Organoid technology began with Professor Hans Clevers' 2009 breakthrough in cultivating the first intestinal organoid from mice. Since then, the field has expanded exponentially, showcasing organoids' remarkable capabilities in replicating human organ physiology and pathology. Organoids, which are three-dimensional stem cell cultures, offer powerful tools for studying organ development, modeling diseases, and facilitating drug discovery. Their ability to maintain genetic diversity and mimic complex biological processes makes them invaluable in biomedical ...

WASHINGTON—The Endocrine Society, the world’s oldest and largest organization of scientists devoted to hormone research and physicians who care for people with hormone-related conditions, announced it is merging with the Association of Program Directors in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism (APDEM). APDEM represents the academic leaders of more than 135 training programs that prepare fellows for clinical and research careers in endocrinology and metabolism. “The Endocrine Society and APDEM share a commitment to ...

(Toronto, July 30, 2024) JMIR Publications, a leading publisher in digital health research, announces the launch of JMIR XR and Spatial Computing, a cutting-edge journal dedicated to exploring the transformative potential of extended reality (XR) and spatial computing technologies in clinical practice. This new journal arrives at a pivotal moment when recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), graphical processing, display technology, and network connectivity are propelling XR and spatial ...

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a multifaceted disorder that impacts approximately 20–25% of the global population. This syndrome encompasses a range of conditions, including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance (IR), hypercholesterolemia, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and systemic metabolic inflammation. These conditions collectively lead to severe diseases and increased premature mortality. The hypothalamus, a critical brain structure regulating ...

SAN ANTONIO — July 30, 2024 — Dr. James Oxley, an Institute scientist at Southwest Research Institute’s Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Division, has been named a Fellow by the Controlled Release Society. Recognized for excellence and innovation in delivery science, Oxley is an expert in microencapsulation, nanoencapsulation and other controlled-release technologies used in energy, food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and consumer product applications. “I’m honored and humbled by this recognition,” said Oxley, who began his Institute career in 2004. “Encapsulation research ...

University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have identified a potential treatment for the respiratory symptoms of long COVID after discovering an unknown cause of the condition inside the lungs. The UVA researchers, led by Jie Sun, PhD, found that COVID-19 infection can cause sweeping changes in immune cells inside the lung tissues, promoting scarring and driving ongoing inflammation even after the initial infection has passed. This ongoing inflammation, they believe, drives the lasting respiratory symptoms, such as cough and difficulty breathing, associated with long COVID. The new research from Sun and ...

BEER-SHEVA, Israel, July 30, 2024 – Antibiotic resistant bacterial pathogens are on the rise, while fewer antibiotics are being developed. Prof. Ariel Kushmaro and his local and international colleagues tackled the need by focusing on the long pepper. Known in traditional medicine for its treatment of a variety of illnesses, the team created a derivative that disrupts bacterial chemical communication. Their findings were just published in Biofilm (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioflm.2024.100215). Many plants' secondary metabolites are essential ...

By Benjamin Boettner (BOSTON) — Since the 1950s, researchers have used a famous method invented by Wallace Coulter known as “flow cytometry” to characterize different types of immune cells in research studies and in blood samples from human individuals. This has enabled a much deeper understanding of immune cell development as well as new ways to assess human health and diagnose various blood cancers. Later, flow cytometry was applied also to other cell types. In traditional flow cytometry, cell surface and intracellular proteins are detected with antibody molecules that are linked to fluorescent probes. However, while providing single-cell ...

Not all police misconduct is the same. Misconduct can range from offenses like homicide and sexual assault to seemingly minor infractions such as accepting free coffee from the public. Exactly what qualifies as police misconduct varies locally, and the response to this behavior is typically handled internally by law enforcement. The absence of a commonly accepted framework to assess and interpret police misconduct remains a complex and contentious issue. Moreover, progress in researching this area is hindered by the limited ...

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 ...