The field of synthetic biology has had great success engineering yeast and bacteria to make chemicals — biofuels, pharmaceuticals, fragrances, even the hoppy flavors of beer — cheaply and more sustainably, with only sugar as the energy source. Yet, the field has been limited by the fact that microbes, even with genes thrown in from...
Negative emotional states and physical pain are intimately connected. Numerous people who suffer from chronic, persistent pain also deal with negative emotions and loss of motivation. Some even become clinically depressed eventually, and doctors sometimes prescribe antidepressants to treat chronic pain, even though the pathways that link pain and mood are poorly understood. Now, studying...
OCTOBER 18TH, 2021 CONN HASTINGS Alva Health, a medtech startup based in Connecticut, is developing a wristband that can detect the signs of stroke and promptly alert the wearer and/or healthcare staff. The technology is intended for those at high risk of stroke, such as stroke survivors and those diagnosed with transient ischemic attack. Strokes cause...
There is some anecdotal evidence to suggest that consuming boiled lemons can boost immunity, improve the skin, and even help people lose weight. However, scientific studies into the nutritional values and health benefits of boiled lemons specifically are scarce. Lemons are naturally high in vitamin C and several other vitamins and minerals, but boiling them...
Pandemic response measures such as social distancing suppressed other viral infections: seasonal influenza almost vanished for most of 2020 and 2021. Now, as pandemic restrictions ease, some respiratory viruses are returning in unexpected ways. Infections with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were at a historic low for a year and then started rising months later than usual,...
The aging of large blood vessels in the brain, and their resulting dysfunctions, are quite different from those of the small vessels, the microvasculature. Large vessels are predominantly affected by atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty plaques that weaken and narrow blood vessels, leading to the catastrophic structural failure of a stroke. Small vessels, on the other hand, appear...
IMAGE: NANOPARTICLES INJECTED DIRECTLY INTO THE CANCEROUS MASS ARE DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE TUMOR AND ENTER THE CANCER CELLS, DAMAGING THEIR DNA WITHOUT ADVERSELY AFFECTING OTHER ORGANS. CREDIT: HIROKI KATO ET AL. Osaka, Japan – Scientists from the Department of Nuclear Medicine and Tracer Kinetics at Osaka University developed a novel system for targeted cancer radiation...
Blood transfusions save lives, yet the precious fluid is in desperately short supply, not just in the U.S. but around the globe. But what if transfusions don’t always require blood? A new mathematical model of the body’s interacting physiological and biochemical processes – including blood vessel expansion, blood thickening and flow-rate changes in response to...
IMAGE: LACK OF NEGR1 MAY LEAD TO PRE-DIABETES MOSTLY AMONG MALE MICE. CREDIT: CAROLIN KUUSKMÄE’S PHOTO Obesity and diabetes are international concerns that have grown worse over the years. A recent paper published by University of Tartu researchers reveals that the lack of a particular protein, NEGR1, may lead to pre-diabetes mostly among male mice,...
IMAGE: THE INHERENTLY IRON-RICH PEARL MILLET IN A FIELD CREDIT: PS RAO /ICRISAT A new study has shown that regular consumption of millets can improve hemoglobin and serum ferritin levels to reduce iron deficiency anemia, which is rising globally. The recently published research, a meta-analysis of 22 studies on humans and eight laboratory studies on millets consumption...
