In BulletsWhat we consume decides the fate of our health. In a recent study, researchers analyzed data from over 2400 teenagers to find if their dietary habits impact their handgrip strength (HGS). They found that boys with high ultra-processed food intake were linked to lower HGS, while individuals with culinary-preparation diets had higher HGS. They further observed that boys having higher HGS ingested more biologically valuable proteins (red meat, chicken/poultry, and eggs) and vitamin C from food preparation subgroups (fruits). Whereas, Girls consumed more fruit, chicken, and poultry. Given that the nutritional makeup of the food items in these food groups can promote or inhibit anabolism and muscle development or degeneration, the connections identified are conceivable.
More information: Confortin et al. (2022). The consumption of culinary preparations and ultra-processed food is associated with handgrip strength in teenagers. Nutrition Journal. DOI:10.1186/s12937-022-00818-5
Journal information: Nutrition Journal
Advanced headsets for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) led users to more captivating and immersive digital experiences. To provide a more immersive and richer experience, researchers have recently created WeTac, a miniaturized, soft, and ultrathin wireless electrotactile system that produces tactile sensations on a user's skin by delivering electrical current through a user's hand. The system consists of an array A system consists of an array of electrodes placed over a user's palm that generate a haptic-feedback pattern with the help of 32 electrotactile simulation pixels on the side of the palm.
More information: Yao et al. (2022). Encoding of tactile information in hand via skin-integrated wireless haptic interface. Nature Machine Intelligence. DOI:10.1038/s42256-022-00543-y
Journal information: Nature Machine Intelligence
If a phone can tell the structural integrity and if the bridge is safe to pass, it could save several lives lost from old bridge collapse. According to a recent study, mobile phones installed in cars and fitted with specialized software can gather valuable structural integrity data while driving over bridges and could be an alternative to expensive sensor systems attached to bridges. The study found that smartphone accelerometer data can be used to extract information about the structural health of bridges. Researchers estimated that such mobile-device-based monitoring could add 15 to 30 percent more years to the structure’s lifespan.
More information: Matarazzo et al. (2022). Crowdsourcing bridge dynamic monitoring with smartphone vehicle trips. Communications Engineering. DOI:10.1038/s44172-022-00025-4
Journal information: Communications Engineering