A collaboration between researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Duke University has developed a robotic eye examination system, and the National Institutes of Health has awarded the researchers $1.2 million to expand and refine the system. The researchers have developed a robotic system that automatically positions examination sensors to scan human eyes. It currently uses an optical scan technique which can operate from a reasonably safe distance from the eye, and now the researchers are working to add more features that will help it perform most steps of a standard eye exam. These features will require ...

There is a largely untapped energy source along the world’s coastlines: the difference in salinity between seawater and freshwater. A new nanodevice can harness this difference to generate power. A team of researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has reported a design for a nanofluidic device capable of converting ionic flow into usable electric power in the journal Nano Energy. The team believes that their device could be used to extract power from the natural ionic flows at seawater-freshwater boundaries. “While our design is still a concept at this stage, it is quite versatile and already ...

New Program Helps Health Professionals and Community Members Determine Health Risks and Create Medical Interventions for People Experiencing Homelessness   A consortium of population health professionals, physicians, frontline staff, and community partners in Toronto established the Community Assessment and Risk Evaluation (CARE) program, a rapid risk assessment and clinical population medicine intervention to respond to challenges faced by people experiencing homelessness (PEH). The intervention also helped characterize health needs and mitigate risks among this population. ...

The unique symposium, taking place 22-24 September 2023, is designed to highlight progress in the continuum of stem cell science from early development into clinical applications. Scientists from Latin America and across the globe are convening to share their latest stem cell research in areas such as pluripotency and early development and its adult counterpart, tissue stem cells and regeneration. Advances in understanding cellular plasticity through reprogramming and directed differentiation will be showcased as will the emerging field of tissue self-organization dynamics and innovative new technologies and tools that are driving the field forward. The program will be capped ...

A Texas A&M-led research team has discovered that a population of endangered red-crowned parrots is thriving in urban areas of South Texas. The parrots are a unique case, considering that many animal species are affected negatively by the expansion of human urban areas, which can lead to deforestation and pollution of natural habitats.  These mostly green parrots, which have a cluster of bright red feathers on their heads, are also an unusual example of a species that has adapted well in the face of poaching and the pet trade ...

“We have summarized some of our findings regarding the response of various subsets of CRC to kinase inhibitors [...].” BUFFALO, NY- September 22, 2023 – A new editorial paper was published in Oncoscience (Volume 10) on June 27, 2023, entitled, “Kinase-targeted therapy in subsets of colorectal cancer.” In this new editorial, researchers Patricia M. Gomez Barila and Jan Paul Medema from the University of Amsterdam and Amsterdam University Medical Centers discuss colorectal cancer (CRC) — one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Early diagnosis and adequate treatment are crucial ...

MIAMI, FLORIDA (Sept. 22, 2023) – Researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine found an association between “social determinants of health” and outcomes and survival in patients undergoing surgery and treatment for non-small cell lung cancer. The findings are based on a statistical scoring system the researchers developed that consolidates and analyzes several measures of socioeconomic status and related factors. “We believe our social determinants of health scoring system is the first to provide a composite perspective on many of the ...

A research team led by Prof. WANG Junxian from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) revealed a clumped, multi-component eclipsing absorber in a study of X-ray occultation events in the active galaxy NGC 6814. The results were published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society on Aug. 23. Active galactic nuclei have strong X-ray emission originating in a compact region near the supermassive black hole, the so-called corona region. When an absorbing ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Macrophages are little cells vital to the immune system and could possibly inform cell-based therapies for a variety of medical conditions. However, realizing the full potential of macrophage therapies relies on being able to see what these cellular allies are doing inside our bodies, and a team of Penn State researchers may have developed a way to watch them do their thing.   In a study published in the journal Small, the Penn State researchers report a novel ultrasound imaging technique to view macrophages continuously in mammal tissue, with potential for human ...

On August 23, 2023, a research team led by SHI Chaowei from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) published a paper titled "Fluoride permeation mechanism of the Fluc channel in liposomes revealed by solid-state NMR" in Science Advances. The team adopted the fluoride ion channel protein Fluc-Ec1 combined with deuterium substitution and 19F labeling methods, paving a new path for membrane protein nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) research. NMR not only provides insights into molecular structures ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Earth’s crust continued a slow process of reworking for billions of years, rather than rapidly slowing its growth some 3 billion years ago, according to a Penn State-led research team. The new finding contradicts existing theories that suggest the rapid formation of tectonic plates earlier in Earth’s history, researchers said. They published the research in Geochemical Perspectives Letters. The work may help answer a fundamental question about our planet and could hold clues as to the formation of other planets, according to lead author ...

How similar are dinosaurs to modern birds? This question is at the heart of a new study that examined how proteins found in dinosaur feathers changed over millions of years and under extreme heat. Previous studies suggest that dinosaur feathers contained proteins that made them less stiff than modern bird feathers. Now, researchers with University College Cork (UCC), the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Light Source (SSRL) at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and other institutions have discovered that dinosaur feathers originally had a very similar protein composition to those of modern birds. That result ...

A single brain is unfathomably complex. So brain researchers, whether they’re looking at datasets built from 300,000 neurons in 81 mice or from MRIs of 1,200 young adults, are now dealing with so much information that they must also come up with new methods to comprehend it. Developing new analysis tools has become as important as using them to understand brain health and development. A team including researchers at the University of Washington recently used new software to compare MRIs from 300 babies and discovered that myelin, a part of the brain’s so-called white matter, develops much slower after birth. The researchers published their findings Aug. ...

A clinical trial has launched to test whether early intensive immune modulation for hospitalized COVID-19 patients with relatively mild illness is beneficial. The placebo-controlled study, part of the global clinical trials consortium known as Strategies and Treatments for Respiratory Infections and Viral Emergencies (STRIVE), will enroll approximately 1,500 people at research sites around the world. It is supported by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in partnership with NIH’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). Immune ...

PHILADELPHIA – A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) identifies five factors that Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) researchers say reflect public assessments of science and are associated with public support for increasing funding of science and support for federal funding of basic research. These factors are whether science and scientists are perceived to be credible and prudent, and whether their work is perceived to be untainted by bias, self-correcting, and beneficial. Drawing on 13 questions in APPC’s 2022 nationally representative ...

 A new editorial published in the Heart and Mind journal proposes an innovative systems medicine approach to address the epidemic of clinician burnout and holistically improve clinician mental health and wellbeing (Heart and Mind: September 18, 2023. | DOI: 10.4103/hm.HM-D-23-00013, published ahead of print). In the US and globally, clinician burnout has reached epidemic levels, with over 50% of physicians and healthcare providers reporting symptoms. Besides impairing quality of life, burnout increases risk of mental health disorders, cardiovascular disease and impaired ...

LAWRENCE — It’s an Ice Age mystery that’s been debated for decades among anthropologists: Exactly when and how did the flow of Homo sapiens in Eurasia happen? Did a cold snap or a warming spell drive early human movement from Africa into Europe and Asia? A new study appearing in Science Advances compares Pleistocene vegetation communities around Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia, to the oldest archeological traces of Homo sapiens in the region. The researchers use the “remarkable evidence” to tell a compelling story from 45,000-50,000 years ago with new detail: how the first humans migrated across ...

Most healthcare facilities in many Low- and Middle-income Countries (LMICs) are unprepared to treat patients with cardiovascular diseases – despite these conditions leading to millions of people dying prematurely every year, a new study reveals. Experts analysed health survey data from eight LMICs across four World Health Organisation world regions to discover that most facilities are unprepared to deliver services to treat or manage cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVDRF) such as diabetes and hypertension. However, the increased ...

Africa is the birthplace of modern humans and the continent with the highest level of genetic diversity. While ancient DNA studies are revealing some aspects of the genetic structure of Africa before the spread of food production, issues concerning DNA preservation have limited the insights from ancient DNA. Hoping to find clues in modern populations, researchers from a Portuguese-Angolan TwinLab ventured into the Angolan Namib desert – a remote, multi-ethnic region where different traditions met. “We were able to locate groups which were thought to have disappeared more than 50 years ago”, states Jorge ...

UC San Diego Health has been recognized as a top performer in the 2023 Bernard A. Birnbaum, MD, Quality Leadership Ranking by Vizient, Inc. for its excellence in delivering high-quality patient care. This achievement represents the fifth consecutive year that UC San Diego Health has been ranked among the top ten academic health systems in the United States. “This incredible accomplishment is a direct result of the exceptional care provided each day by our multidisciplinary teams throughout our health system,” said Patty Maysent, CEO of UC San Diego Health. “We are extremely proud to have achieved this national honor now for five years in a row, which ...

Louisiana Cancer Research Center (LCRC) Associate Director of Administration Sven Davisson has been appointed to the board of the Association of Independent Research Institutes (AIRI).   During his two-year term, Davisson will serve as the organization’s treasurer. He has served the organization in various roles since 2012.  AIRI is a national association of independent, not-for-profit biomedical and behavioral research institutes whose mission is to enhance the ability of its members to improve human health and advance knowledge through networking, education, and involvement in the development of science ...

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have made an important finding about Aedes aegypti mosquitoes—one that could one day lead to better methods for reducing the mosquito-to-human transmission of dengue, yellow fever, Zika, and other harmful and sometimes deadly viruses. Ae. aegypti mosquitoes do not succumb to these viruses when infected and continue to move and feed normally. As such, the ...

A new study, modeling the potential of solar-powered vehicles in the urban context in 100 cities across the world, shows that solar energy provides a range between 11 and 29 km per day, reducing charging needs by half. Despite the rapid adoption of electric vehicles, the transport sector is still responsible for around a third of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions worldwide. Therefore, to achieve decarbonization targets, it is required to significantly decrease the emissions associated with mobility. Integrating photovoltaic modules into ...

Like many collectors of L.P. records, James Fitzgerald’s brother-in-law has a favorite store where he consistently finds the best vinyl for his collection. But there are times when he spends hours at the store and comes up empty. He also knows that occasionally he should venture to the record store on the other side of town, where he sometimes scores a hard-to-find gem that was stocked since his last visit. Fitzgerald’s brother-in-law is making a calculation: weighing probable outcomes to guide his behavior. His favorite record store ...

AMHERST, Mass.—An interdisciplinary team led by University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers has been awarded $1.14 million over four years by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a revolutionary way of tracking body movements, with a primary application in stroke survivors’ rehabilitation and huge potential for future applications across a wide range of disciplines, health-related and beyond.   More than 795,000 Americans suffer from strokes annually, and nearly 80% of stroke survivors experience some degree ...