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While it is well known that cacao is a major source of flavonoids, this is the first time the effect has been studied in human subjects to determine how it can support cognitive, endocrine and cardiovascular health. Image credit: Sci-News.com.

Dark Chocolate Consumption May Reduce Depression Symptoms

Aug 7, 2019 by News Staff

A new study, published recently in the journal Depression and Anxiety, provides evidence that consumption of chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, may...

Acharya et al uncovered striking neurobehavioral and electrophysiological defects in rodents subjected to continuous (6 month) low dose rate (1 mGy/day) neutron exposures. Image credit: NASA.

Exposure to Radiation in Deep Space May Impair Learning and Memory

Aug 6, 2019 by News Staff

In a study by researchers from the University of California, Irvine and elsewhere, exposure to chronic, low dose radiation — the conditions present...

Being more socially active in your 50-60s predicts a lower risk of developing dementia later on. Image credit: Lee Chandler.

Social Contact Earlier in Life Could Play Role in Staving Off Dementia

Aug 6, 2019 by News Staff

A new study, published in the journal PLoS Medicine, suggests that more frequent social contact during early and midlife may build cognitive reserve, which...

Pavement burns account for significant burn-related injuries in the Southwestern United States and other hot climates with nearly continuous sunlight and daily maximum temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). Image credit: Johannes Plenio.

Study: In Hot Climates, Pavements Can Be Hot Enough to Cause Second-Degree Burns within Seconds

Aug 1, 2019 by News Staff

In a study published recently in the Journal of Burn Care & Research, a team of researchers reviewed all pavement burn injury admissions into a Las...

People who follow predominantly plant-based diets with greater adherence may have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who follow these diets with lower adherence. Image credit: Julita / Pasja1000.

Plant-Based Diets Reduce Risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Review Suggests

Jul 30, 2019 by News Staff

Plant-based dietary patterns — especially when they are enriched with healthful plant-based foods (such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes,...

Manville & Abbott uncovered the molecular action that enables cilantro to effectively delay certain seizures common in epilepsy and other diseases. Image credit: Illustrated Cottage.

Cilantro Leaves Contain Powerful Anticonvulsant: Study

Jul 26, 2019 by News Staff

Dysfunction of neuronal voltage-gated potassium channel subfamily Q (KCNQ) can cause severe epileptic encephalopathies that are resistant to modern anticonvulsants....

Hyun-Jin An et al found that bee venom and melittin possess potent anti-atopic activities. Image credit: Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 3.0.

Researchers Testing New Honeybee Sting Vaccine

Jul 22, 2019 by News Staff

A research team led by Flinders University’s Professor Nikolai Petrovsky has completed a human clinical trial on an adjuvant vaccine designed to eliminate...

Pendry & Vandagriff demonstrated that petting animals during a 10-minute, college-based animal visitation program featuring shelter cats and dogs lowered cortisol levels of students compared to those who merely observed, watched still images of the same animals, and waited without external stimuli. Image credit: Conger Design.

Study: Animal Visitation Programs Reduce Stress Levels in Students

Jul 18, 2019 by News Staff

A 10-minute college-based animal visitation program providing hands-on petting of cats and dogs provides momentary stress relief, according to a study...

Heintz et al finds that the repression or inhibition of CYP2B may exacerbate metabolic disorders and cause obesity by perturbing fatty acid metabolism, especially in males. Image credit: Heintz et al, doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2019.05.004.

Detoxification Enzyme Linked to Obesity and Fatty Liver Disease

Jul 17, 2019 by News Staff

A team of scientists at Clemson University has discovered that CYP2B — a key enzyme involved in metabolism, particularly in the detoxification of...

Matcha tea. Image credit: Dung Thuy Vu Nguyen.

Matcha Tea Has Anti-Anxiety Properties, New Study Shows

Jul 16, 2019 by Enrico de Lazaro

In a study done in mice, a team of researchers at Kumamoto University, Japan, demonstrated that Matcha tea powder exerts strong and synergistic anxiolytic...

Davis et al identified a surprising new role for a stomach-derived hormone called ghrelin. Image credit: Mariana Ruiz Villarreal.

Hormone Ghrelin Enhances Episodic Memory in Rats: Study

Jul 15, 2019 by News Staff

Ghrelin, a hormone synthesized by endocrine cells of the stomach, is known as the ‘hunger hormone’ given its role in increasing appetite, meal initiation...

Schematic for the fabrication of the eggshell microparticle-reinforced hydrogels and cell encapsulation in 3D. Image credit: Wu et al, doi: 10.1039/C9BM00230H.

Eggshell Particle-Reinforced Hydrogel Can Help Grow and Repair Bones

Jul 11, 2019 by News Staff

A team of researchers at the University of Massachusetts Lowell has found that chicken eggshell microparticles inserted into a hydrogel matrix can be used...

Nighttime exposure to blue light causes glucose intolerance in diurnal rodents, with a stronger effect in males when they were fed high caloric diet. Image credit: Nicholas Robb.

Nighttime Exposure to Blue Light Increases Sugar Consumption, Animal Study Finds

Jul 10, 2019 by News Staff

Nocturnal exposure to light containing short wavelength emissions (450-500 nm) — the kind of light produced by the screens of many devices —...

Scanning electron micrograph of HIV particles infecting a human T cell. Image credit: National Institutes of Health.

Scientists Use CRISPR and Antiviral Therapy to Eliminate HIV-1 DNA from Genomes of Mice

Jul 9, 2019 by News Staff

Using the modified CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing system and a therapeutic strategy known as long-acting slow-effective release antiviral therapy (LASER ART),...

Bradley et al identify lung stroma as the target of microbiota-driven signals that set the interferon signature in these cells; antibiotic treatment reduces gut microbiota and the lung stromal interferon signature and facilitates early influenza virus replication in lung epithelia, effects that can be reversed by fecal transplantation. Image credit: Bradley et al, doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.05.105.

Study: Gut Bacteria Stimulate Antiviral Signals in Lung Cells to Protect against Flu Virus

Jul 8, 2019 by News Staff

In a study of mice, an international team of scientists has discovered that signals from gut bacteria help to maintain a first line of defense in the lining...

Short bursts of exercise directly boost the function of a gene that increases connections between neurons in the hippocampus, the region of the brain associated with learning and memory. Image credit: Matan Ray Vizel.

Brief Periods of Exercise Enhance Brain Function, Animal Study Shows

Jul 5, 2019 by News Staff

In a study done in mice, a team of researchers found that short-term bursts of exercise — the human equivalent of a weekly game of pickup basketball,...

Diet that restricts glucose may help brain function. Image credit: Cattalin.

Atkins-Style Diet May Improve Brain Function and Memory in Older Adults

Jul 2, 2019 by News Staff

A modified Atkins diet (very low carbohydrates and extra fat) may improve brain function and episodic memory, according to a small study of 14 older adults...

Improved cell-phone hygiene may lead to a reduction in infections associated with health care. Image credit: StockSnap.

Researchers Find Pathogenic Bacteria on Medical Students’ Cell Phones

Jul 1, 2019 by News Staff

A team of scientists at the University of Western São Paulo, Brazil, has found Staphylococcus aureus bacteria on nearly 40% of university students’...

Hospital insects present a potential to contribute to persistence and spread of antimicrobial-resistant pathogenic bacteria in the hospital environment. Image credit: Virvoreanu Laurentiu.

Hospital Insects Harbor Potentially Harmful Bacteria, Finds New Study

Jun 28, 2019 by News Staff

In a new study published this month in the Journal of Medical Entomology, researchers from Aston University collected and analyzed 19,937 flying insects...