ROCKVILLE, Md.—After adding follow-up years, increased sample sizes and examining multiple surgical procedures, new research shows bariatric surgery is associated with lower all-cancer and obesity-related cancer incidence among females. The research also found that cancer mortality was significantly lower among female surgical patients compared to non-surgical subjects, according to a new study in Obesity, The Obesity Society’s (TOS) flagship journal. Although population studies have established a positive association between body mass index and cancer incidence, less clear is whether voluntary ...

Amsterdam, Netherlands – 22 Aug 2023: Heart attack patients who do not take daily aspirin have an elevated likelihood of recurrent myocardial infarction, stroke or death compared with those who consistently take the drug, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2023.1 “Our findings suggest that not taking aspirin as prescribed after a heart attack is linked to a higher risk of having another heart attack, a stroke or dying,” said study author Dr. Anna Meta Kristensen of Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital. Frederiksberg, Denmark. ...

Amsterdam, Netherlands – 22 Aug 2023: Recognising and acting on heart attack symptoms is linked with faster life-saving treatment, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2023.1 “Patients with a repeat heart attack were more likely to know the symptoms than first-time sufferers, but recognition was low in both groups,” said study author Dr. Kyehwan Kim of Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju, Republic of Korea. “Most patients could identify chest pain but less than one-third knew the other symptoms.” Heart attack symptoms can include chest pain, radiating pain to the arms, jaw and neck, dizziness, ...

Amsterdam, Netherlands – 22 Aug 2023: A study in more than 15,000 people has found that physical fitness is linked with a lower likelihood of developing atrial fibrillation and stroke. The research is presented at ESC Congress 2023.1 Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disorder, affecting more than 40 million people worldwide.2 It is estimated that one in three Europeans will develop atrial fibrillation in their lifetime. Patients with the condition have a five-fold higher risk of stroke ...

When animals settle in new environments, or when their natural habitats are rapidly changed by human influence, their behaviors change. One such behavioral change that has been observed in several bird species that settled in cities is increased aggression, born out of the need to defend territories. City-living sparrows have, due to lower species density, fewer encounters with their kin than in the countryside. Yet, urban song sparrows have been shown to be consistently more aggressive in defending their territories. Now, a team of researchers in the US has investigated the effects of urbanization and the associated ...

Osaka, Japan – How is a donut similar to a coffee cup? This question often serves as an illustrative example to explain the concept of topology. Topology is a field of mathematics that examines the properties of objects that remain consistent even when they are stretched or deformed—provided they are not torn or stitched together. For instance, both a donut and a coffee cup have a single hole. This means, theoretically, if either were pliable enough, it could be reshaped into the other. This ...

By increasing the diversity of indigenous plants in urban areas, researchers from the University of Melbourne have seen a seven times increase in the number of insect species in just three years, confirming the ecological benefits of urban greening projects. The findings are published in the British Ecological Society journal, Ecological Solutions and Evidence. The study, conducted in a small greenspace in the City of Melbourne, found that an increase in the diversity and complexity of plant communities leads to a large increase in insect biodiversity, a greater ...

Everyday symbols like &?!#@$ are highly memorable, according to new research. The new study led by the University of Waterloo aimed to investigate how well symbols are remembered compared to words with the same meaning.  “Our work is ground-breaking as it highlights how humans remember graphic symbols and logos,” said Myra Fernandes, co-author and professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at Waterloo. “Symbols are particularly useful as they can be used as logos in advertising, as well as offer a faster ...

In 2010, the U.S. government announced a multi-billion-dollar plan to improve the energy efficiency of its buildings, including a focus on LEED certification. Used worldwide, LEED—Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design—is a system that rates buildings on energy efficiency. A new study examined the effects of LEED certification on energy efficiency in federal buildings. The study found no effect on average energy consumption, primarily because many other factors come into play when rating energy. The study, by researchers ...

Korea is regarded as a “water-stressed nation.”  Although the country receives an annual precipitation of approximately 1,300mm, it is characterized by concentrated periods and specific regions, thereby giving rise to challenges stemming from water scarcity. The lack of drinking water extends beyond mere inconvenience, posing life-threatening implications for certain individuals. In March 2023, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released a report highlighting the plight of roughly 190 million children in Africa who suffer from an absence of safe water, resulting in the tragic daily loss of 1,000 children under the age of five. Nations across the globe ...

Early data on activities that will be unsafe to undertake in automated vehicles has been released. From doing work to watching the world, from social media to resting – preliminary results are in. Research led by RMIT University looked at what happens if a driver is suddenly required to take control of an automated vehicle, such as in an emergency. The series of papers examines how experience and three types of distractions (work, social media and rest) impacted on the driver’s ability to respond. Study lead author in the School of Engineering, Dr Neng Zhang, said ...

The REIMAGINE study, published today in BMJ Oncology, is the first study to use MRI scans with prostate specific antigen (PSA) density to assess the need for further standard NHS tests. Of the 29 participants found to have serious prostate cancer, 15 had a ‘low’ PSA score that would have meant they were not referred for further investigation under the current system. Currently, men over 50 in the UK can ask for a PSA test if they are experiencing symptoms or are concerned about prostate cancer. ...

Relatively short-term use of immunosuppressant medications to control an inflammatory disease was not associated with an increased risk of later developing cancer, according to new research led by scientists at the University of Pittsburgh and Mass Eye and Ear, a member of the Mass General Brigham health care system, and published today in the journal BMJ Oncology. The findings should provide reassurance to patients and clinicians who may hesitate to prescribe the medications because they are known to increase the risk of cancer in people who ...

**Embargoed until 23.30 [UK time] / 6.30pm [ET] Monday, August 21, 2023** Peer-reviewed / Systematic review and meta-analysis The Lancet: New study reveals the most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis, affects 15% of the global population over the age of 30 Aging, population growth, and obesity are key drivers ●  By 2050, nearly 1 billion people are projected to have osteoarthritis. ●  Obesity is a major contributor to osteoarthritis. In 2020, obesity was responsible for approximately 20% of the disability of osteoarthritis. ●  Osteoarthritis increases with age. For ages 70+, the condition ranked seventh among causes ...

Researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute identified potential new treatment options for people with endometrial cancer. Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological cancer and high levels of estrogen promote its development. The study, published in Molecular Cancer Research discovered that estrogen receptor mutations found in endometrial cancers cause large changes in endometrial cancer cells. Estrogen is a reproductive hormone that binds and activates estrogen receptors. Cancer can cause estrogen receptors to remain in a state of constant activity. That increases shedding of the endometrial ...

UC Davis MIND Institute researchers have received a $4.7 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Mental Health to study a child-focused autism intervention in community agencies. The Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) is a comprehensive intervention for autistic children ages 1-4. It addresses all areas of development and emphasizes communication and social interaction through everyday activities. ESDM was tested in research studies at the MIND Institute and shown to improve communication skills and daily living skills. The new grant will allow MIND Institute experts to train behavior analysts in community agencies to use the model, to see if it is effective ...

A University of Texas at Arlington researcher is constructing an open-networked airborne computing platform to enable unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to help first responders better coordinate their efforts during emergency or disaster responses. UT Arlington also is developing a universal plug-in hardware unit that can fit into any UAV to allow for this computing platform to be used. The National Science Foundation (NSF) is funding the research through a $1.8 million grant to UTA, University of ...

MADISON – The world needs greener ways to make chemicals. In a new study, University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers demonstrate one potential path toward this goal by adapting hydrogen fuel cell technologies. These technologies are already used to power some electric vehicles, laptops and cell phones. "The chemical industry is a massive energy consumer, and there is a big push to decarbonize the industry,” says Shannon Stahl, a professor in the UW–Madison Department of Chemistry who guided much of the research. “Renewable electricity can provide energy to produce chemicals with a much lower carbon footprint than burning fossil fuels.” The ...

Since the 17th century, when Isaac Newton and Christiaan Huygens first debated the nature of light, scientists have been puzzling over whether light is best viewed as a wave or a particle — or perhaps, at the quantum level, even both at once. Now, researchers at Stevens Institute of Technology have revealed a new connection between the two perspectives, using a 350-year-old mechanical theorem — ordinarily used to describe the movement of large, physical objects like pendulums and planets — to explain some ...

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – In the middle of the last century, physicists found that protons can resonate, much like a ringing bell. Advances over the last three decades have led to 3D pictures of the proton and significant insight into its structure in its ground state. But little is known about the 3D structure of the resonating proton. Now, an experiment to explore the 3D structures of resonances of protons and neutrons at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility has added one more puzzle piece to the vast ...

Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 21 August 2023 Annals of Internal Medicine Tip Sheet @Annalsofim Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on their own behalf, but also on behalf of the organization they represent. ---------------------------- 1. Some experts believe that routine mask-wearing should continue in health ...

DETROIT – Wanqing Liu, Ph.D., professor of pharmaceutical sciences in the Wayne State University Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and of pharmacology in Wayne State’s School of Medicine, received a $3 million, five-year award from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health. The study, “Interaction between Genome and Heavy Metals in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease,” aims to discover and validate the gene Х heavy metal (GXM) interactions in human livers ...

New Haven, Conn. — For many, the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic seems over. However, for patients whose immune systems are compromised by cancer or by cancer therapies, fear of COVID-19 infection and severe disease remains very real. Currently, CDC guidance recommends that immunocompromised patients receive COVID-19 booster shots “as needed.” While this flexibility is useful for patients with complex medical conditions, more specific guidance is lacking as to when additional COVID-19 boosting would be most effective.  New ...

“Our findings may provide a useful therapeutic approach for treating breast cancer patients who may suffer from early relapse and intrinsic resistance.”  BUFFALO, NY- August 16, 2023 – A new editorial paper was published in Oncotarget's Volume 14 on June 12, 2023, entitled, “Are cis-spliced fusion proteins pathological in more aggressive luminal breast cancer?” A vast majority of breast cancers (~70%) are estrogen receptor-alpha positive (ER+), for which endocrine therapy is the common ...

Markers that indicate the presence of Parkinson’s disease in patients on average seven years before clinical presentation have been identified by a UCL and Moorfields Eye Hospital research team. This is the first time anyone has shown these findings several years before diagnosis, and these results were made possible by the largest study to date on retinal imaging in Parkinson’s disease. The study, published today in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, identified markers of Parkinson’s in eye scans with the help of artificial ...