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Category: health – Page 27

Epigenetic shifts link maternal infection during pregnancy to higher risk of offspring developing schizophrenia

The health of mothers during pregnancy has long been known to play a role in the lifelong mental and physical health of offspring. Recent studies have found that contracting an infection during pregnancy can increase the risk that offspring will develop some neurodevelopmental disorders, conditions that are associated with the atypical maturation of some parts of the brain.

An infection is an invasion of pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites, which can then multiply and colonize host tissues. Findings suggest that when an expecting mother contracts an infection, her immune system can respond to it in ways that could impact the development of the fetus.

Researchers at University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University recently carried out a study aimed at further investigating the processes through which maternal infections during pregnancy could increase the risk that offspring will develop schizophrenia later in life. Schizophrenia is a typically debilitating mental health condition characterized by hallucinations, false beliefs about oneself or the world (e.g., delusions) and cognitive impairments.

Stretchable waveguides maintain stable transmission even when bent or twisted

Researchers have designed and demonstrated stretchable waveguides that maintain efficient, stable signal transmission of surface plasmon polaritons even when bent, twisted or stretched. These plasmonic waveguides could make it possible to seamlessly embed advanced sensing, communication and health monitoring functions into everyday wearable materials.

Plasmonic waveguides are tiny structures that guide light by coupling it with electrons on a . The new flexible waveguides transmit what are known as spoof surface plasmon polaritons, which are formed with — in this case—rather than the conventional infrared or .

“Although our work is still at the research stage, it highlights the exciting possibility of merging advanced electromagnetic technologies with soft, stretchable materials,” said research team leader Zuojia Wang from Zhejiang University. “This brings us closer to a future where advanced health care and connectivity are integrated into what we wear.”

Neuroscientists can now predict dementia from the way you breathe in your sleep

Scientists have discovered that disrupted breathing during sleep, particularly conditions like sleep apnea, creates a measurable cascade of brain changes that predicts cognitive decline with startling accuracy.

Recent research analyzing over one million health records found that people with sleep-disordered breathing face between 1.3 and 5.11 times higher risk of developing various forms of dementia, depending on the specific condition.

The most dramatic finding: those with documented sleep breathing problems showed dementia risk ratios that peaked above five-fold for certain neurodegenerative diseases.

New Pill Lowers Stubborn Blood Pressure and May Slow Kidney Disease

A new drug lowered blood pressure and improved kidney health markers in high-risk patients. Phase 3 trials will test its long-term effects. Preliminary research suggests that adding the new medication baxdrostat to standard treatment may help lower blood pressure and slow the progression of kidne

AI could make it easier to create bioweapons that bypass current security protocols

Artificial intelligence is transforming biology and medicine by accelerating the discovery of new drugs and proteins and making it easier to design and manipulate DNA, the building blocks of life. But as with most new technologies, there is a potential downside. The same AI tools could be used to develop dangerous new pathogens and toxins that bypass current security checks. In a new study from Microsoft, scientists employed a hacker-style test to demonstrate that AI-generated sequences could evade security software used by DNA manufacturers.

“We believe that the ongoing advancement of AI-assisted design holds great promise for tackling critical challenges in health and the , with the potential to deliver overwhelmingly positive impacts on people and society,” commented the researchers in their paper published in the journal Science. “As with other emerging technologies, however, it is also crucial to proactively identify and mitigate risks arising from novel capabilities.”

AI model can manipulate time to make better predictions in a wide range of fields

In the world around us, many things exist in the context of time: a bird’s path through the sky is understood as different positions over a period of time, and conversations as a series of words occurring one after another.

Computer scientists and statisticians call these sequences time series. Although statisticians have found ways to understand these patterns and make predictions about the future, modern AI models struggle to perform just as well, if not worse, than statistical models.

Engineers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, developed a new method for time series forecasting, powered by deep learning, that can improve its predictions based on data from the near future. When they applied this approach to the critical task of seizure prediction using brain wave data, they found that their strategy offers up to 44.8% improved performance for predicting seizures compared to baseline methods. While they focused on this critical health care application, the researchers’ method is designed to be relevant for a wide range of fields. A new study in Nature Communications reports their results.

Most effective digital interventions to stop smoking identified

Smoking remains one of the most deleterious habits for human health, as it is known to increase the risk of several life-threatening diseases, including lung and throat cancers, heart disease and strokes. While most smokers are well aware of its associated health risks, ceasing this habit can be a very difficult process.

Moreover, conventional programs for cessation, such as those based on psychotherapy or , are not financially or physically accessible for all individuals who wish to stop smoking. In recent years, behavioral scientists and psychologists have been working with engineers to create digital interventions that support people in their efforts to quit this unhealthy habit.

Researchers at Sichuan University in China have carried out a and meta-analysis of past research studies investigating the effectiveness of various digital interventions for smoking cessation. The results of their analyses, presented in a paper published in Nature Human Behavior, suggest that personalized and group-customized technology-based programs could be particularly beneficial for smokers who wish to quit, with middle-aged individuals responding better than younger populations.

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