Asthma may reduce risk of brain tumors — but how? Mouse study IDs immune cells as link, points to potential therapeutic approaches
There’s not much good that can be said about asthma, a breathing disease in which the airways become narrowed and inflamed. But there’s this: People with asthma seem to be less likely to develop brain tumors than others. And now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis believe they have discovered why. […]
Too dry, too hot, or too wet: Increasing weather persistence in European summer
“In our study, we show that persistent weather conditions have an increasing similarity in summer over the North Atlantic, Europe and Siberia, favoring more pronounced extreme weather events. In Europe alone, about 70% of the land area is already affected by more persistent weather situations,” says Peter Hoffmann from the Potsdam-Institute for Climate Impact Research […]
Researchers crack the synthetic code of rare molecules sought after in drug development
A research team at Lund University in Sweden has succeeded in producing two molecules that are otherwise only formed by microorganisms from extremely contaminated wastewater in an abandoned mine in South Korea. The method, which took four years to develop, could pave the way for new types of drugs. The study is published in Journal […]
Spaceflight wreaks havoc on liver metabolism
The latest findings of a series of studies on mice that examined harmful effects caused by spending time in space show that gene expression related to liver metabolism is altered in response to the space environment. The benefit of these findings is that it may be possible to offset these changes with dietary supplementation during […]
Microplastic pollution aids antibiotic resistance: Engineers at Rice lead study of how polystyrene contributes to crisis
The Styrofoam container that holds your takeout cheeseburger may contribute to the population’s growing resistance to antibiotics. According to scientists at Rice University’s George R. Brown School of Engineering, discarded polystyrene broken down into microplastics provides a cozy home not only for microbes and chemical contaminants but also for the free-floating genetic materials that deliver […]
Probiotics improve nausea and vomiting in pregnancy: Findings also provide clues to why some people experience more stomach upset during pregnancy
In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers at the UC Davis School of Medicine found that probiotics significantly improve the symptoms of pregnancy-related nausea, vomiting and constipation. The findings were published in the journal Nutrients. Nausea and vomiting affect about 85% of pregnancies and can significantly impact quality of life, particularly during early pregnancy. “The cause of […]
Nasal problem plagued long-nosed crocodile relatives
Research published in the journal Anatomical Record finds that humans have more in common with endangered crocodiles than we think — namely, a deviated septum. Gharials are some of the rarest crocodylians on Earth and members of a group of animals that once roamed the planet with the dinosaurs. Native to India, gharials resemble American […]
Probiotics improve nausea and vomiting in pregnancy: Findings also provide clues to why some people experience more stomach upset during pregnancy
In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers at the UC Davis School of Medicine found that probiotics significantly improve the symptoms of pregnancy-related nausea, vomiting and constipation. The findings were published in the journal Nutrients. Nausea and vomiting affect about 85% of pregnancies and can significantly impact quality of life, particularly during early pregnancy. “The cause of […]
Daytime meals may reduce health risks linked to night shift work
A small clinical trial supported by the National Institutes of Health has found that eating during the nighttime — like many shift workers do — can increase glucose levels, while eating only during the daytime might prevent the higher glucose levels now linked with a nocturnal work life. The findings, the study authors said, could […]
Can seven questions determine how wise you are? Seven-item Jeste-Thomas Wisdom Index has high validity to measure wisdom and potential to improve overall well-being
Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report that an abbreviated, seven-item scale can help determine with high validity a person’s level of wisdom, a potentially modifiable personality trait that has been shown to have a strong association to well-being. The study’s researchers had previously developed the 28-item San Diego Wisdom Scale […]