Sumary: High blood pressure and heart failure might be managed through the gut. New research has identified a direct communication line between gut bacteria, the brain, and the heart. The…
Category: Life
An African monkey ate a rope squirrel and came down with mpox
A monkey making a meal of a squirrel may have sparked an outbreak. In early 2023, mpox broke out among a group of a few dozen sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus atys) living…
Intricate silk helps net-casting spiders ensnare prey in webs
Rufus net-casting spiders can tune the stiffness and elasticity of their webs thanks to loops of silk, scanning electron microscope images reveal.
Chatbots Can Worsen Delusions and Mania
Summary: For many, AI chatbots are a helpful tool for productivity, but for those with severe mental illness, they may be a dangerous “echo chamber.” A new study warns that…
Moving Beyond Dopamine to Treat Schizophrenia
Summary: Schizophrenia treatment has been dominated by dopamine-targeting drugs for decades, but these often fail to address the debilitating cognitive and negative symptoms of the disorder. A comprehensive review synthesizes…
‘We were lied to’: Will Trump’s order to increase the domestic supply of the weedkiller glyphosate split MAHA?
[T]he executive order Mr. Trump issued February 17 to increase domestic production of glyphosate — a widely used weedkiller and possible carcinogen that has been the target of thousands of lawsuits, including…
Prenatal Lead Exposure Affects the Aging Brain
Summary: The consequences of lead exposure may take six decades to fully manifest. A remarkable study has linked lead exposure during the second trimester of pregnancy to lower cognitive performance…
Could an “Exercise Pill” Help Treat Depression?
Summary: It’s a cruel irony of mental health: exercise is a powerful antidepressant, yet depression often robs people of the motivation and energy required to move. A new paper proposes…
OCD Brains Work Harder to Stay on Track
Summary: Getting dressed in the morning seems like a simple sequence, but for those with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the brain may be working overtime just to keep from “getting stuck.”…
This itch-triggering protein also sends signals to stop scratching
People who can’t stop scratching itches may finally have a culprit to blame. In mice (and probably people), a protein called TRPV4 is involved both in starting an itch and…
