Tag Archive for 'Kidney'

Animals often rely on scent marks to communicate identity across time, yet how chemically dynamic signals remain individually informative is unresolved; Ichizawa et al. show that domestic cats achieve durable chemical individuality through a reservoir-buffered system based on branched-chain fatty acid. Image credit: Ichizawa et al., doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2026.07.045.

Scientists Solve Century-Old Feline Mystery

Aug 20, 2026 by News Staff

For nearly 110 years, biologists have puzzled over why domestic cats’ kidneys are packed with unusually large numbers of fat-storing structures called...

In the systematic review of 18 randomized clinical trials, interventions of increased water intake (or decreased intake in one study) were associated with statistically significant greater weight loss and fewer nephrolithiasis events; single studies suggested benefits related to migraine prevention, urinary tract infection, diabetes control, and hypotension but did not reach statistical significance. Image credit: Günter.

Drinking Plenty of Water Can Provide Number of Health Benefits, New Review Says

Nov 28, 2024 by News Staff

Drinking enough water can help with weight loss and prevent kidney stones, as well as migraines, urinary tract infections and low blood pressure, according...

This schematic shows the process by which the smart mask can detect chemicals in the breath, such as nitrite, which is an indicator of airway inflammation. Image credit: Wei Gao & Wenzheng Heng, Caltech.

EBCare: New Smart Mask Can Be Used to Assess Metabolic and Respiratory Conditions

Aug 30, 2024 by News Staff

Recent respiratory outbreaks have garnered substantial attention, yet most respiratory monitoring remains confined to physical signals. Exhaled breath...

Higher coffee intake is associated with a lower risk of incident acute kidney injury and could present an opportunity for cardiorenal protection through diet. Image credit: Sci-News.com.

Drinking Coffee Daily May Lower Risk of Acute Kidney Injury

Jun 6, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

In a prospective cohort study with 14,207 middle-aged participants, those who drank any quantity of coffee every day had a 15% lower risk of acute kidney...

Watanabe et al. show that the enigmatic baroreceptor is a nuclear mechanotransducer that resides in the renin cells per se and is responsible for the sensing and transmission of extracellular physical forces directly to the chromatin of renin cells via lamin A/C to regulate renin gene expression, renin bioavailability, and homeostasis. Image credit: Watanabe et al., doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.120.318711.

Researchers Determine Location and Structure of Our Body’s Blood-Pressure Barometers

Aug 4, 2021 by News Staff

Baroreceptors — natural blood-pressure barometers inside our bodies — detect subtle changes in blood pressure and adjust hormone levels to...

Left: squid reflectin protein nanostructures in human cells (dark regions, with some indicated by white arrows). Right: associated pathlength for light traveling through a given area (red corresponds to longer pathlengths and blue corresponds to shorter pathlengths). Image credit: Atouli Chatterjee / University of California, Irvine.

Researchers Create Human Cells with Tunable Optical Properties

Jun 4, 2020 by News Staff

By drawing inspiration from the structures and functionalities of squid skin cells, a team of researchers designed and engineered human cells that contain...

Simplified pathway of vitamin D metabolism with a suggested approach to manage hypervitaminosis D. Key steps include the following: limit sun exposure; stop oral vitamin D supplements; use medications such as corticosteroids, ketoconazole and hydroxychloroquine to block 1α-hydroxylase activity; stop oral calcium supplements to reduce burden of hypercalcemia from hypervitaminosis D. Key enzymes involved in metabolism pathway are shown in green. Image credit: Auguste et al, doi: 10.1503/cmaj.180465 / Creativology / BSG Studio.

Taking Too Much Vitamin D Can Lead to Kidney Failure

Apr 9, 2019 by News Staff

Vitamin D — which exists in two forms: D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol) — helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in...

Section from a kidney progenitor-derived mass harvested from a mouse intravenously injected with low-molecular-weight, fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled dextran. Image credit: Bantounas et al, doi: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2018.01.008.

Researchers Create Functioning Human Kidney Tissue Using Stem Cells

Feb 12, 2018 by News Staff

An international research team led by University of Manchester scientists has generated human kidney tissue within a living organism which is able to produce...

An illustrative bromine sample. Image credit: Alchemist-hp, Pse-mendelejew.de / CC-BY-SA-3.0.

Bromine Found to be Essential to Human Life

Jun 10, 2014 by News Staff

Bromine – an element with atomic number 35 and the chemical symbol Br – is the 28th chemical element essential for tissue development in humans...