Culture
Astronauts go through many physiological changes during their time in spaceflight, including lower muscle mass and slower muscle development. Similar symptoms can occur in the muscles of people on Earth's surface, too. In fact, it could affect everyone to some extent later in life.
"Age-related skeletal muscle disorders, such as sarcopenia, are becoming a greater concern in society," said Hiroshima University (HU) Professor and Space Bio-Laboratories Director Louis Yuge. "It is especially a big concern in Japan, where the number of aging people is increasing."
Despite substantial progress over the past half a century in understanding of how galaxies form, important open questions remain regarding how precisely the diffuse gas known as the 'intergalactic medium' is converted into stars. One possibility, suggested in recent theoretical models, is that the early phase of galaxy formation involves an epoch when galaxies contain a great amount of gas but are still inefficient at forming stars. Direct proof of such a 'Dark Phase' has been so far elusive, however --- after all, dark galaxies do not emit much visible light.
The traditional diet of people in Mediterranean countries has been linked to numerous health benefits and has been shown to cut the risk of obesity. Although popular elsewhere, this healthy eating pattern is relatively new to the USA. New research being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Vienna, Austria (23-26 May) uses geospatial techniques to identify which US states have the greatest adherence to this Mediterranean-style of eating.
Young people who watch one extra junk-food advert a week (over the average of six) consume an additional 350 calories in foods high in salt, sugar, and fat (HFSS) every week (18,000 each year), according to the largest study of its kind in the UK involving over 3,300 teens aged 11 to 19 years.
Successful weight loss maintainers have different behavioural and physiological responses to food than people with obesity and their lean counterparts, according to new research by the University of Birmingham and the University of Amsterdam being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Vienna, Austria (23-26 May).
The findings indicate that a reduced physiological response to highly palatable foods such as pizza, and reduced sensitivity towards "winning" foods, may help explain why some individuals are able to successfully lose weight in the long-term.
The many threats facing bumblebees can be tested using a "virtual safe space" created by scientists at the University of Exeter.
Bumble-BEEHAVE provides a computer simulation of how colonies will develop and react to multiple factors including pesticides, parasites and habitat loss.
Patients with low-back pain are better off seeing a physical therapist first, according to a study of 150,000 insurance claims.
The study, published in Health Services Research, found that those who saw a physical therapist at the first point of care had an 89 percent lower probability of receiving an opioid prescription, a 28 percent lower probability of having advanced imaging services, and a 15 percent lower probability of an emergency department visit - but a 19 percent higher probability of hospitalization.
Despite stereotypes that paint millennials as "all technology, all the time," young people may still prefer curling up with a paper book over their e-reader -- even more so than their older counterparts -- according to a new study from the University of Arizona that explores consumers' psychological perceptions of e-book ownership.
The study also found that adult consumers across all age groups perceive ownership of e-books very differently than ownership of physical books, and this could have important implications for those in the business of selling digital texts.
Researchers have identified a new inherited neurodevelopmental disease that causes slow growth, seizures and learning difficulties in humans.
Writing in the journal eLife, the team reveals that this disease is caused by a recessive mutation in CAMK2A - a gene that is well known for its role in regulating learning and memory in animals. The findings suggest that dysfunctional CAMK2 genes may contribute to other neurological disorders, such as epilepsy and autism, opening up potential new avenues for treating these conditions.
Compared with fiscal austerity measures currently being implemented in Brazil, the maintenance of social protection could result in a reduction in childhood mortality by 8.6% in 2030, according to simulations published this week in PLOS Medicine by Davide Rasella of the Universidade Federal da Bahia, Brazil, and colleagues.
Cutbacks to social programmes in Brazil could lead to more avoidable childhood hospitalisations and deaths compared to maintaining current funding.
The findings come from new research, published this week in the journal PLOS Medicine and led by researchers at Imperial College London and Universidade Federal da Bahia in Brazil.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - A study by MIT researchers has uncovered a new way of telling how well people are learning English: tracking their eyes.
That's right. Using data generated by cameras trained on readers' eyes, the research team has found that patterns of eye movement -- particularly how long people's eyes rest on certain words -- correlate strongly with performance on standardized tests of English as a second language.
DURHAM, N.C. -- When the malaria-causing Plasmodium parasite first slips into the human bloodstream, injected by the bite of an infected mosquito, it does not immediately target red blood cells.
Instead, it seeks refuge inside the liver and rapidly reproduces, copying itself as many as 30,000 times in the span of 48 hours.
After building strength in numbers, the parasite leaves the liver and escapes into the blood stream, invading red blood cells and triggering the devastating disease.
The United States is increasingly diverse ethnically and racially. Studies have shown that for young people, simply being around peers from different ethnic and racial backgrounds may not be enough to improve attitudes toward and relationships with other groups. Instead, children and adolescents also need to value spending time and forming relationships with peers from diverse groups.
Lifetime risks of developing Alzheimer's disease dementia vary considerably by age, gender and whether any signs or symptoms of dementia are present, according to a new study published online by Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association.