For many of us, orthodontic work – getting fitted with braces, wearing retainers – was just a late-childhood rite of passage. The same went for the pulling of wisdom teeth in early adulthood. Other common conditions, including jaw pain and obstructed sleep apnea – when slack throat muscles interrupt breathing during rest – also just...
Tag: <span>behavioral change</span>
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Turning off “junk DNA” may free stem cells to become neurons
For every cell in the body there comes a time when it must decide what it wants to do for the rest of its life. In an article published in the journal PNAS, National Institutes of Health researchers report for the first time that ancient viral genes that were once considered “junk DNA” may play...
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Airborne spread of SARS-CoV-2 possible and should not be ignored
By Sally Robertson, B.Sc. Researchers at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands say that airborne transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is possible and should not be discounted. The team’s data showed that sneezing is associated with the most significant probability of aerosol exposure, followed by...
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How cancer drugs find their targets
In the watery inside of a cell, complex processes take place in tiny functional compartments called organelles. Energy-producing mitochondria are organelles, as is the frilly golgi apparatus, which helps to transport cellular materials. Both of these compartments are bound by thin membranes. But in the past few years, research at Whitehead Institute and elsewhere has...
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Simple oral health steps help improve elite athletes’ performance
Simple oral health steps help improve elite athletes’ performance Elite athletes who adopted simple oral health measures, such as using high fluoride toothpaste and cleaning between their teeth, reported significantly reduced negative effects on performance related to poor oral health, finds a study led by UCL. The new research, published in BMJ Open Sport &...
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The ‘love hormone’ oxytocin can also give rise to aggressive behavior
by Max Planck Society During the pandemic lockdown, as couples have been forced to spend days and weeks in one another’s company, some have found their love renewed while others are on their way to divorce court. Oxytocin, a peptide produced in the brain, is complicated in that way: A neuromodulator, it may bring hearts...
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Up to 45 percent of SARS-CoV-2 infections may be asymptomatic
by The Scripps Research Institute An extraordinary percentage of people infected by the virus behind the ongoing deadly COVID-19 pandemic never show symptoms of the disease, according to the results of a Scripps Research analysis of public datasets on asymptomatic infections. The findings, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, suggest that asymptomatic infections may account...
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New therapy more effective than cognitive behavioral therapy for depression
by Michael Addelman, University of Manchester A new therapy developed at The University of Manchester is better at treating depression than cognitive behavioral therapy—or CBT—seen as the gold standard by psychologists and health providers. The study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, is the first full-scale randomized trial of metacognitive therapy (MCT), developed by Professor Adrian...
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Children who nap midday are happier, excel academically, and have fewer behavioral problems
A Penn study of nearly 3,000 fourth, fifth, and sixth graders in China revealed strong connections between 30 to 60 minutes of shuteye at least three days a week and positive outcomes in a handful of areas. Ask just about any parent whether napping has benefits and you’ll likely hear a resounding “yes,” particularly for...
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Roseanne racist tweet: can sleeping pills change your behaviour?
Roseanne Barr has claimed that she was under the influence of the drug Ambien when she posted her already infamous racist tweet (since removed). But what do we know about Ambien and its side effects? Ambien is the American tradename for zolpidem, a commonly used “hypnotic” sleeping tablet. In the UK, it is also known as Stilnoct. Sleeping pills are...