Standing frame intervention improves life for people with multiple sclerosis, research shows

A new study has shown that people in the advanced stage of multiple sclerosis (MS) experience significant improvements in movement and balance thanks to a specialised standing frame.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/standing-frame-intervention-improves-life-for-people-with-multiple-sclerosis-research-shows

Exercise improves brain function in overweight and obese individuals

New findings out of the University of Tübingen show that, on top of its benefits for metabolism, mood, and general health, exercise also improves brain function. In recent studies, researchers learned that obese and overweight individuals are prone to insulin resistance in the brain, where it provides information about current nutritional status, as well as the rest of the body. So researchers wanted to know whether exercise can improve insulin sensitivity in the brain and improve cognition in overweight individuals.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/exercise-improves-brain-function-in-overweight-and-obese-individuals

Intermittent fasting protects mice from type 2 diabetes

Every-other-day fasting substantially reduces the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes in mice eating a fat-rich diet, according to new research out of the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke. These findings, presented this week at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior in Utrecht, Netherlands, suggest that periodic fasting can reduce fat accumulation in the pancreas and, in turn, prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. "We observed that pancreatic fat cells directly affect islet insulin secretion and that this can be altered by eating patterns" said Dr. Mandy Stadion, a post-doctoral research fellow who led this study.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/intermittent-fasting-protects-mice-from-type-2-diabetes

Why sex becomes less satisfying with age

The number of women regularly having sex declines with age, and the number of women enjoying sex postmenopause is even lower. Although these facts are not surprising, the causes for these declines may be because previous research focused largely on biological causes only. However, a new UK study identifies psychosocial contributors. Study results are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS).

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/why-sex-becomes-less-satisfying-with-age

Addicted to ran, ovarian cancer cells stop moving when deprived

Did you know that 90% of cancer patients die from distant metastasis? The latter occurs when cancer cells have the ability to move within the patient's body and invade its healthy tissues. In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers from the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) have shown the key role that a protein called Ran plays in the mobility of ovarian cancer cells. They demonstrated these cells cannot migrate from cancerous sites without the help of Ran.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/addicted-to-ran-ovarian-cancer-cells-stop-moving-when-deprived

Research team brings computation and experimentation closer together

A bioengineering group from the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering is bringing the worlds of computational modeling and experimentation closer together by developing a methodology to help analyze the wealth of imaging data provided by advancements in imaging tools and automated microscopes.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/research-team-brings-computation-and-experimentation-closer-together

Nitrogen from biosolids can help urban soils and plant growth

The "zero waste" trend could have a friend in the form of biosolids. Biosolids are the materials produced after domestic waste is treated in urban wastewater systems. In the past, most of this solid material was transferred to landfills. But, processes developed over the past few decades can create "exceptional quality" biosolids.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/nitrogen-from-biosolids-can-help-urban-soils-and-plant-growth

How does playing with other children affect toddlers' language learning?

Toddlers are surprisingly good at processing the speech of other young children, according to a new study. And toddlers who have more exposure to other children, such as those in daycare, may be particularly good at certain word learning skills.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/how-does-playing-with-other-children-affect-toddlers-language-learning

Tour de France pelotons governed by sight, not aerodynamics

The 2019 Tour de France has just begun. As 190 riders speed through the streets of France, spectators will marvel at the tightly-packed formation of cyclists known as the peloton. Fans will argue that a peloton creates an aerodynamic advantage, allowing riders to conserve energy throughout the grueling three-week race.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/tour-de-france-pelotons-governed-by-sight-not-aerodynamics

Growth failure in preterm infants tied to altered gut bacteria

Extremely premature infants who fail to grow as expected have delayed development of their microbiome, or communities of bacteria and other micro-organisms living in the gut, according to a new study published in Scientific Reports. Analysis of these infants' metabolism revealed that their bodies are responding as if they were fasting, despite caloric intake similar to extremely premature infants with appropriate growth. The study findings also suggest that the unique makeup of the microbiome in infants with growth failure might contribute to their inability to properly metabolize nutrients.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/growth-failure-in-preterm-infants-tied-to-altered-gut-bacteria

New evidence shows cytotoxic T cells can identify, invade, and destroy targets of large mass like T. gondii tissue cysts

CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes can kill host cells infected with various microorganisms as well as single individual cancer cells through direct cell-to-cell contact, but their ability to destroy a target of large mass remains unexplored. A study in The American Journal of Pathology provided novel evidence on the capability of the immune system to eliminate large parasite-filled cysts associated with chronic Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection by utilizing the aggressive invader activity of cytotoxic T cells. They may also prove effective for attacking other sizable targets including solid cancers.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/new-evidence-shows-cytotoxic-t-cells-can-identify-invade-and-destroy-targets-of-large-mass-like-t-gondii-tissue-cysts

New blood test for human tuberculosis may also identify people at most risk

A new study conducted by researchers in Leicester and Nottingham has shown the potential for a new blood test to not only diagnose human tuberculosis (TB) but also identify those at most risk of developing the disease, according to findings published in medical journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/new-blood-test-for-human-tuberculosis-may-also-identify-people-at-most-risk

Elbows key for walkers' efficiency

Wandering through the Harvard campus one day in 2015, graduate student Andrew Yegian recalls how something unusual caught his eye. "I noticed a person running with straight arms," he explains. This really stood out for Yegian, as runners usually bend the elbow, while walkers keep their arms straight, which made him wonder: "If straight arms are better for walking, why aren't they better for running, and vice versa?" he puzzled. Was there a trade-off between the cost of keeping the elbow bent and swinging the arm at the shoulder that could benefit runners? Could walkers conserve energy by keeping their swinging arms straight? Intrigued, Yegian and this thesis advisor, Dan Lieberman, decided to film athletes walking and running with straight and bent arms to find out why runners keep their arms bent while walkers let them swing loose. They publish their discovery that walking with a straight arm is much more efficient than walking with a bent arm in Journal of Experimental Biology.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/elbows-key-for-walkers-efficiency

'Hunger hormone' enhances memory

A team of neuroscience researchers at the University of Southern California have identified a surprising new role for the "hunger hormone" ghrelin. Ghrelin has previously been recognized for its unique role in sending hunger signals from the gut to the brain, but, as presented this week at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior, these new findings suggest that it may also be important for memory control.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/hunger-hormone-enhances-memory

Brain stimulation enhances motivation to work for food

Electrical stimulation of the brain through the vagus nerve increases the motivations to work for food, according to recent findings of a research group at the University of Tübingen. These findings, which were presented at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior this week in Utrecht, Netherlands, demonstrate a novel method to alter motivation to obtain food.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/brain-stimulation-enhances-motivation-to-work-for-food

Food and alcohol reduce activity in 'hunger neurons' via different brain pathways

How does the brain process rewards? Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are investigating how the brain responds differently to two commonly ingested rewards—food and alcohol—to understand how they alter neural activity and behavior. Their findings were presented this week in Utrecht, Netherlands at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB), one of the leading venues for research on eating and drinking.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/food-and-alcohol-reduce-activity-in-hunger-neurons-via-different-brain-pathways

Insulin nasal spray may boost cognitive function in obese adolescents by improving connectivity

Researchers at the Modern Diet and Physiology Research Center and Department of Pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine are investigating whether insulin delivered directly to the brain by nasal inhalation can enhance communication between brain regions and improve cognition in adolescents with obesity and prediabetes. Led by Dr. Dana Small, preliminary findings from a two-year study suggest that intranasal insulin improves brain and cognitive function in adolescents with obesity.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/insulin-nasal-spray-may-boost-cognitive-function-in-obese-adolescents-by-improving-connectivity

Coral reefs shifting away from equator

Coral reefs are retreating from equatorial waters and establishing new reefs in more temperate regions, according to new research in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series. The researchers found that the number of young corals on tropical reefs has declined by 85 percent—and doubled on subtropical reefs—during the last four decades.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/coral-reefs-shifting-away-from-equator