Growing concerns over the potential health effects of exposure to phthalates, a component of many plastics and also known as a plasticizer, have led to a search for safer alternatives. In a new study conducted in cell cultures, researchers found that the chemical acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC) might not be the best replacement because it appears to interfere with the growth and maintenance of neurons.   “In the past, industries have promptly shifted away from the usage of toxic chemicals only to produce an equally toxic chemical, so this is something we are actively trying to avoid repeating,” said Kyle Sease, a graduate student at Central Washington ...

A new study found that people who are currently suffering or face a high risk of post-traumatic stress disorder show particular patterns in four biomarkers measurable with a simple blood test. The findings suggest these biomarkers could be used to predict a person’s likelihood of developing PTSD, diagnose the disorder or monitor the response to treatment.   PTSD can occur after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. It is currently diagnosed based on symptoms such as flashbacks, difficulty sleeping or concentrating, ...

M1 and M2 are activated macrophages that protect our immune system and maintain homeostasis. Interestingly, they are characterized by distinct and opposing phenotypes. M1 macrophages are known for their bactericidal and tumoricidal properties by secreting pro-inflammatory cytokines, while M2 macrophages facilitate immunosuppressive responses and help cancer progression. As such, reprogramming macrophages from M2 to M1 phenotype has been regarded as a significant interest in the view of potential cancer ...

People reveal more personal information when you ask them the same questions a second time – according to new research from the University of East Anglia. A new study published today reveals how simple repetition can make people over-disclose, and potentially put themselves at risk of identity theft and cyber crime. The research team say that understanding why people disclose personal data could help inform measures to address the problem. From subscribing to online newspapers to completing customer surveys, our personal data is being mined continuously; the world’s most valuable resource is no longer oil, but data. But for consumers who provide their personal ...

In February of this year, Graphene Flagship associated member Graphenest and manufacturing company Hubron International entered a new strategic partnership. Their shared aim is to explore the development and commercialization of graphene-based polymer masterbatch and compounds with unprecedented electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance for electronic enclosures manufacturing. This new product line will start with a graphene-based thermoplastic suitable to be implemented as a remarkable EMI shielding solution in medium-high and high frequencies (for 5G and beyond). The agreement brings together Graphenest’s knowledge around graphene ...

A new drug combination for men with advanced prostate cancer has shown sustained increase in survival rates. The results from the clinical trial of ENZAMET, co-chaired by Professor Christopher Sweeney, Director of the South Australian immunoGENomics Cancer Institute (SAiGENCI) that operates within the University of Adelaide, have been published today in The Lancet Oncology. For people with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, the addition of an androgen receptor blocker with enzalutamide ...

AUGUSTA, Ga. (March 28, 2023) – Cancer that has spread to areas like the lungs can apply the brakes to a natural pathway that should recruit killer T cells directly to where it has metastasized, scientists report. That newly found strategy used by tumors that have spread — and are consequently more deadly — may help explain why sometimes promising immunotherapies designed to help the immune system kill cancer don’t, says Kebin Liu, PhD, cancer immunologist in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Medical College of Georgia. It also may mean an additional therapeutic maneuver is needed to stop some tumors, which ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 27, 2023 Contact: Jillian McKoy, jpmckoy@bu.edu Michael Saunders, msaunder@bu.edu ## Growing evidence suggests that e-cigarettes may serve as a less harmful alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes, but socioeconomic and racial inequities in cigarette and e-cigarette use are preventing certain populations from reaping these potential health benefits, according to a new study led by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) and the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (Keck School of Medicine of USC). Published in the American Journal of Preventive ...

Berkeley — When University of California, Berkeley, entomologist Kipling Will first heard that former Gov. Jerry Brown was hosting field scientists on his Colusa County ranch, he jumped at the chance to hunt for beetles on the property. “I reached out and said, ‘Hey, I want to sample your beetles,’” Will said. “And [Brown] was quite game to let me come up there.” Will, a professor of environmental science, policy and management, has travelled to all corners of California ...

Reston, VA—A new article in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine explores the potential for using ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot, in the field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. In the article, Irène Buvat, PhD, and Wolfgang Weber, MD, PhD, report on discussions they held with ChatGPT regarding several nuclear medicine and molecular imaging topics and provide their commentary on the pros and cons of using the chatbot. Developed by OpenAI, ChatGPT is a natural language processing chatbot that can intelligently respond to questions. ...

“Ultimately, while both chronological and biological age appear to be important determinants of vaccine-preventable outcomes in older adults, the underlying context and mechanisms of their effects remain unclear.” BUFFALO, NY- March 27, 2023 – A new editorial paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) Volume 15, Issue 5, entitled, “Parsing chronological and biological age effects on vaccine responses.” Researchers ...

A University of Massachusetts Amherst nutrition scientist who has spent his career studying breast milk has demonstrated how beneficial microbes in the gut of infants use nitrogen from human milk to support pediatric nutrition and development. “The molecules in breast milk not only feed the baby but also feed the baby’s microbiome,” says David Sela, associate professor of food science and director of the Fergus M. Clydesdale Center for Foods for Health and Wellness. “This ...

How often do you glance at your neighborhood app, like Nextdoor or others, and learn about some crime in your area? Surely, it was not the intention of the app developers, but every time you hear of a crime nearby you might think that crime in your area is rampant. A new study by a University of Houston psychologist indicates that is exactly how the mind works – those helpful and popular neighborhood apps are actually increasing perceptions of crime rates that may not be as high as you think.  “Neighborhood ...

Cannabis use disorder is defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as a problematic pattern leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, with symptoms that may include increased tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, strong desire to use marijuana and spending large amounts of time using cannabis.   Tammy Chung, director of the Center for Population Behavioral Health at Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, along with colleagues Marc Steinberg of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Mary Barna Bridgeman of the Rutgers ...

WASHINGTON (March 27, 2023) – Today, the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) and the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) released an updated expert consensus statement on transcatheter left atrial appendage closure (LAAC). SCAI and HRS prioritized the development of an updated consensus statement to provide recommendations on contemporary, evidence-based best practices for transcatheter LAAC focusing on endovascular devices. Left atrial appendage closure is a minimally invasive procedure that is used to reduce the risk of stroke associated with atrial fibrillation. ...

A new species of ancient beaver that was rediscovered by researchers in The University of Texas at Austin’s fossil collections has been named after Buc-ee’s, a Texas-based chain of popular travel centers known for its cartoon beaver mascot. The beaver is called Anchitheriomys buceei, or “A. buceei” for short. Steve May, a research associate at the UT Jackson School of Geosciences, said that the beaver’s Texas connection and a chance encounter with a Buc-ee’s billboard are what inspired the name. May is the lead author of the paper that describes A. buceei, along with another, much smaller, species of fossil beaver. Published ...

HOUSTON – (March 27, 2023) – Rice University bioscientist and synthetic biologist James Chappell has won a National Science Foundation CAREER Award to develop RNA programming methods to improve human health and the environment. “Synthetic biology has progressed a lot in the past decade, and we’ve gotten really good at genetically programming microbes in confined laboratory environments where conditions are ideal,” said Chappell, an assistant professor both of biosciences and of bioengineering. “But, of course, most microbes on the planet don't live in pure cultures where the temperature is always 37 degrees ...

Scientists seeking a way to eliminate an adverse reaction to treatments for acute lymphocytic leukemia, a common childhood cancer, have found what they believe to be an early warning indicator. Mouse studies conducted by Rutgers researchers as part of a larger scientific team are pointing to vitamin A levels as a signal that a patient may or may not be vulnerable to a dangerous toxicity. Summarizing their findings in Science Translational Medicine, the scientists found that, in patients being treated for acute lymphocytic leukemia with the chemotherapy drug asparaginase, there is an ...

A subset of white blood cells, known as myeloid cells, can harbor HIV in people who have been virally suppressed for years on antiretroviral therapy, according to findings from a small study supported by the National Institutes of Health. In the study, researchers used a new quantitative method to show that HIV in specific myeloid cells—short-lived monocytes and longer-lived monocyte-derived macrophages—can be reactivated and infect new cells. The findings, published in Nature Microbiology, suggest that ...

American Geophysical Union Press Release 23-11 27 March 2023 For Immediate Release This press release is available online at: https://news.agu.org/press-release/the-greenland-ice-sheet-is-close-to-a-melting-point-of-no-return/ AGU press contact: Rebecca Dzombak, +1 (202) 777-7492, news@agu.org (UTC-4 hours) Contact information for the researchers: Dennis Höning, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, dennis.hoening@pik-potsdam.de (UTC+1 hour) WASHINGTON — The Greenland Ice Sheet covers 1.7 million ...

New simulation combines emissions with weather and chemistry in an air-quality model First neighborhood-scale simulation of its kind focused on Chicago tracks air quality hour by hour across areas as small as 1.3 kilometers-sized blocks Simulation can show how pollutants move across space and time throughout the city and surrounding areas Air pollution along highways is consistently worse than other areas, regardless of season or time of day EVANSTON, Ill. — If you live along one of the major interstate highways running through Chicago or directly next to Lake Michigan, you are regularly exposed to more air pollution than ...

TAMPA, Fla. – Immunotherapies have greatly improved the outcomes of many patients with melanoma. But there is still a need for new approaches for the subset of patients who do not respond well to this type of therapy. Moffitt Cancer Center researchers are looking at new targets to help inhibit tumor development and promote antitumor immunity, one being the STING signaling pathway. In a new article published in Nature Communications, a team of Moffitt and University of Miami Miller School of Medicine investigators demonstrate that targeting the STING pathway with a combination strategy ...

In addition to an antigen, many vaccines also contain substances, called adjuvants, which stimulate the immune system. By using computer-aided molecular design and machine learning, a Chinese research team has now developed two novel broad-spectrum adjuvants that can significantly amplify the immune response to vaccines. As reported in the journal Angewandte Chemie, they were able to enhance the effectiveness of immunization against certain forms of cancer in animal models. Adjuvants amplify and prolong the effect of vaccine immunizations. Aluminum salts have been successfully used ...

ITHACA, N.Y. – An international team of astronomers has found the atmospheric compositions of giant planets out in the galaxy do not fit our own solar system trend. Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the researchers discovered that the atmosphere of exoplanet HD149026b, a ‘hot Jupiter’ orbiting a star comparable to our sun, is super-abundant in the heavier elements carbon and oxygen – far above what scientists would expect for a planet of its mass. These findings, published in “High atmospheric metal enrichment for a Saturn-mass ...

When studying the brain, researchers are just beginning to use a method known as voltage imaging to track neural activity in the living animal. While this approach is a promising way to better understand neuron firing, behavior, and cognition, there are limitations and risk factors. The practice requires putting a lot of light into the brain (which can lead to overheating) and only has the capacity to image ten neurons at a time. New research from Jerry Chen, a Boston University College of Arts & Sciences assistant professor of biology, and collaborators aims to address these challenges. Published today in Nature Methods, ...