FRANKFURT. Prof. Bernhard Brüne, Vice President Research, Early Career Researchers and Transfer at Goethe University Frankfurt, congratulated the researchers involved in the successful application: "Anyone who establishes a major project like a Collaborative Research Center must have both creative and viable research ideas as well as a strong network. To discover new things about language and thinking, the new CRC 1629 not only makes use of Goethe University’s structures, and the combination of philology with philosophy and didactics. It also cooperates with partner universities in Göttingen and Tübingen. Aside that, I am of course delighted that ...

Insilico Medicine (“Insilico”), an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven, clinical stage biotechnology company and  leader in AI drug discovery platform technology, is hosting three webinars unveiling its latest technology breakthroughs Nov. 28-30, 2023. These new features are part of the expansion of the Company’s end-to-end Pharma.AI platform and include chat functionality, off-target screening tools, enhanced knowledge graphs and more. They represent major steps forward in the advancement of AI drug discovery. The company is an early ...

Cutting-edge computer simulations combined with theoretical calculations are helping astronomers better understand the origin of some of the universe’s most energetic and mysterious light shows — gamma-ray bursts, or GRBs. The new unified model confirms that some long-lasting GRBs are created in the aftermath of cosmic mergers that spawn an infant black hole surrounded by a giant disk of natal material. Astronomers previously thought that black holes that generate long GRBs typically form when massive ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE In a new study using brain scans of former NFL athletes, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they found high levels of a repair protein present long after a traumatic brain injury such as a concussion takes place. The repair protein, known as 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO), is known to be present in the brain at high levels in the immediate aftermath of brain injury as part of the inflammatory response and to facilitate repair. The new findings, published Oct. 30 in JAMA Network Open, suggest that brain injury and repair processes persist for years after players end collision sports careers, and lead to long-term cognitive ...

Quantum technologies are currently maturing at a breath-taking pace. These technologies exploit principles of quantum mechanics in suitably engineered systems, with bright prospects such as boosting computational efficiencies or communication security well beyond what is possible with devices based on today’s 'classical' technologies. As with classical devices, however, to realise their full potential, quantum devices will need to be networked. In principle, this can be done using the fibre-optic networks employed for classical telecommunications. But practical implementation requires that the information ...

ST. LOUIS – Each year, tuberculosis (TB) kills more people than any other infectious disease, falling out of the top spot only temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite TB’s wide reach and some lost progress during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers believe it is possible to eradicate TB through advances in vaccine development and public health. To cross the finish line, scientists must find ways to test new vaccines rapidly to prevent TB infections more effectively. In a paper published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, Daniel Hoft, M.D., Ph.D., ...

Two papers recently published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry have made important advancements toward understanding the effects of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) on aquatic life, especially fish. Zebrafish had been identified in a previous study of limited scope as being among one of the most sensitive aquatic species to PFOS, and the results of that limited-scope study have influenced PFOS water quality criteria derived by some regulatory agencies, including the Australian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Kurt Gust and ...

(LOS ANGELES) – November 29, 2023 - Scientists from the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI) have developed an injectable or catheter-administered hydrogel with enhanced capabilities for treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a deadly form of liver cancer. As described in their recent publication in Advanced Functional Materials, this drug-eluting hydrogel can provide sustained, pH-dependent drug co-delivery and has capabilities for promoting anti-tumor immune responses. This reduces tumor cell proliferation and growth and offers a more efficient means of enabling tumor cell death. Worldwide, HCC is a leading cause of ...

Optoelectronics detect or emit light and are used in a variety of devices in many different industries. These devices have historically relied on thin transistors, which are small semiconductors that control the movement of electrons and photons, made out of graphene and other two-dimensional materials. However, graphene and these other materials often have problems with band gap opening and other shortcomings that have researchers searching for an alternative.   When treated with a method called the ...

Researchers from Duke University, University of New South Wales, University of Wisconsin, and University of Washington published an editorial for the Journal of Marketing that calls for marketing to tackle the challenges and opportunities in dynamic contemporary health care markets. The editorial, introducing a special issue on “Marketing in the Health Care Sector” for the Journal of Marketing, is titled “Marketing in the Health Care Sector: Disrupted Exchanges and New Research Directions” and is authored by Christine Moorman, Harald J. van Heerde, C. Page Moreau, and Robert W. Palmatier. The special issue ...

Recent findings at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) shine a new light on pancreatic cancer. More than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases are attributed to an aggressive, deadly form of the disease called pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, or PDAC. Researchers have a poor understanding of how our immune system interacts with PDAC. So, coming up with treatments is tricky. It’s thought patients do not show a natural immune response to the cancer because the tumor environment somehow prevents that response. Many are unconvinced that PDAC ...

While life on Earth is relatively new, geologically speaking, the ingredients that combined to form it might be much older than once thought. According to research published in ACS Central Science, the simplest amino acid, carbamic acid, could have formed alongside stars or planets within interstellar ices. The findings could be used to train deep space instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope to search for prebiotic molecules in distant, star-forming regions of the universe. It has long been hypothesized that one of the building blocks for life, amino acids, could have formed during reactions in the “primordial ...

Mycorrhiza biofertilizer Uttam Superrhiza has been named as the winner of the Applied Microbiology International Product of the Year 2023. The prestigious prize recognizes a commercial product derived from microbiology research, with special consideration given to those products that have addressed the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Uttam Superrhiza, marketed by Chambal Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited in India, is manufactured by the not-for-profit institute, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). Disruptive mycorrhiza A disruptive ...

The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT, President Kim, Byung-Suk) has developed a new Contactless Coupler that can efficiently improve the constructability of precast concrete (hereinafter referred to as PC). Recently, Off-site Construction (OSC) has been actively used worldwide to solve the problems at complex construction sites. The OSC method minimizes on-site work by prefabricating parts of the structure and then simply assembling and constructing them on-site. In particular, Korean construction sites are promoting OSC to solve the problem of aging skilled workers and labor shortages. The PC method, one of the representative OSC methods, is a method ...

Blood tests are a common, yet often painful, step in health care. But what if we could skip the needles altogether? Saliva and blood contain many of the same biomarkers, and collecting spit is as simple as drooling into a container. Researchers reporting in ACS Sensors have developed a device that detects glucose and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) biomarkers in saliva with high sensitivity, which could help make at-home health monitoring easier and without a poke. Blood tests provide critical information about a person’s health. But they also rely on uncomfortable procedures, ranging from collecting small blood samples through frequent finger pricks to blood draws from ...

People with personality traits such as conscientiousness, extraversion and positive affect are less likely to be diagnosed with dementia than those with neuroticism and negative affect, according to a new analysis by researchers at the University of California, Davis and Northwestern University. The difference was not linked to physical damage to brain tissue found in dementia patients, but more likely to how certain personality traits help people navigate dementia-related impairments. The work is published Nov. ...

CHICAGO – Using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze specialized brain MRI scans of adolescents with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), researchers found significant differences in nine brain white matter tracts in individuals with ADHD. Results of the study will be presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). ADHD is a common disorder often diagnosed in childhood and continuing into adulthood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the U.S., an estimated 5.7 million children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD. “ADHD often ...

CHICAGO – Researchers have identified objective evidence of how the neck muscles are involved in primary headaches, according to a study being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The findings could lead to better treatments. The distinct underlying causes of primary headaches are still not fully understood. The most common primary headaches are tension-type headaches and migraines. “Our imaging approach provides first objective evidence for the very frequent involvement of the neck muscles in primary headaches, such as neck pain ...

CHICAGO – A deep learning artificial intelligence (AI) model that was developed using only mammogram image biomarkers accurately predicted both ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive carcinoma, according to research being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Additionally, the model showed no bias across multiple races. Traditional breast cancer risk assessment models use information obtained from patient questionnaires, such as medical and reproductive history, to calculate a patient’s future risk of developing breast cancer. “In ...

Research Highlights: People diagnosed with coronary heart disease had a significantly increased risk of developing dementia later in life, according to an analysis of data for more than 430,000 people from the UK Biobank. Participants who had coronary heart disease before age 45 had a 36% increased risk of developing dementia, a 13% increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s and a 78% greater risk of developing vascular dementia compared with participants who did not have coronary heart disease. Men and women diagnosed with coronary heart disease before age 45 were significantly more likely to develop dementia than their counterparts who ...

Young male gym users are largely unaware of the risks of their lifestyle on their fertility, a new study shows.   New results from a survey of 152 gym enthusiasts, published in Reproductive BioMedicine Online found that men were largely unaware of the risks to their fertility from aspects of gym lifestyle including protein supplements, which can contain high levels of estrogen, used by 79% of male respondents.   When questioned about their concern about fertility, more than half (52%) of male participants said that they had thought about their ...

New Haven, Conn. — Yale paleontologists have identified a new fossil lizard, found in the western United States, which they say was an ancestor of modern geckos. And they gave it a name that honors the lead researcher’s grandmother and great aunt. The discovery of the new species, which they named Helioscopus dickersonae, suggests that gecko ancestors appeared in North America much earlier than previously known. “This discovery emerged from a larger investigation of two fossil lizard skulls from Dinosaur National Monument in Utah,” said Dalton ...

A 20-year Australian study has found no evidence to suggest cannabis reduces illicit opioid use, and it may not be an effective long-term method of reducing harm for those with an opioid use disorder or problematic use of opioids. Published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, the University of Sydney led study is one of the longest of its kind. Between 2001 to 2022, the study involved a group of 615 people with heroin dependence, many of whom also used cannabis. Additional analysis also found no consistent evidence between cannabis and other opioid use, ...

WASHINGTON – Debunking, “prebunking,” nudging and teaching digital literacy are several of the more effective ways to counter misinformation, according to a new report from the American Psychological Association. Written by a panel of U.S. and international experts on the psychology of misinformation, the report outlines the processes that make people susceptible to misinformation and offers solutions to combat it. People are more likely to believe misinformation if it comes from groups they belong to or if they judge the source as credible, according to the report “Using Psychological Science to Understand and Fight Health Misinformation: An ...

Smartphones have altered human behavior in complex ways but context can also alter smartphone use. Laura Alessandretti and colleagues analyzed a dataset of 464,455 smartphone users from around the world, with 324,391 users categorized as urban and 52,290 categorized as rural. In most countries, urban users spent more time on their phones, using them for an average of 174.9 minutes a day, compared to 152.2 minutes for rural users. Urban users were more likely than rural users to spend time on apps categorized as maps and navigation (+150.0%), news (+38.7%), travel and local (+28.7%), music (+20.0%), business (+19.3%), and productivity (+13.7%) while rural users were more likely that urban users ...