Researchers from Nagoya University and the National Institute of Polar Research in Japan have found that dust from land without snow cover in the Arctic is a major source of particles that form ice crystals in low-level clouds of the Arctic (at altitudes below about 3 km) during summer and fall. The formation of ice crystals in low-level clouds is considered to affect climate because it can cause ice particles to grow at the expense of liquid droplets and then fall as precipitation, resulting in a lower sunlight reflectance and a shorter lifetime for clouds. “The Arctic is said to be heating up two to four times faster than the rate ...

Financial materiality pertains to crucial and pertinent data that a company is obligated to reveal in its financial statements. It provides companies with the insights necessary to discern elements influencing their performance and profitability, thereby enabling them to mitigate risks and captivate potential investors. There have been conflicts between shareholders and stakeholders regarding issues that are not directly related to finances, like environmental and social concerns. However, ignoring these factors like ESG (environmental, social and governance) could pose risks to both ...

In a new study, National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers found that altered B cell function in children with mitochondrial disorders led to a weaker and less diverse antibody response to viral infections. The study, published in Frontiers in Immunology was led by researchers at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), who analyzed gene activity of immune cells in children with mitochondrial disorders and found that B cells, which produce antibodies to fight viral infections, are less able to survive cellular stress. “Our work is one of the first examples to study how B cells are affected in mitochondrial disease by looking at human ...

Board games based on numbers, like Monopoly, Othello and Chutes and Ladders, make young children better at math, according to a comprehensive review of research published on the topic over the last 23 years. Board games are already known to enhance learning and development including reading and literacy. Now this new study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Early Years, finds, for three to nine-year-olds, the format of number-based board games helps to improve counting, addition, and the ability to recognize if a number is higher or lower than another. The researchers say children benefit from ...

Lasers with ultra-low threshold and compact size are highly desirable in photonic integrated circuits, aiming at the application of optical communications, chip-scale solid-state LIDAR and quantum information. The general approach to realizing such lasers is to effectively trap light and boost light-matter interaction by embedding gain materials into few- or sub-wavelength scale optical cavities with high quality (Q) factor and/or small mode volume (V-mode). Low-threshold lasing has been realized on planar photonic crystal via introducing defect-type PhC modes or ...

Using Cryo-EM, a powerful microscopy technique, researchers at IISc and collaborators have decoded the molecular architecture of a transporter protein controlling the movement of a key neurotransmitter. Neurons or nerve cells communicate by releasing chemical signals called neurotransmitters. Each neurotransmitter can activate specific sets of proteins called receptors that in turn either excite or inhibit neural communication. A balance between excitation and inhibition is vital for the neural circuitry to maintain normal structure and function. Imbalances in excitatory or inhibitory inputs can result in disorders like seizures, anxiety, and schizophrenia. The inhibitory neurotransmitter ...

Optical MNFs are cylindrical optical waveguides with diameter below or close to the wavelength of the light. Since its first experimental demonstration [Nature 426, 816 (2003)], low-loss silica MNF has been attracting increasing attention in wide applications from optical sensors, atom optics, nonlinear optics to optomechanics. Generally, increasing the waveguiding mode power is the most effective approach to enhance light-matter interaction, and explore new opportunities for both scientific research and technological applications. However, the highest CW mode power reported so far in a MNF is ~0.4 W [AIP Adv. 4, 067124 (2014)], with typical waveguiding ...

There are obvious differences between cancerous cells and normal cells in morphology, chemical properties and mechanical properties. The detection of cytochemical and mechanical properties of tumor tissues can provide multi-dimensional information for the pathological process of cells and human tissues. Among the existing detection methods for the morphology, mechanics and chemical properties of tissue and cells, confocal Raman spectroscopy can detect the chemical properties of micro-regions of samples without contact and label, and confocal Brillouin spectroscopy can detect ...

Regulations are urgently needed to protect children from harm in the unregulated online world, researchers at the University of Otago, New Zealand, say. The call comes as the researchers publish the results of their study into the after-school habits of 12-year-olds. Their research, published today in the New Zealand Medical Journal, finds children are spending a third of their after-school time on screens, including more than half their time after 8pm. Senior researcher Dr Moira Smith from the University's Department ...

While there is extensive data on the high rates of HIV, STIs and unintended pregnancies among Black populations in the U.S., this racial category problematically subsumes the ethnic diversity of immigrant Black populations. Today, one in ten Black people in the U.S. are immigrants, with Caribbean immigrants accounting for approximately 46% of the total Black immigrant population. It can’t be assumed that the variety of effective behavioral interventions (EBIs) that exist to address sexual and reproductive health for Black populations will be effective with Afro-Caribbean ...

Sophia Antipolis, 7 July 2023:  Unprocessed red meat and whole grains can be included or left out of a healthy diet, according to a study conducted in 80 countries across all inhabited continents and published today in European Heart Journal, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).1 Diets emphasising fruit, vegetables, dairy (mainly whole-fat), nuts, legumes and fish were linked with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and premature death in all world regions. The addition ...

HAMILTON, ON (July 6, 2023) – A study led by McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences researchers at the Population Research Health Institute (PHRI) has found that not eating enough of six key foods in combination is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adults. Consuming fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, fish and whole-fat dairy products is key to lowering the risk of CVD, including heart attacks and strokes. The study also found that a healthy diet can be achieved in various ways, ...

PORTLAND, Oregon -- A vaccine originally developed to prevent bacteria-caused diarrhea has now also been found to help infant nonhuman primates grow faster, according to a new study published in Nature Communications.  “The 160 million people worldwide who get sick every year from Campylobacter bacteria is far too many,” said the study’s lead researcher, Mark Slifka, Ph.D., a professor at Oregon Health & Science University’s Oregon National Primate Center. “We need a new tool to prevent bacterial diarrhea in babies and to enable more children to grow into healthy adults, and this vaccine approach looks ...

Research conducted by The University of Queensland has revealed that Queensland native forestry, including timber harvesting, could actually help conserve biodiversity and mitigate climate risks. Dr Tyron Venn from UQ’s School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability reviewed more than 350 publications, studying the ecological and economic impacts of Queensland native forest management, which includes everything from fire management to timber harvesting. “Stopping forestry in Queensland’s native forests may sound like a positive outcome for the environment, but the research suggests that it would further shift our impacts offshore and increase ...

A global study, led by UCL and UCLH and sponsored by Roche, has shown that the cancer immunotherapy atezolizumab1 significantly improved the overall survival of advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer patients who were not able to be treated with platinum-containing chemotherapy, when compared to single-agent chemotherapy. The trial results, published today in The Lancet, are good news for non-small cell lung cancer patients who are not eligible for standard of care platinum-based chemotherapy, due to concerns about their ability to withstand ...

Body  Osaka, Japan - AI (artificial intelligence) may sound like a cold robotic system, but Osaka Metropolitan University scientists have shown that it can deliver heartwarming—or, more to the point, “heart-warning”—support. They unveiled an innovative use of AI that classifies cardiac functions and pinpoints valvular heart disease with unprecedented accuracy, demonstrating continued progress in merging the fields of medicine and technology to advance patient care. The results will be published in The Lancet Digital ...

Mid-life structural changes to the jawbone may signal subsequent height loss in women, suggests research published in the open access journal BMJ Open. Dentists, who are likely to spot these on mouth x-rays during routine check-ups, should collaborate with patients’ doctors as this may open up opportunities for prevention, suggest the researchers. Height loss in women tends to speed up over the age of 75 and is associated with increased risks of ill health and death, say the researchers. Various explanations have been mooted for this loss, including progressive skeletal deformation, fallen arches in the feet and altered posture, and/or degenerative processes ...

Patient aggression towards receptionists working in general practice is a “serious workplace safety concern,” concludes a review of the available published evidence, published in the open access journal Family Medicine and Community Health. Not only does it affect the wellbeing of the individuals concerned, but it also has operational effects by boosting levels of workplace absenteeism and the numbers of staff leaving the healthcare workforce, say the researchers. Acts of incivility perpetrated against general practice staff, including doctors, are common, but few studies have included the perspectives of the receptionists, ...

Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers developed a model framework that identifies ways to ensure wildlife can safely navigate their habitats while not unduly affecting infrastructure. The project centered on the 32,000-acre Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee, home to Department of Energy facilities and several at-risk species like the four-toed salamander. Scientists identified habitats and simulated solutions like conservation buffers and open-bottom culverts to allow safe passage for salamanders and other wildlife, which cost far less than large-scale barrier removal ...

School nurses do much more than bandage scraped knees and take temperatures. A Rutgers study, published in the journal Pediatric Nursing, suggests they also may play a key role in reducing childhood obesity.   Elaine Elliott, a school nurse in Newark, teamed up with Cheryl Holly and the late Sallie Porter, professors at Rutgers University School of Nursing, to test a family-centered, school-based intervention using parents and teachers as role models for healthy eating and other behaviors.   “An important reason for the success of this program was the trust nurses have with parents ...

A new research center led by the University of Houston is helping prevent potential cyberattacks that could threaten to impede the safe and efficient movement of people and goods in the United States and throughout the world. CYBER-CARE – the Transportation Cybersecurity Center for Advanced Research and Education – is a U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) University Transportation Center (UTC), Tier 1. The center is supported by a $2 million USDOT grant for its first year with anticipated total federal funding of $10 million over five years. “We all use transportation. Therefore, maintaining ...

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common type of heart arrhythmia. This serious condition occurs when the heart beats so fast that the upper chambers of the heart quiver. This irregular heartbeat can lead to severe conditions, including heart failure, dementia and a fivefold increase in the risk of stroke. AFib affects more than 33.5 million people worldwide, and its prevalence is increasing. Despite intense research to better understand AFib, the molecular mechanism underlying the progression of this condition remains poorly understood. At Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. ...

Aging brings wisdom and experience; however, for some individuals getting older can also mean health challenges, loss of friends, and decreased mobility, leading to social isolation. Both the U.S. Surgeon General and the National Academy of Medicine have issued recent warnings about the growing public health concern of social isolation and loneliness and its association with premature death among the elderly. Not having anyone to call (via phone or online) or not interacting with people in the community are forms of social isolation, which affects nearly a fifth of U.S. ...

BATON ROUGE – One in five children have obesity in the U.S., and even more are considered overweight. Dr. Amanda Staiano, associate professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Center and director of the Pediatric Obesity and Health Behavior Laboratory, believes childhood obesity is at the top of the list for public health issues of this century because children with obesity are much more likely to develop heart disease, diabetes, asthma, sleep problems and other issues. Dr. Staiano's background is in developmental psychology, and she studies how to make sure children are growing in a healthy way and in ...

Reviewing qualitative studies from the past 20 years, the researchers found a range of contributing factors including: a continuing stigma around periods; society’s normalisation of menstrual pain; and a lack of medical training about the condition. Endometriosis, which affects 10% of women globally and 1.5 million women in the UK alone, is caused by endometrial (womb) tissue growing outside the womb. It’s extremely painful, exhausting, interferes with daily life and can lead to infertility if untreated. The researchers found that women in the studies often weren’t sure if their pain was unusual or severe enough to seek treatment. ...