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Exposure to phthalates and high levels of stress in late pregnancy linked to premature birth

Women exposed simultaneously to stress and plastic additives late in pregnancy are at increased risk for premature birth, according to a study by Rutgers and other institutions.

14 Nov 2019

Bisphenol-s and bisphenol-f may have less impact on heart function than bisphenol-a

Some chemical alternatives to plastic bisphenol-a (BPA), which is still commonly used in medical settings such as operating rooms and intensive care units, may be less disruptive to heart electrical function than BPA, according to a pre-clinical study that explored how the structural analogues bisphenol-s (BPS) and bisphenol-f (BPF) interact with the chemical and electrical functions of heart cells.

14 Nov 2019

UCLA scientist awarded $3.5 million NIH grant to study pain-relieving effects of cannabis

Ziva Cooper, research director of the UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative, has been awarded a $3.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to conduct a five-year study assessing the pain-relieving effects of cannabis and cannabinoids, the chemicals in the cannabis plant.

14 Nov 2019

AI-driven automated system can help design biochemical pathways to produce lycopene

A new proof-of-concept study details how an automated system driven by artificial intelligence can design, build, test and learn complex biochemical pathways to efficiently produce lycopene, a red pigment found in tomatoes and commonly used as a food coloring, opening the door to a wide range of biosynthetic applications, researchers report.

13 Nov 2019

Bariatric surgery may release toxic compounds from fat into bloodstream, study reveals

Toxic man-made chemicals--such as polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides--that are absorbed into the body and stored in fat may be released into the bloodstream during the rapid fat loss that follows bariatric surgery, according to a study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

13 Nov 2019

More vapers are making their own juice, but not without risks

Danielle Jones sits at her dining room table, studying the recipe for Nerd Lyfe (v2) vape juice. The supplies she's ordered online are arrayed before her: a plastic jug of unflavored liquid nicotine, a baking scale and bottles of artificial flavors that, combined, promise to re-create the fruity taste of Nerds Rope candy in vapor form.

13 Nov 2019

Doctors issue stern warning on e-cigarette use as it can damage vital organs

E-cigarette use has increased dramatically over the last decade. With its popularity, the use of e-cigarette spans from adolescents to adults. Now, cardiologists warn against the use of e-cigarettes and how these devices cause damage to vital organs, including the heart, brain, lungs, and blood vessels.

12 Nov 2019

New tool could help detect smaller concentrations of drug powders

In 2017, more than 28,000 cases of fatal overdoses in the United States involved fentanyl. Just a pinch of the synthetic opioid, estimated to be 100 times stronger than morphine, can be lethal.

12 Nov 2019

Fresh light on why aggressive breast tumors form and how they can be treated

New research presented at the Society for Endocrinology annual conference in Brighton appears to identify novel methods of therapy for an aggressive type of breast cancer as well as uncovering potential causative factors. The focus of the study is to show how common chemicals present in our surroundings are possibly putting women at risk of a type of breast cancer called triple negative breast cancer (TNBC).

12 Nov 2019

Study finds vitamin B12 deficiency in pregnancy may induce obesity

A new study which was presented at the annual conference of Society for Endocrinology reports that vitamin B12 deficiency could disrupt the normal metabolism of fat and could indirectly contribute to weight gain and obesity in pregnancy. This emphasizes the need supplement this vitamin during pregnancy, because obesity in pregnancy is linked to a number of adverse health outcomes over the long term, including diabetes.

12 Nov 2019

Medical steroid use could push up diabetes risk

Glucocorticoids (GCs), or steroids, as they are popularly called, are often prescribed for their anti-inflammatory effects in a host of conditions including acute asthmatic attacks, allergies, and arthritis. However, are they doing good or harm?

12 Nov 2019

Lung inflammation in a case of a 16-year-old linked to vaping

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned earlier last month about the possible risk of lung inflammation from the exposure to the fluid in e-cigarettes. Now a case of a 16-year-old boy was reported with life threatening lung inflammation leading to respiratory failure.

12 Nov 2019

Future drugs aimed at halting cell-inactivation process may help prevent Parkinson's disease

In neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson's disease, a specific group of neurons start to die one by one, causing movement problems and other symptoms. Scientists have long focused on finding out why these neurons die. Now it turns out, they might not even be dead.

11 Nov 2019

Compound that may help delay onset of Alzheimer’s can be produced in baker’s yeast

Scientists prove that ergothioneine, an important compound that may be used to delay the onset of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia, can be produced in baker’s yeast.

11 Nov 2019

New light on the essential reproductive role of the clitoris

A new study focuses on the role of the clitoris in females, showing that when it is stimulated, it triggers a wave of changes within the rest of the reproductive tract. The outcome of these changes confers on the clitoris not only recreative but also reproductive importance, according to the studies.

10 Nov 2019

Indoor plants do not improve indoor air quality

A new study published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology in November says houseplants aren’t much good at removing pollutants from your home. The researchers systematically reviewed a dozen other studies, looking at factors related to indoor air quality, and especially on the contribution of potted plants to the efficient removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

10 Nov 2019

Vaping risks significant, says new review

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are still a very new thing as far as research is concerned. In other words, scientists don’t actually know much about what e-cigarettes do to the body. However, a new review on e-cigarettes and heart health, published in the journal Cardiovascular Health on November 7, 2019, says that these devices have a worrying impact on the cardiovascular system, despite the widespread perception that they are safe.

7 Nov 2019