Research from Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago strongly suggests that Kawasaki disease is caused by a single respiratory virus that is yet to be identified. Findings contradict the theory that many different pathogens or toxins could cause this disease that can lead to serious cardiac complications in young children. “The cause of Kawasaki disease has been a mystery for over 50 years,” said Anne Rowley, MD, pediatric infectious diseases expert and scientist at Manne Research Institute at Lurie Children’s, who is the lead author on the study published ...

In brief Surface waters in the Southern Ocean have been cooling in recent decades, counter to what climate models predict. Scientists have quantified how much of the cooling observed since 1990 has been driven by an influx of freshwater that’s unaccounted for in state-of-the-art climate models. The researchers discovered that freshwater inputs along the coast from melting ice sheets exert surprisingly strong influence on Southern Ocean surface temperatures and the broader climate system.   Global climate models predict that the ocean around Antarctica ...

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common form of heart arrhythmia, a serious condition in which the heart beats so fast that its upper chambers, the atria, quiver. This irregular heartbeat can increase the risk of severe conditions, including heart failure, dementia and stroke. “My lab has been studying the role of inflammation in the initiation and persistence of AF for many years. In this multidisciplinary study, we investigated the function of gasdermin D, a key participant in inflammatory pathways, in atrial heart cells and its potential contribution to AF,” said corresponding author Dr. Na Li, professor of medicine ...

As agricultural research continues to become more entwined with technology, smart farming – a phrase that encompasses research computing tools that help farmers to better address issues like crop disease, drought and sustainability – has quickly become a ubiquitous term in Ag labs across the country. The availability of NCSA resources like Delta for researchers, both nationally and on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U. of I.) campus, has fostered a hotbed of cutting-edge research projects in the agricultural domain. Yi-Chia Chang, a Ph.D. student at the ...

Using data on more than 220,000 individuals on the Lyft rideshare platform, researchers report that drivers of color are significantly more likely to receive speeding tickets than white drivers, and to face steeper fines, even when traveling at identical speeds. Racial profiling by law enforcement is a pressing social issue in the United States. Previous research analyzing police and judicial records suggests that racial and ethnic minorities face disproportionately higher rates of searches, fines, force, detentions, and incarceration compared to white civilians. However, research on racial bias in policing has long been hindered by data limitations ...

Researchers have revealed a secret behind horses' exceptional endurance – a mutation in the KEAP1 gene that boosts energy production while protecting against cellular oxidative stress. The findings – which shed light on a unique evolutionary adaptation that has shaped one of nature’s most powerful athletes – hold potential implications for human medicine. They also highlight how the recoding of a de novo stop codon – a strategy thought restricted to viruses – can facilitate adaptation in vertebrates. Long prized for their speed and endurance, horses possess remarkable physiological adaptations ...

A previously overlooked dopamine-producing brain circuit drives hedonic eating, or eating for pleasure, according to a new study in mice. The findings offer insights into how GLP-1 agonist drugs like semaglutide affect appetite suppression and why pleasing and delicious foods can override these drugs’ effects. In a related Perspective, Dana Small argues that the findings indicate that the inter-individual differences in the adaptation of this circuit in response to GLP-1 drugs may account for differences in treatment efficacy in humans. “Future work that aims to minimize such adaptation could offer a promising avenue for the development of ...

As China rises as a global science power, its government has increased efforts to align basic research with national priorities, such as economic growth, environmental sustainability, and national security. In a Policy Forum, Andrew Kennedy discusses how this increasing emphasis on national priorities creates tension with basic research in China – a pattern that reflects broader global trends – and the potential risks of prioritizing near-term objectives over long-term scientific discovery. According to the author, neglecting curiosity-driven research while expanding support for near-term priorities is short-sighted. Without it, transformative innovations – from ...

When it comes to haptic feedback, most technologies are limited to simple vibrations. But our skin is loaded with tiny sensors that detect pressure, vibration, stretching and more. Now, Northwestern University engineers have unveiled a new technology that creates precise movements to mimic these complex sensations. The study will be published on March 28 in the journal Science. While sitting on the skin, the compact, lightweight, wireless device applies force in any direction to generate a variety of sensations, including ...

A new study published in Science by a team of scientists across five continents led by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Associate Professor Brande Wulff reports a previously unknown molecular event that initiates the immune response to a major wheat disease. The findings provide strategies to engineer wheat that has stronger immunity against infection.  As the main food staple for billions of people and one of the main sources of animal feed, wheat is one of the most important food commodities in the world. This importance is why a wheat pandemic can be even more devasting than a human pandemic.  "Climate change ...

UNDER STRICT EMBARGO UNTIL THURSDAY 27 MARCH 2025 AT 11 AM PACIFIC TIME / 2 PM EASTERN TIME .  Peer reviewed | Observational study | People  A new study from Queen Mary University of London found that 9% of all reported adverse drug reactions (ADRs) reported to the UK medicines regulator are associated with medications where side effect risk is partly dependent on patient’s genes. Of this subset of ADRs, 75% were associated with only three genes that impact how the body processes medication. Genetic testing before prescribing ...

ANN ARBOR—University of Michigan researchers have developed a statistical method that can be used for such wide-ranging applications as tracing your ancestry, modeling disease spread and studying how animals spread through geographic regions. One of the method's applications is to give a more complete sense of human ancestry, says Gideon Bradburd, U-M professor of ecology and evolutionary biology. For example, when you send your DNA off for a personalized ancestry report, the report you get back is only a very small view of your family tree pinned in a specific point ...

Researchers from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and Lehigh University have developed a groundbreaking nanostructured copper alloy that could redefine high-temperature materials for aerospace, defense and industrial applications.  Their findings, published in the journal Science, introduce a Cu-Ta-Li (Copper-Tantalum-Lithium) alloy with exceptional thermal stability and mechanical strength, making it one of the most resilient copper-based materials ever created. “This is cutting-edge science, developing a new material ...

In an analysis of soil samples from twelve parks in Dublin, Ireland, park entrances were more heavily contaminated with infective roundworm eggs than any other tested park location. Jason Keegan of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. Dogs and cats are often infected with parasitic roundworms in the Toxocara genus. Infected animals can release the roundworm eggs into the environment, and humans can become infected after accidental ingestion of the eggs. Many infected humans never experience symptoms, but some may experience mild or severe ...

Successfully harnessing the power of fusion energy could lead to cleaner and safer energy for all – and contribute substantially to combatting the climate crisis. Towards this goal, Type One Energy has published a comprehensive, self-consistent, and robust physics basis for a practical fusion pilot power plant.   This groundbreaking research is presented in a series of six peer-reviewed scientific papers in a special issue of the prestigious Journal of Plasma Physics (JPP), published by Cambridge University Press.  The articles serve as the foundation for the company’s first fusion power plant project, which Type One Energy is developing with the Tennessee ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: John Kuriyan, Editor-in-Chief Protein Science Journal   Raluca Cadar The Protein Society Phone: (844) 377-6834 E-mail: rcadar@proteinsociety.org   LOS ANGELES, CA – The Protein Society, the premier international society dedicated to supporting protein research, announces the winners of the 2024 Protein Science Best Paper Awards, published in its flagship journal, Protein Science. The recipients will be recognized and present their research at the 39th Annual Symposium of The Protein Society, June 26 – 29, 2025, in San Francisco, USA. The ...

The New York Genome Center (NYGC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Bing Ren, PhD, as its new scientific director and chief executive officer. Dr. Ren will also join Columbia University as a professor in the Departments of Genetics and Development, Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, and Systems Biology and as the associate director of the Roy and Diana Vagelos Institute for Basic Biomedical Science within the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Ren is renowned for his pioneering research in genomics and epigenetics, with a focus on the regulatory processes that control gene expression. His work has advanced our understanding of how genetic ...

Advancements in healthcare and technology have significantly increased the average human lifespan. However, with longer life comes a higher prevalence of age-related disorders that affect overall well-being. One such condition is hearing loss in older adults, which can severely impact communication, social interactions, and daily functioning. Hearing relies on the cochlea, a spiral-shaped organ in the inner ear that converts sound waves into neural signals. Any structural or functional impairment of the cochlea ...

A recent study published in Engineering has shed new light on the mechanisms underlying the metastasis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The research identified enolase 2 (ENO2), a crucial glycolytic enzyme, as a significant factor associated with lymphatic metastasis in HNSCC. HNSCC is an aggressive cancer with a relatively low 5-year overall survival rate. Cervical lymph node metastasis is a major cause of cancer-related death in HNSCC patients, and effective therapies for metastatic HNSCC are currently lacking. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms of HNSCC metastasis ...

In a recent development published in Engineering, researchers have introduced a novel hybrid keratin (KE) hydrogel integrated with liquid metal (LM), offering new possibilities for monitoring the health of marine inhabitants. This innovation addresses the limitations of traditional wearable electronics in terms of biocompatibility, mechanical strength, and conductivity. Monitoring the health and migration of marine organisms is crucial for maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems, advancing climate change studies, and safeguarding human health. However, developing sensors for marine organisms is challenging due to the complex ...

To encourage scientists to speak up when people misuse science to serve political agendas, biology professor Mark Peifer of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill argues that eugenics should be included in college genetics curriculums. In an opinion paper publishing March 27 in the Cell Press journal Trends in Genetics, Peifer explains how he incorporated a discussion of eugenics into his molecular genetics course last year and why understanding the history of the field is critical for up-and-coming scientists.  “Eugenics is not dead but continues to influence science and policy today,” writes Peifer ...

About The Study: The results of this cohort study suggest that semaglutide use was associated with an increased risk of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy in patients with diabetes. However, the study’s retrospective design presents limitations, as it can only infer associations rather than establish causality; further studies are needed.  Corresponding Authors: To contact the corresponding authors, email Chun-Ju Lin, MD (doctoraga@gmail.com) and James Cheng-Chung ...

About The Study: Daily screen use was associated with later bedtimes and approximately 50 minutes less sleep each week in this study. Associations were greater among those with evening chronotypes, who are at risk for poor sleep due to social jetlag (i.e., misalignment between circadian rhythms and social commitments). These findings confirm disruptions to sleep from electronic screens are not limited to children and adolescents. Further work is needed to understand the best mechanisms for intervention. Corresponding Author: To ...

About The Study: In this pooled cross-sectional study, findings suggest that state legislatures that elected to increase their state minimum wage may have also improved state food security rates among households with children at risk for economic hardship. The findings provide policymakers with actionable evidence to consider in setting minimum wages that could reduce the burden of food insecurity among U.S. children and families. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Megan R. Winkler, PhD, RN, email megan.winkler@emory.edu. To ...

A study published in Engineering introduces an innovative approach to address the issue of perchlorate (ClO4−) contamination in water. Perchlorate is a harmful oxo-anion found in aquatic environments. It can enter the human body through drinking water and inhibit iodine absorption in the thyroid gland, potentially causing various thyroid-related diseases. Given the strict perchlorate limits in drinking water worldwide, such as 70 μg/L in China and 15 μg/L in the United States, developing efficient methods for its removal is crucial. The research team, hailing from Hunan University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, prepared an adsorbent ...