The press release
archive.

Medicine31 Jan 2024

Surgeons’ choice of skin disinfectant impacts infection risk, Canadian-American study shows

Does the type of solution used by surgeons to disinfect skin before surgery impact the risk of surgical site infection? According to new research from an international trial jointly led by McMaster University and the University of Maryland School of Medicine – yes, it does. Researchers of the PREPARE trial, which enrolled nearly 8,500 participants at 25 hospitals in Canada and the United States, found the use of iodine povacrylex in alcohol to disinfect a patient’s skin could prevent surgical site infection in thousands of patients undergoing surgery for a closed ...

Read the release

Environment31 Jan 2024

Trees struggle to ‘breathe’ as climate warms, researchers find

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Trees are struggling to sequester heat-trapping carbon dioxide (CO2) in warmer, drier climates, meaning that they may no longer serve as a solution for offsetting humanity’s carbon footprint as the planet continues to warm, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers. “We found that trees in warmer, drier climates are essentially coughing instead of breathing,” said Max Lloyd assistant research professor of geosciences at Penn State and lead author on the study recently published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “They are sending CO2 right back into the ...

Read the release

Science31 Jan 2024

New study has promising results for anti-aging effects from enzymatically modified isoquercitrin

From the study: This research examines the anti-aging potential of the flavonoid derivative of isoquercitrin known as enzymatically modified isoquercitrin (EMIQ). A 28-day clinical trial with 30 volunteers aged 31–55 years highlighted EMIQ's effectiveness. Participants using EMIQ-containing Essence displayed reduced facial trans-epidermal water loss and skin roughness, alongside improved skin elasticity. This study emphasizes EMIQ's potential as an anti-photoaging ingredient in cosmetics, warranting further research. The findings pave the way for developing innovative skincare products addressing photoaging effects. ...

Read the release

Science31 Jan 2024

Ketamine helped many severely depressed veterans, study shows

Ketamine has received a lot of attention as a potential treatment for depression, but few studies have revealed how well it works in real world settings, especially in patients with complex mental health needs. Now, a new study of data from veterans who had tried many depression treatments but still had severe symptoms suggests a series of intravenous doses of ketamine gave many at least partial relief. For a minority, it led to full remission. Nearly half of 215 veterans with treatment resistant depression who received ...

Read the release

Medicine31 Jan 2024

Bringing order to disordered proteins

Protein molecules lie at the heart of biology. Our typical understanding of proteins states that each type of protein has a specific three-dimensional shape that enables it to perform its function. This dogma is challenged by intrinsically disordered proteins which make up one third of all proteins and have central biological functions even though their shapes are constantly changing. Until now, our understanding of the structural properties of this intriguing class of proteins has been based on studies ...

Read the release

Medicine31 Jan 2024

A cholesterol precursor mediates sensitivity to cell death by ferroptosis

A team of scientists from the University of Ottawa, and researchers from other universities and research centres around the world, have discovered that 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) is an endogenous suppressor of ferroptosis, which could have important implications for the treatment of cell death-related diseases. Ferroptosis is a form of cell death that is characterized by the accumulation of lipid peroxides and iron-dependent reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells. It is a regulated process that is distinct from other forms of cell death, such as apoptosis and necrosis. The researchers identified a pro-ferroptotic activity of 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase (DHCR7) ...

Read the release

Science31 Jan 2024

Rice study shows how allyship can combat discrimination in STEM for Blacks, Latinos

Calling out discriminatory behavior is an effective way for white students to help combat racism against Black and Latino science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) students, according to new research from Rice University. “(Absent) Allyship in STEM: Can Psychological Standing Increase Prejudice Confrontation?” appears in a recent edition of the Journal of Business and Psychology. The research, led by Eden King and Mikki Hebl from Rice, examines whether Black and Latino college students face discrimination when studying STEM and how allies can help combat racist behavior in these situations. “There is already a serious lack of representation ...

Read the release

Medicine31 Jan 2024

Drug overdose cardiac arrests involve younger, healthier people than other cardiac arrests

Research Highlights: An analysis of cardiac arrest records in a U.S. registry revealed that people with drug overdose cardiac arrests were more likely to be younger, have fewer health conditions and have higher survival rates with better neurologic outcomes compared to people who experience cardiac arrest from other causes. In addition, drug overdose cardiac arrests were less likely to be witnessed and less likely to present with a shockable first monitored heart rhythm, meaning a heart rhythm that is able to respond to a defibrillator. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET Wednesday, January 31, 2024 DALLAS, Jan. 31, 2024 — An analysis of data for more ...

Read the release

Science31 Jan 2024

Exposure to even moderate levels of radon linked to increased risk of stroke

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 P.M. ET, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2024 MINNEAPOLIS – Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Now a new study has found exposure to this invisible, odorless gas is also linked to an increased risk of stroke. The study, which examined exposures in middle age to older female participants, found an increased risk of stroke among those exposed to high and even moderate concentrations of the gas compared to those exposed to the lowest concentrations. The study is published in the January 31, 2024, online issue of Neurology®, ...

Read the release

Science31 Jan 2024

Polycystic ovary syndrome tied to memory, thinking problems

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 P.M. ET, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2024 MINNEAPOLIS – People with polycystic ovary syndrome may be more likely to have memory and thinking problems in middle age, according to new research published in the January 31, 2024, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study does not prove that polycystic ovary syndrome causes cognitive decline. It only shows an association. Polycystic ovary syndrome is a hormonal disorder that is defined by irregular menstruation and elevated levels of a hormone called androgen. Other symptoms may include excess hair growth, acne, infertility and poor metabolic ...

Read the release

Space31 Jan 2024

Advanced simulations to provide new understanding of supermassive black holes

Rochester Institute of Technology scientists will be the lead researchers on a $1.8 million NASA grant to study electromagnetic signals from merging supermassive black holes. RIT’s Manuela Campanelli, Distinguished Professor in the School of Mathematics and Statistics and director of the Center for Computational Relativity and Gravitation, will lead the collaborative project with help from Yosef Zlochower, professor in the School of Mathematics and Statistics. The project will also include researchers from the University of Idaho, Johns Hopkins University, and the Goddard Space Flight Center. The team will combine astrophysical knowledge with state-of-the-art ...

Read the release

Medicine31 Jan 2024

Researchers find enzyme plays much larger role in preventing neurodegenerative diseases

Indiana University researchers in the College of Arts and Sciences in Bloomington have identified a missing link that can help protect the brain from aging. Hui-Chen Lu, professor and director of the Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science at IU, alongside graduate students Sen Yang and Zhen Xian Niou, found that nicotinamide nucleotide adenylyl transferase 2, or NMNAT2, provides energy to axons independent of the mitochondria. It does this by propelling glycolysis, a process in which glucose is broken down to produce energy. This gives axons enough energy to ...

Read the release

Medicine31 Jan 2024

CU Anschutz researchers identify new biomarker in quality of blood donations

AURORA, Co. (January 31, 2024) - A collaborative cohort of researchers, led by University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus professor Angelo D’Alessandro, have identified kynurenine as a critical new biomarker in the quality of stored red blood cells (RBCs), a crucial step in the development of more personalized transfusions. Study results published today in the journal Blood. The transfusion of RBCs is one of the most common in-hospital medical procedures second only to vaccination. The blood supply is dependent on altruistic blood donors, and donated RBCs are stored ...

Read the release

Social Science31 Jan 2024

38% of surveyed Danish owners put their dogs on unlicensed cannabinoids

In a new study, 38 percent of dog owners surveyed in Denmark reported giving their pups cannabinoids, particularly cannabidiol or CBD. Pernille Holst and colleagues at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on January 31. Cannabis has become popular for recreational and medical use in humans, and many cannabis-based products are also available for pets. But because cannabis is not legal for veterinary use in countries such as Denmark, pet owners are using it without a prescription. To understand how common unlicensed cannabinoid use for pets is in Denmark, Holst and colleagues distributed an anonymous ...

Read the release

Medicine31 Jan 2024

After big shocks such as the pandemic lockdowns and the invasion of Ukraine, happiness levels may return to normal in as little as 2-3 weeks, per sentiment analysis of tweets in ten countries

After big shocks such as the pandemic lockdowns and the invasion of Ukraine, happiness levels may return to normal in as little as 2-3 weeks, per sentiment analysis of tweets in ten countries ### Article URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0295896 Article Title: Reactions to macro-level shocks and re-examination of adaptation theory using Big Data Author Countries: South Africa, New Zealand Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work. END ...

Read the release

Medicine31 Jan 2024

Non-invasive wearable devices might be able to predict preterm birth by monitoring changes in maternal heart rate variability

Non-invasive wearable devices might be able to predict preterm birth by monitoring changes in maternal heart rate variability ### Article URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0295899 Article Title: Wearable-derived maternal heart rate variability as a novel digital biomarker of preterm birth Author Countries: USA Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work. END ...

Read the release

Engineering31 Jan 2024

Childhood vitamin D deficiency was likely prevalent during industrialization in England

Evidence from teeth reveals that vitamin D deficiency during childhood was likely a major issue in industrialized England, according to a study published January 31, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Anne Marie Snoddy of the University of Otago, New Zealand and colleagues. The 18th and 19th centuries AD were a period of industrialization and urbanization in England. This was also a time of increasing incidence of health issues like vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and associated conditions like rickets, potentially linked to changing social practices ...

Read the release

Science31 Jan 2024

Archaeological evidence of seasonal vitamin D deficiency discovered

Rickets ran rife in children following the Industrial Revolution, but University of Otago-led research has found factory work and polluted cities aren’t entirely to blame for the period’s vitamin D deficiencies. In a Marsden funded study, just published in PLOS One, researchers from Otago, Durham University, University of Edinburgh, University of Brighton, and University of Queensland, sampled teeth from a cemetery site in industrial era England, looking for microscopic markers of nutritional disease. Lead author Dr Annie Sohler-Snoddy, Research ...

Read the release

Medicine31 Jan 2024

Jennifer J. Raab named President and CEO of The New York Stem Cell Foundation

NEW YORK, NY (January 31, 2024) – The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) announced today that, following a nationwide search, its Board of Directors has named Hunter College President Emerita Jennifer J. Raab as its next President and Chief Executive Officer, effective this month. NYSCF is one of the world’s leading nonprofit stem cell organizations, raising and investing more than $450 million since its founding in 2005 to accelerate cures for the major diseases of our time through stem cell research. The foundation conducts its own pioneering research at the NYSCF Research Institute laboratories in Manhattan, informs and convenes scientists and ...

Read the release

Medicine31 Jan 2024

A new way to visualize brain cancer

Brigham and MIT researchers uncovered never-before-seen details in human brain tissue with new, inexpensive microscopy technology. KEY TAKEAWAYS Researchers have developed a new microscopy technology called decrowding expansion pathology (dExPath) to analyze brain tissue. By pulling proteins apart with dExPath, researchers can stain proteins in tissue that could not be accessed before, highlighting nanometer sized structures or even cell populations that were previously hidden. This “super-resolution imaging” technology ...

Read the release

Medicine31 Jan 2024

AI can predict brain cancer patients’ survival

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can predict whether adult patients with brain cancer will survive more than eight months after receiving radiotherapy treatment. The use of the AI to successfully predict patient outcomes would allow clinicians to be better informed for planning the next stage of treatment and refer patients to potentially life-saving treatment quicker. This is the first use of AI to predict short-term and long-term survivors within eight-months of radiotherapy. The paper published recently in Neuro-Oncology shows how researchers ...

Read the release

Environment31 Jan 2024

Fermentation revolution? Trash becomes treasure as bio-waste yields valuable acetone and isopropanol

In a major stride towards sustainable industrial fermentation, a team of researchers at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in The Netherlands, has unveiled pioneering advancements in the purification of isopropanol and acetone from the fermentation of waste gases. The study, published in SCI's Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, introduces novel processes that promise to elevate the efficiency and viability of large-scale production. Isopropanol and acetone have a combined global market of $10 billion. Both chemicals are important industry solvents and isopropanol ...

Read the release

Environment31 Jan 2024

The hottest catalog of the year: the most comprehensive list of slow-building solar flares yet

Solar flares occur when magnetic energy builds up in the Sun’s atmosphere and is released as electromagnetic radiation. Lasting anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, flares usually reach temperatures around 10 million degrees Kelvin. Because of their intense electromagnetic energy, solar flares can cause disruptions in radio communications, Earth-orbiting satellites and even result in blackouts. Although flares have been classified based on the amount of energy they emit at their peak, there has not been significant study into differentiating ...

Read the release

Medicine31 Jan 2024

Researchers uncover potential non-opioid treatment for chronic pain

Among the most difficult types of pain to alleviate is neuropathic pain, pain that is usually caused by damage to nerves in various body tissues, including skin, muscle and joints. It can cause patients to suffer feelings like electric shocks, tingling, burning or stabbing. Diabetes, multiple sclerosis, chemotherapy drugs, injuries and amputations have all been associated with neuropathic pain, which is often chronic, sometimes unrelenting and affects millions of people worldwide. Many of the available pain medications are only moderately effective at treating this type of pain and often come with serious ...

Read the release

Medicine31 Jan 2024

John Theurer Cancer Center (JTCC) physician co-authors clinical research on innovative oral leukemia therapy

Researchers at Hackensack Meridian’s John Theurer Cancer Center (JTCC), are part of a published Phase 3 study reporting on the equivalent safety and effectiveness in the oral treatment of blood cancers–such as myelodysplastic syndrome and/or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia–to its previously inpatient, intravenous treatment counterparts. John Theurer Cancer Center is part of the NCI-designated Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University. Dr. James K. McCloskey, M.D., led JTCC’s ...

Read the release