It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Friday, August 21, 2026
Intermittent fasting may help Type 1 diabetics control their blood sugar levels
A UIC study led by kinesiology and nutrition professor Krista Varady found that time-restricted eating may be a safe, effective tool to control blood sugar in adults with Type 1 diabetes.
“This is the first study to examine the effects of intermittent fasting on people with Type 1 diabetes, and the results are extremely promising,” said Varady, a leading expert on intermittent fasting who conducted some of the first human studies on the subject.
Type 1 diabetes, a chronic condition of low or no insulin production, affects less than 1% of people in the U.S. For the study, Varady recruited people with Type 1 diabetes who are also classified as obese by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s body mass index. This encompasses about 0.5% of the total U.S. population, Varady said.
In the study, 32 participants from around Chicago were randomly assigned to one of three behaviors for six months: time-restricted eating (eating only between noon and 8 p.m.) with no calorie counting, maintaining a 25% calorie reduction or a control group with no change in behavior.
After six months, Varady observed that the time-restricted group had reduced their blood sugar levels compared to the calorie-counting group; the HbA1c blood test showed an average decrease of about 0.5%.
Importantly, time-restricted eating did not increase the risk for extreme high or low blood sugar levels or diabetic ketoacidosis — a life-threatening lack of insulin in the body.
“This is the first step to showing time-restricted eating could be a safe, potentially effective method for people with Type 1 diabetes to manage their blood sugar levels,” Varady said.
“Of course, this is just the first step,” she said. “Anyone making changes to their eating habits, especially those with diabetes, must work closely with their endocrinologist or healthcare provider to find a solution that works for them.”
Next, Varady hopes to run larger, multisite studies to demonstrate these results on a more universal scale.
Other UIC authors on the study are Mary-Claire Runchey, Sarah Corapi, Vasiliki Pavlou, Sofia Cienfuegos, Shuhao Lin, Mark Ezpeleta, Kelsey Gabel, Lisa Tussing-Humphreys, Vanessa M. Oddo, Julienne Sanchez, Terry Unterman and Sirimon Reutrakul.
New research in mice challenges a long-standing view of how the heart builds backup blood vessels after a coronary artery blockage, showing that new collateral arteries arise primarily from capillaries rather than existing arteries. The findings offer insight into a molecular pathway that could be leveraged to promote cardiac repair. Coronary artery disease – a leading cause of death worldwide – can result in blocked blood flow to heart muscle, causing heart attacks. Although medical procedures like stents and bypass surgery can restore circulation, they are invasive, pose risks, and are not always effective. As such, there is a need for alternative approaches. Coronary collateral arteries act as natural bypasses, diverting blood around blocked vessels and improving outcomes after injury. Developing ways to stimulate the formation of collateral arteries could therefore provide an important therapeutic strategy. Traditionally, coronary collaterals were thought to form when preexisting arterial connections enlarge in response to increased blood-flow forces following an obstruction. Yet recent research has shown that these vessels can arise de novo, with arterial endothelial cells playing a central role in their development. However, the mechanisms by which these vessels arise remain poorly understood. To address this gap, Mingjun Zhang and colleagues used genetically engineered mouse models and dual genetic lineage-tracing tools to track the origins of different types of endothelial cells during coronary collateral formation. Zhang et al. found that capillary endothelial cells, rather than arterial endothelial cells, are major building blocks of new coronary collaterals. The conversion of capillaries into collateral arteries is essential for cardiac repair. The authors also identified a VEGF-driven molecular pathway that promotes this capillary-to-artery conversion, pointing to a potential strategy for enhancing de novo collateral formation and cardiac repair.
For reporters interested in research integrity topics, co-author Bin Zhou remarks, “advances in biological sciences require continued efforts to strengthen rigorous experimental design, transparency, reproducibility, and open communication. Fostering a collaborative and responsible research culture will be essential for promoting reliable scientific discoveries.”
Heat transforms clusters of RNA into liquid-like droplets. The study found that temperature can alter the physical properties of RNA condensates, allowing a more networked structure to relax into rounded droplets.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — It’s one of the origins of life’s chicken-or-the-egg problems: How could RNA have helped give rise to the first cells before there were cells to contain them?
Without the compartmentalization of a cell, it would have been extremely difficult for these vulnerable molecules to have found enough of each other in the proverbial primordial soup, let alone survive the harsh conditions of the early Earth.
The answer could lie in RNA’s ability to assemble together into liquid-like droplets, or condensates. These membraneless compartments could have concentrated RNA molecules, increasing opportunities for them to interact and potentially sheltering them from a hot and acidic environment.
Now, a new study led by the University at Buffalo is shedding light on what makes RNA particularly adept at forming these droplets. Published July 31 inNature Communicationsunder the journal’s early access guidelines, the study found that a tiny chemical difference between RNA and DNA helps explain why RNA more readily organizes into droplets when temperatures rise — and why those droplets are more prone to becoming rigid, gel-like networked structures.
“These findings reveal, for the first time, how remarkably small changes in molecular chemistry can control the emergence of much larger, self-organized biomolecular structures like RNA condensates,” says lead corresponding author Priya R. Banerjee, PhD, Twentieth Century Club Professor in the UB Department of Physics. “They could allow us to eventually address even deeper questions, like whether these condensates helped bridge the gap between simple molecules and the earliest forms of life.”
The study was done in collaboration with Jerelle Joseph, PhD, assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering at Princeton University. It was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and Hypothesis Fund.
Study addresses questions on RNA world theory
The work is part of Banerjee’s research related to RNA world theory, which suggests that RNA played a central role in originating life on Earth. RNA molecules can both carry genetic information and catalyze chemical reactions, which could have allowed them to perform the chemistry that eventually gave rise to DNA, proteins and the first cells.
But RNA world theory faces fundamental questions, including how unstable RNA could have persisted under harsh prebiotic conditions and how enough RNA molecules could have become concentrated in one place to interact before cells existed.
RNA droplets could provide an answer. A 2023 study led by Banerjee found that RNA has a tendency to organize itself into liquid-like droplets under high temperatures.
Building off that work, the current study compared RNA’s droplet forming abilities with single-stranded DNA containing essentially the same sequences.
In their experiments, Banerjee’s group showed that RNA began forming droplets at temperatures roughly 10 degrees Celsius lower than the corresponding DNA, showing that RNA had a stronger tendency to condense. They also found that RNA molecules more readily formed interconnected networks within the droplets, transforming the material from fluid-like to more gel-like, which could protect RNA better under harsh environmental conditions.
A key reason appears to lie in the fact that RNA and DNA differ chemically by just one oxygen atom per sugar unit. Each sugar unit in RNA contains a chemical group called a 2′-hydroxyl (2′-OH) that is absent in DNA.
Using temperature-controlled microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering and molecular-dynamics simulations performed by the Joseph group, the team found that the 2′-OH appears to help RNA interact more strongly with magnesium ions and retain fewer water molecules around its backbone than DNA does. Those differences help RNA molecules come together more readily as temperatures rise, the researchers found.
The researchers further tested the 2′-OH's role by chemically modifying it to 2′-Ome, similar to what’s found in many natural RNA. Doing so weakened RNA's tendency to condense and altered whether the resulting condensates remained fluid or became gel-like.
“This single oxygen-containing group on RNA’s sugar has a surprisingly powerful effect on whether these molecules come together, remain dynamic or become arrested into a gel-like material,” says first author Gable Wadsworth, PhD, a postdoc in Banerjee’s lab who will join the University of Texas at El Paso as an assistant professor this fall.
The Banerjee lab is now taking the next step: engineering RNA droplets to perform some basic functions of cells such as biochemical reactions. They are attempting to program the droplets to function as active, dynamic, cell-sized compartments, providing a potential foundation for designing all-RNA synthetic cells.
“These kinds of self-organizing RNA compartments were possibly a step along the way to single-cell organisms,” Banerjee says.
Research from the University of East Anglia shows how our memories change with age and why specific details associated with past events can fade over time.
A new study reveals that as people age, they not only remember fewer details from their past - but also struggle more when switching between different types of memories.
It points to a shift in how we remember things as we grow old - where vivid and moment-specific recollections gradually give way to broader, more generalised knowledge.
Rather than portraying memory decline as a simple loss, the study offers a nuanced picture of ageing cognition and sheds light on how memory evolves over a lifetime.
The team hope their findings could help guide new approaches to support healthy cognitive ageing.
Lead researcher Prof Louis Renoult, from UEA’s School of Psychology, said: “As we get older, our memories tend to become less detailed and more general, focusing on the overall story rather than specific moments.
“This shift is linked to changes in how the brain recalls information, meaning older people often remember the big picture but with fewer vivid details.
“We wanted to better understand how young and older adults retrieve autobiographical memories - the personal experiences that form the story of our lives.
“These sorts of memories can range from specific one-time events, such as a birthday party, to more general or repeated experiences like commuting to work.
“We focused on how flexible people are when asked to shift between these types of memories, and what happens when that flexibility is put under pressure.”
How the research happened
A total of 37 students, representing young minds, and 37 older adults from the community took part in the study. They were asked to recall two kinds of memories in response to cue words such as ‘market’.
“We wanted to elicit both specific memories and categoric memories - which are the general or repeated experiences,” said Prof Renoult.
To begin with, participants recalled each type in sequence, focusing on one form of memory at a time. They were then asked to switch back-and-forth between specific and categoric memories, placing greater demands on cognitive control.
The team evaluated both how well participants followed the instructions and how much detail they provided in their responses.
Switching comes at a cost
Prof Renoult said: “We found that across all age groups, memory performance declined when participants had to switch between memory types.
“However, older adults were particularly affected in one area - they were less accurate at recalling more mundane repetitive memories like commuting to work under switching conditions.
“Interestingly, their ability to recall specific memories like a birthday party was less affected by the task-switching challenge.
“This suggests that certain types of memory retrieval may be more vulnerable to the effects of ageing when multitasking or adapting to changing demands.”
A shift in memory content
The most striking findings came from analysing the content of the memories themselves.
When recalling specific events, older adults’ narratives contained fewer details such as sights, sounds, and emotions tied to a moment.
However, they remembered more semantic details – covering general knowledge or interpretations about the event. A similar pattern was observed when participants were asked to recall categoric memories.
Understanding memory and aging
The findings highlight that changes in memory are not simply about forgetting, but about how memories are accessed and expressed.
Prof Renoult said: “When older adults recall events, the richness of those memories may be reduced.
“This shift may reflect changes in underlying brain systems involved in memory, particularly those responsible for retrieving detailed contextual information and managing complex cognitive tasks.”
Real-world implications
“This has practical implications for everyday life. Tasks that require people to quickly adapt their thinking or switch between different kinds of recall - such as storytelling, decision-making or problem-solving - may become more challenging with age.
“At the same time, the increased reliance on semantic knowledge may have benefits. Generalised memories can support wisdom, pattern recognition, and efficient communication, even if the finer details are lost.”
‘Age-related differences in autobiographical memory recall: impact of retrieval mode switching’ is published in the journal Psychology and Aging.
Journal
Psychology and Aging
Method of Research
Observational study
Subject of Research
People
Article Publication Date
21-Aug-2026
More than half of adults in US say they lack basic statistical understanding
Respondents to a survey also reported willingness to use statistics in decision-making if they understood the topic better
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — From the daily weather forecast to a baseball player’s batting average to an individual’s risk of developing lung cancer, understanding statistics can help people in the United States navigate their lives, according to Mark Ramos, assistant research professor of health policy and administration at Penn State. However, more than half of adults in the U.S. reported knowing little or nothing about basic statistical concepts, according to a recent study led by Ramos.
In the study, published in PLOS One, the researchers analyzed nationally representative survey data and found that 62% of respondents reported no or limited statistical knowledge while only 11% regularly use statistics in daily life. Despite the perceived knowledge gap, most respondents also reported they would rely on statistics for decision-making more if they understood the topic better.
“While statistics are not hard to understand, they are even easier to misunderstand,” Ramos said. “Fortunately, concepts in statistics are grounded in intuition and rationality. So, a basic but thoughtful introduction to these concepts can help people understand their own thinking better.”
At the 2025 Joint Statistical Meetings in Nashville, Tennessee, a market-research and survey company solicited questions from attendees to include in a nationwide survey given to a representative sample of the U.S. population. Ramos and his co-author, Samuel Anyaso-Samuel, postdoctoral fellow at the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute, submitted two questions that were used in this survey: “How much do you understand about statistics and p-values?” and “How often would you base decisions on reported statistics if you understood it better?” Ramos and Anyaso-Samuel analyzed the responses to these questions for this study.
Of the 1,000 people surveyed, one-quarter reported that they had no understanding of statistics, while 37% reported limited familiarity. Slightly more than one-quarter said they had learned some statistics in school.
This does not mean that people do not believe statistics matter, Ramos said. Nine out of 10 participants said they would use statistics more if they possessed more understanding.
“Understanding and evaluating the quality of evidence should be within reach of any interested citizen,” Ramos said. “Statistical literacy is critical when research is invoked in news reports, social media or policy debates that affect people’s lives.”
The survey specifically asked whether people understood p-values. In research, a p-value is a tool for understanding a study's results. In simplified terms, the smaller the p-value, the greater the statistical evidence, according to Ramos.
"Statistics does not provide certainty," Ramos said. "Rather, it works with the uncertainty present in nature and society to provide a reasonable approach for making decisions. The better people understand that concept, the more they can learn when to trust or mistrust the statistical evidence they read. Taking the time and effort to learn about statistics can help a person become a more informed consumer of science.”
For people who are interested in statistics, Ramos said there are many excellent free resources available. He noted that Penn State provides the course materials for STAT 200: Elementary Statistics online as a free educational resource, even to people who are not enrolled in the class.
Self-reported perception of statistical literacy: Evidence from a National Survey of U.S. Adults
Digital wellness program eases anxiety and depression in adults with chronic health conditions
A controlled trial across 13 countries found that a self-guided digital program and a version paired with telephone support both outperformed usual care for anxiety and depression
A digital program combining guided movement, breathing and meditation exercises, and coping-skills training reduced anxiety and depression symptoms in adults with chronic medical conditions, according to a new study published August 20th in the open access journal PLOS Medicine by Puneeta Tandon of the University of Alberta, Canada, and colleagues.
More than half of adults living with chronic physical conditions experience anxiety, depression, or fatigue, which can significantly reduce quality of life. Access to effective symptom management support is limited by mobility barriers, geography, cost, and shortages of trained clinicians. Digital programs may offer a scalable way to address this burden, but clinical trial evidence backing these interventions has been limited, and the role of human support in their efficacy is unclear.
Researchers conducted a fully remote, three-arm randomized controlled trial across 13 countries, involving 825 adults with self-reported chronic medical conditions including Primary Biliary Cholangitis, chronic digestive diseases, cirrhosis, and heart failure. Participants were assigned to a waitlist control group, a self-directed digital program (eMPower), or the same program supplemented with weekly telephone check-ins from trained non-clinicians. The program included movement, breathwork/meditation, coping skills, and disease education. Anxiety and depression symptoms were measured using a standard symptom scale ranging from 0 to 42.
At 12 weeks, participants receiving the digital program with telephone support showed significantly greater improvement in anxiety and depression scores than the control group (2.9-point greater improvement; 95% CI, 2.0–3.8). They also reported improved quality of life and less fatigue. In exploratory analyses, the self-directed program alone also significantly improved symptoms compared with control (2.6-point greater improvement; 95% CI, 1.8–3.5), and no significant difference was found between the two program formats, although the trial was not designed or powered to directly compare them.
The study primarily included women with higher education and only measured outcomes for 12 weeks, so longer-term impact and generalizability to other populations remain unclear. However, the authors say the data suggest a path forward for digital mental health interventions.
“Taken together, the eMPower clinical trial provides robust evidence that a fully digital, multicomponent intervention reduced anxiety and depression symptoms and was associated with improvements in fatigue, and quality of life across a range of chronic disease populations,” the authors say. “Rather than developing separate digital programs for each condition, a single cross-condition approach with tailoring for disease-specific education is effective in addressing shared symptoms.”
Corresponding author Dr. Puneeta Tandon states, “As clinicians, we are good at treating organ-specific problems, but the whole-person burden of chronic illness - the anxiety, low mood and exhaustion - that is often where patients have fewer practical options. People often leave the clinic without much they can try, but it doesn’t need to be that way. While these skills don’t replace medication or mental health care when those are needed, they do give people a practical place to start at home.
“What was surprising was that, in an exploratory analysis, we did not find a significant difference between the fully self-directed program and the program with brief weekly check-ins from a trained team member. This does not prove that the two approaches are equal, but it suggests that a program like this may be able to reach far more people without requiring one-to-one support for everyone. Support could then be focused on those who need it most.
“Because the study was entirely online, people could take part from home. The average age was 56, almost one in four participants was over 65, and 84% completed the 12-week follow-up – a strong result for a fully online study. We’re very grateful to the patient partners and organizations representing heart, kidney, liver, transplant and digestive communities who helped shape the program from the beginning. Their involvement was an important part of the study’s success.”
“The 12-Week eMPower program has demonstrated meaningful improvements in quality of life for people living with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), the largest group enrolled in the eMPower study,” said Gail Wright, a PBC patient and President of the Canadian PBC Society. “Participants living with a significant symptom burden reported clinically meaningful improvements in fatigue and overall quality of life. The success of this program represents an important milestone for the PBC community, providing clinicians with evidence to support more personalized care that combines pharmaceutical treatment with an evidence-based self-management program for people living with PBC.”
First author Emily Johnson, MD/PhD Candidate, notes, “Running the trial entirely online meant we could reach people who are often left out of research – including people managing severe fatigue or mobility limitations, people living far from a specialist centre, and people who can't add another appointment to their week. What struck me most was that they stayed. Patient partners shaped this program from the first draft, and I think that's why it held people's attention for 12 weeks. I look forward to continuing with this work and helping even more people.”
In your coverage, please use this URL to provide access to the freely available paper in PLOS Medicine: https://plos.io/4c4DL6K
Citation: Johnson E, Hyde A, Corrick S, Isley S, Wright G, Ezekowitz J, et al. (2026) Effect of a digital intervention on mental health symptoms in adults with chronic conditions: A three-arm randomized controlled trial. PLoS Med 23(8): e1005198. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1005198
Author countries: Canada
Funding: This study received funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) (https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca) grant number 179974 to PT; Mitacs (https://www.mitacs.ca/) through the Canadian PBC Society and HeartLife to SC and SI (no formal grant number assigned); and TRIANGLE (https://triangleprogram.org/) to EJ (no formal grant number assigned). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
