What is hyperfixation? Hyperfixation can be defined as an intense interest in or concentration on something for a prolonged period. This can manifest for a variety of activities or topics, and this period of focus is marked by completely disregarding everything else.1 This period of hyperfixation may appear as becoming fully engrossed in an activity,...
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Breakthrough in mirror molecule synthesis opens doors for drug discovery
A University of Texas at Dallas chemist and his colleagues have developed a new chemical reaction that will allow researchers to synthesize selectively the left-handed or right-handed versions of “mirror molecules” found in nature and assess them for potential use against cancer, infection, depression, inflammation and a host of other conditions. The results are important...
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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ‘BREAKTHROUGH’ HIV DRUG
A “significant breakthrough” in HIV prevention could be on the horizon, according to the World Health Organization. Results of an interim analysis from a Phase 3 clinical trial sponsored by Gilead Sciences, Inc., showed that lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable drug, is a highly promising tool for thwarting new HIV infections. Here, Onyema Ogbuagu, associate professor of...
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WHY WE GET HANGOVERS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM
Waking up with a pounding headache and a queasy stomach from a hangover can leave anyone desperate for a quick cure. The best way to avoid hangovers is, of course, to avoid drinking too much. But if you need a cure, a recent trend is using hangover IV drips to feel better after a long...
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A new method makes high-resolution imaging more accessible
Labs that can’t afford expensive super-resolution microscopes could use a new expansion technique to image nanoscale structures inside cells Peer-Reviewed Publication Massachusetts Institute of Technology A classical way to image nanoscale structures in cells is with high-powered, expensive super-resolution microscopes. As an alternative, MIT researchers have developed a way to expand tissue before imaging it...
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Exploring the cross-talk between innate and adaptive immunity
Illustration of T cell activation by APC (using CD4 T cells as an example). The TCR recognizes and binds to the pMHC complex presented by the APC. The coreceptor CD4 binds to the MHC class II molecule, generating the first signal, which induces T cell activation. Additionally, the binding of CD80 and CD86 on the...
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Medicare open enrollment starts Oct. 15: Here’s what to know
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Medicare’s fall open enrollment, which runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, is an opportunity to review your benefits and make changes for 2025. Signing up for Medicare or changing plans can seem daunting, but it’s important to make sure you’re enrolled in the best plan for your medical needs. To help...
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2 million Fisher-Price infant swings recalled after 5 deaths
The Fisher-Price company is recalling more than 2 million of its Snuga infant swings, after the suffocation and deaths of five infants who went to sleep while in the swings. “The swing should never be used for sleep and bedding materials should never be added to it,” according to an alert from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety...
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How your skin tone could affect how well your medication works
A The skin is composed of multiple layers, from the innermost stratum basale that contains the melanocytes to intermediate layers dominated by keratinocytes and the outermost stratum corneum. The melanocytes produce the melanin-containing melanosomes, which show an approximately 10 times difference in accumulation between individuals with dark and light skin tones. The melanosomes are transferred to the keratinocytes, where they surround the nucleus and protect DNA from UV-induced damage. B This...
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Almost 10 million pounds of meat recalled due to Listeria danger
Oklahoma meat processor BrucePac is recalling close to 10 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry that may have been contaminated with the Listeria bacterium. In an announcement updated this week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), the meat was produced between mid-June and Oct. 8 of this year and “shipped to other establishments...