PULLMAN, Wash. — Tick season is here, along with the increased danger of Lyme disease, and it turns out the tiny arachnids are even tougher than scientists previously thought.  A recent study in Ecological Monographs shows blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) are actually really good at surviving extreme cold and heat in nature. Previous lab research suggests that even short periods of especially warm or cold conditions should easily kill ticks, but the Washington State University-led analysis reveals this is only the case for larval ticks in the environment.  Instead, ...

The coexistence of wildlife and agricultural practices has long posed challenges for wildlife conservation, especially when conflicts arise. Livestock predation is a prime example of such conflicts, requiring effective management strategies that minimize human-wildlife conflict while preserving valuable agricultural resources. A new study published in PeerJ Life & Environment, titled "Integrating Robotics into Wildlife Conservation: Testing Improvements to Predator Deterrents through Movement," explores the integration of robotics and agricultural ...

EMBARGOED by Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, until June 1, 2023, 7 a.m., ET. Contact: Gina DiGravio, 617-358-7838, ginad@bu.edu (Boston)—Alzheimer disease (AD), the most common neurodegenerative disorder in the world, affects individuals of all races and ethnicities; however, most genetic research for AD has been performed on individuals of European ancestry (EA) with a limited number of large-scale genetic studies in other populations. For many centuries, Ashkenazi Jews lived in communities in Eastern Europe and were genetically isolated from their non-Jewish neighbors. As a result, ...

In crisis, the nucleus calls antioxidant enzymes to the rescue. The nucleus being metabolically active is a profound paradigm shift with implications for cancer research.  Summary points The human nucleus is metabolically active, according to the findings of a new study in Molecular Systems Biology by researchers at the CRG in Barcelona and CeMM/Medical University of Vienna,   In a state of crisis, such as widespread DNA damage, the nucleus protects itself by appropriates mitochondrial machinery to carry out urgent repairs that threaten the genome’s integrity  The ...

Underwater volcanism on the Earth's crust are active contributors of many different elements to the oceanic environment. Hence, they play an important role in biogeochemical and chemosynthetic cycles of the ocean. Although there have been many studies on high-temperature hydrothermal systems in the mid-ocean ridge—a series of underwater volcanoes that trace the edges of the different oceanic plates—there is little information on low-temperature hydrothermal systems in other volcanoes, such as "petit-spot" volcanoes. Petit-spot volcanoes are small volcanoes ...

Ever since the discovery of the two-dimensional form of graphite (called graphene) almost twenty years ago, interest in 2D materials with their special physical properties has skyrocketed. Famously, graphene was produced by exfoliating bulk graphite using sticky tape. Although it was good enough for a Nobel Prize, this method has its drawbacks. An international team of surface scientists has now developed a simple method to produce large and very clean 2D samples from a range of materials using three different substrates. Their method, kinetic in situ single-layer synthesis (KISS) ...

University of Cambridge architects are inviting visitors to the London Design Biennale to experience a prototype home constructed with flexible wooden partition walls which can be shifted to meet the changing needs of residents. The invention aims to reduce waste and carbon while also improving living conditions for those who cannot afford expensive refurbishments. [Images will be available to download here from 10AM (UK Time) on 1st June] House-owners the world over consider ‘knocking through’ walls to achieve more open-plan living or changing layouts to accommodate new arrivals or circumstances. ...

Plastic made from cane sugar also threatens the environment. Researchers from the University of Gothenburg have found that perch change their behaviour when exposed to so-called bioplastic. Traditional plastic, based on fossil oil, has flooded the earth and there is microplastic in all living things. This has led to intensive research for alternatives that decompose faster in nature. Bio-based polymers based on cane sugar are one such option. The most common bioplastic is poly-L-lactide (PLA), which is used in 3D printers, textiles, food packaging, disposable cutlery and other applications. PLA plastic changed the behaviour of perch Bioplastics also have a negative impact on biological ...

Liquid helium-4, which is in a superfluid state at cryogenic temperatures close to absolute zero (-273°C), has a special vortex called a quantized vortex that originates from quantum mechanical effects. When the temperature is relatively high, the normal fluid exists simultaneously in the superfluid helium, and when the quantized vortex is in motion, mutual friction occurs between it and the normal-fluid. However, it is difficult to explain precisely how a quantized vortex interacts with a normal-fluid in motion. Although several theoretical models have been proposed, it has not been clear which model is correct. A research group led by Professor Makoto Tsubota and Specially ...

Since 2000, sexually transmitted infection rates have been on the rise. Syphilis, a disease that was nearly eradicated in the United States at that time, now affects more than 18 million people worldwide each year with few options for effective treatment. One challenge that has plagued syphilis researchers for decades was the inability to culture and study the disease-causing agent in a laboratory setting. “The incredible efforts of our colleagues and collaborators produced a faithful system to propagate the disease-causing agent in vitro, or in a laboratory setting. Being able to culture ...

Researchers from the Center for Cognition and Sociality (CCS) within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) recently announced the discovery of neurons that allow us to recognize others. The research team discovered that the neurons that deal with the information associated with different individuals are located in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. Social animals, including humans, constantly engage in interactions with others. In this process, the ability to recognize the identity of the social counterpart, retrieve relevant information about them from memory, ...

DURHAM, N.C. -- Researchers studying a group of widespread but often overlooked microbes have identified a climate feedback loop that could accelerate climate change. But it’s not all bad news: this one comes with an early warning signal. Using a computer simulation, a team of scientists from Duke University and the University of California, Santa Barbara, showed that most of the world’s ocean plankton and many other single-celled creatures in lakes, peatlands and other ecosystems could cross a threshold where instead of soaking up carbon dioxide, they start doing the opposite. That’s because of how warming affects their metabolism. Because carbon dioxide ...

The chemical industry took a page out of the tobacco playbook when they discovered and suppressed their knowledge of health harms caused by exposure to PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), according to an analysis of previously secret industry documents by UC San Francisco (UCSF) researchers. A new paper published May 31, 2023, in Annals of Global Health, examines documents from DuPont and 3M, the largest manufacturers of PFAS, and analyzes the tactics industry used to delay public awareness of PFAS toxicity and, in turn, delay regulations governing their use. PFAS are widely used chemicals in clothing, ...

While most aspects of care quality in long-term care homes did not differ in the first year of the pandemic from pre-pandemic levels, a new study shows that the use of antipsychotic drugs increased in all provinces. The study analyzed health system performance reports provided by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) over three years: two before the pandemic and the first year of COVID-19. The reports are based on more than half a million resident assessments completed in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia.  Researchers ...

New research into Melburnians’ connection to nature is helping the City of Melbourne understand how to engage its community members in conservation efforts.   The study, led by RMIT University in collaboration with the City of Melbourne and Queensland University of Technology, surveyed over 1,500 City of Melbourne residents and visitors on their connection to nature and found nearly 75% of respondents had a high connection to nature.   More than 75% of respondents said they were concerned about climate change and the destruction of nature.  However, retirees and university students who have lived most of their lives in the Melbourne ...

Researchers using dashcam footage of real-world collisions involving large trucks to analyze driver and vehicle behavior has found that anti-drowsiness alarms or similar technologies to prevent falling asleep at the wheel need to go beyond a focus on monitoring the drivers’ eyes, and consider other microsleep behaviors including a relaxation of back and neck muscles and abnormal activity of the vehicle itself. A study reporting the researchers’ findings was published April 13 in the ...

Scientists at Tohoku University have discovered a novel approach that improves the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) - a novel form of cancer treatment utilizing immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) - and minimizes the associated side effects. They demonstrated that using ICIs to target tumor-positive lymph nodes generates a robust anti-tumor response against both local and systemic metastases. The study was published in the Journal of Experimental and Clinical Cancer Research on June 1, 2023. Our immune system uses “checkpoint proteins” to regulate and control the activity of immune cells. But cancer ...

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) – nerve pain, tingling, or numbness in the hands or feet – is a common side effect of certain cancer treatments, including two drugs frequently used to treat cancer – the taxanes paclitaxel and docetaxel. Initial results from a large study that tracked CIPN in more than 1,100 patients treated for breast cancer with a taxane show a pattern of clinically meaningful, persistent sensory and motor symptoms, with patients experiencing more severe symptoms with paclitaxel than with docetaxel. These initial results from the SWOG S1714 clinical trial are being reported in an oral presentation at the 2023 annual ...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $46 million in funding to eight companies advancing designs and research and development for fusion power plants, representing a major step in President Biden’s commitment to a pilot-scale demonstration of fusion within a decade. Fusion reactions power the stars, and research is underway to make fusion energy production on Earth possible, providing an abundant, inherently safe, non-carbon-emitting energy source for the planet. This funding from the Milestone-Based ...

Around 1 in 6 unvaccinated individuals say they are still experiencing health effects of covid-19 up to two years after infection, finds a study from Switzerland published by The BMJ today. The findings show that 17% of participants did not return to normal health and 18% reported covid-19 related symptoms 24 months after initial infection. Most people who have covid-19 recover soon after the initial phase of the disease, but others experience persistent health problems (known as long covid), which can impact quality of life ...

DALLAS and GENEVA, May 31, 2023 — Global efforts to improve emergency, critical and operative care for universal health coverage and protection from health emergencies were announced at the 76th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. With the support of its partners the American Heart Association and the Laerdal Foundation, the World Health Organization (WHO), announced an initiative based on a new acute care resolution that was approved at this year’s World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of WHO. Nearly 30 million deaths are due to emergency conditions each year, contributing to half of global deaths. The acute ...

Huntsman Cancer Institute research highlights shine the spotlight on new discoveries and cutting-edge cancer research. This past month, researchers found a better treatment practice for patients who have melanoma. They also created a model for adrenocortical carcinoma, a rare cancer that originates in the outer portion of the adrenal gland. Learn more about a new brain cancer medication being fast-tracked for FDA approval and how Huntsman Cancer Institute was selected to conduct clinical trials for cancer patients with HIV. Clinical trial suggests changes to melanoma patient care A study recounting a clinical trial published ...

Former Pennington Biomedical Research Center Executive Director Dr. Claude Bouchard and his wife, Monique Chagnon, were celebrated at a luncheon on Tuesday, May 30, for their generous gift to enhance the postdoctoral researcher experience at Pennington Biomedical. As one of the world’s foremost researchers in the genetics of obesity and related diseases, including type 2 diabetes and hypertension, the Bouchard laboratory has trained about 40 postdoctoral researchers throughout his career. “I became very conscious that postdocs are critical to the success of the scientific research enterprise. They work hard, they ...

Amsterdam, June 1, 2023 – Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) occurs in 30% of hospitalized cirrhosis patients, leading to over one million deaths worldwide each year. Currently the only potential treatment for this condition is liver transplantation, which is available to very few patients. A first-in-human randomized controlled clinical trial using DIALIVE, a novel liver dialysis device, demonstrated its potential as a disease-modifying therapy and resolved liver failure significantly faster and in a greater proportion of patients ...

The first successful in-patient trial of liver dialysis* has been completed by researchers from UCL, the Royal Free Hospital, UCL spin-out Yaqrit and their collaborators. The DIALIVE device, invented by researchers at UCL’s Institute for Liver and Digestive Health, was found to be safe and was associated with substantial improvement in the severity of symptoms and organ function in a greater proportion of patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), when compared with patients receiving standard of care. The next step will be a larger clinical trial, which if successful could see DIALIVE approved for clinical use within the next three years. Worldwide, it is estimated that there ...