Author: Tom Patriot

Salt could be a key factor in allergic immune reactions

Tom Patriot

Salt apparently affects allergic immune reactions. A team working with Prof. Christina Zielinski at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has demonstrated in cell cultures that salt leads to the formation of Th2 cells. These immune cells are active in allergic conditions such as atopic dermatitis. The team also detected elevated salt concentrations in the skin of patients. In industrial countries, nearly one in three people are affected by allergies at some point in their lives. One in ten children suffer from atopic dermatitis. T-cells play an important role in…

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Engineers translate brain signals directly into speech

Tom Patriot

In a scientific first, Columbia neuroengineers have created a system that translates thought into intelligible, recognizable speech. By monitoring someone’s brain activity, the technology can reconstruct the words a person hears with unprecedented clarity. This breakthrough, which harnesses the power of speech synthesizers and artificial intelligence, could lead to new ways for computers to communicate directly with the brain. It also lays the groundwork for helping people who cannot speak, such as those living with as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or recovering from stroke, regain their ability to communicate with…

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Lucy Hale Just Got the Most Empowering Tattoo—and the Internet Is Obsessed

Tom Patriot

Lucy Hale is embracing self-love—and she now has a permanent symbol on her skin that she can look to when she needs to remember her worth and feel empowered. Hale took to Instagram last week to tell her followers about her new tattoo and its important message. “I got this tattoo recently as a symbol of self-love,” the actress wrote. “And that’s what this last year has been about…being alone (but not lonely), not settling and truly finding my inner light & loving who I am.” Hale, who lives by the mantra “be kind to…

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Combining morning exercise with short walking breaks helps control blood pressure

Tom Patriot

Thirty minutes of morning exercise lowers blood pressure for the rest of the day among older men and women who are overweight or obese. And women who take brief, frequent breaks from sitting throughout the day can enhance the blood pressure benefits of morning exercise even more, according to new research published in the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension. In a study of men and women, age 55 to 80, all of whom were overweight or obese, researchers wanted to find out whether the beneficial effect of morning exercise on blood…

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