If you really want a drink right now, the source of your craving may be a pea-sized structure deep inside the right side of your brain, according to scientists at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Leer Más
Epigenetics and aging
Abstract
Over the past decade, a growing number of studies have revealed that progressive changes to epigenetic information accompany aging in both dividing and nondividing cells. Functional studies in model organisms and humans indicate that epigenetic changes have a huge influence on the aging process. These epigenetic changes occur at various levels, including reduced bulk levels of the core histones, altered patterns of histone posttranslational modifications and DNA methylation, replacement of canonical histones with histone variants, and altered noncoding RNA expression, during both organismal aging and replicative senescence. The end result of epigenetic changes during aging is altered local accessibility to the genetic material, leading to aberrant gene expression, reactivation of transposable elements, and genomic instability. Strikingly, certain types of epigenetic information can function in a transgenerational manner to influence the life span of the offspring. Several important conclusions emerge from these studies: rather than being genetically predetermined, our life span is largely epigenetically determined; diet and other environmental influences can influence our life span by changing the epigenetic information; and inhibitors of epigenetic enzymes can influence life span of model organisms. These new findings provide better understanding of the mechanisms involved in aging. Given the reversible nature of epigenetic information, these studies highlight exciting avenues for therapeutic intervention in aging and age-associated diseases, including cancer. Leer Más
Naps May Improve Our Frustration Tolerance
A short nap could reduce impulsive behavior and improve the ability to withstand frustration, a small study suggests. Leer Más
TÁ CHATEADO POR QUÊ? QUEM CRIOU EXPECTATIVAS FOI VOCÊ!
Um dos caminhos mais eficazes para alcançar a frustração certamente se chama expectativa. Esperar que o novo trabalho seja o melhor do mundo, todos os amigos se lembrem de nosso aniversário, a família nos aplauda e esteja presente em cada momento e, a pior de todas, a pessoa com quem você se relaciona seja qualquer coisa que não ela mesma… Tanta esperança é um passe livre para uma conhecida e complicada fase de frustração, inconformismo e sofrimento pós-decepção. Leer Más
Expor-se à luz durante a noite interrompe a produção de melatonina e aumenta o risco de câncer
Ler até dormir ou enviar mensagens de texto até altas horas da madrugada pode aumentar o risco de ter câncer? Com certeza. Expor-se à luz artificial durante a noite impede que o seu corpo produza um hormônio importante chamado melatonina.
No Escape: Your Brain Is Constantly Doing Math, Study Finds
You thought you left math back in grade school, but it’s been hiding inside of your head. Leer Más
Over 64? Want to Cut Your Heart Disease Risk? Try Exercise
MONDAY, Aug. 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Ride a bike, take a swim, walk your dog: New research shows even a «moderate» amount of exercise each week drastically reduces the odds a person aged 65 or older will die from heart disease. Leer Más
What a Bad Decision Looks Like in the Brain
Humans often make bad decisions. If you like Snickers more than Milky Way, it seems obvious which candy bar you’d pick, given a choice of the two. Traditional economic models follow this logical intuition, suggesting that people assign a value to each choice—say, Snickers: 10, Milky Way: 5—and select the top scorer. But our decision-making system is subject to glitches. Leer Más
Vitamin C may improve leukemia treatment, Van Andel Institute researchers find
GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Adding Vitamin C may improve the effectiveness of treatments currently given to patients with some forms of leukemia.
That’s the finding of a new study, co-authored by top scientists at the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, published Monday, Aug. 29, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Leer Más