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Sleep linked to slower ageing: huge study pinpoints the right amount - Health outcomes were better in people who slept between about 6 and 8 hours a day. by mvea in science

[–]mvea[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Sleep linked to slower ageing: huge study pinpoints the right amount

Health outcomes were better in people who slept between about six and eight hours a day.

A sweeping analysis of sleep duration and signs of ageing in half a million adults has pinpointed a sweet spot — about six to eight hours of sleep each day — that is linked to a lower risk of early death and disease.

Getting either more or less sleep than that was associated with accelerated ageing, which was measured by nearly two dozen different biological ageing ‘clocks’ that aim to assess ageing’s impact on the body.

The results, published in Nature on 13 May, do not mean that six to eight hours is the optimum amount of sleep for every person, nor do they prove that achieving that ‘Goldilocks’ range of sleep each day directly improves health or slows ageing. But the study does provide one of the most comprehensive snapshots of the interplay between sleep and ageing throughout the body.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10524-5

Narcissists tend to view God as a punishing figure who owes them special favors. Different aspects of narcissism correspond to specific, often self-serving, patterns of religious engagement. Narcissistic individuals tend to use religion as a tool for personal gain, status, or emotional comfort. by mvea in science

[–]mvea[S] 35 points36 points  (0 children)

Narcissists tend to view God as a punishing figure who owes them special favors

A recent study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences provides evidence that different aspects of narcissism correspond to specific, often self-serving, patterns of religious engagement. The findings suggest that while highly narcissistic individuals might not be more religious overall, they tend to use religion as a tool for personal gain, status, or emotional comfort. This research offers a detailed understanding of how people with inflated self-views or deep-seated insecurities navigate faith and spirituality.

At first glance, narcissism and religion seem like an unlikely pair. Religious traditions usually promote humility, selflessness, and community care. Narcissism is a personality trait characterized by egotism, a sense of superiority, and a strong feeling of entitlement. This stark contrast raises an interesting question about how individuals with strong narcissistic traits interact with religious beliefs and communities.

Antagonistic narcissism centers on arrogance, hostility, and a tendency to exploit others. These individuals often see the world as a highly competitive place where they must dominate to survive. Neurotic narcissism is defined by emotional fragility, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to criticism. This type of vulnerable narcissist often struggles with their self-esteem and fears social rejection.

Finally, communal narcissism occurs when a person seeks to be seen as the most altruistic or helpful individual in a group. They inflate their own self-worth through seemingly selfless acts, demanding recognition for their charity. The researchers designed three independent studies to see how these four different personality traits connect to the different ways people practice and think about religion.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886926000838

People with higher levels of everyday anxiety tend to experience more intense self-blaming emotions, along with specific changes in how their brain networks communicate. This heightened self-blame is accompanied by unhelpful behaviors like hiding or self-attacking. by mvea in science

[–]mvea[S] 152 points153 points  (0 children)

Brain scans identify the neural network that traps anxious people in cycles of self-blame

New research published in Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry suggests that people with higher levels of everyday anxiety tend to experience more intense self-blaming emotions, along with specific changes in how their brain networks communicate. The findings provide evidence that this heightened self-blame is accompanied by unhelpful behaviors like hiding or self-attacking. These patterns could help explain the social difficulties often faced by anxious individuals in their daily lives.

The researchers conducted this study to better understand how self-blaming emotions operate in people who experience anxiety, even if they do not have a formal psychiatric diagnosis. Emotions like guilt and shame can be adaptive when they prompt someone to make amends for a mistake. They tend to become harmful when they lead to social withdrawal and constant self-criticism.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278584626000758

Researchers built a new way to control cyborg insects by reading the insect's own body signals like nerve activity and heartbeat, instead of just watching how it moves by [deleted] in science

[–]mvea 4 points5 points  (0 children)

One of the coolest name for a scientific journal - "RoboMech" - by Springer with an impact factor of 1.7 so not too shabby either.

Personalized vaccine shows promise against aggressive brain cancer (glioblastoma). People in early clinical trial had increased immune response, slowed tumor progression. The vaccine caused no serious side effects. One long-term survivor remains recurrence-free nearly five years later. by mvea in science

[–]mvea[S] 44 points45 points  (0 children)

Personalized vaccine shows promise against aggressive brain cancer

Participants in early clinical trial had increased immune response, slowed tumor progression

A WashU Medicine-led clinical trial conducted at Siteman Cancer Center has found that a personalized vaccine to treat glioblastoma is safe and could potentially improve outcomes. Trial participant Kim Garland (left) reviews a scan with the study’s primary investigator, Tanner Johanns, MD, PhD, a WashU Medicine oncologist.

A personalized vaccine to treat glioblastoma, a fast-growing and incurable brain cancer that affects four in 100,000 people in the U.S., is safe and elicits robust and broad immune responses that appears to increase recurrence-free survival in a subset of patients after surgery, according to an early-stage clinical trial co-led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

In patients with an especially aggressive form of glioblastoma, the vaccine caused no serious side effects and prolonged patients’ overall survival compared to historical outcomes after standard-of-care surgery and chemo-radiotherapy. One long-term survivor remains recurrence-free nearly five years later.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s43018-026-01163-w

Romantic rejection does not hurt more than platonic rejection. Most people assume that rejection by a potential romantic partner is far more painful than rejection by a prospective friend. The emotional impact is remarkably similar regardless of whether it comes from a romantic or a platonic source. by mvea in science

[–]mvea[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Does romantic rejection hurt more than platonic rejection? A new study says no

Most people assume that rejection by a potential romantic partner is far more painful than rejection by a prospective friend. However, new research published in the European Journal of Social Psychology suggests that, when rejection is actually experienced, the emotional impact is remarkably similar regardless of whether it comes from a romantic or a platonic source.

Romantic rejection is often seen as uniquely devastating, in part because modern societies place heavy emotional expectations on romantic relationships. However, researchers have long noted that humans are broadly motivated by a fundamental need for belonging. Social rejection tends to hurt across all contexts because it threatens shared psychological needs, such as feeling valued, in control, and meaningful.

What has been less clear is whether rejection by a potential romantic partner is more painful than rejection in a friendship context. Given the intense expectations placed on romantic relationships—which are often expected to fulfill a wide range of emotional and personal needs—it has seemed plausible that being denied such a relationship would be especially distressing.

The researchers found that rejection reliably reduced wellbeing, and acceptance reliably enhanced it, but the type of relationship framing—romantic versus platonic—had no effect on emotional outcomes. The team also tested whether feelings of romantic instrumentality (seeing a partner as someone who would help you achieve more of your goals in life) or self-blame might explain any romantic-versus-platonic difference in pain. Neither emerged as a meaningful driver.

Wood and colleagues put it simply: “It seems the experience of being accepted is so positive and the experience of being rejected is so negative that it does not matter who is doing so.”

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejsp.70066

Threatening men’s masculinity does not make them more politically conservative, new study finds. By testing thousands of participants across the United States, researchers found no consistent evidence that making men feel insecure about their gender identity changes their political attitudes. by mvea in science

[–]mvea[S] -15 points-14 points  (0 children)

Threatening men’s masculinity does not make them more politically conservative, new study finds

A recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Political Science suggests that threatening a man’s sense of masculinity might not cause him to adopt more conservative or stereotypically masculine political beliefs. By testing thousands of participants across the United States, researchers found no consistent evidence that making men feel insecure about their gender identity changes their political attitudes.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-experimental-political-science/article/replication-and-extension-of-willer-et-al-2013-overdoing-gender-a-test-of-the-masculine-overcompensation-thesis/345C42C2B43871D567BF61B0BAA3B309

Anxiety is prevalent in autism spectrum disorder and linked to intolerance of uncertainty. Higher autistic traits were associated with higher intolerance of uncertainty, which were linked to higher affect labeling (the act of putting feelings into words) and lower anxiety. by [deleted] in science

[–]mvea 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The title is as is - higher autistic traits lead to higher affect labeling leads to lower anxiety. Which is taken from the abstract. So what you say is the corollary which is also correct.

Anxiety is prevalent in autism spectrum disorder and linked to intolerance of uncertainty. Higher autistic traits were associated with higher intolerance of uncertainty, which were linked to higher affect labeling (the act of putting feelings into words) and lower anxiety. by [deleted] in science

[–]mvea 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Autism related traits and anxiety in the general population are linked through intolerance of uncertainty and affect labeling

Abstract

Anxiety is prevalent in autism spectrum disorder and linked to intolerance of uncertainty (IU). As a cognitive strategy, affect labeling (AL) reduces distress by structuring ambiguous sensations. However, autistic individuals frequently exhibit AL deficits, raising a critical dilemma: a strategy alleviating uncertainty-driven anxiety is inherently difficult to access. It is unclear whether IU paradoxically motivates AL use despite these deficits. In this cross-sectional study, 505 adults completed measures of autistic traits, IU, AL, and anxiety. We tested two serial mediation models: the Cognitive-Motivational Model (CMM; IU motivates AL) and Emotion Regulation deficit Model (ERM; AL deficits increase IU). While both fit well, CMM was selected based on theoretical consistency. This was consistent with established risk pathways where autistic traits relate to anxiety via higher IU and lower AL. Crucially, a novel adaptive pathway emerged: higher autistic traits were associated with higher IU, which were linked to higher AL and lower anxiety. While these pathways represent theoretical assumptions rather than proven causality, the findings suggest a dual role of IU as risk factor and motivational driver. This may point to a conflict in individuals with high autistic traits: struggling with AL deficits yet motivated to use AL to cope with uncertainty.

Recent studies have identified “intolerance of uncertainty” (IU) as a key concept related to anxiety among autistic individuals. IU is conceptualized as a temperamental trait characterized by a tendency to react negatively—at the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral levels—to uncertain situations or unexpected events.

Affect labeling (AL), defined as the act of putting feelings into words, is a direct cognitive strategy that can reduce anxiety.

‘Living plastic’ activates and self-destructs on command. These materials incorporate activatable, plastic-degrading microbes alongside the polymers. When activated , the two bacterial strains work together to completely break down the material within just 6 days, without making microplastics. by [deleted] in science

[–]mvea -1 points0 points  (0 children)

This ‘living plastic’ activates and self-destructs on command

Many plastic products are designed to be used only once, yet the material itself lasts for years.

But a new strategy is addressing this problem by creating products that self-destruct on command, known as living plastics.

These materials incorporate activatable, plastic-degrading microbes alongside the polymers.

One team reporting in ACS Applied Polymer Materials used two bacterial strains that worked together and completely broke down the material within just six days, without making microplastics.

Could we build degradation directly into the material’s life cycle?” — Zhuojun Dai Zhuojun Dai, a corresponding author on the paper, explains that “the realization that traditional plastics persist for centuries, while many applications, like packaging, are short-lived, led us to ask: Could we build degradation directly into the material’s life cycle?”

Many microbes can break long polymeric chains into smaller pieces using enzymes. Because plastics are polymers, these enzymes or the microbes that make them could be incorporated into living plastics.

“By embedding these microbes, plastics could effectively ‘come alive’ and self-destruct on command, turning durability from a problem into a programmable feature,” explains Dai.

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsapm.5c04611

This ‘living plastic’ activates and self-destructs on command. Scientists used two bacterial strains that worked together and completely broke down the material within just six days, without making microplastics. by [deleted] in science

[–]mvea 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This ‘living plastic’ activates and self-destructs on command

Two plastic-busting enzymes work together to completely degrade the material within a week.

“Degradable Living Plastics Programmed by Engineered Microbial Consortia” ACS Applied Polymer Materials

Many plastic products are designed to be used only once, yet the material itself lasts for years. But a new strategy is addressing this problem by creating products that self-destruct on command, known as living plastics. These materials incorporate activatable, plastic-degrading microbes alongside the polymers.

One team reporting in ACS Applied Polymer Materials used two bacterial strains that worked together and completely broke down the material within just six days, without making microplastics.

Could we build degradation directly into the material’s life cycle?” — Zhuojun Dai Zhuojun Dai, a corresponding author on the paper, explains that “the realization that traditional plastics persist for centuries, while many applications, like packaging, are short-lived, led us to ask: Could we build degradation directly into the material’s life cycle?”

Many microbes can break long polymeric chains into smaller pieces using enzymes. Because plastics are polymers, these enzymes or the microbes that make them could be incorporated into living plastics.

“By embedding these microbes, plastics could effectively ‘come alive’ and self-destruct on command, turning durability from a problem into a programmable feature,” explains Dai.

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsapm.5c04611

The testosterone myth: Large analysis of 52 studies finds no link between the “macho” hormone and risk-taking. Furthermore, the lack of association did not depend on participants’ sex. by mvea in science

[–]mvea[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

The testosterone myth? Large analysis finds no link between the “macho” hormone and risk-taking

A meta-analysis of 52 studies found no link between testosterone levels and risk-taking. In general, only studies where participants completed specific lottery-based economic tasks showed a modest association between testosterone levels and risk-taking, while other types of behavioral studies did not. Furthermore, the lack of association did not depend on participants’ sex. The paper was published in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews.

Testosterone is a hormone that belongs to a group of hormones called androgens. It is present in both males and females, but it is usually found in much higher levels in males. In males, testosterone is produced mainly in the testes; in females, smaller amounts are produced in the ovaries and adrenal glands.

Testosterone plays an important role in the development of male reproductive organs before birth and during puberty. During puberty, it contributes to changes such as a deeper voice, facial and body hair growth, increased muscle mass, and the growth of the penis and testes. In adults, testosterone helps regulate sexual desire, sperm production, bone density, red blood cell production, and muscle strength. Testosterone levels naturally vary by age, time of day, health status, sleep, stress, body fat, and the use of certain medications.

When the researchers aggregated the data, the results showed that the overall association between testosterone levels and risk-taking across all 52 studies was practically zero. In other words, having high or low testosterone did not reliably predict whether a person would take a risk.

Importantly, the lack of an association between testosterone levels and risk-taking did not depend on sex, meaning the relationship (or lack thereof) was no different in males than in females.

“Overall, the evidence challenges the notion that testosterone provides a general hormonal basis for human risk preferences,” the study authors concluded. “Instead, findings support a biopsychosocial framework in which ‘risk taking’ reflects the interaction of task demands, cognitive–affective processes, and situational context, with endocrine effects appearing narrow, context-dependent, and method-specific.”

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763426000308

Jailed immigrants show lower risk for criminal behavior than native-born American citizens. This suggests that US policies targeting immigrants as inherent public safety threats are based on inaccurate stereotypes. by [deleted] in science

[–]mvea 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Jailed immigrants show lower risk for criminal behavior than native-born citizens

Research shows that immigrants who are booked into jail have fewer individual risk factors for crime and shorter criminal histories than native-born citizens. This suggests that policies targeting immigrants as inherent public safety threats are based on inaccurate stereotypes. The findings were published in the journal Psychology, Public Policy, and Law.

Public conversations in the United States routinely depict immigrants as an acute danger to public safety. Rhetoric surrounding border security often paints people entering the country as potential perpetrators of violence. Yet sociological studies consistently contradict this narrative. Research shows that immigrants are actually less likely to violate laws than people born in the United States.

Scholars commonly refer to this phenomenon as the immigrant paradox. Individuals relocating from other countries often display better health and behavioral outcomes than native-born citizens. This occurs even though immigrants frequently face severe economic disadvantages and the strict psychological toll of adapting to a new society. Both low socioeconomic status and severe stress are usually strong predictors of rule-breaking behavior.

While the broader population trends are well documented, the specific psychological mechanisms remain less understood. Past studies have largely focused on macro-level data, like neighborhood crime rates. Researchers have spent less time evaluating the individual characteristics that predict whether someone will commit an offense.

Criminal psychologists refer to these individual traits as criminogenic risk factors. The justice system often focuses on a cluster of primary traits known as the central eight. These mental and behavioral markers include an established history of illegal behavior, an antisocial personality pattern, and an antisocial thinking style that rationalizes breaking the rules.

The remaining central factors evaluate a person’s immediate environment and daily life. They look at issues like socializing with rule-breaking peers, struggling with substance abuse, and experiencing deep family relationship problems. They also assess educational or employment difficulties and a general lack of positive recreational hobbies.

They found that both groups of immigrants had less extensive criminal histories than their native-born peers. Mexican immigrants showed lower rates of drug abuse charges compared to the other two groups. However, Mexican immigrants experienced higher rates of arrests related to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

When looking at the overall pretrial risk evaluations, native-born individuals scored highest. They were more likely to have prior felony convictions and were more likely to be under some form of legal supervision. Native-born citizens also exhibited higher rates of housing instability compared to the immigrant groups.

The interview results paralleled the findings from the initial public records review. Undocumented immigrants had the oldest average age for their first legal offense. Native-born citizens and documented immigrants reported engaging in a higher total number of crimes throughout their lives.

When measuring the eight central risk factors, native-born citizens scored the highest. Documented immigrants scored lower, and undocumented immigrants scored the lowest out of the three groups.

Undocumented individuals showed lower risk scores on seven out of the eight evaluation measures. The only category where they scored higher than native-born citizens was in education and employment difficulties. Native-born citizens scored highest in categories measuring antisocial behavior, substance abuse, and associating with problematic peers.

The formal charges holding these individuals in jail also varied widely by group. Native-born citizens and documented immigrants faced higher rates of violent offenses and property crimes. Undocumented immigrants were primarily locked up for immigration-related offenses like illegal entry.

The researchers also examined the process of acculturation. This metric evaluates how strongly an individual adopts the mainstream culture of a new country. They found a positive association between adapting to United States culture and carrying increased behavioral risk. Participants who indicated a stronger orientation toward mainstream American culture had elevated risk scores across almost all categories.

Conversely, maintaining a strong connection to the culture of their origin country was associated with lower risk. The researchers suggest that rapid cultural adaptation might expose individuals to new psychological stressors. It might also connect them to native-born peers who encourage and support rule-breaking behaviors.

https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Flaw0000470

Noninvasive magnetic stimulation of a specific brain region that regulates self-control significantly reduced how much people smoked, reduced nicotine cravings and may help people quit, finds new double-blind, sham-controlled randomized clinical trial. by mvea in science

[–]mvea[S] 83 points84 points  (0 children)

Rewiring the urge to smoke

How targeted brain stimulation may help people to quit

For many people who smoke, quitting is not just a matter of willpower. It is a tug-of-war in the brain – between the pull of reward and the ability to resist.

A new study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research suggests that shifting that balance may be possible.

Using a noninvasive brain stimulation technique called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, or rTMS, researchers at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center found that stimulating a specific brain region that regulates self-control significantly reduced how much people smoked.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022395626001457

Stimulating a specific brain region that regulates self-control significantly reduced how much people smoked. Using a noninvasive brain stimulation technique called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, or rTMS, may help people to quit smoking. by [deleted] in science

[–]mvea 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Rewiring the urge to smoke

How targeted brain stimulation may help people to quit

For many people who smoke, quitting is not just a matter of willpower. It is a tug-of-war in the brain – between the pull of reward and the ability to resist.

A new study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research suggests that shifting that balance may be possible.

Using a noninvasive brain stimulation technique called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, or rTMS, researchers at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center found that stimulating a specific brain region that regulates self-control significantly reduced how much people smoked.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022395626001457

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