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Technology 2023-05-18

SCAI releases guidance on management of in-stent restenosis and stent thrombosis

PHOENIX (May 18, 2023) – The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) today release an expert consensus on the management of in-stent restenosis and stent thrombosis. The statement was published online in the Journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (JSCAI). In-stent restenosis is a blockage or narrowing that comes back in the portion of the coronary artery previously treated with a stent and remains a common clinical problem despite numerous improvements in stent design and polymer coatings in recent years. In addition to significant health care costs, it is also associated with an increased risk of death and re-hospitalization. ...
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Past climate change to blame for Antarctica’s giant underwater landslides
Environment 2023-05-18

Past climate change to blame for Antarctica’s giant underwater landslides

Scientists have discovered the cause of giant underwater landslides in Antarctica which they believe could have generated tsunami waves that stretched across the Southern Ocean. An international team of researchers has uncovered layers of weak, fossilised and biologically-rich sediments hundreds of metres beneath the seafloor. These formed beneath extensive areas of underwater landslides, many of which cut more than 100metres into the seabed. Writing in Nature Communications, the scientists say these weak layers – made up of historic biological material – made the area ...
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Science 2023-05-18

Time of day may determine the amount of fat burned by cold exposure

Short-term exposure to cold temperatures activates brown fat that burns calories and has become an attractive target to promote cardiometabolic health. Now new research being presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Dublin, Ireland (17-20 May) suggests that this biological response differs depending on the time of day and in men and women. The preliminary study by Dr Mariëtte Boon from Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands and colleagues, suggests that cold exposure in ...
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Medicine 2023-05-18

Nearly half of adolescents using semaglutide in trial dropped below the clinical cut-off for obesity

DUBLIN—A new secondary analysis of the STEP TEENS trial presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2023, Dublin 17-20 May) and published in the journal Obesity shows that almost half (45%) of the adolescents assigned to semaglutide in the trial managed to lose enough weight to drop below the clinical cutoff for obesity. The study, led by Aaron S. Kelly, PhD, co-director of the Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and colleagues, also showed almost three quarters (74%) moved down by at least one weight category. The full STEP TEENS trial, published in 2022 in the New England Journal ...
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Science 2023-05-18

Women and non-white groups still missing out on top US research prize

The number of women and non-white people in academic medicine and biomedical research continues to increase, yet the proportion of women among Lasker Award recipients has not changed in more than 70 years, finds a study published by The BMJ today. And only one non-white woman was identified as having received a Lasker Award over the course of seven decades, the findings show. The researchers say these results are difficult to reconcile given the ever increasing number of qualified scientists from diverse backgrounds, and they call for more transparency around ...
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Medicine 2023-05-18

Prostate cancer ‘test by request’ policies drive overdiagnosis and inequity with minimal benefit, argue experts

Most high income countries, including the UK, do not have a national prostate cancer screening programme, but instead allow men without symptoms to get a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test if they wish, after talking to their doctor. But experts writing in The BMJ today argue that these shared decision policies have led to high rates of PSA testing and clear medical harm, with minimal benefit and inequity. Andrew Vickers and an international group of colleagues argue that high income countries should either implement a comprehensive risk based approach ...
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Tonsillectomy both clinically and cost effective for adults
Medicine 2023-05-18

Tonsillectomy both clinically and cost effective for adults

Scientists say tonsil removal is both clinically and cost effective for adults who get recurrent severe sore throats. The biggest study of its kind, carried out by Newcastle University, revealed that patients who had a tonsillectomy had 50% less sore throats over two years, compared to patients who did not undergo tonsillectomy. Publishing today (17 May) in The Lancet, the study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Experts also found that a tonsillectomy for those aged 16 years and over was cost effective ...
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Medicine 2023-05-18

New measure of quality life for patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer

This collaborative study between researchers in the UK and Australia is a huge step towards aligning outcome reporting with patient priorities in advanced cancer settings. The study, published in the journal eClinical Medicine (The Lancet Discovery Science), details the development, testing and analysis of this design-specific measure to assess quality of life in patients with recurrent rectal cancer, regardless of treatment intent. This new measure – called the LRRC–QoL – consists of nine multi-item scales (healthcare services, psychological ...
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Medicine 2023-05-18

New analysis of prisoner healthcare highlights risks to patient safety

Substantive changes are needed to improve patient safety in prisons, according to a new study published by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (JRSM) and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Practical changes such as timely access to healthcare services and better processes to mitigate medication-related harm should be prioritised, according to the researchers. In the first nationwide analysis of patient safety incidents in prisons in England, researchers found that security, staffing constraints and the high turnover of prisoners are among the main barriers to the safe delivery of healthcare ...
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African Killifish could hold secrets to reversing muscle ageing
Science 2023-05-18

African Killifish could hold secrets to reversing muscle ageing

As we age, our muscles start to waste. Called sarcopenia, it happens to us all, yet no one has ever understood why and how it happens. Now new research from the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI) at Monash University has used a surprising animal model – the African killifish – to reveal that towards the end of life, our muscles actually reverse to an “early-life” state, slowing mortality. This finding may provide a clue to slowing, halting or even reversing age-related loss of muscle mass and strength. The research, published ...
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Environment 2023-05-18

Accelerated Christian Education textbooks used in UK schools deny human-caused climate change

UCL Press Release Under embargo until Thursday 18th May, 01:00 UK time / Wednesday 17th May, 20:00 Eastern US time Peer reviewed | Literature review | People One of the world’s largest fundamentalist Christian education groups is teaching its students climate change denial as fact, and still presents the theory of evolution as an ‘absurd and discredited’ conspiracy theory, finds a report by UCL researchers. Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) is one of the world’s biggest providers of creationist science materials, consisting of reading programmes and a core ...
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First observed radio waves from a type Ia supernova
Space 2023-05-18

First observed radio waves from a type Ia supernova

For the first time, astronomers have observed radio waves emitted by a Type Ia supernova, a type of explosion originating from a white dwarf star. This provides important clues to understand how white dwarfs explode. A Type Ia (One-A) supernova is the nuclear explosion of a white dwarf star. This type of supernova is well known; these supernovae are used by astronomers to measure cosmological distances and the expansion of the Universe. But the explosion mechanism of Type Ia supernovae is not well understood. Solitary white dwarfs don’t explode, so it is thought that mass accretion from a neighboring companion ...
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Hanging by a purple thread
Science 2023-05-18

Hanging by a purple thread

Kyoto, Japan -- Purple is a color that has historically been associated with nobility around the world. Japan is no exception. However, its distinct murasaki hue is threatened as the native gromwell plant -- synonymous with murasaki -- has become an endangered species. Disease and cross-breeding with non-native species are partly to blame for murasaki's growing demise. Now, a research group including Kyoto University, is leading a movement to raise awareness of gromwell's importance in preserving ...
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Science 2023-05-18

Is vaping a new gateway into further substance use? New national study shows adolescent vapers much likelier to use cannabis and binge drink

A new study of more than 50,000 US adolescents across the country indicates that vaping nicotine is strongly linked with an increased likelihood of high levels use of binge drinking and cannabis usage.    The findings, published today in the peer-reviewed journal Substance Use and Misuse, will add to growing public health concerns about the increased popularity of electronic cigarette (or ‘vaping’) use among young people.    “While the overall health risks of vaping are lower than smoking, electronic cigarettes are still harmful to adolescents and warrant ongoing ...
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Medicine 2023-05-17

Researchers identify 10 pesticides toxic to neurons involved in Parkinson’s

Researchers at UCLA Health and Harvard have identified 10 pesticides that significantly damaged neurons implicated in the development of Parkinson’s disease, providing new clues about environmental toxins’ role in the disease. While environmental factors such as pesticide exposure have long been linked to Parkinson’s, it has been harder to pinpoint which pesticides may raise risk for the neurodegenerative disorder. Just in California, the nation’s largest agricultural producer and exporter, there are nearly 14,000 pesticide products with over 1,000 active ingredients registered for use. Through a novel pairing ...
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Hill Air Force Base and USU sign historic agreement
Technology 2023-05-17

Hill Air Force Base and USU sign historic agreement

A new agreement between Utah State University and Hill Air Force Base will create enhanced learning opportunities for students and spur innovative joint research efforts. The Education Partnership Agreement was signed on May 11 by USU President Noelle Cockett and Wayne Ayer, a director of the Air Force Sustainment Center’s Engineering and Technical Management Directorate in Ogden. “There are so many opportunities and technologies that exist within the Air Force that students and faculty can be a part of,” Ayer said. “By ...
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SLU Institute for Healing Justice and Equity launches ‘Critical Futures’ podcast
Science 2023-05-17

SLU Institute for Healing Justice and Equity launches ‘Critical Futures’ podcast

ST. LOUIS — The Institute for Healing Justice and Equity (IHJE) at Saint Louis University has launched "Critical Futures," a new podcast about imagining alternative futures. The first episode "Reimagining Community Partnerships" explores anti-racist health policies and structural racism in the health care system and was produced with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), as part of the work of the Anti-Racism Consortium. “How do we dismantle these systems? What are we building in its wake to move forward so that we can stop having these conversations? Will that happen in our lifetime? ...
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Uncovering universal physics in the dynamics of a quantum system
Technology 2023-05-17

Uncovering universal physics in the dynamics of a quantum system

New experiments using one-dimensional gases of ultra-cold atoms reveal a universality in how quantum systems composed of many particles change over time following a large influx of energy that throws the system out of equilibrium. A team of physicists at Penn State showed that these gases immediately respond, “evolving” with features that are common to all “many-body” quantum systems thrown out of equilibrium in this way. A paper describing the experiments appears May 17, 2023 in the journal Nature. “Many major ...
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NIR spectroscopy provides easy, cost-effective method for food allergen testing
Science 2023-05-17

NIR spectroscopy provides easy, cost-effective method for food allergen testing

URBANA, Ill. – Food allergies pose a significant health risk, resulting in numerous hospitalizations every year, as even trace amounts of allergens can trigger severe reactions. Cross-contamination of food products can happen easily in the production process, so it’s important to have reliable methods of testing for allergens. A new study conducted at the University of Illinois explores the application of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to detect three types of allergens in quinoa flour. The researchers say the method ...
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Science 2023-05-17

Cash or card? Consumers pay strategically to forget guilty purchases, study shows

“Will you be paying with cash or card?”  It’s a question that’s been asked of consumers for decades. And despite the increasing popularity of digital payment methods, cash and card remain the most popular choices worldwide. In 2021, 65 percent of all point-of-sale transactions globally were made using cash or card, according to Fidelity National Information Services.   Past research shows that 90 percent of households use multiple payment methods, but new research from the University of Notre Dame takes a first look into how consumers choose between them. The study finds that ...
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Impact Journals at SSP 45th Annual Meeting
Medicine 2023-05-17

Impact Journals at SSP 45th Annual Meeting

BUFFALO, NY-May 17, 2023 – Impact Journals will be participating as an exhibitor at the Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) 45th Annual Meeting, which convenes May 31–June 2, 2023, at the Oregon Convention Center & Hyatt Regency Portland in Portland, Oregon, USA. This year, the meeting theme is: “Transformation, Trust, and Transparency.” “The pace of change in our industry continues unabated, with seismic shifts in areas such as the dissemination of research, business models, and the nature of the workplace. And yet, while pressure for change has become the new normal, ...
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Medicine 2023-05-17

Can exercise lower the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease?

MINNEAPOLIS – Getting regular exercise such as cycling, walking, gardening, cleaning and participating in sports may decrease the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, according to new research published in the May 17, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study found female participants who exercised the most had a 25% lower rate of Parkinson’s disease when compared to those who exercised the least. The study does not prove that exercise lowers the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. ...
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Science 2023-05-17

Worldwide stroke deaths expected to increase to nearly 5 million by 2030

MINNEAPOLIS – The number of deaths worldwide from ischemic stroke increased from 2 million in 1990 to more than 3 million in 2019, and is expected to increase to nearly 5 million by 2030, according to a study published in the May 17, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study focused on ischemic stroke, which is caused by a blockage of blood flow to the brain and is the most common type of stroke. “This increase in the global death toll of ischemic stroke along with a predicted further increase in the future is concerning, ...
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Energy 2023-05-17

An electric vehicle battery for all seasons

Many owners of electric vehicles worry about how effective their battery will be in very cold weather. Now a new battery chemistry may have solved that problem. In current lithium-ion batteries, the main problem lies in the liquid electrolyte. This key battery component transfers charge-carrying particles called ions between the battery’s two electrodes, causing the battery to charge and discharge. But the liquid begins to freeze at sub-zero temperatures. This condition severely limits the effectiveness of charging electric ...
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Science 2023-05-17

One step closer to developing a potentially ultraprotective sunscreen from our own melanin

A new discovery about the structure of melanin has brought scientists one step closer to developing a new, potentially ultra-protective sunscreen derived from a biological substance found in nearly all organisms. Researchers from McGill’s Department of Chemistry, in collaboration with The Ohio State University and the University of Girona, have announced a major advance in understanding the fundamental structure of melanin and one of its components that turns light into heat, protecting the body from sun damage. Melanin, the pigment that gives humans their skin, eye, and hair colour, is the body’s first and best natural defense against the sun’s ...
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