Medically Speaking

VERBAL INSULTS TRIGGER A ‘MINI SLAP’ TO THE FACE: STUDY

20 Jul 2022 06:36 AM IST

Regardless of the specific circumstances in which an insult is spoken, hearing an insult is like getting a “little slap in the face.” A group of researchers found the short-term effects of repeated verbal insults were comparable to those of repeated positive or neutral evaluations using electroencephalography (EEG) and skin

RESEARCHERS FIND LINK BETWEEN HEART DISEASE, SOIL CONTAMINATION

20 Jul 2022 06:34 AM IST

A review paper suggests that pesticides and heavy metals in soil may have detrimental effects on the cardiovascular system. “Soil contamination is a less visible danger to human health than dirty air,” said author Professor Thomas Munzel of the University Medical Center Mainz, Germany. But the evidence is mounting that

Adding extra salt to cooked food poses higher risk of premature death

12 Jul 2022 04:09 AM IST

According to a recent study of more than 500,000 people, it was discovered that people who add extra salt to their cooked food at the table are at a higher risk of dying prematurely. The findings of the study were published in the journal European Heart Journal. Compared to those

Salivary transmission of enteric viruses

12 Jul 2022 04:07 AM IST

Scientists have discovered a class of viruses known to cause severe diarrhoeal diseases, including the one famous for widespread outbreaks on cruise ships, can grow in the salivary glands of mice and spread through their saliva, scientists have discovered. New route of transmission exists for these common viruses, which afflict

COPPER EXPOSURE MAY PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PATHOGENESIS OF PARKINSON’S

12 Jul 2022 04:06 AM IST

Copper exposure in the environment and the protein alpha-synuclein in the human brain could play an important role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease. Researchers were able to show how the protein takes on an unusual shape when exposed to large amounts of copper ions. The findings could help develop

Common gene used to profile microbial diseases

12 Jul 2022 04:04 AM IST

Computer scientists have developed Emu, an algorithm that uses long reads of genomes to identify the species of bacteria in a community. The programme could simplify sorting harmful from helpful bacteria in microbiomes like those in the gut or in agriculture and the environment. Emu, their microbial community profiling software,

STUDY THROWS FRESH LIGHT ON ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

12 Jul 2022 04:03 AM IST

Alzheimer’s disease, at present, does not have a cure or effective therapy due to gaps in our understanding of how progressive neurodegenerative disorders arise in the brain. Now, a Flinders University study has shown how a protein called Tau, a critical factor in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, turns from

How individuals perceive as a human-like robot

11 Jul 2022 02:54 AM IST

According to new research, when robots appear to engage with people and display human-like emotions, people may perceive them as capable of “thinking,” or acting on their own beliefs and desires rather than their programs. “The relationship between anthropomorphic shape, human-like behaviour, and the tendency to attribute independent thought and

Fatty food damage cognitive function

11 Jul 2022 02:52 AM IST

Eating fatty meals may not only increase the waistline but also damage cognitive function, according to an international study led by UniSA neuroscientists Professor Xin-Fu Zhou and Associate Professor Larisa Bobrovskaya. The researchers established a clear link between mice fed a high-fat diet for 30 weeks, resulting in diabetes, and

GARDENING CAN PROMOTE BETTER MENTAL HEALTH

11 Jul 2022 02:51 AM IST

In a study published in the journal PLOS ONE, University of Florida scientists found that gardening activities lowered stress, anxiety, and depression in healthy women who attended twice-weekly gardening classes. None of the study participants had ever gardened before. Past studies have shown that gardening can help improve the mental

FEELING HUNGRY CORRELATED TO ANGER, IRRITABILITY

11 Jul 2022 02:49 AM IST

According to a new research, feelings of irritation and anger are significantly correlated with hunger, and being hungry might make us “hangry.” Hangry, a portmanteau of hungry and angry, is widely used in everyday language, but the phenomenon has not been widely explored by science outside of laboratory environments. The

DISPELLING COMMON MYTHS AROUND SURROGACY

11 Jul 2022 02:45 AM IST

Despite the procedure being beneficial for couples wishing to conceive a child, certain myths regarding surrogacy hinder its use among people. It is recommended to consult an IVF or in Vitro fertilization specialist for accurate medical advice around surrogacy and timely treatment. Surrogacy is often characterised as “borrowing” or “renting”