Health

Among anesthetics, ketamine has a unique effect: it also acts as an antidepressant. A research team led by Osaka Metropolitan University Professor Makoto Kondo linked ketamine to brain regulation of IGF-1, which works independently of other ketamine-associated factors. The discovery may help untangle ketamine’s positive and negative effects, allowing future drug development to target IGF-1 directly.

As physical activity (PA) has significant benefits for health and fitness, the WHO recommends that children and adults engage at least 60 minutes and 150 minutes of moderate-intensity PA per week, respectively. However, owing to global urbanisation, technological advances, and increasing convenience in daily activities, inadequate PA in all aspects of life has become a major public health concern. In Hong Kong, 71% of adults do not meet the WHO PA recommendations. This persistent and growing health-related problem indicates an urgent need to develop an intervention programme that can effectively promote PA at the individual, family, community, and city-wide levels. Therefore, a set of community-based family ‘holistic health’ intervention programmes were developed, implemented, and evaluated in the previous Happy Family Kitchen Movement (HFKM) project to promote well-being and health in Hong Kong.

The antibiotic rifampicin is shown as a potential medicine for preventing Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

Thought to enhance muscle recovery, compression garments are commonly worn by athletes and people engaging in exercise. Yet, an international research team’s systematic review provides evidence to the contrary.

A study by Japanese researchers showed that getting a mild case of COVID-19 doesn’t translate to lower chances of becoming a long-hauler. And that sex and the presence of long-term symptoms are risk factors for post-COVID psychological distress.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) secreted from sensory neuron-interneuron crosstalk is key to the spreading of inflammation across joints, acting as a neurotransmitter and inflammation enhancer.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are flower scent patterns, lensless cameras, and puffs of air that make you feel like you’re playing tennis.

Molecular robots work cooperatively in swarms, LED lights made from rice husk, Muonic x-rays safely see inside samples, Making a luminescent material shine brighter and How to counter vaccine hesitancy, Read all in the May Editor's Choice and this month's Asia Research News 2022 magazine pick - Absorbing impact: Inside the Head of a Woodpecker.

Strokes have a debilitating effect on quality of life; the combination of cognitive and physical effects can be especially devastating. A new study from Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Rehabilitation Science showed that moderate to severe hand and arm paralysis was dramatically improved with the use of robotic therapy, for chronic stroke patients with upper extremity hemiplegia in Japan, as reported in the journal Stroke.

Giants in History: Ground-breaking cancer researcher Kamal Jayasing Ranadive (8 November 1917 – 11 April 2001) advanced the understanding of the causes of leukaemia, breast cancer and oesophageal cancer through the use of animal models.

A Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) collaborative research study has revealed that certain gut microbial enzymes mediate the reactivation of triclosan (TCS) from its inactive glucuronide metabolite. TCS is an antimicrobial agent commonly used in a wide range of consumer products, and it is associated with the development of colitis.

A new report by the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) highlights practical recommendations for improving the uptake of vaccines.

Examination of endangered species’ stem cells unveils ancient genetic links between mammals.

Scientists discovered that intramuscular fat levels are indicative of heart health. Measurements of intramuscular fat in 93 heart failure patients’ thighs showed patients with high intramuscular fat levels were at greater risk of rehospitalisation, despite no significant differences in conventional heart health criteria. These findings enable new approaches for treating heart failure, a growing concern in Japan’s ageing society.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are toxic organic pollutants, which are usually deposited in soil and marine sediments through petroleum contamination, fossil fuel burning, fallout from air pollution, and terrestrial runoff. The dietary intake of contaminated food is considered to be one of the major sources of total human exposure to PAHs. Previous studies revealed that concentrations of PAHs in human blood plasma collected from Hong Kong residents were positively correlated with consumption of seafood, including fish, which is a major source of protein in Hong Kong. The contamination of PAHs in farmed fish depends partly on the quality of feed. Fish meal and fish oil are commonly used in fish feed, but they are also a source of organic pollutants, including PAHs. Formulated feeds have become the major diet of many important farmed species.

Genome profiling of Staphylococcus argenteus strains unveiled cross-contamination among Japanese retail foods and slaughterhouses.

In line with globally recommended practices to reduce the dietary risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the Sri Lankan government implemented a traffic-light labelling (TLL) system for sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) in August 2016. The purpose of the regulations was to educate the public on the sugar content in SSBs to promote healthy diets in Sri Lanka and reduce NCDs associated with a high sugar intake. It is timely to assess the effectiveness of TLL in encouraging healthier food choices. Based on an ongoing IPS study, this blog discusses consumers’ knowledge of TLL and how it impacts their SSB choices.

Bacteria hitchhike on red blood cells, New model simulates effects of exercise on muscles, Argon found in air of ancient atmosphere and Revealing emergent elastic fields of chiral crystals. Read all in the April Editor's Choice and this month's Asia Research News 2022 magazine pick - Asia's race to outsmart antimicrobial resistance.

Exercising during pregnancy bestows a wealth of benefits upon a child. New research suggests that exercise may also help reduce the offspring’s chances of getting type 2 diabetes. Researchers uncovered how SOD3, a key protein released by the placenta after exercise, improves the metabolic health of offspring and negates the impacts of maternal obesity and poor diets.

Giants in History: Filipino chemist and pharmacist Manuel A. Zamora (29 March 1870 – 9 July 1929) is best remembered for his discovery of the tiki-tiki formula to combat beriberi, a disease caused by Vitamin B1 deficiency

• Effects of gestational bisphenol A exposure were compared between rat dams and their offspring. • Bisphenol A affected the dams' circadian rhythm, immune response, and insulin resistance. • Nevertheless, at the multi-omics levels (transcriptome and lipidome), the impact on the dams was less than on their offspring. • Multi-variates analysis successfully differentiated the multi-omics effects between dams and their offspring.

Malaysian and UK medical device and composite materials experts have partnered up to research into using natural fibres for prosthetic limb technology to lower the cost of the prosthesis

A population health survey in Hong Kong revealed that 50% of people aged 15 to 84 were either overweight or obese because of insufficient intake of wholegrains, fruits, and vegetables, and the increasing consumption of sugar-sweetened and alcoholic beverages, convenience foods, take-out food, and other high-density, low-nutrient foods.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a magnetic slime, training for robotic surgeries, and the furthest star from Earth.

Soot as a surprising source of haze-building hydroxyl radicals

Gene editing technology has been used to pinpoint new molecular targets for treating an aggressive form of leukemia in adults.