Diseases and disorders

— Pilot Study Paves the Way for Larger Trials on Brain Health Assessment PHILADELPHIA -- In a preliminary investigation, intermittent calorie restriction improved executive function and memory in older adults without cognitive impairments. This 8-week randomized study involved 40 overweight, cognitively healthy seniors with insulin resistance. Researchers compared two dietary strategies: a 5:2 intermittent fasting approach versus a “healthy living” diet, which followed USDA guidelines on

UC Berkeley Engineers Develop Earbuds that Track Brain Signals Linked to Relaxation and Drowsiness Feeling sleepy during work is a common experience, especially after lunch. However, for individuals in high-risk jobs, like driving or operating heavy machinery, drowsiness can be perilous or even fatal. Drowsy driving alone contributes to hundreds of fatal traffic accidents every year across the U.S., and the National Safety Council has highlighted drowsiness as a critical risk in industries like

The United Nations has announced that it will end the employment of nine employees affiliated with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). This decision comes after an inquiry revealed possible connections between these individuals and Hamas-led attacks on Israel that took place on October 7. The investigation, led by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), was initiated after accusations surfaced from Israel last year, alleging

Researchers at Toho University in Japan have introduced an AI-based model that can evaluate male infertility risk solely through blood tests, eliminating the necessity for semen analysis. It is anticipated that this could become a standard infertility screener in the near future, replacing semen-based assessments. The World Health Organization (WHO) in 2017 reported that men contribute to roughly 50% of global infertility cases. Although semen analysis is crucial for identifying male

— Recombinant Shingles Vaccine Linked to 164 Days Free from Dementia Diagnosis Key Points Those who received the recombinant shingles vaccine (Shingrix) saw a 17% longer duration without a dementia diagnosis compared to patients who got the live vaccine version. This extension translates to 164 more days on average without receiving a dementia diagnosis. The findings add to the growing understanding of a potential link between shingles vaccination and the prevention of dementia. A recent

— Potential for durable responses with alternative antigen-targeted therapy A promising new treatment targeting a different antigen has shown success among patients with large B-cell lymphoma who previously relapsed after receiving CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy (CAR19), according to findings from a phase I dose-finding study. In the study, 38 patients who had not responded to CAR19 achieved a 68% overall response rate and a 53% complete response rate following treatment with autologous

Gene therapy applied to both ears in children with DFNB9 shows enhanced outcomes, including improved sound localization and hearing in noisy settings KEY POINTS BOSTON (June 5, 2024) — A breakthrough gene therapy targeting a genetic form of deafness has demonstrated restored hearing function in five children treated in both ears. These children exhibited significant improvements in speech recognition and could now discern the location of sounds. This bilateral gene therapy—administered to the