Culture
Cholesterol levels are declining sharply in western nations, but rising in low- and middle-income nations - particularly in Asia, according to a study of global cholesterol levels, which involve researchers at the University of Gothenburg.
The new study, by hundreds of researchers from across the world was led by Imperial College London and published in the journal Nature. One of the authors is Annika Rosengren, Professor in Medicine at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.
The share of the population at increased risk (with at least one underlying health condition relevant to COVID-19) is highest in countries with ageing populations, African countries with high HIV/AIDS prevalence, and small island nations with high diabetes prevalence.
The share of the population with an underlying health condition varies by age, from less than 5% of those under 20, to over 66% of those aged 70 and above.
Bloomington, Ind. and Chicago, Ill. -- Results from a new study show that risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes were similar when participants consumed a healthy US-style eating pattern with and without an additional 5.3 ounces of lean beef. The added beef replaced carbohydrates, primarily refined starches. All participants were considered at risk for type 2 diabetes and followed a healthy diet as outlined by the 2015 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and separately a similar diet modified to have a larger portion of calories from lean beef in random order.
Despite the active ongoing taxonomic progress on Madagascar's frogs, the amphibian inventory of this hyper-diverse island is still very far from being complete. The known diversity of the diamond frog genus Rhombophryne in Madagascar has increased significantly (more than doubled!) over the last 10 years, but still there are several undescribed candidate species awaiting description. New species are constantly being discovered in Madagascar, often even within already well-studied areas.
As lockdown requirements ease, COVID-19 is changing the way we use indoor spaces. That presents challenges for those who manage those spaces, from homes to offices and factories.
Not least among these challenges is heating and cooling, which is the largest consumer of energy in American homes and commercial buildings. There's a need for smarter, more flexible climate control that keeps us comfortable without heating and cooling entire empty buildings.
LA JOLLA, CA--A team led by Scripps Research has discovered antibodies in the blood of recovered COVID-19 patients that provide powerful protection against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes the disease, when tested in animals and human cell cultures.
A trio of papers describes several newly discovered human antibodies that target the SARS-CoV-2 virus, isolated from survivors of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV infection. Several of these antibodies showed protective, neutralizing capabilities, offering promising therapeutic leads, and eight antibodies from one analysis were discovered to cross-react with a related bat-specific coronavirus - with implications for the identification of broadly neutralizing antibodies to protect against potential new coronavirus outbreaks in the future.
SARASOTA, Fla. (June 15, 2020) - A recently published nationwide study by two University of South Florida professors indicates that blacks are five times more likely and Latinos four times more likely to fear police brutality than whites.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A mouse study by Craig Powell, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues suggests that early genetic rescue may be a potential therapy in autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. Powell looked at one gene called SHANK3, whose alteration is seen in about 0.5 percent of ASD patients.
PHILADELPHIA (June 15, 2020) - There are close to 28 million nurses around the world who comprise a global workforce that delivers about 90 percent of primary healthcare, including frontline response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ensuring their optimal contribution and continued well-being amid the myriad consequences of COVID-19 will increase the potential for measurable and improved health outcomes.
Social connection with others is critical to a person's mental and physical well-being. How the brain maps relationships with other people in relation to one's self has long been a mystery. A Dartmouth study finds that the closer you feel to people emotionally, the more similarly you represent them in your brain. In contrast, people who feel social disconnection appear to have a lonelier, neural self-representation.
Of the more than 275,000 people worldwide who accessed a USC web-based COVID-19 patient self-assessment tool, only 20 percent of those reporting COVID-19 symptoms had ones severe enough to require immediate medical attention, according to new research published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
A new treatment for stress which combines mindfulness with hypnotherapy has shown positive results in a Baylor University pilot study.
The intervention is called "mindful hypnotherapy."
Social media sites aren't the only things that keep track of your social network -- your brain does, too. But loneliness alters how the brain represents relationships, according to new research published in JNeurosci.
A brain region called the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) maintains a structured map of a person's social circles, based on closeness. People that struggle with loneliness often perceive a gap between themselves and others. This gap is reflected by the activity patterns of the mPFC.
What The Study Did: This is a quality improvement study that examines the effects of sterilization with hydrogen peroxide and chlorine dioxide on the filtration efficiency of N95, KN95 and surgical face masks.
Authors: Changjie Cai, Ph.D., of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, is the corresponding author.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/
(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.12099)