Early release from NEJM Evidence

October 4, 2024   UMass Amherst Astronomer Leads Science Team Helping to Develop Billion-Dollar NASA Satellite Mission Concept Alexandra Pope, science lead for the PRIMA space telescope, is on team developing next-generation space probe that will explore evolution of the universe   AMHERST, Mass. – A University of Massachusetts astronomy professor is science lead on a $5 million proposal selected by NASA to develop new space satellite missions that bridge gaps in our understanding of the evolution of ...

International collaboration between the Bioengineering Department at Clemson University, South Carolina and Arusha Technical College in Tanzania will further enhance development of a workforce skilled in biomedical device design and innovation. A recent National Science Foundation grant awarded to Dr. Melinda Harman, an Associate Professor at Clemson, along with her team of collaborators will develop innovative approaches to problem-based learning in bioengineering while fostering breakthroughs that address global health ...

About 800 million years ago (mya), before the supercontinent Pangea formed, the Earth was more diverse than classical theory suggests. By reconstructing the tree of life from the evolutionary history of amoebas and the ancestors of algae, fungi, plants and animals, Brazilian researchers have created a scenario in which several different lineages of many species inhabited the planet during the period. An article reporting their findings is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).  According to the literature, several lineages of eukaryotes that first emerged 1.5 billion years ago diversified and ...

A multi-country, government-led initiative dedicated to advancing the global transition to a sustainable, bio-based economy, unveiled a new Global Biomass Resource Assessment, providing groundbreaking data on current and future sustainable biomass supplies around the world.  The results from this new global sustainable supply assessment will allow scientists, policymakers, and industry leaders to explore potential sources of biomass as a foundation for a circular and sustainable global bioeconomy, supporting ...

Two new papers in Nature Medicine by a global research team highlight the economic value of reducing avoidable deaths.  The first paper "applies novel methods to estimate the economic value of reducing avoidable deaths worldwide, finding that in 2019, 40 million deaths were avoidable—i.e., could have been prevented or delayed if individuals in all countries had access to the best available healthcare. The economic value of reducing these avoidable deaths is equivalent to 23% of annual global income, suggesting that ...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — From 2011 to 2020, the Veterans Health Administration spent $78 billion to care for U.S. military veterans enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, raising questions about federal overpayments to those private plans. That’s according to an analysis by researchers from Brown University and the Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Published in JAMA, the study notes that because Medicare Advantage plans receive fixed per-patient payments for health care services without having payments reduced when veterans receive care ...

A new study by researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and the University of California Davis Health identified a new target for developing a therapy to treat atrial fibrillation, the most common type of abnormal heart rhythm. Atrial fibrillation, commonly called AFib or AF, causes about 1 in 7 strokes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and is associated with a significant increase in the risk of morbidity and mortality. More than 12 million people are expected to have AFib by 2030, according to the American Heart Association, and current treatment ...

Irvine, Calif., Oct. 4, 2024 — A research team from the University of California, Irvine is the first to reveal that a molecule in the brain – ophthalmic acid – unexpectedly acts like a neurotransmitter similar to dopamine in regulating motor function, offering a new therapeutic target for Parkinson’s and other movement diseases.   In the study, published in the October issue of the journal Brain, researchers observed that ophthalmic acid binds to and activates calcium-sensing ...

TAMPA, Fla. (Oct. 4, 2024) — A new study published in Cell Press reveals critical insights into the role of gamma-delta T cells across 33 cancer types, shedding light on their potential as clinical biomarkers and therapeutic targets in cancer treatment. Led by a team of researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center, this comprehensive analysis represents a significant advancement in the understanding of these unique immune cells and their implications for patient outcomes in cancer therapy. Despite their minority status within the T cell community, gamma-delta T cells are increasingly recognized for their dual capability to engage both ...

A new study from researchers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) shows environmental conditions in migratory birds’ winter homes carry over to affect their ability to survive spring migration and the breeding season.  While scientists have long known that the quality of winter, or non-breeding, habitat influences migratory birds’ migration timing and reproductive success, the study, published today in Current Biology, marks the first time researchers have linked winter ...