With the rise in gestational diabetes and metabolic disorders during pregnancy, metformin is also being prescribed more frequently. Although it is known that the oral antidiabetic agent can cross the placental barrier, the impacts on the brain development of the child are largely unknown. An interdisciplinary research team from the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke (DIfE) have now been able to demonstrate in a mouse model that although metformin has positive effects in pregnant animals, it does not in the offspring. The results were published in the specialist journal ‘Molecular ...

Research Highlights: Exposure to tobacco before birth and beginning smoking during childhood or adolescence were significantly associated with the development of Type 2 diabetes in adulthood, according to a study of nearly half a million adults in the UK Biobank. Among those exposed to tobacco before birth or who began smoking during childhood or adolescence, participants who had a genetic predisposition to develop Type 2 diabetes and started smoking in childhood or adolescence had the highest risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Embargoed until 10:30 a.m. ...

NEW YORK, NY — Motor neurons are the cells the brain uses to command muscles to act. Scientists typically thought of them as simple connections, much like the cables that link computers with their accessories. Now, in fly studies, researchers at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute have discovered that single motor neurons can each direct an insect’s body to move in far more complex ways than previously thought. The findings were published in Nature on March 20. "This is one of the first times scientists have analyzed in 3D what single motor neurons do ...

Modern humans dispersed from Africa multiple times, but the event that led to global expansion occurred less than 100,000 years ago. Some researchers hypothesize that dispersals were restricted to “green corridors” formed during humid intervals when food was abundant and human populations expanded in lockstep with their environments. But a new study in Nature, including ASU researchers Curtis Marean, Christopher Campisano, and Jayde Hirniak, suggests that humans also may have dispersed during arid intervals along “blue highways” created by seasonal rivers. Researchers also found evidence of cooking and stone tools that represent the oldest evidence of archery. Working ...

Researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center have found that a specific subtype of a microbe commonly found in the mouth is able to travel to the gut and grow within colorectal cancer tumors. This microbe is also a culprit for driving cancer progression and leads to poorer patient outcomes after cancer treatment. The findings, published March 20 in the journal Nature, could help improve therapeutic approaches and early screening methods for colorectal cancer, which is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in adults in the U.S. according to the American Cancer Society. Examining colorectal cancer tumors removed from ...

Some anti-cancer treatments not only target tumour cells but also healthy cells. If their effects on the latter are too strong, their use can become limiting. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in collaboration with Basel-based FoRx Therapeutics, has identified the mechanism of action of PARP inhibitors, used in particular for breast and ovarian cancer in patients carrying the BRCA gene mutation. These inhibitors block two specific activities of the PARP proteins. By blocking one of them, the toxic effect on cancer cells is maintained, while healthy cells are preserved. This work, published in the journal Nature, will help improve the efficacy of these treatments.  Despite ...

Imagine being able to count the different types of blood cells being formed inside the tiny bones of a mouse and pinpointing the strings and clusters of cells within the bone marrow that are responsible for producing specific types of blood cells. That’s exactly what a team of scientists led by experts at Cincinnati Children’s achieved in a far-reaching study published March 20, 2024, in the prestigious journal Nature. Their work adds unprecedented new understanding of the “elegant” and “resilient” anatomy of bone marrow while also generating evidence of unexpected variations in how the skeleton ...

HOUSTON ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights showcases the latest breakthroughs in cancer care, research and prevention. These advances are made possible through seamless collaboration between MD Anderson’s world-leading clinicians and scientists, bringing discoveries from the lab to the clinic and back. Recent developments at MD Anderson offer insights into a combination therapy that slows pancreatic cancer progression, an all-oral treatment for older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) unable to receive intensive chemotherapy, novel targets to protect against osteoporosis and bone metastasis, the generation ...

If it walks like a particle, and talks like a particle… it may still not be a particle. A topological soliton is a special type of wave or dislocation which behaves like a particle: it can move around but cannot spread out and disappear like you would expect from, say, a ripple on the surface of a pond. In a new study published in Nature, researchers from the University of Amsterdam demonstrate the atypical behaviour of topological solitons in a robotic metamaterial, something which in the future may be used to control how robots move, sense their surroundings and communicate. Topological solitons can be found in many ...

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) has appointed Etta D. Pisano, MD, FACR, senior portfolio lead, to build the agency's clinical trial portfolio and lead the ARPA-H Advancing Clinical Trials Readiness Initiative under ARPA-H Resilient Systems Mission Office Director Jennifer Roberts. The first radiologist to be appointed to such a role, Dr. Pisano is an internationally recognized expert in women's health, breast cancer research, and the use of artificial intelligence in ...

Scientists have for the first time created a giant quantum vortex to mimic a black hole in superfluid helium that has allowed them to see in greater detail how analogue black holes behave and interact with their surroundings. Research led by the University of Nottingham, in collaboration with King’s College London and Newcastle University, have created a novel experimental platform: a quantum tornado. They have created a giant swirling vortex within superfluid helium that is chilled to the lowest possible temperatures. Through the observation of minute wave dynamics on the superfluid’s surface, the research team has shown that these quantum ...

Researchers have developed FloorLocator, a breakthrough in indoor navigation technology, which combines the high efficiency of Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs) with the advanced  learning capabilities of Graph Neural Networks (GNNs). This innovative approach ensures remarkable accuracy and scalability for floor localization, crucial for enhancing emergency responses, indoor positioning, and personalized recommendation systems. Indoor positioning is transforming with applications demanding precise location tracking. Traditional methods, including fingerprinting and sensor-based techniques, though widely used, face significant drawbacks such as the ...

The bustling streets of a modern city are filled with countless individuals using their smartphones for streaming videos, sending messages and browsing the web. In the era of rapidly expanding 5G networks and the omnipresence of mobile devices, the management of cellular traffic has become increasingly complex. To address this challenge, mobile network operators need methods for the accurate prediction of cellular traffic. A comprehensive survey published 5 Jan. in Intelligent Computing explores deep learning techniques for cellular traffic prediction. Better cellular traffic prediction would enhance intelligent 5G network construction and resource management, thereby ...

Using advanced methodology, scientists in Sweden were able to reveal at the cellular level how lesions in multiple sclerosis develop. The new results are presented in the journal Cell by researchers from Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University. Over 1,8 million people worldwide are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, MS. In this disease, the body's immune cells attack the cells that form myelin, the so-called oligodendrocytes, which belong to the group of glial cells. Without myelin, signals between nerve cells cannot travel as fast as ...

About The Study: In this Swedish nationwide cohort study of 221,000 individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the use of ADHD medication was associated with fewer hospitalizations for both psychiatric and non-psychiatric morbidity and lower suicidal behavior.  Authors: Heidi Taipale, Ph.D., of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, 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.2024.2859) Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including ...

About The Study: This study that included 173 Women’s National Basketball Association athletes provides reference electrocardiographic (ECG) data for elite female basketball athletes. International criteria–defined training-related findings were common, whereas abnormal ECG findings were rare in this athlete group. These reference data may assist basketball programs and health care professionals using ECGs in screening for female athletes and may be used as a stimulus for future female-specific ECG ...

A team of infectious diseases experts called for more awareness and preparedness in the medical field to deal with the impact of climate change on the spread of diseases. Their article, published today in JAMA raises the alarm about the emergence and spread of harmful pathogens. The authors also urge the medical community to update their education and training and take steps to combat global warming. “Clinicians need to be ready to deal with the changes in the infectious disease landscape,” said lead author George R. Thompson. Thompson is a professor at the UC Davis School of Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, and the ...

BOSTON – In a paper published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), neurologists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) showed that a simple skin biopsy test detects an abnormal form of alpha-synuclein, the pathological hallmark of Parkinson’s disease and the subgroup of neurodegenerative disorders known as synucleinopathies, at high positivity rates. Results from this landmark study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) validate this cutaneous method as a reliable and convenient tool to help physicians make more accurate diagnoses ...

Research Highlights: Treating anxiety and depression significantly reduced hospital readmission and emergency room visits in people with heart disease. This may be the first study to show that treating anxiety and depression with medication or psychotherapy has a significant impact on heart disease outcomes. People with heart disease who are also diagnosed with anxiety or depression may benefit from mental health treatment to improve cardiovascular outcomes, the study researchers noted. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET Wednesday, ...

PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA [March 20, 2024] — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®)—an alliance of leading cancer centers—is pleased to announce that Taneal D. Carter, MS, MPA, has been named one of 2024’s ‘40 Under 40’ by the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF). Every year, NMQF selects 40 health leaders from minoritized populations under the age of 40 who have been leading the charge to better patient outcomes and build sustainable healthy communities. These 40 leaders have persevered in strengthening their communities and reducing health disparities amid ongoing ...

Research Highlights: After 16 weeks of free, weekly home delivery of fresh produce, study participants boosted their fruit and vegetable consumption by almost ½ of a serving per day and added 42 minutes to their weekly level of physical activity. One year later, participants had better blood sugar control and lower bad cholesterol levels compared to adults who did not receive free, weekly produce deliveries. The study found that adults who participated in the free, weekly produce program had improved cardiovascular health measures.   Embargoed until 8:30 a.m. CT/9:30 a.m. ET, Wednesday, March ...

Geneva / Bonn - The world's generation of electronic waste is rising five times faster than documented e-waste recycling, the UN's fourth Global E-waste Monitor (GEM) reveals today. The 62 million tonnes of e-waste generated in 2022 would fill 1.55 million 40-tonne trucks, roughly enough trucks to form a bumper-to-bumper line encircling the equator, according to the report from ITU and UNITAR. Meanwhile, less than one quarter (22.3%) of the year's e-waste mass was documented as having been ...

Chicago, March 20, 2024 – Eli Perencevich, M.D., M.S., has been named the Editor in Chief of JAMA Network Open. Dr. Perencevich is the Associate Chair for Clinical and Health Services Research and Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, and the Director of the Center for Access & Delivery Research and Evaluation (CADRE) at the Iowa City VA Medical Center. With over 20 years of experience studying the epidemiology and outcomes of hospital-acquired infections using mathematical ...

Wildfires are events that can have significant impacts on ecosystems and human society. In the context of global warming, there has been a notable surge in the frequency and ferocity of wildfires in the Northern Hemisphere over recent years. In 2023, Canada experienced an unprecedented wildfire event, with CO2 emissions increasing by 527.1% over the average of 2001–2022 during the months of May–August. The burned area was more than 6–7 times larger than in a normal year. Notably, both Canada and more than 15 states in the northeastern ...

NEW ORLEANS, March 20, 2024 — From cell phones to watches to electric cars, lithium-ion rechargeable batteries power a plethora of devices. The increased use of this technology means more lithium could find its way into the environment as consumers discard electronic products. Now, researchers describe how lithium can accumulate in a common Southern crustacean: the crawfish. As the season for catching and eating mudbugs comes into full swing, the researchers’ findings highlight the potential implications for public health and the environment. The researchers will present ...