China’s success in achieving malaria-free status in 2021 offers crucial lessons for the global malaria fight, say experts in a special collection of articles published by The BMJ.
Listening to an avatar can make you more likely to gamble, with the amygdala playing a key role
Expecting feedback from an avatar compared to a real human facilitates risk-taking behavior in a gambling task, and a brain region called the amygdala is central to this facilitation, according to a study published in PLOS Biology by Toshiko Tanaka and Masahiko Haruno from the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Japan.
Obesity disrupts molecular ‘reaction time’ to starvation in mice, study finds
Researchers led by Keigo Morita and Shinya Kuroda of the University of Tokyo have revealed a temporal disruption in the metabolism of obese mice when adapting to starvation despite no significant structural disruptions in the molecular network. This is a breakthrough discovery as research including the temporal dimension in biology has been notoriously laborious and extracting systematic insight from big data has been difficult.
Breast cancer drug Supinoxin shows potential for small-cell lung cancer in new tests
Purdue University scientists have identified the Supinoxin small-molecule drug as a possible new therapy for small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).
Virtual singing brings connection and joy to isolated older adults, study finds
American philosopher and psychologist William James once said, “I don’t sing because I’m happy. I’m happy because I sing.” Now, a new Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine study has found that even when singing with others virtually, the benefits abound.
How a potential HIV cure may affect transmission
A mathematical modeling study coordinated by UMC Utrecht has shown that sustained HIV remission (without rebound) or HIV eradication cure scenarios could consistently reduce new HIV infections among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the Netherlands as compared to a scenario without a cure.
Tired teens more prone to injury, research suggests
It’s common knowledge teens need a good night’s sleep to function well. But recent Brock University-led international research has raised the stakes on what could happen if their slumber is inadequate. The findings are published in the European Journal of Public Health.
RFK Jr.’s major autism study to use private health records
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will provide private health data to researchers for U.S. health chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s new autism study.
Malfunctions in mitochondria found to influence skeletal aging
An interdisciplinary research team led by Professor Dr. Bent Brachvogel has examined how mitochondria influence the premature aging of the skeleton. Mitochondria play a key role in the production of energy by way of cellular respiration. Researchers have discovered that a development-dependent, premature impairment of mitochondrial respiration is responsible for speeding up the process of skeletal aging.
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome cases in England much higher than first projected
There are almost two-thirds more people living with ME/CFS in England than previously thought, a study says. The new estimate suggests that approximately 404,000 people are affected by ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome), a 62% rise from the previously accepted figure of 250,000.