Mothers' depression impacts mother-infant relationships

In a study funded by National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) researchers examined whether depression, either before or during pregnancy, affects the mother-infant relationship. The research was published today in BJPsych Open.

Intermittent fasting in mice effective at promoting long term memory retention

A new study from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London has established that Intermittent Fasting (IF) is an effective means of improving long term memory retention and generating new adult hippocampal neurons in mice, in what the researchers hope has the potential to slow the advance of cognitive decline in older people.

Scientists successfully breed corals with goal of disease resistance

For the first time, grooved brain corals rescued from a disease outbreak and maintained in human care have been bred with wild corals that survived the disease, in a collaborative restoration initiative between scientists at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and the Florida Aquarium Center for Conservation.

NASA rocket mission studying escaping radio waves

A NASA rocket mission, launching May 26, 2021, will study radio waves that escape through the Earth's ionosphere impacting the environment surrounding GPS and geosynchronous satellites, such as those for weather monitoring and communications.

New research: Night shift work is linked to menstrual irregularity, increased risk of developing endometriosis

According to a study being presented at the 23rd European Congress of Endocrinology (e-ECE 2021) on Sunday 23 May, women working night shifts may be at a greater risk of menstrual irregularity and developing endometriosis. The research found a reduction in the expression of PER-2, CRY-1 and CLOCK genes along with an increase in REV-ERBb in ectopic compared to eutopic tissues. Prior to this research, there had been no previously published studies relating to the alterations in core clock-genes and the impact on women with endometriosis.

Defective gene slows down brain cells

Within the European Union alone, about 3 million people are affected by an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Some are only mildly affected and can live independent lives. Others have severe disabilities. What the different forms have in common is difficulty with social interaction and communication, as well as repetitive-stereotypic behaviors. Mutations in a few hundred genes are associated with ASD. One of them is called Cullin 3, and it is a high-risk gene: A mutation of this gene almost certainly leads to a disorder. But how, exactly, does this gene affect the brain? To learn more about it, Jasmin Morandell and Lena Schwarz, Ph.D. students at Professor Gaia Novarino's research group, turned to mice whose Cullin 3 gene has been partially deactivated and compared them to their healthy siblings. Their results have just been published in the journal Nature Communications.

Finer touch for tuning stem cell 'fate' with substrates of varying stiffness

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have been quantifying how different batches of mesenchymal stem cells respond to the mechanical stiffness of their environments. They focused on how certain proteins were "localized" in cell nuclei and found key trends in how this changed with stiffness. Their findings explain inconsistencies between previous findings and may guide how scientists control the state of stem cells for research and medical treatments.

Accurate evaluation of CRISPR genome editing

CRISPR technology allows researchers to edit genomes by altering DNA sequences and by thus modifying gene function. Its many potential applications include correcting genetic defects, treating and preventing the spread of diseases and improving crops.

Risk of second stroke can be reduced with prevention efforts based on cause of first stroke

Having a stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA), sometimes called a "mini-stroke," increases the risk for a stroke in the future. Identifying the cause of the stroke or TIA can lead to specific prevention strategies to reduce the risk of additional strokes, according to an updated guideline from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. The guideline is published today in Stroke.

Predicting chemotherapy response and tailoring treatments for pancreatic cancer patients

By 2030, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most lethal form of pancreatic cancer, is projected to become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Not only are therapeutic options limited, but nearly half of all PDAC patients who have their tumors removed surgically experience disease recurrence within a year, despite receiving additional chemotherapy. For more advanced stages, only about one-third of patients have a limited response to approved chemotherapy.

Dengue immune function discovery could benefit much-needed vaccine development

Despite a daunting more than 130 million cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections to date worldwide, another global pathogen—the Aedes mosquito-borne dengue virus—saw a record number of over 400 million cases in 2019. But vaccine development has been challenging due to the need to protect equally against all four dengue strains. The discovery of new possible biomarkers to predict clinical and immune responses to dengue virus infection, published today in Nature Communications, could be critical to informing future vaccines.

Experimental broadcast of whitewater river noise drives bats and birds away

While many might consider a walk in the woods to be a quiet, peaceful escape from their noisy urban life, we often don't consider just how incredibly noisy some natural environments can be. Although we use soothing natural sounds in our daily lives—to relax or for meditation—the thunder of a mountain river or the crash of pounding surf have likely been changing how animals communicate and where they live for eons. A new experimental study published in the journal Nature Communications finds that birds and bats often avoid habitat swamped with loud whitewater river noise.

Surge in nitrogen has turned sargassum into the world's largest harmful algal bloom

For centuries, pelagic Sargassum, floating brown seaweed, have grown in low nutrient waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, supported by natural nutrient sources like excretions from fishes and invertebrates, upwelling and nitrogen fixation. Using a unique historical baseline from the 1980s and comparing it to samples collected since 2010, researchers from Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and collaborators have discovered dramatic changes in the chemistry and composition of Sargassum, transforming this vibrant living organism into a toxic "dead zone."

Thai villages isolated over variant find amid vaccine worry

Thailand placed barbed wire and checkpoints in several southern villages along the Malaysian border Monday after identifying a cluster of infections with a coronavirus variant that's believed to spread faster.

1.7 million affected by hack of top Japan dating app

The personal data of more than a million users of one of Japan's most popular dating apps may have been exposed by a hack, its operator has warned.

Obesity and cancer: Studies highlight different aspects of the connection

Multi-factorial metabolic and inflammatory abnormalities in obesity, independently or in combination, seems to be the critical biological link of obesity, cancer and racial/gender health disparities. However, the specific cross-talk between these factors remain elusive. Because of the extraordinary relevance in understanding the relationship between obesity-associated inflammation and comorbidities with cancer development, progression and intervention, three new papers emphasizing different aspects of the obesity and cancer connection can be found in the latest online issue of Obesity.

Weight-loss maintainers sit less than weight-stable people with obesity

People who are successful at weight-loss maintenance spend less time sitting during the week and weekends compared to weight-stable individuals with obesity, according to a paper published online in Obesity. This is the first study to examine time spent in various sitting activities among weight-loss maintainers.

Study shows dogs can detect COVID-positive arrivals

Dogs can be trained to detect more than 90 percent of COVID-19 infections even when patients are asymptomatic, according to research published Monday, which authors hope could help replace the need to quarantine new arrivals.

Japan opens mass vaccination centres ahead of Olympics

Japan opened its first mass vaccination centres on Monday in a bid to speed up a cautious COVID-19 inoculation programme with just two months until the virus-postponed Tokyo Olympics.

India virus death toll passes 300,000, 3rd highest in world

India crossed another grim milestone Monday of more than 300,000 people lost to the coronavirus as a devastating surge of infections appeared to be easing in big cities but was swamping the poorer countryside.

'Charlie Bit My Finger' video fetches $760,000 at NFT auction

Another classic piece of internet culture has been auctioned off for a six-figure sum, the latest viral sensation from the 2000s to be eagerly snapped up by digital collectors of "non fungible tokens" or NFTs.

Volcanic eruption, ensuing chaos kill at least 15 in Congo

Torrents of lava poured into villages after dark in eastern Congo with little warning, leaving at least 15 people dead amid the chaos and destroying more than 500 homes, officials and survivors said Sunday.

COVID-19 mortality associated with 2 signs easily measured at home

A study of 1,095 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 discovered that two easily measurable signs of health—respiration rate and blood-oxygen saturation—are distinctly predictive of higher mortality. Notably, the authors said, anyone who receives a positive COVID-19 screening test can easily monitor for these two signs at home.

No link between milk and increased cholesterol according to new study of 2 million people

Regular consumption of milk is not associated with increased levels of cholesterol, according to new research.

Cancer treatments may accelerate cellular aging

New research indicates that certain anti-cancer therapies may hasten cellular aging, where changes in the DNA of patients may contribute to greater inflammation and fatigue. The findings are published by Wiley early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.