Medicine

A new study, published recently in the journal Depression and Anxiety, provides evidence that consumption of chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, may be associated with reduced odds of clinically relevant depressive symptoms. Eating dark chocolate may positively affect mood and relieve depressive symptoms. Image credit: Sci-News.com. Chocolate is widely reported to …

In a study published recently in the Journal of Burn Care Research, a team of researchers reviewed all pavement burn injury admissions into a Las Vegas area burn center, and compared the outdoor temperatures at the time of each patient admission to, in essence, determine how hot is too hot. …

Plant-based dietary patterns — especially when they are enriched with healthful plant-based foods (such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts) — are beneficial for the primary prevention of type 2 diabetes, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis of previous observational studies, published online this month in the …

A research team led by Flinders University’s Professor Nikolai Petrovsky has completed a human clinical trial on an adjuvant vaccine designed to eliminate the risk of an allergic reaction to European honeybee stings. A European honeybee (Apis mellifera). Image credit: Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 3.0. Allergic reactions to …

A 10-minute college-based animal visitation program providing hands-on petting of cats and dogs provides momentary stress relief, according to a study published this week in the AERA Open, an open access journal of the American Educational Research Association. Pendry Vandagriff demonstrated that petting animals during a 10-minute, college-based animal visitation …

In a study done in mice, a team of researchers at Kumamoto University, Japan, demonstrated that Matcha tea powder exerts strong and synergistic anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) effects, and that the activation of the dopamine D1 and serotonin 5-HT1A receptors contributes to such effects. Matcha tea. Image credit: Dung Thuy Vu Nguyen. …

A team of scientists at Clemson University has discovered that CYP2B — a key enzyme involved in metabolism, particularly in the detoxification of chemicals in the body — plays a role in obesity and fatty liver disease, especially in males. Heintz et al finds that the repression or inhibition of …

Ghrelin, a hormone synthesized by endocrine cells of the stomach, is known as the ‘hunger hormone’ given its role in increasing appetite, meal initiation and food intake. A new study by researchers from the University of Southern California and University of Florida suggests that ghrelin may also be important for …

A team of researchers at the University of Massachusetts Lowell has found that chicken eggshell microparticles inserted into a hydrogel matrix can be used to strengthen bone grown in a lab for use in bone grafts and other procedures. Schematic for the fabrication of the eggshell microparticle-reinforced hydrogels and cell …

Nocturnal exposure to light containing short wavelength emissions (450-500 nm) — the kind of light produced by the screens of many devices — raises blood sugar levels and increases sugar intake, according to a study performed on Sudanian grass rats (Arvicanthis ansorgei). Nighttime exposure to blue light causes glucose intolerance …