DURHAM, N.H. — Corporate initiatives focused on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) for vulnerable social groups can change a company in many ways. According to researchers at the University of New Hampshire, how DEI affects a business’ bottom line may depend on the presidential administration and the general public’s perception at the time. They found that DEI initiatives put in place to support a specific social group during a presidential administration perceived as unfriendly to a particular issue related to that community resulted in higher stock prices than during a presidency that had a better relationship ...

Broadcasters should avoid focusing on alcohol in crowd shots during major sporting events, such as this summer’s Women’s World Cup final, say researchers. In a new commentary published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (JRSM), researchers from the Technological University of the Shannon and the University of Galway in the Republic of Ireland suggest that the ‘thorny issue of alcohol’ detracted from the success of the record-breaking tournament. The authors, Dr Frank Houghton ...

In 2009, a mysterious fungus emerged seemingly from out of thin air, targeting the most vulnerable among us. It sounds like Hollywood, but the fungus in question poses a very real threat. Scientists are scrambling to figure out what makes the life-threatening fungus Candida auris tick--and why even the best infection control protocols in hospitals and other care settings often fail to get rid of it. Researchers at U-M have zeroed in on C. auris’ uncanny ability to stick to everything from skin to catheters and made a startling discovery. The investigative team, led by Teresa O’Meara, Ph.D. of the U-M Medical School Department of Microbiology and ...

Parkinson's disease is a complex neurodegenerative disorder that leads to the deterioration of specific types of neurons in the brain, resulting in a number of motor and non-motor symptoms. It is currently estimated that more than 10 million people in the world are living with Parkinson’s disease, the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s. That number is expected to swell up to 14 million by 2040 in what is being referred to as the Parkinson’s pandemic. One of the key events in Parkinson's disease is the accumulation of a protein called alpha-synuclein inside neurons. That accumulation disrupts the normal functioning ...

A new wearables study tracking over 25,000 people provides the best evidence yet that short bouts of incidental activity, the kind we do as part of daily living, could reduce risk of heart attack, stroke and even premature death – but the length of activity and intensity matters. “From walking up the stairs to speedily mopping the floors; in recent years we’ve come to understand that it is not just structured exercise that is good for our health, but we know very little about how these short bouts of incidental activity translate to health benefits,” said the study’s senior author Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis from the University ...

Young people who are in higher education in England face a small increased risk of depression and anxiety, compared to their peers who are not attending higher education, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The research paper, published in The Lancet Public Health, is the first to find evidence of higher levels of depression and anxiety among higher education students compared with their peers. The authors found that by age 25, the difference had disappeared between graduates and non-graduates. Lead author Dr Gemma Lewis (UCL Psychiatry) said: “In recent years in the UK we have seen an increase in mental ...

September 28, 2023 – Recently popularized utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) with "side-by-side" passenger seating are associated with higher rates of severe hand injuries when compared to traditional all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), reports a study in the October issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.  "Our study finds much higher rates of mutilating hand injuries and amputations associated with side-by-side UTVs, compared to ATVs," comments ASPS Member Surgeon Shaun D. Mendenhall, ...

University of Toronto (U of T) researchers have found that cancer cells can enhance tumor growth by hijacking enhancer DNA normally used when tissues and organs are formed. The mechanism, called enhancer reprogramming, occurs in bladder, uterine, breast and lung cancer, and could cause these types of tumors to grow faster in patients. Published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research, the results also pinpoint the role that specific proteins play in regulating the enhancer region which may lead to improved treatments for these cancer types. Living cells, even cancer cells, follow instructions in the genome to turn genes on and off in different ...

The West’s electrical grid is a 136,000-mile patchwork of transmission lines connecting two Canadian provinces, 11 Western states and pieces of three others, serving 80 million people. While it drives a vital and growing piece of the U.S. economy, this fragile network remains vulnerable to increasingly extreme weather and wildfire risks, according to Masood Parvania, an associate professor of electrical and computing engineering at the University of Utah’s John and Marcia Price College of Engineering. “These ...

Key takeaways Two-thirds of white Americans believe that Black Americans do not experience racism or racial inequities in health care. UCLA psychologists exposed white study participants to the well-documented history of medical-related mistreatment of Black Americans. Subsequently, white participants were more likely to adopt a new perspective and support policies aimed at reducing racial disparities in health care. Being exposed to some of the many historical incidences of anti-Black racism in American health care can contribute to ...

Maximum Academic Press (MAP) is pleased to announce that 11 more journals including Circular Agricultural Systems, Food Innovation and Advances, Food Materials Research, Fruit Research, Grass Research, Medicinal Plant Biology, Ornamental Plant Research, Seed Biology, Technology in Horticulture, Tropical Plants and Vegetable Research have achieved a significant milestone by being indexed in the CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International) database. Previously, Beverage Plant Research, Forestry Research and Studies in ...

Numerous studies have shown that leading a fulfilling and satisfying life may improve cognitive function by encouraging health-protective behaviors such as physical activity and reduced stress. Many of these studies assess this relationship from a population level, rather than among individuals. But a closer look within the general population suggests that life satisfaction may not have a positive effect on all people, according to a new study led by Boston University School of Public Health researchers. Published in the journal SSM – Mental Health, the ...

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – For some families, the year after childbirth may not only mean loads of diapers but stacks of unpaid medical bills as well. Postpartum individuals are more likely to have medical debt than those who are pregnant, suggests a new Michigan Medicine led study that evaluated collections among a statewide commercially insured cohort of 14,560 pregnant people and 12,157 people in the postpartum period. “Our findings suggest that current out-of-pocket costs before and after childbirth ...

Experimental researchers often find themselves of two minds when interacting with the public. On one side, researchers gather knowledge and test hypotheses based on participants’ responses. On the other side, they use their own knowledge and expertise to engage and educate the public about topics of public concern related to their science. Abby Walker, associate professor of linguistics in the Department of English at Virginia Tech, and her collaborator secured a National Science Foundation ...

September 28, 2023 – Women undergoing autologous breast reconstruction – in which the breast is reconstructed using the patient's own tissues– report higher satisfaction with their breasts at follow-up, compared to those undergoing implant-based reconstruction, reports a study in a special October supplement to Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.  "The findings were unexpected, since autologous ...

The National Alliance against Disparities in Patient Health (NADPH) presents a Roundtable Discussion on the topic of embedding ethics and equity into artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) infrastructure. The expert panel discussion is published in the peer-reviewed journal Big Data. Click here to read the article now.  Moderating the Roundtable Discussion is Malaika Simmons, MSHE, Chief Operating Officer of NADPH. The expert panelists include Rachele Hendricks-Sturrup, DHSc, Chief Data Governance Officer and Project Director, NADPH, Gabriella Waters, Director of Research and Operations, Center for Equitable AI and Machine Learning Systems, Director of the ...

WASHINGTON (Sept. 28, 2023) — Grandmother was right: Scrubbing behind the ears and between the toes may help keep the skin in those regions healthy, or so says a new study by a team at the George Washington University.    The microbiome, or the collection of microbes living on and in the human body, are known to play a role in human health and the skin is no different. A new study by a team at the George Washington University has shown that the composition of the skin microbiome varies across dry, moist and oily regions of the skin.   Researchers ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Every person hosts trillions of microorganisms, like bacteria and viruses, on their skin and in organs including those that make up the digestive tract, like their mouth, that collectively make up their microbiome. Microbiome research can lead to medical breakthroughs to treat diseases like inflammatory bowel syndrome and diabetes. According to Laura Weyrich, associate professor of anthropology and bioethics at Penn State, microbiome samples from Indigenous communities have played an important role in furthering Western ...

URBANA, Ill. – Family mealtimes are important for parents and children as a space to communicate, socialize, and build attachment relationships. But it can be difficult for busy parents to balance family and work life. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explores how parents’ job stress influences their attendance at family mealtimes, and in turn, children’s socioemotional development. “We all struggle to maintain the balance between work life and family life. But this might ...

Forget walking 10,000 steps a day. Taking at least 50 steps climbing stairs each day could significantly slash your risk of heart disease, according to a new study from Tulane University. The study, published in Atherosclerosis, found that climbing more than five flights of stairs daily could reduce risk of cardiovascular disease by 20%. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) along with coronary artery disease and stroke are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. “Short bursts of high-intensity stair climbing are a time-efficient ...

The first ethical framework for conducting human research on commercial spaceflight was proposed today in an article in Science by an international team that included Hastings Center president Vardit Ravitsky. Ravitsky’s contribution focused on promoting diversity among the researchers and participants, which is essential to ensuring the research benefits society at large. Human research on commercial spaceflight is expected to expand significantly in the near future, and yet there are no rules for ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – New research suggests that ultrasound may have potential in treating a group of harmful chemicals known as PFAS to eliminate them from contaminated groundwater.   Invented nearly a century ago, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, also known as “forever chemicals,” were once widely used to create products such as cookware, waterproof clothing and personal care items. Today, scientists understand that exposure to PFAS can cause a number of human health issues such as birth defects and cancer. But because the bonds inside these chemicals don’t break down easily, they’re notoriously ...

Bottom Line: Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) reduced the risk of severe infections by 90% in patients with multiple myeloma undergoing treatment with an anti-BCMA bispecific antibody. Journal in Which the Study was Published: Blood Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Author: Guido Lancman, MD, a clinical associate at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre of the University Health Network and an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Toronto Background: Bispecific antibodies targeting the BCMA ...

In a groundbreaking study, a research team led by Changhu Xue and Xiangzhao Mao from the Ocean University of China has developed a remarkable double-layer polysaccharide hydrogel (DPH) that promises to revolutionize the field of intestine-targeted oral delivery of probiotics. The team’s findings, published in Engineering, demonstrate the potential of DPH to enhance the bioavailability, intestinal colonization, and overall effectiveness of probiotics in treating various diseases. The research team’s study focused on addressing the challenges posed by the harsh gastrointestinal environment and the short retention ...

New guidelines are needed to assure that research on human subjects performed on commercial spaceflights is conducted ethically, a panel of experts say in a commentary appearing in the September 28 issue of the journal Science. Their paper is titled Ethically cleared to launch? Private companies are expected to fly thousands of people into space in the coming decades. Those aboard will include workers and passengers who will have the opportunity to participate in research studies. Such research is not only essential to assure the safety of future space travelers but often also addresses critical issues of human health in general. Buț ...