Due to the growing reality of global warming and climate change, there is increasing uncertainty around meteorological conditions used in energy assessments of buildings. Existing methods for generating meteorological data do not adequately handle the interdependence of meteorological elements, such as solar radiation, air temperature, and absolute humidity, which are important for calculating energy usage and efficiency. To address this challenge, a research team at Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate School of Human Life and Ecology—comprising Associate ...

Humans get a real buzz from the virtual world of gaming and augmented reality but now scientists have trialled the use of these new-age technologies on small animals, to test the reactions of tiny hoverflies and even crabs.   In a bid to comprehend the aerodynamic powers of flying insects and other little-understood animal behaviours, the Flinders University-led study is gaining new perspectives on how invertebrates respond to, interact with and navigate virtual ‘worlds’ created by advanced entertainment technology.   Published in the ...

Three years after bulk carrier MV Wakashio ran aground on a coral reef off Mauritius, spilling 1000 tonnes of a new type of marine fuel oil, Curtin University-led research has confirmed the oil is still present in an environmentally sensitive mangrove forest close to important Ramsar conservation sites. Lead researcher Dr Alan Scarlett, from Curtin’s WA Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Centre in the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said the chemical ‘fingerprint’ of the oil found ...

Researchers are calling for a formal process that recognises and acknowledges the invaluable contributions of those with lived experience in healthcare research. New research by Flinders University published in the Patient Education and Counselling journal exposes underlying issues in academic engagement and calls for better processes to credit those with lived experiences. “With the growing awareness of the importance of diversity and inclusion in research, it is time for the research community to monitor not only how often, but also how well people with lived experience are involved,” says Associate Professor Elizabeth Lynch. Associate Professor Lynch from the College of ...

Despite a heavy infusion of public and private support during the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries in Oregon reported that housing and food insecurity shot up during the onset of the pandemic in March of 2020 — and their basic needs remained in doubt through at least the end of the following year. The survey data were reported in a study led by Oregon Health & Science University and published today in the Annals of Family Medicine. The Oregon study provides a state-specific dimension to a nationwide survey ...

Min Li, Ph.D., a George Lynn Cross Professor of Medicine, Surgery and Cell Biology at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and Associate Director for Global Oncology at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, will receive the 2024 Palade Prize from the International Association of Pancreatology. The Palade Prize, the IAP’s most distinguished award for research excellence, recognizes Li’s contributions to the field of pancreatology, which is dedicated to discovering new methods of identifying, diagnosing and treating diseases of the pancreas such as pancreatic ...

**Embargo: 23.30 [UK time], 6:30 p.m. [ET], 3:30 p.m. [PT], Monday, November 25 2024**     In contrast, the percentage of the population without a suppressed level of HIV (PUV) increased by 116.1% in Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia from 2003 to 2021.  The study authors are issuing recommendations to invigorate the global HIV response across global public health programs dedicated to HIV control and expansion of prevention services.    The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) has published a new study in The Lancet HIV journal that revealed significant progress in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, alongside ...

The biggest and most comprehensive analysis of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists on kidney and cardiovascular outcomes shows they have significant benefits in people with and without diabetes.1 Findings were published today in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. Originally developed to treat diabetes, GLP-1 receptor agonists mimic the action of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1, which stimulates insulin production and lowers blood sugar levels. More recently, they have emerged as effective treatments for obesity - slowing digestion, ...

Leila Nabulsi, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in computational neuroscience at the Keck School of Medicine of USC’s Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (Stevens INI) has received funding to expand research on the neurocircuitry that underlies bipolar disorder. Nabulsi was awarded the prestigious 2025 NARSAD Young Investigator Grant from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, a highly competitive grant that provides early-career researchers with crucial pilot funding to pursue new avenues in ...

A new UBC-led study shows that safeguarding key natural ecosystems across Canada can help reduce flood risks for more than half of the country’s urban areas at high risk for flooding. The research reveals that preserving the most important five per cent of watersheds—about 201,000 square kilometres or two per cent of Canada’s land—can significantly reduce rainwater runoff, protect homes and livelihoods, and safeguard croplands. “This is the first national study to assess the role of Canadian ecosystems in flood prevention and to identify where conservation could have the greatest impact,” said Dr. Matthew ...

The National Center for Supercomputing Applications was recognized by the HPCwire Readers’ and Editors’ Choice Awards for its outstanding achievements in artificial intelligence and the use of high-performance computing in the physical sciences. Announced at Supercomputing Conference 2024 (SC24) in Atlanta on November 18, NCSA was awarded the Readers’ Choice Award: Best HPC Collaboration and Editors’ Choice: Best Use of HPC in Physical Sciences. It’s the 14th consecutive ...

Book the flight home for Thanksgiving, go to that party even though you’re tired, and write that thank you note. You may feel these experiences are not that significant in your busy life today, but according to Erin Westgate, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Florida, you are likely wrong. Westgate and her team of researchers at the Florida Social Cognition and Emotion Lab recently received a grant from the National Science Foundation to investigate the factors that lead people ...

Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 25 November 2024     @Annalsofim          Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on their own behalf, but also on behalf ...

Special Report Background and Goal: In wars and conflict, family physicians are frequently called on to serve in expanded roles and are witnesses to the enormous mental and physical suffering of individuals, families, communities, and populations. This special report examines the role of family physicians in the Israel–Hamas conflict and other current wars to inform future practices in family medicine. Key Insights: Family physicians must share timely, accurate information with colleagues on all sides of the conflict while acknowledging the narratives ...

Background and Goal: The participatory research approach is an important tool of family medicine and primary health care research. However, standard consensus methods like the Delphi and nominal group techniques can be time consuming and may not represent a broad range of opinions. To address these issues, researchers developed an adapted nominal group technique (aNGT) to efficiently build consensus among stakeholders with diverse perspectives. Approach: This study focused on shaping care trajectories for adults aged 65 and older, aiming to prioritize key domains and identify new care indicators. Researchers used ...

The Bethesda Family Medicine Clinic in St. Paul, Minnesota, established a bi-monthly Early Pregnancy Dating & Risk Assessment Clinic in September 2022. The clinic introduced an integrated approach, combining point-of-care ultrasound with immediate, multidisciplinary first-trimester care. This integration allowed the clinic to quickly identify high-risk cases and offer timely intervention for issues such as miscarriage or abnormal pregnancies, reducing emergency visits, urgent clinic appointments, and first-trimester phone inquiries by 81% for non-miscarrying patients. Clinic implementation ...

Research Brief Background and Goal: The October 7, 2023, terrorist attack in southern Israel forced the evacuation of countless individuals, placing intense demands on health care personnel. Primary care clinicians, who are at the forefront of treating severely traumatized evacuees, are often exposed to secondary trauma, which can affect their mental health and job performance. This study investigated the levels of burnout, well-being, and resilience among health care staff working in primary care clinics in Israel during the aftermath of the attack. Study Approach: This cross-sectional ...

Background and Goal: Early detection of cognitive impairment is essential for improving patient outcomes, but primary care settings face significant challenges in screening. This special report summarizes key points and gaps in knowledge about methods for detecting cognitive impairment in primary care clinics. Key Insights: The report highlights the importance of addressing the rising incidence of cognitive impairment as the population ages, particularly with new treatments for early Alzheimer’s disease now available. It advocates for creative solutions to manage the increased workload, such as partnering with community health workers and leveraging telehealth. ...

  Editorial War Takes a Toll on Family Doctors Trying to Care for Patients  Background: This issue of Annals of Family Medicine includes four articles discussing the impact of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict on family doctors and patients in the region. These articles offer perspectives from academic family doctors who have firsthand experience living and working in the region to reveal the complexity and impact of this conflict. Editorial Stance: The decision to publish these articles was ...

Original Research Background and Goal: This study explored how chest X-ray results influence antibiotic initiation by general practitioners in France when managing patients with suspected pneumonia. Study Approach: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted with adult patients with suspected pneumonia who received chest X-rays as part of their evaluation. To analyze factors associated with antibiotic initiation, patients’ characteristics were compared at inclusion and at 28 days between patients with positive chest X-rays (indicating pneumonia) and patients with negative chest X-ray results. Main Results: The sample included 259 ...

Background and Goal: Efforts to address the health-related social needs (HRSN) of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, such as housing and food, during the COVID-19 pandemic were insufficient. This research examined HRSN data from the Accountable Health Communities (AHC) study collected in Oregon to understand changes in HRSN for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries at the onset and during the first two years of the pandemic. Study Approach: The study sample included 21,522 Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries screened for overall health-related social needs between ...

As Baby Boomers hit retirement, about 1 in 6 Americans is now over the age of 65. The number of Americans living with dementia is projected to skyrocket — but the proportion of older Americans who develop dementia has actually decreased. The exact reason why is uncertain, but various lifestyle and environmental factors can influence a person’s risk of cognitive decline.   One recently discovered risk is air pollution. Studies have linked exposure to a type of air pollution called fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, with an increased risk of developing dementia, and researchers suspect ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. ؚ— More than six out of 10 U.S. adults who took part in a Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine/Morning Consult survey last week say they wouldn’t eat turkey contaminated with feces, yet consumer research has shown more than half of store-bought packages of ground turkey tested positive for it. The poll included 2,183 adults interviewed Nov. 18 to Nov. 20, 82% of whom said they plan to eat turkey for Thanksgiving this year. Of those, 87% said they trust it’ll be free from contaminants, but 65% said if they knew it was contaminated with fecal bacteria, they’d be unlikely to eat it. In research conducted by Consumer Reports in ...

A new therapy for brittle type 1 diabetes, the only treatment currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is available exclusively at UI Health in Chicago. Pancreatic islet cell therapy is a treatment approved by the FDA only for adults with type 1 diabetes who struggle to control their blood sugar levels due to frequent episodes of severe low blood sugar and hypoglycemia unawareness, a condition that occurs when patients can’t detect that their blood sugar is dropping. This new therapy, called Lantidra, is derived from a deceased donor pancreas. To regulate blood glucose, the drug is infused into the patient’s liver where insulin is produced. ...

A future treatment for Alzheimer disease may involve a nasal spray. Researchers at Università Cattolica and Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS have discovered that by inhibiting the brain enzyme S-acyltransferase (zDHHC) through a nasal-spray drug, they can counteract the cognitive decline and brain damage typical of the disease. The study has been led by Professor Claudio Grassi, Director of the Neuroscience Department, and Professor Salvatore Fusco, with the collaboration of the University of Catania.   The researchers observed that the post-mortem brains of Alzheimer patients contained an excess of S-acyltransferase, ...