Genetically engineered human skin bacteria can make mice less attractive to mosquitoes for 11 days. Mosquitoes transmit a host of deadly diseases, including malaria, West Nile, dengue, yellow fever, and Zika. Female mosquitoes on the hunt for a blood meal tune into scents released by skin microbes that live on their targets. Omar Akbari and colleagues engineered versions of the common human skin commensals Staphylococcus epidermidis and Corynebacterium amycolatum to produce much less of a form of lactic acid known to attract mosquitoes. The authors tested the microbes alone and found the engineered version of S. epidermidis attracted about half as ...

The liver's ability to communicate with other organs is crucial for maintaining homeostasis, particularly through signaling pathways. During liver regeneration, communication with organs such as the brain, pancreas, intestine, and heart is vital, mediated by chemical messengers like hormones, cytokines, and growth factors. Among these signals, the TGF-β and HIPPO pathways are critical, functioning as tumor suppressors and regulating liver development and regeneration. The review focuses on these pathways' interplay in maintaining liver homeostasis, facilitating regeneration, and contributing to diseases like hepatitis, fibrosis, ...

A study explores the microbiome of keloids, which are treatment-resistant raised scars. Some wounds heal completely; some wounds leave a scar; and some wounds leave a noticeable raised and growing bump larger than the original wound called a keloid. These keloids can itch and cause psychological distress. Keloids are caused by hyperproliferation of cells called fibroblasts that produce collagen. Previous research had suggested that microbiota might be one of many factors influencing fibroblast production. Rui Chen, Tomasz Maj and colleagues looked for bacteria in clinical samples of keloid tissue and found higher concentrations ...

Cancer is a complex, multifactorial disease with a substantial global burden. Recent years have seen a surge in research focusing on preventive measures, particularly through diet and supplements. The role of nutrition in cancer incidence and prevention is widely recognized, though the specifics of these relationships remain under investigation. This review expands on the findings of Anandu Chandra Khanashyam et al., exploring the nuanced links between diet, supplements, and cancer prevention. The significance of diet and supplements in cancer prevention is well-documented, with nutrition ...

Z-alkenes are organic compounds with a double bond between two carbon atoms and two substituents attached to the carbon atoms on the same side of the double bond. They are ubiquitous structural components of organic compounds in chemistry and biology. It is well known that many of the Z-alkenes cannot be prepared through conventional methods involving thermodynamic methods while photoisomerization can offer good yields. Photoisomerization is a process in which the structural arrangement of an isomer of a molecule is changed to another isomer by absorption of light. The photoisomerization of E-alkenes to produce Z-alkenes ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Many studies have focused on falls among people who are ambulatory and have conditions like multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease, but research to address falls among those who rely on wheelchairs or motorized scooters is rare, scientists report in a new study. The researchers found that full-time wheelchair or motorized-scooter users also experience falls and fall-related injuries, and many live with the fear of falling again. The findings are detailed in the journal Disability and Rehabilitation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 5.5 million Americans ...

North Sea oil and gas extraction can cause pollution to spike by more than 10,000% within half a kilometre around off-shore sites, a study has found for the first time. The University of Essex, Natural History Museum and Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) research has uncovered the true impact on Britain’s seabed life - with the number of species plummeting nearly 30% near platforms. The findings, published in Science of The Total Environment, come in the face of continued global fossil fuel exploration. The study discovered pollutants like hydrocarbons were up to 10,613% higher within 500m ...

PULLMAN, Wash. – Companies may unintentionally hurt their sales by including the words “artificial intelligence” when describing their offerings that use the technology, according to a study led by Washington State University researchers. In the study, published in the Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, researchers conducted experimental surveys with more than 1,000 adults in the U.S. to evaluate the relationship between AI disclosure and consumer behavior. The findings consistently showed products described as using artificial intelligence were less popular, according to Mesut Cicek, clinical assistant professor of marketing and lead author ...

To control the climate crisis, we must tackle methane emissions now. Methane has contributed about half the global warming we’ve experienced so far, and emissions are climbing rapidly. An international team of climate researchers writing in Frontiers in Science set out three imperatives to cut methane emissions and share a new tool to help us find the most cost-effective ways of doing so.   “The world has been rightly focused on carbon dioxide, which is the largest driver of climate change to date,” said Professor ...

Bacteria produce materials that are of interest to humans, such as cellulose, silk and minerals. The advantage of producing bacteria in this way is that it is sustainable, takes place at room temperature and in water. A disadvantage is that the process takes time and gives rise to quantities too small to be of industrial use. Consequently, researchers have for some time been trying to turn microorganisms into living mini-factories that can produce larger quantities of a desired product more quickly. This requires either targeted intervention in the genome or the cultivation of the most suitable bacterial ...

Researchers in Korea have united to tackle the challenges in the commercialization of all-solid-state batteries. Dr. Yoon-Cheol Ha from the Next Generation Battery Research Center of KERI collaborated with a team led by professor Byung Gon Kim of Department of Applied Chemistry, Kyung Hee University, a team led by professor Janghyuk Moon of School of Energy Systems Engineering, Chung-Ang University, and a team led by professor Seung-kKiSeoung-Ki Lee of School of Materials Science and Engineering, ...

Singapore, 30 July 2024 — Amid the rise of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, a novel study by Duke-NUS Medical School offers a fresh perspective on encouraging healthier grocery shopping. Despite the widespread use of colour-coded front-of-pack nutrition labels aimed to help consumers make healthier choices, these measures have not been sufficient to stem the rising tide of chronic diseases. To determine if adding behavioural nudges and financial incentives could improve diet quality, researchers from Duke-NUS’ Health Services and Systems Research Programme conducted a randomised trial using an experimental online grocery store called NUSMart. During ...

The results, utilizing National Center for Health Statistics for Asian Americans or Pacific Islander youth ages 10-19 years who died by suicide, were published in the July 25 issue of JAMA Network Open. The study authors — Brian TaeHyuk, the Buehler Family Sesquicentennial Endowed Assistant Professor at BC’s Lynch School of Education and Human Development; Seungbin Oh, an assistant professor in the Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine Program at Boston University; and Arielle ...

Published Research from the Parkinson’s Foundation Shows Genetic Variants Are More Common in People with Parkinson’s Disease Than Originally Thought The PD GENEration study, which tests for clinically relevant Parkinson’s genetic variants and offers genetic counseling, reached a milestone of 15,000 participants in spring 2024 and highlights the importance of sharing genetic data with participants NEW YORK & MIAMI (July 30, 2024) – New research has found that genetic variants associated with Parkinson’s disease ...

There has been a mixed response to primary education reforms in Mexico which have created widespread uncertainty among teachers, children and parents, new research shows. Those affected have expressed concerns about lack of training to help them prepare for the major changes, but also enthusiasm about many of the aims. The new Nueva Escuela Mexicana (NEM) in Basic Education represents a large shift in curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. Subjects such as maths and science have been combined into integrated “formative fields”. There is a focus on education that places more value on local communities and an emphasis on active and interactive learning ...

There’s limited evidence to back up the widespread and increasing rates of prescribing mood-altering drugs (psychotropics) as the mainstay of mental health treatment for children and young people, warn experts in an editorial, published today in the August issue of Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (dtb)  But first and foremost, current prescribing practice for these drugs, which include sedatives, anti-anxiolytics, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and melatonin, needs to be a lot safer, they insist. The numbers of these ...

The inflammatory activity in the body caused by rheumatoid arthritis is linked to specific cognitive impairments, finds a small comparative study, published in the open access journal RMD Open.  These are diminished visuospatial abilities, recall, abstract thinking, and the executive functions of working memory, concentration, and inhibition. Inflammatory activity in rheumatoid arthritis has been associated with various systemic effects, including on the brain, but it’s not clear which specific cognitive domains might be affected. To try and find out, the researchers compared the cognitive ...

Rubbing a lettuce leaf on a nettle sting to ease the associated discomfort may be just as good as using the age-old folk remedy of a dock leaf, suggest the results of a small comparative study, published online in Emergency Medicine Journal. It may simply be the cooling and soothing effect of sap evaporating from a crushed leaf that brings relief, and doing nothing might work just as well, although possibly not if you’re a small child, suggest the researchers. Nettles are a common native plant in the British Isles. Their stems and leaves are covered in stinging hairs, or trichomes, with a brittle tip that snaps off when touched, ...

DETROIT – Taunya A. Phillips has been named the assistant vice president for Technology Commercialization in the Division of Research & Innovation at Wayne State University. Phillips will lead revitalization efforts of the technology transfer and commercialization office that includes increasing the protection and commercialization of intellectual property developed at Wayne State, as well as promoting innovation and entrepreneurship efforts in support of the university’s strategic goals and Prosperity Agenda. Her guidance will aid the university’s efforts and commitment to propelling Michigan’s competitiveness in 21st century commerce and cultivating a campus ...

The atmosphere, the ocean and life on Earth interacted over the past 500-plus million years in ways that improved conditions for early organisms to thrive. Now, an interdisciplinary team of scientists has produced a perspective article of this co-evolutionary history published in multidisciplinary open-access journal National Science Review (Oxford University Press, Impact Factor 20.7). “One of our tasks was to summarize the most important discoveries about carbon dioxide and oxygen in the atmosphere and ocean over the past 500 million ...

Physician-scientists from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine have uncovered significant findings regarding the impact of transthyretin, or TTR, protein levels on heart disease risk. The study, recently published in Nature Communications, explores how variations in TTR levels are associated with adverse clinical outcomes, providing new insights into the prevention and management of amyloid heart disease. Transthyretin is a transport protein produced in the liver, and its misfolding is linked to the development of cardiac amyloidosis, a condition that leads to heart failure and increased mortality. The study, led ...

      MEDIA INQUIRES   WRITTEN BY Laura Muntean   Ashley Vargo laura.muntean@ag.tamu.edu     601-248-1891     FOR ...

Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 29 July 2024      Annals of Internal Medicine Tip Sheet       @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 ...

INGHAMTON, N.Y. -- Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York have developed a self-powered “bug” that can skim across the water, and they hope it will revolutionize aquatic robotics. Futurists predict that more than one trillion autonomous nodes will be integrated into all human activities by 2035 as part of the “internet of things.” Soon, pretty much any object — big or small — will feed information to a central database without the need for human involvement. Making this idea tricky is that 71% of the Earth’s ...

July 22, 2024, was the hottest day on record, according to a NASA analysis of global daily temperature data. July 21 and 23 of this year also exceeded the previous daily record, set in July 2023. These record-breaking temperatures are part of a long-term warming trend driven by human activities, primarily the emission of greenhouse gases. As part of its mission to expand our understanding of Earth, NASA collects critical long-term observations of our changing planet.  “In a year that has been the hottest on record to date, these past two weeks have ...