Author: healthadmin
This time of year is exam season, which leaves many young people feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or under immense pressure to perform. Researchers and psychologists at the University of Bath say a free online mental health support tool can provide immediate support to stressed students in just one use. The tool is available online at unlockwellbeing.org.uk and is free and accessible from any device over the internet. Professor Maria Rhodes, a clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath, said: “One of the important things we see clinically is that stress can cause teens to stop doing…
The Pistoia Alliance, a global nonprofit organization advocating for greater collaboration in life sciences research and development, released new polling data showing that trust and regulatory uncertainty are the biggest barriers to implementing AI in clinical trials, cited by half (50%) of respondents. The poll was conducted at the Clinical Trials Technology Council (CTTC) in London, where the Alliance hosted a panel discussion with regulators from the MHRA, the Danish Medicines Agency and the Swedish Medicines Agency. Left to right: Andrea Manfrin, MHRA Deputy Director of Clinical Investigation; Lisbeth Bregnhoj, Danish Medicines Agency GCP Inspector. Gabriel Westman, Head of AI…
Chronic fatigue is becoming increasingly common in modern life as people juggle heavier workloads with less downtime. Fatigue is often caused by stress and lack of sleep, but nutritional deficiencies may also play a role, researchers say. A research team led by Professor Hiroaki Shikauchi of the Graduate School of Human Life Ecology at Osaka Metropolitan University investigated whether deficiencies in certain vitamins could be related to fatigue and motivation levels. Scientists focused on folic acid (B9) and vitamin B12. These two nutrients help regulate homocysteine (Hcy), a substance that increases in the blood when these vitamins are deficient. Blood…
Sino Biological, Inc. announced that its gene synthesis and cell-free protein expression workflow was used in recent research by Tencent AI for Life Sciences Lab published in Nature Communications, enabling rapid validation of AI-designed proteins with increased activity, stability, and multifunctionality. Bridging AI protein design and experimental validation Artificial intelligence has accelerated the design of amino acid sequences for proteins, but translating these computational designs into functional proteins remains a key challenge in protein engineering. Protein activity, stability, folding, and expression are influenced by complex structural and biochemical factors, often leading to discrepancies between in silico predictions and experiments. To…
Scientists at the University of Cambridge have created a small lab-built brain and spinal cord system that mimics the way motor signals pass through the human nervous system. Using this model, the research team discovered that nerve damage previously thought to be permanent may actually be reversible under certain conditions. As the human body grows from fetus to fetus and finally to infant, neurons form a complex communication network between the brain and spinal cord. These signals travel through axons, long nerve fibers that allow neurons to send messages and control muscle movement. However, over time, the central nervous system…
JMIR Publications today published a feature article on the emerging field of biocomputing in its News and Outlook section. “Biocomputing: Beyond the Hype,” written by science journalist Simon Spichak MA, explores how biotech companies such as Cortical Labs and FinalSpark are harnessing human brain cells into electrodes to perform computational functions and test the cells’ responses to electrical and chemical stimuli. To create a biocomputer, scientists grow organoids (in this case, tiny spheres of neural tissue) on top of multiple electrode arrays inside a hardware shell. This can be used for everything from testing drugs to playing video games. Applications…
Research has found that air pollution is slowing the growth of British children’s lungs. Scientists tracked the lung function of more than 5,000 people born in and around Bristol in the 1990s. Their health was assessed from birth, their lungs tested as they grew between ages 8 and 15, and then at age 24, when they should have reached their peak lung function as adults.Professor Anna Hansell from the University of Leicester, who led the research, said: ‘While much of the evidence on the health effects of air pollution concerns adults or pregnancy, we think it is very likely that…
New research published in natural earth science The Antarctic ice sheet underwent dramatic changes about a million years ago, suggesting it has become more sensitive to changes in Earth’s climate. The study, led by scientists at the IBS Center for Climate Physics (ICCP) at Busan National University in South Korea, provides new insights into how large ice sheets respond to long-term climate change and what this means for future sea level rise. Currently, Antarctica has the largest ice mass on Earth and plays a major role in regulating global sea levels. About a million years ago, the Earth experienced a…
A comprehensive study of four mammals shows that aging leaves a common molecular fingerprint, opening new ways to measure biological decline, compare interventions, and uncover pathways that may shape a healthier lifespan. Research: Universal transcriptomic signatures of mammalian aging and mortality. Image credit: Igor Kyrlytsya / Shutterstock In a recent study published in the journal naturean international research team has identified universal transcriptomic signatures of aging and mortality across mammalian species and developed a molecular clock that can predict lifespan, associations with chronic diseases and human outcomes, and transcriptomic markers of biological aging. Molecular aging across species As the population…
Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, has received attention from scientists studying Alzheimer’s disease. New research suggests that cannabis-derived compounds may help reduce harmful inflammation in the brain, a process increasingly thought to play a key role in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and is a disease that gradually damages memory, thinking, and behavior. For years, most Alzheimer’s disease research has focused on the accumulation of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain. These abnormal protein clumps are considered a hallmark sign of disease. However, many researchers now believe that chronic…