Organisms constantly face the challenge of adapting their behavior to survive in a world full of uncertainties. This ability relies on complex neural circuits in the brain that help them find resources while avoiding danger. Scientists study how these neural circuits change over time to understand better how behaviors emerge. One powerful way to study these changes is through optical imaging techniques that allow researchers to track the activity of individual brain cells. Traditional methods rely on observing the activity of cells directly, ...

“[...] chlorogenic acid appears to be a promising candidate for the management of osteoporosis.” BUFFALO, NY- March 26, 2024 – A new research paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) Volume 16, Issue 5, entitled, “Chlorogenic acid prevents ovariectomized-induced bone loss by facilitating osteoblast functions and suppressing osteoclast formation.” Osteoporosis is a common bone disease in ...

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have discovered a protein called SEL1L that plays a critical role in clearing collagen from tissue, and which may be a therapeutic target to help prevent fibrosis, scar tissue that interferes with organ function. The paper, published on Feb. 20 in Nature Communications, provides clues that could lead to drug development for diseases like lung fibrosis which have no therapeutic options currently. Corresponding author, Dr. Michael J. Podolsky, assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, has led a team that searched the human genome for genes involved in the ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Recent historical, political and public health events, most notably the COVID-19 pandemic, have collectively contributed to increased stress and mental health challenges among many groups of people — including adolescents in racial and ethnic minorities.  In a study published Feb. 1 in Academic Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center researchers investigated the pandemic’s effect on preexisting mental health disparities among youth, and found rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors ...

By 2030, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Fund and UNAIDS are hoping to end the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS epidemic. An international team of researchers led by Eric Arts, professor at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, and Jamie Mann, senior lecturer at the University of Bristol (U.K.), has brought us another step closer to meeting this goal, by finding an effective and affordable targeted treatment strategy for an HIV cure.  In a first, the study published ...

Leuven (Belgium) 26 March 2024 - Belgian scientists have developed AI models that can predict how a particular beer will be rated by consumers, and what aroma compounds brewers can add to improve it. The research was published today in the renowned scientific journal Nature Communications and may revolutionize how the food and beverage industry develops new products.  Tricky to compare Comparing and ranking flavor profiles of different beers is a challenge. There are a multitude of guides on the market describing ...

Grapes grown to make wine are sensitive to climate conditions such as temperature and extreme drought. These effects are already visible worldwide on yields, the composition of grapes and the quality of wines, with already and soon-to-be-observed consequences on the geography of wine production. Understanding shifts in wine production potential due to climate change is a major scientific concern. Based on their expertise and a thorough analysis of the scientific literature — over 250 publications in the last 20 years – a research team has established a global map of evolving trends in the threats and potential benefits that climate change brings ...

SAN ANTONIO — March 26, 2024 —Southwest Research Institute Senior Research Scientist Dr. Rohini Giles has received the NASA Early Career Achievement Medal. The medal recognizes unusual and significant performance supporting NASA’s mission during the first 10 years of their career. Giles was cited for “significant early career achievements in the analysis of Juno data to study Jovian Transient Luminous Events and the distribution of constituents in Jupiter’s atmosphere.” “It’s ...

About The Study: In this cohort study of 64,000 low-income Americans, nearly 80% of study participants consumed sodium exceeding the current recommended daily amount, which was associated with 10% to 30% of cardiovascular disease mortality. Public health programs targeted to reduce sodium intake among this underserved population may be beneficial. Authors: Xiao-Ou Shu, M.D., Ph.D., of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, 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.2024.3802) Editor’s Note: Please see the ...

About The Study: In this cohort study including 309,000 Danish children, longer duration of exclusive breastfeeding was associated with reduced risk of childhood B-cell precursor-acute lymphoblastic leukemia, corroborating results of previous case-control investigations in this field. To inform future preemptive interventions, continued research should focus on the potential biologic mechanisms underlying the observed association. Authors: Signe Holst Søegaard, Ph.D., of the Danish Cancer Society in Copenhagen, is the corresponding ...

There are 40% more Hispanic/Latino kids diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) than white non-Hispanic/Latino children; actually, Hispanic/Latino individuals have the highest risk of ALL in the United States.  However, the basis for this difference is not well understood. Researchers recently identified a genetic variant that accounts for the increased risk of B-cell ALL in Hispanic/Latino children, and using ancient DNA, they traced the mutation all the way back to the first migrants who ...

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common childhood cancer, disproportionately affects children of Hispanic/Latino origin in the United States. They are 30-40% more likely to get ALL than non-Hispanic white children, but the exact genetic basis and cause of that increased risk are unknown. Now, a study from the Keck School of Medicine of USC has revealed a key genetic variant contributing towards the increased risk, as well as details about the biological basis of ALL. The team used genetic fine-mapping analysis, a statistical method that allows researchers ...

Mammalian mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes are the most important and complicated protein machinery in mitochondria. Although this system has been studied for more than a century, its composition and molecular mechanism are still largely unknown. Here, Yang’s group report the high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of porcine respiratory chain megacomplex-I2III2IV2 (MCI2III2IV2) in five different conformations, including State 1, State 2, Mid 1, Mid 2, and Mid 3. High-resolution cryo-EM imaging, combined with super-resolution gated stimulated emission depletion microscopy (gSTED), strongly supports ...

This study is led by Prof. Ying Li (Xuzhou Medical University), Prof. Zuobin Zhu (Xuzhou Medical University), and Prof. Wenqiang Chang (Shandong University). A small molecule library consisting of 40 compounds, specifically N-substituted maleimide and its derivatives were initially screened in the study. Among them, twelve maleimides, each with a distinct N-protection group, were synthesized using ring-opening and ring-closing reactions involving various amines and maleic anhydride. Additionally, a set of twenty-eight ...

Researchers from the University of Tartu and the University of Copenhagen have proposed the theoretical description of an ideal electrocatalysis process, which, if implemented, could double the efficiency of energy conversion and storage devices.   As the world seeks sustainable solutions to meet escalating energy demands, a collaborative team of researchers from the Universities of Tartu and Copenhagen has proposed an innovative approach to overcome long-standing limitations in oxygen electrocatalysis. Oxygen electrocatalysis ...

Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, have discovered that a protein called Piezo1 prevents a type of immune cell in the lung from becoming hyperactivated by allergens. The study, to be published March 26 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM), suggests that switching on Piezo1 could represent a new therapeutic approach to reducing lung inflammation and treating allergic asthma. Type 2 innate lymphoid cells (also known as ILC2s) are a type of immune cell that resides in the lungs, skin, and other tissues of the body. ILC2s in the lungs become activated in the presence of allergens and produce ...

Cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA or CTA) has emerged as a first-line tool for diagnosing, treating, and evaluating the prognosis of various cardiac diseases. In this special issue of JSCAI, "The Role of Cardiac Computed Tomography Angiography in Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis of Cardiac Disease", experts detail the broad spectrum of uses of this imaging modality, acknowledging the role of this test in current clinical and procedural practice, including: Risk stratification Ruling out coronary artery disease in patients with chest pain Assessing ...

Simply asking patients to get the flu vaccine, and combining it with helpful video and print messages, is enough to persuade many who visit emergency departments to roll up their sleeves, according to a new study led by UC San Francisco.    Researchers found a 32% vaccine uptake in patients who were asked if they’d be interested in getting the flu shot and told their health providers would be informed. They saw a 41% uptake for those who were asked about receiving a flu shot and received a pamphlet, watched ...

A multidisciplinary team of University of Cincinnati Cancer Center researchers have opened a Phase 2 clinical trial to test a new combination treatment for glioblastomas (GBM), the most deadly form of brain tumors.  The team, led by UC’s Pankaj Desai, PhD, and Trisha Wise-Draper, MD, PhD, has been awarded a Catalyst Research Award from the Dr. Ralph and Marian Falk Medical Research Trust to move the trial forward.  Study background  Difficult to diagnose at early stages, GBMs are aggressive brain tumors that become symptomatic once the tumor is substantial. Current treatments include ...

An international research team led by RMIT University has designed and manufactured a virus-killing surface that could help control disease spread in hospitals, labs and other high-risk environments.  The surface made of silicon is covered in tiny nanospikes that skewer viruses on contact.  Lab tests with the hPIV-3 virus – which causes bronchitis, pneumonia and croup – showed 96% of the viruses were either ripped apart or damaged to the point where they could no longer replicate to cause infection.  These impressive results, featured on the cover of top nanoscience journal ACS Nano, show the material’s promise ...

Diving deep into quantum biology or cognitive science alone is challenging enough. That being said, a research team recently wrote a review article highlighting molecular quantum computing, a newly emerged research area that is likely to push the research boundaries of both. The review was published Feb. 21 in Intelligent Computing, a Science Partner Journal. Future theoretical breakthroughs may be achieved by connecting molecular quantum computing, the bridge research area, with cognitive science and quantum ...

One of the features of the deaf community is that it is highly diverse. As well as including people of different ages and genders, the members of the community do not all share the same type of deafness or form of communication. Firstly, the time of onset of deafness and the degree of hearing loss vary greatly. And secondly, not everybody uses sign and oral language in the same way. All these aspects have a bearing on the well-being of deaf people. However, few studies specifically analyse the effect of each one. The PhD thesis, defended by Amaia Jauregi-Orbe at the Faculty ...

Named for its ropy-looking long branches, Aplysina cauliformis, a coral reef sponge, provides a critical 3D habitat for marine organisms and helps to stabilize the foundation of coral reefs. However, these upright branching sponges are highly susceptible to breaking during storms, which increases sponge fragmentation and contributes to population clonality and inbreeding. Many sponges can survive severe damage and undergo frequent fragmentation, which is considered a mechanism for asexual reproduction. While fragmentation is a commonly utilized reproductive strategy in rope sponges, they also can reproduce sexually by producing larvae. How and whether they recolonize following ...

LOS ANGELES – (3/26/24) - In a landmark move for biomedical progress, the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI) today unveiled the launch of four pioneering startup companies. These ventures represent a strategic leap forward in TIBI's commitment to transforming healthcare through innovation. By harnessing the institute's groundbreaking research in biomaterials, micro-needles, organoids, tissue engineering, and advanced biosensing, these startups are poised to tackle some of the most pressing health challenges ...

Engineers have designed a modular artificial reef that can dissipate wave energy far better than natural coral reefs, according to a study. Sixty percent of the world’s coral reefs are under threat from rising ocean temperatures, overfishing, or coastal development. At the same time, climate change is leading to sea level rise, frequent high-tide flooding, and powerful storm surges. Artificial reefs can help protect coastal infrastructure from storms as well as provide habitat for marine organisms. Michael Triantafyllou and colleagues proposed and tested an architected cellular reef structure ...