Two Best Fabrics for #DIY Face Masks
Razi Berry In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people wear masks in public. Because N95 and surgical masks are scarce and should be reserved for health care workers, many people are making their own coverings. Now, researchers report in ACS Nano that a combination […]
Review of Most Promising Treatments for COVID-19
Razi Berry In an unprecedented effort, hundreds of thousands of researchers and clinicians worldwide are locked in a race against time to develop cures, vaccines, and better diagnostic tests for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2. Locked in a race against time to develop cures and better diagnostic tests for COVID-19 Over 1,650 […]
Physical Exercise After a Heart Attack Improves Both Mind and Body
Razi Berry Heart attack patients who take part in a lifestyle improvement program feel better — especially when they do additional physical activity. That’s the finding of a large study presented on ACVC Essentials 4 You, a scientific platform of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Participating in activities that bring you happiness could mean […]
The Shadow Side of Social Distancing
Razi Berry When faced with danger, humans draw closer together. Social distancing thwarts this impulse. Professor Ophelia Deroy from Ludwigs-Maximilians Universitaet in Munich (LMU) and colleagues argue that this dilemma poses a greater threat to society than overtly antisocial behavior. Could our current dilemma pose a greater threat to society than overtly antisocial behavior? The […]
Animal Extinction Has Negative Effects on Human Psyche
Razi Berry For thousands of years, indigenous hunting societies have subsisted on specific animals for their survival. How have these hunter-gatherers been affected when these animals migrate or go extinct? To answer this and other questions, Tel Aviv University (TAU) researchers conducted a broad survey of several hunter-gatherer societies across history in a retrospective study […]
Exercising During Pregnancy Good for Children
Razi Berry When physically fit women exercise during pregnancy they could be setting their children up for better fitness too. Exercise during pregnancy stimulates production of brown adipose tissue That’s according to a study published today in Science Advances led by Min Du, professor of animal sciences at Washington State University, and his PhD student […]
Psilocybin from Yeast?
Razi Berry Psilocybin mushrooms have been found to have minimal harmful effects and could potentially benefit those with depression. But they remain illegal even though they offer a groundbreaking alternative to several under-treated psychological conditions. Psilocybin remains illegal despite offering a groundbreaking alternative to several under-treated psychological conditions Nevertheless, psychedelics are currently riding a wave […]
Oversecretion of Glucagon in Type 2 Diabetes
Razi Berry Patients with type 2 diabetes secrete not only too little insulin but also too much glucagon, which contributes to poor blood glucose control. A new study from Uppsala University suggests that this is because the glucagon-secreting α-cells have become resistant to insulin. Have glucagon secreting a-cells become insulin resistant? In healthy individuals, insulin […]
New Biomaterial, Inspired by Human Bone, Changes with Exerted Force
Razi Berry Inspired by how human bone and colorful coral reefs adjust mineral deposits in response to their surrounding environments, Johns Hopkins researchers have created a self-adapting material that can change its stiffness in response to the applied force. This advancement can someday open the doors for materials that can self-reinforce to prepare for increased […]
Most of the World Can’t ‘Buy Local’ for Food
Razi Berry Globalization has revolutionized food production and consumption in recent decades and cultivation has become more efficient. As a result, diets have diversified and food availability has increased in various parts of the globe. However, this has also led to a situation where the majority of the world population live in countries that are […]