Pioneering research forecasts worldwide flooding is likely to be significantly worse in future decades if countries fail to meet official pledges to cut carbon emissions. The study, published today and led by experts from the University of Bristol and global water risk intelligence firm Fathom, reveals projections of different types of flooding in various climate change scenarios with unprecedented precision. Through deploying the most comprehensive mapping framework, findings indicate overall global flooding could increase by around half between 2020 and the turn ...

In a study published in Applied Psychology, researchers investigated the degree to which people can obtain jobs that fit their interests (called vocational interest fit), with the goal of identifying any differences in fit across race/ethnicity, gender, and education. The study included a diverse sample of more than 250,000 American employees. Overall, employees showed moderate positive vocational interest fit with their jobs. There were small gender differences in vocational interest fit favoring men, especially white and Hispanic men, with minimal differences across other race/ethnicity groups. Considerable differences were observed regarding education, ...

Flexibility exercises are often included in the exercise regimens of athletes and exercisers. New research in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports suggests that levels of flexibility may affect survival in middle-aged individuals. After analyzing data on 3,139 people (66% men) aged 46–65 years, investigators obtained a body flexibility score, termed Flexindex. This score was derived from a combination of the passive range of motion in 20 movements (each scored 0–4) involving 7 different joints, resulting in a score range of 0–80. Flexindex was 35% higher in women compared with men. During an average follow-up ...

A recent analysis of all relevant published studies reveals clear benefits of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for improving mental health and quality of life in cancer survivors. The findings, which are published in Cancer Medicine, extend CBT’s effects beyond what has long been known in the general population. For the analysis, investigators uncovered 132 clinical trials comparing CBT with controls, including standard therapy, waitlist control, or active/alternative therapy. Across the trials, CBT moderately ...

Edible insects are emerging as an alternative protein source that has various benefits compared with conventional animal sources. New research published in the Journal of Food Science compared four different methods for extracting protein from mealworms, which were designated by the European Union as the first insect to be used as a novel food source in 2015. For the research, investigators compared alkali, salt, enzyme, and screw press methods for extracting mealworm protein. Alkali extraction enhanced protein content, enzyme treatment improved nutritional value and antioxidant capacity, and salt-assisted extraction exhibited anti-inflammatory effects. Enzyme and salt treatments ...

New research published in Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology reveals that children born preterm are more likely to screen positive for autism than full-term children. For the study, 9,725 toddlers were screened at 15-, 18-, or 24-month well child visits using a test called the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised. Screening results that were positive for autism were most common among children born extremely preterm (51.35%) and least common among those born full-term (6.95%). Subsequent ...

Philadelphia, August 21, 2024 – Childhood obesity can contribute to the development of common immune-mediated skin diseases (IMSDs), such as alopecia areata, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis, new research finds. Maintaining a healthy weight could potentially help lower the chances of developing these skin conditions. A novel study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, published by Elsevier, details the findings of an analysis of 2,161,900 Korean children from 2009 to 2020 to investigate the relationship between obesity or dynamic changes in body weight and the development of IMSDs. IMSDs have detrimental effects on quality of life, including emotional, physical, social, ...

Table salt and refined sugar look white to our eyes, but that is only because their individual colorless crystals scatter visible light. This feature of crystals is not always desirable when it comes to materials for optical and electrical devices, however. Metal-organic frameworks are one such material. Crystalline with micropores, thin films of these nanomaterials have been attracting attention as a next-generation material that could also have an impact on environmental issues such as hydrogen storage and carbon dioxide capture. An Osaka Metropolitan University, Graduate School of Engineering team has found a way to control ...

Organic farming and flower strips promote the health of honey bees. In their vicinity, colonies grow stronger and are generally healthier. This is most likely because the insects have a diverse and continuous food supply there and are less exposed to pesticides. These are the findings of a new study by Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the University of Göttingen, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. The team analysed data from 32 bee colonies at 16 locations in Germany with different proportions of organic fields, flower strips and semi-natural habitats. According ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Artificial intelligence (AI) is all around us – from smart home devices to entertainment and social media algorithms. But is AI okay in healthcare? A new national survey commissioned by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center finds most Americans believe it is, with a few reservations. The national poll of 1,006 people found: 75% believe using AI to minimize human errors is important. 71% would like AI to reduce wait times.  70% are comfortable with AI taking notes during an appointment. 66% believe ...

Long-term exposure to arsenic, a hidden danger in many New England drinking water supplies, poses serious health risks, including cancer and cognitive challenges. A groundbreaking citizen science initiative called "All About Arsenic" has emerged in response, empowering students and communities to tackle such health threats head-on. The benefits are detailed in a peer-reviewed article published today in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. An accompanying commentary by researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public ...

Osaka, Japan – From the high-voltage wires that carry electricity over long distances, to the tungsten filaments in our incandescent lights, we may have become accustomed to thinking that electrical conductors are always made of metal. But for decades, scientists have been working on advanced materials based on carbon-based oligomer chains that can also conduct electricity. These include the organic light-emitting devices found in some modern smartphones and computers. In quantum mechanics, electrons are not just point particles with definite ...

Watching your children frolic through a playground is one of the many joys of being a parent or grandparent, but new research has found that engaging in play with kids could help improve mental health. Researchers from the University of South Australia (UniSA) and the University of Canberra (UC) have explored the benefits of intergenerational play through specially designed playgrounds for kids and adults. Intergenerational play brings young children and older people together to engage in enjoyable and creative activities such as storytelling, using playground equipment, and games. The world is facing an ...

Governments, medical institutions and other bodies require accurate models on health-related matters in order to better organize their activities. Climate change has measurable impacts on society, including on human mortality. However, current models to assess the health impacts of climate change do not account for every environmental parameter, especially humidity, which could influence heat stress perceived by the human body, leaving room for improvement. For the first time, researchers, including those from the University of Tokyo, successfully incorporated humidity data from hundreds of cities into so-called heat stress indicators ...

In brief Extreme weather is leading to more frequent power grid strain and electricity outages. There are a range of regional cooperation agreements among utilities to share electricity. Expanding cooperation areas in the West could cut outage risks by as much as 40%. Expanding cooperation among electricity providers could also help ensure public opinion and policy remain favorable for renewable energy growth. This summer’s Western heat waves raise the specter of recent years’ rotating power outages and record-breaking electricity demand in the region. ...

How do bad bacteria find entry points in the body to cause infection? This question is fundamental for infectious disease experts and people who study bacteria. Harmful pathogens, like Salmonella, find their way through a complex gut system where they are vastly outnumbered by good microbes and immune cells. Still, the pathogens navigate to find vulnerable entry points in the gut that would allow them to invade and infect the body. A team of UC Davis Health researchers has discovered a novel bioelectrical mechanism these pathogens use to find these openings. Their study was ...

Today, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Hokkaido University of Japan announced their plan to explore collaborative opportunities in semiconductor education and research contributing to semiconductor workforce development initiatives. The two universities recognized the new partnership with a letter of intent signing ceremony held in the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, with representatives from the Hokkaido Prefecture government, the Japanese semiconductor company Rapidus, IBM, NY CREATES, and RPI faculty and students in attendance. Before the signing ceremony, the Japanese delegation toured the IBM Quantum System One ...

Even light smoking of just 1-2 cigarettes a day either before or at any time during pregnancy is significantly associated with major health problems in the newborn, finds research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. The findings add to the evidence indicating that women hoping to become, or who are, pregnant should stub out smoking to protect their newborn’s health, say the researchers. Deaths and serious health issues among newborns have fallen sharply, largely due to improvements in maternity care. But admission ...

Social position—defined by household income and job role—is linked to food delivery preferences in England, suggests an analysis of consumer research published in the open access journal BMJ Public Health. Affluent households are twice as likely as less well off ones to shop online for groceries while households in lower social grades are up to twice as likely to use food delivery apps for take-away meals. And users of these apps are more likely to be living with obesity, the findings indicate. Digital on-demand ...

Twenty minutes of mindful breathing, which focuses a person’s attention on their breath, can rapidly reduce the intensity and unpleasantness of cancer pain and relieve the associated anxiety, suggest the findings of a small comparative study, published online in the journal BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care. Mindful breathing complements traditional pain relief and broadens the repertoire of options available for cancer patients, say the researchers. Moderate to severe pain affects an estimated 30-40% of patients with cancer worldwide, as a result of the tumour compressing or ...

Researchers have developed a new genomic technique that can track the spread of multiple superbugs in a hospital simultaneously, which could help prevent and manage common hospital infections quicker and more effectively than ever before. The proof-of-concept study, from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Oslo, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo in Italy, and collaborators, details a new deep sequencing approach that captures all the common infectious bacteria in a hospital at once. Current methods culture and sequence all pathogens separately which takes longer and requires more work.   Published ...

Meat consumption, particularly consumption of processed meat and unprocessed red meat, is associated with a higher type 2 diabetes risk, an analysis of data from 1.97 million participants, published today in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, has found. Global meat production has increased rapidly in recent decades and meat consumption exceeds dietary guidelines in many countries.  Earlier research indicated that higher intakes of processed meat and unprocessed red meat are associated with an elevated risk of type 2 diabetes, but the results have been variable and not conclusive. Poultry ...

Australia’s environmental laws are failing to stop high rates of tree clearing to make way for agriculture, development and mining, according to University of Queensland research. PhD candidate Hannah Thomas from UQ’s School of the Environment led a team which used satellite mapping and land clearing data to analyse vegetation loss across northern Australia, including Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. “We mapped clearing greater than 20 hectares and then investigated which national or state and territory laws were likely to apply,” Ms Thomas said. “Of the 1.5 million hectares ...

A study in mice has found that the bacteria Bifidobacterium breve in the mother’s gut during pregnancy supports healthy brain development in the fetus. Researchers have compared the development of the fetal brain in mice whose mothers had no bacteria in their gut, to those whose mothers were given Bifidobacterium breve orally during pregnancy, but had no other bacteria in their gut. Nutrient transport to the brain increased in fetuses of mothers given Bifidobacterium breve, and beneficial changes were also seen in other cell processes relating to growth. Bifidobacterium breve is a ‘good bacteria’ that occurs naturally in our ...

In a study published today in Royal Society Open Science, researchers at the Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP) at UH Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) and Alaska Whale Foundation (AWF) consider a new designation of the humpback whales they study: tool wielders. Researchers have known that humpback whales create “bubble-nets” to hunt, but they have learned that the animals don’t just create the bubble-nets; they manipulate this unique tool in a variety of ways to maximize their food intake in Alaskan feeding grounds. This novel research demystifies a behavior key to the whales’ survival and offers a compelling case for including humpbacks among the rare ...