The great gray owl has long been thought of as a sentinel of the Alaska wilderness, keeping watch over snow-laden forests as far north as the Brooks Range, well away from human populations. In a study published last week with Nature Scientific Reports, a team of University of Alaska Fairbanks researchers upends the notion that the iconic bird — known as the phantom of the North — lives far from cities, towns and other markers of human density. “We like to think of our wildlife, especially in Alaska, as existing in pristine wilderness untouched by humans,” said Falk Huettmann, professor ...

For people living with serious mental illness like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, standard treatment with antipsychotic medications can be a double-edged sword. While these drugs help regulate brain chemistry, they often cause metabolic side effects such as insulin resistance and obesity, which are distressing enough that many patients stop taking the medications. Now, a pilot study led by Stanford Medicine researchers has found that a ketogenic diet not only restores metabolic health in these patients as they continue their medications, but it further improves their psychiatric conditions. The results, published March 27 in Psychiatry Research, suggest that a dietary intervention ...

Tokyo, Japan – From lithium-ion batteries to next-generation superconductors, the functionality of many modern, advanced technologies depends on the physical property known as intercalation. Unfortunately, it's difficult to identify in advance which of the many possible intercalated materials are stable, which necessitates a lot of trial-and-error lab work in product development. Now, in a study recently published in ACS Physical Chemistry Au, researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, ...

University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have discovered a gene on the Y chromosome that contributes to the greater incidence of heart failure in men.  Y chromosome loss in men occurs progressively throughout life and can be detected in approximately 40% of 70-year-old men. UVA’s Kenneth Walsh, PhD, discovered in 2022 that this loss can contribute to heart muscle scarring and lead to deadly heart failure. (That finding was the first to directly link Y chromosome loss to a specific harm to men’s health; Y chromosome loss is increasingly thought ...

WASHINGTON—The Endocrine Society selected Ana Canton, M.D., Ph.D., as the recipient of its 2024 C. Wayne Bardin, MD, International Travel Award for her outstanding ENDO abstract and her research contributions to the care of patients with pediatric endocrine disorders. The C. Wayne Bardin, MD, International Travel Award was created in honor of Past President Wayne Bardin, who made remarkable research contributions to both reproductive physiology and contraception throughout his long career. As the winner, ...

Physicians and scientists from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) will join oncology experts and members of the global cancer research community to present the latest advances in cancer discovery during the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting on April 5-10 in San Diego, California. MSK experts will present significant research and will be available to comment on topics including cancer metastasis, immunology, molecular biology and genetics, and early drug development. Vinod Balachandran, MD, will present updates on personalized RNA neoantigen vaccines in pancreatic cancer ...

BALTIMORE, April 1, 2024— Researchers at Kennedy Krieger Institute are sharing their expertise on autism spectrum disorder in a medical journal reaching thousands of pediatric professionals worldwide. The journal, Pediatric Clinics, provides the latest clinical information on health and related issues for children and adolescents. The newly released volume is titled "Pediatric Management of Autism." This issue features five original articles written by 10 faculty members from the Institute. Each contribution investigates crucial aspects of caring for children with autism, offering actionable insights. Dr. Paul ...

PULLMAN, Wash. – A broader past could mean a brighter future for Canada lynx in the U.S., according to recent research. The study, published in the journal Biological Conservation, indicates that lynx might do well in the future in parts of Utah, central Idaho and the Yellowstone National Park region, even considering climate change and the lack of lynx in those areas now. Using a model validated by historic records, researchers first found that in 1900, Canada lynx had more suitable habitat in the U.S. than the few northern corners of the country where they are found currently. The study showed ...

ROCHESTER, Minn. — A Mayo Clinic study shows stem cells derived from patients' own fat are safe and may improve sensation and movement after traumatic spinal cord injuries. The findings from the phase 1 clinical trial appear in Nature Communications. The results of this early research offer insights on the potential of cell therapy for people living with spinal cord injuries and paralysis for whom options to improve function are extremely limited. In the study of 10 adults, the research team noted seven participants demonstrated ...

New analysis based on simple equations has reduced uncertainty about how clouds will affect future climate change. Clouds have two main effects on global temperature – cooling the planet by reflecting sunlight, and warming it by acting as insulation for Earth’s radiation.  The impact of clouds is the largest area of uncertainty in global warming predictions. In the new study, researchers from the University of Exeter and the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique in Paris created a model that predicts how ...

A new electrical power converter design achieves a much higher efficiency at lower cost and maintenance than before. The direct current voltage boost converter developed by Kobe University is poised to be a significant contribution to the further development of electric and electronic components across power generation, health care, mobility and information technology. Devices that harvest energy from sunlight or vibrations, or power medical devices or hydrogen-fueled cars have one key component in common. This so-called “boost converter” converts low-voltage direct current input into high-voltage direct current output. Because it is such a ubiquitous ...

Study suggests high blood pressure may originate early in life and that preventing overweight and obesity during the developmental years could help reduce the substantial disease burden associated with high blood pressure in later life. *This is an early press release from the European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2024) Venice 12-15 May. Please credit the Congress if using this material* Children and teenagers living with overweight or obesity are more likely to have high blood pressure as adults (aged 50-64 years), suggesting the processes behind the condition could begin as early as childhood, suggests new research being ...

**Note: the release below is a special early release from the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024, Barcelona, Spain, 27-30 April). Please credit the congress if you use this story** A population-wide observational study to be presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) shows an association between tuberculosis (TB) and cancer, with those with current or previous TB more likely ...

Previous smallpox vaccination contributes significantly to higher neutralising antibodies following first MVA-BN dose **Note: the release below is a special early release from the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024, Barcelona, Spain, 27-30 April). Please credit the congress if you use this story** New research to be presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 ...

New research to be presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) shows that the antibodies produced by Modified Vaccinia virus Ankara - Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN) vaccination against mpox wane significantly within a year of receiving the vaccination – but in people with pre-existing immunity due to childhood smallpox vaccination in childhood, antibody levels remain high in almost all cases. The study is presented by PhD student Dr. Marc Shamier, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands, from a research team led by Dr Rory de Vries. During the 2022-2023 ...

New research to be presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) details the case of a man who had received two doses of the monkey pox vaccine in Autumn, 2022 yet experienced a ‘breakthrough’ mpox infection in January 2024. The authors believe breakthrough should be considered in fully vaccinated individuals engaging in high-risk behaviors. They also call for further research on the need for booster ...

Researchers from Lund University in Sweden have identified distinct molecular signatures associated with the clinical signs of sepsis that could provide more accurate diagnosis and prognosis of sepsis, as well as help to target specific therapies at patients who would benefit most, according to new research being presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April). “A simple blood test when combined with a personalised risk model has the potential to save lives by providing more accurate sepsis diagnosis and determining who may go on to develop more severe clinical ...

*This is an early press release from the European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2024) Venice 12-15 May. Please credit the Congress if using this material* New research being presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Venice, Italy (12-15 May), identifies the optimum body weight range for adults with type 2 diabetes to minimise their risk of dying from any cardiovascular disease, including heart failure, heart disease, stroke, and chronic kidney disease. The findings, based on health data from the UK Biobank, indicate that for adults aged 65 years or younger, maintaining a body mass index (BMI) within the normal range of 23–25 kg/m² was associated with the ...

Waltham — March 29, 2024 — Parents voice strong concerns about social media sharing of images of children undergoing craniofacial surgery, reports a survey study in the April issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.  "Pediatric plastic surgeons must understand that consent and assent are necessary before posting patient images online," comments senior author Kenneth L. Fan, MD, of Georgetown ...

Researchers Produce Grafts that Replicate the Human Ear Using state-of-the-art tissue engineering techniques and a 3D printer, researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell Engineering have assembled a replica of an adult human ear that looks and feels natural. The study, published online in Acta Biomaterialia on March 16, offers the promise of grafts with well-defined anatomy and the correct biomechanical properties for those who are born with a congenital malformation or who lose an ear later in life. “Ear reconstruction requires multiple surgeries and an incredible amount of artistry ...

BOSTON, United States  — 29 March, 2024  — Based on the success of its 2023 HF-GRO program effort, Hevolution Foundation is issuing a call for applications for the 2024 iteration of the program. HF-GRO is an international effort to accelerate progress in healthy aging research. The major goal is to identify and support research that will further the Hevolution’s mission of extending healthy lifespan for the benefit of all humanity.  HF-GRO will ...

HOUSTON – (March 29, 2024) – Gas vesicles are hollow structures made of protein found in the cells of certain microorganisms, and researchers at Rice University believe they can be programmed for use in biomedical applications. “Inside cells, gas vesicles are packed in a beautiful honeycomb pattern. How this pattern is formed has never been thoroughly understood. We are presenting the first identification of a protein that can regulate this patterning, and we believe this will be a milestone in molecular microbiology,” said George Lu, assistant professor of bioengineering and a Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas scholar. Lu and colleagues have published ...

Alexandria, VA – The American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) has named the recipients of the 2024 Student Competition for Advancing Dental Research Application (SCADA). The recipients were recognized during the Opening Ceremonies of the 53rd Annual Meeting of the AADOCR, which was held in conjunction with the 102nd General Session of the International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024 in New Orleans, LA. The winners are: CLINICAL RESEARCH & PUBLIC HEALTH CATEGORY 1st ...

AURORA, Colo. (March 29,  2024) –Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and collaborators across the country have conducted the largest and most diverse study of men with extra X or Y chromosomes in the US using a large dataset of military veterans. The results could lead to better diagnoses of these underrecognized conditions and earlier treatment of associated diseases. The study was published today in JAMA Network Open. “One in 400 males have an additional X or Y chromosome, however 86 percent of these individuals are not diagnosed,” said ...

HOUSTON, March 29, 2024 – Three top researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory have accepted joint appointments in various capacities at the University of Houston. These appointments are part of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) Argonne signed recently with the Greater Houston Partnership. The MoU creates greater collaboration across academia, industry, private investors and government to accelerate and scale decarbonization efforts in the region, with the goal of achieving a net-zero emissions economy by 2050, according to an Argonne press release. “This strategic collaboration leverages the combined strengths ...