Showing 20 articles starting at article 1
Categories: Gynecology, Living Well
Published Wearables capture body sounds to continuously monitor health



From heart beats to stomach gurgles, sounds hold important health information. New wireless devices sit on skin to continuously capture these sounds, then stream data to smartphones or tablets in real time. In pilot studies, devices accurately tracked sounds associated with cardiorespiratory function, gastrointestinal activity, swallowing and respiration. The devices are particularly valuable for premature babies, who can experience apneas and gastrointestinal complications, which are accompanied by sounds.
Published When we see what others do, our brain sees not what we see, but what we expect



When we engage in social interactions, like shaking hands or having a conversation, our observation of other people's actions is crucial. But what exactly happens in our brain during this process: how do the different brain regions talk to each other? Researchers provide an intriguing answer: our perception of what others do depends more on what we expect to happen than previously believed.
Published New AI noise-canceling headphone technology lets wearers pick which sounds they hear



Researchers have developed deep-learning algorithms that let users pick which sounds filter through their headphones in real time. Either through voice commands or a smartphone app, headphone wearers can select which sounds they want to include from 20 classes, such as sirens, baby cries, speech, vacuum cleaners and bird chirps.
Published How animals get their stripes and spots



New research helps explain how sharp patterns form on zebras, leopards, tropical fish and other creatures. Their findings could inform the development of new high-tech materials and drugs.
Published Blood clotting risk quickly drops after stopping hormonal contraceptives



Using birth control pills and other hormone-based contraceptives is known to elevate the risk of blood clots, but a new study suggests that this risk largely goes away within two to four weeks after one stops using these contraceptives. The findings can help patients and doctors weigh the benefits and risks of hormonal contraceptives and guide when to stop using them ahead of events that could further increase the risk of dangerous clots, such as major surgery, prolonged periods of immobility, or when tapering anticoagulant medications after a blood clot.
Published Want the secret to less painful belly flops? These researchers have the answer



Researchers investigated belly flop mechanics and found surprising insights about air-to-water impacts that could be useful for marine engineering applications. They set up a belly flop-like water experiment using a blunt cylinder but added an important vibrating twist to it.
Published Visualizing fungal infections deep in living host tissue reveals proline metabolism facilitates virulence



Scientists have published the first successful application of 2-photon intravital microscopy (IVM) to image the dynamics of fungal infections in the kidney of a living host. The study reveals that the opportunistic human fungal pathogen Candida albicans requires the ability to metabolize proline, an amino acid obtained from the host, to mount virulent infections.
Published How 'blue' and 'green' appeared in a language that didn't have words for them



A new study suggests the way a language divides up color space can be influenced by contact with other languages. Tsimane' people who learned Spanish as a second language began to classify blue and green into using separate words, which their native tongue does not do.
Published Fungal infection in the brain produces changes like those seen in Alzheimer's disease



Researchers have discovered how the fungus Candida albicans enters the brain, activates two separate mechanisms in brain cells that promote its clearance, and, important for the understanding of Alzheimer's disease development, generates amyloid beta (Ab)-like peptides, toxic protein fragments from the amyloid precursor protein that are considered to be at the center of the development of Alzheimer's disease.
Published Mummified feces reveals pre-Columbian cultures of the Caribbean consumed a diversity of plants



DNA analysis of mummified feces reveals two pre-Columbian Caribbean cultures ate a wide variety of plants, like maize, sweet potato, and peanuts -- and tobacco and cotton traces were detected too, according to a new study.
Published Brain is 'rewired' during pregnancy to prepare for motherhood



Researchers have shown that pregnancy hormones ‘rewire’ the brain to prepare mice for motherhood. The findings show that both estrogen and progesterone act on a small population of neurons in the brain to switch on parental behavior even before offspring arrive. These adaptations resulted in stronger and more selective responses to pups.
Published Skin behind the ears and between the toes can host a collection of unhealthy microbes



Scrubbing behind the ears and between the toes may help keep the skin in those regions healthy, new research suggests. The microbiome, or the collection of microbes living on and in the human body, are known to play a role in human health and the skin is no different. A new study has shown that the composition of the skin microbiome varies across dry, moist and oily regions of the skin.
Published New device rapidly controls postpartum hemorrhage



A study led by obstetricians has shown that a new device can rapidly control postpartum hemorrhage, a major cause of severe maternal morbidity and death, in a wide range of patients.
Published Natural compound found in plants inhibits deadly fungi



A new study finds that a natural compound found in many plants inhibits the growth of drug-resistant Candida fungi -- including its most virulent species, Candida auris, an emerging global health threat.
Published Your body's own cannabinoid molecules calm you during stress



When you're under stress, your brain may release its own cannabinoid molecules to calm you, activating the same brain receptors as THC derived from cannabis plants. But the brain activity regulated by these cannabinoid molecules were not well known. A new study in mice has discovered a key emotional brain center, the amygdala, releases cannabinoid molecules under stress that dampen the incoming stress alarm from the hippocampus, a memory and emotion center in the brain. The finding may reveal novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of stress-related disorders.
Published Lower jersey numbers make football players look thinner



Football players sometimes choose jerseys with lower numbers thinking that they'll look slimmer and faster. There's a scientific basis for that belief, according to a new study. In two experiments, volunteers consistently said that images of players in jerseys numbered 10 to 19 looked thinner than players in jerseys numbered 80 to 89, even when the bodies were the same size. The finding suggests that people's previously learned associations between numbers and sizes influence their perceptions of body size.
Published Breathe! The shape-shifting ball that supports mental health



A soft ball designed to support mental health by 'personifying' breath has been invented by a computer science student.
Published A gut hormone for controlling appetite doubles as an immune regulator for the fungal microbiome



Peptide YY (PYY), a hormone produced by gut endocrine cells that was already known to control appetite, also plays an important role in maintaining the balance of fungi in the digestive system of mammals, according to new research.
Published Deadly fungus beaten with new type of treatment



Researchers have discovered a new way to attack fungal infections. The key is to block fungi from being able to make fatty acids, the major component of fats. Resistance to anti-fungal drugs is increasing and this new approach will be particularly useful because it works in a new way and affects a broad range of fungal species.
Published Research team identifies human odorant receptor for horse stable odor



Para-cresol is an aromatic compound with a strong horse stable-like odor. It contributes to the off-flavor of some foods, but it is also detectable as a characteristic odorant in whiskey and tobacco, as well as in the urine of various mammals. A research team has now discovered which odorant receptor humans use to perceive para-cresol.