It's important to close the toilet lid before flushing for sanitation reasons, but doing so isn't possible in many public facilities located in the United States and many other countries. These public toilets not only often lack a lid, but also flush with a greater velocity than most home toilets, paving the way for potential 'clouds' of particles containing viruses like the one behind COVID-19.
Loneliness changes the way the human brain perceives relationships, according to a new study, demonstrating a 'lonelier' neural response to different kinds of relationships compared to that of people who aren't lonely. The findings were based on MRI brain scans that focused on activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) where a personal social network 'map' is stored.
A potential COVID-19 treatment is delivering promising results in clinical trials, with dexamethasone helping cut deaths in cases of severe respiratory complications. The potential of the drug, a low-cost steroid usually used to treat inflammation, was described as "a ground-breaking development" in treating coronavirus by the UK Government's Chief Scientific Advisor.
Computer games get a bad rap for their addictive elements and violent content but those conveniently ignore the wide variety of genres, content, and purposes available in such a broad medium. Even discounting explicitly educational games, there is still a long list of games that go beyond entertainment. The latest and perhaps strongest proof of games' potential for good is the FDA's approval of the EndeavorRx mobile game for kids diagnosed with ADHD, the first time the agency has given its thumbs-up to a game.
A new study exploring the personalities and body mass of vegetarians and vegans found that they differ in notable ways, on average, when compared to that of meat-eaters. In addition to often having lower BMIs compared to their meat-eating counterparts, the study found that vegetarians are also more likely to have different personality traits, especially when it comes to the world of introverts and extroverts.
Newly published research details a 'clear link' between taking a common cholesterol-lowering drug and healthier gut bacteria. Though additional research is necessary to understand the full implications of this discovery, the study indicates that certain medications may be a useful preventative treatment in people who have less healthy gut bacteria, giving them a beneficial boost that may help reduce or protect against various conditions.
Hydroxychloroquine can no longer be used for COVID-19 treatment in the US, with the FDA revoking its emergency use authorization for the controversial drug touted by President Trump. Chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate had been credited with reducing coronavirus infection after an early study, but critics were quick to dispute both those findings and the drugs' efficacy.
If you've been refusing to wear a face mask in public, now is the time to start. A new study out of Texas A&M University has found that failing to wear a face mask puts a person at dramatic risk of contracting the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 -- and it also increases their odds of spreading it to other people. Face masks alone aren't enough to prevent the virus, but they are an important tool.
If you have a habit of eating dinner late in the day, you may be burning less fat than you would if you ate at an earlier hour, according to a new study. This isn't merely an issue of weight loss, however, with the researchers finding that late-day eating may also increase one's risk of developing metabolic dysfunction and type-2 diabetes.
As if the threat of permanent lung damage weren't enough, a new initiative has found evidence that the novel coronavirus behind COVID-19 may cause yet another unexpected health complication: the onset of diabetes. The disease may be developed by patients who are otherwise healthy, the report states, and it may also cause 'severe complications' for anyone who is already suffering from the condition.
The FDA has revealed that another lot of metformin, a drug commonly used by type-2 diabetics, have been recalled over the presence of an impurity that is linked to the development of cancer. The recall announcement follows similar recent recalls from multiple companies after the FDA published the results of testing on metformin samples.
Non-profit organization MAPS has published the long-term results of multiple Phase 2 clinical trials on the use of MDMA and therapy to treat PTSD. The results were favorable, finding that most participants experienced extended benefits from the treatment for the duration of at least one year. More than half of the volunteers no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD after two months.