Researchers Samuel Poincloux (currently at Aoyama Gakuin University) and Kazumasa A. Takeuchi of the University of Tokyo have clarified the conditions under which large numbers of “squishy” grains, which can change their shape in response to external forces, transition from acting like a solid to acting like a liquid. Similar transitions occur in many biological processes, including the development of an embryo: cells are “squishy” biological “grains” that form solid tissues and sometimes flow to form different organs. Thus, the experimental and theoretical framework elaborated here will help separate the ...

Researchers from Durham University, Jagiellonian University (Poland) and the John Innes Centre have achieved a breakthrough in understanding DNA gyrase, a vital bacterial enzyme and key antibiotic target. This enzyme, present in bacteria but absent in humans, plays a crucial role in supercoiling DNA, a necessary process for bacterial survival. Using high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy the researchers reveal unprecedented detail of gyrase’s action on DNA, potentially opening doors for new antibiotic therapies against resistant bacteria. The research is published in Proceedings of the ...

UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET MONDAY 25 NOVEMBER 2024 New study reveals the explosive secret of the squirting cucumber IMAGES AND VIDEO AVAILABLE – SEE NOTES SECTION BELOW A team led by the University of Oxford has solved a mystery that has intrigued scientists for centuries: how does the squirting cucumber squirt? The findings, achieved through a combination of experiments, high-speed videography, image analysis, and advanced mathematical modelling, have been published today (25 November) in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The squirting cucumber (Ecballium elaterium, from the Greek ‘ekballein,’ meaning to throw out) is named for ...

Researchers from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences have uncovered the first example of activity-dependent development of hypothalamic neural circuitry. Although previous research has shown that the hormone leptin acts directly on hunger neurons through leptin receptors to promote the development of neural circuitry, results that will be published in PNAS on Nov. 25 indicate that certain neurons that do not express leptin receptors are nonetheless sensitive to its activity. The research, led by the lab of Richard Simerly, Louise B. McGavock Professor and professor of molecular physiology ...

Filter feeders are everywhere in the animal world, from tiny crustaceans and certain types of coral and krill, to various molluscs, barnacles, and even massive basking sharks and baleen whales. Now, MIT engineers have found that one filter feeder has evolved to sift food in ways that could improve the design of industrial water filters. In a paper appearing this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team characterizes the filter-feeding mechanism of the mobula ray — a family of ...

If you have a meticulous skincare routine, you know that personal skincare products (PSCPs) are a big business. The PSCP industry will reach $74.12 billion USD by 2027, with an annual growth rate of 8.64%. With such competition, companies are always looking to engineer themselves an edge, producing products that perform better without the downsides of current offerings. In a new study published in ACS Applied Polymer Materials from the lab of Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Jin Kim Montclare, researchers have created a novel protein-based gel as a potential ingredient in sustainable and high-performance PSCPs. This protein-based ...

Cannabis — whether marijuana itself or various products containing cannabinoids and/or THC, the main psychoactive compound in weed – have been touted as panaceas for everything from anxiety and sleep problems to epilepsy and cancer pain. Nursing researcher Jennie Ryan, PhD, at Thomas Jefferson University, studies the effects of cannabis on symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Current medical guidelines for ADHD include medications such as Adderall and cognitive behavioral therapy. ...

A new study led by Thomas Jefferson University researchers highlights critical healthcare gaps that hinder long-term recovery for people living with opioid use disorders (OUD) in Philadelphia. The researchers conducted 13 focus groups with 70 participants accessing various types of OUD treatment. Participants reported several challenges, such as lengthy and restrictive assessment processes, inadequate operating hours and lack of sufficient withdrawal management. Participants also reported broader socio-economic needs, such as housing and income support, as barriers to their recovery. Meghan Reed, PhD, MPH, senior ...

ITHACA, N.Y. – Because of warmer winters, Florida scrub-jays are now nesting one week earlier than they did in 1981. But these early birds are not always getting the worm.  A new analysis of data from a long-term study, published in Ornithological Advances, finds that warmer winters driven by climate change reduced the number of offspring raised annually by the federally threatened Florida scrub-jay by 25% since 1981. Warmer temperatures, the scientists hypothesize, make jay nests susceptible to predation by snakes for a longer period of the Florida ...

An international team of researchers has discovered a new component of the peripheral nervous system that acts by increasing energy metabolism in the body. The finding paves the way for the development of simpler and cheaper drugs to control obesity and weight gain, regardless of the amount of food ingested. In an article published in the journal Nature, researchers from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom and the Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center (OCRC) – funded by FAPESP and based at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil – describe where and how this component ...

Deforestation has remained a significant issue globally, with primary forests contributing to 16 per cent of the total tree cover loss in the last two decades, driven by climate change and intensive human activity. This threatens natural resources, biodiversity, and people’s quality of life. To protect forests, Lithuanian scientists, in collaboration with Swedish experts, have developed Forest 4.0, an intelligent forest data processing model integrating blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. The system ...

Both radiation and temozolomide, a generic chemotherapy treatment in pill form, have meaningful single-modality anti-tumor activity against slow-growing, low-grade gliomas. The randomized phase 3 trial E3F05 by the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN) tested whether combined therapy using temozolomide alongside radiation therapy is more effective than radiation therapy alone in these patients. The trial followed 172 patients for more than 10 years, and its results have an immediate clinical impact by providing the first evidence from a randomized phase 3 trial that temozolomide improves long-term survival for these patients.   “We found that the 10-year ...

The Universe teems with extreme environments, ranging from the very coldest temperatures to the highest energy sources possible. As a consequence, extreme objects such as supernova remnants, pulsars and active galactic nuclei are capable of emitting charged particles and gamma rays with incredibly high energies, so high that they exceed the energy produced by the nuclear fusion in stars by several orders of magnitude. The gamma rays detected on Earth tell us a great deal about these sources, since they travel through space undisturbed. However, in the case of charged particles, ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – An international team of researchers has made new observations of an unusual supernova, finding the most metal-poor stellar explosion ever observed.  This rare supernova, called 2023ufx, originated from the core collapse of a red supergiant star, exploded on the outskirts of a nearby dwarf galaxy. Results of the study showed that observations of both this supernova and the galaxy it was discovered in are of low metallicity, meaning they lack an abundance of elements heavier than hydrogen or helium. Since the metals produced within supernovae ...

About The Study: The findings of this study suggest that women who experience severe maternal morbidity in their first birth are less likely to have a subsequent birth. Adequate reproductive counseling and enhancing antenatal care are crucial for women with a history of severe maternal morbidity. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Eleni Tsamantioti, MD, MMedSc, email eleni.tsamantioti@ki.se. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jama.2024.20957) Editor’s ...

Armenians, a population in Western Asia historically inhabiting the Armenian highlands, were long believed to be descendants of Phrygian settlers from the Balkans. This theory originated largely from the accounts of the Greek historian Herodotus, who observed that Armenians were armed in Phrygian fashion when serving in the Persian army. Linguists further supported this theory, suggesting that the Armenian language shares ties with the Thraco-Phrygian subgroup of Indo-European languages. But the first whole-genome study is challenging this long-held belief, revealing no significant genetic link between ...

Women who suffer severe complications during their first pregnancy or delivery are less inclined to have more babies, a study published in JAMA by researchers at Karolinska Institutet reports. Given the recent steady decline in birth rate in Sweden, the researchers propose monitoring in antenatal care to address the problem. “The clinical monitoring of these women is essential, and they need individualised advice on possible future pregnancies,” says the study’s first author Eleni Tsamantioti, doctoral student at the Department of Medicine in Solna, Karolinska Institutet. Birth rates and fertility have both been in steady decline ...

CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina—Colorectal cancer screening is an effective tool for catching the disease early when it's most treatable, yet it is underutilized in patient populations who receive primary care at federally qualified health centers (FQHC). A new study by researchers at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center demonstrated that a targeted intervention can substantially increase screening rates in patients who are not current with recommended screening.  The researchers report in JAMA Network Open that mailing at-home ...

About The Study: No unexpected reactions were identified in this analysis of reactions to COVID-19 vaccines among children. Similar to this study, data from clinical trials and V-safe found that irritability was the most common systemic reaction among children ages 6 months to younger than 2 years, followed by fever and fatigue or sleepiness. In contrast to other studies observing a higher prevalence of reactions after the second COVID-19 vaccine dose, this study observed a higher prevalence after the first dose. This difference may reflect maternal vaccination; the ...

About The Study: This study estimates that approximately one-third of U.S. adults without diabetes who were eligible for weight loss treatment with glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GLP-1/GIP) were excluded from clinical trials supporting these medications’ safety and effectiveness. Until there is evidence from high-quality postmarketing studies, the FDA should consider updating labeling to advise caution on generalizing the safety and effectiveness of GLP-1 and GLP-1/GIP to populations excluded from pivotal trials. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Timothy S. Anderson, MD, MAS, email tsander@pitt.edu. To ...

About The Study: In this cohort study, after adjusting for measured confounders, long-term exposure to wildfire and non-wildfire fine particulate matter (PM2.5) over a 3-year period was associated with dementia diagnoses. As the climate changes, interventions focused on reducing wildfire PM2.5 exposure may reduce dementia diagnoses and related inequities. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Joan A. Casey, PhD, email jacasey@uw.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For ...

Researchers from the National Institute of Health Data Science at Peking University have conducted a comprehensive review of the health impacts of China's carbon mitigation strategies. Published in Health Data Science, this review emphasizes the significant health co-benefits of environmental policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in China, the world's largest carbon emitter. These benefits include reducing deaths and diseases related to air pollution, particularly from PM2.5 and ozone (O3), as well as mitigating climate-related ...

A team from the Champalimaud Foundation (CF) has pinpointed a critical neural circuit for sexual rejection, identifying a set of brain cells that play a crucial role in determining whether a female accepts or rejects mating attempts based on her reproductive cycle. Their findings, published today in Neuron, deepen our understanding of how the brain regulates social and reproductive behaviours. Female mammals, such as rodents, accept mating attempts only during their fertile phase, and actively reject males outside this period. While the brain areas controlling sexual receptivity are well-studied, the mechanisms behind active rejection ...

A wearable electrical nerve stimulation device can provide relief to people experiencing the persistent pain and fatigue linked to long COVID, a study co-led by UCLA and Baylor College of Medicine researchers suggests. Long-COVID, a complex and lingering condition following COVID-19 recovery, affects approximately 1 in 13 adults in the U.S. Symptoms such as widespread pain, fatigue, and muscle weakness often continue to disrupt daily activities, including walking and basic tasks. The study, published in the peer-reviewed Nature Scientific Reports, focused on a wearable Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation ...

ARLINGTON, Va., November 25, 2024 — The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) issued today an updated clinical guideline for physicians who use radiation therapy to treat patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. This update incorporates new data on patient selection and best practices from several practice-changing clinical trials published since the prior guideline was issued in 2020. The updated ASTRO guideline is published in Practical Radiation Oncology. Colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths for Americans aged 20 to 49 and the second most common cause of cancer-related death overall. In the U.S., the incidence of early ...