Babies Conceived Through IVF May Carry a Hidden Signature in Their DNA - ScienceAlert

Obesity in middle age is a significant risk factor for developing dementia in later life, but the relationship may be more complicated than we thought. Researchers from the US and Canada have now turned up evidence that extra body weight is associated with a longer life once a dementia diagnosis has been given. Considering how many health problems are linked to obesity – from high blood pressure to several cancers – it's a surprising finding. But the discovery may give experts some useful insight into how dementia develops and how it might be slowed down. The research team analyzed health records from 4,523 US adults aged 51 and over who didn't have dementia at the beginning of the study period but went on to develop it. Based on their body mass index (BMI) at the start, they were put into four groups: normal weight, overweight, class 1 obesity, and class 2/3 obesity. As reported in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, over a follow-up period of up to 20 years, those who were at a normal weight were significantly more likely to die earlier.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researcher Isaiah Santistevan led the development of three-dimensional simulations exploring how a nuclear device could deflect or disrupt an asteroid threatening Earth. Credit: Blaise Douros/LLNL Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers are developing three-dimensional simulations to examine how a nuclear device could be used to deflect or potentially disrupt an asteroid threatening Earth.