On July 19, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology released a statement expressing concerns on the National Institutes of Health budget proposed in the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies funding bill. The bill allocates only $44.7 billion for NIH, which represents a 6.4% decrease from fiscal year 2023 levels and would have detrimental repercussions for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute ...

Microparticle dust aggregates, which are thought to play a role in the formation of new planets, are less likely to stick together after a collision when the aggregates are larger. Current evidence suggests that microparticles of cosmic dust collide and stick together to form larger dust aggregates that may eventually combine and develop into planets. Numerical models that accurately characterize the conditions required for colliding microparticle aggregates to stick together, rather than bounce apart, are therefore ...

Changes in ocean wave and storm conditions have not caused long-term impacts on sandy coastlines in the past 30 years, a new study has found. Published today in Scientific Reports, the study draws on data from 30 years of global satellite and model studies to investigate whether changes in ocean wave conditions will have an impact on the stability of coastal environments. The compounding effect of climate change driven variations in waves, storm surge and sea level rise is projected to lead to shoreline position change along most of the world’s sandy coasts. A team ...

The “warm Arctic–cold Eurasia” is one of the most significant patterns of winter climate system changes in the mid-high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. In winter 2020/21, this large-scale pattern underwent a significant and intense subseasonal reversal between the early and late winter. At the same time, the sea-ice anomalies in the Barents–Kara Sea changed from being significantly negative in early winter to positive in late winter. For the slow-varying process of winter sea ice, the rapid freezing ...

An exquisitely preserved fossil forest from Japan provides missing links and helps reconstruct a whole Eurasia plant from the late Miocene epoch. Complete plant fossils are seldom found as a single piece, as wood, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, or pollen detach easily from plants. This results in leaves and trunks having separate scientific names. Putting together the different parts to reveal the complete plant is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Connecting these dots and reconstructing plants is important to establish their taxonomic identity—their ...

A better way to wirelessly charge over long distances has been developed at Aalto University. Engineers have optimized the way antennas transmitting and receiving power interact with each other, making use of the phenomenon of “radiation suppression”. The result is a better theoretical understanding of wireless power transfer compared to the conventional inductive approach, a significant advancement in the field. Charging over short distances, such as through induction pads, uses magnetic near fields to transfer power with high efficiency, but at longer distances the efficiency dramatically drops. New research shows that this high efficiency ...

This research was conducted by Nazlı Sönmez, ESMT Berlin; Kavitha Srinivasan and Rengaraj Venkatesh, Aravind Eye Hospital (India); Ryan W. Buell, Harvard Business School; and Kamalini Ramdas, London Business School. The researchers wanted to understand the impact of shared medical appointments on patient experience (knowledge gained and satisfaction) and behavior (follow-up rates and medication compliance rates).  In shared medical appointments (SMAs), patients with the same medical condition meet with the physician in a group, with each patient receiving attention in turn. The physician shares information customized to a patient’s specific needs as well ...

A research team from the School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), provides genetic evidence that metformin might promote healthy ageing using a cohort study of more than 300,000 participants of European descent (UK Biobank). This proof-of-concept work supports further clinical research into the drug repositioning of metformin in healthy longevity. The findings are now published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity, a leading peer-reviewed, international journal in the field of geriatrics and gerontology [link to the publication]. Background Metformin is a first-line medication for type 2 diabetes. ...

A new position paper presents an up-to-date review and expert recommendations using the GRADE methodology to inform the implementation of trabecular bone score (TBS)* in clinical practice for the management of primary and secondary osteoporosis.1 TBS is a grey-level scale textural measurement acquired from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry lumbar spine images that correlates with bone microarchitecture and which can be used alongside FRAX and bone mineral density measurements to enhance the assessment of fracture risk and to inform treatment initiation and monitoring.  The position paper was authored by an international ...

JMIR Cardio Editor-in-Chief: Gunther Eysenbach, MD, MPH, FACMI welcomes submissions to a special theme issue examining "Generative and Multimodal Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Digital Cardiovascular Medicine." This call for papers aims to explore the potential of generative AI in health care and medicine, specifically in the field of cardiovascular medicine and its subspecialties. This includes, but is not necessarily limited only to, large language models and multimodal AI that can be applied to electrophysiology, congenital heart diseases, transplant cardiology, ...

Highlights: Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rapid-onset, life-threatening disease associated with strains of Staphylococcus aureus. New findings published in Microbiology Spectrum suggest that a probiotic combination could reduce incidence of TSS. In lab experiments, the probiotics reduced production of the superantigen that causes TSS. The researchers say a probiotic approach may also help people who suffer from other staph infections, including those with atopic dermatitis or type 2 diabetes. Washington, D.C. – The widespread, pathogenic microbe Staphylococcus aureus can colonize the skin and mucous membranes throughout the body, particularly the vagina ...

The preclinical study showed that injecting ovarian tissue-derived differentiated induced pluripotent stem cells can restore hormone production and fertility in mice with premature ovarian failure related to genetic diseases and cancer treatment A new study by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding members of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, in a preclinical model demonstrates the potential for restoring fertility when the ovaries have stopped working. Researchers found that adult stem cells could restore healthy hormone levels after chemotherapy and lead to natural conception resulting in the birth of live mice. Techniques based on the study could revolutionize fertility ...

ROCKVILLE, Md.—Researchers have discovered a link between gastric bypass surgery and an increased risk of non-alcohol substance use disorder, according to a new study in Obesity, The Obesity Society’s (TOS) flagship journal. “The current study shows that non-alcohol substance use disorder was 2.5 times more common after gastric bypass surgery compared with controls receiving usual obesity care, but the total number of patients having non-alcohol substance use disorder was overall low. Healthcare professionals should consider the risk of non-alcohol substance use disorder in the care of patients treated with gastric bypass surgery,” ...

Tourists acting as citizen scientists have helped a research team detect microplastics on remote Arctic beaches. The global scale of plastic production means that these tiny fragments of plastic are now ubiquitous, and scientists fear that ocean currents will cause plastic to accumulate in the Arctic, damaging ecosystems. But our knowledge of the scale and type of plastic pollution in the Arctic is incomplete. Researchers recruited holidaymakers to carry out sample collection during cruises, hoping to fill in some of the gaps in their knowledge. “Plastic pollution is now ubiquitous. It is found on land and in ...

After its successful development of industrial electric motors (three-phase induction motors) with super-premium class efficiency (IE4) for the first time in Korea, the Electric Machine and Drive Research Center of Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) has established an "open platform" that enables SMEs to utilize related technologies. Industrial motors are the machines that consume the most considerable amount of electricity in the world. Industrial motors account for more than 50% of total electricity consumption in Korea. In 2018, KERI published a report1) finding that increasing the efficiency of electric motors ...

Peanut introduction is not well known among those with less access to health-care information Having a pediatrician recommend early peanut introduction was best way for parents/caregivers to be informed Fear of an allergic reaction is the main reason parents decline, but only 1% infants had a reaction, which was mild CHICAGO --- In 2017, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced a dramatic reversal in its approach to peanut-allergy prevention, recommending parents expose their infants as young as four months old to peanuts to prevent peanut allergy.  In the five years since, early introduction ...

Patients will receive faster and more accurate pathology results following a decade-long research project that is set to transform medical diagnosis. The University of Queensland and Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology (SNP) have automated a microscope scanning and analysis system in Brisbane that has been tested, implemented and accredited ready for rollout around the world. UQ Professor of AI Brian Lovell said the system significantly improved tests in terms of cost, quality and speed. “This digital pathology technology processes thousands of tests a day and has been ...

(Santa Barbara, Calif.) — One of the central challenges for synthetic chemists is to impose control over free radicals. Highly reactive molecules with an unpaired electron, free radicals may be familiar to you; these are the type of molecules we take antioxidant supplements for, in an effort to tame oxidative stress. In the world of synthetic chemistry, however, free radicals hold a lot of promise. “Free radical chemistry is very useful for the synthesis of both bioactive small molecules and everyday polymers,” said UC Santa Barbara chemistry professor Yang Yang, an author of a paper on the matter that appears in Nature Catalysis. “However, ...

Toy company Mattel has been criticised for “stealth marketing” after giving away free Barbie and Ken dolls to schools as part of a programme to teach empathy to children, finds an investigation published by The BMJ today. Investigative journalist Hristio Boytchev reports that Mattell’s “Barbie School of Friendship” programme, in which free dolls are given for children to carry out role play exercises, has been rolled out to 700 schools across the UK, "with the potential to ...

A new study published in CABI Reviews suggests that the impact of climate change on animals will be “multi-faceted” with “cascading effects” across five welfare domains including nutrition, environment, behaviour, physical and mental health. The research, highlights how researchers need to carefully consider which domains are immediate and future priority to safeguard the welfare and longevity of animals for food, as domestic pets and those for conservation in nature reserves and zoos. Animals at risk from the impacts of climate change highlighted ...

Charlottesville, VA –The Center for Open Science (COS) is delighted to announce the appointment of Yvette Seger, PhD to its Board of Directors. Seger brings impressive experience and strategic leadership across a range of areas that aligns well with COS’s mission, vision, and activities, including policy analysis, advocacy, and implementation. Seger holds multiple roles as Director of Science Policy, Deputy Director of the Office of Public Affairs, and Director of Strategic Scientific Program ...

A newly described type of chemistry in fungi is both surprisingly common and likely to involve highly reactive enzymes, two traits that make the genes involved useful signposts pointing to a potential treasure trove of biological compounds with medical and chemical applications. It was also nearly invisible to scientists until now. In the last 15 years, the hunt for molecules from living organisms — many with promise as drugs, antimicrobial agents, chemical catalysts and even food additives — has relied on computer algorithms trained to search the DNA of bacteria, ...

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) officially recognized that medical care can be delivered on the street, making it possible for providers like USC’s Street Medicine team to be reimbursed for services provided to people who are currently unhoused.  The decision, which was announced on June 28, 2023, was the result of a multi-year effort on the part of leaders of USC Street Medicine and the Street Medicine Institute to have CMS create a place of service (POS) code for the street. As a result of this designation, street medicine providers nationwide will be able ...

A University of Arizona Cancer Center researcher was awarded a $1.3 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to study the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions in American Indian patients with obesity-related solid tumor cancers who are preparing for surgery. According to principal investigator Jennifer Erdrich, MD, MPH, there are 13 cancer subtypes linked to obesity that account for 40% of all cancers diagnosed annually in the United States. American Indian and Alaska Native populations are more than 1.5 times more likely to be obese than the general population and have some of the lowest cancer survival rates in the nation. Many factors ...

Key takeaways A UCLA-led study has shown that hardship experienced by mothers during their own childhood or during pregnancy is reflected in the composition of their 2-year-old children’s gut microbiome. It was previously understood that in rodents, prenatal stress affects microbiomes into adulthood, but how long after birth the effects lasted in humans was unknown. The changes to this community of microorganisms are likely among the ways that hardship affects a child’s socioemotional development. Hardship experienced by mothers during their own childhood or during pregnancy is reflected ...