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Researchers identify a gene that could prevent Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the destruction of a specific population of neurons: the dopaminergic neurons.

17 Mar 2022

Touch-sensing protein in the gut likely plays a key role in constipation

When we eat food, our gut somehow senses its presence to begin shifting it along our digestive tract, but the question has always been – how?

8 Mar 2022

Neural mechanisms of fatigue in COVID-19 convalescents

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers characterized the mechanisms associated with neural dysregulation in post-coronavirus disease (COVID) fatigue (pCF) by evaluating individuals recovered from mild severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

23 Feb 2022

After miscarriages, workers have few guarantees for time off or job-based help

For three years, Rachel Makkar said, she thrived in her job as a broker and asset manager at J&B Building Co. in Colorado. She excelled at her work — she said her performance reviews noted that — and she thought it was "the best place I've ever worked."

26 Jan 2022

Study finds overexpression of 3 SARS-CoV-2 genes could globally compromise transcriptome of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes

In a recent study, whole mRNA-seq was used to investigate the global effects of SARS-CoV-2 viral genes Nsp6, Nsp8, and M on the transcriptome of hPSC-CMs.

26 Jan 2022

Oral supplement appears to promote muscle endurance and mitochondrial health in humans

An oral supplement intended to stimulate a natural body process appears to promote muscle endurance and mitochondrial health in humans.

20 Jan 2022

Scientists receive grants to advance research on imaging system to monitor uterine contractions

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received three grants totaling more than $6.8 million to advance research on a novel imaging system to monitor uterine contractions.

10 Jan 2022

Model of neuromuscular junction could accelerate new treatments for neuromuscular diseases

The neuromuscular junction - where nerves and muscle fibers meet - is an essential synapse for muscle contraction and movement.

6 Jan 2022

Study identifies genetic causes of sudden unexplained deaths in children aged 1 year and older

A new study found that changes in specific genes may contribute each year to the roughly 400 sudden unexplained deaths in children (SUDC) aged 1 year and older—and separately from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

20 Dec 2021

COVID-19 pandemic linked to higher blood pressure levels among middle-aged U.S. adults

The COVID-19 pandemic is associated with higher blood pressure levels among middle-aged adults across the U.S., according to new research published today in the American Heart Association's flagship journal Circulation.

6 Dec 2021

Study finds beneficial and harmful short-term health effects of caffeinated coffee consumption

Drinking caffeinated coffee appears to have both beneficial and harmful short-term health effects: increased abnormal heartbeats, increased physical activity and reduced sleep duration, according to late-breaking research presented today at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2021.

15 Nov 2021

Fetal heart rate monitoring is feasible, accurate for managing high-risk pregnancies

New research presented this week at ACR Convergence, the American College of Rheumatology's annual meeting, shows that heart rate monitoring is a feasible, accurate tool to check for heart rhythm abnormalities in the fetuses of pregnant women with anti-Ro/SSA antibodies.

2 Nov 2021

Researchers discover crucial role of glial cells in maintaining healthy gut immunity

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have uncovered a fundamental role of glial cells in the nervous system of the gut in maintaining a healthy intestine.

20 Oct 2021

Chewing gum after cardiac surgery may accelerate the return of gut function

Chewing gum after heart surgery may kickstart the digestive tract, helping patients feel better and potentially be discharged sooner than those who don't use this generally safe and simple intervention, according to research presented today at the 18th Annual Perioperative and Critical Care Conference from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

10 Sep 2021

Magnetic beads could offer much more precise control of prosthetic limbs

For people with amputation who have prosthetic limbs, one of the greatest challenges is controlling the prosthesis so that it moves the same way a natural limb would. Most prosthetic limbs are controlled using electromyography, a way of recording electrical activity from the muscles, but this approach provides only limited control of the prosthesis.

19 Aug 2021

15-minute web tutorial can help women develop healthy bladder control habits

If your bladder leaks when you cough, sneeze or laugh, or every time you come home--even if you left 10 minutes ago--you’re not alone.

18 Aug 2021

Study explains how the ‘first brain’ works in the gut

New research explains how the nervous system in the gut causes propulsion along the gut, highlighting similar behavior to other neural networks in the brain and spinal cord.

11 Aug 2021

Artificial stomach provides deeper understanding of how physical forces influence food digestion

In efforts to fight obesity and enhance drug absorption, scientists have extensively studied how gastric juices in the stomach break down ingested food and other substances. However, less is known about how the complex flow patterns and mechanical stresses produced in the stomach contribute to digestion.

3 Aug 2021

12,000 square miles without obstetrics? It’s a possibility in West Texas

The message from Big Bend Regional Medical Center was stark: The only hospital in a sparsely populated region of far West Texas notified local physicians last month that because of a nursing shortage its labor and delivery unit needed to temporarily close its doors and that women in labor should instead be sent to the next closest hospital — an hour's drive away.

2 Aug 2021

Study reports no link between coffee consumption and cardiac arrhythmia

In the largest study of its kind, an investigation by UC San Francisco has found no evidence that moderate coffee consumption can cause cardiac arrhythmia.

20 Jul 2021