Neuroscientists at the Flatiron Institute in New York City and their colleagues have made a big breakthrough using one of the world’s smallest brains. Using an ion beam, an electron microscope and a lot of patience, the neuroscientists mapped out the entire early visual system — from the eyes that take in light to the neurons processing the information — for a parasitic wasp smaller than a grain of table salt. The feat marks the first time scientists have fully reconstructed such a system at the synaptic level from a single specimen of any animal species, the neuroscientists report ...

Key Takeaways In a survey-based study of US adults, those living in communities in which most people seldom left home at certain times during the COVID-19 pandemic were more likely to report symptoms of depression The link remained strong even after considering COVID-19 activity, weather, and county-level economics Accounting for state-level pandemic restrictions only modestly attenuated the association BOSTON – Higher levels of depressive symptoms have been reported during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with other times in history, and as much as three times higher than prior to the ...

An international team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (MPSD) in Hamburg and ETH Zurich has now demonstrated that it is possible to probe electron dynamics in liquids using intense laser fields and to retrieve the electron mean free path – the average distance an electron can travel before colliding with another particle. They found that the mechanism by which liquids emit a particular light spectrum known as the high-harmonic spectrum is markedly different from the one in other phases of matter like gases and solids. The team’s findings open the door to a deeper understanding of ultrafast dynamics in liquids. Using ...

In some patients, infection with the pandemic virus SARS-CoV-2 can trigger a dangerous immune response in hardened fatty deposits (plaques) lining the heart’s largest blood vessels, a new study shows. The findings are based on the body’s immune system, which evolved to destroy invading microbes but also drives disease when triggered in the wrong context. Doing so brings on a set of responses termed inflammation, including swelling, which results as immune cells and signaling proteins home in on infection sites. ...

Over 40 per cent of Canadians have used at least one risk-associated alternative health-care treatment in the past 12 months, says a new UBC study published in PLOS One.  The researchers explored alternative health-care therapies where the proven benefits do not justify the risks involved. They found that people who access these therapies tend to be wealthier, like novelty and taking risks, and are also more likely to distrust conventional medicine.    The multidisciplinary study between UBC School of Nursing and the University of Alberta Health Law Institute involved a survey of 1,492 Canadians ages 16 and over ...

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can directly infect the arteries of the heart and cause the fatty plaque inside arteries to become highly inflamed, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The findings, published in the journal Nature Cardiovascular Research, may help explain why certain people who get COVID-19 have a greater chance of developing cardiovascular disease, or if they already have it, develop more heart-related complications.   In the study, researchers focused on older people with fatty buildup, known as atherosclerotic plaque, who ...

Treating cancer with immunotherapies known as an immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) prior to surgery (so-called neoadjuvant immunotherapy) has been a rapidly growing area of research, but the scientific community is just scratching the surface of what is possible, according to a review article co-authored by several current and former investigators from the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. “We consider this approach to cancer immunotherapy to be a gold mine ...

They published their work on Sep. 26 in Energy Material Advances.   "The booming progress of electric vehicles demands next-generation energy storage technologies with high energy density, low cost, and longevity." said Lu, a professor at the college of chemistry and chemical engineering in Shantou university. "Lithium-sulfur batteries are identified as a promising energy storage system because of their high ultrahigh energy density and large theoretical capacity. However, they are limited by the poor electronic conductivity of sulfur, volume changes of the cathode, and shuttle effect."   Lu explained that the conversion of polysulfides (Li2Sn, ...

Patients with acute kidney injury requiring outpatient dialysis after hospital discharge receive the same care as those with the more common end-stage kidney disease, according to a study led by UC San Francisco. But while patients with the latter diagnosis – typically caused by long-standing hypertension or diabetes – must remain on lifelong dialysis or receive a new kidney, some patients on dialysis for acute kidney injury have the potential to recover, the researchers reported in their study in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology on Sept. 28, 2023.  “For ...

INDIANAPOLIS – A new study led by a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of Medicine researcher focuses on empowering minoritized patients with chronic back and other musculoskeletal pain to receive care best suited to their individual values and preferences. Black patients continue to experience greater pain severity, worse pain outcomes and inadequate pain treatment compared to White patients, despite national priorities focused on health equity. COOPERATE (Communication and Activation in Pain to Enhance Relationships ...

A pivotal breakthrough in battery technology that has profound implications for our energy future has been achieved by a joint-research team led by City University of Hong Kong (CityU). The new development overcomes the persistent challenge of voltage decay and can lead to significantly higher energy storage capacity. Lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) are widely used in electronic devices, while lithium-(Li) and manganese-rich (LMR) layered oxides are a promising class of cathodes for LiBs due to their high ...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) with synchronous peritoneal metastases (SPM) is a challenging disease to treat, with a relatively poor prognosis. However, recent advances in treatment strategies have led to improved outcomes for patients with SPM. The optimal treatment approach for CRC with SPM remains controversial. A growing body of evidence suggests that comprehensive treatment, including cytoreductive surgery (CRS), chemotherapy, and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), may improve patient outcomes. A ...

In a groundbreaking review published in Nature Energy, Professor Jaephil Cho from the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST presents an analysis protocol to evaluate silicon cathode materials applicable to commercialized batteries. The study delves deep into the characteristics and challenges surrounding silicon anode materials—the focus of significant attention as secondary battery components. Silicon has emerged as a promising alternative to conventional graphite anodes in high-energy lithium-ion batteries due to its exceptional gravimetric capacity. However, intrinsic issues such as severe volume expansion during cycling have hindered the widespread ...

Two Mount Sinai Health System hospitals are among the top-ranked for “America’s Best Physical Rehabilitation Centers for 2023” by Newsweek/Statista. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 2 in New York State for inpatient rehabilitation care, with stroke care designated as a “Standout Program.” Mount Sinai Morningside, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, is ranked No. 5 for inpatient rehabilitation. These prestigious accolades highlight the exceptional quality of care and follow-up care, along with accommodations and amenities that are part of the rehabilitation ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – In lonely people, the boundary between real friends and favorite fictional characters gets blurred in the part of the brain that is active when thinking about others, a new study found.   Researchers scanned the brains of people who were fans of “Game of Thrones” while they thought about various characters in the show and about their real friends. All participants had taken a test measuring loneliness.   The difference between those who scored highest on loneliness and those who ...

A majority of older adults disagree with the idea of using life expectancy as part of guidelines that say which patients should get cancer screenings such as mammograms and colonoscopies, a new poll finds. In all, 62% of people aged 50 to 80 said that national guidelines for stopping cancer-detecting tests in individual patients should not be based on how long that person might have left to live, according to new results from the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging. That goes against a trend in such guidelines, which national organizations develop based on medical evidence. Guidelines ...

PULLMAN, Wash. – Elk treponeme-associated hoof disease, previously thought to be limited to deformations in elks’ hooves, appears to create molecular changes throughout the animal’s system, according to epigenetic research from Washington State University. The findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports, also suggest those changes may be heritable. It remains to be seen though whether this means subsequent generations of elk may be more, or less, prone to catching the devastating disease that severely impairs the elk’s ability to find food and escape predators. “It’s not just the ...

A lack of sleep and reduced physical activity during pregnancy are linked to risk of preterm birth, according to new research led by the Stanford School of Medicine. In the study, which will publish online Sept. 28 in npj Digital Medicine, the researchers collected data from devices worn by more than 1,000 women throughout pregnancy. With a machine learning algorithm, the scientists sifted through participants’ activity information to detect fine-grained changes in sleep and physical activity patterns. “We showed that an artificial intelligence algorithm can build a ‘clock’ of physical activity and sleep ...

(Memphis, Tenn – September 28, 2023) Many cancers are caused by fusion oncoproteins, molecules that aberrantly form when a rearrangement of DNA results in parts of two different proteins being expressed as one. Several fusion oncoproteins spontaneously form condensates inside cells that promote cancer development. New research by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital established a method to study this biophysical process in cells, then used that information as a launchpad to predict the behavior of other fusion oncoproteins. The findings, which offer insight into ...

An international team of scientists from Sweden, Norway, Japan, and Switzerland, has presented research findings that reveal a crucial role of biological particles, including pollen, spores, and bacteria, in the formation of ice within Arctic clouds. These findings, published today in Nature Communications, have far-reaching implications for climate science and our understanding of the rapidly changing Arctic climate. The research, whose outcomes have unveiled the connection between biological particles and the formation of ...

Fitness and Staving Off Weight Gain May Be More Important than Weight Loss for Preventing Kidney Disease in Obese Adults, Drexel Study Says As obesity is a contributing factor to chronic kidney disease, weight loss can help mitigate a patient’s risk. But new research suggests that fitness and preventing weight gain could actually play a more important role in reducing risk than weight loss. The findings were published today in the journal Obesity from researchers at Drexel University’s College of Medicine and Dornsife School of Public Health. The researchers followed 1,208 overweight ...

Previous research shows that conversational turns (interactive conversations) between parents and children are important for a child’s long-term language development and academic achievement and that these conversations can be enhanced via parent-coaching language interventions. The neural networks responsible for language develop rapidly even before a child can talk, making these interactive conversations especially important during infancy.  Music is an engaging and social experience between parents and children that is often part of daily routines during infancy. Emerging literature also documents links between music experiences and child language outcomes. Researchers ...

Two of the best predictors of life-long health and well-being are early childhood self-control skills and healthy eating habits. A new program that teaches parents how to cook with their 2-year-olds is helping toddlers excel on both fronts. Doing things like stirring ingredients together without spilling and singing a song while something is in the microwave helps toddlers learn multiple important self-control skills, like paying attention, controlling their bodies, waiting patiently, and cooperating with their parents. Toddlers also get excited about being involved in the “grown-up” activity and are more likely to try the new foods they help make. Previous research has shown that ...

A new study has found that Canadian adults with cannabis use disorder appear to have an approximately 60% higher risk of experiencing their first heart attack, stroke, or other major cardiovascular event than those without cannabis use disorder. The study, published in Addiction, measured the association between problematic marijuana use and the first-time occurrence of adverse cardiovascular disease events such as heart attack, stroke, cardiac dysrhythmias, and peripheral vascular disease. Researchers used five Canadian health databases to create a cohort of nearly 60,000 participants, half with a cannabis use disorder ...

Some substances in medicines, household items and the environment are known to affect prenatal child development. In a study published in Toxicological Sciences, researchers tested the effects of five drugs (including caffeine and the blood thinner warfarin) on the growth of zebrafish embryos. They found that all five had the same effect, impairing the migration of bone-forming cells which resulted in the onset of facial malformation. Zebrafish embryos grow quickly, are transparent and develop outside of the parent’s body, ...