An investigation that has appeared in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics suggests that low-dose aspirin may have a role in the prevention of cardiovascular risk associated with bereavement. In the 24 h following the death of a significant person, the incidence of acute myocardial infarction increases 21.1-fold. Low-dose aspirin could be a suitable prevention strategy...
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Changing how blood pressure is measured will save lives
Traditional methods of testing for high blood pressure are no longer adequate and risk missing vital health signs, which can lead to premature death, a study co-led by UCL has found. The research, the largest ever cohort study of its kind, published in the New England Journal for Medicine, assessed 63,000 doctors’ patients, who had their blood...
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Study shows creativity is state of mind that can be trained
As an undergraduate student at York University, Joel Lopata was studying film production and jazz performance when a discrepancy became apparent. “I noticed students in the jazz program were really developing a language of creative engagement, whereas, in the film program, we weren’t having the same education. It was a lot more theoretical than practical,...
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Avoiding type 2 diabetes – there is more than one diet to choose from
If you have high blood glucose, but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes (so-called prediabetes) you may have been advised by your doctor to lose weight and to eat less fat and more fibre. If this sounds a bit one-size-fits-all, you may be encouraged by the fact that other diets may work just as well,...
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Pathways to spatial recognition
Specialized nerve cells of the mammalian brain, called pyramidal cells, are involved in memory-guided navigation. Here, the axons of three individual pyramidal cells (red, green, and magenta) are traced from their target regions. When you are lost or disoriented, your brain uses cues from your surroundings—landmarks both near and far—to sort out where you are....
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Molecule that dilates blood vessels hints at new way to treat heart disease
To test how cells respond to sheer stress, the researchers designed a machine that uses the turbulent movement of liquid to stand in for blood flow in blood vessels. Americans die of heart or cardiovascular disease at an alarming rate. In fact, heart attacks, strokes, and related diseases will kill an estimated 610,000 Americans this...
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The role of virtual reality in improving motor performance as revealed by EEG: a randomized clinical trial
Abstract Background Many studies have demonstrated the usefulness of repetitive task practice by using robotic-assisted gait training (RAGT) devices, including Lokomat, for the treatment of lower limb paresis. Virtual reality (VR) has proved to be a valuable tool to improve neurorehabilitation training. The aim of our pilot randomized clinical trial was to understand the neurophysiological...
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The bugs in your gut could make you weak in the knees
A prebiotic may alter the obese microbiome and protect against osteoarthritis Bacteria in the gut, known as the gut microbiome, could be the culprit behind arthritis and joint pain that plagues people who are obese, according to a new study published today in JCI Insight. Osteoarthritis, a common side effect of obesity, is the greatest cause...
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Researchers at LSTM take a novel approach to snakebite treatment
Researchers at LSTM’s Alistair Reid Venom Research Unit are looking at treatment for snakebite in a completely different way and have shown that it is possible to treat the bite from one snake with antivenom produced from a completely different species that causes the same pathology in humans. Dr. Stuart Ainsworth is the first author...
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Researchers use CRISPR to edit DNA outside of the cell for the first time
Delaware’s Gene Editing Institute discovery could rapidly advance personalized cancer care IMAGE: DIRECTOR OF THE GENE EDITING INSTITUTE AND PRINCIPAL AUTHOR OF THE STUDY Wilmington, DE, April 19, 2018 – Scientists at Christiana Care Health System’s Gene Editing Institute have developed a potentially breakthrough CRISPR gene-editing tool. It could allow researchers to take fragments of DNA extracted from human...