LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 12, 2024) — The University of Kentucky will mark a decade of raising awareness and continuing its effort to warn women about the dangers of heart disease with the annual Healthy Hearts for Women Symposium. Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year, according to the American Heart Association. Yet, only 44% of women recognize that cardiovascular disease is their greatest health threat. “We see the evidence of this devastating statistic right here in Kentucky. The Commonwealth has the highest rates of deaths due to cardiovascular disease in women ...

Changes to DNA, known as mutations, can increase the likelihood of developing cancer. Specifically, people with mutations in their BRCA 1 and 2 genes are substantially more likely to develop hereditary breast and ovarian cancers. But how do people know if they have these mutations? Genetic testing. Genetic testing allows doctors to see these microscopic changes. Knowing these mutations exist, doctors will check for signs of breast and ovarian cancers more often. Yet minorities, especially Black women, are less likely to participate in genetic testing. ...

University of Waterloo researchers are tapping into idled electric vehicles to act as mobile generators and help power overworked and aging electricity grids. After analyzing energy demand on Alberta’s power grid during rush hour, the research proposes an innovative way to replenish electrical grids with power generated from fuel cells in trucks. “Canada’s power grids need to be upgraded,” said Dr. XiaoYu Wu, lead researcher and a professor in Waterloo’s Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering.  “But the price ...

“Pazopanib is a multi-kinase inhibitor that is currently approved for treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma and chemotherapy-refractory soft tissue sarcoma.” BUFFALO, NY- January 12, 2024 – A new case report was published in Oncoscience (Volume 10) on September 20, 2023, entitled, “Activity of pazopanib in EWSR1-NFATC2 translocation-associated bone sarcoma.” Pazopanib, a multi-kinase VEGF inhibitor, is currently FDA approved for advanced renal cell carcinoma and advanced soft tissue sarcoma; but limited evidence exists on its efficacy in bone sarcomas. In this case report, researchers Mohamed A. Gouda, ...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A groundbreaking 3D, three-layer nanomatrix vascular sheet that possesses multiple features of atherosclerosis has been applied for developing a high-throughput functional assay of drug candidates to treat this disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers report in the journal Biomaterials. “Current in vitro atherosclerosis models have significant limitations, including the lack of three-layer vascular architecture and limited atherosclerotic features,” said Ho-Wook Jun, Ph.D., a professor ...

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Size does not matter. Certainly not when it comes to tiny worms securing the attention of biologists. One such biologist, Morris F. Maduro at the University of California, Riverside, has just been awarded a grant of nearly $1.3 million from the National Science Foundation, or NSF, to study a worm (or nematode) about a millimeter in length. The research project will focus on the gut of Pristionchus pacificus. Like most nematodes, P. pacificus develops quickly, its growth from embryo to adult taking just four days. It is a complete ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — By one estimate, as many as 30% of people in the U.S. are in romantic relationships with partners who do not share their political views. In today’s hyperpartisan climate, where Democrats and Republicans have difficulty talking to each other and their views are polarized about media outlets’ credibility, how do couples with differing political perspectives decide which media to follow? And how do these decisions affect their discussions on political issues and their relationship ...

MADISON — A team of astronomers have discovered a planet closer and younger than any other Earth-sized world yet identified. It’s a remarkably hot world whose proximity to our own planet and to a star like our sun mark it as a unique opportunity to study how planets evolve. The new planet was described in a new study published this week by The Astronomical Journal. Melinda Soares-Furtado, a NASA Hubble Fellow at the University of Wisconsin–Madison who will begin work as an astronomy professor at the university in the fall, and recent UW–Madison graduate Benjamin Capistrant, now a graduate student at the University of Florida, co-led the study with co-authors from ...

Earth’s average surface temperature in 2023 was the warmest on record, according to an analysis by NASA. Global temperatures last year were around 2.1 degrees Fahrenheit (1.2 degrees Celsius) above the average for NASA’s baseline period (1951-1980), scientists from NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York reported. “NASA and NOAA’s global temperature report confirms what billions of people around the world experienced last year; we are facing a climate ...

If you are one of the 30% to 50% of women experiencing urinary incontinence, new research suggests that it could turn into a bigger health issue. Having more frequent urinary incontinence and leakage amounts is associated with higher odds of disability, according to RUSH researchers in a study published in the January issue of Menopause. “Often symptoms from urinary incontinence are ignored until they become bothersome or limit physical or social activities,” said Sheila Dugan, MD, chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at RUSH. “Because this study suggests that urinary incontinence is associated with disability, ...

Ethylene is sometimes called the most important chemical in the petrochemical industry because it serves as the feedstock for a huge range of everyday products. It’s used in the production of antifreeze, vinyl, synthetic rubber, foam insulation, and plastics of all kinds.  Currently, ethylene is produced through an energy- and resource-intensive process called steam cracking, where extremes of temperature and pressure produce ethylene from crude oil in the presence of steam—and in the process, emit tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Another way ...

The International Society of Microbiota (ISM) is pleased to announce its 11th World Congress, Targeting Microbiota 2024. This congress is scheduled to take place on October 17-18 in Malta, and will convene international leading experts, researchers, and professionals to explore and discuss the latest advancements in the field of microbiota. Under the new presidency of Maria Cecilia Giron, University of Padova, we anticipate a transformative era, propelling the ISM to new heights in microbiota research.   Thorough Investigation through Specialized Tracks Recent Advances & Challenges in Microbiota Microbiota-Host Cross-Talk and Signaling Metabolomics: Innovations ...

AUSTIN, Texas — The recent firing and rapid rehiring of Sam Altman, the co-founder and CEO of ChatGPT creator OpenAI, illustrates the delicate dance between visionary CEOs and the boards who oversee them. Some CEOs — often founders — are fueled by strong convictions about the strategic direction their companies should take. But their boards sometimes don’t share their visions. When that happens, what is the board’s role in governance? Should it monitor or advise the CEO? Should it back off and approve the CEO’s strategy? The answer depends on how deeply the CEO is invested in the strategy, says Volker Laux, professor of accounting at Texas ...

Did smokers do better than non-smokers in a clinical trial for an experimental cancer treatment? That was the intriguing question that led University of Iowa researchers and their colleagues to develop a drinkable, carbon monoxide-infused foam that boosted the effectiveness of the therapy, known as autophagy inhibition, in mice and human cells. The findings were recently published in the journal Advanced Science.  Looking for ways to exploit biological differences between cancer cells and healthy cells ...

An international team of scientists provide an overview of the latest research on light-matter interactions. A team of scientists from the Fritz Haber Institute, the City University of New York and the Universidad de Oviedo has published a comprehensive review article in the scientific journal Nature Reviews Materials. In this article, they provide an overview of the latest research on polaritons, tiny particles that arise when light and material interact in a special way. In recent years, researchers worldwide have discovered that there are different types of polaritons. Some of them can trap light in a very small space, about the size of a nanometer. That's ...

Hop in the car to meet your lover for dinner and a flood of dopamine— the same hormone underlying cravings for sugar, nicotine and cocaine — likely infuses your brain’s reward center, motivating you to brave the traffic to keep that unique bond alive. But if that dinner is with a mere work acquaintance, that flood might look more like a trickle, suggests new research by University of Colorado Boulder neuroscientists. “What we have found, essentially, is a biological signature of desire that helps us explain why we want to be with some people more than other people,” said senior author Zoe Donaldson, associate professor ...

About The Study: Although U.S. age-adjusted cancer mortality rates declined significantly between 2000 and 2020, substantial racial and ethnic disparities persisted for many common and preventable cancers, including female breast and male colorectal cancer. Cancer disparities arise from a confluence of factors, including structural racism, medical mistrust, health care access inequities, poor socioenvironmental conditions, aggressive tumor biology, and genetic ancestry. Authors: Tomi Akinyemiju, Ph.D., M.S., of the Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website ...

About The Study: In this study of nearly 15,000 adults with non–small cell lung cancer, Medicaid expansion was associated with declines in 30- and 90-day postoperative mortality following hospital discharge. These findings suggest that Medicaid expansion may be an effective strategy for improving access to care and cancer outcomes in this population.  Authors: Leticia M. Nogueira, Ph.D., M.P.H., of the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, 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.2023.51529) Editor’s ...

You may be familiar with yeast as the organism content to turn carbs into products like bread and beer when left to ferment in the dark. In these cases, exposure to light can hinder or even spoil the process.  In a new study published in Current Biology, researchers in Georgia Tech’s School of Biological Sciences have engineered one of the world’s first strains of yeast that may be happier with the lights on. “We were frankly shocked by how simple it was to turn the yeast into phototrophs (organisms that ...

Globally 2023 was the warmest year in a series stretching back to 1850, according to figures released today by the Met Office and the University of East Anglia.  2023 is the tenth year in succession that has equalled or exceeded 1.0 °C above the pre-industrial period (1850-1900).   The global average temperature for 2023 was 1.46 °C above the pre-industrial baseline; 0.17 °C warmer than the value for 2016, the previous warmest year on record in the HadCRUT5 global temperature dataset which runs from 1850.  Dr Colin Morice is a Climate ...

In recent years, ultrasmall metal nanoclusters have unlocked advances in fields ranging from bioimaging and biosensing to biotherapy thanks to their unique molecular-like properties. In a study published in the journal Polyoxometalates on December 11, 2023, a research team from Qingdao University of Science and Technology proposed a design to synthesize atomically precise, water-soluble alloy nanoclusters.   “The novelty of this study is in a new strategy for the synthesis of water-soluble alloy nanoclusters and a further contribution ...

In a recent study, scientists have been investigating the accuracy of AI models that predict whether people with schizophrenia will respond to antipsychotic medication. Statistical models from the field of artificial intelligence (AI) have great potential to improve decision-making related to medical treatment. However, data from medical treatment that can be used for training these models are not only rare, but also expensive. Therefore, the predictive accuracy of statistical models has so far only been demonstrated in a few ...

U of A physics professor Paul Thibado received a commitment of $904,000 from the WoodNext Foundation, administered by the Greater Houston Community Foundation. The five-year grant will support Thibado’s development of graphene energy harvesters.  “We have successfully developed a process for building graphene energy harvesting device structures,” Thibado said, “but current structures do not harvest enough power. This proposal will allow us to optimize these structures to harvest nanowatts of power, which is enough energy to run sensors.”   Thibado and his colleagues will develop graphene energy harvesting ...

East Hanover, NJ – January 12, 2024 – A research scientist at Kessler Foundation has been awarded a highly competitive Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23) from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This $704,054, five-year grant will support one of the first mixed-methods studies aimed at examining barriers to healthcare, cardiovascular risk factors, and accelerated brain aging in Latinos with multiple sclerosis (MS). The Principal Investigator and grant recipient, Cristina A. F. Román, PhD, is currently a research ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Lifestyle and genetics, and a range of other factors within and outside our control, are known to contribute to development of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that add up to increased risk for serious health problems. A new study has found that stress, through its propensity to drive up inflammation in the body, is also linked to metabolic syndrome – leading researchers to suggest that cheap and relatively easy stress-management techniques may be one way to help improve biological health outcomes. “We were specifically examining people in midlife – ...