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 ...

Researchers are shedding light on our ancient prehistoric world using state-of-the art Xray technology. This World Dinosaur Day, scientists are sharing the bones which lay beneath the Harbury Icthyosau – providing clues to dinosaur anatomy, physiology and evolution. The University's of Warwick’s Centre for Imaging, Metrology and Additive Technologies (CiMAT) group at WMG has employed its cutting-edge equipment to explore the anatomy and biology of the Harbury Icthyosaur, a large marine reptile which lived on the Earth hundreds of millions of years ...

DARIEN, IL – Wearing a phototherapy device that emits near-infrared light is associated with potential therapeutic benefits for sleep and daytime functioning, according to a new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2023 annual meeting. Results show that self-reported, sleep-related symptoms improved after three weeks of treatment. Participants in the active treatment group reported experiencing better sleep quality, feeling more refreshed and relaxed, and functioning better during the day. “This novel phototherapy device — while ...

Irvine, Calif., May 31, 2023 – As climate change increases the severity, frequency and duration of heat waves around the world, researchers at the University of California, Irvine and other institutions are sounding an alarm about what they consider to be an added threat to human health: humidity. Heat extremes increase the risk of illness and death, with the worst outcomes among people who are older, have chronic diseases, live in hot climates and are socioeconomically disadvantaged. In addition, humidity causes heat stress by making it harder for bodies to cool, but medical and public health experts still disagree about ...

Key takeaways As of June, 22 U.S. states and the District of Columbia will offer the opportunity for residents to select a gender-neutral marker on government-issued IDs. UCLA sociologist Abigail Saguy found that LGBTQ+ and feminist activists support both the addition of a gender-neutral option and the removal of gender identifiers on IDs. Conservative activists oppose both measures. As of June, 22 states and the District of Columbia will allow residents to select a gender-neutral “X” marker, rather than “male” or “female,” on their driver’s licenses, ...

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health and their colleagues have identified genomic variants that cause a rare and severe inflammatory skin disorder, known as disabling pansclerotic morphea, and have found a potential treatment. Scientists discovered that people with the disorder have an overactive version of a protein called STAT4, which regulates inflammation and wound healing. The work also identified a drug that targets an important feedback loop controlled by the STAT4 protein and significantly improves symptoms in these patients. The results were ...

Aerospace experts from across North America are coming to the University of Cincinnati this week for a conference on artificial intelligence. UC is playing host to the annual North American Fuzzy Information Processing Society's conference at UC's new Digital Futures building. It's an international research conference that will bring aerospace experts to Cincinnati to share the latest on artificial intelligence relating to drones, aviation, space exploration and other applications. One of the conference sponsors, Thales, a French-based international holding company that engages in the manufacture, ...

CORNELL UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE FOR RELEASE: May 31, 2023 Rebecca Valli cell: 607-793-1025 rv234@cornell.edu $5M gift establishes Arts and Sciences outreach professorship ITHACA, N.Y. – Bolstering its commitment to broader engagement, the College of Arts and Sciences has established the Winokur Professorship for the Public Understanding of Science and Mathematics.  Distinguished mathematician, award-winning teacher and well-known science communicator Steven Strogatz has been appointed as the inaugural holder of the chair. ...

Imagine if the Police’s “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” opened Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” then Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow” riff blended with Jackson. This mix isn’t an impossible fantasy, but a reality with Mixboard, a tablet application that lets users without musical or editing experience create the songs of their dreams. The app comes out of the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Center for Music Technology, whose director, Professor Gil ...

AUSTIN, Texas — Corporate tax breaks for innovation lead to two kinds of economic growth: in capital investment and highly compensated jobs, according to a new study from a researcher at The University of Texas at Austin. Because innovation is key to growth in high-tech economies, one strategy has been to give companies a tax break for it. As of 2022, 21 countries worldwide had reduced rates for income resulting from intellectual property (IP), such as patents, copyrights and trademarks. Prior research has shown that such policies, known as “innovation boxes,” ...

MINNEAPOLIS – Studies have shown that sleep apnea is related to an increased risk of dementia. A new study looks at the relationship between sleep apnea and brain volume. The study is published in the May 31, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study compared people who have the amyloid plaques in the brain that are an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease but do not have any memory problems to people with no amyloid plaques. “We found that people with amyloid plaques who had more severe sleep apneas also were more likely to have lower volumes in the medial temporal ...

Injuries to the nerves can blind or paralyze because adult nerve cells don’t regenerate their connections. Now, a team of UConn School of Medicine researchers report in Development that at least a small population of nerve cells exist in everyone that could be coaxed to regrow, potentially restoring sight and movement.   Glaucoma. Optic neuritis. Trauma or stroke of the optic nerve. All of these conditions can irreversibly damage the optic nerve, leading to blindness. Glaucoma alone affects more that 3 million people in the US. Nerve damage leading to paralysis is similarly common, with around 5 million people in the US living with some form of it, according to the Christopher ...

Since the interaction between the abrasive grain, workpiece and nanofluids on the minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) grinding interface are difficult to observe directly, there is still lack of direct evidence to reveal the internal mechanism of carbon group nanoparticles on the abrasive grain/workpiece grinding interface. Concerning this issue, the professor Changhe Li team, from department of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering of Qingdao University of Technology, China, using molecular dynamics simulation to study the tribological mechanism of friction-reducing and anti-wear of three kinds of carbon group nanoparticles, i.e., ...

Zap Energy was selected by the Department of Energy (DOE) today for support of the conceptual design of a fusion pilot plant (FPP) through the DOE’s Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program. The award of $5 million in federal funding will contribute to the development of a pilot plant using Zap’s sheared-flow-stabilized Z-pinch fusion technology. The company also committed to targets including a community benefits plan to engage with neighbors and stakeholders while planning and building a clean-energy fusion power station. “Zap’s ...