Blood tests are a common, yet often painful, step in health care. But what if we could skip the needles altogether? Saliva and blood contain many of the same biomarkers, and collecting spit is as simple as drooling into a container. Researchers reporting in ACS Sensors have developed a device that detects glucose and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) biomarkers in saliva with high sensitivity, which could help make at-home health monitoring easier and without a poke. Blood tests provide critical information about a person’s health. But they also rely on uncomfortable procedures, ranging from collecting small blood samples through frequent finger pricks to blood draws from ...

People with personality traits such as conscientiousness, extraversion and positive affect are less likely to be diagnosed with dementia than those with neuroticism and negative affect, according to a new analysis by researchers at the University of California, Davis and Northwestern University. The difference was not linked to physical damage to brain tissue found in dementia patients, but more likely to how certain personality traits help people navigate dementia-related impairments. The work is published Nov. ...

CHICAGO – Using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze specialized brain MRI scans of adolescents with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), researchers found significant differences in nine brain white matter tracts in individuals with ADHD. Results of the study will be presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). ADHD is a common disorder often diagnosed in childhood and continuing into adulthood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the U.S., an estimated 5.7 million children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD. “ADHD often ...

CHICAGO – Researchers have identified objective evidence of how the neck muscles are involved in primary headaches, according to a study being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The findings could lead to better treatments. The distinct underlying causes of primary headaches are still not fully understood. The most common primary headaches are tension-type headaches and migraines. “Our imaging approach provides first objective evidence for the very frequent involvement of the neck muscles in primary headaches, such as neck pain ...

CHICAGO – A deep learning artificial intelligence (AI) model that was developed using only mammogram image biomarkers accurately predicted both ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive carcinoma, according to research being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Additionally, the model showed no bias across multiple races. Traditional breast cancer risk assessment models use information obtained from patient questionnaires, such as medical and reproductive history, to calculate a patient’s future risk of developing breast cancer. “In ...

Research Highlights: People diagnosed with coronary heart disease had a significantly increased risk of developing dementia later in life, according to an analysis of data for more than 430,000 people from the UK Biobank. Participants who had coronary heart disease before age 45 had a 36% increased risk of developing dementia, a 13% increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s and a 78% greater risk of developing vascular dementia compared with participants who did not have coronary heart disease. Men and women diagnosed with coronary heart disease before age 45 were significantly more likely to develop dementia than their counterparts who ...

Young male gym users are largely unaware of the risks of their lifestyle on their fertility, a new study shows.   New results from a survey of 152 gym enthusiasts, published in Reproductive BioMedicine Online found that men were largely unaware of the risks to their fertility from aspects of gym lifestyle including protein supplements, which can contain high levels of estrogen, used by 79% of male respondents.   When questioned about their concern about fertility, more than half (52%) of male participants said that they had thought about their ...

New Haven, Conn. — Yale paleontologists have identified a new fossil lizard, found in the western United States, which they say was an ancestor of modern geckos. And they gave it a name that honors the lead researcher’s grandmother and great aunt. The discovery of the new species, which they named Helioscopus dickersonae, suggests that gecko ancestors appeared in North America much earlier than previously known. “This discovery emerged from a larger investigation of two fossil lizard skulls from Dinosaur National Monument in Utah,” said Dalton ...

A 20-year Australian study has found no evidence to suggest cannabis reduces illicit opioid use, and it may not be an effective long-term method of reducing harm for those with an opioid use disorder or problematic use of opioids. Published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, the University of Sydney led study is one of the longest of its kind. Between 2001 to 2022, the study involved a group of 615 people with heroin dependence, many of whom also used cannabis. Additional analysis also found no consistent evidence between cannabis and other opioid use, ...

WASHINGTON – Debunking, “prebunking,” nudging and teaching digital literacy are several of the more effective ways to counter misinformation, according to a new report from the American Psychological Association. Written by a panel of U.S. and international experts on the psychology of misinformation, the report outlines the processes that make people susceptible to misinformation and offers solutions to combat it. People are more likely to believe misinformation if it comes from groups they belong to or if they judge the source as credible, according to the report “Using Psychological Science to Understand and Fight Health Misinformation: An ...

Smartphones have altered human behavior in complex ways but context can also alter smartphone use. Laura Alessandretti and colleagues analyzed a dataset of 464,455 smartphone users from around the world, with 324,391 users categorized as urban and 52,290 categorized as rural. In most countries, urban users spent more time on their phones, using them for an average of 174.9 minutes a day, compared to 152.2 minutes for rural users. Urban users were more likely than rural users to spend time on apps categorized as maps and navigation (+150.0%), news (+38.7%), travel and local (+28.7%), music (+20.0%), business (+19.3%), and productivity (+13.7%) while rural users were more likely that urban users ...

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to reshape the workforce, with almost half of Australian workers willing to sacrifice part of their annual salary to work from home. New research by the University of South Australia has found that 45% of workers would be willing to accept a pay cut in exchange for remote work flexibility. A survey of more than 1100 Australian workers in 2020-21 found that the average worker, who can carry out their role effectively at home, is willing to give up $3000 to $6000 in annual wages (4 to 8% of their salary). One fifth of participants would be willing to sacrifice $12 to $24,000 annually (16 to 33% of salaries). However, ...

Blue light-emitting diodes represent a fundamental element in the contemporary lighting and display technology landscape. Like prevailing technology such as III-V, organics and quantum dot LEDs, developing efficient and stable blue perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) is a formidable challenge. Over the past few years, the research community has experienced a remarkable upsurge in the external quantum yields of blue PeLEDs, bringing them closer to the level of more mature technologies. Nevertheless, these blue PeLEDs continue to ...

The more time pre-schoolers spent in childcare during the first year of the pandemic, the more their vocabulary grew, a new study has found.  Research led by the University of Leeds found that attending Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) during the Covid-19 outbreak had sustained benefits for youngsters’ development.  Academics investigating the ongoing impact of Covid-related closures found that for each day of the week spent in ECEC, toddlers could produce an average of 29 more new words over the first year of the pandemic and ...

A research group led by Nagoya University’s Graduate School of Engineering has uncovered how rapid tendon regeneration occurs in newts. The research, published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research, compared the regeneration mechanism of damaged tendons in newts with those in mice. In the future, their findings could help physicians to treat human athletes recovering from tendon injuries.     Tendon injuries are a serious obstacle for athletes, who currently require several months ...

A University of Alaska Fairbanks–led research team has been awarded a $1.9 million federal grant to explore whether seaweeds are absorbing rare-earth elements near a rich deposit in Southeast Alaska. The study will focus on seaweeds in the waters near Bokan Mountain, a remote landmark on Prince of Wales Island known to contain rare-earth elements. Starting in March 2024, researchers will collect and analyze seaweed samples to determine whether significant amounts of metals that have washed into the ocean are being absorbed. “We want to see if seaweeds accumulate ...

Study by Brigham investigators revealed how genetic changes in certain types of brain cells may contribute to the inflammatory response seen in Alzheimer’s disease  Immune-regulating brain cells known as microglia are known to play a role in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A new study by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, explores how the genetics of microglia contribute to neuroinflammation and, in turn, AD. The team revealed that a reduction ...

A world-first report examining alternative ways for victim-survivors to report sexual assault says under-reporting could be reduced if moved away from law enforcement, but it will need greater support and funding to be sustainable and secure.  Only 13% of women report sexual assaults to police and 50% of victim-survivors seek help from a counselling or specialist support service, but alternative reporting options could help increase these numbers.  The research by RMIT University, University of Wollongong and La Trobe University found a trauma-informed, written interview designed in line with best-practice techniques could ...

First author Cullen Taniguchi, M.D., Ph.D., passed away suddenly before the final publication of this study. A talented physician-scientist motivated by the impact of cancer on his own family, Taniguchi was committed to improving treatment options and outcomes for patients with gastrointestinal cancers as well as mentoring aspiring physicians and scientists.  “Dr. Taniguchi was a pioneer, committed to not accepting the low rates of survival in pancreatic cancer and transcending boundaries to improve outcomes,” said senior author Sarah Hoffe, M.D., of Moffitt ...

The costs of environmental pollution caused by plastics in cigarette butts and packaging amount to an estimated US$26 billion every year or US$186 billion every 10 years—adjusted for inflation—in waste management and marine ecosystem damage worldwide,  finds a data analysis published online in the journal Tobacco Control. These costs may seem small compared with the overall economic and human toll of tobacco, but they are cumulative and preventable, highlights the researcher.  And ...

Walking at a speed of 4 or more km an hour is linked to a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes, suggests a pooled data analysis of the available evidence, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. And the faster the speed above 4 km/hour, the lower the risk seems to be, with every 1 km increase in speed associated with a 9% reduction in risk, the findings suggest.  While regularly nipping out for a stroll is associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, it’s not clear what the optimal speed might be to ward off the disease, ...

UK rates of transgender identity have risen 5-fold since 2000, with the highest rise observed among 16 to 29 year olds, although the overall numbers are still small, suggests an analysis of nearly 20 years of anonymised general practice records, published online in the open access journal BMJ Medicine. And rates of people identifying as transgender were more than twice as high in the most socially and economically deprived areas as they were in less deprived areas, the analysis shows.  A solid grasp of the numbers and ages of those identifying as transgender is essential ...

Clocking up 6 or more hours of sedentary leisure time every day may double a woman’s risk of uterine fibroids before she’s gone through the menopause, suggests research published in the open access journal BMJ Open. The risk of these benign, but potentially large and painful, womb growths seems to rise in tandem with the amount of time spent sitting or lying down during the day, the findings suggest. Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumours in women of childbearing age, varying in prevalence from 4.5% to 69%, say the researchers.  These growths may not produce any symptoms, but they may also be associated with abnormal bleeding, pelvic and abdominal pain, ...

The number of people identifying as transgender in their GP records in the UK has increased between 2000 and 2018, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The research, published in BMJ Medicine, is the first large-scale study in the UK to estimate the number of people whose gender identity is different to their sex assigned at birth. To do this, the team reviewed anonymised data from 7 million individuals aged 10 to 99 years, from IQVIA Medical Research Data, a UK primary care database, between 2000 and 2018. Researchers looked for diagnostic codes that suggested patients had spoken to their GP about ...

Planting flowers beside food crops on farms in India attracts bees, boosts pollination and improves crop yield and quality, researchers have found. The research, the first Indian study of its kind, is published today (Monday, 28 November) in the Journal of Applied Ecology and was carried out in South India by ecologists from the University of Reading, UK, and the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, India. The scientists focused on the Moringa crop, a nutrient-rich "superfood," and its essential pollinators – bees.  By planting companion marigold flowers and ...