ScienceDaily: Top Health News

Calming overexcited neurons may protect brain after stroke

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 03:12 PM PDT

By scanning the genomes of nearly 6,000 stroke patients, researchers have identified two genes associated with recovery. Both are involved in regulating neuronal excitability, suggesting that targeting overstimulated neurons may help promote recovery in the pivotal first 24 hours.

Nylon cooking bags, plastic-lined cups can release nanoparticles into liquids

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 12:41 PM PDT

Nylon cooking bags and plastic-lined cardboard cups are conveniences many people rely on, but a new study suggests that they are an underappreciated source of nanoparticles. They report that the plastic in these products release trillions of nanometer-sized particles into each liter of water that they come in contact with. That sounds like a lot, but the team notes that these levels are under the regulatory limits for consumption.

New production method promises to end medical radioisotope shortages

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 11:16 AM PDT

Technetium-99m is the world's most commonly used medical radioisotope, but regularly suffers from supply chain shortages, threatening the ability of doctors to diagnose a raft of ailments. But an alternative production technique looks set to make the radioisotope much more easily produced.

Breast cancer: Why metastasis spreads to the bone

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 11:16 AM PDT

When cancer cells break away from a primary tumor and migrate to other organs, this is called 'metastatic cancer.' The organs affected by these metastases, however, depend in part on their tissue of origin. In the case of breast cancer, they usually form in the bones.

Some autism spectrum disorder symptoms linked to astrocytes

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 11:15 AM PDT

Abnormalities in a type of brain cell called astrocytes may play a pivotal role in causing some behavioral symptoms of autism spectrum disorders, according to a preclinical study.

Skin bacteria may boost immune response of mice vaccinated with smallpox vaccine, study shows

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 11:15 AM PDT

The global eradication of smallpox in the 1980s was achieved by intradermal vaccination with vaccinia virus. A study shows that there is a large increase in skin bacteria and suggests that this may enhance the immune response.

Large study of whole genome sequencing data reveals 'treasure trove' of clues about causes of cancer

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 11:15 AM PDT

DNA analysis of thousands of tumours from patients has found a 'treasure trove' of clues about the causes of cancer, with genetic mutations providing a personal history of the damage and repair processes each patient has been through.

Highway death toll messages cause more crashes

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 11:15 AM PDT

Displaying the highway death toll on message boards is a common awareness campaign, but new research shows this tactic actually leads to more crashes. This new study evaluated the effect of displaying crash death totals on highway message boards (e.g., '1669 deaths this year on Texas roads'). Versions of highway fatality messages have been displayed in at least 27 US states.

Dividing walls: How immune cells enter tissue

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 11:15 AM PDT

To get to the places where they are needed, immune cells not only squeeze through tiny pores. They even overcome wall-like barriers of tightly packed cells. Scientists have now discovered that cell division is key to their success. Together with other recent studies, their findings give the full picture of a process just as important for healing as for the spread of cancer.

Study reveals set of brain regions that control complex sequences of movement

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 10:09 AM PDT

In a novel set of experiments with mice trained to do a sequence of movements and 'change course' at the spur of the moment, scientists report they have identified areas of the animals' brains that interact to control the ability to perform complex, sequential movements, as well as to help the mice rebound when their movements are interrupted without warning.

Microdrones with light-driven nanomotors

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 10:09 AM PDT

Physicists have managed to propel micrometer-sized drones precisely using light only. Their microdrones are significantly smaller than red blood cells.

Circuit that focuses attention brings in wide array of inputs

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 10:09 AM PDT

With a comprehensive map of the wiring, researchers can now discern what information flows into the circuit to enable a key brain function.

Vision improvement is long-lasting with treatment for blinding blood vessel condition

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 07:55 AM PDT

New research shows that a treatment for retinal vein occlusion yields long-lasting vision gains, with visual acuity remaining significantly above baseline at five years. However, many patients require ongoing treatment.

Wearing dentures may affect a person's nutrition

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 07:01 AM PDT

Dentures may have a potentially negative impact on a person's overall nutrition, according to new research. The research team leveraged electronic dental and health records of 10,000+ patients to gain a better understanding of how oral health treatments affect individuals' overall health over time. The study found that people with dentures had a significant decline in nutrition markers. People who did not wear dentures did not experience this decline. This is believed to be the first study to report results of utilizing lab values of nutritional biomarkers and linking them with dental records.

Bonds from the past: A journey through the history of protein synthesis

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 07:01 AM PDT

The process of 'translation' in protein synthesis involves formation of a peptide bond between two amino acids that are attached to two distinct transfer RNAs (tRNAs). For long, scientists have been puzzled as to how these tRNAs evolutionarily lie so close to each other on the ribosome. In a new study, researchers explain how tRNA-like components act as scaffolds for peptide bond formation between amino acid-bound 'RNA minihelices,' which are half tRNA-like molecules.

The protein that keeps the pancreas from digesting itself

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 07:01 AM PDT

Scientists report that a protein known as estrogen-related receptor gamma is critical for preventing pancreatic auto-digestion in mice. Moreover, they discovered that people with pancreatitis have lower levels of this protein in cells affected by this inflammation.

Researchers detect coronavirus particles with 'slow light'

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 06:41 AM PDT

Existing methods for detecting and diagnosing COVID-19 are either expensive and complex or inaccurate. Now, scientists have developed a novel biosensing platform to detect and quantify viral particles using a simple optical microscope and antibody proteins. Their versatile approach, based on slowing down light, could pave the way to new diagnostic tools and next-generation detection platforms that are fast, accurate, and low-cost.

Pain in the neck? New surgical method could be game-changing

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 06:41 AM PDT

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion is widely used to treat spinal disorders. The fusion involves placing a bone graft or 'cage' and/or implants where the surgically removed damaged disc was originally located to stabilize and strengthen the area. The risk factors for cage migration are multifactorial and include patient, radiological characteristics, surgical techniques and postoperative factors.

Extracellular vesicles offer new insights into treating endocrine disorders

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 06:41 AM PDT

A new statement describes the importance of extracellular vesicles as a new research target for understanding the causes of certain endocrine disorders such as cancer and diabetes and discovering new treatments for these disorders.

A layered approach is needed to prevent infections from becoming harder to treat

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 06:41 AM PDT

Counteracting antimicrobial resistance needs a multipronged approach, including training, labeling food products, working with the media and changing mindsets, according to a new study.

Researchers take important step towards development of biological dental enamel

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 06:41 AM PDT

To this day, cavities and damage to enamel are repaired by dentists with the help of synthetic white filling materials. There is no natural alternative to this. But a new 3D model with human dental stem cells could change this in the future.

Women were less likely to return to work after a severe stroke

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 06:41 AM PDT

A new study has found that after a severe stroke treated with mechanical clot removal, about one third of stroke survivors resumed work three months later. Women were about half as likely to return to work three months after a severe stroke compared to men. The likelihood of returning to work for both men and women after a severe stroke was higher if they were treated with combined mechanical clot removal and clot-busting stroke medications as compared to mechanical clot removal alone.

Symptom data help predict COVID-19 admissions

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 06:40 AM PDT

Researchers are conducting one of the largest citizen science projects in Sweden to date. Since the start of the pandemic, study participants have used an app to report how they feel daily even if they are well. This symptom data could be used to estimate COVID-19 infection trends across Sweden and predict hospital admissions due to COVID-19 a week in advance.

Intense exercise while dieting may reduce cravings for fatty food

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 06:40 AM PDT

In a study that offers hope for human dieters, rats on a 30-day diet who exercised intensely resisted cues for favored, high-fat food pellets. The experiment was designed to test resistance to the phenomenon known as 'incubation of craving,' meaning the longer a desired substance is denied, the harder it is to ignore signals for it. The findings suggest that exercise modulated how hard the rats were willing to work for cues associated with the pellets, reflecting how much they craved them.

Scientists use machine learning to identify antibiotic resistant bacteria that can spread between animals, humans and the environment

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 06:40 AM PDT

Experts have developed a ground-breaking software, which combines DNA sequencing and machine learning to help them find where, and to what extent, antibiotic resistant bacteria is being transmitted between humans, animals and the environment.

For cooperative teams, modesty leaves the best impression

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 06:40 AM PDT

People may forgo displaying luxury brands and other signals of status when they want to convince others that they will collaborate well with a team, as people who signal their wealth and social status could be perceived as uncooperative, according to new research.

People with diabetes and cognitive decline may be at higher risk for heart disease

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 06:40 AM PDT

People with type 2 diabetes who have cognitive impairment could be at greater risk for stroke, heart attack or death than other individuals with diabetes, according to a new study.

Scientists identify new molecular strategies for tackling aggressive form of leukemia

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 05:02 PM PDT

A discovery has the potential to benefit leukemia patients by opening up new treatment strategies for treating the disease.

Risky driving behaviors increase as common sleep disorder worsens

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 02:05 PM PDT

Up to half of older adults may have sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing and sleep are briefly interrupted many times a night. A new study shows that this chronic tiredness can have serious implications for road safety.

For neurons, where they begin isn't necessarily where they end

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 02:05 PM PDT

Scientists describe novel methods for inferring the movement of human brain cells during fetal development by studying healthy adult individuals who have recently passed away from natural causes.

Widespread brain receptor hides surprising mechanism of action

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 02:05 PM PDT

One of the most important molecules in the brain doesn't work quite the way scientists thought it did, according to new work.

African dust crosses the Atlantic

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 02:04 PM PDT

A beautiful sunset over the Atlantic off the Florida coast, or an orangey glow in the Texas sky at dusk may be caused by dust from West Africa, according to researchers who are looking at the paths of particulate matter in the skies over the Sahara desert and the semi-arid Sahel.

Making a game of it: Contests help new moms increase their steps

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 02:04 PM PDT

Fun and games could be a solution to serious problems like preeclampsia and hypertension among pregnant people and holds promise for significant progress, according to a new study. Researchers found that gamification—broadly defined as the use of specially engineered games to stimulate learning and behavioral change—could generate greater levels of exercise in postpartum individuals who developed these types of conditions.

Therapeutic target for aggressive blood cancer

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 02:04 PM PDT

Researchers have found that the KLF4 gene is reprogrammed at the onset of acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL), an aggressive type of blood cancer that is responsible for 5-15% of all types of leukemia. Overexpressing KLF4 suppressed the self-renewal traits of cancerous cells and reversed the effects caused by the actions of oncofusion events that cause the disease. The findings pave the way for the development of drugs that boost the expression of the gene at the earliest stages of cancer formation, intercepting the disease before it becomes uncontrollable.

Helping prevent transmission of HIV from mother to child during breastfeeding

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 12:16 PM PDT

The antibody function known as antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and the ADCC sensitivity of HIV strains may influence the transmission of HIV from mother to child during breastfeeding. These data imply that enhancing ADCC, through a vaccine, for example, may not be sufficient to prevent transmission because chronically infected individuals can harbor ADCC-resistant strains. The findings provide novel insights about immunologic characteristics that a vaccine may need to elicit to help block HIV transmission.

Providing a potential treatment option to infants where there is none

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 12:16 PM PDT

Researchers recently created a mouse model to represent premature infants of very low birthweight and to find treatment options for GMH, which currently has no treatment and is often fatal or debilitating. By inhibiting the complement system at a specific site within the brain immediately after a hemorrhage, many of the permanent and temporary deficits that accompany hydrocephalus and stroke can be prevented, according to a new article.

Lab grown, self-sustainable muscle cells repair muscle injury and disease, mouse study shows

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 12:16 PM PDT

In proof-of-concept experiments, scientists say they have successfully cultivated human muscle stem cells capable of renewing themselves and repairing muscle tissue damage in mice, potentially advancing efforts to treat muscle injuries and muscle-wasting disorders in people.

Studies detail current, future obstacles to abortion care

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 12:16 PM PDT

Two new studies provide insights into what additional limits on abortion care could mean, particularly for those who will have to travel across state lines. Distance to care will increase substantially and access barriers will be inequitable, researchers say.

Women's earnings drop after childbirth, study finds

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 12:16 PM PDT

When U.S. couples have their first child, mothers' earnings still drop substantially relative to fathers', and new research demonstrates the stubborn, decades-old pattern isn't changing despite broad increases in other aspects of gender equality.

Opioid-related deaths affecting more younger adults, study finds

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 12:16 PM PDT

From 2003 through 2020, as opioid-related mortality in Ontario, Canada increased five-fold, the age distribution also shifted downward -- with rates now peaking for people in their mid-30s -- according to a new study.

Antidepressants are not associated with improved quality of life in the long run, study finds

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 12:15 PM PDT

Over time, using antidepressants is not associated with significantly better health-related quality of life, compared to people with depression who do not take the drugs, according to a new study.

Got food cravings? What's living in your gut may be responsible

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 12:15 PM PDT

New research on mice shows for the first time that the microbes in animals' guts influence what they choose to eat, making substances that prompt cravings for different kinds of foods.

Portable MRIs almost as effective as standard MRIs in detecting strokes

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 12:13 PM PDT

Portable MRI machines, an emerging technology that makes medical imaging accessible even in remote locations, detected ischemic strokes, or strokes caused by clotting, in 90% of patients scanned, according to a new study.

Scientists identify potential new 'soldier' for cancer immunotherapy

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:36 AM PDT

The new cells, which the scientists have dubbed killer innate-like T cells, differ in several notable ways from the conventional target of many immunotherapies.

Weapon against tumors, boost for the immune system

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:35 AM PDT

Radiation therapy is a proven approach to destroying tumors. However, it is possible that it might be able to do even more in the future -- namely stimulate the immune system at the same time and so fight cancer even more intensively. The foundations for this have now been laid. Researchers have found that x-rays trigger a calcium signalling cascade in cells of the immune system.

Fewer smartphones, more well-being

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:35 AM PDT

How much digital detox is necessary to live a better life? The good news is that we don't have to waive them completely.

Cellular diversity of esophageal tissue revealed

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:35 AM PDT

Researchers have defined 11 subsets of cells found in the esophagus of mice, information that could potentially help clinicians diagnose or treat certain types of cancer.

Gastric inflammation: How a bacterial infection causes tissue changes

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:35 AM PDT

When the bacterium Helicobacter pylori infects the stomach, it causes gastric inflammation and increases the risk of stomach cancer. Researchers have been able to elucidate characteristic changes which occur inside the gastric glands during an H. pylori infection. The researchers discovered a novel mechanism which, by restricting cell division in healthy stomach tissue, protects the stomach against cancerous changes. An inflammation of the stomach, however, deactivates this mechanism, enabling cells to grow in an uncontrolled manner. The researchers' findings may herald a new treatment target in stomach cancer.

Multiple treatments to slow age-related muscle wasting

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:35 AM PDT

Everyone wants to stay fit and healthy as they grow old. But as we age, our body degrades, our muscles shrink and strength declines. Some older people suffer from excessive muscle loss, a condition known as sarcopenia. Researchers show that a combination therapy could delay the onset of sarcopenia.

Stop the clocks: Brisk walking may slow biological aging process, study shows

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:35 AM PDT

A new study of genetic data of more than 400,000 UK adults has revealed a clear link between walking pace and a genetic marker of biological age.

Arm movement and running speed: Is the partnership overrated?

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:35 AM PDT

New research into human speed suggests that athletes who performed short sprints with their arms closed across their chests were nearly as fast as when they sprinted with their normal arm swing.

Everyday plastic products release trillions of microscopic particles into water

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:35 AM PDT

Plastics surround us, whether it's the grocery bags we use at the supermarket or household items such as shampoo and detergent bottles. Plastics don't exist only as large objects, but also as microscopic particles that are released from these larger products. These microscopic plastics can end up in the environment, and they can be ingested into our bodies.

A new pathway to shrink cancerous tumors through body's immune cells

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:35 AM PDT

Cancer researchers say they have successfully suppressed the growth of some solid tumors in research models by manipulating immune cells known as a macrophages.

Ethical communication in the age of information

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:35 AM PDT

To comprehensively understand the ethical issues involved when communicating with research participants through the Internet, researchers developed an ethical framework and practical guidelines to implement findings from their research. This is the first such framework and accompanying guidelines for the use of electronic methods for communication with research participants, and is anticipated to foster better practice in medical research using the Internet.

In the race to solve Alzheimer's disease, scientists find more needles in the haystack

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 09:49 AM PDT

The International Genomics of Alzheimer's Project (IGAP) analyzed millions of genetic variants to come up with the latest listing of 75 variations associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Whole-brain preclinical study illuminates how epileptic seizures originate

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 09:20 AM PDT

New evidence from a zebrafish model of epilepsy may help resolve a debate into how seizures originate, according to investigators. The findings may also be useful in the discovery and development of future epilepsy drugs.

Automated cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia delivered over the internet shown to be highly effective in Black women

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 08:30 AM PDT

Black women are disproportionately affected by poor sleep, which is associated with increased risk of adverse outcomes such as cardiovascular disease, depression and worse quality of life. The gold standard treatment for insomnia is cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), which specifically targets the individual's problematic sleep behaviors and beliefs.

How do our eyes stay focused on what we reach for?

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 08:30 AM PDT

Keeping our eyes focused on what we reach for, whether it be an item at the grocery store or a ground ball on the baseball field, may appear seamless, but, in fact, is due to a complex neurological process involving intricate timing and coordination. Researchers now shed additional light on the machinations that ensure we don't look away from where we are reaching.

Air pollution linked to higher risk of COVID-19 in young adults

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 08:29 AM PDT

Residential exposure to ambient air pollutants is linked to an elevated risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, an observational study of young adults in Stockholm, Sweden shows.

Genetic changes differed, increased in people with Alzheimer's disease

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 08:29 AM PDT

Researchers found that changes accumulated in the brain cells of patients with Alzheimer's disease at a faster rate, potentially explaining why brain cells die and revealing new pathways to target for treatment.