Mathematical model illuminates how environment impacts life choices of salmon
2024-11-02
Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have created a mathematical model that models how the evolutionary strategies of organisms are affected by the environment. They studied salmonid fishes which choose either to migrate to the sea then return to lay eggs or stay in the river depending on their individual features. Their model correctly predicts how the proportion choosing to migrate changes with environmental conditions, predicting how environmental change can trigger eco-evolutionary responses.
Salmonids (or salmon-like) fish are known to face a tough choice early in their lives. They can either stay where they are ...
Houston Methodist researchers shed light on increased rates of severe human infections caused by Streptococcus subspecies
2024-11-01
HOUSTON-(Nov. 1, 2024) – A concerning increase in global rates of severe invasive infections becoming resistant to key antibiotics has a team of infectious disease researchers at the Houston Methodist Research Institute studying a recently emerged strain of bacteria called Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis (SDSE). SDSE infects humans via the skin, throat, gastrointestinal tract and female genital tract to cause infections ranging in severity from strep throat (pharyngitis) to necrotizing fasciitis (flesh-eating disease).
Closely related to group A streptococcus (also commonly known as Streptococcus pyogenes), which has been very well studied, ...
Auburn University hosts 62nd Hands-On Workshop on Computational Biophysics, featuring the new VMD 2.0
2024-11-01
AUBURN, Ala. – The NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Visualization and Auburn University are pleased to announce the 62nd Hands-On Workshop on Computational Biophysics, taking place from December 16-20, 2024, at Auburn University’s Department of Physics. This prestigious workshop series, first launched in June 2003 by the Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has become a premier global training event in molecular modeling. Supported by NIH, the workshop provides a unique platform for researchers across disciplines to master the latest computational biophysics techniques.
This year’s ...
The Salton Sea — an area rich with lithium — is a hot spot for child respiratory issues
2024-11-01
Windblown dust from the shrinking Salton Sea harms the respiratory health of children living nearby, triggering asthma, coughing, wheezing and disrupted sleep, USC research shows.
The findings also indicate that children living closest to the sea, who are exposed to more dust in the air, may be the most affected.
The study, published in Environmental Research, found that 24% of children in the area have asthma — which is far higher than the national rate of 8.4% for boys and 5.5% for girls. The abnormally high rate raises health experts’ concerns about the children’s health in this predominantly low-income community of color 150 miles southeast of Los Angeles.
Furthermore, ...
University of Maryland-YouGov poll: Alsobrooks dominates Hogan, amendment to state constitution garners broad support
2024-11-01
With only days to go in the 2024 general election, the Applied Political Analytics Program (APAN) at the University of Maryland, in partnership with the public opinion firm YouGov, released today the results from an Oct. 23-27, 2024 poll of 500 likely Maryland voters that finds broad support for reproductive freedom, and Angela Alsobrooks (D) with a sizeable lead over former Maryland governor Larry Hogan (R) in the race to fill a U.S. Senate seat.
The poll found that across the state, Kamala Harris (D, 60.9%) holds a 27 percentage-point lead over Donald Trump (R, 33.9%). The data also show Angela Alsobrooks (D, 57.4%) with a ballooning 23 percentage-point ...
Exposure to particular sources of air pollution is harmful to children’s learning and memory, a USC study shows
2024-11-01
A new USC study involving 8,500 children from across the country reveals that a form of air pollution, largely the product of agricultural emissions, is linked to poor learning and memory performance in 9- and 10-year-olds.
The specific component of fine particle air pollution, or PM2.5, ammonium nitrate, is also implicated in Alzheimer’s and dementia risk in adults, suggesting that PM2.5 may cause neurocognitive harm across the lifespan. Ammonium nitrate forms when ammonia gas and nitric acid, produced by agricultural activities and fossil fuel combustion, respectively, react in the atmosphere.
The findings appear in Environmental Health Perspectives.
“Our study ...
Change of ownership in home health agencies may lead to increased Medicare spending and reduced staffing levels, according to UTHealth Houston research
2024-11-01
Medicare-certified home health agencies, which are key to allowing older adults to age in place, are increasingly going through ownership changes, raising concerns about health care spending, workforce, and quality of care, according to a study by UTHealth Houston.
The research was published in JAMA Health Forum, part of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
“The ownership change in health care sectors — including various forms of acquisitions by health systems, insurers, private equity firms, and other corporate investors — is increasingly reshaping U.S. health care system and causing concerns about quality of care,” said Yucheng Hou, PhD, assistant ...
More resources needed to protect birds in Germany
2024-11-01
Member states of the European Union are obliged to designate Special Protection Areas (SPAs) as part of the Natura 2000 network. These areas are designed to guarantee the preservation and restoration of bird populations. However, due to the paucity of data about rare species, it was not known how well these areas worked. Researchers at the University of Göttingen and Dachverband Deutscher Avifaunisten (DDA) developed citizen science platforms as a new data source to evaluate the effectiveness of the 742 protected areas for birds ...
Mission to International Space Station launches research on brain organoids, heart muscle atrophy, and cold welding
2024-11-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (FL), November 1, 2024 – More than 25 payloads sponsored by the International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station) National Laboratory, including technology demonstrations, in-space manufacturing, student experiments, and multiple projects funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), are bound for the orbiting outpost. These investigations, launching on SpaceX’s 31st Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission for NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration, aim to improve life on Earth through space-based research and foster a sustainable economy in low Earth orbit(Abbreviation: ...
nTIDE November 2024 Jobs Report: Disability employment remains near historic highs over past 18 months
2024-11-01
East Hanover, NJ – November 1, 2024 – Following significant gains since the post-pandemic lockdown, employment rates for people with disabilities may have plateaued, remaining near historic high levels over the past 18 months despite the Federal Reserve’s efforts to slow the economy, according to today’s National Trends in Disability Employment – semi-monthly update (nTIDE) issued by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability
Year-to-Year nTIDE Numbers (comparing October 2023 to October 2024)
The employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) ...
Researchers aim to streamline cancer detection with new method for liquid biopsies
2024-11-01
A University of Rochester research team is reporting a new way to detect cancer cells with a “liquid biopsy” that’s designed to be simpler, faster, and more informational than current methods.
What is a liquid biopsy? It is a non-invasive test that uses blood, urine, and other bodily fluids as a vehicle for finding cancer cells or other molecules released by tumors. A liquid biopsy can detect or screen for cancer or monitor progression of the disease and how the body responds to cancer treatment.
James ...
New Huntington’s treatment prevents protein aggregation
2024-11-01
Scientists at Northwestern and Case Western Reserve universities have developed the first polymer-based therapeutic for Huntington’s disease, an incurable, debilitating illness that causes nerve cells to break down in the brain.
Patients with Huntington’s disease have a genetic mutation that triggers proteins to misfold and clump together in the brain. These clumps interfere with cell function and eventually lead to cell death. As the disease progresses, patients lose the ability to talk, walk, swallow and ...
Bee gene specifies collective behavior
2024-11-01
Embargoed: Not for Release Until 2:00 pm U.S. Eastern Time Friday, 01 November 2024.
Researchers at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) are collaborating with colleagues from Frankfurt/Main, Oxford and Würzburg to investigate how the complex, cooperative behaviour of honey bees (Apis mellifera) is genetically programmed so that it can be passed on to subsequent generations. As they explain in the scientific journal Science Advances, they found an answer in what is known as the doublesex gene (dsx).
Behavioural interactions between organisms are fundamental and often inherited. ...
Jennifer Bickel, M.D., named MD Anderson Vice President and Chief Wellness Officer
2024-11-01
HOUSTON ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today announced the selection of Jennifer Bickel, M.D., as the institution’s inaugural vice president and chief wellness officer (CWO). She will begin on January 6, 2025. Working closely with the senior vice president of people, culture and infrastructure, as well as the chief academic officer, she will spearhead initiatives that prioritize employee well-being, professional fulfillment and community resilience.
In her new role, Bickel will implement a three-component model focusing on a culture of wellness, efficiency ...
Evolutionary paths vastly differ for birds, bats
2024-11-01
ITHACA, N.Y. – New Cornell University research has found that, unlike birds, the evolution of bats’ wings and legs is tightly coupled, which may have prevented them from filling as many ecological niches as birds.
“We initially expected to confirm that bat evolution is similar to that of birds, and that their wings and legs evolve independently of one another. The fact we found the opposite was greatly surprising,” said Andrew Orkney, postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Brandon Hedrick, assistant professor biomedical sciences.
Both researchers ...
Political pros no better than public in predicting which messages persuade
2024-11-01
Political campaigns spend big bucks hiring consultants to craft persuasive messaging, but a new study coauthored by Yale political scientist Joshua L. Kalla demonstrates that political professionals perform no better than laypeople in predicting which messages will sway voters.
In the study, Kalla and his coauthors evaluated how well sample groups of political practitioners — professionals who work for political campaigns, polling firms, and advocacy organizations — and members of the public could predict the effectiveness of 172 campaign messages concerning 21 political issues, including legalizing marijuana, cancelling student debt, and increasing ...
Investment in pediatric emergency care could save more than 2,100 young lives annually
2024-11-01
In emergencies, children have distinct needs because of their unique physiological, emotional and developmental characteristics. But 83% of emergency departments nationwide are not fully prepared to meet those needs — which can be life-threatening for a child in cases of severe illness or injury.
A new Oregon Health & Science University-led study, published today in JAMA Network Open, found that bridging that gap, known as becoming “pediatric ready,” could prevent the deaths of more than 2,100 children each year with modest financial investment. ...
The dynamic core of black holes
2024-11-01
Black holes continue to captivate scientists: they are purely gravitational objects, remarkably simple, yet capable of hiding mysteries that challenge our understanding of natural laws. Most observations thus far have focused on their external characteristics and surrounding environment, leaving their internal nature largely unexplored. A new study, conducted through a collaboration between the University of Southern Denmark, Charles University in Prague, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA) in Trieste, and Victoria University of Wellington ...
Improving energy production by boosting singlet fission process
2024-11-01
Fukuoka, Japan—In organic molecules an exciton is a particle bound pair of an electron (negative charge) and its hole (positive charge). They are held together by Coulombic attraction and can move within molecular assemblies. Singlet fission (SF) is a process where an exciton is amplified, and two triplet excitons are generated from a singlet exciton. This is caused by the absorption of a single particle of light, or photon, in molecules called chromophores (molecules that absorb specific wavelengths of light). Controlling the molecular orientation and arrangement of chromophores is crucial for achieving high SF efficiency in materials with strong potential for optical ...
Smoking cessation and incident cardiovascular disease
2024-11-01
About The Study: In this cohort study, smoking and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk exhibited a dose-dependent association, with light ex-smokers having a CVD risk similar to that of never-smokers relatively soon after smoking cessation. For heavy ex-smokers, greater than 25 years might be required for the residual CVD risk to align with that of never-smokers.
Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Seung Yong Shin, MD, PhD, email theshin04@korea.ac.kr.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For ...
Cannabis use during early pregnancy following recreational cannabis legalization
2024-11-01
About The Study: In this time-series study, recreational cannabis legalization implementation in California was associated with an increase in rates of cannabis use during early pregnancy, defined by both self-report and toxicology testing, driven by individuals living in jurisdictions that allowed adult-use retailers.
Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Kelly C. Young-Wolff, PhD, MPH, email kelly.c.young-wolff@kp.org.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/
(doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2024.3656)
Editor’s Note: Please see the article ...
Research shows Cleveland Clinic’s therapeutic virtual yoga program can be effective for chronic low back pain
2024-11-01
Research Shows Cleveland Clinic’s Therapeutic Virtual Yoga Program Can Be Effective for Chronic Low Back Pain
Participants also reported better sleep quality and reduced use of pain medications
UNDER EMBARGO Friday, November 01, 2024, 11:00 a.m. ET, CLEVELAND: Cleveland Clinic researchers found that a 12-week therapeutic virtual yoga program for chronic low back pain can be a feasible, safe and effective treatment option. The findings are published in JAMA Network Open.
Chronic low back pain is very common — up to 20% of adults worldwide have long-lasting or recurrent lower back pain. In severe cases, ...
Closing in on Parkinson’s Disease proteins in extracellular vesicles in the blood
2024-11-01
Closing in on Parkinson’s Disease proteins in extracellular vesicles in the blood
Precision diagnostics for diseases that affect the brain and other organs brought closer by new ability to exclusively access contents of organ-derived extracellular vesicles in blood
By Benjamin Boettner
(BOSTON) — Brain disorders like Parkinson’s (PD) or Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) start to develop in patients much earlier than when their first clinical symptoms appear. Treating patients at these early stages could slow or even stop their ...
Regional and global experts convene in Accra, Ghana to update cancer treatment guidelines for Sub-Saharan Africa
2024-11-01
Accra, GHANA [October 29, 2024] — International oncology experts are gathering in Accra, Ghana for a series of meetings beginning today, to update cancer treatment recommendations in the NCCN Harmonized Guidelines™ for Sub-Saharan Africa. This is the latest event from a longstanding collaboration between the African Cancer Coalition (ACC), American Cancer Society (ACS), and National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®), and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) that collectively ...
China University of Geosciences (Beijing) unveils clues to an enigmatic geological process
2024-11-01
Cratons are fascinating yet enigmatic geological formations. Known to be relatively stable portions of the Earth’s continental crust, cratons have remained largely unchanged for billions of years. Although cratons have survived many geological events, some are undergoing decratonization—a process characterized by their deformation and eventual destruction. For example, the North China Craton (NCC), an ancient continental crust block, is known to have begun extensive decratonization during the Mesozoic era, largely due to tectonic and geochemical modifications and destabilization of its base (or ‘keel’). However, explaining the mechanisms ...
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