High-temperature shock (HTS) is an emerging synthesis method with kinetics-dominated non-equilibrium characteristics, which can achieve an ultrafast heating/cooling rate of ~10^5 K/s and a peak temperature larger than ~3000 K within a time scale of seconds or milliseconds, and is widely used in the preparation of high entropy content, thermodynamic metastable phase and defect-rich materials. Amongst these significant advances, nanoscale high entropy alloys (HEA) are particularly prominent in heterogeneous catalytic reactions with remarkable ...

DANVERS, Mass., May 18, 2023 – Abiomed, part of Johnson & Johnson MedTech[1], announces results of a third-party analysis showing that utilizing Impella during high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures may help physicians achieve a more complete revascularization compared to high-risk PCIs supported using an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP). Previous studies have shown that a more complete revascularization can lead to longer survival[2],[3], a greater reduction in heart failure and angina symptoms[4], and an improved quality of life for the patient[5]. This analysis shows ...

The gene ECHS1 encodes for enoyl-CoA hydratase short-chain 1, a mitochondrial enzyme involved in branched-chain amino acid and fatty acid metabolism. Rare inherited mutations in the ECHS1 lead to mitochondrial ECHS1 deficiency, resulting in the disruption of the metabolism of the essential amino acid valine and accumulation of valine intermediates.   In fact, ECHS1 is one of the most common causative genes of mitochondrial diseases. These mutant enzymes also cause brain lesions and severe delays in a child’s psychomotor development, along with elevating blood lactate levels. ECHS1 variants have been reported globally, and many disease-causing ...

Every second, the planet loses a stretch of forest equivalent to a football field due to logging, fires, insect infestation, disease, wind, drought, and other factors. In a recently published study, researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center presented a comprehensive strategy to detect when and where forest disturbance happens at a large scale and provide a deeper understanding of forest change.   The study was published on Feb. 28 in the Journal of Remote Sensing.   “Our strategy leads to more accurate land cover ...

Most global scenarios and governmental targets for decarbonizing the transport sector consider battery-powered electric vehicles as a main part of the solution. Enormous amounts of raw materials are needed to build enough batteries and ensure a transition to low-emission vehicles. Access to lithium is critical, as it is used in all types of EV batteries. Future demand needs to decrease “It seems very likely we'll have a shortage. The key lies in the demand. The demand needs to decrease to avoid long-term supply problems,” ...

Satellites launched into outer space could send back improved warnings of dangerous solar storms thanks to a breakthrough in the way scientists use space weather measurements.    Experts from the University of Reading have found that using satellite data that is less reliable but is returned to Earth rapidly can be used to improve the accuracy of solar wind forecasts - which are harmful streams of charged particles sent from the sun - by nearly 50 per cent. Their research, published today (Thursday, 18 May) in Space Weather, ...

A new study uncovers how the interplay between Sargassum spp., plastic marine debris and Vibrio bacteria creates the perfect “pathogen” storm that has implications for both marine life and public health. Vibrio bacteria are found in waters around the world and are the dominant cause of death in humans from the marine environment. For example, Vibrio vulnificus, sometimes referred to as flesh-eating bacteria, can cause life-threatening foodborne illnesses from seafood consumption as well as disease and death from open wound infections. Since 2011, ...

A new study by Dr. Lucie Kvasničková Stanislavská from Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague published in PeerJ Computer Science titled ‘Global analysis of Twitter communication in corporate social responsibility area: sustainability, climate change, and waste management’ has found that social media is an increasingly important tool for companies to communicate their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts. The study analyzed over half a million tweets from 2017 to 2022 and identified the key topics and trends communicated in connection with CSR on Twitter.    “Our results aid enterprises in developing communication ...

PHOENIX (May 18, 2023) – The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) today release an expert consensus on the management of in-stent restenosis and stent thrombosis. The statement was published online in the Journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (JSCAI). In-stent restenosis is a blockage or narrowing that comes back in the portion of the coronary artery previously treated with a stent and remains a common clinical problem despite numerous improvements in stent design and polymer coatings in recent years. In addition to significant health care costs, it is also associated with an increased risk of death and re-hospitalization. ...

Scientists have discovered the cause of giant underwater landslides in Antarctica which they believe could have generated tsunami waves that stretched across the Southern Ocean. An international team of researchers has uncovered layers of weak, fossilised and biologically-rich sediments hundreds of metres beneath the seafloor. These formed beneath extensive areas of underwater landslides, many of which cut more than 100metres into the seabed. Writing in Nature Communications, the scientists say these weak layers – made up of historic biological material – made the area ...

Short-term exposure to cold temperatures activates brown fat that burns calories and has become an attractive target to promote cardiometabolic health. Now new research being presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Dublin, Ireland (17-20 May) suggests that this biological response differs depending on the time of day and in men and women. The preliminary study by Dr Mariëtte Boon from Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands and colleagues, suggests that cold exposure in ...

DUBLIN—A new secondary analysis of the STEP TEENS trial presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2023, Dublin 17-20 May) and published in the journal Obesity shows that almost half (45%) of the adolescents assigned to semaglutide in the trial managed to lose enough weight to drop below the clinical cutoff for obesity. The study, led by Aaron S. Kelly, PhD, co-director of the Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and colleagues, also showed almost three quarters (74%) moved down by at least one weight category. The full STEP TEENS trial, published in 2022 in the New England Journal ...

The number of women and non-white people in academic medicine and biomedical research continues to increase, yet the proportion of women among Lasker Award recipients has not changed in more than 70 years, finds a study published by The BMJ today. And only one non-white woman was identified as having received a Lasker Award over the course of seven decades, the findings show. The researchers say these results are difficult to reconcile given the ever increasing number of qualified scientists from diverse backgrounds, and they call for more transparency around ...

Most high income countries, including the UK, do not have a national prostate cancer screening programme, but instead allow men without symptoms to get a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test if they wish, after talking to their doctor. But experts writing in The BMJ today argue that these shared decision policies have led to high rates of PSA testing and clear medical harm, with minimal benefit and inequity. Andrew Vickers and an international group of colleagues argue that high income countries should either implement a comprehensive risk based approach ...

Scientists say tonsil removal is both clinically and cost effective for adults who get recurrent severe sore throats. The biggest study of its kind, carried out by Newcastle University, revealed that patients who had a tonsillectomy had 50% less sore throats over two years, compared to patients who did not undergo tonsillectomy. Publishing today (17 May) in The Lancet, the study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Experts also found that a tonsillectomy for those aged 16 years and over was cost effective ...

This collaborative study between researchers in the UK and Australia is a huge step towards aligning outcome reporting with patient priorities in advanced cancer settings. The study, published in the journal eClinical Medicine (The Lancet Discovery Science), details the development, testing and analysis of this design-specific measure to assess quality of life in patients with recurrent rectal cancer, regardless of treatment intent. This new measure – called the LRRC–QoL – consists of nine multi-item scales (healthcare services, psychological ...

Substantive changes are needed to improve patient safety in prisons, according to a new study published by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (JRSM) and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Practical changes such as timely access to healthcare services and better processes to mitigate medication-related harm should be prioritised, according to the researchers. In the first nationwide analysis of patient safety incidents in prisons in England, researchers found that security, staffing constraints and the high turnover of prisoners are among the main barriers to the safe delivery of healthcare ...

As we age, our muscles start to waste. Called sarcopenia, it happens to us all, yet no one has ever understood why and how it happens. Now new research from the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI) at Monash University has used a surprising animal model – the African killifish – to reveal that towards the end of life, our muscles actually reverse to an “early-life” state, slowing mortality. This finding may provide a clue to slowing, halting or even reversing age-related loss of muscle mass and strength. The research, published ...

UCL Press Release Under embargo until Thursday 18th May, 01:00 UK time / Wednesday 17th May, 20:00 Eastern US time Peer reviewed | Literature review | People One of the world’s largest fundamentalist Christian education groups is teaching its students climate change denial as fact, and still presents the theory of evolution as an ‘absurd and discredited’ conspiracy theory, finds a report by UCL researchers. Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) is one of the world’s biggest providers of creationist science materials, consisting of reading programmes and a core ...

For the first time, astronomers have observed radio waves emitted by a Type Ia supernova, a type of explosion originating from a white dwarf star. This provides important clues to understand how white dwarfs explode. A Type Ia (One-A) supernova is the nuclear explosion of a white dwarf star. This type of supernova is well known; these supernovae are used by astronomers to measure cosmological distances and the expansion of the Universe. But the explosion mechanism of Type Ia supernovae is not well understood. Solitary white dwarfs don’t explode, so it is thought that mass accretion from a neighboring companion ...

Kyoto, Japan -- Purple is a color that has historically been associated with nobility around the world. Japan is no exception. However, its distinct murasaki hue is threatened as the native gromwell plant -- synonymous with murasaki -- has become an endangered species. Disease and cross-breeding with non-native species are partly to blame for murasaki's growing demise. Now, a research group including Kyoto University, is leading a movement to raise awareness of gromwell's importance in preserving ...

A new study of more than 50,000 US adolescents across the country indicates that vaping nicotine is strongly linked with an increased likelihood of high levels use of binge drinking and cannabis usage.    The findings, published today in the peer-reviewed journal Substance Use and Misuse, will add to growing public health concerns about the increased popularity of electronic cigarette (or ‘vaping’) use among young people.    “While the overall health risks of vaping are lower than smoking, electronic cigarettes are still harmful to adolescents and warrant ongoing ...

Researchers at UCLA Health and Harvard have identified 10 pesticides that significantly damaged neurons implicated in the development of Parkinson’s disease, providing new clues about environmental toxins’ role in the disease. While environmental factors such as pesticide exposure have long been linked to Parkinson’s, it has been harder to pinpoint which pesticides may raise risk for the neurodegenerative disorder. Just in California, the nation’s largest agricultural producer and exporter, there are nearly 14,000 pesticide products with over 1,000 active ingredients registered for use. Through a novel pairing ...

A new agreement between Utah State University and Hill Air Force Base will create enhanced learning opportunities for students and spur innovative joint research efforts. The Education Partnership Agreement was signed on May 11 by USU President Noelle Cockett and Wayne Ayer, a director of the Air Force Sustainment Center’s Engineering and Technical Management Directorate in Ogden. “There are so many opportunities and technologies that exist within the Air Force that students and faculty can be a part of,” Ayer said. “By ...

ST. LOUIS — The Institute for Healing Justice and Equity (IHJE) at Saint Louis University has launched "Critical Futures," a new podcast about imagining alternative futures. The first episode "Reimagining Community Partnerships" explores anti-racist health policies and structural racism in the health care system and was produced with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), as part of the work of the Anti-Racism Consortium. “How do we dismantle these systems? What are we building in its wake to move forward so that we can stop having these conversations? Will that happen in our lifetime? ...