Some of pharmacologically active constituents of avocado.

A new review investigates the effects of avocados on different components of metabolic syndrome, which is a clustering of risk factors including high blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, and body mass index. These risk factors lead to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

According to studies reported in the literature, avocados have the most beneficial effects on lipid profiles, with changes to LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and phospholipids. The peel, seed, flesh, and leaves of avocados have differing effects on components of metabolic syndrome.

“Avocado is a well-known source of carotenoids, minerals, phenolics, vitamins, and fatty acids,” wrote the authors of ...

Twenty-four h post-exposure change of heart rate variability (HRV) associated with PM2.5, and the intervention effect of B vitamin supplementation.

B vitamins can mitigate the impact of fine particle pollution on cardiovascular disease, according to new research at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. Healthy non-smokers who took vitamin B supplements nearly reversed any negative effects on their cardiovascular and immune systems, weakening the effects of air pollution on heart rate by 150%, total white blood count by 139%, and lymphocyte count by 106%.

The study initiates a course of research for developing preventive pharmacological interventions using B vitamins to contain the health effects of air pollution...

LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy Assistant Professor Ivan Agullo’s new research advances knowledge of a classical theory of electromagnetism. Credit: LSU

Discovery may impact the study of the birth of the universe. Radio waves, microwaves and even light itself are all made of electric and magnetic fields. The classical theory of electromagnetism was completed in the 1860s by James Clerk Maxwell. At the time, Maxwell’s theory was revolutionary, and provided a unified framework to understand electricity, magnetism and optics. Now, new research led by LSU Dept of Physics & Astronomy Assistant Prof. Ivan Agullo, with colleagues from Universidad de Valencia advances knowledge of this theory.

Maxwell’s theory displays a remarkable feature: it remains unaltered under the interchange of the e...

Researchers have developed a paper-based device inspired by the Chinese and Japanese arts of paper-cutting that can harvest and store energy from body movements. Credit: American Chemical Society

Despite the many advances in portable electronic devices, one thing remains constant: the need to plug them into a wall socket to recharge. Now researchers, reporting in the journal ACS Nano, have developed a light-weight, paper-based device inspired by the Chinese and Japanese arts of paper-cutting that can harvest and store energy from body movements.

Portable electronic devices, such as watches, hearing aids and heart monitors, often require only a little energy. They usually get that power from conventional rechargeable batteries...