Study combines analyses of multiple genomic platforms over multiple brain regions to probe biological processes and underlying mechanisms of stress-related disorders Results lay groundwork for future diagnostics and targeted treatments BELMONT, Mass. (May 23, 2024) A comprehensive approach that examines the intersection of multiple biological processes is necessary to elucidate the development of stress-related disorders. In a new study, investigators from McLean Hospital, a member of the  Mass General Brigham healthcare system, ...

CORVALLIS, Ore. – What if a common element rather than scarce, expensive ones was a key component in electric car batteries? A collaboration co-led by an Oregon State University chemistry researcher is hoping to spark a green battery revolution by showing that iron instead of cobalt and nickel can be used as a cathode material in lithium-ion batteries. The findings, published today in Science Advances, are important for multiple reasons, Oregon State’s Xiulei “David” Ji notes. “We’ve transformed the reactivity of iron metal, the cheapest metal commodity,” he said. “Our electrode can offer a higher energy density ...

BELMONT, Mass. (May 23, 2024) Schizophrenia is a complex disease with variable presentations, and the diverse nature of this mental health disorder has made understanding the mechanisms that cause the disease, and subsequently developing effective treatments, especially challenging. In a new study, published May 23 is Science, a team led by McLean Hospital researchers used comprehensive genetic and cellular analyses to shed new light on the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying schizophrenia. Their new work provides a map for how the genes known to increase risk of schizophrenia affect specific cells within the brain. “We discovered which cell types express ...

The world’s population has increased by more than 2.6-fold in the last 60 years. The growing trend continues – projections indicate that the number of people living on our planet will grow to 9 billion by 2037 from 8 billion in 2022. These numbers underscore the need for considering family planning; however, there have been limited breakthroughs in contraception in recent decades. Specifically for men, there are no oral contraceptive pills available. In a study published in the journal Science, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and collaborating institutions show in animal models that a novel, non-hormonal sperm-specific approach offers a promising option ...

Artificial intelligence approaches demonstrate how plant science has evolved Machine learning also reveals how model systems have changed and how countries differ in terms of research focus and impact ##### In your coverage, please use this URL to provide access to the freely available paper in PLOS Biology:   http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3002612 Article Title: Assessing the evolution of research topics in a biological field using plant science as ...

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, University of Copenhagen researchers have become the first to see the formation of three of the earliest galaxies in the universe, more than 13 billion years ago. The sensational discovery contributes important knowledge about the universe and is now published in the prestigious journal Science. For the first time in the history of astronomy, researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute have witnessed the birth of three of the universe's absolute earliest galaxies, somewhere between 13.3 and 13.4 billion years ago.  The ...

The Epstein-Barr virus can cause a spectrum of diseases, including a range of cancers. Emerging data now show that inhibition of a specific metabolic pathway in infected cells can diminish latent infection and therefore the risk of downstream disease, as reported by researchers from the University of Basel and the University Hospital Basel in the journal Science. Exactly 60 years ago, pathologist Anthony Epstein and virologist Yvonne Barr announced the discovery of a virus that has carried their names ever since. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) made scientific history as the first virus proven to cause cancer in humans. Epstein and Barr isolated the pathogen, ...

New Haven, Conn. – A new analysis has revealed detailed information about genetic variation in brain cells that could open new avenues for the targeted treatment of diseases such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease.  The findings, reported May 23 in Science, were the result of a multi-institutional collaboration known as PsychENCODE, founded in 2015 by the National Institutes of Health, which seeks new understandings of genomic influences on neuropsychiatric disease. The study was published alongside related studies in Science, Science Advances, and Science ...

AUSTIN, Texas — Stress-related disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder and clinical depression are complex conditions influenced by both genetics and our environment. Despite significant research, the molecular mechanisms behind these disorders have remained elusive. However, researchers at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin have broken new ground with a study that sheds light on the intricate differences occurring in the brains of people with PTSD and depression compared to neurotypical controls. The study, published this week in Science, could provide potential avenues for novel therapeutics and biomarkers. “Understanding why some people develop ...

Working under the umbrella of the PsychENCODE Consortium, the mental health research project established in 2015 by the National Institutes of Health, a team of Mount Sinai scientists has uncovered important new insights into the molecular biology of neuropsychiatric disease through two new studies published in a special issue of Science on Friday, May 24. These investigations, conducted with colleagues from other major research centers, involve the largest single-cell analysis to date of the brains of people with schizophrenia, and a first-of-its-kind ...

A team led by researchers at UCLA and the University of Pennsylvania has produced a first-of-its kind catalog of gene-isoform variation in the developing human brain. This novel dataset provides crucial insights into the molecular basis of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric brain disorders and paves the way for targeted therapies. The research, published in Science, also details how transcript expression varies by cell type and maturity, finding that changing gene-isoform expression levels can help ...

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science will contribute to two multi-institution research initiatives aimed at reducing the use of carbon and creating sustainable computing. The projects recently received funding through the U.S. National Science Foundation's (NSF) Expeditions in Computing Awards program, which is providing $36 million to three projects selected for their potential to revolutionize computing and make significant impacts toward reducing the carbon footprint of the lifecycle of computers. The ...

By John Lovett University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It’s not just for burritos and popcorn. Microwave technology is also being tested as a new tool to destroy weed seeds and decrease herbicide use. Scientists and engineers with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station are investigating the use of 915 MHz microwaves to neutralize a variety of weed seeds underground. The study is supported by a nearly $300,000 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, with additional support ...

Tafadzwa Chaunzwa, MD, a  researcher in the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (AIM) Program at Mass General Brigham and a senior resident physician at the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program, is the lead author of a paper published in JAMA Oncology. Chaunzwa and senior author Hugo Aerts, PhD, director of the AIM Program, and associate professor at Harvard University, shared highlights from their paper. How would you summarize your study for a lay audience? As treatments like immunotherapy improve cancer survival rates, there is a growing need for clinical decision-support tools that predict treatment response ...

In a recent study, researchers from the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), in collaboration with the Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) and Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Research Center (SOSF-SRC) at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, and the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD) have documented the most extensive migration ever recorded for a silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis), revealing critical insights into the behavior of this severely overfished species and emphasizing the urgent need for cooperative international management measures to prevent further population declines. The ...

Members of the vertebrate group including anglerfishes are unique in possessing a characteristic known as sexual parasitism, in which males temporarily attach or permanently fuse with females to mate. Now, researchers reporting in the journal Current Biology on May 23 show that sexual parasitism arose during a time of major global warming and rapid transition for anglerfishes from the ocean floor to the deep, open sea. The findings have implications for understanding evolution and the effects that global warming may have in the deep sea, according to the researchers. “Our results show how the ...

Neanderthal children (who lived between 400,000 and 40,000 years ago) and modern human children living during the Upper Palaeolithic era (between 50,000 and 12,000 years ago) may have faced similar levels of childhood stress but at different developmental stages, according to a study published in Scientific Reports. The authors suggest that these findings could reflect differences in childcare and other behavioural strategies between the two species. Laura Limmer, Sireen El Zaatari and colleagues analysed the dental enamel of 423 Neanderthal teeth (from 74 Homo neanderthalensis individuals) and 444 Upper Palaeolithic humans (from 102 Homo sapiens ...

The Colorado River makes life possible in many Western cities and supports agriculture that sustains people throughout the country. Most of the river’s water begins as snowmelt from the mountainous watersheds of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, and a warming climate will drastically reduce these streamflows, new research finds. Researchers from Desert Research Institute (DRI), USGS, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory teamed up for the new study, published May 23 in Nature Water. By applying warming to historical conditions for the East River in Colorado and using computer simulations to observe the impact on streamflow and groundwater ...

About The Study: The findings of this cohort study suggest that prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemical mixtures may be associated with adverse metabolic health in children. Given the pervasive nature of endocrine-disrupting chemicals and the increase in metabolic syndrome, these findings hold substantial public health implications.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Martine Vrijheid, Ph.D., email martine.vrijheid@isglobal.org. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media ...

About The Study: In this cluster randomized trial, within the context of the late COVID-19 pandemic period and limited school and general practitioner participation, at-school human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination significantly increased vaccination coverage. The trial did not show a significant effect for training general practitioners and education and motivation, although it may be observed after more time has elapsed after the intervention.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Morgane Michel, Ph.D., email morgane.michel@aphp.fr. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.11938) Editor’s ...

The term ‘metabolic syndrome’ (MetS) encompasses a group of factors, such as abdominal obesity, hypertension and insulin resistance, that together increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. A new study suggests that prenatal exposure to a combination of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is associated with a poorer metabolic health in childhood, which in turn may contribute to an increased risk of metabolic syndrome in adulthood. The research, led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation, has been published in JAMA Network Open. EDCs ...

New Haven, Conn. – As the planet’s most expansive ecosystem, the deep sea can be a tough place to find a mate. Though, scientists say, some deep-sea anglerfishes evolved a unique method of reproduction that ensures that once they land a partner in the vast open waters, they remain latched for life. These anglerfishes, called ceratioids, reproduce through sexual parasitism, in which the tiny males attach to their much larger female counterparts to mate. In some species, the males bite the females ...

In a study published in Cell Host & Microbe, a research team led by Prof. PAN Wen from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with research teams led by Prof. ZHU Shu and Prof. SONG Xinyang, demonstrated the causal link between microbial factors and dysfunction of intestinal stem cells (ISCs) in colitis. On the basis of this mechanism, they proposed a possible approach to restore ISC function in colitis.  Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disease characterized by the microbial ...

While thousands of planets have been discovered around other stars, relatively little is known about them. A NASA catalog featuring 126 exotic, newly discovered worlds includes detailed measurements that allow for comparisons with our own solar system. The catalog details a fascinating mix of planet types beyond our solar system, from rare worlds with extreme environments to ones that could possibly support life.  The planets were analyzed by a large, international team of scientists using NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) in collaboration with the W.M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea, Hawai’i. They are described in today’s edition of The Astrophysical ...

Oak Brook, IL – Volume 29, Issue 2 of SLAS Discovery features two review articles, six original research articles covering phenotypic screening perspectives, medulloblastoma therapies and interventions for neurodegenerative diseases. Reviews Perspectives on phenotypic screening−Screen Design and Assay Technology Special Interest Group The SLAS Screen Design and Assay Special Interest Group articulate the group’s discussion held at the SLAS2023 International Conference. Collectively, the group members’ perspectives highlight various challenges, progress and proposed solutions to ...