The Persian Gold Tarantula (Chaetopelma persianum) is a newly described species recently discovered in northwestern Iran. In fact, the “woolly, golden hairs” the scientists observed and examined on a single specimen, were one of the features so unique that it was not necessary for additional individuals to be collected and physically studied. It was clear enough that it was a species previously unknown to the scientific community.  The paper, authored by Iranian arachnologist and taxonomist Dr Alireza Zamani (University of Turku, Finland) and his Canadian colleague Rick C. West, was published in the peer-reviewed, open-access scientific journal ZooKeys on the observance ...

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A lack of time management skills, particularly in organization, can lead to poor sleep quality for college students according to research conducted at The University of Alabama.  Dr. Adam Knowlden, associate professor of health science with the UA College of Human Environmental Sciences, investigated time management and how it influences sleep health in full-time college students in the areas of setting goals and priorities, mechanics of time management, and preference for organization.  “College students tend to deal with lifestyle-related sleep problems,” said Knowlden. “For example, balancing academic and social ...

A new study has shown that among incarcerated women, many have to trade or barter to access menstrual hygiene products. The study, which examines menstrual equity, or the access to menstrual products and safe menstruating environments, in the criminal legal system, is published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Women’s Health. Click here to read the article now. Patricia Kelly, PhD, from Thomas Jefferson University School of Nursing, and coauthors, found that 53.8% of women involved in the criminal legal system received less than five menstrual ...

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – In a landmark moment for the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s, a 5-year-old from Bellefontaine, Ohio, received the first dose of a recently approved gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where the therapy was invented and initially tested. The therapy, developed, tested and patented at Nationwide Children’s marks an extraordinary achievement in the field of neuromuscular medicine and provides a life-altering treatment for children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This is the second gene therapy developed at Nationwide Children’s to receive FDA approval, two ...

Safe drinking water is threatened globally by the increased toxicity of phytoplankton — or microscopic algae — blooms. The need for a better understanding of when and where the blooms will emerge spurred Virginia Tech researchers to start developing the first automated, real-time lake phytoplankton forecasting system. Working with the University of Florida, Virginia Tech faculty have been awarded a $2.2 million National Science Foundation grant as one of 12 projects funded by the foundation's new Using the Rules of Life to Address Societal Challenges program. "The enormous opportunity to apply biological principles to ...

In-water monitoring by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) shows hard coral cover across the Great Barrier Reef remains at similar levels to that recorded in 2022, with small decreases in the Northern, Central and Southern regions. Published today (Wednesday 9 August), AIMS’ Annual Summary Report on Coral Reef Condition for 2022/23 found that while some reefs continued to recover, their increased hard coral cover was offset by coral loss on other reefs. Most reefs underwent little change in coral ...

When it comes to college-aged adults who are glued to their smartphones, experts argue over whether texting while walking increases the risk of an accident. Some studies have shown that texting pedestrians are more likely to walk into oncoming traffic, while other studies suggest that young adults have mastered the art of multitasking and are able to text accurately while navigating obstacles. However, few studies have measured how texters respond to unpredictable hazard conditions. By simulating an environment with random ...

About The Study: Among 98,000 postmenopausal women, compared with consuming three or fewer servings of sugar-sweetened beverages per month, those who consumed one or more sugar-sweetened beverages per day had a higher incidence of liver cancer and death from chronic liver disease. Future studies should confirm these findings and identify the biological pathways of these associations. Authors: Xuehong Zhang, M.B.B.S., Sc.D., of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For ...

Toronto, ON, August 9, 2023 – Autistic females (assigned sex at birth) have an 83% increased risk of self-harm leading to emergency healthcare relative to non-autistic people, according to a new study from ICES and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Autistic males also had a 47% greater risk of self-harm events and had the highest incidence of suicide death compared to autistic females and non-autistic individuals. The study, “Self-Harm Events and Suicide Deaths Among Autistic Individuals in Ontario, Canada,” was published today in JAMA Network Open ...

About The Study: The findings of this study suggest that the expertise and resources that accompany high-volume treatment facilities are associated with improved outcomes for men with very high-risk prostate cancer, but further investigation is needed to identify the specific causes for this association. Authors: Sagar A. Patel, M.D, of Emory University 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: ...

About The Study: This study provides a consensus statement on consistent evidence-based recommendations for medical, pharmacy, and nursing education and practice to optimize care of patients with acetaminophen poisoning. Authors: Richard C. Dart, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver, 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.2023.27739) Editor’s Note: Please ...

Approximately 65% of adults in the United States consume sugar sweetened beverages daily. Chronic liver disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and can result in liver cancer and liver disease-related mortality. Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, led one of the first studies to look at the association between intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, artificially sweetened beverages, and incidence of liver cancer and chronic liver disease mortality. Results are published in JAMA. “To our knowledge, ...

PHILADELPHIA – A new study finds that people are more likely to recommend that a pregnant family member or friend get vaccinated to protect the infant from RSV illness if they are shown a chart outlining the rigorous process a vaccine undergoes to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The experiment was conducted by an Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) team as part of a May 31-June 6, 2023, nationally representative panel survey on RSV, vaccination, and maternal health. Researchers found that 57% of those in a group exposed to a flowchart of the FDA vaccine approval process (see Appendix 1) were very or somewhat likely to recommend the RSV vaccine to a pregnant ...

Due to the environmental and energy problems caused by fossil fuels, the search for alternative clean and renewable energy solutions has never been more urgent. Among these, hydrogen (H2) is emerging as a leading contender in the energy sector for both stationary and mobile applications. However, the commercial utilization of hydrogen fuel cells is hindered by the challenges of handling and transporting hydrogen due to its low volumetric energy density. Fortunately, ammonia (NH3) is emerging as a promising hydrogen carrier due to its high hydrogen content (17.6 wt%) and potential economic benefits for energy production. When used as a fuel, it produces only ...

OAK BROOK, Ill. – A machine learning model found that background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) on breast MRI is an indicator of breast cancer risk in women with extremely dense breasts, according to a study published in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Women with extremely dense breasts are at a three- to six-times higher risk of developing breast cancer compared to women who have fatty breasts. Since mammography is less sensitive in detecting early-stage breast cancer in women with dense breasts, women between the ages ...

MIAMI, FLORIDA (EMBARGOED UNTIL AUG. 8, 2023 AT 10 A.M. ET) – Blood disorders known as myelodysplastic syndromes/neoplasms (MDS) are difficult to diagnose – and are commonly misdiagnosed – putting patients at increased risk for treatment mistakes and other potentially harmful consequences, according to researchers with Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and collaborating organizations. Their findings, published Aug. 8 in Blood Advances, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Society of Hematology, highlight the vital need for strong coordination between clinicians and skilled pathologists to ensure ...

To combat this issue, China has implemented various environmental regulations, including the widespread use of air pollution control devices (APCDs) in CFPPs. While APCDs have successfully reduced air pollutants, their electricity consumption has led to indirect carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The extent of these CO2 emissions has remained uncertain, prompting researchers to delve deeper into this overlooked environmental concern. In a new study published in Volume 17 of the journal Environmental Science and Ecotechnology, researchers from Shandong University conducted a study revealing that the proportion of APCD CO2 emissions in total ...

Gait-related disturbances adversely affect the quality of life of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), a condition affecting millions worldwide. Although various pharmacological, surgical, and rehabilitative treatments exist, their effectiveness is limited. Now, a team of researchers from Japan has successfully addressed this limitation. Using a novel neuromodulation approach that incorporates gait-combined closed-loop transcranial electrical stimulation, the team demonstrated significant gait improvements in patients with various neurological disorders including PD. Parkinson’s disease ...

Pollinosis, or hay fever, makes people miserable around the world, and Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) pollen is a significant cause of the suffering in the 38.8% of Japanese people who are allergic. Japanese cedar is also the country's most important timber species. A single mature tree produces on the order of three hundred million grains of pollen. Saneyoshi Ueno and colleagues investigated the genes required to produce this massive amount of genetic material. Previous research by Ueno’s team identified ...

SAN ANTONIO — August 8, 2023 –  Southwest Research Institute is launching its new Engine for Automatic Biomechanical Evaluation (ENABLE™) markerless biomechanics system during the American Society of Biomechanics (ABS) Annual Conference, August 8-11, in Knoxville, Tennessee. ABS attendees can see a demonstration by visiting Booth No. 11. ENABLE is a user-friendly markerless motion capture system that leverages artificial intelligence, computer vision algorithms and biomechanical modeling. The key advantage of ENABLE is it efficiently captures ...

This review manuscript highlights the relevance of spatially-resolved macrophage phenotyping in liver disease-related research. The liver is a vital organ heavily populated with macrophages, which represent key players of the innate immune response but also hold key functions in the maintenance of a healthy organ. Liver macrophages are mostly distributed across two populations of different origins and functions during homeostasis and disease: liver resident macrophages (referred to as Kupffer cells, KCs), and monocytic macrophages derived from the bone-marrow (MoMFs). The KC: MoMF ratio, as well as their respective spatial distribution through the liver, are increasingly ...

A study looks at the mechanisms behind genetic variation in the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Lyme disease is the most common vector-transmitted disease in the United States, with around 476,000 human cases annually. Most Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), which is transmitted by ticks and can infect a wide range of mammals and birds. Matthew Combs and colleagues analyzed the genetic diversity of Bb, specifically focusing on the pathogen’s outer surface protein C (ospC) gene, a well-known virulence factor that is essential for survival of the pathogen inside the tick and the early stages of infection in vertebrates. ...

***Embargo 14:00 UK / 10:00 BRT / 9:00 ET / 6:00 PT Tuesday, August 8, 2023*** SEATTLE, Wash. August 8, 2023 – 569,000 deaths were linked to bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in all 35 countries of the WHO Region of the Americas, according to a new peer-reviewed paper published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas. This analysis on the burden of AMR in the Americas is the most comprehensive yet for the region, providing data for 35 countries, 23 bacterial pathogens, and 88 pathogen-drug combinations.   The ...

Humans are social creatures and learn from each other, even from a young age. Infants keenly observe their parents, siblings or caregivers. They watch, imitate and replay what they see to learn skills and behaviors.  The way babies learn and explore their surroundings inspired researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and Meta to develop a new way to teach robots how to simultaneously learn multiple skills and leverage them to tackle unseen, everyday tasks. The researchers set out to develop a robotic AI agent with manipulation abilities equivalent to a 3-year-old child. The team has announced RoboAgent, an artificial intelligence agent that leverages passive observations and active ...

Every year in the United States, about 1.7 million youth run away from home, which places them at risk for sex trafficking and prostitution. Sadly, most youth tend to fall victim to sex trafficking between the ages of 12 to 14. While federal and state laws have been enacted to protect these runaway youth, they continue to be arrested, charged and detained for prostitution. Detaining youth who should not legally be considered offenders and who have extensive histories of victimization and mental health issues only exacerbates their underlying vulnerabilities that may have led them to run away or be sexually exploited in the first place. There is ...