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Intellectual activities in later life may cut dementia risk

(HealthDay)—Active participation in intellectual activities among adults aged 65 years or older is associated with reduced risk of dementia, according to a study published online May 30 in JAMA Psychiatry. Allen T.C. Lee, M.B.Ch.B., from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and colleagues conducted a longitudinal study among 15,582 community-living Chinese individuals aged 65 years

Rare bacteria boosts immunotherapy in prostate cancer

A unique bacterial strain isolated from a patient with pelvic pain may represent a promising path to treating prostate cancer with immunotherapy, according to a Northwestern Medicine study published in Nature Communications. The study demonstrated how the bacterial strain travels directly to the prostate and induces low-level inflammation, boosting the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitor

High vitamin D levels linked to lower cholesterol in children

There is a link between higher serum vitamin D levels and lower plasma cholesterol levels in primary school children, new research from the University of Eastern Finland shows. Children whose serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels exceeded 80 nmol/l had lower plasma total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels than children whose serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were

Similar primary outcome for lower O2 sat in extreme preterm

(HealthDay)—Different target ranges for oxygen saturation as measured by pulse oximetry (SpO2) do not affect the composite primary outcome of death or major disability for extremely preterm infants, according to research published in the June 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Lisa M. Askie, Ph.D., from the University of Sydney, and

Lab-grown neurons improve breathing in mice after spinal cord injury

Researchers from Drexel University College of Medicine and the University of Texas at Austin improved respiratory function in rodents with spinal cord injuries after successfully transplanting a special class of neural cells, called V2a interneurons. Their results, published this week in the Journal of Neurotrauma, indicate that these lab-grown cells have the potential to one

Functional MRI reveals memory in sleeping toddlers

Our ability to remember past events develops rapidly in the first couple of years of life, but it’s not clear exactly how this happens. Researchers at the Center for Mind and Brain at the University of California, Davis have now been able to carry out functional MRI brain scans of sleeping toddlers, and show for

Inflammatory signals in heart muscle cells linked to atrial fibrillation

Interfering with inflammatory signals produced by heart muscle cells might someday provide novel therapeutic strategies for atrial fibrillation, according to an international team of researchers who have published their findings in the journal Circulation. “Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart arrhythmia, and it is particularly observed in the elderly human population, which is growing

Research reveals underappreciated role of brainstem in epilepsy

New research from Vanderbilt suggests that repeated seizures reduce brainstem connectivity, a possible contributor to unexplained neurocognitive problems in epilepsy patients. The brainstem has been rarely studied in epilepsy because seizures typically originate in the temporal lobe or other areas of the cortex. Noting that people with temporal lobe epilepsy often lose consciousness even though

A nasty germ that can lurk in favorite foods

(HealthDay)—Recalls of assorted foods and different brands of ice cream over the past few years have put a spotlight on the germ known as listeria. And though many of these cases happened during manufacturing, the potential for contamination is actually greater for foods after they’ve arrived at supermarkets and other food stores. And one item

Antifungal drug eliminates sleeping bowel cancer cells in mice

An antifungal medication, commonly prescribed for toenail infections, could help eliminate dormant cells within bowel tumours, according to new research funded by Cancer Research UK and published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine today. Researchers at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute have shown in laboratory studies in mice, that itraconazole effectively halts the growth

Stronger alcohol policies help reduce alcohol-related crash deaths in US

Stronger alcohol policies, including those targeting both excessive drinking and driving while impaired by alcohol, reduce the likelihood of alcohol-related motor vehicle crash deaths, according to a new study from Boston Medical Center and Boston University. The findings, published in JAMA Internal Medicine and based on national data, demonstrate that policies involving alcohol consumption and