More older Americans use cannabis now than before the pandemic, with 12% saying they’ve consumed a THC-containing substance in the past year and 4% saying they do so multiple times a week, according to a new study of people aged 50 to 80. Those who drink alcohol at risky levels have a much higher rate of cannabis use. The new findings, published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoids Research by a team from the University of Michigan’s Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, suggest a need for more education and screening of older adults for cannabis-related ...

(Boston)—Alcohol is the most common addictive substance in the world. Every year in the U.S. excessive alcohol use costs $249 billion and causes approximately 88,000 deaths, as well as various chronic diseases and social issues. Alcohol use disorder, a highly prevalent, chronic, relapsing disorder, affects more than 14 million people in the U.S. alone, in addition to being severely under-treated, with only three modestly effective pharmacological therapies available.   Chronic exposure to alcohol has been shown to produce profound neuroadaptations in specific brain regions, including the recruitment of key stress neurotransmitters, ultimately ...

If you mix cornstarch and water in the right proportions, you get something that seems not-quite-liquid but also not-quite-solid. Oobleck flows and settles like a liquid when untouched, but stiffens when you try to pick it up or stir it with a spoon. The properties of oobleck and other non-Newtonian fluids — including Silly Putty, quicksand, paint, and yogurt — change under stress or pressure and scientists have long struggled to prove exactly why. Now, researchers at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) have used piezoelectric nanoparticles, which themselves change in response to pressure, to investigate the fundamental physics of non-Newtonian ...

A researcher has just finished writing a scientific paper. She knows her work could benefit from another perspective. Did she overlook something? Or perhaps there's an application of her research she hadn't thought of. A second set of eyes would be great, but even the friendliest of collaborators might not be able to spare the time to read all the required background publications to catch up. Kevin Yager—leader of the electronic nanomaterials group at the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN), a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility ...

Hip hop dancing can be used to spread awareness of disability rights and help those with sight problems to participate in performance equally, a new study says.   Breakin’ – which is commonly referred to as breakdancing - is good for mobility and helps promote balance and stability as well as wellbeing.   It also offers an important opportunity for people to slow down and to connect with their inner selves, their feelings, their bodies, and their peers, according to researchers. It has been used to treat symptoms of depression, anxiety and PTSD.   Nathan Geering, ...

Millions of people are suffering from digital health inequality because of poverty, experts have warned. A new study says urgent work is needed to ensure those from deprived areas can access healthcare as the NHS increasingly turns to the use of apps and online health portals for the provision of healthcare. A team of doctors and academics found a “significant association” between increased poverty and reduced use of digital services. Their modelling estimates that this association accounts for 4.27million patients across England who have not downloaded the NHS app. In October 2022 it was estimated more than 37million patients had activated ...

How do you create strong, yet quick-release connections between living and non-living tissues? This is a question that continues to puzzle bioengineers who aim to create materials that bond together for advanced biomedical applications. Looking to nature for inspiration, the McGill-led research zeroed in on the marine mussel byssus, a fibrous holdfast, which these bivalve mollusks use to anchor themselves in seashore habitats. The byssus attaches to rocky surfaces using an underwater glue, but the other end (the byssus stem root) is firmly anchored within the mussel’s soft living tissue. This area of contact between the living ...

In a groundbreaking study published in Science Advances, researchers from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE-Berlin) shed light on the intricate dance between the prion protein and copper ions in the physiopathology of live cells. The research paves the way for potential treatments addressing copper-bound prion protein clusters to prevent abnormal solid formation and mitigate neurodegenerative outcomes. Like oil droplets in water, cells harbor membrane-bound organelles that ...

Communities can prosper by providing attentive education and social services to their youngest residents — but the challenge is for leaders to work together. That is the message of Craig Ramey and Sharon Ramey, Virginia Tech distinguished research professors of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, who today (Dec. 1, 2023) presented details of a decades-long study that focuses on early childhood education and development. In a research article in the journal Medical Research Archives, the official journal of the European Society of Medicine, the scientists discuss lessons ...

Toronto, ON – A new study published in Clinical Social Work Journal found that adolescents and young adults who experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) before the age of 18 were significantly more likely to experience symptoms of muscle dysmorphia. With previous research showing that more than half of North American children and adolescents experience at least one adverse childhood experience in their lifetime, these new findings highlight the need for greater awareness of how adverse experiences in childhood (such as domestic violence, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse) and muscle dysmorphia (the pathological ...

New research from the Texas A&M University School of Public Health suggests that those who live with ongoing poverty and poor housing conditions are more likely to develop new mobility issues following a COVID-19 infection. This study, published in Preventive Medicine, is the first to examine the relationship between social vulnerability and persistent COVID-19 symptoms. In it, researchers analyzed data about socially vulnerable Michigan residents who experienced new difficulty in walking or climbing stairs after ...

The Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH) and the International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility (INCF) launched a new group to lay the groundwork for connecting global neuroscience and genomic data.  Answering data-driven questions in neuroscience means dealing with complexity: in types of data, data management systems, the number and variety of conditions, ethical and legal requirements, and the genetic and biological conditions themselves. Even just aligning industry standards for neuroimaging and genomics can be a struggle. To improve life for people with neurological conditions, we need to tackle the complexity together. The new GA4GH & INCF Neuroscience ...

Key takeaways  A new mental health screening tool accurately predicts mental health outcomes for hospitalized trauma patients.   To be sustainable, mental health screening and recovery programs should be tailored to each trauma center, with the engagement of all stakeholders, a related study finds.  Studies shed light on the need for trauma centers to provide injured patients with mental health resources, such as online education, support, and referrals to mental healthcare providers when needed.  CHICAGO (December 1, 2023): A novel screening ...

A new study led by investigators at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found Black men diagnosed with more advanced stages of prostate cancer are significantly less likely to be prescribed novel hormone therapy than other racial and ethnic groups – including white or Latino men – despite the therapy being proven to effectively control the growth of prostate tumors and extend the lives of men with the disease. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, reveal a concerning racial disparity in the utilization of the crucial therapy for the treatment of the disease. “This revelation is particularly concerning ...

About The Study: This analysis of survey data from 353,000 U.S. adults found that smoking prevalence decreased from 2011 to 2022 in all age groups except adults 65 years or older, with faster decreases among younger than older adults. These findings suggest that the greatest gains in terms of reducing smoking-attributable morbidity and mortality could be achieved by focusing on individuals with low socioeconomic status, as this population has the highest smoking rates and the worst health prospects.  Authors: Rafael ...

About The Study: In this study of 5,218 adults with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, significant disparities persisted between current care and optimal care, surpassing any differences observed among demographic groups. These findings highlight the critical need for sustained efforts to bridge these gaps and achieve better outcomes for all patients, regardless of their racial and ethnic backgrounds.  Authors: Harlan M. Krumholz, M.D., S.M., of Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut, 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.2023.45964) Editor’s ...

The authors of a new study are warning people with type-1 diabetes to use fitness video games with caution. The study by Staffordshire University and Federal University of Vale do Sao Francisco has found that ‘exergames’ can change people’s perceptions of how fatigued they are – which is potentially harmful for those with the condition. Dr Pooya Soltani, Senior Lecturer in Games Technology at Staffordshire University, explained: “Type-1 diabetes patients need to control their blood glucose regularly, both before and after exercise, to prevent complications. As part of this, it is important to regulate the intensity of exercise, ...

Mothers who took parental leave part-time or for shorter periods were more likely to engage in income-generating activities or pursue education. A new study uncovers surprising patterns in parental leave usage among newly arrived migrant women in Sweden, specifically focusing on their integration into the labor market. The findings, published in the Journal of European Social Policy, provide new insights into how parental leave is used and how it affects labor market participation among newly arrived mothers who arrived in Sweden with young children. The analysis reveals a polarization in the use of parental leave, with a significant number of mothers refraining ...

FRANKFURT. The principle that stands behind the Deutschlandstipendium is as simple as it is striking: every euro raised by universities each year is doubled by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Goethe University Frankfurt raised €990,000 this year, bringing the total funding available to Deutschlandstipendium scholars to €1,980,000. This means that 550 students – about one third of whom have a migrant background – can receive €300 per month for a maximum of two years. For ...

FRANKFURT. The three academics honored at Goethe University yesterday evening “conduct extraordinary scientific work, and, at the same time", in the words of University President Enrico Schleiff, "they let others share in the results of and profit from this science – in a manner that far exceeds the economic component of this term." In so doing, they stand for an essential feature of Goethe University, namely "that we do not keep the treasures of knowledge we have gathered to ourselves, but consciously share them: in the scientific world, ...

In a world grappling with deep-seated division and social upheaval, empathy has become more critical than ever. But science suggests when it comes to evoking empathy, our imagination is more powerful than we previously thought. A new study, led by McGill researchers, reveals how the different ways to experience empathy affect our willingness to help others. “Empathy is the ability to understand the situation of another person and is vital for prosocial behaviours. However, we know that empathy ...

East Hanover, NJ – December 1, 2023 – Housing that fails to meet the needs of people with disabilities may have far-reaching consequences. Living situations that impede independence and community integration, for example, can adversely affect health and wellbeing over the long term. More than 70% of people with spinal cord injury use wheelchairs and other assistive technology, complicating their search for affordable, accessible housing. Despite the magnitude of this problem, little research has been conducted on residential mobility patterns among people with acquired disabilities, including spinal cord injury. Data from the ...

New York, NY —The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR), is pleased to announce a  $16 million expansion of the Hevolution-AFAR New Investigator Awards in Aging Biology and Geroscience Research, a grant program to enable early-career investigators with labs in the US and Canada to research healthspan-expanding therapeutics and treatments. Hevolution Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides grants and early-stage investments to incentivize research and entrepreneurship in healthspan science, has awarded the  AFAR $16 million to expand the program. AFAR and the Hevolution Foundation launched ...

A Chinese research team wrote a review article on deep active learning, an increasingly popular method of combining active learning with deep learning for sample selection in the training of neural networks for artificial intelligence tasks. It was published Nov. 30 in Intelligent Computing, a Science Partner Journal. Given that research on deep active learning techniques in the context of foundation models is limited, this review offers some insights into this topic. It surveys existing deep active learning approaches, applications and especially challenges "in the era of foundation ...

Tsukuba, Japan—Forests, known as nature's "green dams," play a crucial role in replenishing Earth's groundwater reserves. However, overcrowding in planted forests due to lack of maintenance activities, such as thinning practices, is a pressing concern in Japan. This overcrowding causes substantial water loss from these forests into the atmosphere through a combination of soil evaporation and tree transpiration (Et) known as evapotranspiration. In the rich forests of Japan, Et is a major factor in the depletion of water resources. Therefore, accurately measuring Et across wide areas is currently a critical task because ...