ATLANTA — Researchers using Georgia State University’s Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) Array have identified new details about the size and appearance of the North Star, also known as Polaris. The new research is published in The Astrophysical Journal. Earth’s North Pole points to a direction in space marked by the North Star. Polaris is both a navigation aid and a remarkable star in its own right. It is the brightest member of a triple-star system and is a pulsating variable star. Polaris gets brighter and fainter periodically as the star’s diameter ...

University of Louisville researchers have received $3.6 million in new grant funding to study the role of arsenic exposure in causing cancer and other major health concerns. And, they think there’s a simple, off-the-shelf solution — zinc — that could help prevent some of its worst effects.  Arsenic is highly poisonous and occurs naturally in some rocks and soil. As a result, the most common source of exposure is drinking contaminated water, particularly ground water from private wells. More than 43 million people in the U.S. alone get their water from private wells, including many in areas of Kentucky that may be contaminated ...

The last two decades have been fraught for the policing profession, with police facing internal and external challenges to their public safety and legitimacy mandates. Much more research, analysis, and insights into policing are needed to inform policy, practice, and reforms in law enforcement and to achieve evidence-based policing. To move toward these goals, the current Editors-In-Chief of Criminology & Public Policy have published a second special issue on policing practice and policy, following their first special issue in 2020. This issue features thought-provoking and timely studies from leading researchers in the field on a variety of challenges facing ...

Researchers at the University of British Columbia have shown for the first time how and why the depletion of microbes in a newborn's gut by antibiotics can lead to lifelong respiratory allergies. In a study published today in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, a research team from the school of biomedical engineering (SBME) has identified a specific cascade of events that lead to allergies and asthma. In doing so, they have opened many new avenues for exploring potential preventions and treatments. "Our research finally shows how the gut bacteria and antibiotics shape a newborn's immune system to make them more prone to allergies," said ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Politician and businessman Nelson Rockefeller was seen as a moderate or liberal Republican even as he embraced conservative policies as the Republican Party shifted to the right in the 1960s and ‘70s. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign history professor Marsha Barrett uses the political career of Rockefeller — the four-time New York governor and vice president to Gerald Ford — as a lens to explore the evolution of the Republican party and the ascendancy of conservatism in her new book, “Nelson Rockefeller’s Dilemma: The Fight to Save Moderate Republicanism.” ...

The review and writing sessions, held from July 22-25, 2024, gathered specialists from South and North America, Australia, Asia, Europe, and Africa. Participants brought expertise in the disciplines of water management, environmental data and modelling, crop nutrition including nitrogen and carbon, and farmer-centric agronomy. “The strategic task for this group was to focus its attention on whether our understanding of landscape relationships between terrain, water, carbon, and changing farming objectives provides opportunities ...

Esophageal cancer, a highly aggressive malignancy originating in the esophageal epithelium, poses significant public health challenges in China, where it ranks sixth in incidence and fifth in mortality among cancers. The country's large population contributes to over half of the global cases and deaths from esophageal cancer. This cancer's poor prognosis is often due to late diagnosis, as early-stage esophageal cancer is typically asymptomatic, leading to diagnoses at more advanced stages. The geographical distribution of high-risk areas in China, such as the southern side of the ...

Nakkash & Griffin Engaging Virginia Youth & Community In Designing LGBTQ+ Inclusive Vaping Prevention Interventions Rima Nakkash, Professor, Global and Community Health, College of Public Health, and Kenneth Griffin, Professor, Global and Community Health, College of Public Health, received funding for the project: “Engaging Virginia youth and community in designing LGBTQ+ Inclusive Vaping Prevention Interventions.” The researchers are developing evidence-based vaping prevention interventions tailored for LGBTQ+ youth in Virginia, informed by input from youth and stakeholders in this community.  Nakkash and Griffin ...

Cuellar Examining Negotiated Rates For Behavioral Health & Primary Care Providers Alison Cuellar, Associate Dean of Research, College of Public Health; Professor, Health Administration and Policy, received funding for the project: “Examining Negotiated Rates for Behavioral Health and Primary Care Providers.” The goal of the study is to inform future Medicaid policy by examining differences in how much payers reimburse for medical services in Virginia.  Cuellar is a Co-Investigator on the project with ...

Bottom Line: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening and routine supplementation for iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia in pregnant persons to prevent adverse maternal and infant health outcomes. Iron deficiency is the leading cause of anemia during pregnancy. According to survey data from 1999 to 2006, overall estimated prevalence of iron deficiency during pregnancy is near 18% and increases across the three trimesters of pregnancy. An estimated 5% of pregnant ...

Serous effusion, defined as the excessive accumulation of fluid in body cavities such as the pleural, pericardial, and peritoneal spaces, is a critical diagnostic challenge in pathology. Cytological evaluation of serous fluids provides vital information for detecting underlying etiologies, such as malignancy, and helps in evaluating tumor stages and customizing treatment plans. To address inconsistencies in the diagnostic criteria and nomenclature used in fluid cytology reporting, the International Academy of Cytology and the American Society of Cytopathology introduced The International ...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2024 – Statistical analysis of classic literature has shown that the way punctuation breaks up text obeys certain universal mathematical relationships. James Joyce’s tome “Finnegans Wake,” however, famously breaks the rules of normal prose through its unusual, dreamlike stream of consciousness. New work in chaos theory, published in the journal Chaos, from AIP Publishing, takes a closer look at how Joyce’s challenging novel stands out, mathematically. Researchers have compared the distribution of punctuation marks in various experimental novels to determine the underlying order of “Finnegans Wake.” ...

About The Study: In this disproportionality study of an adverse drug reaction database, researchers identified a disproportionality signal of suicidal ideation with semaglutide, but not for liraglutide, particularly among patients with co-reported antidepressant use, a proxy for affective disorders (a notable exclusion criteria of premarketing clinical trials). A detected signal of semaglutide-associated suicidal ideation warrants urgent clarification.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Georgios Schoretsanitis, ...

About The Study: In this cross-sectional study, approximately 50% of cancer survivors experienced cancer-related financial hardship, with a disproportionate number of survivors who were younger, were Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries, were socioeconomically disadvantaged, and had advanced disease. Social vulnerability was independently associated with increasing levels of financial hardship, emphasizing the central role one’s community may play in cancer survivorship and the compounding financial detriments of residing in a socially vulnerable community.  Corresponding ...

Patients who overdose on opioids and have a pulse are often given naloxone (Narcan) by first responders, a common life-saving measure. However, emergency medical service (EMS) agencies have different protocols for administering naloxone, so there is little evidence to support its use in patients without a pulse who experienced opioid-associated out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). A recent study by UC Davis Health researchers set out to assess the effects of giving naloxone administration by paramedics to patients with OHCA.  The study, published in Jama Network Open, ...

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian found that a self-guided cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) app, called Maya, significantly reduced anxiety in young adults struggling with mental health challenges. The decrease in anxiety symptoms was clinically and statistically significant at six weeks and continued at the 12-week follow-up period with improvement levels similar to anxiety medication studies. The study, published Aug. 20 in JAMA Network Open, looked at how young adults ages ...

The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology announced today the winners of its annual awards. Colleagues and other leaders in the field nominated the winners for making significant contributions to biochemistry and molecular biology as well as to the training and support of emerging scientists.  The recipients will give talks about their work at the society’s 2025 annual meeting slated for April 12–15 in Chicago.  In addition to cash prizes ranging from $2,000 to $35,000, each awardee will receive a plaque and transportation expenses to the annual meeting.  Learn more about the ASBMB awards.  Herbert Tabor ...

The rise in the incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCCs) linked to human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 infection has become notable, surpassing cervical high-risk HPV infections by 2019. HPV-associated OPSCCs present a better prognosis compared to traditional oropharyngeal malignancies, largely due to lower correlations with chronic tobacco and alcohol use. Despite the sexually transmitted nature of HPV-associated OPSCCs, data on sexual behaviors is sparse in cancer registries, complicating correlation studies. Notably, high-risk factors in men include recent ...

Quantum simulation enables scientists to simulate and study complex systems that are challenging or even impossible using classical computers across various fields, including financial modelling, cybersecurity, pharmaceutical discoveries, AI and machine learning. For instance, exploring molecular vibronic spectra is critical in understanding the molecular properties in molecular design and analysis. However, it remains a long-standing computationally difficult problem that cannot be efficiently solved using traditional super-computers. Researchers are diligently working on quantum computers and algorithms to ...

INDIANAPOLIS – A new study examining older Black Americans’ perceptions of Alzheimer’s disease has found a lack of awareness of the devastating condition. The authors propose strategies for supporting brain health in this population. Absence of awareness of Alzheimer's disease may undermine Black Americans’ ability to identify potential risk of the disease and its impact on their community, said Johanne Eliacin, PhD, Regenstrief Institute, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Indiana University School of Medicine research scientist and study leader. ...

OAK BROOK, Ill. – A commercial artificial intelligence (AI) tool used off-label was effective at excluding pathology and had equal or lower rates of critical misses on chest X-ray than radiologists, according to a study published today in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Recent developments in AI have sparked a growing interest in computer-assisted diagnosis, partly motivated by the increasing workload faced by radiology departments, the global shortage of radiologists and the potential for burnout in the field. Radiology practices have a high volume of unremarkable ...

The field of precision medicine, especially in the context of cancer immunotherapy, has seen significant advancements in recent years. Precision medicine tailors treatment to the unique genetic and molecular profile of each patient, moving away from conventional one-size-fits-all approaches. This personalized strategy aims to minimize side effects and maximize therapeutic efficacy. A key component of this approach is the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), monoclonal antibodies that target immunosuppressive molecules such as PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4. These ICIs have demonstrated considerable ...

In a groundbreaking study recently published, researchers from Zhejiang University have unveiled significant findings that could enhance brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies, marking a crucial step towards more intuitive neuroprosthetic control and advanced rehabilitation therapies. The study, titled "Neural Correlates of Motor/Tactile Imagery and Tactile Sensation in a BCI paradigm: A High-Density EEG Source Imaging Study," employed high-density electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings to delve into the neural dynamics of motor and ...

MIAMI (August 20, 2024) – Inhaler misuse leading to inadequate medication delivery impacts a person’s ability to manage symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and additional education about proper inhaler use is needed to improve health outcomes, according to two new articles. The articles are published in the July 2024 issue of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal. COPD comprises several conditions, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and can be caused by irritants like smoke or pollution and genetics. The disease affects more than 30 ...

During a pandemic, attention is usually focused on the immediate challenges, such as managing the disease, ensuring safety and coping with disruptions in daily routines. Adversity, while difficult, can sometimes lead to positive effects.   For older adults living in retirement communities, there has been limited research on how the COVID-19 pandemic and its regulatory measures affected them. Additionally, there is scant research on any potential positive effects for this population. Now, a new study of 98 older adults (median age 86 years) living in a continuing care retirement community in South Florida during COVID-19 reveals ...