Category Health/Medical

Dynamic neural activity during stress signals resilient coping

Why some people handle stress better than others is a question that has fascinated scientists for decades. Now a Yale-led team reports that flexible brain activity in a particular area of the brain may predict resilience. Conversely, its absence can help pinpoint those most at risk for binge drinking, emotional eating, and angry outbursts, according to a study published the week of July 18 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

30 research participants were given fMRI scans while exposed to either highly threatening, violent, and stressful images and to neutral, non-stressful images for 6 minutes each. The scientists found 3 distinct patterns of response to stress...

Lacunar infarcts are the result of obstructions of blood flow in the small, deep arteries in the brain

A new study has revealed a relationship between chronic periodontitis and lacunar infarct, two common diseases in the elderly. Chronic periodontitis is an inflammatory disease of the gums, whereas lacunar infarct is a type of cerebral small vessel disease that can lead to a stroke.

Additional research is needed to understand this link. It is hypothesized that periodontitis leads to systemic inflammation and, as a result, the health of the blood vessels could be affected. On the other hand, chronic periodontitis and lacunar infarct may share common vascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol.

Periodontitis

“We observed that people diagnosed with periodontal d...

Threads penetrate multiple layers of tissue to sample interstitial fluid and direct it to sensing threads that collect data, such as pH and glucose levels. Conductive threads deliver the data to a flexible wireless transmitter sitting on top of the skin.

For the 1st time, researchers led by Tufts Uni engineers have integrated nano-scale sensors, electronics and microfluidics into threads – ranging from simple cotton to sophisticated synthetics – that can be sutured through multiple layers of tissue to gather diagnostic data wirelessly in real time. The research suggests that the thread-based diagnostic platform could be an effective substrate for a new generation of implantable diagnostic devices and smart wearable systems.

They used a variety of conductive threads that were dipped in phys...

This drawing shows part of the atomic-level structure of coxsackievirus B3 polymerase, which is responsible for making copies of the virus genome. The researchers replaced the orange phenylalanine 364 that is found in two different positions, with the turquoise tryptophan that is larger and covers both positions without needing to move. This causes fewer mutations to be made and reduces the ability of the virus to replicate and cause disease. Credit: Olve Peersen/Colorado State University

A genetic modification to a type of coxsackievirus that strips its ability to replicate, mutate and cause illness. They hope their work could lead to a vaccine for this and other viruses like it...