Thursday, July 10, 2025

Feel-Good Glass For Windows

Daylight acts on our body clock and stimulates the brain. Fraunhofer researchers have made use of this knowledge and worked with industry partners to develop a coating for panes of glass that lets through more light. Above all, it promotes the passage through the glass of those wavelengths of light that govern our hormonal balance.

New Animal Model May Lead To Treatments For Common Liver Disease

Scientists at Texas Biomed have developed the laboratory opossum as a new animal model to study the most common liver disease in the nation -- afflicting up to 15 million Americans -- and for which there is no cure. The condition, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), resembles alcoholic liver disease, but occurs in people who drink little or no alcohol. The major feature of NASH is accumulation of fat in the liver, along with inflammation and functional damage.

Sleep Deprivation Effect On The Immune System Mirrors Physical Stress

Severe sleep loss jolts the immune system into action, reflecting the same type of immediate response shown during exposure to stress, a new study reports. Researchers in the Netherlands and United Kingdom compared the white blood cell counts of 15 healthy young men under normal and severely sleep-deprived conditions. The greatest changes were seen in the white blood cells known as granulocytes, which showed a loss of day-night rhythmicity, along with increased numbers, particularly at night.

Success Reported In Treating Autism Spectrum Disorder In Mice

Using a mouse model of autism, researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center have successfully treated an autism spectrum disorder characterized by severe cognitive impairment. The research team, led by Joe Clark, PhD, a professor of neurology at UC, reports its findings online July 2, 2012, in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, a publication of the American Society for Clinical Investigation.

Astellas Bladder Treatment Wins U.S. Approval For Sale

The Food and Drug Administration cleared the drug, mirabegron, to treat the need to frequently or involuntarily urinate, the agency said today in a statement. The drug enhances bladder storage without affecting patients’ ability to urinate like others on the market. Tokyo-based Astellas will market the treatment as Myrbetriq, the FDA said.

Large Waistlines Are Linked To Increased Mortality Risk Older People

Older people with large waistlines have a higher mortality rate than those with a slim waistline. This was shown in a new study conducted by the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Coherent research has shown that being underweight is considerably more dangerous for the elderly than being overweight. A study at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, has now shown that large waist circumference is associated with the risk of increased mortality in the elderly.

Dog-Associated House Dust Protects Against Respiratory Infection Linked To Asthma

House dust from homes with dogs appears to protect against infection with a common respiratory virus that is associated with the development of asthma in children. Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, recenlty presented their findings at the 2012 General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.

Stagnating Life Expectancies in United States: Poorer U.S. Citizens Live Five...

Despite modest gains in lifespan over the past century, the United States still trails many of the world's countries when it comes to life expectancy, and its poorest citizens live approximately five years less than more affluent persons, according to a new study from Rice University and the University Colorado at Boulder.

Asymptomatic Rhinovirus Infection Outnumbers Symptomatic Infection Four To One Among University...

The common cold virus may be more common than previously thought in university students not reporting any symptoms. Rhinovirus, the virus responsible for the common cold was found at some point during an 8-week study period in an estimated 60% of university students that were asymptomatic. Researchers from Canada report their findings at the 2012 General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.

Study: No-Fat, Low-Fat Dressings Don’t Get Most Nutrients Out Of Salads

The vegetables in salads are chock-full of important vitamins and nutrients, but you won't get much benefit without the right type and amount of salad dressing, a Purdue University study shows. In a human trial, researchers fed subjects salads topped off with saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat-based dressings and tested their blood for absorption of fat-soluble carotenoids -- compounds such as lutein, lycopene, beta-carotene and zeaxanthin. Those carotenoids are associated with reduced risk of several chronic and degenerative diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and macular degeneration.

Healthy Muscle Mass Linked to Healthy Bones, But There Are Gender...

Researchers have long been aware that the progressive loss of muscle mass and bone density is a natural part of aging. But little work has investigated how muscle tissue affects the inner and outer layers of bone microstructure. A Mayo Clinic study looked at skeletal muscle mass and bone health across the life span and discovered distinct differences in how muscle affects the two layers of bone in men and women.

Peaches, Plums, Nectarines Give Obesity, Diabetes Slim Chance

Peaches, plums and nectarines have bioactive compounds that can potentially fight-off obesity-related diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to new studies by Texas AgriLife Research. The study, which will be presented at the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia next August, showed that the compounds in stone fruits could be a weapon against "metabolic syndrome," in which obesity and inflammation lead to serious health issues, according to Dr. Luis Cisneros-Zevallos, AgriLife Research food scientist.