Stride length tied to cognitive decline in dogs

New research shows cognitive decline in dogs is associated with a shorter stride length—specifically in their front limbs.

The work provides a more complete picture of dogs that are developing dementia, potentially allowing earlier detection and providing another means of monitoring progress.

“We know that in humans, changes in stride length have been linked to cognitive impairment and dementia,” says Natasha Olby, professor of neurology and a chair in gerontology at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

“That relationship hasn’t been investigated in dogs, so we created this study to examine the problem.” Olby is the corresponding author of the research.

The researchers enrolled 88 geriatric dogs with an average age of about 12 years in the study. Dogs were evaluated approximately every six months, undergoing physical, neurologic, and orthopedic examinations, mobility assessments, hearing testing, and blood work. The dogs completed a standardized cognitive test, and owners were asked to complete several questionnaires at each six-month time point, including the Canine Dementia Scale (CADES), and Canine Brief Pain Inventory (CBPI).

Gait speed was assessed by two trained observers as the dogs walked a straight, five-meter indoor walkway. Stride length was measured for both front (thoracic) and back (pelvic) limbs, then data for front limb, back limb, and height-adjusted stride length were generated.

The researchers found that owner-reported cognitive decline was associated with shorter thoracic limb stride length, adjusted for height. Higher CADES scores were also associated with reduced stride length, even after adjusting for age and CBPI scores.

A 10-point increase in CADES corresponded to an approximate 1.2% reduction in thoracic limb stride length. Interestingly, pelvic limb stride length did not correlate with cognitive changes.

“While thoracic limbs play a key role in braking and postural stabilization, pelvic limbs mainly act as a propulsion motor,” Olby says.

“Thoracic limb movement is likely under more cortical influence than pelvic limbs and may be more sensitive to alterations in visual or spatial awareness than pelvic limb movement.”

The researchers add that while stride length alone isn’t sufficient as a diagnostic tool, it is useful in creating a larger picture of a dog’s cognitive status.

“Our results show that cognitive decline does have a small effect on stride length and this could serve as an early indicator of functional decline in aging dogs,” Olby says.

“It could also serve as a useful marker of an individual dog’s overall health trajectory when it is monitored over time.”

The paper appears in Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

The Dr. Kady M. Gjessing and Rhanna M. Davidson Distinguished Chair of Gerontology at NC State’s College of Veterinary Medicine supported the research.

Source: North Carolina State University

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Expert breaks down the physics behind the World Cup

An expert has answers for you about the physics behind soccer’s greatest plays.

As the FIFA World Cup continues, fans will marvel at powerful shots, bending corner kicks, and spectacular saves.

“…the beautiful game is also a remarkable demonstration of science in motion.”

But behind every goal is a lesson in physics.

Michigan State University physicist Stuart Tessmer explains how forces, momentum, and even air pressure shape the world’s most popular sport.

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Listen: What the history of trash says about today’s culture

In a new podcast episode, an expert digs into what our trash problem says about our culture.

Every day, we throw things away, only to be forgotten forever. But society didn’t always work in the same way.

In this episode of the Big Brains podcast, University of Chicago scholar and anthropologist Sarah Newman discusses her book, Unmaking Waste: New Histories of Old Things (University of Chicago Press, 2026).

An archaeologist by training, Newman discusses the history of trash across time—from the ancient Mayan civilization through today’s disposable culture.

She argues that other societies valued objects much more deeply, reusing and recycling items in innovative ways. But will we ever return to this kind of zero-waste mentality?

Newman argues that true sustainability requires a radical, systemic overhaul of how products are designed, valued, and dismantled.

She challenges us to look beyond the recycling bin and imagine a world where waste isn’t just managed, but systematically unmade if we are to genuinely rethink our relationship with garbage and reshape our future.

Source: University of Chicago

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Career interests predict life outcomes into adulthood

New research challenges the assumption that vocational interests are only relevant for early career decision-making; rather, they remain relevant into adulthood.

The study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology is the first to examine whether interests predict work, relationship, and community outcomes in midlife and later adulthood.

The study followed over 8,000 adults over 11 years and found that vocational interests predict significant life outcomes well into adulthood. Participants first completed a vocational interest assessment in 2011–2012 to measure six dimensions including Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. Over a decade later, major life outcomes across work, relationships, and community life were then examined.

“Most people think of interest assessments as something you take in high school to figure out what career to pursue and then never think about again. This study challenges that assumption,” says Lena Roemer, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher in Michigan State University’s psychology department.

“Vocational interests continue shaping major life decisions across adulthood, like whether one marries, gets promoted, or volunteers in the community; while at the same time, depending on the life stage, interests translate differently into life choices.”

The study found that enterprising interests, such as interest in leadership, business, and influencing others, were the most broadly predictive interest category, showing positive links with most work and communal outcomes. The other interests showed more specific relations. For example, social interests predicted relationship outcomes, and artistic interests predicted cultural participation.

Relationship outcomes were best predicted by interests in early adulthood, and prediction of work outcomes peaked in midlife. Many other predictions remained stable across adulthood, especially for outcomes less tied to life-stage norms.

The researchers note that the predictive power of interests was comparable to, and sometimes exceeded, that of Big Five personality traits.

“Vocational interests are an underestimated construct domain in personality psychology,” says Kevin Hoff, coauthor of the study and assistant professor in MSU’s psychology department.

“We hope these findings highlight their broad relevance across multiple life stages and domains and that researchers and practitioners will make greater use of interest assessments for helping people of all ages navigate career and life choices.”

Additional coauthors are from MSU and the University of Iowa.

Source: Michigan State University

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How ultra-processed foods are made could explain health risks

A new observational study suggests processing itself could partly the links between ultra-processed foods and diabetes, heart disease, and early death.

Concerns about the health effects of ultra-processed foods are growing, as studies increasingly link them to conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and even early death. But scientists are still debating what’s driving those risks: the nutritional quality of these foods—which are often high in refined grains, sodium, and added sugars—or the industrial processing and additives used to make them.

A new study from researchers at the Food is Medicine Institute at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, published in American Journal of Public Health, suggests the processing itself may play an independent role.

The researchers found that people who ate more ultra-processed foods had worse health outcomes, even after accounting for the overall nutritional quality of the foods.

“The findings suggest ultra-processed-food factors beyond nutrients—such as changes to foods’ cellular structure, loss of beneficial chemical compounds, additives, and chemicals from packaging—may create health risks not addressed by traditional nutrition metrics or policies,” says the study’s senior author, Dariush Mozaffarian, cardiologist and director of the Food is Medicine Institute.

For the observational study, the researchers analyzed data from 10 consecutive cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2018, linked to National Death Index through 2018. Study participants had completed one or two 24-hour dietary recalls.

Using a standard classification system, the team grouped foods based on how they were made—from minimally processed food-based ingredients like fruits and vegetables to ultra-processed products made with industrial ingredients and additives not typically used in cooking. The researchers also rated the nutritional quality of foods using a system that scores foods based on their overall healthfulness. Each participant received an overall diet-quality score based on the foods they reported eating. The team then examined how ultra-processed food consumption was linked to current health measures—such as weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol—as well as long-term risk of death.

For every 10% increase in calories from ultra-processed foods, the researchers found worse health markers. People who ate more of these foods tended to have higher body weight, worse blood sugar control, higher blood pressure, and less favorable cholesterol levels. They were also more likely to have conditions such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cancer and had a slightly higher risk of dying during the study period.

These links remained even after researchers accounted for reported foods’ nutrient quality and the amounts of saturated fat, added sugar, or sodium present in the ultra-processed foods. The patterns were largely the same across different subgroups of people.

“Ultra-processed foods make up a substantial portion of the American diet, accounting for more than 50% of adults’ and about 60% of children’s caloric intake,” says Juna Hatta-Langedyk, first author and an undergraduate biology student at Tufts.

“Understanding how these foods affect health is a critical public health priority, given the large proportion of the population affected.”

“Addressing structural and policy-related barriers to accessing fresh and minimally processed foods remains critical for promoting dietary changes that improve the health and life span for all Americans,” says Mozaffarian.

“Our findings can help inform many current policy efforts, such as a national definition of ultra-processed foods, and multiple states’ endeavors to propose and pass laws addressing ultra-processed foods, including warning labels, bans on certain additives, and limits in school meals.”

Research reported in this article was supported by the National Institutes of Health’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, as well as by an American Diabetes Association’s Pathway to Stop Diabetes award and the Laidlaw Foundation’s Laidlaw Scholars Leadership & Research Programme. Complete information on methodology, limitations, and conflicts of interest is available in the published paper.

The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funders.

Source: Tufts University

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You’re probably not carrying the right safety gear when you hike

A researcher asked hundreds of hikers and trail runners what they were carrying on their wilderness treks. Many were less prepared than they should be.

With the arrival of warmer weather across the United States, outdoor enthusiasts are returning to America’s parks and forests to hike and run on the country’s beautiful, often remote, networks of trails. But along with the influx of visitors comes a rise in wilderness emergencies, some of them requiring complex and expensive search and rescue operations.

In a single week in April in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, seven hikers were rescued and another was found dead on a trail after he didn’t return from a solo backpacking trip.

A new paper from a Boston University researcher seeks to curb such incidents with first-of-its-kind data on the preparedness of day hikers and trail runners; the results could help educate adventurers on what to pack and know before they venture into the wilderness.

In a survey of more than 600 visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, the Boston University School of Public Health’s John Lambert asked those returning from a day hike or a trail run about their wilderness experience and the gear they had with them.

Survey participants were categorized as wilderness prepared if they were carrying at least one liter of water, seven emergency items from the National Park Service’s “Ten Essentials” list, a map or equivalent wayfinding device, and either two rescue devices or eight of 15 recommended first aid items.

His study, published in Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, found most hikers and trail runners—especially those with less previous wilderness experience—were not carrying the necessary emergency gear and were not adequately prepared for higher altitudes. He concluded these were problems parks could alleviate with more targeted educational outreach, known as preventative search and rescue (PSAR).

“From a public health perspective, honestly, anytime outside is great,” says Lambert, a BU Center for Climate & Health researcher. “That being said, you still have to be smart about it, and being prepared can save your life or someone else’s.”

Here, Lambert digs into his research and how hikers can better prepare for the wilderness:

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Sleep deprivation shows in your spit

Researchers have discovered signs of sleep loss in saliva.

Acute sleep deprivation can be detected using just a single saliva sample, the researchers report.

This method could help improve road safety and safety in high-risk professions in the future.

Good sleep is essential for our physical and mental health. And yet, sleep problems are widespread. According to the latest Swiss Health Survey, around one-third of the population report suffering from sleep disorders. Women and young people aged 15 to 39 are particularly affected.

Although sleep loss is widespread, it has not previously been possible to measure it directly and objectively in bodily fluids. A research team from the Institute of Forensic Medicine and the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology at University of Zurich (UZH) has now investigated whether sleep deprivation can be detected through metabolic changes in saliva.

“Our study provides the first direct biomarkers of sleep deprivation in saliva under realistic conditions—a milestone for forensic research,” says Thomas Krämer, professor of forensic pharmacology and toxicology at the UZH Institute of Forensic Medicine.

For the study, the researchers examined 20 healthy young men who normally sleep seven to nine hours. The participants completed three experimental conditions in random order: one night without any sleep, four consecutive nights of six hours’ sleep, and a control condition with the usual eight hours of sleep. The team then analyzed participants’ saliva using high-resolution mass spectrometry and employed machine-learning methods to identify molecular patterns associated with acute sleep deprivation.

“We found that acute sleep deprivation affects about 10% of all biomolecules in saliva. The challenge was to identify, among tens of thousands of molecules, those that reliably indicate fatigue. Using state-of-the-art technology, we succeeded in identifying 10 biomarkers that do exactly that,” says first author Michael Scholz. As part of his doctoral research, he investigated in depth how fatigue can be measured in the body.

The project is now entering its next phase. In a large-scale international field study, the patented biomarker set will be validated under realistic conditions. The researchers will investigate whether the method can reliably detect sleep deprivation in a range of everyday situations involving shift work, alcohol, medications and other factors.

In the long term, this research could lead to the development of a rapid test that can be used on-site to objectively detect fatigue.

“Such a test could improve road safety and enhance safety in work environments where attention and concentration are critical,” says Scholz.

The study appears in the Journal of Proteome Research.

Source: University of Zurich

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