Author: healthadmin

New research published in Frontiers of human neuroscience suggest that assistive robots may work best when they share control with the user and are at a halfway point between full automation and manual operation. People with severe movement disorders, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often require constant assistance from a caregiver with daily tasks such as cooking, eating, and moving objects. Bodily assistive robots have the potential to restore independence, but many existing systems are limited to simple pre-programmed tasks. Brain-robot interfaces, which allow users to control robots using brain signals, offer a promising alternative, but are often noisy,…

Recent public health studies have found a clear link between exposure to common air pollutants and the occurrence of suicidal ideation in adults. This study suggests that chemicals found in everyday products and car exhaust can have a negative impact on human mental health. These results are Affective Disorders Journal. Suicide remains a major public health challenge worldwide. Hundreds of thousands of people die by suicide every year. Suicide rates have continued to rise in the United States over the past decade. Suicidal ideation is a term used to describe thoughts of self-harm or planning one’s own death. Experiencing such…

Microplastics are usually discussed as an ocean problem. But they also accumulate in agricultural soils, and a new scientific review claims their effects go beyond physical contamination. A research team led by Jiangsu University focuses on what happens at the microscopic level on the surface of plastic particles, where microorganisms meet, compete and exchange genes. These interactions can affect soil fertility, ecosystem recovery and the long-term sustainability of agriculture, they say.Microplastics are pieces of plastic smaller than 5 millimeters. In agricultural environments, they can arrive through the decomposition of plastic mulch, sewage sludge, irrigation water, and larger plastic…

New research published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin provides evidence that holding grudges is caused by a specific emotional cocktail that mixes both hurt feelings and anger. This finding suggests that when these two emotions are combined, victims tend to view the person who wronged them as fundamentally immoral, which fosters lasting resentment. This psychological change acts as a type of self-defense, helping people protect themselves from future harm by maintaining vigilance against those who have betrayed them. Building close social bonds is a basic need for human survival, but relationships are inevitably threatened when one party causes harm…

Psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in magic mushrooms, is of interest to scientists studying treatments for depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and some neurodegenerative diseases. Despite its potential therapeutic effects, the strong hallucinogenic effects associated with this compound may limit its scope of use in medicine. In the study published in the ACS Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, scientists created a modified form of psilocin, the active compound produced when psilocybin is processed in the body. In early studies in mice, these new molecules caused less hallucinogen-like effects than pharmaceutical-grade psilocybin, while retaining biological activity. “Our findings are consistent with a…

Recent research suggests that eating ultra-processed foods does not accelerate cognitive decline in older adults over a 10-year period. This study european nutrition journalprovides evidence that overall diet quality may be more important than specific levels of food processing in maintaining brain health as we age. These findings help uncover the complex relationship between what people eat and how their brains change over time. As the world’s population ages, the number of people living with dementia is expected to increase dramatically in the coming decades. There is currently no cure for dementia, so it is critical to identify lifestyle factors…

Accumulation of tau protein in the brain is a defining feature of Alzheimer’s disease. According to a study published March 5 in the journal Cell Press. Cell Press Blueresearchers describe a newly identified biological process that may help explain how tau accumulates. The study combined animal experiments, cell studies, and patient tissue analysis. The findings point to the important role of tannycytes, specialized brain cells that help regulate communication between the brain and the rest of the body. “Our findings reveal a previously underestimated, disease-relevant role for tanycytes in neurodegeneration,” said corresponding author Vincent Prevot from INSERM in France. “Focusing…

Environmental groups argued in court that by rolling back a bedrock climate change legal ruling, the Trump administration weakened its attack on the landmark state climate change liability law.The Trump administration’s Justice Department asked a judge to strike down Vermont’s first 2024 “Climate Superfund” policy that would require major polluters to pay damages for past global warming pollution, in part because federal law, not state law, governs greenhouse gas emissions. But last month, the Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) withdrew its findings on the endangerment, saying the science gave federal authorities the power to control the very pollutants.”They’re trying…

Scientists are using satellites to reveal which bridges around the world are at risk of collapse and how to spot problems before disaster occurs. Adding satellite monitoring to bridge inspections reduces the number of structures labeled as high-risk by about a third. About half of the bridges that are still ranked as high risk could benefit from continued observations from space. The greatest impact may be achieved in regions such as Africa and Oceania, where bridge monitoring is currently limited or almost non-existent.University of Houston researchers are helping identify weak bridges around the planet and offering new ways to address…

College students often question their faith because of the intolerance or hypocritical behavior of religious groups. These questions can increase emotional distress, but they also often foster intellectual humility and a broader search for meaning. These subtle effects of questioning your faith are detailed in a new study published in the journal Science. Psychology of religion and spirituality. Interest in religion has steadily declined in the United States over the past few decades. A growing number of young people identify as non-religious and are increasingly leaving the traditions in which they were raised. Sociologists and psychologists sometimes refer to this…