Pandas, long portrayed as solitary beasts, do hang with family and friends – and they’re big users of social media. Scent-marking trees serve as a panda version of Facebook. An article in the international journal Ursus paints a new lifestyle picture of the beloved bears in China’s Wolong Nature Reserve, a life that’s shielded from human eyes because they’re shy, rare, and live in densely forested, remote areas. No one really knows how pandas hang, but a new study indicates pandas are around others ...

Air quality in the office may affect our level of creativity at work, scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have found. Working with the global air filter manufacturer Camfil on a shared research project, the NTU Singapore scientists found in a study that high levels of volatile organic compounds – gases released from products such as detergents, pesticides, perfumes, aerosol sprays and paint – affected the study participants’ creativity when they were asked to build 3D models with LEGO bricks. Using a statistical analysis, the NTU team estimated that reducing total ...

Lexical simplification (LS) aims to simplify a sentence by replacing complex words with simpler words without changing the meaning of the sentence，which can facilitate comprehension of the text for people with non-native speakers and children. Traditional LS methods utilize linguistic databases or word embedding models to extract synonyms or high-similar words for the complex word, and then sort them based on their appropriateness in context. Recently, BERT-based LS methods entirely or partially mask ...

Almost all eukaryotic organisms, from plants and animals to fungi, can’t survive without mitochondria – the “powerhouses of the cell,” which generate chemical energy using oxygen. However, a new study by Lukáš Novák and Vladimír Hampl of Charles University, published in the journal PLOS Genetics, finds that multiple members of the oxymonads, a group of single-celled protists that live inside the guts of termites and other animals, have evolved to live quite happily without them. Many groups of protists have evolved simplified mitochondria, but for a long time, scientists ...

December 19, 2023--Routinely collected patient experience surveys provide an opportunity for patients to share their creative ideas for improvement, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Researchers in Health Policy and Management developed and assessed a methodological strategy that validates questions designed to elicit creative ideas from patients. Until now the pace of translating patient insights into innovation has been slow and its effectiveness inadequate.  The findings are ...

The Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and its partners at Hitachi America Energy Solutions Laboratory have released a new open-source software platform for simulating how all the parts of an electric grid work together, along with a graphic interface that makes it much easier for users to understand and apply the results.  Together, these two tools can help utilities harden their distribution systems against extreme weather and wildfires, integrate renewable energy sources like wind and solar into electric grids and set the rates they charge customers, among other things.  The grid ...

In quantum mechanics, particles can exist in multiple states at the same time, defying the logic of everyday experiences. This property, known as quantum superposition, is the basis for emerging quantum technologies that promise to transform computing, communication, and sensing. But quantum superpositions face a significant challenge: quantum decoherence. During this process, the delicate superposition of quantum states breaks down when interacting with its surrounding environment. To unlock the power of chemistry ...

Barbie should consider expanding her medical and scientific careers into areas where women and other under-represented groups remain a minority, suggests a study published in the Christmas issue of The BMJ.  The ever-popular fashion doll has been everything from a construction worker, teacher, and veterinarian to a judge, scientist, and medical doctor, symbolising careers that children can aspire to one day hold. But no previous studies have analysed Barbie medical professional and scientist ...

A new Doctor Who episode shown during the festive period, especially on Christmas Day, is associated with lower death rates in the subsequent year across the UK, finds a study published in the Christmas issue of The BMJ.  The findings highlight the positive effect doctors can have when working during the festive period and may prompt the BBC and Disney+ to broadcast new episodes of Doctor Who every festive period, ideally on Christmas Day, says the author. Sixty years ago, the ...

Healthcare workers will be relieved to know that hospital coffee machines are not responsible for spreading disease and a general ban doesn’t seem necessary, finds a study published in the Christmas issue of The BMJ.  In a bid to eliminate hospital acquired (nosocomial) infections, various objects have been investigated as breeding grounds for bacteria including doctors’ ties and even hospital Bibles. But despite being regularly touched by lots of bare hands, the potential of hospital coffee machines as a source of infection had not previously been explored. To address this, researchers in Germany assessed the microbial population in healthcare associated coffee machines, ...

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with damaging protein aggregates in the brain, with β-amyloid (Aβ) aggregates called plaques being the key pathology. Entresto (sacubitril/valsartan) is a combined neprilysin inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker, approved for the treatment of heart failure. Concerns were raised by the FDA that this neprilysin inhibition treatment may increase the risk of AD, since neprilysin is one of the main enzymes responsible for degrading Aβ in the brain. The PERSPECTIVE trial (NCT02884206) showed that 3-year neprilysin inhibition treatment was not associated ...

The relative underperformance of disadvantaged students at school has little do with them lacking the ‘character’, attitude, or mindset of their wealthier peers, despite widespread claims to the contrary, new research indicates. The study, which analysed data from more than 240,000 15-year-olds across 74 countries, challenges the view often invoked by politicians and educators that cultivating self-belief or ‘growth mindsets’ can reduce class-based learning gaps. Researchers found that no more than 9% of the substantial achievement gap between ...

Origami, traditionally associated with paper folding, has transcended its craft origins to influence a diverse range of fields, including art, science, engineering, and architecture. Recently, origami principles have extended to technology, with applications spanning solar cells to biomedical devices. While origami-inspired materials have been explored at various scales, the challenge of creating molecular materials based on origami tessellations has remained. Addressing this challenge, a team of researchers, led by Professor Wonyoung Choe in the ...

In less than a week’s time, families around the country will be sitting down to tuck into their traditional Christmas dinner. While the festive season is often a time of overindulgence, could parts of a festive banquet actually help improve our health? Experts at Newcastle University, UK, have been researching the different characteristics and compounds of festive trimmings and have found that some of the side-dishes offer significant benefits. Fighting chronic conditions Soggy sprouts should be off the menu say Newcastle researchers – ...

Utilities in the United States have pledged to transition to 100% renewable electricity by 2060, and although state mandates have played a role, it’s the utilities, themselves, that are leading the transition.   “Many people feel the transition on the policy side isn’t going fast enough,” said Matthew Burgess, a CIRES fellow, CU Boulder assistant professor, and co-author of the paper published today in Climatic Change. “But the private sector is moving faster than we thought. A lot has ...

Not all bacteria are created equal. Most are single-celled and tiny, a few ten-thousandths of a centimeter long. But bacteria of the Epulopiscium family are large enough to be seen with the naked eye and 1 million times the volume of their better-known cousins, E. coli. In a study published Dec. 18 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from Cornell and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have for the first time described the full genome of one species of the family of giants, which they’ve named Epulopiscium viviparus. “This incredible giant bacterium is unique and interesting ...

Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide, is one method of reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in efforts to reduce the impacts of climate change. While CCS is an essential tool in decarbonizing the U.S. economy, there are barriers that exist to the development, approval, and implementation of a geologic sequestration site, as it requires an appropriate geologic formation, as well as an approved injection facility. Recent work from the Carnegie Mellon University Department of Engineering and Public Policy (EPP) estimates the time required to develop, approve, and implement ...

MIAMI, FLORIDA (Dec. 18, 2023) – Shanta Dhar, Ph.D., assistant director of Technology and Innovation at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, has been named a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. Her research focuses on ways to overcome barriers to precisely target mitochondria – the part of each cell that generates the energy needed for biochemical reactions. Her inventions and innovative contributions in nanomedicine, mitochondria-targeted drug delivery, and platinum-based prodrugs help guide targeted therapies in cancer and other diseases. Dhar, an associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology ...

Antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” that can defeat efforts to kill them are an urgent public health crisis, and according to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur each year. Researchers across the world are scrambling to meet the challenge. A collaborative team of researchers led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst and including scientists from the biopharmaceutical company Microbiotix recently announced that they had successfully learned how to sabotage a key piece of machinery that pathogens use to infect their host cells, and have developed a test to identify the next-generation drugs ...

Researchers examining the data on opioids for pain caused by cancer have found surprisingly large gaps in evidence regarding the true benefits of these medicines for cancer pain. The review challenges the commonly held view that opioids are the most powerful pain relievers. The University of Sydney-led review highlights there is no ‘one size fits all’ treatment approach for cancer pain, urging health professionals and patients to carefully weigh up the evidence when deciding on a suitable pain management plan. Opioid pain relievers are the most common treatment for cancer pain management. Many international guidelines including the ...

Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 18 December 2023   Annals of Internal Medicine Tip Sheet    @Annalsofim   Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on their own behalf, but also on behalf of the organization they represent.   ----------------------------   1. ...

B cell deficiency is a common condition that can result either from immunosuppressant drugs used to treat autoimmune disease or certain cancers — such as rituximab (RTX) — or from natural immune deficiency. These patients suffer from a weakened immune system that is less effective at combating both viral and bacterial diseases. As B cells are a key type of immune cell that produces antibodies, a deficiency results in a significant decrease in antibody count that can lead to severe disease or death upon infection with SARS-CoV-2. Researchers at the Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and ...

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – (December 18, 2023) — Two new practice parameters from the Joint Task Force for Practice Parameters (JTFPP) offer evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and management of anaphylaxis and atopic dermatitis (AD) in pediatric and adult patients. The Joint Task Force is a partnership between the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. “Both anaphylaxis and atopic dermatitis are allergic conditions that affect millions of people – in the United States and around the world,” says allergist Jay Lieberman, MD, co-chair of the JTFPP ...

New research suggests that air pollution may contribute to the development or worsening of skin conditions. The work, which is published in Dermatology and Therapy and led by scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, points to the need to improve air quality to lower the burden of skin disease, especially for vulnerable communities. “We were inspired to investigate the relationship between air pollution and skin inflammation after listening to patients who kept telling us that their skin conditions like eczema were particularly bad, and in some cases ‘worse than ever before,’ this summer,” ...

“[...] murine models proved to be valuable and, in some cases, indispensable for advancing melatonin applications in oncology [...].” BUFFALO, NY- December 18, 2023 – A new research perspective was published in Oncotarget's Volume 14 on December 12, 2023, entitled, “Melatonin and carcinogenesis in mice: the 50th anniversary of relationships.” Fifty years ago, in 1973, Vladimir N. Anisimov and coauthors demonstrated for the first time an inhibitory effect of the pineal ...