27 AM PST

SARS-CoV-2 viruses can hide from recognition by the immune system. However, the antiviral immune receptor RIG-I can be stimulated, which improves protection against lethal SARS-CoV-2 infections. Researchers have shown this in mice. Also, the incidence of severe disease progression was observed to be significantly reduced.

Digital toolbox may help diagnose dementia earlier

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:27 AM PST

Detecting cognitive changes early in the onset of dementia would be a game-changer for thousands impacted by the disease and would allow for interventions well before significant brain changes occur. While cognitive function is often measured using paper and pencil tests with scores calculated by the number of correct answers, this number (score) omits a lot of information about the process a person uses to answer a question that might reveal important information about their brain function.

Unusual partners aid blood vessel growth

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:27 AM PST

Insufficient oxygen to an area like the heart or legs, called hypoxia, is a cue to our bodies to make more blood vessels, and scientists have found some unusual partners are key to making that happen. They've found that two receptors on the surface of those cells come together then dive inside to enable the new growth, called angiogenesis, scientists report.

Natural gas flares likely source of respiratory illness spike

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:27 AM PST

Flaring of natural gas from oil wells appeared to cause an increase of around 11,000 hospital visits for respiratory reasons in North Dakota, US, up to 60 miles away from oil drilling sites.

Study of rare disease reveals insights on immune system response process

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:27 AM PST

In laboratory experiments involving a class of mutations in people with a rare collection of immune system disorders, researchers say they have uncovered new details about how immune system cells respond to disease-causing bacteria, fungi and viruses such as SARS-CoV-2.

New risk algorithm would improve screening for prostate cancer

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 04:06 PM PST

Researchers developed an algorithm estimating a person's risk of developing prostate cancer based on age and the levels of two prostate cancer markers, PSA and hK2 (human kalliknein peptidase). They found that, by setting a risk threshold above which men are counted as 'screen positive', the approach would reduce the number of false positives by three quarters compared to a standard PSA test, while catching the same proportion of cancers.

Bunkers that save sight? Researchers take a close look

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 01:20 PM PST

Chronically stressing the retina can weaken it and damage our ability to see. But retinal cells have a remarkable ability to wall off damage, a team of neuroscientists reports. The walling-off or 'bunkering' of the damage may be key to preserving our eyesight.

A speed limit could be a breakthrough for stem cell therapy

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 10:19 AM PST

One of the most promising approaches to replacing sick or damaged cells with healthy cells is cellular reprogramming, whereby one cell type in our body converts to another cell type. Research has uncovered new ways to improve the cellular reprogramming efficiency, unlocking potential for cellular repair therapies.

Protect against aging and age-related disease with the MondoA protein

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 08:31 AM PST

Researchers have shown that a protein called MondoA can activate the important health-linked process of autophagy, whereby cells are broken down and their components are recycled. MondoA both inhibited a protein called Rubicon and regulated the Prdx3 protein, which maintains the stability of energy-producing mitochondria within cells. Activation of MondoA protected against aging and age-associated kidney injury, indicating its potential as a target for the treatment of aging and age-related diseases.

Survivors of heart attack plus cardiac arrest at increased risk of early death

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 06:17 AM PST

Patients who survive a heart attack together with sudden cardiac arrest are at increased risk of dying within six years following hospital discharge.