Highlights: Human actions influence the success and how species spread throughout geographic locations. This is why monitoring wildlife biodiversity is critical for scientists and policymakers to understand and preserve the present state of flora and fauna. A study led by University of Florida scientists published today in the journal of Trends and Ecology and Evolution advocates for change to promote standardized practices in the field – a practice that has been missing from the science. Assessing wildlife populations, as ...

Research Highlights: Preliminary findings from a long-term study of children in Massachusetts have potentially linked regularly drinking sugary drinks and fruit juices (8 ounces or more daily) during childhood and adolescence to a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, based on glycemic markers, among boys but not girls. The researchers also found that eating fresh fruit in childhood and adolescence was not associated with an increase or reduction in markers for Type 2 diabetes risk. Embargoed until 3p.m. CT/4 p.m. ET, Tuesday, March ...

Research Highlights: Exposure to high heat may impair the cells of the immune system that remember specific viruses and germs and over-produce signaling molecules that can lead to inflammation. Previous research testing participants’ blood on hot summer days largely only examined the effects of air temperature; they have not included analysis of the levels of immune-signaling molecules and markers of inflammation. Embargoed until 3 p.m. CT/4 p.m. ET, Tuesday, March 19, 2024 CHICAGO, March 19, 2024 — Short-term exposure to higher heat may increase ...

Alexandria, VA, USA – A study aiming to develop a low-cost, rapid detection technique for the widescale detection and screening of oral microorganisms suitable for point-of-care settings was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American 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, USA. The abstract, ...

Alexandria, VA, USA – A study aiming to develop a novel therapeutic strategy for periodontitis that targeted stem cell senescence by modulating the microenvironmental cues was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American 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, USA. The abstract, “Polyphenol-Mediated Oxygenating Hydrogel Ameliorates Periodontitis By Targeting Stem Cell Senescence” was presented during the “Biologically ...

As much as 58% of sexual harassment reports lead to no action in sub-Saharan African newsrooms, study finds. Sexual harassment often goes unchecked in sub-Saharan African newsrooms despite many employers having policies in place, according to a study conducted by City, University of London and the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism. Researchers Dr Lindsey Blumell (City) and Dinfin Mulupi (Maryland) surveyed nearly 600 news professionals and analysed 17 anti-sexual harassment policies in newsrooms across eight sub-Saharan African countries between July and October 2020. The study sampled data from Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, ...

Dark matter is one of science’s greatest mysteries. It doesn’t absorb, reflect or emit light, so we can’t see it. But its presence is implied by the gravitational effects it appears to have on galaxies. Although dark matter  makes up about 85 percent of the cosmos, scientists know very little about its fundamental nature. Theories abound, and research by Clemson University postdoctoral fellow Alex McDaniel provides some of the most stringent constraints on the nature of dark matter yet. His research also reveals a small hint of a signal that, if real, ...

Alexandria, VA, USA – A Hands-on Workshop introducing the Updated Human Salivary Proteome (HSP) Wiki was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American 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, USA.  The information accumulated in the literature about salivary proteins, their expression, function, and role in health and disease has been made available by establishing the Human ...

Alexandria, VA, USA – A study aiming to determine experiential impact on student-empathy in relation to timing of when they experienced a VR-simulation of homelessness was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American 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, USA.  The abstract, “Evaluating Homelessness Empathy Through Virtual Reality Among Dental Students” was presented during the “Late Breaking Abstracts I” Poster Session ...

Alexandria, VA, USA – A study aiming to assess an innovative “SMARTeeth” program that provides a digital tool-enabled oral health screening for underserved pregnant women at an obstetric office facilitated by community health workers (CHWs). was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American 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, USA. The abstract, “Smart Connected Oral ...

Alexandria, VA, USA – A study investigating the effects of local application of fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) on periodontal healing in osteoporosis model rats was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American 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, USA.  The abstract, “FGF-2 Promotes Periodontal Healing in an Osteoporosis Model Rat” was presented during the “Periodontal ...

When small hierarchical groups bond, neural activity between leaders and followers aligns, promoting quicker and more frequent communication, according to a study published on March 19th in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Jun Ni from Beijing Normal University, China, and colleagues. Social groups are often organized hierarchically, where status differences and bonds between members shape the group’s dynamic. To better understand how bonding influences communication within hierarchical groups and which brain regions are involved in these processes, the researchers recorded 176 three-person ...

Men and women with lower income or education levels are more likely to develop medical conditions related to alcohol abuse compared to similar individuals with a higher socioeconomic status. Alexis Edwards of Virginia Commonwealth University, US, and colleagues report these findings in a new study published March 19th in the open access journal PLOS Medicine. The World Health Organization estimates that harmful alcohol use accounts for 5.1% of the global burden of disease and injury worldwide, and results in three million deaths ...

Alexandria, VA, USA – A study aiming to utilize current dental course materials, syllabi, and textbooks to investigate ChatGPT's potential benefits for dental students. was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American 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, USA. The abstract, “ChatGPT to Help Dental Students Retain Knowledge and Enhance Performance” ...

(Memphis, Tenn – March 19, 2024) MYCN is a gene associated with cell proliferation and growth, which is mutated in many types of cancer. Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital studying high-risk neuroblastoma found that MYCN plays a role in modifying the cellular state, causing a positive feedback loop that leads to a faster progressing disease. Their work to understand this process revealed a potential therapeutic target in the protein KDM4. Inhibiting KDM4 demonstrated strong anticancer ...

Mental illness is a major public health issue. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 20% of U.S. adults live with a mental illness, like depression and anxiety. For perspective, this is more than all adults with coronary heart disease (5%) and diabetes (14.7%) combined. Yet, understanding and addressing mental illness remains very challenging. A team of UC Davis experts were tasked with evaluating the services of 15 mental health crisis programs in California. These programs designed for adult and transitional age youth (ages 16-25) were funded between 2018 and 2021 by ...

Alexandria, VA, USA – A study aiming to evaluate how biochemical inhibition of endogenous Wnt signaling affects barrier functions of the junctional epithelium was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American 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, USA.  The abstract, “Disrupting Wnt Signaling in the Junctional Epithelium ...

The World Mitochondria Society (WMS) and the International Society of Microbiota (ISM) are proud to announce their collaboration in organizing the inaugural Conference on Targeting Extracellular Vesicles, to be held on October 17-18, 2024, at Corinthia Palace in Malta. This groundbreaking event will delve into the multifaceted roles of extracellular vesicles (EVs), particularly their interactions with mitochondria and microbiota, shaping the future of EV-based medicine. The scientific board - composed of Ramaroson Andriantsitohaina, Marvin Edeas, Carla Lopes, Devika Manickam, Didier Serteyn, and Volkmar Weissig stated: “WMS and ISM will jointly spotlight EVs. Tailored discussions on ...

Alexandria, VA, USA – A study exploring the potential of 3D-printed scaffolds with controlled delivery of small molecule, icariin (ICA), to promote cleft bone regeneration through recruitment and activation of endogenous stem/progenitor cells was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for ...

Alexandria, VA, USA – A Hands-on Workshop exploring the evidence and applications of Chat GPT in dental education was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American 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, USA. The presenters discussed the evidence supporting the use of Chat GPT in health education and research, and examined its effectiveness in improving learning outcomes ...

Intimate partner violence (IPV) disproportionately impacts women and younger populations, with incidences peaking between adolescence and young adulthood. Alarmingly, a strong correlation exists between IPV experienced in adolescence and its persistence into adulthood. Radiologists can play a key role in identifying physical signs of IPV, since specific fracture patterns detected in imaging have been shown to be predictive of abuse in children and adults. However, limited information is available about injury patterns in IPV-exposed adolescents and emerging adults despite their vulnerability. In a recent study, researchers from Brigham and ...

AMHERST, Mass. – There is a surprising dearth of research about how breast cancer cells can go dormant, spread and then resurface years or even decades later, according to a new review of in vitro breast cancer studies conducted by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.     “[Our review found that] less than 1% of all these studies that combine cells with designer environments look at dormancy,” says Shelly Peyton, Provost Professor of Chemical Engineering. “It’s ...

Texans have long endured scorching summer temperatures, so a global warming increase of about 3 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 Celsius) might not sound like much to worry about. But a new study concludes that the heat index — essentially how hot it really feels — has increased much faster in Texas than has the measured temperature: about three times faster. That means that on some extreme days, what the temperature feels like is between 8 and 11 F (5 to 6 C) hotter than it would without climate change. The study, using ...

Research Highlights: Three independent, preliminary research studies have found that new Type 2 diabetes and weight-loss medications are often not prescribed or provided to patients as needed. One study of adults who had insurance covering the cost of obesity medications found that their likelihood of being prescribed the medications differed based on racial, demographic and medical factors. A second study determined that not all patients with Type 2 diabetes were equally likely to use the newest medications. A ...

Boston, MA – In the first national estimate of county-level disparities in heat-related emergencies, a new study led by investigators from the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute found that vulnerable communities were at high risk. The study, “County-Level Disparities in Heat-Related Emergencies,” was published in the March 19 edition of JAMA Network Open. Climate change has led to significant heat waves with increasing frequency and intensity; the hottest on record occurred in July 2023. Prior studies have highlighted the role of extreme heat waves on significant health-related outcomes including cardiovascular and all-cause mortality ...