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Study uncovers brain mechanism that drives sustained motivation

What enables us to sustain effort toward goals, even when the task becomes increasingly difficult? A recent study by researchers at Nagoya University in Japan revealed the underlying brain mechanism, showing that orexin neurons play a crucial role in driving and regulating motivated behavior.

3 Aug 2026

Gut microbiome shifts may begin before Alzheimer’s symptoms appear

A narrative review links reduced SCFA-producing gut bacteria and altered microbial metabolism with Alzheimer’s disease, while early evidence suggests similar changes may appear before cognitive symptoms. Mediterranean, DASH, MIND, and prudent diets are associated with beneficial microbial profiles, but direct evidence connecting diet, the microbiome, and amyloid pathology remains limited.

3 Aug 2026

Children remain more vulnerable to influenza despite protective antibody levels

Researchers analyzing 1,518 South African household participants found that higher pre-season antibody titers were associated with lower infection risk for three of four influenza viruses studied. Children remained more susceptible after accounting for measured exposure and antibody titers, while younger children shed viral RNA longer than older adults.

3 Aug 2026

A 10-country survey finds an unexpected air pollution awareness gap

Researchers surveyed 10,618 adults across 1,372 localities in the world’s 10 most populous countries and matched their responses with average 2019-2021 PM2.5 concentrations. Higher PM2.5 exposure was associated with lower air-quality knowledge but greater concern and more frequent protective behaviors, with patterns differing across demographic groups.

2 Aug 2026

Daily tomatoes lowered a key marker of liver fat in MASLD trial

An exploratory randomized trial found that 200 g of raw tomatoes plus 50 g of tomato sauce daily for six weeks produced a greater reduction in CAP-defined hepatic steatosis than a tomato-free diet in adults with MASLD. The improvement occurred without major weight or metabolic changes, but larger and longer trials are needed to confirm its clinical significance.

2 Aug 2026

Review challenges common breastfeeding myths in early postnatal care

An evidence review of international research suggests widespread misconceptions within the medical community about early milk production, pacifiers and breast pumps may be undermining breastfeeding success in the critical first days after birth.

2 Aug 2026

RNA-based therapeutic strategy targets brain pathway behind cancer-associated cachexia

A new path has opened toward stopping cancer-associated cachexia, a devastating complication that gradually wastes patients away.

2 Aug 2026

Daytime cortisol patterns track cognitive decline but not Alzheimer’s disease risk

In 3,895 older adults, moderate daytime cortisol variability was associated with better cognition and slower decline, while the highest daily cortisol exposure was linked to poorer cognition and faster decline. Cortisol patterns differed between Black and White participants, but their relationships with cognition were similar, and none predicted incident Alzheimer’s disease.

2 Aug 2026

Study links higher body fat to lower sperm counts despite normal BMI

Among 1,058 Danish men, higher body fat percentage was associated with lower total sperm count and altered reproductive hormone levels, but not testicular volume. Body fat percentage showed stronger links with several semen measures than BMI or waist-to-height ratio, with the sperm-count association strengthening among men with normal BMI.

2 Aug 2026

Persistent financial hardship tracks with poorer memory and processing speed by midlife

Researchers linked persistent low income and financial hardship across early and mid-adulthood to poorer processing speed and verbal memory at age 53 in a British birth cohort. Neuroimaging suggested greater vulnerability to later brain atrophy among men, people from disadvantaged childhood backgrounds, and APOE-ε4 carriers, although these subgroup findings require replication.

2 Aug 2026

Blocking xenophagocytosis improves donor cell survival and interspecies organ generation

Xenophagocytosis is a natural immune process that limits interspecies organ generation by eliminating living donor cells, report researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan.

31 Jul 2026

Review outlines effective approaches to reduce recurrent hepatic encephalopathy

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a neurologic complication of advanced liver disease, causing impaired functioning, reduced quality of life (QOL), and increased hospitalisation and mortality.

31 Jul 2026

Researchers uncover hierarchical sensory processing system in the zebrafish brain

How does the brain make sense of what we see, hear, and feel—and transform these separate signals into a coherent perception of the world?

31 Jul 2026

New discovery advances sustainable production of plant-based medicines

Two plants that cause neurotoxicity and paralysis in the tiniest doses are also known to counter pain, malaria, cancer and pests.

31 Jul 2026

Ketamine boosts neuroplasticity through microglia in female brains

Doctors use ketamine on patients as general anesthesia before surgery. They also prescribe it in low doses for pain management, and more recently, it's been used for treatment-resistant depression where other drugs have failed.

31 Jul 2026

Study offers a potential strategy to make nanoparticle-based cancer drugs more effective

A new study led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has identified a way to reshape the gut microbiome that can enhance the delivery of certain chemotherapies to tumors, offering a potential strategy to make nanoparticle-based cancer drugs more effective.

31 Jul 2026