Here are the top medical news for the day:
Artificial breathing model to mimic and show breathing action of the human lung
To fully understand and treat respiratory diseases, it is important to determine the flow pattern of air and particulates through the alveoli. In Biomicrofluidics,, scientists from the Harbin Institute of Technology in China created a model alveolar system that mimics the breathing action of the human lung and allows visualization of flow patterns within the alveoli.
Alveoli are the basic functional units of the human respiratory system, acting as tiny air sacs that exchange gases.
The investigators designed a chip that includes tubes arranged like the structure of a bifurcation point in the bronchial network.
Ref:
Yonggang Zhu et al,Microflows in two-generation alveolar cells at an acinar bifurcation, Biomicrofluidics, DOI: 10.1063/5.0098302
Coping with sleep problems during heat waves
With heatwaves occurring more frequently, investigators from the European Insomnia Network recently explored how outdoor nighttime temperature changes affect body temperature and sleep quality. Their review of the literature, which is published in the Journal of Sleep Research, indicates that environmental temperatures outside thermal comfort can strongly affect human sleep by disturbing the body’s ability to thermoregulate.
The authors note that certain groups-such as older adults, children, pregnant women, and individuals with psychiatric conditions-may be especially vulnerable to the sleep disruptive effects of heatwaves. They also offer several coping methods adapted from elements of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.
Ref:
Ellemarije Altena, How to deal with sleep problems during heat waves: practical recommendations from the European Insomnia Network, Journal of Sleep Research, DOI 10.1111/jsr.13704
Front-loading calories in morning reduces hunger but does not affect weight loss
There’s the old saying in dieting that one must “breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dine like a pauper,” based on the belief that consuming the bulk of daily calories in the morning optimizes weight loss by burning calories more efficiently and quickly. But according to a new study published in Cell Metabolism, whether a person eats their largest meal early or late in the day does not affect the way their body metabolizes calories. However, people who ate their largest meal in the morning did report feeling less hungry later in the day, which could foster easier weight loss in the real world.
Ref:
Professor Alexandra Johnstone et al,Timing of daily calorie loading affects appetite and hunger responses without changes in energy metabolism in healthy subjects with obesity, Cell Metabolism, DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2022.08.001
