Comment

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 9 hours ago

Osteoporosis could increase mortality risk in postmenopausal women, study suggests
Osteoporosis in postmenopausal women is associated with a 47% increased risk of mortality, particularly when femoral bone mineral density falls within the osteoporotic range (0.46–0.71 g/cm2). Lower bone mineral density serves as a prognostic biomarker for systemic health, indicating elevated mortality risk beyond fracture incidence.
Osteoporosis, which is highly prevalent in postmenopausal women, has long been associated with an increased risk of fractures. A new study suggests it may also increase a woman's overall risk of death—by as much as 47%—especially within specific ranges of bone mineral density (0.46-0.71 g/cm2 for total femur bone mineral density). Results of the study are published online in Menopause.
As the total population ages, the incidence of osteoporosis also increases. In 2022, the global prevalence of osteoporosis was 19.7%, with women exhibiting a significantly higher prevalence than men (23.1%).

One study projected that by 2030 the number of people affected by osteoporosis worldwide will reach 263 million, with 154 million of them being women. Previous research has documented that postmenopausal women experience a significantly higher mortality rate within one year after hip or vertebral fractures.

The decline of estrogen levels during the menopause transition has been linked to a number of physiologic changes across multiple systems, including bone metabolism, cardiovascular function, muscle mass, and fat distribution.

Regarding bone health, declining estrogen levels accelerate bone resorption and inhibit bone formation, leading to a rapid decrease in bone mineral density (especially in the femoral region), which in turn increases the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
In this new study involving nearly 3,000 postmenopausal women, bone mineral density at four femoral sites was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

The analysis revealed that mortality risk was significantly elevated when femoral bone mineral density reached the osteoporotic threshold or in the presence of osteoporotic fractures.

After full adjustment, osteoporosis was associated with a 47% increased risk of mortality. A stronger inverse association between increased bone mineral density and mortality risk was observed within specific ranges, suggesting that bone mineral density should serve as a prognostic biomarker of systemic health.

Osteoporosis often remains a silent threat after menopause, despite its profound effect on women's lives—from loss of height, poor balance, and reduced mobility to disfigurement, pain, and even premature death.
Early screening and preventive measures, including a calcium-rich diet (preferably from food sources), regular weight-bearing exercise, and hormone therapy when appropriate, can significantly improve bone health and reduce risks not only of fractures but also cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, and dementia.

Zheng Zhang et al, Femoral bone mineral density and mortality risk in postmenopausal women: a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey cohort study, Menopause (2026). DOI: 10.1097/gme.0000000000002787

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 9 hours ago

Loss of the X chromosome is associated with reduced chance of natural pregnancy

Chromosomes carry genetic information for biological sex, which generally assigns women two X chromosomes and men XY chromosomes. This is a basic principle of human genetics most are taught in grade school biology, but it is little known that with aging, men can lose the Y chromosome, and women can lose one of their X chromosomes.

These phenomena are known as loss of the Y chromosome (LOY) and loss of the X chromosome (LOX). LOY is associated with several diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes mellitus, and heart disease, while LOX may be linked to acute myeloid leukemia and pneumonia.
Loss of the X chromosome (LOX) in white blood cells is more prevalent in women with infertility, and a LOX cell proportion above approximately 0.9% is associated with reduced likelihood of natural pregnancy. LOX levels were not correlated with anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), suggesting that combining LOX and AMH assessments may improve prediction of natural pregnancy potential.
The results revealed that women with infertility had a significantly higher proportion of LOX cells. Furthermore, when the proportion of LOX cells in white blood cells exceeded approximately 0.9%, the likelihood of achieving natural pregnancy decreased.
In the future, measuring LOX in individuals experiencing infertility may help determine whether natural pregnancy is possible or whether fertility treatments, such as in vitro fertilization, should be initiated at an earlier stage.

Taiki Kikuchi et al, Haematopoietic loss of the X chromosome is associated with a lower likelihood of natural conception, Reproductive BioMedicine Online (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2026.105638

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 9 hours ago

Losing grip on reality while using ChatGPT
Prolonged, intensive interactions with AI chatbots such as ChatGPT have been associated with the emergence of AI-induced delusions or psychosis, characterized by loss of reality, social isolation, and significant personal and psychological harm. These effects appear to be exacerbated by chatbot behaviors such as excessive flattery and emotional engagement, raising concerns about mental health risks and the need for regulatory oversight.
An unknown number of people have lost their grip on reality while communicating with chatbots, an experience tentatively being called AI-induced delusion or psychosis.
This is not a clinical diagnosis. Researchers and mental health specialists are racing to catch up to this new, little-understood phenomenon, which so far appears to particularly affect users of OpenAI's ChatGPT.

In the meantime, an online community set up by a 26-year-old Canadian has become the world's most prominent support group for these delusions, which they prefer to call "spiraling."
Questions are also being asked about whether AI companies are doing enough to protect vulnerable people.
People are literally getting brainwashed by a robot!

RESEARCH REPORTS

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 11 hours ago

Natural malaria immunity:  The secret to why some people never get sick

People living in regions where malaria outbreaks are common experience repeated exposure to the disease, which gradually teaches the body how to fight back. Over time, they develop naturally acquired immunity that helps the body control the density of malaria parasites (Plasmodium falciparum) in the blood and prevent the development of clinical symptoms.

A recent study set out to pinpoint the specific parts of the malaria parasite that the immune system targets to protect the body from disease. The researchers deliberately infected 142 Kenyan adults known to be immune to malaria, then monitored their symptoms and parasite levels. They successfully identified six merozoite antigens—proteins on the surface of the malaria parasite—that were linked to natural immunity against the disease. The findings were published in Nature Communications.

 Six key proteins linked to protection: MSP1, MSP11, RAMA, MSP7, PHISTB, and PTEX150.

The team found that immunity was strongest when the body produced antibodies against more than one protein, as combinations of antibodies worked more effectively. They also observed that individuals with high levels of antibodies against four of the six proteins were the ones who showed complete protection from developing malaria symptoms during the study.

For vaccine researchers, these findings can open up promising new directions in the fight against malaria. More effective vaccines could ultimately save millions of lives, particularly among children in Africa, where the disease continues to wreak havoc every year.

Rodney Ogwang et al, Controlled human malaria infection in adults identify combinations of merozoite antigens associated with clinical immunity, Nature Communications (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-72716-x

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 11 hours ago

Rivalry with neighboring groups may be a key driver of male size in primates

In many primate species, males are much larger than their female counterparts, which is generally attributed to male competition for mates (sexual selection). But bigger bodies may not just be about alpha males defeating rivals. They could also come about because of competition between neighbouring social groups, according to a new study published in the journal Biology Letters.

The authors thought that the standard scientific view that a primate male's size was mostly determined by rivalry within the same group was not the full story. They wanted to see if the threat from outsiders was an even more powerful evolutionary engine. One of the reasons for this was that primate groups are not isolated. They tend to live close to other groups, meaning they must share or fight for resources.

The team searched through scientific literature and collected data on 146 different primate species. They compared male and female size against several measures of between-group competition. These included the daily encounter rate, the proportion of encounters that were antagonistic, and the home range overlap (the percentage of a group's total range that is shared with a neighbouring group).

It turns out that the mating system, which describes how males and females pair up for breeding, was not a strong predictor of size differences. Instead, it was pressure for space. The authors discovered that the more a group's territory overlaps with its neighbours, the larger the males are compared to the females. Frequent encounters with neighbouring groups also appear to promote the evolution of larger male bodies.

Their hypothesis is that the evolutionary advantage and driver of size is that it acts as a silent deterrent. Being larger helps a male defend resources and guard mates by simply being intimidating. This reduces the need for risky physical fights. Over time, evolution favors these larger males because they can successfully protect their group and territory by their physical presence alone.

"Home range overlap may select for larger males to deter rivals, defend resources or monopolize females across shared territories, potentially without frequent physical contests," wrote the research team in their paper.

Cyril C. Grueter et al, Effects of between-group competition on sexual size dimorphism in primates, Biology Letters (2026). DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2025.0680

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 12 hours ago

As part of their study, researchers studied mice that had previously formed associations between neutral stimuli (e.g., a sound) and adverse experiences (i.e., a small electric shock). They looked at cells in the mice's brains as they were undergoing fear extinction, or in other words, while they were repeatedly exposed to the stimuli they had learned to associate with danger, but in the absence of any adverse stimuli.

To do this, they first used activity-dependent tagging techniques to label neurons in the brain of mice that store specific fear memories. These fearful memory-encoding neurons are known as engrams.

They then examined what happened during extinction learning and found that microglia preferentially interacted with these neurons. Next, they disrupted these interactions using genetic and pharmacological approaches. Across experiments, interfering with microglia-engram interactions slowed extinction learning, indicating that microglia actively help regulate the weakening of fear memories.
The team's observations suggest that microglia contribute to the extinction of fear memories in mice and in the weakening of associated fearful responses. Specifically, the researchers found that interactions between microglia and neurons temporarily reduced the activity of fear engram neurons.

When they prevented these interactions from taking place, the fear extinction process appeared to slow down considerably. This suggests that microglia play a significant role in the weakening of fear responses and are in fact active regulators of fear extinction.

The most important finding is that extinction is not solely a neuronal process.
The results of this recent study could soon help to refine existing models of fear extinction. In addition, they could pave the way for new research that specifically explores the role of microglia in the recovery from PTSD and anxiety disorders.

Yunlong Liu et al, Microglia-dependent regulation of fear memory extinction, Nature Neuroscience (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41593-026-02286-0.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 12 hours ago

Fear memories fade faster when brain immune cells engage key neurons

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety disorders are often characterized by fearful responses in specific situations that the mind learns to view as threatening. These fearful responses typically emerge following traumatic events or challenging life experiences, which prompt the brain to form unhelpful associations between specific stimuli and distressing events.

The fearful responses associated with PTSD or anxiety disorders can gradually diminish via a process known as fear extinction. This process entails the repeated exposure to a situation or stimulus perceived as threatening, but without any danger arising.

Understanding the neurobiological processes that support fear extinction could be very valuable, as it could help to devise new therapeutic strategies for treating symptoms of PTSD and anxiety disorders. 

Researchers have been trying to fill the gap in the literature by looking at how microglia in the mouse brain influence fear extinction. Their findings, published in Nature Neuroscience, suggest that microglia take part in the weakening of fearful memories over time via interactions with neurons.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa yesterday

The rising number of parents refusing the intervention has added a new layer of complexity to diagnosing sick infants in the ED, where the most common cause of bleeding is trauma, such as a fall.

When evaluating infants who did not receive vitamin K injections, "clinicians may need to consider serious bleeding complications when evaluating otherwise nonspecific symptoms such as lethargy, vomiting, seizures, or pauses in breathing."
Parents refuse the shot for a wide range of reasons. One 2019 qualitative study found the refusal was often driven by a broad aversion to anything perceived as foreign or interventional at birth.

Increasingly, refusals are driven by misinformation circulating on social media that often conflates the shot with vaccines simply because it is an injection administered at birth. "But it's not a vaccine—it's a vitamin supplement."
Oral vitamin K—sometimes offered if parents turn down the injection—is not a reliable alternative because absorption through a newborn's gut is inconsistent, and repeat dosing would be required throughout the newborn period, says Howard.

Other reasons parents object to the birth dose:

Fear of side effects: Parents have encountered unfounded claims online about dangerous complications. In reality, decades of use support the shot's safety profile.
The cancer myth: A small study from the 1980s suggested a possible link between the shot and childhood cancer, but subsequent larger, more rigorous studies have not confirmed that association. "We have strong evidence to support that it does not increase an individual's cancer risk," Howard says.
"Breast milk is enough": Some parents mistakenly believe breastfeeding provides sufficient vitamin K—but it does not, says Thorne-Lyman. Unlike vitamin D, which can be meaningfully enriched in breast milk if the mother is sufficiently supplemented, "even if the woman is eating a good diet that's rich in vitamin K sources, there is still a possibility that their child is going to be deficient," he explains. Formula-fed infants may have a somewhat lower risk because formula contains added vitamin K, but the injection is still recommended for all newborns.
Delayed cord clamping: Some families believe that leaving the umbilical cord attached longer will transfer enough vitamin K from the placenta. "Placental transfer of vitamin K is very low, including through the cord blood, so delayed cord clamping does not provide sufficient vitamin K to prevent VKDB," Howard says.
A broader dynamic is also at play: Because VKDB became so rare after the shot was introduced, many parents have no frame of reference for how serious it can be. Because the underlying disease has become invisible, it produces a level of complacency.
Parents, unfortunately, are turning to social media rather than being able to sit down with their pediatrician.
We know now from decades of evidence and use that it is safe, effective, and necessary to prevent vitamin K deficiency bleeding, which can have deadly, or if not deadly, lifelong consequences for an infant.

https://hub.jhu.edu/2026/05/15/what-parents-need-to-know-newborn-vi....

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa yesterday

The newborn vitamin K shot: What every parent needs to know

The vitamin K shot is one of the oldest, safest, and most effective preventive interventions in newborn medicine.
The American Academy of Pediatrics—which first endorsed the intervention in 1961—recommends the shot be administered within six hours of birth. But amid a flood of misinformation online, more parents are refusing the shot for their newborns, sometimes with devastating consequences—highlighting the need for better communication about its benefits and the risks of forgoing it.
A single intramuscular vitamin K injection at birth effectively prevents vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB), a potentially fatal condition in newborns who have naturally low vitamin K levels. Without the injection, the risk of VKDB increases up to 81-fold, with consequences including irreversible brain damage or death. Oral alternatives are unreliable, and breast milk does not provide sufficient vitamin K. The injection is safe, with no proven link to cancer or serious side effects.
No parent wants their child to bleed to death. No parent wants their child to have hemorrhaging in their brain.
Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting, but newborns are born with very low levels of the nutrient, making them vulnerable to vitamin K deficiency bleeding, or VKDB—a condition that can cause internal bleeding in the brain, intestines, and other vital organs.

The single vitamin K injection—typically 0.5 mg to 1.0 mg given just after birth— prevents VKDB during the critical first months of life while the baby is building up their own vitamin K stores and before they start eating solid foods around 4–6 months old.

Without the vitamin K shot, the risk of bleeding is up to 81 times higher, with incidents occurring in 1 in 14,000 to 25,000 babies.

While most adults naturally maintain healthy vitamin K levels produced by bacteria in the gut and a balanced diet, the nutrient "does not cross the placenta easily."
Breast milk does not provide sufficient amounts after the birth.
The consequences of VKDB can be swift and devastating—and there's no reliable way to measure a baby's risk.
And the only sign that something is wrong is sudden, catastrophic bleeding, when the bleeding is already severe and difficult to reverse.
Brain bleeds are among the most serious outcomes. Depending on where blood accumulates and how quickly it is detected, consequences range from neurological impairment to death. "If [the hemorrhage] is pushing against the brainstem, which regulates a baby's breathing and heart rate, and it's not detected quickly enough, that has devastating consequences.
After bleeding begins, treatment options are limited. Vitamin K can be administered as a last resort to help stop active bleeding, but damage already done to the brain may be permanent.
Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa yesterday

Soil also suffers from heat waves: Organic waste boosts its tolerance to 50°C

Adaptability has its limits.

When the temperature exceeds 40 degrees, just as human health suffers, the microorganisms that inhabit the soil—and from there provide a multitude of ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration and plant nutrition—concentrate more on survival than continuing their work.
A study conducted by researchers has determined the temperature limit that soil in various regions can reach before it begins to degrade. The study also provides insights into what we can do to help the soil.

Soil microbial activity and phosphorus availability decline sharply above 40°C, with near-total functional shutdown at 50°C, threatening soil health under recurrent heat waves. Incorporating organic amendments, particularly olive pomace, significantly enhances soil resistance and phosphorus retention at high temperatures, supporting soil resilience and ecosystem services amid climate change.

Above 40 degrees, microorganisms' ability to capture carbon diminishes, and it practically "shuts down" at 50 degrees.
The higher the temperature they endure, the lower the soil's phosphorus reserve becomes, which is virtually non-existent when exposed to temperatures above 40 degrees.
To address this issue, the research team has explored ways to mitigate the damage caused by high temperatures, which they aim to counteract through the use of organic additives that enhance soil resistance.

Sana Boubehziz et al, Soil Preservation in Warming Climate: Organic Amendments Enhance Microbial Carbon Use Efficiency in Mediterranean Soils, European Journal of Soil Science (2026). DOI: 10.1111/ejss.70323

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