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Science28 Aug 2024

Thirty-year trends in perioperative mortality risk for living kidney donors

About The Study: Perioperative mortality after living donation declined substantially in the past decade compared with prior decades, to fewer than 1 event per 10,000 donations. Risk was higher for male donors and donors with a history of hypertension. Current guidelines for donor informed consent, based on 2009 data, should be updated to reflect this information. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Dorry L. Segev, MD, PhD, email dorry.segev@nyulangone.org. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jama.2024.14527) Editor’s Note: Please ...

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Medicine28 Aug 2024

Intersection of poverty and rurality for early-onset colorectal cancer survival

About The Study: Patients with early-onset colorectal cancer (defined as colorectal cancer diagnosed in individuals younger than 50 years) living in rural areas had lower 5-year survival rates than their urban dwelling counterparts in this study. While it was not observed consistently for all age groups, persistent poverty in these rural areas may compound this association. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Meng-Han Tsai, PhD, metsai@augusta.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.30615) Editor’s Note: Please ...

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Science28 Aug 2024

First-generation antihistamines and seizures in young children

About The Study: Prescriptions for first-generation antihistamines were associated with a 22.0% higher seizure risk in children, especially in those ages 6 to 24 months in this cohort study. These findings emphasize the need for careful and judicious prescription of first-generation antihistamines in young children and underline the need for further research to elucidate associations between antihistamine prescriptions and seizure risk. Corresponding Authors: To contact the corresponding authors, email Seonkyeong Rhie, MD, (starclusters@gmail.com) and Man Yong Han, MD, (drmesh@gmail.com). To ...

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Medicine28 Aug 2024

Prioritizing the unexpected: New brain mechanism uncovered

Researchers have discovered how two brain areas, neocortex and thalamus, work together to detect discrepancies between what animals expect from their environment and actual events. These prediction errors are implemented by selective boosting of unexpected sensory information. These findings enhance our understanding of predictive processing in the brain and could offer insights into how brain circuits are altered in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs). The research, published today in Nature, outlines how scientists at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre at UCL studied mice in a virtual reality ...

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Medicine28 Aug 2024

More people at risk of hereditary heart disease than thought

More people in the UK are at risk of a hereditary form of cardiac amyloidosis, a potentially fatal heart condition, than previously thought, according to a new study led by researchers at UCL (University College London) and Queen Mary University of London. The study, published in JAMA Cardiology, used data from the UK Biobank to analyse the genes of 469,789 people in the UK and found that one in 1,000 possessed genetic variants with a likely link to cardiac transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis. Among ...

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Technology28 Aug 2024

Breaking open the AI black box, team finds key chemistry for solar energy and beyond

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool for researchers, but with a significant limitation: The inability to explain how it came to its decisions, a problem known as the “AI black box.” By combining AI with automated chemical synthesis and experimental validation, an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has opened up the black box to find the chemical principles that AI relied on to improve molecules for harvesting solar energy. The result produced light-harvesting molecules four times more stable than ...

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Medicine28 Aug 2024

Discovery of how blood clots harm brain and body in COVID-19 points to new therapy

In a study that reshapes what we know about COVID-19 and its most perplexing symptoms, scientists have discovered that the blood coagulation protein fibrin causes the unusual clotting and inflammation that have become hallmarks of the disease, while also suppressing the body’s ability to clear the virus. Importantly, the team also identified a new antibody therapy to combat all of these deleterious effects. Published in Nature, the study by Gladstone Institutes and collaborators overturns the prevailing ...

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Medicine28 Aug 2024

JAMA review highlights advances in kidney cancer research and care

CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina — New insights into the biology of kidney cancer, including those informed by scientific discoveries that earned a Nobel Prize, have led to advances in treatment and increased survival rates, according to a review by UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center’s William Kim, MD, and Tracy Rose, MD, MPH. Their observations, drawn from a meta-analysis of 89 studies published between January 2013 and January 2024, were published in JAMA Aug. 28. “The Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology in 2019 was awarded ...

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Medicine28 Aug 2024

new diabetes research in Scientific Reports links blood glucose levels and voice

NEW YORK/TORONTO – August 28, 2024 – As part of its ongoing exploration of vocal biomarkers and the role they can play in enhancing health outcomes, Klick Labs published a new study in Scientific Reports today – confirming the link between blood glucose levels and voice pitch and opening the door to future advancements in non-invasive glucose monitoring for people living with Type 2 diabetes. In “Linear Effects of Glucose Levels on Voice Fundamental Frequency in Type 2 diabetes and Individuals with Normoglycemia,” researchers ...

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Medicine28 Aug 2024

Augmented recognition of distracted driving state based on electrophysiological analysis of brain network

A research paper by scientists at Beijing Jiaotong University proposed an electrophysiological analysis-based brain network method for the augmented recognition of different types of distractions during driving. The new research paper, published on Jul. 04 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems, designed and conducted a simulated experiment comprising 4 distracted driving subtasks. Three connectivity indices, including both linear and nonlinear synchronization measures, were chosen to construct the brain network. By computing connectivity strengths and topological features, we explored the potential relationship between brain network configurations and states ...

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Medicine28 Aug 2024

The functions of actin-binding proteins are regulated by the flexibility and specific helical twists of actin filaments

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in eLife on deciphering the actin structure-dependent preferential cooperative binding of cofilin. The actin filament is a double-stranded helical structure formed by intertwining two long-pitch helices, with the distance between crossover points, known as the half helical pitch (HHP), being about 36 nm. A canonical half helix consists of 13 actin protomers, or 6.5 protomer pairs, resulting in a mean axial distance (MAD) of 5.5 nm between two adjacent protomers ...

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Science28 Aug 2024

Team discovers transient rise in depletion attraction contributes to mitotic chromosome condensation

A team of scientists studying cell division developed a special light microscopy system and used it to analyze the molecular density of cellular environments. Their results provide a novel insight into mitotic chromosome condensation in living human cells. Their work is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on August 27, 2024. DOI：https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2403153121 To carry out their study, the team developed an orientation-independent-differential interference contrast (OI-DIC) microscopy system combined with a confocal ...

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Social Science28 Aug 2024

nTIDE Deeper Dive August 2024: Disability Employment Disparities Among Students: High School Struggles, College Advancement

East Hanover, NJ – August 28, 2024 – Young people with disabilities aged 16 to 24 had high school enrollment rates nearly identical to their non-disabled peers, but significantly fewer held jobs during this time. Meanwhile, college students with disabilities were less likely to be enrolled but were slightly more likely to be employed, possibly benefiting from the rise of remote work opportunities in the post-COVID era, according to data shared during the according to last Friday’s National Trends in Disability ...

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Science28 Aug 2024

Rain or shine? How rainfall impacts size of sea turtle hatchlings

Female sea turtles lay their eggs, cover the nest with sand and then return to the ocean, leaving them to develop and hatch on their own. From nest predators to rising temperatures, odds of survival are bleak. Once hatched and in the ocean, about one in 1,000 make it to adulthood. Hatchling size matters. Larger hatchlings, which move faster, are more likely to survive because they spend less time on risky beach sands. Research shows that both air and sand temperatures crucially impact sea turtle hatchlings. Cooler temperatures produce larger, heavier hatchlings with more males, while warmer temperatures ...

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Medicine28 Aug 2024

How breast cancer goes hungry

Cancer cells have voracious appetites. And there are certain nutrients they can’t live without. Scientists have long hoped they might stop tumors in their tracks by cutting off an essential part of cancer cells’ diet. But these cells are crafty and often find a new way to get what they need. How? By reprogramming their metabolism and switching to backup food supplies. Now, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Assistant Professor Michael Lukey has found a way to deprive cancer cells of both a vital nutrient and their backup supply. In lab experiments with breast cancer cells, patient-derived tissue models, and mice, ...

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Social Science28 Aug 2024

Are English teachers in Japan ready to teach students with disabilities?

Access to education is recognized as one of the pillars of sustainability; it is certainly a necessary foundation if we are to build a better world for ourselves and future generations. However, education needs to be not only accessible, but also inclusive. That is, it should extend to people with all kinds of disabilities and suit their particular needs. According to a recent report by the World Health Organization, it is estimated that a striking 16% of the world’s population lives with some form of disability. Considering there are about 1.5 billion English language teachers (ELTs) worldwide, there is a great need for adequately trained ELTs that can teach students with ...

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Medicine28 Aug 2024

Aging population: Public willingness to pay for healthcare hinges on perceived benefits and risks

Healthcare is undoubtedly crucial for everyone. As individuals age, the risk for health issues and related expenses increases. Consequently, many countries have universal healthcare systems, primarily funded through tax and insurance, to ensure access to essential healthcare services. However, this system is under a heavy fiscal burden since the aging population has increased manyfold, owing to decreasing fertility rates and increasing life span. To sustain the system, governments must face the herculean task of persuading citizens to contribute more to health insurance. In a recent study, a research team consisting of Associate ...

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Technology28 Aug 2024

UTSA, Tec de Monterrey welcome inaugural students to binational cyber program

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS — One master’s program. Two universities. Two countries. Two degrees. Students from UTSA and Tecnológico de Monterrey (Tec de Monterrey) in Mexico are swapping campuses, as the two universities jointly launch a unique new degree program this fall. The collaborative program offers students the distinctive opportunity to take high-quality courses at both institutions and earn two degrees: a Master of Science in Information Technology with a concentration in cybersecurity from UTSA and a Master in Cybersecurity from Tec de Monterrey. The program will enable students to advance their cybersecurity ...

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Medicine28 Aug 2024

A healthy lifestyle may counteract diabetes-associated brain ageing

Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes are associated with accelerated brain ageing, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden published in the journal Diabetes Care. The good news is that this may be counteracted by a healthy lifestyle. Type 2 diabetes is a known risk factor for dementia, but it is unclear how diabetes and its early stages, known as prediabetes, affect brain ageing in people without dementia. Now, a comprehensive brain imaging study shows that both diabetes and prediabetes can be linked to accelerated brain ageing. The study included more than 31,000 people between 40 and ...

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Medicine28 Aug 2024

Epigenetics blood markers can help understand dementia risk

New research suggests that epigenetic markers in the blood could be useful for understanding dementia risk. Two linked papers from the University of Exeter and Maastricht University have together progressed research to show the potential for DNA methylation, an epigenetic marker, in understanding how genetics and lifestyle factors influence dementia risk. DNA methylation is a chemical tag added to DNA, which can turn genes on and off. Genetic and lifestyle factors can alter the levels of the DNA methylation tag on genes, with some of these factors already known to increase the risk of developing dementia. By assessing DNA methylation this can help scientists ...

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Science28 Aug 2024

In-person contact linked with lower levels of loneliness in older adults

EMBARGO UNTIL 6 A.M. EST, WEDNESDAY AUG. 28, 2024. In-person contact helps lead to lower levels of loneliness in older people, but other ways of staying in touch, such as phoning, emailing or texting, are not as effective in lowering loneliness, a team of researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Michigan have found. The findings, out today in the The Journals of Gerontology: Series B Psychological Science, have implications for the health and well-being of many older people. “We were interested to see how older adults react ...

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Medicine28 Aug 2024

Alternatives in car and aircraft construction: New joining and additive manufacturing processes allow adhesive-free joining of wood and metal

The renewable raw material wood is climate-neutral and at the same time light and strong, making it fundamentally attractive for use in vehicle manufacturing. One challenge to date has been joining the wood and the other materials in the vehicle, such as metals and polymer composites, in a robust way. The research team led by Sergio Amancio from the Institute of Materials Science, Joining and Forming of Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) - Gean Marcatto, Awais Awan, Willian Carvalho and Stefan Herbst - has now successfully tested two techniques by which extremely strong joints can be achieved without using adhesives or screws. ...

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Medicine28 Aug 2024

Study shows robotic arm can be used to perform remote echocardiograms

London, United Kingdom – 28 August 2024: New research presented at this year’s ESC Congress 2024 in London, UK (30 Aug – 2 Sept) shows that performing echocardiograms remotely using a 5G cellular network has similar accuracy to those performed in person by cardiologists. “Comprehensive echocardiographic exam with a 5G cellular network and robotic arm-based remote system is feasible with relatively good diagnostic accuracy,” said study author Dr Yu Liu, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, China. Echocardiography is the test-of-choice for the ...

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Medicine28 Aug 2024

Recent recreational drug use triples risk of repeat serious cardiovascular event

London, United Kingdom – 28 August 2024: New research presented at this year’s ESC Congress 2024 in London, UK (30 Aug – 2 Sept) shows that, among patients admitted to the intensive cardiac care unit (ICCU), those with a recent history of recreational drug use are three times more likely than those with no history to experience a repeat serious cardiovascular event within one year. “Among patients admitted to the intensive cardiac care unit (ICCU), systematic screening for recreational drugs evidenced a significant prevalence ...

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Science28 Aug 2024

Bats are surviving and thriving on nothing but sugar

KANSAS CITY, MO—August 28, 2024—Humans must regulate blood sugar concentrations to stay healthy and to fuel our cells. Too little or too much can cause serious health complications, and high blood sugar is a hallmark of the metabolic condition, diabetes. New research from the Stowers Institute for Medical Research may enable potential solutions to metabolic disease by turning to evolution and to bats. Recently published in Nature Ecology and Evolution on August 28, 2024, the study led by co-first authors Postdoctoral Research Associate Jasmin Camacho, Ph.D., and former Stowers researcher Andrea Bernal-Rivera from the lab of Stowers ...

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