Survey of bacterial genomes highlights the arsenal of enzymes microbes use to produce energy in the oxygen-poor environment of the gutPeer-Reviewed Publication UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO The gut microbiome is so useful to human digestion and health that it is often called an extra digestive organ. This vast collection of bacteria and other microorganisms in the...
Year: <span>2024</span>
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Gut microbes revealed as key players in liver disease solutions
Chinese Academy of SciencesIn the editorial published on 4 September 2023, in the “gut-liver axis” special issue of the journal Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases International, Dr. Jian-Gao Fan and Dr. Lu Jiang from Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine provided a comprehensive elucidation of the pivotal role of gut microbiota...
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Eating Late Can Change How You Burn Calories And Store Fat, Depressing Study Shows
By DAVID NIELD (Hd1photography/iStock/Getty Images Plus)A study suggests eating later in the day can directly impact our biological weight regulation in three key ways: through the number of calories that we burn; our hunger levels; and the way our bodies store fat. With obesity now affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide, this is a...
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Soft robotic, wearable device improves walking for individual with Parkinson’s disease
by Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences The robotic garment (above), worn around the hips and thighs, gives a gentle push to the hips as the leg swings, helping the patient achieve a longer stride. Credit: Walsh Biodesign Lab/Harvard SEASFreezing is one of the most common and debilitating symptoms of Parkinson’s disease,...
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Psychoactive drug ibogaine found to effectively treat traumatic brain injury in special operations military vets
by Stanford University Medical Center Credit: RDNE Stock project from PexelsFor military veterans, many of the deepest wounds of war are invisible: Traumatic brain injuries resulting from head trauma or blast explosions are a leading cause of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and suicide among veterans. Few treatments have been effective at diminishing the long-term effects...
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Discovery unveils immune system’s guardian: Ikaros
by Monash University Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public DomainIn a scientific breakthrough that aids our understanding of the internal wiring of immune cells, researchers at Monash University in Australia have cracked the code behind Ikaros, an essential protein for immune cell development and protection against pathogens and cancer. This disruptive research, led by the eminent Professor Nicholas Huntington...
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Study shows liraglutide results in increased insulin sensitivity independent of weight loss
by Vanderbilt University Medical Center Graphical abstract. Credit: Diabetes (2023). DOI: 10.2337/db23-0356A recent study published in the journal Diabetes demonstrates that a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist, a member of a class of medication used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity, can lead to a rapid improvement in insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity is how responsive...
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Sudden hearing loss study: High-dose therapy does not lead to better outcomes than the standard treatment
by Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public DomainIn the case of sudden hearing loss, high-dose therapy with common medications is not more effective than standard treatment but is associated with a higher risk of side effects. This is the main result of a large-scale Germany-wide randomized controlled trial with more than 300 patients led by...
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The Way the Brain Learns is Different from the Way that Artificial Intelligence Systems Learn
Researchers from the MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit and Oxford University’s Department of Computer Science have set out a new principle to explain how the brain adjusts connections between neurons during learning.This new insight may guide further research on learning in brain networks and may inspire faster and more robust learning algorithms in artificial intelligence....
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3D Organization of DNA Controls Cell Identity Programs
In a complex called chromatin, long strands of DNA in cells’ nuclei are tightly wrapped around a scaffolding of proteins, like a rolled-up ball of yarn. DNA – artistic interpretation.DNA – artistic interpretation. Image credit: Alius Noreika, created with Bing Image CreatorA new study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators reveals that beyond providing a convenient...