Author: healthadmin

Texas already leads the nation in electricity generation from natural gas, coal and wind, and has surpassed California for the top spot in utility-scale solar power generation. Texas generated 58,634 gigawatt hours of utility-scale solar power, enough to surpass California’s 53,713 gigawatt-hours, according to 2025 data released last week by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. However, California can continue to assert its leading edge in small-scale solar power, which the EIA defines as projects with a capacity of less than 1 megawatt. And when you look at total business size and small-scale solar generation, California still leads the way. I…

Researchers at Graz University of Technology are using virtual reality and large-scale language models to support social skills training in people with autism spectrum disorders. This system aims to make treatment options more widely available. The number of people affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasing worldwide. Research shows that 1 in 44 children is diagnosed with this disease. The central symptom is so-called “social blindness,” the inability to recognize the emotions of others and respond appropriately to social situations. Appropriate treatment is usually based on one-on-one or small group support, but this is only available to a limited…

Inflammatory osteolysis is a condition that involves progressive bone tissue destruction and is observed in many well-known skeletal diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, and chronic apical periodontitis. This condition is caused by immune overactivation, a sustained immune response, and an increased number of bone-degrading osteoclasts, which together cause inflammation and weakening of the affected bone tissue. Bone contains large amounts of copper, as copper is an essential element for the deposition of collagen in bone tissue. However, excess cellular copper disrupts glucose and glycogen metabolic pathways, causing cuproptosis, a form of programmed cell death. Recent studies have found that…

Probiotic skin care products are claimed to have benefits ranging from anti-aging to mood-enhancing, so researchers reviewed the scientific evidence and found that while some probiotic strains can affect mental health when ingested, there is currently no evidence that applying them to the skin affects mental well-being. Research: Neurocosmetics or hype? The psychobiological potential of strain-specific cosmetics. Image credit: polinaloves/Shutterstock.com The growing popularity of probiotic skin care has raised questions about ethical and safe research support. Cosmetic marketing now claims medical benefits beyond simple skin care, such as immunomodulatory and neuroactive properties. Recent articles published in journals nutrients examines these…

People who use drugs with anticholinergic properties, such as certain antidepressants, urinary incontinence drugs, and common antihistamines, are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. This is shown in a new study published by Karolinska Institutet. BMC Medicine. Anticholinergic drugs reduce the effects of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and are commonly prescribed to middle-aged and elderly people. This large group of drugs includes antihistamines used for allergy symptoms, anxiety or insomnia, urinary incontinence medications, and certain antidepressants. Tricyclic antidepressants have strong anticholinergic effects, whereas SSRIs have weaker effects. High cumulative use of these drugs, called anticholinergic burden (see fact box), has…

Amazon Web Services is moving deeper into agent-based artificial intelligence for healthcare, targeting common administrative tasks such as scheduling, medical history, clinical documentation, and coding. Amazon Connect Health, an agent-based AI solution, is the first AWS solution specifically for healthcare providers, the company announced Thursday. Developed for healthcare providers and health technology companies, Amazon Connect Health provides five agent AI capabilities that use natural language voice technology to support administrative tasks such as patient identification and appointment scheduling for call center staff, while reducing manual work for clinicians by synthesizing patient medical histories and leveraging ambient technology to transcribe consultations.…

Young people who experience high levels of social anxiety show a distinct pattern of increased activity in the brain’s visual centers and changes in communication. Recognizing these early neurological changes may ultimately allow doctors to detect and treat severe social anxiety before it develops fully. These findings were recently published in the journal Psychiatric research: neuroimaging. Social anxiety disorder involves an intense and persistent fear of social situations in which you may be judged by others. This condition often begins in childhood or early adulthood and can have a serious impact on relationships, education, and quality of life. Many young…

Even after the virus disappears, some people continue to experience changes in taste. A new study suggests that subtle molecular changes in taste receptor cells, rather than visual damage, may explain why sweet, umami, and bitter tastes remain disrupted after infection with the coronavirus. Study: Taste disturbance in long-term COVID-19 infection. Image credit: DimaBerlin/Shutterstock.com Some long-term patients with COVID-19 report persistent taste changes, but the objective deficit and the underlying disease process remain unclear. Recent research published in journals chemical sense Investigate these areas. How SARS-CoV-2 infection disrupts taste sensation Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, which caused…

“Current assessments of heat tolerance in insects such as moths, flies and beetles paint a different and at the same time alarming picture,” says study author Kim Holzmann, Ph.D., researcher and chair of the Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology at the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU). This study suggests that insects do not simply adjust their heat tolerance to suit their environment. “While high-altitude species can increase their heat tolerance, at least in the short term, many lowland species have very little of this ability,” Holzman explains. Climate change threatens the key role of ecosystems The survey results are natureindicating…

Recent research published in Social psychology and personality science This suggests that people who are both politically active and also believe in conspiracy theories are most likely to justify political violence. The findings provide evidence that while conspiracy theories alone do not lead to violence, they can be dangerous when combined with active political engagement. This means that spreading unconfirmed narratives among already mobilized political groups tends to create a volatile environment. Political participation is generally considered a healthy part of a democratic society. Standard political engagement, known as normative political behavior, involves behavior that follows social rules and laws.…