In the most extensive study of its kind, researchers from the University of Copenhagen, in collaboration with the Danish Paediatric Asthma Center at Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, have found a link between microorganisms living in the dust of children’s beds and the children’s own bacteria. The correlation suggests that microorganisms may reduce a child’s risk of developing asthma, allergies and autoimmune diseases later on in life. Invisible to the human eye, our beds are teeming with microbial life. It is life that, especially during early childhood, can affect how microorganisms in our bodies develop, and thereby how resilient we become to various diseases.
“We see a correlation between the bacteria we find in bed dust and those we find in the children. While they are not the same bacteria, it is an interesting discovery that suggests that these bacteria affect each other. It may prove to have an impact on reducing asthma and allergy risks in later years,” explains Professor Søren J. Sørensen of UCPH’s Department of Biology.
Smartphone Screen Time Linked to Preference for Quicker but Smaller Rewards
In a new study, people who spent more time on their phones were more likely to reject larger, delayed rewards in favour of smaller, immediate rewards. Tim van Endert and Peter Mohr of Freie Universität in Berlin, Germany, present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on November 18, 2020.
Wan Endert and Mohr recruited volunteers who agreed to let the researchers collect actual data on the amount of time they spent on each app on their iPhones for the previous seven to ten days. Usage data was collected from 101 participants, who also completed several tasks and questionnaires that assessed their self-control and their behaviours regarding rewards.
The analysis found that participants with greater total screen time were more likely to prefer smaller, immediate rewards to larger, delayed rewards. A preference for smaller, immediate rewards was linked to heavier use of two specific types of apps: gaming and social media.
Rare Gene Mutation Hints at ‘Fountain of Youth’
Canadian scientists looking at a rare genetic mutation think they may have discovered the proverbial fountain of youth. But it’s not for everyone: so far, the mutation has only been found in a handful of French-Canadian families.
Called PCSK9Q152H, the mutation of the PCSK9 gene was initially thought to protect against cardiovascular diseases. Recent studies reveal that it may protect against other human illnesses, mainly liver diseases. It may allow the lucky PCSK9Q152H mutant subjects to stay in good health and live longer, the researchers say in a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
The work was led by vascular biologists Richard Austin and Paul Lebeau of McMaster University and by Montreal Clinical Research Institute endocrinologist Michel Chrétien, an emeritus professor at the University of Montreal.
