ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Designed antiviral proteins inhibit SARS-CoV-2 in the lab
• New tracking technology will help fight rhino poaching in Namibia
• Biological roots for teen risk-taking: Uneven brain growth
• Artificial intelligence aids gene activation discovery
• More cats might be COVID-19 positive than first believed, study suggests
• Cell-autonomous immunity shaped human evolution
• Metabolite signature of COVID-19 reveals multi-organ effects
• Bat tick found for the first time in New Jersey
• Gut microbiota not involved in the incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus
• Lecturer takes laptops and smart phones away and musters student presence
• Vitamin B1 deficiency a key factor in the development of alcohol-related dementia
• Lumpy proteins stiffen blood vessels of the brain
• Nature as a model: Researchers develop novel anti-inflammatory substance
• People who were children when their parents divorced have less 'love hormone'
• New glove-like device mimics sense of touch
• Mindfulness with paced breathing and lowering blood pressure
• Unlocking the mystery of tau for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases
• More than one drink a day may raise high blood pressure risk in adults with Type 2 diabetes
• Muscle aging: Stronger for longer
• Unconscious learning underlies belief in God, study suggests
• Insomnia identified as a new risk factor for type 2 diabetes in new study which also confirms many other risk and protective factors
• Cellular-level interactions that lead to the cytokine storm in COVID-19
• Lockdown did not reduce 'most harmful' type of air pollution in Scotland
• COVID-19 high-risk groups: Why the immune system is less effective at fighting the virus
• Recharging N95 masks for continued usage
• Rare hyperinflammatory syndrome in children with COVID-19 described
• Could singing spread COVID-19?
• COVID-stress may be hard to beat even with exercise

Designed antiviral proteins inhibit SARS-CoV-2 in the lab Posted: 09 Sep 2020 11:03 AM PDT Computer-designed miniproteins have now been shown to protect lab-grown human cells from SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The lead antiviral candidate rivals the best-known SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies in its protective actions. The synthetic antiviral candidates were designed to prevent infection by interfering with the mechanism that coronaviruses use to break into and enter cells.

New tracking technology will help fight rhino poaching in Namibia Posted: 09 Sep 2020 09:40 AM PDT Interactive software that 'reads' and analyzes footprints left by black rhinoceroses can be used to monitor the movements of the animals in the wild, giving conservationists a new way to keep watch on the endangered species and help keep it safe from poachers, according to a new study.

Biological roots for teen risk-taking: Uneven brain growth Posted: 09 Sep 2020 08:53 AM PDT Why do some adolescents take more risks than others? Research suggests that two centers in the brain, one which makes adolescents want to take risks and the other which prevents them from acting on these impulses, physically mature at different rates and that adolescents with large differences in the rate of development between these two brain regions are more likely to be risk-takers.

Artificial intelligence aids gene activation discovery Posted: 09 Sep 2020 08:48 AM PDT Scientists have long known that human genes are activated through instructions delivered by the precise order of our DNA. With the aid of artificial intelligence, researchers have solved a long-standing DNA activation code mystery. Their discovery, which they termed the downstream core promoter region (DPR), could eventually be used to control gene activation in biotechnology and biomedical applications.

More cats might be COVID-19 positive than first believed, study suggests Posted: 09 Sep 2020 08:48 AM PDT A newly published study looking at cats in Wuhan, where the first known outbreak of COVID-19 began, shows more cats might be contracting the disease than first believed.

Cell-autonomous immunity shaped human evolution Posted: 09 Sep 2020 08:48 AM PDT Every human cell harbors its own defenses against microbial invaders, relying on strategies that date back to some of the earliest events in the history of life, researchers report. Because this 'cell-autonomous immunity' is so ancient and persistent, understanding it is essential to understanding human evolution and human medicine, the researchers said.

Metabolite signature of COVID-19 reveals multi-organ effects Posted: 09 Sep 2020 08:48 AM PDT Researchers compared lipoproteins and metabolites in the blood of COVID-19 patients and healthy subjects, revealing signs of multi-organ damage in patients that could someday help diagnose and treat COVID-19.

Bat tick found for the first time in New Jersey Posted: 09 Sep 2020 08:48 AM PDT A tick species associated with bats has been reported for the first time in New Jersey and could pose health risks to people, pets and livestock, according to a new study. This species (Carios kelleyi) is a 'soft' tick. Deer ticks, which carry Lyme disease, are an example of 'hard' ticks.

Gut microbiota not involved in the incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus Posted: 09 Sep 2020 08:47 AM PDT Consuming the combination of fish oil and probiotic food supplements modulate the composition of gut microbiota in overweight and obese pregnant women, reveals a new study. The same study shows that gut microbiota composition and function is not related to gestational diabetes.

Lecturer takes laptops and smart phones away and musters student presence Posted: 09 Sep 2020 07:02 AM PDT A Danish university lecturer experiments with banning screens in discussion lessons. A new study looks at the results, which include greater student presence, improved engagement and deeper learning.

Vitamin B1 deficiency a key factor in the development of alcohol-related dementia Posted: 09 Sep 2020 07:02 AM PDT A research group has now developed a hypothesis whereby iron deposits in the brain -- resulting from alcohol-induced vitamin B1 deficiency -- can be regarded as key factors in cognitive decline.

Lumpy proteins stiffen blood vessels of the brain Posted: 09 Sep 2020 07:02 AM PDT Deposits of a protein called 'Medin', which manifest in virtually all older adults, reduce the elasticity of blood vessels during aging and hence may be a risk factor for vascular dementia.

Nature as a model: Researchers develop novel anti-inflammatory substance Posted: 09 Sep 2020 07:02 AM PDT Anti-inflammatory substances based on components of human cells could one day improve treatment in patients. Researchers have developed a method for producing those substances with controlled quality. Since the body does not recognize them as foreign substances, they offer advantages over anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or diclofenac.

People who were children when their parents divorced have less 'love hormone' Posted: 09 Sep 2020 07:02 AM PDT People who were children when their parents were divorced showed lower levels of oxytocin -- the so-called 'love hormone' -- when they were adults than those whose parents remained married, according to a new study. The lower level may play a role in having trouble forming attachments when they are grown.

New glove-like device mimics sense of touch Posted: 09 Sep 2020 07:02 AM PDT Engineers have invented a soft wearable device which simulates the sense of touch and has wide potential for medical, industrial and entertainment applications.

Mindfulness with paced breathing and lowering blood pressure Posted: 09 Sep 2020 07:02 AM PDT Now more than ever, Americans and people all over the world are under increased stress, which may adversely affect their health and well-being. Researchers explore the possibility that mindfulness with paced breathing reduces blood pressure. One of the most plausible mechanisms is that paced breathing stimulates the vagus nerve and parasympathetic nervous system, which reduce stress chemicals in the brain and increase vascular relaxation that may lead to lowering of blood pressure.

Unlocking the mystery of tau for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases Posted: 09 Sep 2020 05:59 AM PDT A team of researchers has uncovered crucial molecular details regarding the activity of the 'tau' protein, promising to revolutionize the therapy of tau-induced neurodegenerative diseases.

More than one drink a day may raise high blood pressure risk in adults with Type 2 diabetes Posted: 09 Sep 2020 05:59 AM PDT In a large study of adults with Type 2 diabetes, moderate drinking (defined as eight or more alcoholic beverages a week) was associated with a 60% or higher increased risk of high blood pressure. The severity of high blood pressure also increased with eight or more drinks per week.

Muscle aging: Stronger for longer Posted: 09 Sep 2020 05:59 AM PDT With life expectancy increasing, age-related diseases are also on the rise, including sarcopenia, the loss of muscle mass due to aging. Researchers have demonstrated that a well-known drug can delay the progression of age-related muscle weakness.

Unconscious learning underlies belief in God, study suggests Posted: 09 Sep 2020 05:59 AM PDT Individuals who can unconsciously predict complex patterns, an ability called implicit pattern learning, are likely to hold stronger beliefs that there is a god who creates patterns of events in the universe, according to neuroscientists.

Insomnia identified as a new risk factor for type 2 diabetes in new study which also confirms many other risk and protective factors Posted: 08 Sep 2020 05:08 PM PDT A new study identifies insomnia as a risk factor associated with increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). The study identifies 34 risk factors that are thought to increase (19) or decrease risk (15), as well as a further 21 'suggestive' risk factors where evidence was not quite as strong.

Cellular-level interactions that lead to the cytokine storm in COVID-19 Posted: 08 Sep 2020 09:25 AM PDT Scientists review macrophage activation syndrome -- a feature of the cytokine storm that kills patients with severe cases of COVID-19, as well as possible treatments.

Lockdown did not reduce 'most harmful' type of air pollution in Scotland Posted: 08 Sep 2020 09:25 AM PDT The significant reduction in vehicle journeys during the COVID-19 lockdown did not reduce the level of toxic fine particles in Scotland's air, according to experts at the University of Stirling.

COVID-19 high-risk groups: Why the immune system is less effective at fighting the virus Posted: 08 Sep 2020 08:32 AM PDT Older people and people with underlying medical conditions are at particular risk of severe COVID-19. Researchers have discovered one possible reason for this vulnerability. While these risk groups produce greater quantities of an important type of immune cell known as 'T-helper cells', their T-helper cells show impaired function. This 'molecular brake' on the immune system could serve as a potential new treatment target in patients with severe COVID-19.

Recharging N95 masks for continued usage Posted: 08 Sep 2020 08:32 AM PDT In a new article, researchers share a method to restore the filtration efficiency of N95 masks to out-of-box levels, as long as the mask is not structurally compromised.

Rare hyperinflammatory syndrome in children with COVID-19 described Posted: 08 Sep 2020 07:16 AM PDT Researchers have mapped the immune response in children affected by a rare but life-threatening inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19. The study reveals that the inflammatory response differs from that in Kawasaki disease and severe acute COVID-19.

Could singing spread COVID-19? Posted: 08 Sep 2020 07:16 AM PDT Aerosol researchers have studied the amount of particles we actually emit when we sing, and if we contribute to the increased spread of COVID-19 by singing.

COVID-stress may be hard to beat even with exercise Posted: 08 Sep 2020 06:15 AM PDT In a study of twins, people who reported increasing their physical activity after the start of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders reported higher levels of stress and anxiety than those whose activity levels stayed the same.

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