Most people listen to music throughout their day and often near bedtime to wind down. But can that actually cause your sleep to suffer? When sleep researcher Michael Scullin, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University, realized he was waking in the middle of the night with a song stuck in his […]
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Sugar overload may be a recipe for long-term problems
Children who consume too much sugar could be at greater risk of becoming obese, hyperactive, and cognitively impaired, as adults, according to the results of a new study of mice led by QUT and published by Frontiers in Neuroscience. The study resulted in a reduced risk of sugar-induced weight gain and other health problems when the […]
Espresso makers: Coffee in capsules contains more furan than the rest
Coffee made in espresso makers, above all that made from capsules, contains more furan — a toxic, carcinogenic compound — than that made in traditional drip coffee makers, although the levels are still within safe health limits. These are the conclusions of a study carried out by researchers from the University of Barcelona (Spain). “Preparing […]
Before A CT Scan Or Angiogram, Many People Should Take Inexpensive Drug To Protect Kidneys
As more and more Americans undergo CT scans and other medical imaging scans involving intense X-rays, a new study suggests that many of them should take a pre-scan drug that could protect their kidneys from damage. The inexpensive drug, called N-acetylcysteine, can prevent serious kidney damage that can be caused by the iodine-containing “dyes” that […]
‘My dishwasher is trying to kill me’: New research finds harmful fungal pathogens living in dishwasher seals
A potentially pathogenic fungus has found a home living in extreme conditions in some of the most common household appliances, researchers have found. A new paper published in the British Mycological Society journal, Fungal Biology, published by Elsevier, shows that these sites make perfect habitats for extremotolerant fungi (which includes black yeasts). Some of these are […]
Scientists learn what fuels the ‘natural killers’ of the immune system
Despite a name straight from a Tarantino movie, natural killer (NK) cells are your allies when it comes to fighting infections and cancer. If T cells are like a team of specialist doctors in an emergency room, NK cells are the paramedics: They arrive first on the scene and perform damage control until reinforcements arrive. […]
Scientists uncover SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell immunity in recovered COVID-19 and SARS patients
The study by scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School, in close collaboration with the National University of Singapore (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) was published in Nature. The findings suggest infection and exposure to coronaviruses induces long-lasting memory T cells, which could help in […]
Brain tingles: First study of its kind reveals physiological benefits of ASMR
Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) — the relaxing ‘brain tingles’ experienced by some people in response to specific triggers, such as whispering, tapping and slow hand movements — may have benefits for both mental and physical health, according to new research. In the first study of its kind into the physiological underpinnings of ASMR, researchers […]
Eating asparagus may prevent a hangover, study suggests
According to a 2009 study in the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), the amino acids and minerals found in asparagus extract may alleviate alcohol hangover and protect liver cells against toxins. Researchers at the Institute of Medical Science and Jeju National University in Korea analyzed the components of young […]
‘No level of smoke exposure is safe’
Nearly a quarter of pregnant women say they’ve been around secondhand smoke — in their homes, at work, around a friend or relative — which, according to new research, is linked to epigenetic changes — meaning changes to how genes are regulated rather than changes to the genetic code itself — in babies that could […]