Neat News - Neat things do happen

New research finds that people who are optimistic about their future tend to save more money for their future. The effect is strongest in people with lower incomes.

related: #optimism #saving

A new study finds that mice with Alzheimer's disease improve their cognitive abilities when they inhale menthol.

related: #menthol #Alzheimer

In experiments with mice it has been found that damaging inflammation of the brain in the case of Alzheimer's can be reduced when the mice inhale xenon, one of the inert noble gases.

related: #xenon #Alzheimer

In the beer production there is a lot of residual fibre from the barley. This has now been used in so-called brew bites to produce a vegan product that is inspired by minced meat.

related: #vegan #beer #food #barley

New research finds that in stressful times two things are important in order to reduce fatigue, firstly to have the support and appreciation of your supervisor and secondly to take regular microbreaks, which can be as short as a minute and involve a coffee, some stretches, or reading a brief news item.

related: #microbreak #fatigue #stress

Using a similar principle as the crystallization-type hand warmers, which give off heat that previously had been added, there is currently a technique under development to use hydrocarbon to store heat during the summer months to heat up homes during winter.

related: #heating #sun

A morphing wheel has been developed that can improve mobility, since it is able to seamlessly adapt to terrain such as curbs, speed bumps, or even staircases. It is inspired by the flexibility of a water drop.

related: #morphing_wheel

New research finds that drinking sparkling water in moderation may contribute to weight loss in a modest way, since it boosts how quickly glucose is used up in the blood.

related: #weight #sparkling_water

Many antibiotics are derived from nature. However, many bacteria become resistant and the search for new antibiotics is important to save lives. Now researchers have found antibacterial properties in oyster blood. This might lead to new antibiotics that could be used against otherwise resistant bacteria.

related: #oyster #antibiotics

The benefits of olives and olive oil are well studied. However, olive leaves have traditionally been used, for instance, to make tea to treat fever and malaria. Different studies have established the health benefits of (green) olive leaves: they contain antioxidants in a much greater concentration than the olives themselves; they also help with the health of the heart by improving blood fats and lowering blood pressure.

related: #olive_leaf #health

Studying the data of more than 350,000 young people in the UK it has been found that there are 15 risk factors to develop YOD (young-onset dementia), some of them avoidable: alcohol use/abuse, vitamin D deficiency, apolipoprotein E status, high C-reactive protein levels, low socioeconomic status, social isolation, hearing impairment, orthostatic hypotension, stroke, diabetes, heart disease, depression, physical frailty, and a low formal education.

related: #dementia #risk_factors

Omega-3 supplements have many positive health effects. A new meta-analysis across almost 4000 participants finds now that taking omega-3 supplements can reduce aggressive behaviour by up to 28 percent.

related: #omega3 #aggression

A new study finds that the risk of bowel cancer can be reduced by 17 percent by drinking a large glass of milk every day. In general, by a healthy lifestyle (such as no smoking, exercises, no alcohol, no processed meat, healthy diet), the risk of bowel cancer can be more than halved.

related: #lifestyle #milk #bowel_cancer

A new study looking at the brain of elderly Japanese people finds that those who drink more green tea have fewer white matter lesions, potentially giving them some protection against dementia.

related: #green_tea #dementia

Political prisoner Nahid Taghavi, an advocate for women's rights in Iran, has been released from prison in Iran and left the country after more than 1500 days in jail and is finally free.

related: #free #Nahid_Taghavi

Typically, people are treated for depression only when certain criteria are met and the depression is severe. However, a new study suggests that persons should be treated already with milder symptoms, since then in 42 percent of the cases it can be prevented that a clinical depression develops.

related: #depression #treatment

There is evidence from a recent study that intermittent fasting (e.g., only eating between 9 am and 5 pm) can improve the blood sugar regulation and reduce abdominal fat leading also to a better cardiovascular health for obese people.

related: #intermittent_fasting #health

A new rare blood group has been found, making blood transfusions safer.

related: #blood #blood_group

A new study finds that multilingualism has particular advantages for autistic children and can help reduce certain symptoms of autism.

related: #multilingual #autism

New research with twins finds that eating more fruit and vegetable reduces symptoms of depression.

related: #fruit #vegetable #depression

Only a quarter of us stick to New Year resolutions after half a year, also since during the Stone Age it was evolutionary an advantage to conserve energy and rest whenever possible. However, by psychological tricks this can be improved, for instance by monitoring and correcting behaviour; nudging oneself; making aware the sunk cost of equipment bought; making working out as attractive as possible; and making the experience social by working with others.

related: #New_Year #resolution

The availability of lithium is a bottleneck in the production of batteries with a high energy density. There is new work pointing that vanadium in conjunction with sodium may offer an interesting alternative.

related: #battery #vanadium