About The Study: In this study of 28,000 middle and high school students, the prevalence of vaping cannabidiol (CBD) was high, particularly among e-cigarette users and Hispanic and sexual minority populations. The findings suggest that evidence-based educational campaigns, interventions, and public policy changes are needed to reduce the harmful health outcomes possible with vaping CBD among developing youths.  Authors: Hongying Daisy Dai, Ph.D., of the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, is the corresponding author.   To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.29167) Editor’s ...

About The Study: The incidence rates in the U.S. of early-onset cancer (younger than age 50) increased from 2010 to 2019 in this study of 562,000 patients. Although breast cancer had the highest number of incident cases, gastrointestinal cancers had the fastest-growing incidence rates among all early-onset cancers. These data may be useful for the development of surveillance strategies and funding priorities.  Authors: Daniel Q. Huang, M.B.B.S., M.M.E.D., and Cheng Han Ng, M.B.B.S., of the National University of Singapore, are the corresponding authors.   To access the embargoed study: ...

In a groundbreaking study published today  in Nature, Australian scientists have resolved a long-standing problem in regenerative medicine. Led by Professor Ryan Lister from the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and The University of Western Australia and Professor Jose M Polo from Monash University and the University of Adelaide, the team developed a new method to reprogram human cells to better mimic embryonic stem cells, with significant implications for biomedical and therapeutic uses. In a revolutionary advance in the mid-2000s, it was ...

About The Study: Paternal depression was associated with subsequent offspring depression in this systematic review and meta-analysis including 7.1 million father-child dyads from 16 observational studies. This finding shows the intergenerational transmission of mental health problems and suggests that mental health interventions benefit not only the patient but also the family as a whole, including both parents.  Authors: Berihun Dachew, Ph.D., of Curtin University in Perth, Australia, is the corresponding author.   To ...

About The Study: The findings from this case series show that pig-to-human xenotransplant provided life-sustaining kidney function in a deceased human with chronic kidney disease. Future research in living human recipients is necessary to determine long-term xenograft kidney function and whether xenografts could serve as a bridge or destination therapy for end-stage kidney disease. Authors: Jayme E. Locke, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2023.2774) Editor’s ...

Blood Factor Can Turn Back Time in the Aging Brain  Platelets are behind the cognitive benefits of young blood, exercise and the longevity hormone klotho  In a remarkable convergence, scientists have discovered that the same blood factor is responsible for the cognitive enhancement that results from young blood transfusion, the longevity hormone klotho, and exercise.     In a trio of papers appearing in Nature, Nature Aging and Nature Communications on August 16, 2023, two UCSF teams and a team from the University of Queensland (Australia), identify platelet ...

LA JOLLA, CA—Neuroscientists at Scripps Research have identified brain circuits that make mammals want to eat more when they are exposed to cold temperatures. Mammals automatically burn more energy to maintain normal body temperature when exposed to cold. This cold-activated increase in energy expenditure triggers an increase in appetite and feeding, although the specific mechanism controlling this had been unknown. In the new study, reported on August 16, 2023, in Nature, the researchers identified a cluster of neurons that work as a “switch” for this cold-related, food-seeking behavior in mice. The discovery could lead to potential ...

Could plants be the answer to the looming threat of microplastic pollution? Scientists at UBC’s BioProducts Institute found that if you add tannins—natural plant compounds that make your mouth pucker if you bite into an unripe fruit—to a layer of wood dust, you can create a filter that traps virtually all microplastic particles present in water. While the experiment remains a lab set-up at this stage, the team is convinced that the solution can be scaled up easily and inexpensively once they find the right industry partner. Microplastics ...

Hebrew University researchers, Shahaf Leshem, Eldad Keha, and Prof. Eyal Kalanthroff, have unveiled significant findings regarding the lasting psychological impacts stemming from the 2014 Israel-Gaza military conflict. The study sheds light on the deep repercussions of trauma for both war veterans and their parents. Notably, veterans directly involved in the conflict exhibited nearly twice the level of PTSD symptoms compared to indirectly active veterans, a difference persisting even five years after the conflict. Remarkably, ...

Michigan — For the first time, researchers have found a potential drug candidate that improved outcomes for patients with a type of childhood brain tumor for which there are no effective treatments. The compound, called ONC201, nearly doubled survival for patients with diffuse midline glioma (DMG) or diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), compared to previous patients.   The findings are reported by an international team of researcher led by the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center and the Chad Carr Pediatric Brain Tumor Center.   In addition to reporting on the results of two early stage clinical ...

NEW YORK, NY, AUGUST 16, 2023 — Surgeons at NYU Langone Health have transplanted a genetically engineered pig kidney that continues to function well after 32 days in a man declared dead by neurologic criteria and maintained with a beating heart on ventilator support. This represents the longest period that a gene-edited pig kidney has functioned in a human, and the latest step toward the advent of an alternate, sustainable supply of organs for transplant. Multimedia Materials Available Multimedia materials, including photos and a B-roll package, are available for download. About the Procedure The procedure, performed on July 14, 2023, and led by Robert Montgomery, ...

The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology announced today the winners of its annual awards. Colleagues and other leaders in the field nominated the winners for making significant contributions to biochemistry and molecular biology and the training of emerging scientists. The recipients will give talks about their work at the society’s 2024 annual meeting, Discover BMB, slated for March 23–26 in San Antonio. In addition to cash prizes ranging from $2,000 to $35,000, each ASBMB award consists of a plaque and transportation ...

PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA [August 16, 2023] — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®)—an alliance of leading cancer centers—today announced that a library of resources for improving cancer care in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has been updated and expanded in collaboration with regional experts. The United States-based non-profit has worked with the King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, since 2015 to standardize cancer treatment based on the latest evidence and expert-consensus, as part of the MENA-NCCN Regional Coordinating Center. Their efforts have led to the ...

Over the past 30 years, efforts to recover gray wolf populations in the United States have been broadly successful, with many regions now sporting robust populations of the charismatic carnivore. Writing in BioScience, wolf experts David E. Ausband and L. David Mech describe the conservation landscape and also the obstacles that wolves face as their populations expand into their historical ranges.                 "Remarkable wolf conservation success yields remarkable challenges," ...

The COVID-19 pandemic took disinfecting to new heights. Now, a new study examining a commonly used item might convince you not to let your guard down just yet. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science tested wristbands of various textures to determine their risk for harboring potentially harmful pathogenic bacteria. Despite being worn daily, routine cleaning of wristbands is generally overlooked or simply ignored. For the study, researchers tested plastic, rubber, cloth, leather ...

Primary liver cancers ranked as the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancers and the third leading cause of cancer-related death in 2020. Among all primary liver cancers, HCC is the most common cancer, accounting for more than 80% of cases with a 5-year survival rate of less than 10% in Western countries. Despite significant progress in diagnosis and treatments, HCC, often diagnosed at late stages, remains a life-threatening disease with an increasing incidence. Therefore, a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms triggering the early steps of tumorigenesis represents a great interest to predict and propose more effective therapeutic ...

Scientists in NEXT Lab, Tsinghua University have revealed the fabrication and engineering techniques of TMDs and provided a comparative view between TMDs and traditional semiconductors, demonstrating the benefit of combining TMDs with traditional semiconductors. The research, published in IJEM, shows how to fabricate layered semiconductors modulated with various methods, including phase engineering, defect engineering, doping, and alloying. Then the authors discuss various possibilities to combine layered semiconductors with traditional semiconductors. Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) with suitable ...

Traditional memory technologies face limitations in terms of speed, scalability, and power consumption, making them unsuitable for future data-intensive applications. Ferroelectric memory has garnered immense interest in recent years due to its potential for non-volatile storage, enabling data retention even when the power is turned off. The development of two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals material α-In2Se3 has also opened new opportunities for advancing memory technologies. Interestingly, ferroelectric memory takes a giant step forward by incorporating the remarkable properties ...

SEATTLE, Wash. August 16, 2023–Distinguished global health leader Ibrahim Abubakar is the recipient of the 2023 Roux Prize for his dedication to improve health outcomes over the last three decades. Now in its 10th year, the Roux Prize has been recognizing individuals all over the globe who have leveraged evidence-based health data to improve population health. The Roux Prize is awarded by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine. “Prof. Abubakar has been steadfast in his contributions to global health. His expertise and advocacy have directly affected policy implementation and ...

A research team co-led by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) and The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has recently made a significant advancement in spinal cord injury treatment by using genetically modified human neural stem cells (hNSCs). They found that specifically modulating a gene expression to a certain level in hNSCs can effectively promote the reconstruction of damaged neural circuits and restore locomotor functions, offering great potential for new therapeutic opportunities for patients with spinal cord injury. Traumatic spinal cord injury ...

Commercially available mass spectrometers can reliably detect the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. In the journal "Clinical proteomics" researchers from the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) present a new method which employs equipment that is already being used in hospitals and laboratories to detect bacterial and fungal infections. It takes just two hours from swab to result. According to the team, the approach can also be easily adapted to detect other pathogens and could thus help in future ...

A ban on using apps to collect data in order to personalize advertising would significantly reduce the spectrum of available apps and the number of updates, according to a study by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) based on the ban concerning Android apps for children. The findings can assist companies in defining their business models and policymakers when regulating targeted advertising. Most smartphone apps are free. The providers finance them with advertising, often with what is referred to as targeted advertising: The apps evaluate data such as usage behavior and the user's location and even photos and messages ...

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 16, 2023 — Can you recognize someone you haven’t seen in years, but forget what you had for breakfast yesterday? Our brains constantly rearrange their circuitry to remember familiar faces or learn new skills, but the molecular basis of this process isn’t well understood. Today, scientists report that sulfate groups on complex sugar molecules called glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) affect “plasticity” in the brains of mice. Determining how GAGs function could help us understand ...

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 16, 2023 — Indoor air pollution may have met its match. Today, scientists will report that they have designed catalyst-coated lampshades that transform indoor air pollutants into harmless compounds. The lampshades work with halogen and incandescent light bulbs, and the team is extending the technology so it will also be compatible with LEDs. The researchers will present their results at the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS Fall 2023 is a hybrid meeting being held virtually and in-person ...

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 16, 2023 — A few years ago, amid lockdown boredom, it seemed like everyone was perfecting their sourdoughs. A simple, fermented mixture of flour and water, the bread is powered by microbes that provide its one-of-a-kind tangy flavor. For over a hundred years, sourdough bread has been synonymous with San Francisco, where today, scientists will report that they’ve identified and quantified 21 key chemical compounds that make this bread taste and smell so unique. They’ve also compared the levels of the compounds in different breads. The researchers will present their results at the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society ...