A logarithmic spiral with a diameter of 500 μm, approximately half the diameter of a sewing needle. Image Credit: Yilin Wong

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Health & Life

Life & Chemistry
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Chemistry and Force Create Stunning Spiral Patterns on Surfaces

Hundreds of regular patterns spontaneously form on a small germanium chip Key takeaways UCLA doctoral student Yilin Wong noticed that some tiny dots had appeared on one of her samples, which had been accidentally left out overnight. The layered sample consisted of a germanium wafer topped with evaporated metal films in contact with a drop of water. On a whim, she looked at the dots under a microscope and couldn’t believe her eyes. Beautiful spiral patterns had been etched into the…

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Innovative Strategies for Managing Type 2 Diabetes in Clinics
Health & Medicine

Innovative Strategies for Managing Type 2 Diabetes in Clinics

Primary care physicians’ responses to treatment burden in people with type 2 diabetes: a qualitative video analysis in China Background and Goal: Managing type 2 diabetes involves complex treatment, workload, and costs that impose a significant burden on individuals, impacting their physical and mental health. This study examines how general practitioners (GPs) in China identify and respond to these burdens during patient consultations. Study Approach: The study examined video recordings of 29 GP-patient consultations recorded between 2018 and 2019 in…

Exploring Cell Death and Aging in Cancer Research
Life & Chemistry

Exploring Cell Death and Aging in Cancer Research

A drug could induce programmed cell death in senescent cells expressing SASP factors. Image Credit: Osaka Metropolitan UniversityLatest findings on the significance and interaction between cell death and cellular senescence in cancer Aging cells secrete substances known to promote the growth of cancer cells. The development of drugs that can selectively kill these cells or inhibit the secretion of substances is ongoing. The latest findings on the interaction between cell death and cellular senescence in cancer and their pathophysiological significance…

Researchers at Linköping University have succeeded in creating a close connection between individual cells and organic electronics. Using so-called atomic force microscopy, they examine nerve cells where the polymers can be anchored.
Health & Medicine

Connecting Individual Cells to Plastic Electrodes: A Breakthrough

Researchers at Linköping University have succeeded in creating a close connection between individual cells and organic electronics. The study, published in Science Advances, lays the foundation for future treatment of neurological and other diseases with very high precision. “We could target individual cells and explore how this affected their ability to stay healthy and functional,” says Chiara Musumeci, researcher at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics, LOE, at Linköping University. The brain is controlled by electrical signals that are converted into…

Photo of a Kid and Her Mother Holding Wooden Toothbrushes. Image Credit: Pavel Danilyuk, Pexels
Health & Medicine

Parents Report Dental Issues Linked to Kids’ Oral Hygiene Habits

More than a third of parents say their child doesn’t regularly brush teeth twice a day, many kids don’t follow other dental recommendations like flossing More than one in three parents say their child has faced issues like tooth decay, cavities, stained teeth, gum concerns or tooth pain over the past two years, a national poll suggests. And these problems were linked to children’s oral care routine, more commonly experienced among those who skipped dental hygiene recommendations or followed them…

Body Liver Anatomy. Image Credit: Hopestar21 from Pixabay
Health & Medicine

Weight-Loss Surgery Reduces Liver Disease Risks in Obese Patients

SPECCIAL study suggests bariatric surgery favorably influences progression of cirrhosis Weight-Loss Surgery Lowers Risk of Developing Complications of Liver Disease in Patients with Cirrhosis and Obesity SPECCIAL study suggests bariatric surgery favorably influences progression of cirrhosis UNDER EMBARGO Monday, January 27, 2025, at 05:00 AM (US Eastern Time) CLEVELAND: A Cleveland Clinic study shows that patients with obesity and fatty liver-related cirrhosis who had bariatric (weight-loss) surgery significantly lowered their future risk of developing serious liver complications compared with patients…

Digital Blood Pressure Monitor and Pressure Cuff on White Fabric. Image Credit: Photo by Yaroslav Shuraev, Pexels
Health & Medicine

Heart Disease: Rising Health Risks Fuel Ongoing Crisis

Fueled by ongoing increases in high blood pressure, obesity and other major risk factors, heart disease continues to kill more people in the U.S. than any other cause, according to the American Heart Association’s 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistic Highlights DALLAS, Jan. 27, 2025 — Heart disease kills more people than any other cause as many of the risks factors that contribute to it remain on the rise, according the data reported in the 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: A Report…

sImproving Pain Management for Preterm Babies New Insights
Health & Medicine

Improving Pain Management for Preterm Babies: New Insights

A large proportion of babies born very early need intensive care, which can be painful. But the healthcare system fails to provide pain relief to the full extent. This is shown by the largest survey to date of pain in neonatal care, now published in the journal Pain. Every day for 4.5 years, neonatal care staff have recorded the occurrence of pain, the causes of pain, and how pain is assessed and treated in premature babies in Sweden. The study…

An Ohio State study found a link between impairments in physical function and hospital readmission risk among adults 50 years of age and older.
Health & Medicine

Physical Function Impairments Linked to Hospital Readmission Among 50+ Adults

Researchers from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (HRS) recently published a study that found a link between impairments in physical function and hospital readmission risk among adults 50 years of age and older. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 17% of Medicare beneficiaries in the United States returned to the hospital within 30 days of discharge between 2016 and 2020, posing burdens on healthcare systems and patients, alike. “Physical…

Elderly Man Stretching His Body.
Health & Medicine

Study Reveals Exercise Improves Brain Insulin, Helps Prevent Dementia

Study confirms positive effects of exercise on insulin signaling proteins from the brain A study led by scientists at Rutgers University-New Brunswick has shown that specialized cells involved in how the body responds to insulin are activated in the brain after exercise, suggesting that physical activity may directly improve brain function. A study, published in Aging Cell, a journal focused on the biology of aging, indicates that therapies targeting this insulin action may be developed to offset or even prevent dementia progression. “We…

Chemotherapy fights cancer, but can also damage the muscles.
Health & Medicine

Sorafenib’s Impact: Understanding Muscle Wasting from Chemotherapy

Research team clarifies molecular basis for cachexia Chemotherapeutic agents are often used to treat cancer. They combat tumour growth, but also have a number of undesirable side effects. One of these is severe muscle wasting, known as chemotherapy-induced cachexia. This chronic disease causes uncontrollable breakdown of fat and muscle tissue as well as weight loss. However, in order to improve treatment strategies, the molecular basis must first be understood. This is where PD Dr Arnab Nayak, a scientist at the…

Cracking the GABAA Code Novel Insights into Brain Receptor Structure
Health & Medicine

Cracking the GABAA Code: Novel Insights into Brain Receptor Structure

Advanced scientific instruments allow scientists to build a map of brain receptors, opening the door to possible novel ways to treat epilepsy and mental disorders Certain proteins found in the human brain have long been known to be critical to controlling how brain cells communicate with each other. So-called GABAA receptors are proteins that control the flow of ions into and out of cells. As they play such a vital role in how neurons slow down or stop firing, they have…

Close-Up Shot of a Boy Sleeping at a Table.
Health & Medicine

Sleep on It: Study Reveals Sleep Disparities Among Ethnic Children Groups

MSU has a satellite uplink/LTN TV studio and Comrex line for radio interviews upon request. EAST LANSING, Mich. – Researchers from Michigan State University’s Department of Human Development and Family Studies revealed that sleep patterns may vary across different racial and ethnic groups — notably for non-white and multiracial children. Yijie Wang is an associate professor of human development and family studies in the College of Social Science, and her research team published a study in JAMA Network Open that explores these variations and the…

MRI brain scan showing improved cognitive networks after spinal surgery
Health & Medicine

Meet the Brains Behind the Spinal Surgery & Cognitive Gains Study for the Elderly

Greifswald Publication in the International Journal of Surgery A research team from Greifswald was able to demonstrate that spinal surgeries can not only restore daily functions, for example by alleviating restricting pain. This can subsequently lead to an improvement in cognitive performance – even in older individuals. The study examined 79 patients with an average age of 71 years who underwent spinal surgery. The interdisciplinary team from neurology, neurosurgery, as well as anesthesia, intensive care, emergency, and pain medicine has…

Wild Assamese macaques study on maternal stress and offspring stress system
Health & Medicine

Early Pregnancy Maternal Stress Influences Primate Offspring’s Development

Long-term study on wild monkeys in Thailand reveals health risks and opportunities for intervention Maternal stress hormone levels during early pregnancy can have a lasting effect on the stress system of the offspring. The results of a long-term study on wild Assamese macaques in Thailand indicate that maternal stress in the first half of pregnancy is particularly relevant. Elevated stress hormones later during pregnancy or after birth did not have the same effects. The long-term study conducted by the University…

Electrochemical setup for CO2 reduction with nickel-copper catalyst
Environmental Conservation

CO₂ Reduction in Exhaust Gases Breathes Life into Earth’s Climate

To protect the climate, the aim is to recover CO₂ from combustion processes for use as valuable materials. This is challenging because exhaust gases contain not only CO₂ but also other gases. An international research team led by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schuhmann from the Zentrum für Elektrochemie at Ruhr-Universität Bochum has shown how CO₂ can be electrochemically reduced even at low concentrations in order to reuse it. They report on this in the journal “Angewandte Chemie” on December 23, 2024….

• Featured image showing cancer patients engaging in tailored exercise programs to improve muscular strength and fitness.
Health & Medicine

Tailored Fitness Programs Linked to Increased Life Expectancy in Cancer Patients

Tailored exercise may prolong life in these patients, suggest researchers Muscular strength and good physical fitness are linked to a significantly lower risk of death from any cause in people with cancer, finds a pooled data analysis of the available evidence, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Tailored exercise to boost muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with cancer may help boost their chances of survival, suggest the researchers. In 2022 alone, 20 million people were diagnosed…

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