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For Getting Better Sleep, Resistance Exercise May Be Superior to Aerobic Exercise

A new study found that resistance exercise may be superior to aerobic exercise as a way to get better sleep. A year-long resistance exercise program improved sleep quality, duration and other indicators of a good night’s sleep more so than aerobic exercise, combined aerobic and resistance exercise, and no exercise. Researchers say interventions focused on resistance exercises may be a way to improve sleep and, in turn, cardiovascular health. Resistance exercise may be superior to aerobic exercise as a way to get better sleep, and sleep is important for cardiovascular health, according to preliminary research to be presented at the…

“Closest Black Hole” System Doesn’t Contain a Black Hole – “Stellar Vampirism”

In 2020 a team led by European Southern Observatory (ESO) astronomers reported the closest black hole to Earth, located just 1000 light-years away in the HR 6819 system. But the results of their study were contested by other researchers, including by an international team based at KU Leuven, Belgium. In a paper published today, these two teams have united to report that there is in fact no black hole in HR 6819, which is instead a “vampire” two-star system in a rare and short-lived stage of its evolution. The original study on HR 6819 received significant attention from both the…

Common Medications Are Affecting Our Immune Response to Infections Like COVID-19

Some common drugs can help and others hinder immune responses. The largest clinical review of immune responses to paracetamol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and opioid analgesics, with a focus on infectious diseases, has provided insights into unintended impacts of these commonly used medicines. The findings highlight the potential for some of these medicines to join the fight against old and new infectious diseases. Although research into these drugs has focused on their effects on pain and fever management, until now, their impact on the treatment of infectious diseases specifically was unclear. The findings highlight the need for more studies in…

Scientists Discover New Way Viruses Trigger Autoimmune Diseases

In mice, roseolovirus disrupts immune cells’ process of learning self-recognition. Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Type 1 diabetes are thought to arise when people with a genetic susceptibility to autoimmunity encounter something in the environment that triggers their immune systems to attack their own bodies. Scientists have made progress in identifying genetic factors that put people at risk, but the environmental triggers have proven more elusive. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered that a viral infection can set a destructive process in motion, culminating in autoimmunity long after the infection has resolved.…

Inspiring the Next Generation: Meet Three Women Space Station Engineers

Women of the International Space Station Program’s workforce are trailblazers and contribute to the success of the orbiting laboratory in remarkable ways. From program management to research or mission integration, the numerous space station teams are rich with women engineers who work hard on the ground to ensure the seamless operation of the orbiting laboratory 250 miles above. Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day was February 24, 2022, a day when NASA recognizes the contributions of women and seeks to inspire the Artemis Generation of girls and young women to pursue engineering careers and become the great innovators and problem-solvers…