Health

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are spiders that join together to transform into a flower, birds giving the right of way, and a potential natural treatment for hair loss.

The lipids in some herbal teas have been identified in detail for the first time, preparing the ground for investigating their contribution to the health benefits of the teas.

A case study on the effects of open waste burning on air quality in Northwestern Greenland calls attention to the importance of no-one-left-behind sustainable air quality monitoring in the Arctic region.

Researchers from Monash University and Osaka University have unveiled a groundbreaking discovery regarding the pivotal role of sensory neurons in orchestrating tissue repair and regeneration, offering significant promise for patients with poorly healing tissues and diabetes.

Two rare skin conditions with similar symptoms can be mistaken for each other, so a scoring system has been formulated to aid physicians in distinguishing two diseases

Ancient Mars biomolecules, Gargling away bad bacteria, Molecule glasses magnify life-chemical observations, Cholesterol and cancer link, Quantum electronics leap, Plus our updated Experts for Media: Women list & Asia Research News 2024 is here. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.

A new study highlights a potential therapeutic target for immune-related disorders, such as multiple sclerosis and asthma.

Peptides are short strands of amino acids that are increasingly used therapeutically, as biomaterials and as chemical and biological probes. The capacity to isolate, manipulate and label peptides and larger proteins is limited, however, by the ability to reliably attach functional molecules, such as fluorescent compounds, to peptides in locations that won’t affect the three-dimensional structure and function of the short amino acid strand. Researchers have developed a unique chemical reaction to attach two distinct functional molecules to the N-terminus of a peptide in an efficient, robust reaction under mild conditions.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are the mechanisms behind regrowing limbs and middle-age weight gain, and a new wound dressing combining mussels and silkworms.

A novel method for studying genes in testicular cells of living animals could lead to breakthroughs in male contraception and fertility treatments.

A new user-friendly tool helps researchers explore how gene activity is influenced by chemical modifications, providing insights into disease and paths to new treatments.

MozzHub, a user-friendly dengue hotspot detector, could significantly assist the management and control of dengue.

Applied Microbiology International has announced it will be launching a new series of educational online content called The Microbiologist Masterclass.

research team from Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine undertook a detailed examination of the medical validity of deep learning models using post-mortem imaging for diagnosing drowning. The results reveal an inconsistency between the deep learning models’ results and the medical professionals’ observations.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a biosensor to detect meat freshness, a cute and spooky sea creature, and how even shorter amounts of exercise can lead to benefits.

Researchers from Osaka University have found that, after chronic social isolation, one form of ketamine—(R)-ketamine—is effective for restoring neuronal activation in a brain region known as the anterior insular cortex. This restored activation leads to improvements in social impairments in a mouse model of depression. Together, these findings indicate that (R)-ketamine is a promising treatment for social symptoms of depression and may lead to better quality of life for millions of people worldwide.

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University assess why post-operative symptoms such as pins and needles, sudden cold, burning, itching, and numbness in the limbs remain in patients suffering from cervical spondylotic myelopathy, even after surgery. The researchers also evaluated the patients’ satisfaction with postoperative treatment. They found that it was lower for those who still had paresthesia in their hands and feet, regardless of whether their motor symptoms had improved or not.

In a step forward for breast cancer treatment, researchers at Tohoku University have developed a novel monoclonal antibody which specifically targets a certain type of breast cancer cell.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are combining rice with animal cells, how microbes make tastier tea, and choosing flavorings and substitutes for salt to reduce the risk of hypertension.

Excessive anxiety can lead to psychiatric disorders, but it is an evolutionary trait that has helped us survive by alerting us to potential dangers. Researchers at Tohoku University have investigated how astrocytes within the habenula, a region of the brain associated with emotional processing, can tune anxiety levels.

Researchers from Osaka University found that the oral bacterium Streptococcus gordonii activates another bacterial species, Fusobacterium nucleatum, to produce large quantities of methyl mercaptan, a compound responsible for bad breath. Disrupting this interaction could therefore help treat halitosis, and possibly also help prevent the development of more serious tooth and gum disease.

Researchers from Osaka University have found that gargling with an antiseptic mouthwash can reduce so-called ‘bad’ bacteria in the mouths of patients with type 2 diabetes. Notably, this reduction in bacteria was accompanied by improved blood-sugar control in some patients. Given that the oral diseases caused by these bacteria have been linked to many other serious inflammation-associated diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease, this simple treatment may have widespread effects.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are growing placenta organoids, a 90-million-year old fossil, and how COVID-19 can cause insomnia, but people were more relaxed during the emergency measures.

A team of researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University assessed the feasibility of conducting cardiopulmonary exercise testing with the upper limbs as an alternative to the conventional method that uses the lower limbs. The researchers investigated the relationship between heart rate and oxygen uptake during exercise stress tests using a cycle ergometer and an arm crank ergometer, and estimated maximal oxygen uptake. The study participants were 17 male collegiate athletes from rowing and cycling clubs. The results showed that the estimated maximal oxygen uptake for both rowing and cycling groups was lower on the arm crank ergometer than on the cycle ergometer. Additionally, this study showed that exercise testing using an upper extremity ergometer underestimates cardiopulmonary function, regardless of upper limb training status.

Elucidating why some patients with specific joint deformities are symptomatic while others are not

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are how exercising to music can help cognitive function, a material inspired by a mythological creature, and choking cancer cells using calcium.

A new technology to increase visibility of cancer cells to the immune system using CRISPR has been developed, and could lead to a new way to treat cancer.

A water-soluble, luminescent europium complex enables evaluation of malignancy grade in model glioma tumor cells.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are watching plants warn each other of danger, how even “harmless” addictions can have a serious side effects, and how to clear roads and railways faster using gold nanorods.

7000 forever chemicals (PFAS) and human PPARa binding properties predicted using AI technology