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Myofibroblasts are morphologically similar cells with diverse origins that exhibit characteristics of both fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. Following insults, myofibroblasts play critical roles in tissue reintegration and restitution. However, their prolonged presence and activity impede physiological recovery, leading to persistent or progressive tissue complications, as evidenced in corneal fibrosis and opacification. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are key signaling intermediates in various...

Humans evolved to pay close attention to danger, but today that instinct is being overwhelmed by an endless supply of bad news from around the world. Researchers say the answer isn’t to stop following current events—it’s to build healthier habits around how, when, and where we get our news.

Soviet-era theory touted by Putin’s former campaign manager claims oil deposits can form without organic matter

Researchers are pushing back on abrupt NSF cuts to the costly Ocean Observatories Initiative

For years, calcium and vitamin D supplements have been promoted as a simple way for older adults to protect their bones and prevent falls. But a massive review of nearly 154,000 people found that calcium, vitamin D, or a combination of both provided little to no meaningful protection against fractures or falls for most older adults.

A large-scale study suggests that men with higher levels of the amino acid tyrosine may have shorter lifespans, potentially losing close to a year of life expectancy. The finding is especially intriguing because tyrosine is commonly associated with brain health and is often used in supplements aimed at boosting focus and performance.

Quantitative insights into brain metabolism are essential for advancing our understanding of the energy dynamics in the brain. Here, we present a nanowatt-resolution biocalorimeter capable of real-time metabolic heat output measurements of individual, live Drosophila melanogaster brains. Using this platform, we show that female brains, across multiple genotypes, exhibit a significantly higher metabolic rate (∼10%-15%) than male brains at a young age (<10 days old) and follow distinct metabolic...

Freezing of gait (FOG) is a debilitating symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD) that has been related to abnormal functional connectivity across motor, cognitive, and limbic networks. However, it remains unclear how directional (i.e., effective) connectivity between various networks is altered by an actual FOG-related motor imagery task. Twenty-four individuals with PD (11 freezers and 13 non-freezers) and 15 healthy controls underwent functional MRI. Participants performed a motor imagery task...

Parkinson's disease leads to a spectrum of locomotor deficits that vary in severity with the nature of daily activities and the fluctuating physiology of patients. Many of these deficits remain inadequately addressed by existing deep brain stimulation therapies that rely on activity-agnostic parameters optimized for cardinal motor symptoms. By contrast, therapies embedding activity-specific parameters have the potential to better address the entire range of symptoms. Here we expose physiological...

A randomized crossover study of five patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) demonstrates that gait-synchronized adaptive deep brain stimulation is feasible and safe, and reduces falls compared with continuous stimulation. Gait dysfunction in PD is a major source of disability and is often insufficiently treated by continuous deep brain stimulation (cDBS). Although adaptive DBS (aDBS) has shown efficacy for other motor symptoms using β-based, state-driven neural signals, gait is a dynamic,...