A new study led by researchers from the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center shows that using high doses of radiation while integrating an ablative radiotherapy technique called stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) concurrently with chemotherapy is safe and effective in treating people with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer that is not suitable for surgery. Based on mid-treatment response, researchers found the combination treatment, which involves a second radiation plan to personalize a boost for the last third of radiation treatments, is a viable and promising option that helps reduce the risk of toxic side effects and having the cancer ...

Whether picking up a small object like a pen or coordinating different body parts, the cerebellum in the brain performs essential functions for controlling our movement. Researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) investigated how a crucial set of synapses between neurons within it functions and develops. Their findings have now been published in the journal Neuron. Even if you do not think about it, every day you are using the intricate circuits of neurons in your brain to perform astonishingly delicate movements with your body. One essential unit in this is the cerebellum playing a key role in fine motor control, coordination, and timing. “Every ...

UPTON, NY—Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and Columbia University have developed a way to convert carbon dioxide (CO2), a potent greenhouse gas, into carbon nanofibers, materials with a wide range of unique properties and many potential long-term uses. Their strategy uses tandem electrochemical and thermochemical reactions run at relatively low temperatures and ambient pressure. As the scientists describe in the journal Nature Catalysis, this approach could successfully lock carbon away in a useful solid form to offset or even achieve negative carbon emissions. “You can put the carbon nanofibers ...

About The Study: The findings of this study of 6,101 adult cancer survivors suggest that substance use disorder (SUD) prevalence is higher among survivors of certain types of cancer; this information could be used to identify cancer survivors who may benefit from integrated cancer and SUD care. Future efforts to understand and address the needs of adult cancer survivors with comorbid SUD should prioritize cancer populations in which SUD prevalence is high.  Authors: Devon K. Check, Ph.D., of the Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, is the corresponding author.  To access the ...

About The Study: In this study of patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer from 2017 to 2020 in the U.S., the incidence of localized head and neck cancer declined during the first year of the pandemic. A subsequent increase in advanced-stage diagnoses may be observed in later years.  Authors: Nosayaba (Nosa) Osazuwa-Peters, B.D.S., Ph.D., M.P.H., C.H.E.S., of the Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, is the corresponding author.  To access the embargoed study: Visit ...

A new, systematic analysis of cancer cells identifies 370 candidate priority drug targets across 27 cancer types, including breast, lung and ovarian cancers. By looking at multiple layers of functional and genomic information, researchers were able to create an unbiased, panoramic view of what enables cancer cells to grow and survive. They identify new opportunities for cancer therapies in a significant leap towards a new generation of smarter, more effective cancer treatments. In the most comprehensive study of its kind, researchers ...

AI language models are booming. The current frontrunner is ChatGPT, which can do everything from taking a bar exam, to creating an HR policy, to writing a movie script. But it and other models still can’t reason like a human. In this Q&A, Dr. Vered Shwartz (she/her), assistant professor in the UBC department of computer science, and masters student Mehar Bhatia (she/her) explain why reasoning could be the next step in AI—and why it’s important to train these models using diverse ...

For the first time, scientists have succeeded in the stabilisation and direct imaging of small clusters of noble gas atoms at room temperature. This achievement opens up exciting possibilities for fundamental research in condensed matter physics and applications in quantum information technology. The key to this breakthrough, achieved by scientists at the University of Vienna in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Helsinki, was the confinement of noble gas atoms between two layers of graphene. This method overcomes the difficulty that noble gases do not form stable structures under experimental conditions ...

Osaka, Japan – Much like ripples on the water can betray powerful currents below the surface, small changes in our bodies can sometimes be an indicator of a serious condition. Now, researchers from Japan say that cells in the blood may provide telltale signs of important immune dysfunction. In a study recently published in Cell Genomics, researchers from Osaka University have revealed that subtle changes in specific immune cell populations may signal the presence of an autoimmune disease. In autoimmune conditions, which affect up to 5% of the population, the body’s immune cells attack the body ...

Tokyo, Japan – If you’ve ever taken a car trip through a rural area, you might already know that livestock, including cows and sheep, can be individually tracked using decidedly old-fashioned methods, such as ear tags or even branding marks. By contrast, many tech-savvy pet owners have opted to have their dog or cat “chipped” by having a radio frequency identification (RFID) permanently implanted under the skin. However, all these identification solutions leave something to be desired, as ear tags can become damaged or lost, while RFID chips require an invasive procedure to insert and specialized equipment to read. In a study recently published in Scientific ...

JMIR Publications is pleased to announce that JMIR AI has passed the Scientific Quality Review by the US National Library of Medicine (NLM) for PubMed Central (PMC). This decision reflects the scientific and editorial quality of the journal. All articles published from 2022 onward will be found on PMC and PubMed after their technical evaluation. Launched in 2022, JMIR AI is a new journal that focuses on the applications of artificial intelligence in health settings. This includes contemporary developments as well as historical ...

WASHINGTON — Researchers have developed a new technology that uses meta-optical devices to perform thermal imaging. The approach provides richer information about imaged objects, which could broaden the use of thermal imaging in fields such as autonomous navigation, security, thermography, medical imaging and remote sensing. “Our method overcomes the challenges of traditional spectral thermal imagers, which are often bulky and delicate due to their reliance on large filter wheels or interferometers,” said research team leader Zubin Jacob from ...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2024 – The Heineman Foundation, American Institute of Physics, and American Astronomical Society are pleased to announce John E. Carlstrom as the winner of the 2024 Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics. Carlstrom was selected “for pioneering work on microwave interferometry and his leading role in the development of the South Pole Telescope, leading to the observations of clusters of galaxies through the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect, B-Mode polarization in the cosmic microwave background and strong evidence for a flat universe, all of which changed the field for generations to come.” “AIP congratulates ...

PHILADELPHIA— Advancements in the study of two rare heart conditions—peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM), and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)—contributed by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania may serve as critical guides in future work toward developing therapies for the conditions. The lab of Zoltan Arany, MD, PhD, the Samuel Bellet Professor of Cardiology and a professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, published their findings this month in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), adding to separate research they recently published in the Journal of Clinical ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE A Johns Hopkins Children’s Center study of children and youth with diabetes concludes that so-called autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) diabetic eye exams significantly increase completion rates of screenings designed to prevent potentially blinding diabetes eye diseases (DED). During the exam, pictures are taken of the backs of the eyes without the need to dilate them, and AI is used to provide an immediate result.  The study noted that the AI-driven technology used in the exams may close “care gaps” among racial and ethnic minority youth with diabetes, populations with historically higher rates of DED and less access to or adherence ...

WASHINGTON—Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in plastics pose a serious threat to public health and cost the U.S. an estimated $250 billion in increased health care costs in 2018, according to new research published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society. Plastics contain many hazardous, endocrine-disrupting chemicals that leach and contaminate humans and the environment. These chemicals disturb the body’s hormone systems and can cause cancer, diabetes, reproductive disorders, neurological impairments of developing fetuses and children, and death. Potential options under discussion as part of a Global ...

Scientists have long known that some viruses and bacteria begin infections by latching first onto sugar molecules on the surfaces of cells lining the sinuses and throat of mammals, including humans. Viral particles, for instance, can attach to these molecules, called sialic acids, or SAs, like keys fitting into locks. Now, a new study in infant mice shows that keeping virus particles from attaching to SAs limits more than just the entry of influenza A viral infections, but also hinders their exit (shedding) and transmission from mouse to mouse. Such infections are the main cause of the seasonal flu that kills more than 36,000 Americans annually. While vaccines to guard ...

What if scientists had developed a universal coronavirus vaccine in the years prior to 2020 so that it was available at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic? A universal coronavirus vaccine targets parts of the virus that are common to either many or all coronaviruses, thereby offering some degree of protection against a range of strains. A new study suggests if such a vaccine were available at the start of the pandemic, it could have saved millions of lives, prevented suffering, and saved billions of dollars in direct medical ...

WASHINGTON—The popular TikTok trend of ‘hormone balancing’ has taken over the internet with claims to balance your hormones with holistic approaches alone, but medical experts question its legitimacy. Endocrine Society expert Deena Adimoolam, M.D., will discuss ‘hormone balancing’ during the Society’s Virtual Science Writers Conference on January 24. What: The Virtual Science Writers Conference will examine: How hormones function and stay in balance  Common ...

Florida’s 156-mile-long Indian River Lagoon (IRL) borders five different counties and has five inlets that connect the lagoon with the Atlantic Ocean. In recent years, this estuary has experienced numerous phytoplankton bloom events due to increased seasonal temperatures coupled with environmental impacts. Algal blooms produce a myriad of small organic molecules, many of which can be toxic to humans and animals. Among these phycotoxin producers is Microcystis aeruginosa, a freshwater cyanobacterium, which can be found in the Southern IRL. Measurable amounts of microcystins have been found in nasal swabs ...

The effects of aging and external factors like UV exposure on skin are well documented. As people age or spend more time in the sun, their skin tends to become drier and more wrinkled, Recent findings have identified an exciting potential new link to signs of skin aging—the skin microbiome, the collection of microorganisms that inhabits our skin. The results come from a collaborative study carried out by researchers at the Center for Microbiome Innovation (CMI) at the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) and L'Oréal ...

What’s New: Register now to learn about the latest in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. Join us for scientific sessions and expert interviews. Thirteen sessions will be livestreamed. Why it matters: Stay up-to-date on subjects like COVID-19, asthma, COPD, and air pollution. We’ll assist you with conducting interviews, whether in-person or from your home office.   Contact Kevin Tuerff, ATS Communications & Marketing for more information, at ktuerff@thoracic.org END ...

ATLANTA – Chemical Insights Research Institute (CIRI) of UL Research Institutes confirmed its commitment to protecting environmental and human health when it opened its new research laboratories supporting scientific studies of environmental exposure and its societal health impact. At a ribbon cutting today, CIRI introduced the Center for Exposure Science; the Center for Toxicology and Human Health; and the Center for Advanced Measurements, each with a designated, cutting-edge laboratory. Using the latest tools for measuring nanosized particles and parts per billion levels of chemicals and developing high-throughput cellular techniques for measuring human toxicity, ...

The brain is widely considered the most complex organ in the human body. The intricate mechanisms through which it processes sensory information and how this information affects and is affected by motor control have captivated neuroscientists for more than a century. Today, thanks to advanced laboratory tools and techniques, researchers can use animal models to solve this puzzle, especially in the mouse brain. During the 20th century, experiments with anesthetized mice proved that sensory inputs primarily define neuronal activity in the primary ...

The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 marked the start of a period ripe with political, economic, and societal changes. In many former Soviet countries, these abrupt and turbulent transformations posed massive challenges to healthcare systems. Together with spikes in job losses and economic hardships, this led to a steep increase in mortality rates that would later come to be known as the “post-Soviet mortality crisis.”   However, this crisis did not affect all former Soviet countries equally. In particular, former Soviet countries in Central Asia, which include Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, saw a ...