Some Facts

Delayed umbilical cord clamping (CC) benefits fine motor and social skills in early childhood, particularly among boys, according to results from a small randomized study published online May 26 in JAMA Pediatrics.

Scientists use optogenetics to reactivate memories that could not otherwise be retrieved. Memories that have been "lost" as a result of amnesia can be recalled by activating brain cells with light. In a paper published in the journal Science, researchers at MIT reveal that they were able to reactivate memories that could not otherwise be retrieved, using a technology known as optogenetics.

Eating more dietary fiber linked to lower risk of type 2 diabetes. A new study finds there is a link between the amount of fiber in the diet and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes - the more fiber people eat, the lower their risk for the disease. However, the researchers also found that the link may work through body weight rather than directly. The study - published in the journal Diabetologia - is in two parts.

The first part uses EPIC-InterAct study data from eight European countries, and the second part adds data from other studies from around the world. One of the authors, Dagfinn Aune, a PhD student affiliated with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and Imperial College London in the UK, says:

"Taken together, our results indicate that individuals with diets rich in fiber, in particular cereal fiber, may be at lower risk of type 2 diabetes."

Healthy diets make brighter brains. The American Academy of Neurology has published the results in the journal Neurology. The healthy eating linked to the stronger cognitive health was a diet with not much red meat, moderate alcohol and lots of fruits and vegetable, nuts and fish.

Sleep is important for long lasting memories, particularly during this exam season. Research publishing inPLOS Computational Biology suggests that sleeping triggers the synapses in our brain to both strengthen and weaken, which prompts the forgetting, strengthening or modification of our memories in a process known as long-term potentiation (LTP).