Brigham researchers found an association between alterations in circadian rest-activity rhythms and risk of frailty incidence in older adults Wearable devices can be used to measure a variety of signs and signals related to our health. A new study by researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, suggests that such devices may also be able to help predict older adults at risk of health complications related to frailty. The team found an association between disturbances in daily patterns of rest and activity, or circadian ...

Threats posed by the climate crisis disproportionally affect certain communities and social groups that are more exposed. People living in low- and middle-income (LMIC) countries are at heightened risk. Within these countries, women typically face higher climate risk than men. To show where women working in agri-food systems – systems that encompass production, but also post-harvest handling and distribution – are most threated by climate change, an international team of researchers has developed a hotspot map that identifies and ranks localities by threat level. “We show that significant ...

Minimizing energy consumption is a fundamental element in our journey towards sustainable societies, and advanced materials play a key role in this regard. Carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRPs) and carbon-fiber-reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTPs) are two prominent examples of composite materials that can significantly improve energy efficiency in various fields of application. These composites are made of carbon fibers embedded in a polymer matrix, such as epoxy resin. Thanks to their low weight and remarkable mechanical strength, CFRPs and CFRTPs can greatly ...

A research team led by Dr. Jae-woong Ko from the Department of Engineering Ceramics at the Korea Institute of Materials Science(KIMS) has succeeded in localizing silicon nitride bearing ball manufacturing technology for electric vehicle drive modules. KIMS is a government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT. This achievement is significant because it overcomes the limitations of foreign dependence and opens up the possibility of domestic supply and demand. Silicon nitride bearing ...

Infants prenatally exposed to cannabis are more likely to be born preterm, have a low birth weight, and require neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) care than infants without prenatal cannabis exposure, according to a study published today in the scientific journal Addiction. However, cannabis-exposed infants are not at greater risk of birth defects or death within one year, including sudden unexpected infant death. First author Ms. Maryam Sorkhou comments, “The global increase in cannabis use among women of reproductive age also extends to pregnant women.  ...

Research that could lead to the first early detection blood test for pancreatic cancer has received critical funding from PanKind, The Australian Pancreatic Cancer Foundation. Pancreatic cancer is one of Australia’s biggest killers, with poor survival rates marred by a lack of distinct symptoms and screening tools needed to detect the disease in its initial stages.  It’s hoped the test will, for the first time, accurately identify patients with early stages of pancreatic cancer – a crucial step towards improving survival ...

A recent study published in Progress in Neurobiology and led by researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson has developed an improved method to study Parkinson’s disease in the lab. Along the way, researchers also uncovered clues that may help scientists figure out how to detect Parkinson’s earlier and point the way toward better treatments. Around a million Americans are living with Parkinson’s disease, a neurological disorder that causes difficulty in movement, balance and cognition. Symptoms worsen until tasks like ...

Warming has played a crucial role in various industrial and agricultural processes throughout history. Night-time warming, however, presents a distinct challenge due to the absence of solar radiation. During the night, direct radiative heat loss to outer space through the atmospheric transparent window (8-14 μm) can cause temperature to drop below freezing, posing significant threats to agriculture (crops), transportation (outdoor cables), and more.   Traditionally, achieving night-time warming ...

With the benefits of reducing time-cost and human efforts, automated testing has been widely used for quality assurance of mobile applications (apps). However, in complex interactive activities, manual testing can achieve higher coverage. However, the effectiveness of manual testing is highly dependent on the vital User Operation Process (UOP) of experienced testers. To solve the problems, a research team led by Zhenyu CHEN and Chunrong FANG published their new research on 15 Oct 2023 in Frontiers of Computer Science co-published ...

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University researchers have been awarded $2 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop improved ways of preventing stored potatoes from sprouting, particularly in the organic sector. This research is pivotal given the rapid rise of the organic market in U.S. agriculture, the scientists note. “The organic potato industry cannot depend on traditional chemical anti-sprouting treatments since synthetic chemicals are banned in certified organic,” said Valtcho Jeliazkov of OSU’s College of Agricultural ...

New research conducted by City of Hope and supported by the American Cancer Society focuses on developing scalable educational interventions to support informed patient decision making and consent, such as online tools and applications that include visual aids or interactive multimedia. FINDINGS Cancer genomics experts at City of Hope®, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, conducted a qualitative study that underscored the importance of properly preparing patients for unanticipated, inheritable genetic findings prior to receipt of ...

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), formerly known as electroshock therapy, involves inducing a brief seizure in the brain using controlled doses of electricity. While ECT is highly effective for certain mental illnesses, particularly depression, the reasons for its efficacy have long puzzled the fields of psychiatry and neuroscience. Now, researchers from University of California San Diego may have an answer. In two new studies published November 16, 2023 in Translational Psychiatry, they propose a new hypothesis that ECT alleviates depression symptoms by increasing aperiodic activity, a type of electrical activity in the brain that doesn’t follow a consistent pattern ...

McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston reached a funding landmark with 15 faculty members awarded 16 different grants totaling more than $31 million between August and October 2023. Each grant has a focus on medical artificial intelligence (AI) innovations and advancements in research or health care. “This is an incredible achievement for McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics; these grants play a key role in advancing informatics research while also expanding on the important role technology continues to play in medicine,” said Jiajie Zhang, PhD, dean and Glassell Family Foundation Distinguished Chair in ...

A debate has broken out over whether Pfizer should have told pregnant women taking part in its maternal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine trial that a trial of a similar GSK vaccine was stopped over a safety signal around preterm birth, an investigation by The BMJ can reveal. Pfizer’s vaccine, called Abrysvo, was recently approved for use in the US and the European Union, but is not yet authorised in the UK. Some experts have criticised Pfizer for not informing participants, while others believe notification would have been premature and caused unnecessary anxiety, reports freelance investigative journalist Hristio ...

As power generation from sources like solar and wind increases, along with the introduction of devices such as heat pumps and batteries, a new optimisation tool created at the University of Surrey will help the UK plan for a greener electricity network.   The researchers developed an algorithm to model how these smaller networks distributed electricity – factoring in how local grids could become unbalanced by adding too many heat pumps in a single area or generating more electricity than the grid could accept.   The Surrey team found that it was generally more efficient ...

The widespread adoption of nuclear power was predicted by computer simulations more than four decades ago but the continued reliance on fossil fuels for energy shows these simulations need improvement, a new study has shown.  In order to assess the efficacy of energy policies implemented today, a team of researchers looked back at the influential 1980s model that predicted nuclear power would expand dramatically. Energy policies shapes how we produce and use energy, impacting jobs, costs, climate, and security. These policies are generated using simulations (also ...

Strict embargo: 00.01 hrs GMT Thursday, 16th September, 2023    Every year 1.3 million lives are lost to cancers caused by smoking tobacco across the UK, US and BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), according to a new study, funded by Cancer Research UK.  Researchers found that together, the seven countries represented more than half of the global burden of cancer deaths every year. They concluded that smoking, as well as three other preventable risk factors – alcohol, overweight or obesity, and human papillomavirus (HPV) infections caused almost 2 million deaths combined.  The study, carried out ...

Pancreatic cancer is tricky to manage because it spreads easily and early, and the tumors have a unique biological makeup. But, researchers made a breakthrough by learning about the genetic changes that occur during tumor migration — and also found a drug that can obstruct the process. The next step is a groundbreaking clinical trial at the University of Rochester’s Wilmot Cancer Institute, planned for early in 2024, to test the drug from their laboratory discovery, said senior investigator Darren Carpizo, MD, PhD, co-leader of Wilmot’s Genetics, Epigenetics and Metabolism research program, and chief of Surgical Oncology at the University of Rochester Medical ...

As the world strives to cut greenhouse gas emissions and find sustainable transportation solutions, University of Houston energy researchers suggest that hydrogen fuel can potentially be a cost-competitive and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional liquid fuels, and that supplying hydrogen for transportation in the greater Houston area can be profitable today. A white paper titled "Competitive Pricing of Hydrogen as an Economic Alternative to Gasoline and Diesel for the Houston Transportation Sector" examines the promise for the potential of hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) ...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — A new approach to examining the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems may provide a more accurate understanding of climate change responses — and predictions for future consequences — according to a new paper co-authored by a Brown University biologist. The paper, published in the Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, highlights the interplay between the trend of climate warming and the fluctuations in local temperature. These two properties cause atypically warm events such as marine heatwaves to occur with ...

A subtype of CD8 T cells, which are classically known to promote immune system responses, may be in fact regulating the immune system by suppressing immune cells causing self-destructive responses leading to autoimmune disorders and organ graft rejection. A team led by researchers from the Department of Medicine and the Transplant Research Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, in collaboration with researchers from the Dana-Farber ...

any mammals, from domestic cats and dogs to giant pandas, use scent to communicate with each other. A new study from the University of California, Davis shows how domestic cats send signals to each other using odors derived from families of bacteria living in their anal glands. The work was published Nov. 8 in Scientific Reports. The study adds to a growing body of research on the relationship between microbes and odor in mammals, including domestic dogs, wild animals such as foxes, pandas and hyenas, and humans. Cats’ scent comes ...

The advent of whole genome sequencing technology has prompted an explosion in research into how genetics are associated with disease risk. But the vast majority of genetics research has been done on people of European ancestry, and genetics researchers have realized that in order to address health disparities, more needs to be done. In a new study, Georgia Tech researchers investigated whether 25 rare gene variants known to be associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) play a role in risk for African Americans. While the rare variant associations were recently discovered in individuals of European ancestry, ...

A new Kaiser Permanente physician peer support program designed to reduce burnout helped improve doctors’ well-being and had a positive impact on the culture of the medical departments that took part in the program, Kaiser Permanente researchers found.   The study, published November 1 in PLOS ONE, analyzed the impact of the Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) Peer Outreach Support Team (POST) program in 2 KPNC hospitals. POST is now active in 10 KPNC hospitals, and 3 more hospitals intend to launch POST programs over the next few months. Uniquely, the POST program allows for third-party referrals — ...

Even though they’re the largest animals on earth, whales remain difficult to track. So experts often turn to historical whaling data to inform current research. A dataset maintained by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) contains detailed information on commercial whale catches — more than 2.1 million records, predominantly from 1880 until the IWC banned whaling in 1986. Yet for researchers, distilling that data can prove its own challenge. A team at the University of Washington has created an online interactive map called WhaleVis, which lets whale researchers visualize ...