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West Virginia University study examines common triggers for anxious driving

West Virginia University researchers say driving anxiety, one of the most common phobias, is triggered by a variety of circumstances that can lead to panic attacks and an avoidance of the open road during the summer traveling season and at other times of the year.

24 Jul 2026

Microglia found to drive sleep loss in Alzheimer’s

There’s a small fire isolated in your kitchen. If you had the right tool, you might be able to put it out. But before you can, the sprinklers turn on and flood your entire house.

24 Jul 2026

Poor premature infant growth linked to lasting brain abnormalities

Research led by the University of Granada (UGR) paves the way for new intervention and monitoring strategies for this high-risk population.

24 Jul 2026

Spontaneous brain state fluctuations influence real-time memory formation

Most everyday moments are quickly forgotten, while others stay with us for a lifetime. How the brain determines which memories are retained and which are lost remains an open question.

24 Jul 2026

Cambridge scientists solve brain puzzle behind popular obesity drugs

Cambridge scientists have solved the mystery of why both stimulating and blocking a particular 'switch' in the brain can help people lose weight – findings which could help boost the effectiveness of obesity drugs.

24 Jul 2026

Researchers discover molecule to fight age-related muscle decline

Skeletal muscle is one of the first tissues to decline with age. This decline can lead to weakness, scarring, fat accumulation inside muscle, and the loss of fast-twitch muscle fibers that are important for quick and powerful movements.

24 Jul 2026

Oral drug candidate blocks transmission of measles-like disease in ferrets

A new oral antiviral drug candidate administered either before or after direct contact or airborne exposure to canine distemper virus, which causes measles-like disease in ferrets, blocks transmission of the virus and reduces clinical symptoms, according to a study published in the journal Nature Microbiology by researchers in the Center for Translational Antiviral Research (CTAR) at Georgia State University.

24 Jul 2026

Semaglutide and tirzepatide linked to fewer alcohol-related hospital visits

Newer GLP-1 receptor agonists, including semaglutide and tirzepatide, were associated with fewer alcohol-related ED visits or hospitalizations among adults with alcohol use disorder and type 2 diabetes or obesity.

24 Jul 2026

Siemens Healthineers launches an industry-leading menu for core lab capillary testing on Atellica analyzers with claims for 24 assays

Siemens Healthineers announced today that it has launched capillary testing on the Atellica CH, IM, and CI Analyzers after receiving CE-mark for 24 capillary blood testing claims, an advancement for capillary testing that offers clinical labs greater confidence in test results and higher throughput.

From Siemens Healthineers 24 Jul 2026

AI redesign helps enzymes evolve beyond natural limits

Researchers showed that AI-redesigned botulinum neurotoxin proteases provided more stable starting points for directed evolution, allowing enzymes to access beneficial mutations that were poorly tolerated in wild-type backgrounds. In BoNT/E models, the approach improved activity, evolvability, and specificity, including an ataxin-2-targeting variant with markedly reduced cleavage of the native SNAP25 substrate.

24 Jul 2026

Two heart nerve cell types sustain cardiac stability in mice

Researchers identified two major intrinsic cardiac neuron populations in mice: Npy-positive neurons regulate parasympathetic heart rate control and support coronary perfusion, while Ddah1-positive neurons help maintain electrical stability during extreme stress. Removing Npy-positive neurons caused fatal cardiac failure, whereas loss of Ddah1-positive neurons increased susceptibility to malignant arrhythmias and sudden cardiac arrest under stress.

23 Jul 2026

Persistent financial hardship accelerates age-related cognitive decline

Persistent financial hardship accelerates age-related cognitive decline, according to a new study led by University College London (UCL) researchers.

23 Jul 2026

Study provides a practical recall-by-genotype strategy for precision psychiatry research

Clinical biobanks that combine genomic data with electronic health records (EHRs) have become powerful resources for discovering genetic variants associated with disease.

23 Jul 2026

Study sheds light on emerging bacterial cause of urinary tract infections

New research from the University of South Alabama is shedding light on an emerging bacterial cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs) that appears to be more common along the Gulf Coast than previously recognized.

23 Jul 2026

Study uncovers biological differences behind co-occurring conditions of Down syndrome

In a groundbreaking new study published in Nature Communications, researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome (Crnic Institute) discovered unique biological processes altered among individuals with Down syndrome who have different sets of co-occurring conditions.

23 Jul 2026

Targeting acid ceramidase could improve healthy aging and longevity

Our population is aging. The United Nations reports that by 2050, the number of people over the age of 85 on our planet is set to triple.

23 Jul 2026

Endotrophin may reveal metabolic risks linked to changing body fat

Researchers have identified a biological marker that rises and falls as body fat changes, offering new insight into how weight gain and weight loss may influence metabolic health.

23 Jul 2026

Longer activity bouts link to lower future dementia and mental health risks

A UK Biobank analysis of 66,483 adults found that longer daily moderate-to-vigorous activity bouts and less fragmented activity were associated with lower subsequent risks of inpatient diagnoses of dementia, depression, and anxiety, independent of total activity time. In neuroimaging data from 13,108 participants, these activity patterns were also associated with more favorable brain measures, although the observational analyses cannot establish cause and effect.

23 Jul 2026

Evidence shows artificial sweeteners cannot be judged as a single group

This narrative review found that non-nutritive artificial sweeteners have compound-specific and context-dependent associations with gut microbiota, metabolism, and health-related outcomes. Evidence does not support treating all sweeteners as uniformly harmful or safe, with human findings often limited or inconsistent.

23 Jul 2026

Higher neuroticism may curb strenuous exercise, genetic analysis suggests

Researchers used a UK survey and genetic data to examine whether higher neuroticism is associated with lower exercise engagement. Under the study’s Mendelian randomization assumptions, higher neuroticism was estimated to reduce participation in moderate and vigorous physical activity, while conscientiousness may lessen this effect.

23 Jul 2026