ITHACA, N.Y. -- Humidity is as important as scent in attracting pollinators to a plant, new Cornell-led research finds, advancing basic biology and opening new avenues to support agriculture. In a study published May 7 in Current Biology, a team of Cornell researchers and colleagues at Harvard University and the Montgomery Botanical Center found that the weevil responsible for pollinating the plant Zamia furfuracea was just as sensitive to humidity as to scent. “The world of plant-insect interactions was drastically changed by the work that was done on visual and scent cues,” ...

In a new study published in eLife, lead author Carolyn Elya, postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard, reveals the molecular and cellular underpinnings behind the parasitic fungus, Entomophthora muscae’s (E. muscae), ability to manipulate the behavior of fruit flies. Elya first described the manipulated behavior, called summiting, in a study published in eLife in 2018. Elya, who was studying microbes carried by fruit flies while a graduate student ...

PHOENIX, AZ (May 19, 2023) – The latest analysis from The North American COVID-19 STEMI (NACMI) was presented today as late-breaking clinical research at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2023 Scientific Sessions. The findings show patients with an ST-elevated myocardial infarction, or STEMI, and COVID-19 had a significant amount of clotting in their arteries both before and after intervention. Importantly, clots were seen in multiple arteries in close to 30% of patients, a phenomenon observed in less than 5% of  patients with heart attacks who do not ...

The course of human history has been marked by complex patterns of migration, isolation, and admixture, the latter a term that refers to gene flow between individuals from different populations. Admixture results in a blending of genetic lineages, leading to increased genetic diversity within populations. In addition to admixture among modern human populations, ancient humans reproduced with other hominin groups, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans. This resulted in fragments of DNA from these ancient lineages being passed down to modern humans in a process known as introgression. Two ...

WASHINGTON, May 19, 2023 — Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), an independent news outlet of the American Chemical Society (ACS), has unveiled its annual “Talented 12” list. The list highlights early-career researchers in the chemical sciences who are fearlessly tackling difficult global problems. These intrepid innovators in chemistry are featured in the May 19 issue of C&EN; read about the impressive class by visiting https://cenm.ag/t12-2023. Using a rigorous review process, C&EN selected this year’s Talented 12 from a highly competitive pool. The world-changing work by this year’s group includes research with ...

HOUSTON – (May 19, 2023) – Rice University chemist Raúl Hernández Sánchez is one of 12 early-career scientists named to C&EN’s 2023 Talented 12 cohort for his research in inorganic and supramolecular chemistry. Awardees are scientists engaged in world-changing work who are at an early stage in their career – pre-tenure if working in academia and 10 years or less from the completion of their postdoctoral studies if working in industry or government. The members of this year’s C&EN ...

BOSTON – The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine—which prevents tuberculosis—offers multiple beneficial effects, and it’s currently a recommended therapy for non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer. In a new study led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), treatment with the BCG vaccine was associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The findings are published in JAMA Network Open. Although previous research has suggested a link between the BCG vaccine and a lower risk of dementia, studies were limited by size, study design, ...

Reforms to New Jersey’s Medicaid program successfully spurred ongoing increases in buprenorphine prescriptions for the treatment of opioid addiction, according to a Rutgers analysis. Although medications such as buprenorphine effectively combat opioid addiction, less than 30 percent of potential users receive them nationwide. New Jersey sought to increase prescription numbers with three Medicaid reforms that took effect in 2019. The reforms: Removed prior authorization requirements for buprenorphine prescriptions Increased reimbursement rates for in-office opioid addiction treatment Established regional centers of excellence for addiction ...

Phoenix, AZ (May 19, 2023)- Six month outcomes from the FlowTriever All-Comer Registry for Patient Safety and Hemodynamics (FLASH) registry were presented today as late-breaking clinical research at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2023 Scientific Sessions. The prospective multi-center study found that patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) who were treated with mechanical thrombectomy showed significant improvement in symptoms, quality of life and cardiac functions. Pulmonary embolism, a blood clot that starts in a blood vessel in the body and travels to ...

Phoenix, AZ (May 19, 2023)- New analysis of chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) treatment outcomes was presented today as late-breaking clinical research at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2023 Scientific Sessions. Following the initial results of the BEST-CLI (Best Endovascular vs. Best Surgical Therapy in Patients With Critical Limb Ischemia) trial in 2022 which found surgical intervention superior to endovascular revascularization, questions remained regarding how inclusive the enrolled patient population was, how reflective the specialty of the physicians who performed the procedures are compared to the broader ...

Phoenix, AZ (May 19, 2023)- Data from a cohort of one million patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) were presented today as late-breaking clinical research at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2023 Scientific Sessions. Using data from Medicare, the cohort, Chronic Limb threatening Ischemia Process PERformance (CLIPPER), found one out of six patients with CLTI died within their first year of diagnosis and 50% survived at five years. CLTI is a serious condition in ...

Phoenix, AZ (May 19, 2023)- Results from the Evolut FX TAVR (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement) Clinical Survey were presented today as late-breaking clinical research at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2023 Scientific Sessions. The survey, comprised of feedback from physicians across the United States, reported improved deliverability, tracking, and deployment of the next-generation device compared to its predecessor. Aortic stenosis (AS), is one of the most common valvular heart diseases and can potentially lead to heart failure. Once symptoms of AS begin, average ...

Phoenix, AZ (May 19, 2023)- A new study examining the criteria proposed by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) to prescribe long-term treatment with more than one blood thinner after percutaneous coronary intervention was presented today as late-breaking clinical research at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2023 Scientific Sessions. The study confirmed that patients presenting the characteristics proposed in the ESC guidelines are more likely to experience complications due to blood clotting in the coronary arteries. These patients may therefore benefit from a long-term treatment with more ...

Methane, a greenhouse gas known to do about 80 times more damage to the atmosphere than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period, is often overlooked by policymakers and governments. In a review publishing in the journal One Earth on May 19, researchers analyzed the coverage, stringency, and real-world impact of current global methane emissions policies for the first time. They found that only 13% of emissions are currently covered by direct mitigation policies. In order to limit climate warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius in accordance with the Paris Agreement, global methane emissions need to be cut by at least 40%–45%, according to the 2021 Global Methane Assessment—a feat that the ...

New research from Queen Mary University of London shows that only around 13% of global methane emissions are regulated, despite methane emissions causing at least 25% of current global warming. The global review, published on 19 May in One Earth, also found that little is known about the effectiveness of the policies that exist, with potentially unrepresentative methane emission estimations used rather than actual measurements. Inaccurate estimations can also mean the issue is taken less seriously by decision-makers by masking its severity. The researchers argue that the lack ...

(Philadelphia, PA) – Genetic alterations that give rise to a rare, fatal disorder known as MOGS-CDG paradoxically also protect cells against infection by viruses. Now, scientists at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University have harnessed this unusual protective ability in a novel gene-editing strategy aimed at eliminating HIV-1 infection with no adverse effects on cell mortality. The new approach, described online April 28 in the journal Molecular Therapy – Nucleic Acids, is based on a combination of two gene-editing constructs, one that ...

About The Study: This survey study found that although there has been substantial policy attention around incentivizing COVID-19 vaccination, fewer than 1 in 10 vaccinated individuals in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults reported receiving an incentive. Most vaccinated respondents reported that an incentive did not make a difference in their decision-making to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Authors: Laura J. Faherty, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.H.P., of the RAND Corporation in Boston, is the corresponding author.  To access the ...

About The Study: In this decision analytical model, increased uptake of bivalent booster vaccination among eligible age groups was associated with decreased hospitalizations and school absenteeism in the pediatric population. These findings suggest that although COVID-19 prevention strategies often focus on older populations, the benefits of booster campaigns for children may be substantial.  Authors: Alison P. Galvani, Ph.D., of the Yale School of Public Health in New Haven, Connecticut, is the corresponding author.  To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this ...

About The Study: In this case-control surveillance study of more than 100,000 pregnancies, COVID-19 booster vaccination in pregnancy was not associated with spontaneous abortion. These findings support the safety of recommendations for COVID-19 booster vaccination, including in pregnant populations.  Authors: Elyse O. Kharbanda, M.D., M.P.H., of HealthPartners Institute in Minneapolis, 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.2023.14350) Editor’s ...

HealthPartners Institute researchers have published new data in JAMA Network Open that shows monovalent COVID-19 booster vaccinations administered in early pregnancy (before 20 weeks’ gestation) were not associated with miscarriage. The research adds to the growing understanding about the safety of COVID-19 booster vaccinations among people who are pregnant. The researchers analyzed data from more than 100,000 pregnancies between six and 19 weeks’ gestation from eight large health systems participating in the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD). The data was collected between Nov. ...

Biophysicists have designed a new cell-like transport system that represents an important milestone on the road to artificial cells. Creating artificial cells with life-like characteristics out of a minimal set of components is a major goal of synthetic biology. Autonomous motion is a key capability here, and one that is difficult to reproduce in the test tube. A team led by physicist Erwin Frey, Professor of Statistical and Biological Physics at LMU, and Petra Schwille from the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, has now made ...

Every year, more than 40,000 women die of ovarian cancer in Europe. Ovarian cancer is a genetically very heterogeneous disease, which makes it exceptionally difficult to study and treat. The prognosis is particularly poor in ovarian high grade serous carcinoma (HGSC), a subtype of ovarian cancer. Less than 40% of patients with this subtype survive five years after their diagnosis. The researchers were able to classify HGSC tumours into three groups on the basis of genomic changes. The groups differ in the intracellular signalling pathways, the ways in which the tumours grow, and response ...

The Collaborative Research Centre, to be known as HYP*MOL, will bring together 29 professors and early career researchers from both universities, as well as other external research partners, to study electron and nuclear spin hyperpolarization in molecular systems. “This funding is both a cause for celebration and a great incentive for everyone involved,” says Professor Eva Inés Obergfell, Rector of Leipzig University. “Hyperpolarization is an exciting and rapidly evolving field of research. I believe that our research team will contribute new insights that will be appreciated at an international level.” Leipzig University is now involved ...

The never-ending demand for carbon-rich fuels to drive the economy keeps adding more and more carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere. While efforts are being made to reduce CO2 emissions, that alone cannot counter the adverse effects of the gas already present in the atmosphere. So, scientists have come up with innovative ways to use existing atmospheric CO2 by transforming it into useful chemicals such as formic acid (HCOOH) and methanol. A popular method for carrying out such conversions is to use visible ...

Evolutionary reinforcement learning is an exciting frontier in machine learning, combining the strengths of two distinct approaches: reinforcement learning and evolutionary computation. In evolutionary reinforcement learning, an intelligent agent learns optimal strategies by actively exploring different approaches and receiving rewards for successful performance. This innovative paradigm combines reinforcement learning's trial-and-error learning with evolutionary algorithms' ability to mimic natural selection, ...