Well-functioning fat may be the key to fewer old-age ailments
Fat tissue plays an important role in human health. However, our fat tissue loses function as we age, which can lead to type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer and other ailments. High levels of lifelong exercise seem to counteract this deterioration. This, according to research at the University of Copenhagen, where biologists studied the link between […]
Genetically informed atlases reveal new landscapes in brain structure: Findings identify hundreds of new genomic loci that help explain how the brain is shaped
An international team of scientists has used atlases of the human brain informed by genetics to identify hundreds of genomic loci. Loci is plural for locus, and in genetics indicates the physical location of a gene or variant on a chromosome. The work was led by Chi-Hua Chen, PhD, associate professor in the Department of […]
Public concern on human health impact of plastic pollution
The impact of marine plastic pollution on human health tops a list of health-related concerns over marine threats in a large scale survey which could help shape policy over how best to protect our oceans. Researchers at the University of Exeter led a survey of more than 15,000 people across 14 European countries, plus Australia, […]
Babies can tell who has close relationships based on one clue: Saliva: Sharing food and kissing are among the signals babies use to interpret their social world
Learning to navigate social relationships is a skill that is critical for surviving in human societies. For babies and young children, that means learning who they can count on to take care of them. MIT neuroscientists have now identified a specific signal that young children and even babies use to determine whether two people have […]
If I’d Listened To My Doctor, I Would Be Dead Right Now
Most doctors are intelligent, compassionate human beings, but they are human. And medicine is a business, which means doctors can be overworked, pressed for time and dismissive of patient complaints, especially if that patient is a woman. In my case, the casual dismissal of my symptoms almost cost me my life. It was October 2019 […]
How Serious Is Human Metapneumovirus? Symptoms, Contagious
The typical symptoms of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) are not usually severe; however, the virus can cause more serious illnesses in some people. The typical symptoms are not usually severe, but in some cases, human metapneumovirus (hMPV) can cause more serious illnesses, such as pneumonia or bronchitis, especially in people with low immunity. hMPV is a […]
How Can I Test Myself For Tapeworms?
What causes tapeworm infections? Tapeworms are the flatworms that live in the human digestive tract. If you suspect you might have tapeworms, you need to visit a doctor for stool sample analysis, a blood test, and imaging tests. Tapeworms are the flatworms that live in the human digestive tract. They are mostly harmless but can often […]
Researchers determine nutritional properties of protein in cricket, locust and silkworm pupae insect powders
As the human population grows to a predicted 10 billion by 2050 and overall land mass remains constant, traditional animal farming may become a less viable method for food production. Animal farming has traditionally fulfilled human nutritional requirements for protein, but insects may serve as an alternative for direct human consumption in the future. Jacek […]
How Do You Reveal a Compulsive Liar? 7 Ways
Lying is natural human behavior. Many of us have lied at some point in our lives, whether to avoid hurting someone or get out of trouble. However, compulsive liars lie out of habit, without intent or motive. They may lie spontaneously and automatically, without even thinking about it, and for little or no reason. Compulsive […]
A step toward ‘living biotherapeutics’: Chemical engineers have created a coating for microbes that could make it easier to deploy the organisms to treat gastrointestinal disease
The human gut is home to thousands of species of bacteria, and some of those bacteria have the potential to treat a variety of gastrointestinal diseases. Some species may help to combat colon cancer, while others could help treat or prevent infections such as C. difficile. One of the obstacles to developing these “living biotherapeutics” […]