Author: healthadmin

A Mediterranean-style diet may influence aging through an unexpected biological pathway involving small proteins produced within mitochondria, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Southern California’s Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. Although mitochondria are best known as the energy-producing structures within cells, scientists are increasingly recognizing that they also release chemical signals that influence metabolism, inflammation, stress responses, and aging. Researchers found that older adults who followed a diet most similar to the Mediterranean diet had higher blood levels of two mitochondrial microproteins called humanin and SHMOOSE. Both have long been linked to protection against…

Recent research published in journals neuroimage When people collaborate on a video game, their brain activity matches up, but the results suggest that this synchronization doesn’t necessarily result in improved performance. The findings show that the way the human brain works together during teamwork is highly complex. This provides evidence that shared brain patterns may not directly cause successful collaboration. When people interact, their brain waves often begin to match in real time. This phenomenon is known as interbrain synchronization. To study this, scientists use a technique called hyperscan. This allows the brain activity of multiple people to be recorded…

Mind-body practices like aerobic exercise and yoga can reduce anxiety and temporarily boost your mood, but they require your heart to beat to trigger the release of certain biomolecules. These results, published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology, show that while diverse workout routines offer psychological benefits, the underlying internal processes differ depending on the activity. Physical activity triggers a cascade of physiological responses throughout the human body. Among these responses is the release of excelkine, a signaling molecule secreted into the bloodstream by tissues during exercise. Researchers study these molecules to understand exactly how working out improves mental health and cognitive…

“Turn off the TV, your brain will rot!” has been a household refrain for decades. “Corrupt” may be too strong a word, but researchers are finding that there may be some benefit to the overall sentiment. In a recently published study, Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia: Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association Researchers found that people who reported watching TV “very frequently” in midlife later had reduced volume in brain regions associated with memory, smaller frontal and occipital lobes, and areas of brain white matter damage associated with aging, stroke risk, cognitive decline, and dementia. For years, we’ve focused on how…

North Carolina plays an outsized role in America’s perennial chemical water pollution crisis, with much of the attention focused on chemical company Chemours’ Fayetteville plant.Company officials acknowledged that the plant permanently discharged chemicals into the Cape Fear River for decades, primarily under DuPont control, before spinning off Chemours amid mounting legal liability. These emissions contaminated a major drinking water source in Wilmington and the surrounding area, and air emissions carrying PFAS contaminated groundwater around the plant.Chemours is currently focusing on a high-profile U.S. Senate race in North Carolina, with its corporate political action committee donating $5,000 to Republican candidate Michael…

Scientists have long known that the human brain continues to develop well beyond the teenage years, with important changes involving decision-making and emotional regulation continuing into our mid-to-late 20s. Now, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine have for the first time identified a biological process in mice that provides new insight into how memory circuits mature during this long period of brain development. Published today is PLOS Biologyin this study, found that key memory areas in the mouse brain undergo an unexpected period of remodeling during late adolescence. As these changes become apparent, memories formed early in life become…

Many of the world’s leading causes of irreversible blindness, such as glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, have a common problem: fluid, waste, and inflammatory debris build up at the back of the eye. But for decades, scientists lacked a clear understanding of how the eye removes this waste. A new study from the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto has identified what appears to be a missing piece of the puzzle: a previously unknown waste elimination system deep in the back of the eye. A hidden circulatory pathway called the posterior ocular lymph outflow tract (POLO pathway)…

According to the American Heart Association, when cardiac arrest occurs outside of a hospital, survival rates remain unacceptably low, often because cardiopulmonary resuscitation is not immediately performed. For the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, Major League Baseball (MLB) and the American Heart Association teamed up to change that reality by providing fans with life-saving skills. During All-Star Week, fans visiting Philadelphia’s Capital One All-Star Village were treated to hands-on CPR instruction from certified trainers. Throughout the event, participants received walk-up instruction and learned the simple life-saving skills needed to confidently respond to cardiac emergencies. This activation gave fans the knowledge and…

Reduced physical activity is negatively impacting the health of American children and contributing to rising obesity rates across the country. Obesity among young people increased by about 30% between 1999 and 2023, and severe obesity increased by 50%, according to a new study published in the American Heart Association’s flagship journal Circulation. To help more students get active, the American Heart Association and the National Football League (NFL) recently awarded NFL PLAY 60 grants to 164 schools in 44 states through the association’s school-based programs, Kids Heart Challenge™ and American Heart Challenge™. This is the third NFL PLAY 60 grant…

Using chikungunya virus (CHIKV) as a model target, the research team developed a multisite bridging-mediated lateral flow immunoassay (mbLFIA) that enables sensitive and portable detection of mosquito-borne viruses. By redesigning the nucleic acid amplification product to create multiple cross-linking sites and combining this strategy with gold@platinum nanoparticle-based colorimetric enhancement, the method achieved visual detection limits as low as 2 pmol·L−1 for CHIKV. This study provides a promising diagnostic platform for rapid field testing, outbreak surveillance, and infection control, especially in areas where traditional laboratory equipment is difficult to access and resources are limited.Mosquito-borne viruses such as CHIKV, dengue virus, Zika…