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Physics17 Jun 2024

Electronic cigarettes vs varenicline for smoking cessation in adults

About The Study: This randomized clinical trial found that varenicline and nicotine-containing electronic cigarettes were both effective in helping individuals in quitting smoking conventional cigarettes for up to 6 months. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Anna Tuisku, Ph.D., email anna.tuisku@lapha.fi. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.1822) Editor’s Note: Please see the article ...

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Medicine17 Jun 2024

Risk factors for long COVID revealed

NEW YORK, NY (June 14, 2024)--Early in the pandemic, many people who had SARS-Cov-2 infection or COVID-19 began to report that they couldn’t shake off their symptoms even after a month or more—unusually long for a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract—or developed new, persistent symptoms soon after the infection cleared. Although it’s still not clear what causes post-COVID-19 conditions or “long COVID” (symptoms and conditions that develop, linger, or reoccur weeks or months after SARS-CoV-2 infection), a new study by researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College ...

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Environment17 Jun 2024

Ancient polar sea reptile fossil is oldest ever found in Southern Hemisphere

An international team of scientists has identified the oldest fossil of a sea-going reptile from the Southern Hemisphere – a nothosaur vertebra found on New Zealand’s South Island. 246 million years ago, at the beginning of the Age of Dinosaurs, New Zealand was located on the southern polar coast of a vast super-ocean called Panthalassa. Reptiles first invaded the seas after a catastrophic mass extinction that devastated marine ecosystems and paved the way for the dawn of the Age of Dinosaurs almost 252 million years ago. Evidence for this evolutionary milestone has only been discovered in a few places around the world: on the Arctic island of Spitsbergen, northwestern North ...

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Science17 Jun 2024

Finding hidden genetic treasure: Study uncovers untapped diversity in historic wheat collection

A decade-long collaborative study has discovered huge genetic potential that is untapped in modern wheat varieties. The international study which appears in Nature reveals that at least 60% of the genetic diversity found in a historic collection of wheat is unused providing an unprecedented opportunity to improve modern wheat and sustainably feed a growing global population. To make this discovery, a cross-institutional collaboration led by Dr Simon Griffiths, at the John Innes Centre and Professor Shifeng Cheng at the Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), studied the A.E. Watkins Landrace Collection, a ...

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Science17 Jun 2024

Researchers develop plant gene drive system for enhanced trait inheritance

A collaborative research team led by QIAN Wenfeng from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (IGDB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Peking University has developed a plant gene drive system called CRISPR-Assisted Inheritance utilizing NPG1 (CAIN), which, according to the researchers, uses a toxin-antidote mechanism in the male germline to override Mendelian inheritance in plants. Their findings were published in Nature Plants. In nature, gene inheritance typically follows Mendel's laws, which provide an equal chance for alleles to pass on to ...

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Medicine17 Jun 2024

Children’s Tumor Foundation presents the 2024 Global NF Conference in Brussels: Shaping what’s next for NF

(NEW YORK, NY and BRUSSELS, BELGIUM) - June 17, 2024 - The 2024 Global NF Conference, organized by the Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF) and the European NF Group, and hosted by Children's Tumor Foundation Europe, is the foremost assembly defining the scientific and medical future of the genetic conditions neurofibromatosis and schwannomatosis (known collectively as NF). This global gathering, taking place from June 20-25 at THE EGG in Brussels, Belgium, will connect over 1,000 attendees for up-to-date knowledge and insights in the growing fields of NF research ...

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Medicine17 Jun 2024

Researchers discover potential mole reversal therapy in rare condition

Francis Crick Institute press Peer reviewed Experimental study Cells, people and animals *Case studies available for interview* Researchers discover potential mole reversal therapy in rare condition “Knowing there has been a huge step forward in the CMN research and there could be a chance of Ada’s CMN being reversed and possibly reducing Ada’s risk of developing melanoma, has blown our expectations out the water.” Ada’s Mum and Dad, Rachelle and Greg Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute for Child Health and Great Ormond Street ...

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Medicine17 Jun 2024

Threefold improvement of solid oxide fuel cell in 4 minutes

Dr. Yoonseok Choi from the Hydrogen Convergence Materials Laboratory at the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), in collaboration with Professor WooChul Jung from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at KAIST and Professor Beom-Kyung Park from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Pusan National University, has successfully developed a catalyst coating technology that significantly improves the performance of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) in just 4 minutes. Fuel cells are gaining attention as highly efficient and clean energy devices driving the hydrogen economy. Among them, solid ...

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Technology17 Jun 2024

New initiative aims to help tens of thousands with recurrent pericarditis

DALLAS, June 17, 2024 — About 40,000 people in the United States experience recurrent pericarditis, or inflammation of the sac-like structure that protects the heart, which can cause chest pain and may lead to fluid buildup around the heart muscle. The American Heart Association, celebrating 100 years of lifesaving service in 2024, is launching a three-year initiative to empower patients and equip health care providers with up-to-date science to inform recurrent pericarditis care decisions. The Addressing Recurrent Pericarditis initiative, supported by Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, aims to improve diagnosis, treatment and quality of life for those with ...

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Medicine17 Jun 2024

Multiple new awards recognize NCCN as exceptional source for information for cancer patients and caregivers

PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA [June 17, 2024] — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) today announced new recognitions for the award-winning library of NCCN Guidelines for Patients® and NCCN Patient Webinars. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Colon Cancer earned a Gold Award from Hemes Creative Awards for Electronic Media/Social Media/Interactive Media/Digital Publications/Messaging. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Kidney Cancer earned an Award of Distinction from The Communicator Awards for Print Content—Medical. Additionally, the NCCN Patient Webinar for Uterine Cancer has been named a Gold Winner from the Viddy Awards while the NCCN Patient Webinar ...

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Medicine17 Jun 2024

Study shows a high-fat diet may fuel anxiety

When stressed out, many of us turn to junk food for solace. But new University of Colorado Boulder research suggests this strategy may backfire. The study found that in animals, a high-fat diet disrupts resident gut bacteria, alters behavior and, through a complex pathway connecting the gut to the brain, influences brain chemicals in ways that fuel anxiety. “Everyone knows that these are not healthy foods, but we tend to think about them strictly in terms of a little weight gain,” said lead author Christopher Lowry, a professor of integrative physiology at CU Boulder. “If you understand that they also impact your brain in a way that ...

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Environment17 Jun 2024

Novel method for measuring nano/microplastic concentrations in soil using spectroscopy

Nano and microplastics are a well-known menace, found practically everywhere in nature, including soil, oceans, drinking water, air, and even the human body. Studies show that soils in particular hold a significant portion of N/MPs. The problem with these N/MPs is their microscopic size, which allows them to easily migrate through soil into the ground or freshwater bodies due to rainwater leaching. From there, they enter the human body. Hence, it is imperative to understand the distribution and movement of the soil’s N/MPs to gauge their threat and mitigate it. Current ...

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Medicine17 Jun 2024

Poll: Majority of Americans say key COVID-19 policies were a good idea—but views of individual policies vary

Embargoed for release: Monday, June 17, 6:00 AM ET Boston, MA—A majority of Americans say that several key policies to stop the spread of COVID-19 were generally a good idea in hindsight, according to a new national poll by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the de Beaumont Foundation. The poll also found, however, that views varied across policies, and many say the policies had negative impacts. The poll, U.S. Views on Pandemic Policies: Lessons for Emerging Outbreaks, was conducted March 21 to April 2, 2024, among a nationally representative, probability-based sample of 1,017 adults ages 18 or older. A majority of Americans say four key pandemic policies ...

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Medicine17 Jun 2024

Six distinct types of depression identified in Stanford Medicine-led study

In the not-too-distant future, a screening assessment for depression could include a quick brain scan to identify the best treatment. Brain imaging combined with machine learning can reveal subtypes of depression and anxiety, according to a new study led by researchers at Stanford Medicine. The study, to be published June 17 in the journal Nature Medicine, sorts depression into six biological subtypes, or “biotypes,” and identifies treatments that are more likely or less likely to work ...

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Medicine17 Jun 2024

Chronic high blood pressure during pregnancy doubled between 2008 and 2021 in the U.S.

Research Highlights: The number of individuals in the United States who had chronic hypertension or chronic high blood pressure during pregnancy doubled between 2008 and 2021, according to a nationwide review of private health insurance claims. Treatment rates for chronic hypertension during pregnancy remained relatively low but stable during the same time, with only about 60% of the individuals receiving (filling prescriptions for) antihypertensive medications. The researchers say these findings underscore the need to adhere to clinical guidelines for accurate diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure before and during pregnancy. Embargoed until 4 ...

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Medicine17 Jun 2024

Pancreatic cancer’s cellular amnesia

Things aren’t always as they seem. Take pancreatic cancer, for example. In up to one in 10 cases, researchers have documented a peculiar characteristic. Some of the pancreatic cells appear to have lost their identity. It’s as if they forget what they are. “This is very bizarre. You see pancreatic cancer, which usually somewhat resembles the original organ, losing those features and basically becoming akin to skin or esophagus—these other very unrelated tissues, " explains ...

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Earth Science17 Jun 2024

An earthquake changed the course of the Ganges. Could it happen again?

A major earthquake 2,500 years ago caused one of the largest rivers on Earth to abruptly change course, according to a new study. The previously undocumented quake rerouted the main channel of the Ganges River in what is now densely populated Bangladesh, which remains vulnerable to big quakes. The study was just published in the journal Nature Communications. Scientists have documented many river-course changes, called avulsions, including some in response to earthquakes. However, “I don’t think we have ever seen such a big ...

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Medicine17 Jun 2024

New study reveals urgent need for region-specific models to improve brain health in diverse settings

A pioneering study published today in the journal Nature Aging has unveiled significant heterogeneity in the risk factors affecting healthy aging in Latin America and emphasised the limitations of current models of brain health, which are primarily based on data from high-income countries. The research was conducted by researchers from Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), and by colleagues in Universidad Adolfo Ibanez (Chile) and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Colombia) among others. The study developed a metanalytical approach with 146,000 participants and findings emphasise how current models of brain health may not apply ...

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Medicine17 Jun 2024

Treatment of stress-induced exhaustion disorder has wrong focus

A new thesis at Uppsala University questions the traditional view of stress-induced exhaustion disorder. A new model is proposed in its place that puts more focus on meaningfulness rather than recovery. “There are no established evidence-based models for the psychological treatment of stress-induced exhaustion disorder. The concepts of ‘recovery’ and ‘stress’ are so widely accepted in our current era that it is difficult to examine them critically. It’s easy to think that patients with stress-related exhaustion should prioritise rest and relaxation, but an overly one-sided focus on recovery ...

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Science17 Jun 2024

Bedtime battles: 1 in 4 parents say their child can’t go to sleep because they’re worried or anxious

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Many bedtime battles stem from children’s after dark worries, suggests a new national poll. And while most families have bedtime rituals to help their little ones ease into nighttime, many rely on strategies that may increase sleep challenges long term, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. Overall, one in four parents describe getting their young child to bed as difficult – and these parents are less likely to have a bedtime routine, more likely to leave on a video or TV show, and more likely to stay with their child until they’re ...

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Technology17 Jun 2024

Towards wider 5G network coverage: novel wirelessly powered relay transceiver

A novel 256-element wirelessly powered transceiver array for non-line-of-sight 5G communication, featuring efficient wireless power transmission and high-power conversion efficiency, has been designed by scientists at Tokyo Tech. The innovative design can enhance the 5G network coverage even to places with link blockage, improving flexibility and coverage area, and potentially making high-speed, low-latency communication more accessible. Millimeter wave 5G communication, which uses extremely high-frequency radio signals (24 to 100 GHz), is a promising technology for next-generation wireless ...

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Science17 Jun 2024

Nile perch invasion triggered genetic bottlenecks in lake Victoria's endemic cichlids

Newfound evidence reveals that the upsurge of the exotic Nile perch in Lake Victoria had long-lasting effects on the genetic diversity of various local cichlid species, report scientists from Tokyo Tech. Through large-scale comparative genomic analyses, the researchers found concrete proof in the collective genome of multiple species that this artificially introduced perch decimated many local fish populations, causing a 'bottleneck effect.' The careless introduction of exotic species by humans into ecosystems can lead to truly catastrophic results, as has been ...

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Medicine17 Jun 2024

Wildfire smoke and health

With wildfires becoming more frequent and extensive in Canada, it’s important for people to understand the health risks of wildfire smoke. An article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.240135 aims to provide information for clinicians and people in Canada as wildfire season is upon us. "As climate change causes more frequent and severe wildfires, wildfire smoke becomes a larger health problem,” says Dr. Mehdi Aloosh, assistant professor, Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, and medical officer of health of Windsor–Essex County, Ontario. “Communities need ...

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Medicine17 Jun 2024

US sexual health curriculum could force LGBTQ+ students to seek potentially inaccurate education outside of school

Children across the United States who identify as LGBTQ+ say the sexual health education curricula they receive is leaving them without essential information to make informed decisions about their sexual health – which could force them to seek potentially dangerous advice elsewhere. The results of a new, national, peer-reviewed survey, show that these young people — aged 13 to 17 — believe crucial topics surrounding sexual orientation and gender identity are being omitted from sexual health education programs. Experts who led the study – published today in The Journal of Sex Research, as people around the ...

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Science17 Jun 2024

Increasing use and awareness of oral nicotine pouches detailed

WASHINGTON – A rigorous, comprehensive synthesis of evidence from 62 studies related to the use of oral nicotine pouches by Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center scientists and colleagues provides a much-needed assessment of how these products could lead to potential harmful consequences if used by young people. Oral nicotine pouches were first introduced in the U.S. in the past decade and are pre-portioned white granular packets containing nicotine placed between the gums and lips, marketed as tobacco-free, and are sold in various flavors and nicotine strengths. The findings appeared ...

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