Pandemic health behaviors linked to rise in neonatal health issues

Studies show that social distancing and other public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic effectively reduced the spread of the deadly virus. However, they had unanticipated effects such as reduced health care accessibility and utilization, especially in high-risk populations. Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham evaluated potential effects of pandemic-related behavior changes on neonatal mortality and preterm birth rates. A correlation was found between the social distancing index, a measure of overall social distancing behaviors observed, and higher rates of neonatal and early neonatal mortality, as well as preterm birth, when assessed with a lag period. Results were Read More

Study highlights association between urinary and vaginal pathogenic E. coli in recurrent cystitis

A dendrogram based on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of 14 E. coli patient samples showed seven pairs of strains with a clonal similarity of more than 89%, and four pairs were 100% identical. Credit: Dr. Takanori Sekito from Okayama University The human body hosts a diverse array of microorganisms that maintain a delicate balance crucial for overall health. This microbial harmony can be disrupted by factors such as infections, aging, and hormonal changes, leading to dysbiosis—a condition where microbial communities become imbalanced and harmful to health. Postmenopausal women, for instance, are particularly susceptible to recurrent urinary tract infections and inflammation, Read More

90-day prescriptions lead to better blood pressure outcomes in children

A new study by pediatric researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) found that children take their hypertension (high blood pressure) medication more consistently when they receive a 90-day prescription fill from the pharmacy rather than a 30-day one, resulting in improved health outcomes. The study, published in the journal Pediatric Nephrology, tracked 449 pediatric patients with hypertension over three years and compared prescribed days per fill to dispensed days using pharmacy and insurance data. Seventy percent of participants were prescribed a 90-day supply at least once, but only 37 percent received it from the pharmacy. There was Read More

Thesis presents a video game for the treatment of mild or moderate depressive symptomatology

Game screenshot, with the Library building in the middle of the screen, the Power R and the representation of its components, energy and materials indicators at the top, and the action menu at the bottom. Credit: Internet Interventions (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.invent.2023.100624 Depression is the most prevalent mental health disorder in our society, the leading cause of disability and closely linked to suicide. Although there are some psychological treatments, they only reach a small fraction of those who need them. The use of smartphones is a possible solution to expand access to these treatments; however, interventions based on these devices still Read More

Making clinical guidelines work for large language models

Example of a clinical decision support system integrated with large language models. Credit: npj Digital Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41746-024-01091-y Clinical guidelines are essential to the practice of evidence-based medicine, but they are long and complex, which makes it hard for busy doctors to quickly and easily find the information they need to care for each patient. Faculty members across Yale’s Department of Internal Medicine are researching different approaches to make clinical guidelines more accessible to clinicians by incorporating them into existing tools and workflows. Tools that rely on large language models (LLMs) to generate responses to clinical questions are promising Read More

Aging into medicare tied to higher drug costs for people with diabetes

As people with diabetes age into Medicare, they face increased quarterly out-of-pocket costs for medication, according to a study published online July 9 in JAMA Network Open. Douglas Barthold, Ph.D., from the University of Washington in Seattle, and colleagues examined whether reaching age 65 years is associated with changes in type 2 diabetes (T2D) medication out-of-pocket costs and utilization. The analysis included seven years of prescription drug claims data for 129,997 individuals with T2D identified from the TriNetX Diamond Network (before and after turning 65 years). The researchers found that reaching age 65 years was associated with an increase of Read More

Brain changes seen in kids with conduct disorder

Defiance, tantrums, aggression: All signs of a condition called conduct disorder, which Mental Health America says affects up to 16% of boys and 9% of girls. Now, research is revealing real differences in the brain structure of children and youths with conduct disorder, compared to those without the condition. Specifically, the study of the brains of people ages 7 through 21 found that the brain’s outer layer, the cerebral cortex, was smaller than is typical for people with conduct disorder. “Conduct disorder has among the highest burden of any mental disorder in youth,” noted study co-author Dr. Daniel Pine. “However, Read More

When the brain speaks, the heart feels it—the link between the brain’s reward system and acute myocardial infarction

Effects of VTA activation on left-ventricular function after AMI. Credit: Nature Cardiovascular Research (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s44161-024-00491-3 Research by the Technion has demonstrated that activation of the brain’s reward system could boost recovery from a heart attack. The research, which was conducted at the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, was led by Ph.D. student Hedva Haykin under the supervision of Prof. Asya Rolls and Prof. Lior Gepstein. The Technion research group focused on the reward system, a brain network activated in positive emotional states and motivation and evaluated its potential in improving recovery from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (commonly Read More

Meta-analysis of randomized clinical trial data shows Mediterranean diet is good for children and teens

A team of medical researchers from Universidad de Las Américas, in Ecuador, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, in Spain and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in the U.S., has found evidence suggesting that children and teenagers gain health benefits similar to that of adults from eating the Mediterranean diet. For their paper published in JAMA Open Network, the group analyzed data from nine randomized controlled clinical trials that involved the study of diet in children. Prior evidence has shown that people switching from a traditional western diet to the Mediterranean diet typically experience weight loss, Read More

Using deep learning techniques to improve liver disease diagnosis and treatment

Comparison of the workflow between the proposed deep learning-based image quality classification and the traditional visual inspection. Credit: Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (2024). DOI: 10.1002/jmri.29490 Hepatic, or liver, disease affects more than 100 million people in the U.S. About 4.5 million adults (1.8%) have been diagnosed with liver disease, but it is estimated that between 80 and 100 million adults in the U.S. have undiagnosed fatty liver disease in varying stages. Over time, undiagnosed and untreated hepatic diseases can lead to cirrhosis, a severe scarring of the liver that cannot be reversed. Most hepatic diseases are chronic conditions that Read More

Study unravels how our brains track time

A UNLV research team explored how the brain tells time. Credit: Talha K. Soluoku/UNLV Ever hear the old adage that time flies when you’re having fun? A new study by a team of UNLV researchers suggests that there’s a lot of truth to the trope. Many people think of their brains as being intrinsically synced to the man-made clocks on their electronic devices, counting time in very specific, minute-by-minute increments. But a study, published in Current Biology, shows that our brains don’t work that way. By analyzing changes in brain activity patterns, the research team found that we perceive the Read More

When you eat may impact your overall health, nutrition experts say

Accumulating evidence on the effect of the time of eating in relation to our circadian rhythm and metabolism shows that when we eat may influence our overall health and well-being. A special issue of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (JAND) on chrononutrition examines the effects of various fasting regimens and covers safety considerations and practical guidance. The field of chrononutrition is gaining traction as it explores the relationship between temporal eating patterns, circadian rhythms, and metabolism for optimal health. Guest Editor Krista Varady, Ph.D., Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition, University of Illinois Chicago, specializes in studying Read More

Study uncovers genetic cancer risks in 550 patients

Current screening protocols fail to catch a notable number of people carrying genetic mutations associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome and Lynch syndrome, which increase the risk of developing certain cancers. This issue is particularly pronounced among underrepresented minorities. These research findings, published in JCO Precision Oncology, are based on genetic screenings of more than 44,000 study participants from diverse backgrounds. For this Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine Tapestry project, researchers sequenced the exomes—the protein-coding regions of genes—because this is where most disease-causing mutations are found. They identified 550 people, or 1.24%, as carriers of the hereditary Read More

‘On The Art of Physical Exercise,’ a 16th-century account of ancient sports and workouts

The Conversation, Pexels, The Art of Physical Exercise. Credit: Pirro Ligorio via Wikimedia Commons According to the World Obesity Atlas, 42% of the global population will be overweight or obese in 2025. Lack of physical activity is one of the primary causes. Experts regard this as a serious health problem, and in Greco-Roman times, too, doctors thought being overweight was bad for one’s health. The physician Rufus of Ephesus (active in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD) wrote a book called “On the Slimming of Fat People.” Fat people, he suggested, “cannot endure overexertion, hunger, and indigestion, and have discomfort Read More

Improving HIV treatment in children and adolescents, the right way

Blood samples from patients for viral load and HIV resistance testing. Credit: Christian Heuss, SolidarMed Globally, around 2.6 million children and adolescents are currently living with HIV, the majority of them in Africa. These young people are much more likely to experience treatment failure than adults. Experts long assumed that testing for viral drug resistance could improve treatment in cases where treatment has failed. However, a research team led by the University of Basel, Switzerland, now shows that it is much more important to support patients in taking their medication regularly. The fight against HIV has made great strides over Read More

Meditation can be harmful—and can even make mental health problems worse

Since mindfulness is something you can practice at home for free, it often sounds like the perfect tonic for stress and mental health issues. Mindfulness is a type of Buddhist-based meditation in which you focus on being aware of what you’re sensing, thinking and feeling in the present moment. The first recorded evidence for this, found in India, is over 1,500 years old. The Dharmatr?ta Meditation Scripture, written by a community of Buddhists, describes various practices and includes reports of symptoms of depression and anxiety that can occur after meditation. It also details cognitive anomalies associated with episodes of psychosis, Read More

Why the most prescribed chemotherapy drug can cause serious heart damage

CD8+ T cells infiltrate the heart concurrently with DR-induced cardiac pathology and systemic inflammation. Credit: Nature Cardiovascular Research (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s44161-024-00507-y There’s still much to learn about how doxorubicin, a 50-year-old chemotherapy drug, causes its most concerning side effects. While responsible for saving many lives, this treatment sometimes causes cardiac damage that stiffens the heart and puts a subset of patients at risk for future heart failure. To better understand and potentially control such complications, Tufts University School of Medicine and Tufts Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences researchers have isolated the immune cells that become overactive when patients take doxorubicin. Read More

Mindfulness training may lead to altered states of consciousness

Mindfulness training may lead participants to experience disembodiment and unity—so-called altered states of consciousness—according to a new study from researchers at the University of Cambridge. The results are published in PLOS ONE. The team say that while these experiences can be very positive, that is not always the case. Mindfulness teachers and students need to be aware that there can be a side-effect of training, and students should feel empowered to share their experiences with their teacher or doctor if they have any concerns. Mindfulness-based programs have become very popular in recent years. According to recent surveys, 15% of adults Read More

Is Joe Biden experiencing cognitive decline? Here’s why we shouldn’t speculate

As the United States presidential election race gathers pace, current president Joe Biden’s advanced age continues to draw significant scrutiny. But either candidate would reach the record for the oldest sitting US president over the course of their four-year term. While Biden is currently 81 years old, former US president Donald Trump, at 78, is only three years younger. A February poll found 59% of Americans believe both candidates are too old for another presidential term. A further 27% thought President Biden was too old, but not former President Trump. Criticism of Biden increased following the first US presidential debate Read More

Faster, stronger … smarter? New research shows the importance of brain training for junior athletes

“Look for the gap!” “Move into space!” “Who’s free?” Sound familiar? From the sidelines to the field, court or pitch, no matter the team sport, looking for relevant information in the playing environment can be as important as any other skill if you want to score … and hopefully win the game. Think Lionel Messi, Scott Pendlebury, or Natalie Medhurst, coolly assessing all the options before making pivotal decisions. How do these elite athletes become so great? As well as their physical attributes, their brain power is an obvious asset. Cognitive power in sport Regardless of whether an athlete is Read More

Mental health training for line managers linked to better business performance, says study

Mental health training for line managers linked to better business performance in England. Credit: Jopwell, Pexels, CC0 (creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) In a study of several thousand companies in England, mental health training for line managers was associated with organizational-level benefits, including lower levels of long-term mental health-related sickness absence and better business performance, customer service, and staff recruitment and retention. The project was led by Professor Holly Blake of the University of Nottingham and Dr. Juliet Hassard of Queen’s University Belfast, UK, who present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on July 17. Mental health training for line managers aims Read More

Want the health benefits of strength training but not keen on the gym? Try ‘exercise snacking’

The science is clear: resistance training is crucial to aging well. Lifting weights (or doing bodyweight exercises like lunges, squats or push-ups) can help you live independently for longer, make your bones stronger, reduce your risk of diseases such as diabetes, and may even improve your sleep and mental health. But not everyone loves the gym. Perhaps you feel you’re not a “gym person” and never will be, or you’re too old to start. Being a gym-goer can be expensive and time-consuming, and some people report feeling unwelcome or awkward at the gym. The good news is you don’t need Read More

Supershoes have transformed competitive distance running, but they remain controversial

On the face of it, competitive distance running appears not to have changed much since the Olympic Games were revived in 1896. However, even the relative simplicity of racing from gun to tape has radically altered in recent years due to the rise of advanced running footwear known colloquially as “supershoes.” A few years ago, the Nike Vaporfly shoe kicked off a storm of controversy in athletics. It became a focus for claims about whether it provided some athletes with an unfair advantage over those not equipped with the shoes. In 2019, Kenyan distance runner Eliud Kipchoge wore prototype Vaporfly Read More

Some say a shot of olive oil can prevent a hangover—here’s what the science says

The search for alcohol hangover cures is as old as alcohol itself. Many cures and remedies are sold, but scientific evidence for their effectiveness is lacking. Recently, the notion that taking a shot of olive oil before consuming alcohol can prevent hangovers has garnered attention. This idea, popularized by figures like music producer Benny Blanco who discussed it on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, suggests that olive oil can coat the stomach and slow the absorption of alcohol, thereby reducing hangover symptoms. Despite its allure, this claim lacks any scientific backing and should be approached with lots of skepticism. Read More

Musk’s Neuralink eyes more test subjects for its brain tech

Neuralink chief Elon Musk envisions a future in which it is common for robotic surgeons to install brain implants that upgrade people’s vision or other abilities. Elon Musk on Wednesday said his Neuralink startup is “moving on” to a second test patient as its tech for linking brains and computers improves. Musk and members of the Neuralink team fielded questions during an update streamed on X, formerly Twitter, discussing where it is on the path to making its brain implants commonplace. “We’re only just moving now to our second Neuralink patient,” Musk said. “But we hope to have, if things Read More

Fewer mental health facilities offering telehealth since end of pandemic

Telehealth availability for mental health services has declined since the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, according to a study published online July 10 in JAMA Network Open. Ryan K. McBain, Ph.D., from RAND Corporation in Washington, D.C., and colleagues evaluated changes in availability of telehealth services at 1,404 U.S. outpatient mental health treatment facilities during (December 2022 to March 2023) and 1,001 facilities after (September to November 2023; wave 2) the COVID-19 public health emergency. The researchers found that the percentage of facilities offering telehealth declined from 81.6 to 79.0 percent (odds ratio [OR], 0.84; 95 percent confidence Read More

Efanesoctocog alfa prophylaxis beneficial for children with hemophilia A

For children with severe hemophilia A, once-weekly prophylaxis with efanesoctocog alfa is associated with high sustained factor VIII activity, resulting in effective prevention of bleeding, according to a study published in the July 18 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Lynn Malec, M.D., from the Versiti Blood Research Institute in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and colleagues conducted a phase 3, open-label study involving 74 previously treated male patients younger than 12 years of age with severe hemophilia A who received 52 weeks of prophylaxis with once-weekly efanesoctocog alfa (50 IU/kg). The researchers found that no factor VIII inhibitors developed and Read More

AI-powered hiring process perceived as more fair when blind to race or gender

Job applicants can be suspicious of the hiring process if a company uses artificial intelligence to pre-screen candidates and facilitate hiring decisions, a Northeastern University expert says, but their perception improves when they learn that an algorithm is “blind” to such characteristics as gender, race or age. A group of researchers, including Yakov Bart, a professor of marketing at Northeastern, conducted a behavioral experiment to see how people’s perception of fairness changes depending on what they are told about the algorithm used in the hiring process. “Our findings indicate that people perceive hiring algorithms as procedurally fairest when companies adopt Read More

Study unravels clinical, genomic characteristics of non-tuberculous mycobacteria in Europe

Age density plot (A), maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree of first isolates from single patients, based on 30,345 distinct alignment patterns, (B), and overall clinical characteristics (C) of patients from Frankfurt University Hospital. Credit: Genome Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1186/s13073-024-01359-8 A multinational European study provides the first comprehensive clinical and genomic data on the Mycobacterium avium complex from continental Europe. The data reveal the population structure of this group of pathogens and indicate that plasmids play a significant role in their evolution and might contribute to resistance and virulence of these bacteria. When discussing mycobacteria, people typically think of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative Read More

How well does Medicare cover end-of-life care? It depends on what type

Not all versions of Medicare are created equal—and when it comes to end-of-life care, some versions may serve a patient’s needs better than others. That’s the focus of newly published research by Lauren Hersch Nicholas, Ph.D., MPP, a University of Colorado Department of Medicine and CU Cancer Center health economist, and her colleagues. The researchers analyzed the experiences of more than a million people receiving Medicare-funded services in the last six months of their lives. Many of these patients had one or more life-limiting illnesses at the time of death, including cancer, dementia, and end-stage organ failure. Their paper was Read More

Eliminating senescent cells could help treat breast, pancreatic cancers

Shown is a human breast tumor sample. The white arrows point to senescent cells in the tumor. Eliminating senescent cells, which drive inflammation, could become a new treatment strategy aimed at making immunotherapies and chemotherapies more effective. Credit: Stewart lab Two studies from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis focused on breast cancer and pancreatic cancer suggest that specific types of senescent cells—cells that have stopped dividing and drive inflammation—may play important roles in suppressing the immune system and allowing such tumors to grow unchecked. The research, led by Sheila A. Stewart, the Gerty Cori Professor of Cell Read More

Studies support use of daily antibiotic to prevent STDs in high-risk groups

It’s long been known that popping the antibiotic doxycycline within 72 hours of a risky sexual encounter can greatly reduce a person’s risk for a sexually transmitted infection (STI). In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally recommended this type of “morning after” strategy last month. But what if folks at especially high risk for STIs simply took “doxy” daily—similar to how some people now take HIV meds as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent that infection? Two small new studies suggest that this so-called “DoxyPrEP” strategy may indeed keep STIs at bay. Both reports are scheduled to Read More

Watching sports can be good for you—thanks to its social bonding effects

Being a sports fan, whether you’re watching top flight football, the Olympic games or your favorite local team, can be a rollercoaster ride. Incredible highs if you win, depressing lows if you don’t, and lots of stressful feelings in between. Thankfully, the overall impact should be a positive one because research has shown that people who watch sports experience greater well-being than those who don’t—and that this is probably linked to the social aspects of watching sport. By well-being we mean a person’s psychological state—how well someone feels. People with higher well-being tend to have better physical health and live Read More

How conspiracy theories polarize society and provoke violence

In today’s technologically interconnected world, the ability to concoct and spread conspiracy theories has become easier than ever before. This became evident after the recent assassination attempt on former U.S. president Donald Trump. Millions flocked to social media to share their interpretations of the event and the would-be assasin’s supposed motives. “BlueAnon” theories suggested that the attack was staged to influence the upcoming election. BlueAnon, a play on QAnon, refers to conspiracy theories espoused by liberals. The rapid dissemination of such theories has fueled already existing echo chambers, where misinformation was amplified often without verification or critical examination. However, the Read More

WHAT MADE JOE BIDEN CHANGE HIS MIND “last-minute” bombshell that “completely betrayed” his team is revealed within.

The decision of President Joe Biden to withdraw from the upvoming presidential race came as a dramatic and unforeseen twist, leaving his team and supporters in utter shock. The 81-year-old on Sunday expressed his wish to step aside, endorsing his VP Kamala Harris for the presidential nominee position for the 2024 elections. What convinced Biden to make this last-minute exit? Reports suggest that the move was driven by a combination of personal and political factors that only emerged in the final moments. Inside Biden’s ‘last-min’ decision to step down The prez who was once completely against the idea of dropping Read More

Preclinical study shows promise of systemic targeted therapy in a rare form of cancer

Treatment with BRAF inhibitors reduces tumor cell proliferation in subcutaneous BRAFV600E PMP-PDX tumors without impacting in apoptosis. a–d) Mice bearing subcutaneous BRAF mutant PMP-PDX tumors (PMP5.1) were treated with vehicle, cetuximab, encorafenib or doublet. Credit: Clinical Cancer Research (2024). DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-23-4072 Pseudomyxoma peritonei is a rare and poorly understood cancer, characterized by the progressive accumulation of mucin in the abdominal cavity. Mainstay treatments are surgery and chemotherapy but disease recurrence and death after relapse frequently occur. The development of new, more effective therapeutic strategies represents an unmet clinical need. Results of a preclinical study, published in Clinical Cancer Research, led Read More

Detection of minimal hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis based on the Stroop-CN model

Prevalence of minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) in different groups of patients with cirrhosis. Credit: MedComm (2024). DOI: 10.1002/mco2.627 A paper published in MedComm presented a Chinese EncephalApp diagnosis model (Stroop-CN) based on healthy controls distributed throughout the country and covering different demographic information. The Stroop-CN model was used for independent diagnosis of minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) and found a prevalence of up to 46.7% in patients with cirrhosis and even higher in those with worse disease conditions. Meanwhile, the EQ-5D score revealed that MHE was associated with a significant decline in quality of life. This study is led by Dr. Read More

How technology conspiracy beliefs emerge and foster a conspiracy mindset

As technology proliferates, misinformation and conspiracy theories seem to flourish. Conspiracy beliefs specifically about technology include popular commercial technologies, such as Amazon Echo and Google Search, as well as non-profit technologies designed to support health, such as contact tracing apps. These conspiracy beliefs are well-known, as is the way that technology speeds up the spread of misinformation. However, less well-understood is what characterizes technology conspiracy theories and what makes people believe in them. A new study, conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Göttingen and other universities, is the first to demonstrate the extent, causes and consequences Read More

what happens when teachers talk too much?

About four students in every classroom will have a language or attention disorder. While some of these students will have an official diagnosis of developmental language disorder (DLD) or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), others will be “hiding in plain sight“. These students may often be in trouble for acting out, underachieving or not attending school. In our new study, we interviewed 59 students with DLD and/or ADHD about their experiences of Year 10 English. This is the only subject all Australian students must do from the first year of schooling to Year 12. And it plays a key role in Read More

What young neurodivergent employees need to know about starting work—and how to get the right support

When Ernst & Young opened its first Neurodiverse Center for Excellence in Philadelphia in 2016, the professional services firm was hailed as a pioneering workplace. People from all over the US applied for the 15 roles advertised and headed to Dallas for interviews. One applicant drove all night—from California—just to be there. Despite being an MIT doctoral graduate, he had struggled to find work—a professional experience all too familiar to many neurodivergent people. As global vice chair of diversity, equity and inclusion, Karyn Twaronite, put it, “these were people with phenomenal degrees and educational experiences, but they weren’t necessarily hired Read More

Researchers see lower meat consumption after veggie month at student canteen

What effect does a vegan/vegetarian month have on a student canteen? For this experiment, the Studierendenwerk Bonn sought scientific support from researchers at the Universities of Bonn and Kassel. They found that the impact could still be felt up to eight weeks after the campaign month had ended: As a result of the vegan/vegetarian month, the amount of meat consumed in the canteen fell by 7% to 12% compared to the level recorded beforehand. In addition, about half of the people surveyed agreed with the idea of one meat-free month a year, while more than 80% said that canteens should Read More

Morals are key to consumer views on lab-grown meat

People’s moral values could limit their uptake of lab-grown meat, a study suggests. People who say living a natural life is morally important to them are more likely to reject lab-grown meat—also known as cultured or cultivated meat—than those who do not, research shows. The study of people’s moral values and their attitudes to meat that is grown from animal cells as an alternative to animal farming found that those who reported caring more about the moral value of purity were less likely to believe that cultured meat was good, and more likely to consider it to be unnatural. Surprisingly, Read More

Smartphone reminders found to have negative impact on learning times

Study app routine during the intervention phase. Credit: npj Science of Learning (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41539-024-00253-7 Do smartphone reminders encourage pupils to engage regularly with learning material? Researchers at the DIPF | Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education investigating this question came to the conclusion that simple reminders such as push notifications tend to have a negative effect on learning times. It is true that pupils learn more often on days when they are reminded than on days without reminders. Overall, however, a control group that was never reminded studied on more days. These findings are published in the Read More

Want to spur your child’s intellectual development? Use audiobooks instead of videos, says researcher

It’s not uncommon today to see children glued to their screens. In fact, 80% of parents with children 11 or younger say their kids watch YouTube videos, according to a 2020 Pew Research Center poll. Half of these parents say their kids watch videos every day—some even several times a day. But staring at a screen for too long can negatively impact children’s well-being—even creating dependency. According to research, kids demonstrate less curiosity, self-control and emotional stability when their screen time surpasses one hour a day. They are also more likely to experience anxiety and depression and suffer from sleep Read More

Social media polls deliberately skew political realities of 2016, 2020 US presidential elections, finds researchers

Trump posted the results of a questionable X/Twitter poll, showing that he would win with more than 70% of the vote, to his Truth Social account. Credit: Przemek Grabowicz and Stephen Scarano Informal political polls conducted on X/Twitter during both the 2016 and 2020 U.S. presidential elections were significantly skewed by questionable votes, many of which may have been purchased from troll farms. This conclusion, reached by a team of scientists led by Przemyslaw (Przemek) Grabowicz, research assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, shows that X/Twitter’s poll system deliberately reports biased public vote counts. On average, the results Read More

Loneliness in the workplace is greatest among men with traditional views about being the breadwinner

Loneliness affects everyone at different times. Although it is well documented men are less likely than women to talk about feelings and to seek help, our research found men’s work arrangements can be a significant contributor. We found loneliness was highest among men in their late 40s but it also occurred at other times, often shaped by how they perceived their careers and income. This suggests the workplace and societal expectations around work are important in men’s experiences of loneliness. Measuring loneliness Our findings are based on an analysis of yearly data from 12,117 Australian men, aged 15 to 98, Read More

How can different types of brains bolster startup success?

Associate Professor Carina Lomberg is on a quest to understand the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aspects of entrepreneurs and what shapes their journey. She has found that including neurodiverse individuals in teams that start a company enhances the team’s performance. Are there many neurodivergent entrepreneurs? We have studied startups and discovered an overweight of people with an ADHD diagnosis that start a business compared to the neuronormative population. This makes sense, because if you look at the desired characteristics of entrepreneurs and the symptoms of ADHD—such as impulsivity and distractibility—they pretty much overlap. But whereas in medical research, the symptoms Read More

Study shows how narcissistic CEOs influence boards of directors to take more risk

Narcissistic CEOs who also serve as chairs of the board are adept at controlling how their boards of directors focus their attention, giving the CEO the ability to get their way. A new study published in the Strategic Management Journal has found that by driving board discussions about risk-taking to hold a positive tone, narcissistic CEOs can allocate more resources toward risk-taking strategies. The findings deepen our understanding of how CEO behavior and personality types can drive risk management strategies. The research team—Christopher S. Tuggle of the University of Central Arkansas, Cameron J. Borgholthaus of the University of Wyoming, Peter Read More

How a ‘social good’ firm is defined can impact its value creation and value capital

Strategic business model choices and a typology of social business models. Credit: Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal (2024). DOI: 10.1002/sej.1502 Ventures that pursue both commercial and social value creation have grown in popularity in recent years, but a study published in the Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal better defines four distinct types of social ventures. By training a business model lens on these social good ventures, the study offers insight on how the model choices impact a firm’s value creation and value capture potential. “Despite the popularity of the term ‘social entrepreneurship,’ not much was known about the business model of such companies yet,” Read More

‘The Imaginary’ reveals the many positive skills that playing with imaginary friends can develop

Amanda and her imaginary friend Rudger in The Imaginary. Credit: Netflix There has been a recent spate of movies about imaginary friends. In the winter, I watched Imaginary, a horror flick about a sinister imaginary friend. By spring, IF had introduced us to a group of invisible characters, and now summer has arrived with “The Imaginary” on Netflix. “The Imaginary” is nothing like either of the previous movies. It is animated, which enables the viewer to see beautifully crafted imagined landscapes. And where the horror film Imaginary was clearly geared toward adults and IF toward tweens, this movie would be Read More

New study highlights the alarming rise of telephone fraud targeting older adults in the UK

A new study by the University of Portsmouth has revealed that older adults in the UK, particularly those over the age of 75, are experiencing an unprecedented number of attempted telephone frauds. The research is published in the journal International Review of Victimology. Conducted over 18 months with nearly 2,000 participants, the research provides significant insights into the fears and impacts of such fraud on this vulnerable demographic. The study found that at least two-thirds of the respondents reported experiencing at least one fraud attempt in the past six months, with up to 40% facing frequent attempts, occurring daily, weekly, Read More

Sequencing technique searches for complex genomic variants to provide accurate diagnosis within hours

The KAUST-developed technology uses simple molecular biology strategies to seek out the genomic regions that are suspected of harboring complex mutations, deletions or rearrangements. Credit: 2024 KAUST. Despite rapid advances in genetic testing in recent decades, more than half of people worldwide with suspected Mendelian genetic disorders do not have an accurate molecular diagnosis. Others endure more than six years of tests before a diagnosis is given. Now, KAUST researchers and scientists across Saudi Arabia have developed NanoRanger, an accurate and rapid method for genetically diagnosing such diseases in a few hours. The study is published in the journal Med. Read More

Facts about LB.1, or D-FLiRT, the newest COVID subvariant

Headlines are again warning of a new COVID variant in Australia. This time it’s LB.1, or as some experts have dubbed it, “D-FLiRT.” Emerging evidence suggests LB.1 could be more transmissible than earlier omicron subvariants, though there’s nothing to suggest it will cause more severe disease. But before we look more closely at LB.1, how did we get here in the first place? The COVID virus is a crafty thing, continuing to evolve so it can keep infecting us. From XBB to JN.1 to FLiRT to FLuQE Our current COVID vaccines are based on XBB.1.5, a subvariant of omicron. Along Read More

Comparing traditional and new hip replacement stems

Scientists analyzed bone density changes and stem-femur contact in 36 patients using traditional stems (CORAIL) and 30 patients using new stems (AMIStem-H). Credit: Osaka Metropolitan University Needing a hip replacement is unfortunate, but even more unfortunate is to need to do it again. Surgeons at Osaka Metropolitan University have provided new insights into the performance of two types of stems used in total hip replacement surgery. Their findings are expected to contribute to the enhancement of long-term outcomes, improving patients’ quality of life and reducing the need for revision surgeries. Their paper was published in The Bone & Joint Journal Read More

Data from largest Phase III trial of pre-symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease now shared with scientists around the world

Data from the Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer’s (A4) study, the first and largest clinical trial of pre-symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease, is now widely available to researchers studying the condition. The comprehensive dataset has already yielded key insights about Alzheimer’s disease, which affects nearly seven million people in the United States, and sharing the data opens avenues for further progress. A4 researchers screened more than 7,500 people and enrolled 1,169 people with pre-symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease. This stage of this disease, when amyloid protein begins to collect in the brain, but cognitive decline is not yet evident, is seen as an optimal Read More

Gene therapy discovery triggers hope for glaucoma patients

Modulation of tau expression in C57BL/6 mice retinas. Credit: Acta Neuropathologica Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1186/s40478-024-01804-0 The protein tau is essential to the function of cells in the brain and central nervous system, but when over-produced under certain conditions, it forms tangles that clog the cells’ internal structures. These tangles have also been found in Alzheimer’s disease patients. Tau is also present in neuronal cells in the retina, and research led by Macquarie University’s Vision Science Group has found that altered tau is likely to have a significant role in the development of glaucoma. About 300,000 Australians are estimated to be Read More

Females’ osteoarthritis risk should be addressed early in life, says study

Contribution of biological sex (XX vs XY) and sex hormones to the development of OA. Credit: Osteoarthritis and Cartilage (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2024.04.015 Sex-specific differences in the knee joint should be considered as early as childhood to help prevent higher incidence and severity of knee osteoarthritis (OA) in women later in life, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers propose in a review of clinical data. Their findings, published in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, investigate knee anatomy and biology, metabolic factors, and youth sports injuries that can contribute to a higher risk of OA. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, with an Read More

New study links brain microstructure to gender differences in mental health

Brain microscopic cellular structure of an adult woman measured using advanced diffusion MRI, showing thalamus (blue), amygdala (green), and hippocampus (red). Credit: Richard Watts A team of neuroscientists and behavioral specialists affiliated with several institutions in the U.S., working with one colleague from New Zealand and another from Canada, has found differences between male and female brain structure in areas associated with decision-making, memory processing and handling emotions. In their study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group compared more than 1,000 brain scans to better understand why men and women are more prone to Read More

What you need to know about toxic blue-green algae this summer

An image of Cyanobacteria, Tolypothrix. Credit: Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 With higher temperatures, there is a higher risk of encountering toxic blue-green algae in lakes, ponds and rivers. These harmful algal blooms can pose serious health risks to both humans and pets. Here’s what you need to know to stay safe while enjoying the water this summer. Blue-green algae, scientifically known as cyanobacteria, are naturally occurring but can produce dangerous toxins under certain conditions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These harmful blooms are more likely to form in warm, slow-moving water that is rich in Read More

Trajectory of type 1 diabetes risk shifts after age 10 years between at-risk males and females, research shows

New research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for Study of Diabetes (Madrid, Spain, 9–13 September) shows that the risk of developing type 1 diabetes (T1D) decreases markedly in girls after the age of 10 years, while the risk in boys stays the same. Furthermore, the risk of T1D is significantly higher in boys with a single autoantibody than their female counterparts, suggesting sex could be linked with autoantibody development, indicating the importance of incorporating sex in the assessment of risk. The study is by Erin L. Templeman and Dr. Richard Oram, University of Exeter Read More

Foster care youth have higher behavioral health needs and more ER visits leading up to entry, research finds

A critical step to improving the well-being of children and youth in foster care is understanding the complex health care needs they face. That’s why a team of experts at the University of Colorado School of Medicine collaborated with state agencies to analyze health data and identify trends among those in the foster care system using Colorado’s Medicaid program. Mark Gritz, Ph.D., who is head of the CU Division of Health Care Policy and Research and the director of operations for the Adult and Child Center for Outcomes Research and Delivery Science, has been a leader in this analytics project, Read More

Tumor suppressor protein Par-4 found to trigger unique cell death pathway in cancer cells

Identification of PAWR/Par-4 as a critical contributor of ferroptosis. Credit: Communications Biology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06430-z A team of researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi, led by Professor Sehamuddin Galadari, has discovered that the tumor suppressor protein Prostate apoptosis response-4 (Par-4) can cause a unique type of cell death called ferroptosis in human glioblastoma—the most common and aggressive type of brain tumor—while sparing healthy cells. This new understanding has the potential to inform the development of novel treatments for various hard-to-treat cancers and neurodegenerative diseases. Ferroptosis is triggered by the iron-mediated production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and subsequent lipid peroxidation, which Read More

Could Colorado communities not friendly to medicinal mushrooms put up roadblocks to stymie the industry?

No city or town in Colorado is allowed to prohibit natural medicine healing centers from opening and offering supervised consumption of mushrooms and other psychedelics to adults—that much was plain in an initiative passed by the state’s voters two years ago. But local governments have enough tools in their regulatory toolbox to make the process of establishing such facilities nothing short of a bad trip, as recent rule-making in Parker, and discussions to do the same in Castle Rock, have shown. Using time, place and manner powers, municipalities can curtail hours of operation and limit the locations of healing centers Read More

Health care company tests using AI to create notes on patients to help reduce physician burnout

When Dr. David Wallace graduated from medical school in 1995, every visit note, prescription and lab request had to be written by hand. Now, artificial intelligence writes visit notes for him before he can walk the 20 feet from an exam room to his office. “AI is actually bringing back the human component,” Wallace said. “Now, I can actually put the phone down and, getting the history, I can look at you. I don’t have to sit here and type and try to keep up.” Wallace is one of about 200 Sentara primary care physicians testing DAX Copilot, a generative Read More

Two years into 988 crisis line, Washington state works to spread the word

Calls to 988 have increased steadily in the two years since the number was designated as the new nationwide mental health suicide and crisis lifeline. Now, the state Department of Health is working to build awareness across the state and ensure Washingtonians know about the three-digit number. Washington already had a suicide and crisis lifeline, but in 2022, it transitioned the longer phone number to 988 as part of a national rollout. When callers call or text 988, they’re connected to a trained crisis counselor. The lifeline supports people thinking about suicide or self-harm, those concerned about someone else, or Read More

Sparked by Simone Biles, athletes at Paris Olympics to have vast mental health resources

History teaches us that movements require a moment. Nothing crystallized the cause of civil rights like Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Ala., bus in 1955. For the plight of the mental health of athletes, the moment came when Simone Biles gave up her seat at the Tokyo Olympics. Biles’ message upon her exit—athletes must heed the needs of their minds as well as their bodies before risking “what the world wants us to do”—was a clarion call that echoes at the doorstep of another Olympics. The message resonated with Ilona Maher, a U.S. Rugby Read More

New imaging technique reveals intracellular energy dynamics in kidney cells

The prevalence of kidney disease has been increasing in Japan, with it now affecting one in eight adults, but developing effective treatment remains a challenge. Credit: WPI-ASHBi/Kyoto University The prevalence of kidney disease has been increasing in Japan, with it now affecting one in eight adults, but developing effective treatment remains a challenge. The kidneys are among the most energy-intensive organs in the body. For the kidneys to function, they constantly produce and consume large amounts of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is a chemical that the body uses to store and transport energy. However, ATP dynamics—the changes over time in Read More

Arm robots are not the answer for stroke rehabilitation, research suggests

Commercial arm robots are increasingly deployed in order to aid stroke patients in their recovery. Around 80% of patients have problems with their arm function. Robots are also seen as a solution to financial, and staffing, shortcomings in the health care sector. However, research led by Amsterdam UMC now shows that they offer no clinically meaningful effects for patients. The research is published in Neurology. “In particular countries such as China, Japan and South Korea, but also in North America and Europe, UL-Robots [are] seen more and more as the solution for lack of intensive upper limb training. But our Read More

US homicides by firearms concentrated among Black youth before, during, and after the start of COVID-19 pandemic

Firearm homicide victimization crude rates. Credit: JAMA Network Open (2024). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.12946 In 2020, the United States saw the largest one-year increase in homicides since 1960. In a new study, researchers examined disparities in race and ethnicity for deaths by firearm homicides from 2018 to 2022, before, during, and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. They found that deaths by firearm homicide were concentrated among Black 15- to 24-year-olds in all of the years studied, suggesting that social and structural conditions contributed to these racial disparities. The article, by researchers at the University of Miami and the University of Read More

New guidelines on the management of intra-abdominal infection

Credit: Lynn Greyling/public domain The Surgical Infection Society (SIS) presents new evidence-based guidelines for the management of intra-abdominal infection (IAI) in the journal Surgical Infections. “These guidelines are critical in the ongoing work by the Surgical Infection Society to decrease the number of deaths from the most common and severe infections that surgeons see: Infections of the abdomen,” says Surgical Infections Editor-in-Chief Robert G. Sawyer, MD, Dean and Professor of Surgery, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, Mich. “Most importantly, these guidelines are applicable across the globe, fostering better outcomes worldwide.” The guidelines are based on Read More

New video test for Parkinson’s uses AI to track how the disease is progressing

A patient performs the the finger-tapping test with Michael Jaffee, M.D., chair and professor of neurology at the University of Florida. Credit: UF Health A video-processing technique developed at the University of Florida that uses artificial intelligence will help neurologists better track the progression of Parkinson’s disease in patients, ultimately enhancing their care and quality of life. The system, developed by Diego Guarin, Ph.D., an assistant professor of applied physiology and kinesiology in the UF College of Health and Human Performance, applies machine learning to analyze video recordings of patients performing the finger-tapping test, a standard test for Parkinson’s disease Read More

Epigenetics study finds ‘jumping genes’ support immune cells in tissue

Evolutionary heritage: integration of jumping genes into the DNA. Credit: Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy (LIT) Researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy (LIT) describe a new type of regulation of immune cells by so-called “jumping genes.” The immune system defends the body against invading bacteria and viruses, as well as the spread of tumor cells. Unfortunately, the necessary immune response of the body causes unwanted damage that the body must heal. After combating these dangers, the immune system needs to be dampened again, otherwise, persistent inflammation or even the development of an autoimmune disease can occur. The reduction of the Read More

An isolated viral load test may generate false positive results for people using long-acting PrEP

Colorized transmission electron micrograph of multiple HIV-1 virus particles (green) budding from a cell projection from an H9 cell (burgundy). Image captured at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility in Fort Detrick, Maryland. Credit: NIAID A single laboratory-based HIV viral load test used by U.S. clinicians who provide people with long-acting, injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA) HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) did not reliably detect HIV in a multi-country study. In the study, a single positive viral load test was frequently found to be a false positive result. However, a second viral load test with a new blood sample was able to distinguish true Read More

Fecal immunochemical test screening found to lower risk of death from colorectal cancer

Screening with fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) lowers the risk of dying from colorectal cancer (CRC), according to a study published online July 19 in JAMA Network Open. Chyke A. Doubeni, M.D., from The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus, and colleagues evaluated whether FIT screening is associated with a lower risk of dying from CRC overall, as well as by cancer location and demographic group. Analysis included 1,103 people (aged 52 to 85 years) who died from colorectal adenocarcinoma between 2011 and 2017 (cases) and 9,608 controls matched (1:8) based on age, sex, health-plan membership duration, and geographic Read More

Link between type 2 diabetes mellitus and spinal degenerative disorder may be method-dependent

The association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and spinal degenerative disorders (SDDs) may be method-dependent, according to a study published online July 3 in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. Ming-Xiang Zou, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of South China in Hengyang, and colleagues examined and compared the association between T2DM and SDD using observational studies and Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses. Data for the observational analyses included 44,972 participants with T2DM and 403,095 without T2DM in cross-sectional studies; 38,234 participants with SDD and 409,833 participants without SDD in case-control studies; and 35,550 participants with T2DM and 392,046 without Read More

Physical activity found to cut depression in people with arthritis-related pain

Physical activity may be particularly important to manage depression symptoms in people with greater osteoarthritis-related pain, according to a study published online July 18 in PLOS Global Public Health. Michaela C. Pascoe, Ph.D., from the Institute for Health and Sport at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues assessed whether physical activity is associated with lower symptoms of depression irrespective of pain levels in individuals with osteoarthritis. Analysis included individuals with osteoarthritis who were waiting for an orthopedic consultation. The researchers found that the inverse association between physical activity and depression depended on the level of pain. The association was Read More

In the 10 states that didn’t expand Medicaid, 1.6M can’t afford health insurance

Nearly one of every five uninsured working-age adults across the 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act are, according to a new analysis, stuck in a health care limbo known as a “coverage gap.” That means they earn too much money to receive Medicaid but not enough to qualify for financial help to purchase their own plan on the marketplace. In Alabama and Mississippi, more than a quarter of uninsured working-age adults are left with no affordable pathways to health coverage, according to the analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a progressive Read More

Guidelines updated for diagnosis, management of focal liver lesions

In a clinical guideline issued by the American College of Gastroenterology and published online in the July issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology, updated recommendations are presented for the diagnosis and management of the most common focal liver lesions (FLL). Catherine Frenette, M.D., from the Family Health Centers of San Diego, and colleagues used the best evidence available to make diagnosis and management recommendations for the most common FLLs. The authors recommended multiphasic contrast-enhanced imaging, preferably magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography performed with late arterial, portal venous, and delayed phases in patients with FLL of uncertain etiology. Read More

Heat exhaustion more likely to strike athletes who use nicotine

Olympic athletes with a nicotine habit, beware. New Brock-led research has found nicotine consumption—whether smoking, chewing, vaping or even wearing a patch—raises the risk of developing heat exhaustion while undergoing intense physical activity, especially when doing so in a hot environment. The latest study, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, by Brock University Kinesiology Professor Toby Mündel, conducted alongside an international research team, comes just days before the opening ceremonies of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. The findings are particularly relevant, as Mündel’s previous research has shown a high rate of nicotine use among elite athletes. “Also, climate change Read More

Study suggests targeting oligodendrocytes could help reduce amyloid beta production

Scientist captures images of human oligodendrocytes in a dish (stained green), which produce the protein implicated in causing Alzheimer’s disease. Credit: Francesca Lam (CC-BY 4.0, creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Oligodendrocytes are an important source of amyloid beta (A?) and play a key role in promoting neuronal dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), according to a study published July 23, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Rikesh Rajani and Marc Aurel Busche from the UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, and colleagues. AD is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder affecting millions of people worldwide. Accumulation of A?—peptides consisting of 36 to 43 Read More