Chocolate valentines and candies with sweet sayings shouldn't be the only hearts you think about this February. It’s also American Heart Month, which puts a spotlight on cardiovascular health. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the leading cause of death for Americans, so it’s important to know the status of your own heart health. New methods for cardiac monitoring can be found in these five papers recently published in ACS journals. Reporters can request free access to these papers by emailing newsroom@acs.org. Future ...

The intricate relationship that exists between humans and the gut microbiome has become a hot research topic, and scientists are constantly uncovering new reasons why a healthy diet can lead to a healthier life. Dietary fibers are a particularly important aspect of this connection. When we ingest these compounds, which are mainly found in plant-based foods, our gut bacteria break them down into small molecules, called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Over the past few years, studies have revealed various important anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating effects of SCFAs. One of the ways SCFAs interact with ...

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive loss of motor functions, which eventually leads to death within 5 years of its onset. This disease causes weakness and atrophy of limbs and other muscles, which affect mobility speech, eating, and even breathing in patients. Some drugs, including riluzole, edaravone, and sodium phenylbutyrate/taurursodiol are used for treating ALS, but with limited therapeutic benefits. Therefore, novel, effective ALS treatments are the need of the hour.  Multilineage-differentiating stress-enduring (Muse) cells are pluripotent stem cells ...

Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden, have discovered a change in what scientists already knew about global warming dynamics. It had been widely accepted since the 1950s that global temperature rises were not consistent throughout the day and night, with greater nighttime warming being observed. However, the recent study reveals a shift in dynamics: with greater daytime warming taking place since the 1990s. This shift means that the temperature difference between day and night is widening, potentially affecting all life on Earth.   The ...

HOUSTON – (Feb. 1, 2024) – A team of Rice University researchers mapped out how flecks of 2D materials move in liquid ⎯ knowledge that could help scientists assemble macroscopic-scale materials with the same useful properties as their 2D counterparts. “Two-dimensional nanomaterials are extremely thin ⎯ only several atoms thick ⎯ sheet-shaped materials,” said Utana Umezaki, a Rice graduate student who is a lead author on a study published in ACS Nano. “They behave very differently from materials we’re used to in daily life and can have really useful properties: They can withstand a lot of ...

Previous studies have found less than 40% of patients with stable chest pain undergoing invasive coronary angiography are found to have obstructive coronary artery disease. Recent randomized clinical trials have demonstrated a benefit to using computed tomography angiography (CTA) first in evaluation of these patients, and a new study being presented at the American College of Cardiology Cardiovascular Summit lends credence to this strategy, finding that CT was associated with a higher likelihood of revascularization compared to other imaging modalities or no testing. Stable angina ...

A study led by UMass Chan Medical School viral immunologists Liisa Selin, MD, PhD, and Anna Gil, PhD, discovered similarities in immune system dysfunction as a potential biomarker among people living with long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The research also introduced a novel treatment and a method to track effective treatment interventions. The research was published online in Brain, Behavior & Immunity.   Dr. Selin, professor of pathology, ...

Research Highlights: Black women who develop high blood pressure before age 35 may have triple the odds of having a stroke, and those who develop high blood pressure before age 45 may have twice the risk of suffering a subsequent stroke. The findings, from a study of 59,000 Black women in the U.S., are important for expanding high blood pressure screening and treatment in this high-risk population. Researchers say health care professionals should be vigilant in high blood pressure screening and ...

Research Highlights: One month after hospital evaluation for stroke-like symptoms, people whose symptoms were attributed to another condition were 3 times more likely to have increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than people diagnosed with a confirmed stroke. Knowing that the experience of being evaluated for stroke can itself be traumatic may help health care professionals recognize PTSD symptoms and connect people quickly to the appropriate resources. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024 DALLAS, Feb. 1, 2024 — People with so-called stroke mimics may be even more likely to develop post-traumatic stress ...

Research Highlights: Lifetime exposure to different types of traumatic events or stress appears to reduce the chances for optimal recovery after a stroke. A review of health records for U.S. stroke survivors found that sexual assault was consistently linked to worse physical functioning and poorer cognitive recovery measurements one year after a stroke. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024 DALLAS, Feb. 1, 2024 — Stressors and traumatic events experienced over the course of a lifetime may negatively impact subsequent stroke recovery; specifically, stroke survivors exposed to sexual assault at any point in their life had  poorer physical functioning ...

Research Highlights: In a large population study conducted in Canada, the risk of dementia was nearly 3 times higher in the first year after a stroke, then fell to a 1.5-times increased risk by the 5-year mark and remained elevated 20 years later. Having a stroke increased the risk of dementia by 80%, even after accounting for other dementia risk factors, such as high blood pressure, Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024 DALLAS, Feb. 1, 2024 — Having a stroke may significantly increase the risk of developing dementia. ...

Research Highlights: Stimulating a nerve that runs between various organs and the brain with intense physical rehabilitation improved arm and hand function in people with stroke. The improved motor function remained at the end of the one-year follow-up. Vagus nerve stimulation uses an implantable device to stimulate the nerve with electrical impulses that help create new pathways in the brain to assist movement in impaired limbs. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024 DALLAS, Feb. 1, 2024 — Combining brain ...

Research Highlights: Stroke survivors living in areas with high levels of unemployment, low income, low education levels and poor housing quality had twice the risk of poor recovery after a stroke compared to those living in areas with better conditions. The researchers say this study may help promote awareness of how social determinants of health are as important as clinical variables and health information when trying to identify stroke survivors who are at particularly high risk for poor long-term outcomes. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024 DALLAS, Feb. 1, 2024 — Stroke survivors living in areas with ...

Research Highlights: Compared with the standard medication alteplase, the newer clot-busting medication tenecteplase may offer a safe, effective and simpler way to treat clot-caused stroke in special ambulances called mobile stroke units. Tenecteplase is given in a simpler, single injection into the bloodstream, while alteplase requires an hour-long infusion after an initial injection. The study reviewed the real-world experiences of a single mobile stroke unit in Phoenix between February 2021 and April 2023. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, Thursday, ...

Research Highlights: The risk of a heart attack among adults after a clot-caused stroke or a stroke plus a tear in the wall of a neck artery (carotid or vertebral artery dissection) was almost double within the first year compared to the heart attack risk for people who did not have a stroke but were hospitalized with medical events. The medical events included some overlapping symptoms, such as “warning stroke,” migraine or transient global amnesia. However, people with a carotid artery or vertebral artery dissection but no stroke were not significantly more likely to have a heart attack than those with a warning stroke, migraine or amnesia. Embargoed until ...

Research Highlights: Among most ischemic (clot-caused) stroke survivors including those taking anticoagulant medications, use of antidepressants in the SSRI or SNRI class did not increase the risk of hemorrhagic (bleeds) stroke or other serious bleeding events. However, patients taking anti-depressants in combination with dual anti-platelet therapy or DAPT had an increased risk of bleeding. In addition, antidepressants from other classes increased the risk of serious bleeding events by 15% in comparison to antidepressants in the SSRI or SNRI classes. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, ...

Research Highlights: In a study conducted in China, adults treated with 14 days of intravenous injections of ginkgo diterpene lactone meglumine (GDLM) — a combination of biologically active components of ginkgo biloba — after an ischemic (clot-caused) stroke had better cognitive recovery at 14 days and 90 days. IV preparations of ginkgo biloba’s active ingredients are widely used in China as a complementary treatment for ischemic stroke. While oral ginkgo biloba supplements are widely available and marketed in the U.S., gingko biloba is not approved for medicinal use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Embargoed ...

Research Highlights: Living in neighborhoods with more recreational and fitness centers may influence people’s engagement in physical activity during the first year after a stroke. A small study found that people in New York City who survived a mild stroke were more likely to maintain the same level of physical activity as they did prior to the stroke, or even increase that activity, if they lived in areas with more recreational centers and fitness resources nearby. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024 DALLAS, Feb. 1, 2024 — Stroke survivors ...

Plants are continuously evolving new immune receptors to ever-changing pathogens. Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) have traced the origin and evolutionary trajectory of plant immune receptors. Their discovery will make it easier to identify immune receptor genes from genomic information and could help in the development of pathogen-resistant crops. This study was published in the scientific journal Nature Communications on February 1.   As in animals, plants have immune responses that help them defend against pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, and oomycetes. Before invaders can be stopped, they must first be detected, and this is accomplished ...

The renowned virologist from the University of Zurich receives the major award from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for an innovative project on HIV vaccines. The grant will fund vaccine studies in well-studied groups of people living with HIV in Switzerland and South Africa to guide the design of a preventative HIV vaccine. Alexandra Trkola, Professor of Medical Virology at the University of Zurich, has been awarded a 3-year grant (INV-061559) from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the project “RENEW clinical studies in people with HIV”. Together with her co-principal investigators Huldrych Günthard (University Hospital Zurich and UZH), Penny Moore (University ...

Our energy systems are undergoing rapid change. Many households are generating electricity with solar panels, and there are new sources of demand and storage, such as charging electric vehicles and home batteries. Local prosumers (energy consumers who also generate and store energy) are taking control of their own energy supply. This development is prompting the creation of energy communities and micro-grids, such as the SchoonSchip community in the north of Amsterdam. Energy communities allow consumers ...

Mangroves and saltmarshes sequester large amounts of carbon, mitigating the greenhouse effect. New research from the University of Gothenburg shows that these environments are perhaps twice as effective as previously thought. Natural habitats flooded by the tide form ecosystems that captures large amounts of carbon, which can help to mitigate climate change. Carbon dioxide is stored in the biomass and in the muddy soils. Therefore, several governments have launched blue carbon market initiatives to encourage landowners to restore and preserve mangrove and saltmarsh ecosystems, similar to the rainforest. Large ...

Nestling songbirds relocated as part of conservation programmes successfully learn the song repertoires they need to communicate – and ultimately survive – in the wild, a new study has found. The research, published in the journal Conservation Science and Practice, is the first to follow translocated songbird chicks over time to assess their song development. It focused on populations of cirl buntings (Emberiza cirlus), taken from a number of sites in Devon before being hand-reared and then reintroduced in Cornwall as part of a major programme co-ordinated ...

Unexplained rapid weight loss in older people could be a sign of underlying disease and can be linked with increased risk of falls and fractures, as well as a poorer long-term prognosis.    The understanding of factors that could contribute to rapid weight loss remains poor, with current treatments including correcting suboptimal dietary and physical activity behaviors.    New research by Edith Cowan University (ECU) Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr Cassandra Smith noted that abdominal aortic calcification (AAC), a marker of advanced blood vessel disease, was linked to higher risk of rapid weight ...

Osaka, Japan – From coffee-shop customers who connect their laptop to the local Wi-Fi network to remote weather monitoring stations in the Antarctic, wireless communication is an essential part of modern life. Researchers worldwide are currently working on the next evolution of communication networks, called “beyond 5G” or 6G networks. To enable the near-instantaneous communication needed for applications like augmented reality or the remote control of surgical robots, ultra-high data speeds will be needed on ...