Two-thirds of biological conservation actions improve biodiversity or slow its decline, a meta-analysis claims. The study highlights the effectiveness of interventions focused on invasive species control, habitat loss reduction and restoration, and protected areas. The article, published in the journal Science, brings together the findings of 186 previous studies.
Vitamin D enhances the response to cancer immunotherapy in mice via the gut microbiome, according to a study published in Science. The role of vitamin D in cancer immune modulation had already been studied in previous studies. Now, the authors suggest that this nutrient acts on intestinal epithelial cells, altering the composition of the microbiome and favoring a species of bacteria called Bacteroides fragilis, which regulates immunity against cancer.
Two independent research teams have managed to regenerate brain circuits in mice using neurons cultivated from rat stem cells. Today, both studies were published in the journal Cell. The research, in which chimeras of different species were generated, delve into how brain tissue forms and present new opportunities for restoring lost brain function due to diseases and aging.
People taking heartburn medications suffer more migraines and severe headaches, says a study published in Neurology: Clinical Practice. According to the authors, these observations are consistent with other studies that link migraine and headaches to the use of proton pump inhibitors (such as omeprazole), and the new study adds a correlation with the use of other types of antacids. The analysis is based on data from more than 11,800 adults between 1999 and 2004 in the United States.
Following the agreement reached a few months ago between the European Parliament and Council, in today’s plenary session the European Parliament has approved a provisional political agreement with EU countries that includes new requirements to improve air quality by 2030. The agreement sets stricter targets and limits for several pollutants that have a serious impact on health, including particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) and SO2 (sulfur dioxide). Before being published in the Official Journal of the European Union, the law now must be adopted by the Council. EU countries will have two years to implement the new standards
A US study has found that patients treated by female physicians have lower rates of mortality and hospital readmission than those treated by male physicians. The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and involving more than 700,000 patients over the age of 65, found that the effects were even greater when female patients were treated by female physicians.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service, together with the World Meteorological Organisation, publishes the report on the state of Europe's climate in 2023. According to their findings, last year was one of the hottest on record, with a record number of extreme heat stress days and widespread flooding. According to their calculations, heat-related mortality has increased by 30 % over the last 20 years.
Researchers have found specific antibodies in the blood of patients years before they showed symptoms of multiple sclerosis. This group of antibodies was present in 10% of the 250 people who later developed the disease, and were part of a sample of over 10 million US military personnel. The finding could have potential for early detection of multiple sclerosis, says the research team in a paper published in Nature Medicine.
According to a study published today by The BMJ, people with dementia who are treated with antipsychotics are at increased risk of serious adverse events such as stroke, blood clots, myocardial infarction, heart failure, fractures, pneumonia, and acute kidney injury, compared with those who do not take them, . These findings extend the harms previously associated with the use of these drugs on these patients.
The global economy could lose, on average, 19% of income by 2049 due to increased carbon emissions over the past four decades, says an analysis published in Nature. To estimate the future economic damages of climate change, the authors used temperature and precipitation data for 1,600 regions worldwide in the past 40 years. Low-income countries will be more affected by these losses than higher-income countries, the authors warn.