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Showing posts from June, 2022

Optical fiber imaging method advances studies of Alzheimer's disease

An optical fiber as thin as a strand of hair holds promise for use in minimally invasive deep-tissue studies of patients' brains that show the effects Alzheimer's disease and other brain disorders. The challenge is efficiently increasing image resolution at the subcellular level, because loss of information is inevitable from light scrambling. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220630134839.htm

New Report Raises Question: Can You Get COVID From Your Cat?

News that a veterinarian in Thailand was infected with COVID by a cat she was treating raises new questions about risk of animal-to-human transmission.

Can the Flu Vaccine Help Keep Older Minds Sharp?

Flu vaccination has been linked to a 40% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease in older adults, according to a new study.

New flood maps clarify the risk homeowners face

Flooding in urban areas cost Americans more than $106 billion between 1960 and 2016, damaging property, disrupting businesses and claiming lives in the process. Now, new research outlines a simplified, cost-effective method for developing flood maps that reflects the uncertainty in flood predictions. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220630134836.htm

Nordic Walking Beats Other Workouts for Heart Health: Study

Heart patients who did Nordic walking fared better in a 6-minute walk test than those who did high-intensity interval training or other workouts.

Protect Your Hearing from Fireworks This Fourth of July

The American Academy of Audiology is warning Americans to protect their hearing this Fourth of July.

Climate change is making plants more vulnerable to disease. New research could help them fight back

When heat waves hit, they don't just take a toll on people -- plants suffer too. That's because when temperatures rise, certain plant defenses don't work as well, leaving them more susceptible to attacks from pathogens and pests. Scientists say they have identified a specific protein in plant cells that explains why immunity falters as the mercury rises. They've also figured out a way to bolster plant defenses against the heat. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220629121138.htm

RNA modifications in mitochondria promote invasive spread of cancer

Mitochondria are the power plants of cells, and they contain their own genetic material and RNA molecules. Scientists have now discovered that certain modifications in mitochondrial RNA boost the invasive spread of cancer cells by supporting protein synthesis in mitochondria. They have established that a specific gene expression signature correlating with high levels of mitochondrial RNA modifications is associated with metastasis and poor prognosis in patients with head and neck cancer. When the researchers blocked the responsible RNA modifying enzyme in cancer cells, the number of metastases was reduced. Certain antibiotics that suppress protein synthesis in mitochondria were also able to prevent the invasive spread of cancer cells in laboratory experiments. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220629121127.htm

Dissolving the problem: Organic vapor induces dissolution of molecular salts

Researchers have found that organic vapor can dissolve molecular salts in a phenomenon known as organic deliquescence. Similar to how water vapor can induce deliquescence of compounds like calcium chloride, this phenomenon will be useful for developing methods for capturing harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs). There is an urgent need to remove them from indoor environments, particularly industrial facilities, where concentrations are highest. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220629120925.htm

Seat assignments drive friendships among elementary school children

Most teachers focus on academic considerations when assigning seats. A new study is the first to show that these classroom seat assignments also have important implications for children's friendships and the enormous influence that teachers wield over the interpersonal lives of children. Friendships reflect classroom seat assignments. Students sitting next to or nearby one another were more likely to be friends with one another than students seated elsewhere in the classroom. Moreover, longitudinal analyses showed that classroom seating proximity was associated with the formation of new friendships. After seat assignments changed, students were more likely to become friends with newly near-seated classmates than with those who remained or became seated farther away. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220628113355.htm

Tadpoles undergo surprising number of vision changes when becoming frogs

Tadpoles see well underwater, but what happens when they become frogs and live primarily on land? Researchers, curious about the answer, found the eyes of tadpoles undergo a surprising number of changes. It's already known that tadpoles go through a physical metamorphosis on their way to becoming a frog, but what wasn't known is how their vision adapts at a molecular level across the life stages to a strikingly different environment. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220628113347.htm

Built infrastructure, hunting and climate change linked to huge migratory bird declines

New research shows how migratory birds are declining globally because of the way that humans have modified the landscape in recent decades. A total of 103 species of migrating birds were studied, including rapidly declining species like the turtle dove and the common cuckoo, using large-scale datasets. Advances in satellite imagery allowed the team to map threats across Europe, Africa and Western Asia. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220624201515.htm

Arsenic in private well water contributes to low birth weight even at low levels

In the largest epidemiologic study of arsenic and birth outcomes to date, researchers estimated arsenic levels in U.S. private well water sources by county and compared estimates to documented birth outcomes. They found an association between estimated groundwater arsenic concentration and risk of low birth weight. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220624160643.htm

Nearly 3 in 10 Americans Have Insomnia: Survey

Hours go by with you tossing and turning, with no hope of escape into comfy, restful sleep. Or worse, you’re exhausted with no chance of dozing off before the dreaded morning alarm. If this isn’t you, it may be someone very close to you, suggest the results of a new survey.

Light traveling in a distorting medium can appear undistorted

Researchers have made a new discovery on how light behaves in complex media, media that tends to distort light significantly. They demonstrated that 'distortion' is a matter of perspective, outlining a simple rule that applies to all light and a vast array of media, including underwater, optical fiber, transmission in the atmosphere and even through living biological samples. Their novel quantum approach to the problem resolves a standing debate on whether some forms of light are robust or not, correcting some misconceptions in the community. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220624115422.htm

The Trouble with Binge Drinking Over Age 30

Research shows more adults are binge drinking – and suffering the consequences.

When You’re a Lot Older or Younger Than Your Partner

Age differences of 10 years or more may spur couples to treasure each other’s life experience.

Shooting Survivors Turned Activists: 'We Were the Lucky Ones'

This year, through mid-June, at least 278 mass shootings have occurred in the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive. And as families of the victims grieve, legions of survivors who have witnessed the carnage firsthand also struggle to heal from the trauma.

Optical microphone sees sound like never before

A camera system can see sound vibrations with such precision and detail that it can reconstruct the music of a single instrument in a band or orchestra. Even the most high-powered and directed microphones can't eliminate nearby sounds, ambient noise and the effect of acoustics when they capture audio. The novel system uses two cameras and a laser to sense high-speed, low-amplitude surface vibrations. These vibrations can be used to reconstruct sound, capturing isolated audio without inference or a microphone. 'We've invented a new way to see sound,' said Mark Sheinin, a post-doctoral research associate at the Illumination and Imaging Laboratory (ILIM) in the RI. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220622101415.htm

Do I Have Alzheimer’s Disease? Just One Brain Scan May Tell

The tool could also tell the difference between early and late-stage dementia in 79% of cases.

Light in Your Bedroom Is No Good for Your Health

A new study suggests keeping your bedroom dark may also significantly lower your odds of developing three major health problems.

‘Patient Influencers’ Partnering With Drug, Medical Companies

Social media “patient influencers” are becoming a popular method of direct-to-consumer advertising for pharmaceutical and medical companies. Is that a good thing?

Wildlife--human conflicts could shift with climate change

Researchers modeled the risk of human -- elephant conflict in Thailand under different climate change scenarios using a risk framework. A spatial shift in the risk of conflict was observed with climate change, with northern areas and higher latitudes showing increasing risk in the future. These results can be used to develop planning strategies in affected communities and increase coexistence awareness. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220621105629.htm

Easing Tamoxifen, Aromatase Inhibitors’ Side Effects for Breast Cancer Treatment

Hormone therapy for breast cancer – such as tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors – can help prevent the cancer from coming back. If you have side effects, these things may help.

Tongue, Lip Piercings May Harm Teeth and Gums

A new study found that many people with oral piercings had deep pockets and gaps around their teeth, and receding and bleeding gums.

Products to Remove Moles, Skin Tags Can Be Harmful

Dermatologists and the FDA warn about dangers of using unregulated do-it-yourself products to remove moles, skin tags and another type of growth known as seborrheic keratoses.

Two-Thirds of Working Parents Are Burned Out, New Study Suggests

It’s not just kids and health care workers: Working parents, too, are increasingly burned out.

CDC Gives Final OK for COVID Vaccinations for Youngest Kids

The final regulatory decision paves the way for doctors, pharmacists, and others to start vaccinating children 6 months and older in the U.S. starting this week.

Breast Cancer Mammography vs. Thermography

Mammography is still the tried-and-true, go-to tool doctors and the FDA recommend for screening for breast cancer. Thermography isn’t recommended.

On Father’s Day, A New Dad Recalls His Near-Death Experience

On a day like any other this past February, Ethan Bradshaw, 30, a state trooper from North Carolina, was working out at the gym with two trooper friends when he suddenly began having chest pain and numbness in his arm.

How Much Weight Did We Really Gain During COVID Lockdown?

A small helping of good news from the COVID-19 pandemic: Americans didn’t seem to fill all that time spent at home during the early months of the outbreak by filling their stomachs.

ADHD and ASD: What the eyes could reveal

Researchers found that recordings from the retina could identify distinct signals for both attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), providing a potential biomarker for each condition. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220617101604.htm

Gone in an Instant: The Tragedy of Child Drownings

Drowning is the No. 1 cause of death for children 1 to 4 years old and the No. 2 cause of death for those 5 to 9 years old.

How We Treat Acute Pain Could Be Wrong

McGill University researchers found that treating pain with anti-inflammatory drugs like steroids and NSAIDs may lead to chronic pain.

BJP's Nupur Sharma Not Found, Mumbai Cops Hunt For Her In Delhi: Sources

  The Mumbai Police team has been staying in Delhi for the last five days, looking for Nupur Sharma New Delhi:  Suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma is untraceable days after police cases have been filed against her in several states over her comments on Prophet Muhammad on a news channel. The Mumbai Police had filed a case against Ms Sharma, a Delhi resident, on May 28, after her comment sparked outrage in India and Gulf nations, based on a complaint by Irfan Sheikh, the joint secretary of a Muslim outfit, Raza Academy. A Mumbai Police team that is in Delhi to question Ms Sharma couldn't find her, sources have said. She has become untraceable, they said. The Mumbai Police have enough evidence to arrest the former BJP spokesperson, Maharashtra Home Ministry sources have said. The Mumbai Police team has been staying in the national capital for the last five days, looking for Ms Sharma. Ms Sharma also faces first information report, or FIR, filed by the Kolkata Police based on a c