Viral infections trigger more cases of intussusception, the common cause of bowel blockages in young children, than previously thought, according to a new study.  The research, led by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, found during the COVID-19 lockdowns hospital admissions for intussusception, a medical emergency involving obstruction of the intestine, among young children significantly decreased. For the study, 12 years of data was analysed across Victoria, NSW and Queensland. ...

Material scientists from the University of British Columbia Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute (Blusson QMI) will lead the development of a multi-million world-class crystal growth facility thanks to $5.8 million in investments by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and the B.C. Knowledge Development Fund (BCKDF) announced today. Blusson QMI Scientific Director Andrea Damascelli said the investment will strengthen Canada’s position as a leader in quantum research and technology. “The investment enables the establishment of state-of-the-art research infrastructure that is unique in Canada and will deliver exceptional impact for quantum material design, technology ...

‘Access to education’ is recognized as a fundamental human right and is listed as one of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals to achieve by 2030. Quality education unlocks opportunities and gives individuals the freedom to make livelihood choices and shape their own destinies. However, an increasing number of refugee children are deprived of this fundamental right. According to the UNHCR, between 2010 and 2022, the number of child refugees doubled from 20.6 million to about 43.3 million.   An overwhelming majority of these refugees are displaced to neighboring countries that are short on resources and lack adequate educational infrastructure ...

There is a growing emphasis for corporations to consider their impact on the environment, society, and its stakeholders. Broadly falling under environmental, social and governance or ESG, this involves practices such as using sustainably sourced materials, reducing carbon emissions, improving labor practices, fostering positive community relations, and promoting ethical corporate behavior, including efforts against anti-competitive practices and corruption.   The first mention of ESG appears in a 2004 UN report ...

With global goals set on transitioning away from fossil fuels, fuel cells stand out as a promising carbon-free energy source. Comprising an anode and a cathode separated by an electrolyte, fuel cells convert the chemical energy of fuel directly into electricity. The anode receives the fuel, while an oxidant, typically oxygen from the air, is introduced at the cathode. In a hydrogen fuel cell, hydrogen undergoes oxidation at the anode, producing hydrogen ions and electrons. The ions move through the electrolyte to the cathode, and electrons flow through an external circuit, generating electricity. At the cathode, oxygen combines with the hydrogen ions ...

DURHAM, NC – Living in a poorer neighborhood is linked to accelerated brain aging and increased dementia risk early in life, regardless of income level or education, a Duke University-led study finds. The study, which appears March 14 in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, suggests that targeting disadvantaged neighborhoods for dementia prevention programs and encouraging clinicians to consider a patient’s address could help lower dementia risk. “If you want to prevent dementia, and you’re not asking someone ...

UC Riverside scientists confirm, for the first time, that a potentially fatal dog parasite is present in a portion of the Colorado River that runs through California.  The parasite, Heterobilharzia americana, is a flatworm commonly referred to as liver fluke. Previously found almost exclusively in Texas and other Gulf Coast states, it has never been reported this far west. The worm can cause canine schistosomiasis, an illness that impacts the liver and intestines of dogs.  “Dogs can die from this infection, so we are hoping ...

With animal-free dairy products and convincing vegetarian meat substitutes already on the market, it’s easy to see how biotechnology can change the food industry. Advances in genetic engineering are allowing us to harness microorganisms to produce cruelty-free products that are healthy for consumers and healthier for the environment. One of the most promising sources of innovative foods is fungi – a diverse kingdom of organisms that naturally produce a huge range of tasty and nutritious ...

In a worldwide first-of-its-kind study published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications this week, a team of scientists from Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI) tested novel gene therapies in a whole human liver, with the goal of developing more effective treatments for life-threatening inherited diseases. Gene therapy is a revolutionary approach to treating serious genetic diseases that most commonly involves replacing or repairing a faulty gene. The most efficient delivery systems today are those based on a harmless virus named adeno-associated ...

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have shed light on how cancer cells survive in the first few hours after being cut off from a supply of oxygen. Published today in The EMBO Journal, this finding could one day help to prevent cancer from becoming resistant to therapy. A major use of oxygen by cells is for energy production. When oxygen supplies are low, most cells can survive because they adapt, by changing which proteins they make, to produce energy through different processes than in normal oxygen levels. This is coordinated by a protein called HIF1α, which turns on the activity of genes. Although HIF1α ...

Research Highlights: In a review of data for more than 90,000 veterans hospitalized with stroke, African American veterans who had been previously diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were significantly more likely to be re-hospitalized than African American veterans without PTSD. In contrast, white veterans with PTSD were not significantly more likely to be re-hospitalized after stroke than white veterans without PTSD. Illicit drug use and Type 2 diabetes also raised the hospital readmission risk in African American veterans ...

A new method of timber analysis developed by researchers from the University of Gothenburg can confidently identify the location in which the tree was harvested. The method has been developed with the aim of combating illegal timber imports from Russia and Belarus. Illegal logging and the associated trade in wood products is a global problem that threatens some of the world's most important ecosystems. Researchers are trying to combat this practise with a new scientific method that can reveal ...

Arlington, Va. — March 14, 2024 — A new proof-of-concept study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) reports that artificial intelligence (AI) technologies can accurately identify cases of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) even in complex clinical scenarios. The study, which highlights the need for clear and consistent language when using AI tools for this purpose, illustrates the potential for incorporating AI technology as a cost-effective component of routine infection surveillance programs. According to the most recent HAI Hospital ...

Governments must act now to address the effects of climate change and air pollution on fertility rates and reproductive health, says a document published by the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) today (Thursday). The factsheets* provide comprehensive information on global warming, evidence of its impact on fertility, and calls on policymakers to promote swift prevention measures. Priorities should be to reach net zero CO2 emissions within the next 20 years, and to keep global warming within a 1.5% increase, says the expert ...

In preparation for the 2024 Olympic surfing competition, a new judging tower is being constructed in the reef lagoon at Teahupo’o, Tahiti. Researchers from the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa, UH Hilo, and Arizona State University and community partners in Tahiti recently published a study in Remote Sensing that assessed the potential impacts of the tower and emphasized the importance of protecting the valuable reef—both as an integral part of the ecosystem and a resource for the local community.  “We ...

DURHAM, N.H. — Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are not typically associated with water ways, like streams and rivers, but emerging research shows that water bodies play an important role in storing and releasing carbon dioxide. As many states look for cost-effective ways to mitigate climate change, scientists at the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of New Hampshire looked at a way to optimize CO2 sensors to better measure carbon dioxide emissions in lotic, or moving, bodies of water offering a new tool that can help provide valuable information for everything from land use to climate action plans. “These sensors, adapted for highly ...

U.S. veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq who suffered mild traumatic brain injury from exposure to explosive blasts were found to have changes in cerebrospinal fluid proteins that are typically seen in people who develop Alzheimer’s disease, according to researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine and VA Puget Sound Health Care System. “While our research does not prove that veterans who experienced these injuries will develop Alzheimer’s disease, it raises the possibility that ...

Cases of cancer among UK men and women aged 35-69 years have seen a modest rise over the last quarter of a century, but there has also been a substantial decline in death rates, finds a study published by The BMJ today.   The results show a fall in death rates for all cancers combined and for 17 out of 22 cancer types examined, which the researchers say is likely due to fewer people smoking, screening programmes, and improved treatment, while a rise in some less common cancers may be due to higher levels of overweight and obesity, ...

A first of its kind study by Cancer Research UK reveals premature cancer death rates in 35–69-year-olds fell by more than a third over 25 years  Improvements in the UK are a result of smokefree policies, prevention measures, early detection programmes like cancer screening, and more effective treatment options  But the study paints a mixed picture with cancer cases on the rise and cancer mortality rates still too high   The charity’s manifesto, ‘Longer, ...

To combine two low-energy photons into one high-energy photon efficiently, the energy must be able to hop freely, but not too quickly, between randomly oriented molecules of a solid. This Kobe University discovery provides a much-needed design guideline for developing materials for more efficient PV cells, displays, or even anti-cancer therapies. Light of different colors has different energies and is therefore useful for very different things. For the development of more efficient PV cells, OLED displays, or anti-cancer therapies it is desirable to be able to upcycle two low-energy photons into a high-energy photon, ...

Globally, more than half of patients die after infection with the neglected tropical disease, melioidosis, often before they are diagnosed1. A new rapid test could save lives by diagnosing patients in hours, rather than several days taken by current bacterial culture methods, meaning they receive the correct antibiotics faster. The test uses CRISPR to detect a genetic target that is specific to Burkholderia pseudomallei, the bacterium that causes melioidosis, with 93 per cent sensitivity. It was ...

Revolutionary chronic wound treatment could help millions  A team of international scientists has developed an effective treatment for preventing infection in chronic wounds that does not involve antibiotics The treatment involves the plasma (electrical gas) activation of hydrogel dressings to produce a unique mix of different chemical oxidants that applied to the wound are effective in decontaminating and aiding healing in chronic wounds The new method is a significant advance that could revolutionise the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers and internal wounds More than 540 million people ...

AMES, Iowa – Ravindra Singh has spent years studying a gene that when missing or mutated causes spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a deadly disease that’s among the most common genetic disorders in children. His team’s latest work will make the search for treatments even more effective in the years to come. Singh, a professor of biomedical science at Iowa State University, led an eight-year project to create a truncated version of the Survival Motor Neuron 2 (SMN2) gene to facilitate quicker, cheaper and less fragmented research. Nucleic Acids Research, a peer-reviewed ...

Researchers at NYU Tandon School of Engineering have revealed critical shortcomings in recently proposed methods aimed at making powerful text-to-image generative AI systems safer for public use.  In a paper that will be presented at the Twelfth International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR), taking place in Vienna on May 7 - 11, 2024, the research team demonstrates how techniques that claim to "erase" the ability of models like Stable Diffusion to generate explicit, copyrighted, or otherwise unsafe ...

*Note – this is an early press release from the European Congress on Obesity in Venice, Italy 12-15 May. Please credit the congress when using this research* Tirzepatide, a medication authorised to treat obesity and/or type 2 diabetes, consistently reduces bodyweight regardless of the patient’s body mass index (BMI before treatment), from the range of overweight to class III obesity. The study, to be presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (Venice, Italy, 12-15 May) is by Prof Carel Le Roux, University ...