Specific genetic variant may help prevent obesity
A preclinical study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators shows that a specific human genetic variant of a receptor that stimulates insulin release may help individuals be more resistant to obesity. The researchers discovered that this variant behaves differently in the cell which may contribute to more efficient metabolism. The study, posted online in Molecular Metabolism […]
Smoking-Related Metabolic Changes Partly Drive Type 2 Diabetes Risk
HAMBURG, Germany — Smokers were more likely to have a specific metabolic signature that mediated their risk for developing type 2 diabetes, a researcher reported here. In a study of nearly 94,000 people in the U.K. Biobank, smoking was tied with a 73% higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes compared with no smoking (HR […]
Why Do Superagers Have Sharper Memory?
Superagers — people in their 80s who have the memory function of people 30 years younger — had specific characteristics that set them apart, an observational study showed. Superagers had more gray matter volume in the medial temporal lobe, cholinergic forebrain, and motor thalamus than typical older adults and slower total gray matter atrophy over […]
Microbe protects honey bees from poor nutrition, a significant cause of colony loss
Indiana University researchers have identified a specific bacterial microbe that, when fed to honey bee larvae, can reduce the effects of nutritional stress on developing bees — one of the leading causes of honey bee decline. Their findings were recently published in the International Society for Microbial Ecology Journal. Humans rely on honey bees for […]
Critical signature sound when rocks crack
Finding the specific sound a rock makes when it cracks and breaks seems impossible when surrounded by other subsurface noises. But Texas A&M University researcher Dr. Siddharth Misra, the Ted H. Smith, Jr. ’75 and Max R. Vordenbaum ’73 DVG Associate Professor in the Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering, discovered a way to hear […]
Discovery of new immune process that regulates inflammation in human fat may help manage obesity
Irish and German scientists have just identified how specific immune cells can work together in fat to cause inflammation that leads to weight gain and obesity. Their work pinpoints new avenues to exploit the regulation of that inflammation in fat tissue, thereby suggesting new ways to manage obesity [Wednesday 9th March 2022]. There is a […]
Paramagnetic Rim Lesions Highly Specific in MS Diagnosis
The presence of paramagnetic rim lesions (PRLs) on MRI was highly specific for multiple sclerosis (MS) in people suspected to have the disease, a prospective multicenter study showed. Based on 2017 McDonald criteria for MS diagnosis, the presence of one or more PRLs showed 88% specificity (95% CI 79-98%), 80% sensitivity (95% CI 68-91%), and […]
Artificial intelligence system rapidly predicts how two proteins will attach: The machine-learning model could help scientists speed the development of new medicines
Antibodies, small proteins produced by the immune system, can attach to specific parts of a virus to neutralize it. As scientists continue to battle SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, one possible weapon is a synthetic antibody that binds with the virus’ spike proteins to prevent the virus from entering a human cell. To develop […]
PSA: You Probably Don’t Need To Be Weighed At The Doctor’s Office
For many struggling with body image, heading to the doctor for a specific health issue or even just a routine checkup is more stressful than it needs to be. Weigh-ins are a standard practice before you see your doctor, but if you’ve experienced an eating disorder or are self-conscious about your weight, jumping on a […]
Adjusting fatty acid intake may help with mood variability in bipolar disorders
Can specific dietary guidelines help people living with bipolar disorders better manage their health? Maybe someday, according to a new study by Penn State College of Medicine researchers. Clinical trial results showed that a diet designed to alter levels of specific fatty acids consumed by participants may help patients have less variability in their mood. […]