EMBARGO UNTIL 6 A.M. EST, WEDNESDAY AUG. 28, 2024.   In-person contact helps lead to lower levels of loneliness in older people, but other ways of staying in touch, such as phoning, emailing or texting, are not as effective in lowering loneliness, a team of researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Michigan have found. The findings, out today in the The Journals of Gerontology: Series B Psychological Science, have implications for the health and well-being of many older people. “We were interested to see how older adults react ...

The renewable raw material wood is climate-neutral and at the same time light and strong, making it fundamentally attractive for use in vehicle manufacturing. One challenge to date has been joining the wood and the other materials in the vehicle, such as metals and polymer composites, in a robust way. The research team led by Sergio Amancio from the Institute of Materials Science, Joining and Forming of Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) - Gean Marcatto, Awais Awan, Willian Carvalho and Stefan Herbst - has now successfully tested two techniques by which extremely strong joints can be achieved without using adhesives or screws. ...

London, United Kingdom – 28 August 2024: New research presented at this year’s ESC Congress 2024 in London, UK (30 Aug – 2 Sept) shows that performing echocardiograms remotely using a 5G cellular network has similar accuracy to those performed in person by cardiologists.   “Comprehensive echocardiographic exam with a 5G cellular network and robotic arm-based remote system is feasible with relatively good diagnostic accuracy,” said study author Dr Yu Liu, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, China.   Echocardiography is the test-of-choice for the ...

London, United Kingdom – 28 August 2024: New research presented at this year’s ESC Congress 2024 in London, UK (30 Aug – 2 Sept) shows that, among patients admitted to the intensive cardiac care unit (ICCU), those with a recent history of recreational drug use are three times more likely than those with no history to experience a repeat serious cardiovascular event within one year.   “Among patients admitted to the intensive cardiac care unit (ICCU), systematic screening for recreational drugs evidenced a significant prevalence ...

KANSAS CITY, MO—August 28, 2024—Humans must regulate blood sugar concentrations to stay healthy and to fuel our cells. Too little or too much can cause serious health complications, and high blood sugar is a hallmark of the metabolic condition, diabetes. New research from the Stowers Institute for Medical Research may enable potential solutions to metabolic disease by turning to evolution and to bats. Recently published in Nature Ecology and Evolution on August 28, 2024, the study led by co-first authors Postdoctoral Research Associate Jasmin Camacho, Ph.D., and former Stowers researcher Andrea Bernal-Rivera from the lab of Stowers ...

Organic redox-active molecules (ORAMs) are abundant and diverse, offering significant potential for cost-effective and sustainable energy storage, particularly in aqueous organic flow batteries (AOFBs). However, ensuring the stability of the ORAMs during the charge and discharge process is critical, as side reactions can deactivate them and eliminate their redox activity. Air stability remains a challenge for many ORAMs, complicating their practical use. Recently, a research group led by Prof. LI Xianfeng and Prof. ZHANG Changkun from ...

Imperial College London press release    Under strict embargo until:  Wednesday 28 August 2024  10am UK time/5am Eastern    Study finds limits to storing CO2 underground to combat climate change  Imperial research has found limits to how quickly we can scale up technology to store gigatonnes of carbon dioxide under the Earth’s surface.  Current international scenarios for limiting global warming to less than 1.5 degrees by the end of the century rely on technologies that remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the Earth’s atmosphere faster than humans release it. This means removing ...

Pain may be the most prevalent and severe symptom reported by individuals with long Covid, according to a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers. The study, published in JRSM Open, analysed data from over 1,000 people in England and Wales who logged their symptoms on an app between November 2020 and March 2022. Pain, including headache, joint pain and stomach pain, was the most common symptom, reported by 26.5% of participants. The other most common symptoms were neuropsychological ...

[Vienna, August 26 2024] – Since the end of the last Ice Age, growth of human population was far from uniform, marked instead by periods of rapid expansion followed by sharp declines. The reasons behind these fluctuations remain only partially understood. Previous research by CSH scientists Peter Turchin, Daniel Kondor, and an international team of collaborators, demonstrated that social conflicts, rather than – or in addition to – environmental factors, could have significantly impacted these patterns. Now, they add another piece to the puzzle. Wars and conflicts not only cause direct casualties but also create an atmosphere of distress ...

A new paper in the Journal of Public Health, published by Oxford University Press, finds that highlighting the harms of not getting vaccinated is a more effective message than emphasizing the benefits of vaccination for individual patients or the benefits to public health. Vaccination remains the most economical and effective public health strategy for reducing morbidity and mortality. But some vaccines, such as those for flu, pneumonia and HPV, are given voluntarily. Often due to misinformation or ignorance many people are reluctant to get vaccinated for various diseases (or to vaccinate their children). For years researchers have been investigating various strategies ...

Periodontal disease is an inflammatory disease caused by a periodontal pathogenic bacteria infection that affects oral and internal health. Good oral care is essential for prevention, but most over-the-counter oral hygiene products are disinfectants that can be highly irritating. This makes them unsuitable for use by young children and the elderly, who are susceptible to periodontal disease. To find an antibacterial that is easy to use and effective in preventing periodontal disease at all ages, Professor Shigeki Kamitani of Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate School of Human Life and Ecology led a research team in verifying the antibacterial effect of seven ...

Since their release, AI tools like ChatGPT have had a huge impact on content creation. In schools and universities, a debate about whether these tools should be allowed or prohibited is ongoing. Now, researchers in Sweden have investigated the relationship between adolescents’ EF and their use and perceived usefulness of generative AI chatbots for schoolwork. They published their results in Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence. “Students with more EF challenges found these tools particularly useful, especially for completing assignments,” said Johan Klarin, a school psychologist and research assistant at the Department of Psychology ...

Researchers have made a significant breakthrough in the development of catalysts for the electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (eNO₃RR) to ammonia, a process that has broad implications for sustainable energy, agriculture, and industrial applications. Ammonia, a critical component in global food production, also holds promise as a zero-carbon fuel due to its high energy density, clean combustion products, and established infrastructure for storage and transportation. However, the current method of producing ...

Indigenous students pursuing nursing careers at the University of Arizona College of Nursing will benefit from additional financial support thanks to a $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Indian Health Service. The grant will fund the successful Indians in Nursing: Career Advancement and Transition Scholars, or INCATS, program for another five years. The program provides Indigenous students at the U of A College of Nursing with financial support for tuition, fees and a living stipend. Additionally, the grant provides resources for dedicated time and personnel to partner with tribal ...

How does one species become two? If you’re a biologist, that’s a loaded question. The consensus is that, in most cases, the process of speciation occurs when individuals from a single population become geographically isolated. If they remain separate long enough, they lose the ability to interbreed. A new study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences demonstrates what happens when a less common form of speciation occurs. Rather than being separated by a physical barrier, such as a mountain range or an ocean, members of a species can become ...

UVDF Funding, Henna Henna Secures $30,000 from PSU’s University Venture Development Fund to Enhance AI Fairness & Safety Portland, OR – August 13, 2024 – Henna, a startup with deep ties to Portland State University (PSU), has successfully secured $30,000 in funding from the University Venture Development Fund (UVDF). This grant will support Henna's mission to make AI adoption fairer and safer. Henna was founded earlier this year by Arsh Haque (they/them), Chair of the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion ...

Work has started on a new Quantum Communications Hub Optical Ground Station (HOGS), a state-of-the-art telescope which is being built on Heriot-Watt University’s Research Park. The new facility will demonstrate and test satellite quantum secure communications, maintaining and growing the UK’s strength in the field of quantum technologies. It is scheduled to be fully operational by late Autumn [2024]. As well as helping to tackle future cyberattacks by researching methods to send secure transmissions via satellites, it will unlock new research on space environmentalism alongside innovative R&D activities for future laser communication ...

New York, NY – The State University of New York Board of Trustees today appointed Dr. David Troilo as president of SUNY College of Optometry. He is the 4th president to serve the state’s only college of optometry, following the retirement of Dr. David A. Heath after 17 years of dedicated service to the campus. Dr. Troilo’s appointment is effective immediately.   The SUNY Board of Trustees said, “SUNY College of Optometry is a center of research and academic excellence, and Dr. Troilo is a collaborative and thoughtful leader who is ready to move the campus forward growing ...

A new applied mathematical theory could enhance our understanding of how sea ice affects global climate, potentially improving the accuracy of climate predictions. The authors of a new paper published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society A on 28 August, offer new insights into how heat travels through sea ice, a crucial factor in regulating Earth's polar climate. Dr Noa Kraitzman, Senior Lecturer in Applied Mathematics at Macquarie University and lead author of the study, says the research addresses a key gap in current climate modelling. “Sea ice covers about 15 per cent of the ocean’s surface during ...

Individuals with type 2 diabetes who are at higher risk of certain cancers could be identified by a simple blood test, this year’s Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) (Madrid, 9-13 September) will hear. People with type 2 diabetes are known to be at higher risk of developing cancers associated with obesity (OR cancers), including breast, kidney, womb, thyroid and ovarian cancer, as well as gastrointestinal cancers, including colorectal and pancreatic ...

The University of Texas School of Public Health San Antonio (UT School of Public Health San Antonio), a collaboration between The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) and The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), proudly welcomes its inaugural class and the official launch of the region’s first Master of Public Health (MPH) graduate degree program. Beginning Monday, Aug. 26, the first cohort of 40 students will attended classes at the new UT School of Public Health San Antonio, located on the Greehey Campus at UT Health San Antonio. Many of the students in the program ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Even before the coronavirus pandemic, high rates of burnout and staffing shortages plagued the nursing industry, primarily because of the stressful demands of the job. The COVID-19 pandemic only amplified these challenges, and with nearly a third of all Missouri nurses nearing retirement, improving nurse retention is key to avoiding an impending nursing workforce crisis in our state. Despite dozens of studies proving burnout is an issue, few provide interventions to help nurses — and their patients — overcome its challenges. A recent study by the University of Missouri has found that ...

The Cascadia subduction zone in the Pacific Northwest has a history of producing powerful and destructive earthquakes that have sunk forests and spawned tsunamis that reached all the way to the shores of Japan. The most recent great earthquake was in 1700. But it probably won’t be the last. And the area that stands to be affected is now bustling metropolises that are home to millions of people.   Figuring out the frequency of earthquakes – and when the next “big one” will happen – is an active scientific question that involves looking for signs of past earthquakes in the geologic record in the form of shaken up rocks, ...

With the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games just around the corner, the extensive training and the sacrifices athletes make to compete at the games take centre stage. For Paralympians and high-performance athletes with spinal cord injuries (SCI), assessing chronic pain plays a key role in their training and readiness to compete. However, the source of chronic pain is often misattributed to acute trauma or overuse injuries. While the International Olympic Committee acknowledges pain management data among Paralympians and athletes with disabilities is limited, few studies have been launched investigating this dilemma. Now, new research from UBC Okanagan highlights the need for more comprehensive ...

URBANA, Ill. – In the agricultural and food industry, determining the chemical composition of raw materials is important for production efficiency, application, and price. Traditional laboratory testing is time-consuming, complicated, and expensive. New research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign demonstrates that near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and machine learning can provide quick, accurate, and cost-effective product analysis. In two studies, the researchers explore the use of NIR spectroscopy for analyzing characteristics of corn kernels and sorghum biomass. “NIR spectroscopy has many advantages over traditional methods. ...