HEALTH BEAT.

• Position: Dry ovens for disinfecting N95 mask, and COVID-19 vaccine effects on women during menstruation

Dry ovens can be employed to disinfect N95 respirator masks for reuse in settings where new masks may not be available. The findings by researchers at Stony Brook (N.Y.) University appear in PLOS ONE. "Our study demonstrated that treatment of N95 face masks using dry heat was sufficient to inactivate COVID-19 while preserving the ability of these masks to filter aerosolized particles for potentially exposed workers," says lead author Kenneth Shroyer, professor and chair of Pathology at the School of Medicine.

Women receiving one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine during a single menstrual cycle had an increase in cycle length of nearly one day, compared to unvaccinated women, according to a study-published in Obstetrics & Gynecology--led by Alison Edelman of Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, who notes that menstrual cycles typically vary a small amount from month to month, and this increase was well within the range of normal variability.

A study to test an intervention designed to increase medication adherence rates among diverse patients with hypertension is being led by researchers at the University of Arizona, Tucson. Hypertension is a critical risk factor for stroke, heart disease, kidney disease, and premature death.

"Although available therapies are highly effective in preventing adverse consequences of hypertension, nonadherence to medications is common, especially among minorities and low-income groups," says Jeannie Lee, associate professor in the College of Pharmacy.

Researchers have discovered a potential treatment to reduce the risk of post-stroke dementia, relates a study in the Journal of Neuroscience. The research team investigated cyclodextrin, which is FDA-approved for use as an ingredient in other drugs. "Cyclodextrin helped remove cholesterol derived from the breakdown of dead brain cells, dampen inflammation, and improve recovery," says immunobiologist and principal investigator Kristian Doyle.

Eating too much fat and sugar as a child can alter your microbiome for years, even if you later...