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House dust mite
The house dust mite is a cosmopolitan guest in human habitation. Mites belong to the order same as spiders, and have existed for longer than insects. Dust mites flourish in the controlled environment provided to them by buildings. In nature they are killed by predators and by exposure to direct sun rays. Dust mites are considered to be the most common cause of asthma and allergic symptoms worldwide. The enzymes they produce can be smelled most strongly in full vacuum cleaner bags. It is just possible to see a dust mite under a magnifying glass, when the subject is well lit and placed on a black background. Bleach and strong soaps do not kill dust mites. A simple washing will remove most, in the waste water. Temperatures of over 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit) for a period of one hour are usually fatal to dust mites; freezing may also be fatal. Dust mites reproduce quickly enough that their effect on human health can be significant.
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Health & Medicine News
July 10, 2026
July 10, 2026 Scientists have redesigned a key piece of MRI hardware using metamaterials, allowing existing scanners to produce clearer images of difficult-to-see parts of the body in less time. The breakthrough could improve diagnoses, make scans more ...
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July 9, 2026 Researchers found that mRNA cancer vaccines can recruit an unexpected immune cell to launch powerful tumor-fighting responses, overturning a long-held assumption about how the vaccines work. The discovery could lead to more effective cancer vaccines ...
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July 8, 2026 Scientists have created a silicon chip that can write dozens of DNA sequences simultaneously using electricity and water-based enzymes, offering a cleaner alternative to conventional DNA manufacturing. The breakthrough could eventually support ...
July 8, 2026 Tiny silica nanoparticles engineered to seek out prostate cancer caused tumor cells to self-destruct and supercharged the immune system in preclinical mouse studies. Combined with immunotherapy, the treatment produced complete remissions in multiple ...
July 8, 2026 Researchers have cracked the code behind bacteria's ability to naturally manufacture multiple versions of powerful anti-cancer drugs. The discovery could make it much easier to engineer new cancer treatments inspired by nature, including improved ...
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July 8, 2026 Intermittent fasting helped people lose as much weight as calorie restriction, but without the same feeling of constantly controlling their food intake. Researchers say that difference could make ...
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July 8, 2026 A new once-daily weight-loss pill called orforglipron delivered better weight loss and blood sugar improvements for people with type 2 diabetes than the leading oral semaglutide in a major clinical ...
July 7, 2026 Scientists at the University of Illinois Chicago have turned an unlikely source into a potential new weapon against cancer: bacteria that naturally live inside tumors. They developed a peptide called ...
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July 7, 2026 A new study suggests human hair grows in a way scientists never expected. Researchers found that hair is pulled upward by coordinated cell movements inside the follicle rather than simply being ...
July 7, 2026 Scientists have identified a molecular switch that may help explain how colorectal cancer becomes deadly. When levels of a gene-regulating factor called GATA6 drop, cancer cells can shed their normal ...
July 6, 2026 Researchers have uncovered a molecular “switch” that helps explain why exercise keeps aging muscles healthy. By reducing levels of a gene called DEAF1, physical activity allows older muscles to ...
July 6, 2026 Scientists have finally solved a nearly 30-year-old mystery surrounding two unusual molecules found in rye pollen that once showed an intriguing ...
July 6, 2026 Scientists are calling for a lunar quarantine facility where samples from Mars, the Moon, and beyond would be examined before being brought to Earth. ...
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