Modern cameras and sensors, together with image processing algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI), are ushering in a new era of precision agriculture and plant breeding. In the near future, farmers and scientists will be able to quantify various plant traits by simply pointing special imaging devices at plants. However, some obstacles must be overcome before these visions become a reality. A major issue faced during image-sensing is the difficulty of combining data from the same plant gathered from multiple image sensors, also known as ‘multispectral’ or ‘multimodal’ ...

Metagenomic sequencing (mNGS) is a powerful diagnostic tool to detect causative pathogens in clinical microbiological testing. Rapid and accurate classification of metagenomic sequences is a critical procedure for pathogen identification in the dry-lab step of mNGS tests. However, this crucial step may be improved by classifying sequences within a clinically relevant timeframe. To address this challenge, a BGI Genomics team led by Xuebin Wang has recently launched GPMeta, an ultra-fast pathogen detection approach, and published these highlights ...

In the United States suicide has become the second leading cause of premature death among those ages 10 to 24; it is the leading cause of death among teens ages 13 to 14. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine and collaborators conducted a study exploring trends in rates of suicide among 13 to 14 year olds in the U.S. from 1999 to 2018. They also explored possible modifications by sex, race, level of urbanization, census region, month of the year and day of the week.    Results, published online ahead of print in the journal Annals of Pediatrics and Child Health, showed that among children ages 13 to 14, suicide rates ...

Researchers from University of Notre Dame and The Ohio State University published a new Journal of Marketing study that examines how the use of unconventional spellings of a brand name impacts consumers’ inferences about and willingness to support the brand. The study, forthcoming in the Journal of Marketing, is titled “‘Choozing’ the Best Spelling: Consumer Response to Unconventionally Spelled Brand Names” and is authored by John P. Costello, Jesse Walker, and Rebecca Walker Reczek. Choosing a brand ...

Development of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 has been rapid, but the rise of variants forces scientists to frequently modify treatments. Ideally, therapies would target mutation-resistant viral proteins, but this has proven difficult. Researchers reporting in ACS Central Science, however, have now developed a system that directly targets and degrades the viral RNA genome, reducing infection in mice. The method could be adapted to fight off many viruses, as well as treat various diseases. Vaccines and antiviral drugs typically target proteins critical to viral infection and replication. This ...

Research Highlights: U.S. adults who reported feeling highly discriminated against at work had an increased risk of developing high blood pressure than those who reported low discrimination at work. Researchers suggest government and employer anti-discrimination policies and interventions may help to eliminate discrimination in the workplace. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET Wednesday, April 26, 2023 DALLAS, April 26, 2023 — U.S. adults who reported feeling discriminated against at work had a higher risk for developing high ...

Safer and more effective blood thinners could be on the way following a groundbreaking discovery by researchers at UBC and the University of Michigan, published today in Nature Communications. By combining their expertise in blood clotting systems and chemical synthesis, the researchers have designed a new compound called MPI 8 that offers the potential to prevent blood clots without any increased risk of bleeding—a common side effect of existing blood thinners. “The development of MPI 8 represents a major breakthrough in the field of blood clot prevention and treatment,” said Dr. Jay Kizhakkedathu, a professor and Canada Research ...

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute, King’s College London and University College London have shed light on the genetics behind changes in the structure and shape of the face and head in a mouse model of Down Syndrome. Described in a paper published today in Development, the researchers found that having a third copy of the gene Dyrk1a and at least three other genes were responsible for these changes taking place in development – called craniofacial dysmorphology – which involve shortened back-to-front length and widened diameter of the head. Affecting ...

ROCKVILLE, Md.—Gestational weight gain may be associated with autism-related behaviors among children who have a greater pre-disposition to these behaviors and who have mothers with pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity, according to a new study in Obesity, The Obesity Society’s (TOS) flagship journal. Excessive gestational weight gain has been associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes in children, including autism spectrum disorder and related traits. However, it is unclear how pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) or familial susceptibility to autism spectrum disorder influences the gestational weight gain-autism traits association, ...

It is a common custom in some countries for individuals to take a siesta or midday nap. Sleeping during the middle of the day has the potential to affect sleep quality, cognitive function, and metabolic processes. However, the relationship between siestas and metabolic health is not well understood. A new study led by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, assessed more than 3,000 adults from a Mediterranean population, examining the relationship of siestas and siesta duration with obesity and metabolic syndrome. The researchers found that those who took siestas of 30 minutes or longer (long siestas) were more ...

Japanese food is popular worldwide and has been registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. There is a scoring system named “the 12-component modified Japanese Diet Index (mJDI12),” which focuses on the intake of the Japanese diet pattern. It includes 12 foods and food groups: rice, miso soup, pickles, soy products, green and yellow vegetables, fruits, seafood, mushrooms, seaweed, green tea, coffee, and beef and pork. Scores range from 0 to 12, with higher scores indicating a diet that conforms to the Japanese food pattern. A research group led by Dr. Hideki Fujii ...

LA JOLLA, CA—An anonymous San Diego resident has become a fascinating example of how the human immune system fights SARS-CoV-2. In a new investigation, scientists from La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have shown how antibodies, collected from this clinical study volunteer, bind to the SARS-CoV-2 "Spike" protein to neutralize the virus. Although studies have shown antibodies bound to Spike before, this new research reveals how the original Moderna SARS-CoV-2 vaccine could prompt the body to produce antibodies against the later Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2. The researchers ...

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 25, 2023 – BioOne proudly announces the 2023 recipients of the BioOne Ambassador Award. Now in its sixth year, this prestigious award recognizes early-career researchers in the biological, ecological, environmental sciences who demonstrate creative approaches to science communication thereby fostering greater science literacy and aiding in the understanding of the natural world. BioOne Ambassadors are nominated by BioOne publishing partners and each winning author will receive a $1,000 award, and have their work promoted through BioOne’s multiple channels. This year’s ...

“The mechanisms of induction of senescent cell death by CUDC-907 remain to be fully elucidated.” BUFFALO, NY- April 25, 2023 – A new research paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) Volume 15, Issue 7, entitled, “Characterization of the HDAC/PI3K inhibitor CUDC-907 as a novel senolytic.” The accumulation of senescent cells has an important role in the phenotypical changes observed in aging and in many age-related pathologies. Thus, the strategies designed to prevent these effects, collectively ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Showing users that visual data fed into artificial intelligence (AI) systems was labeled correctly might make people trust AI more, according to researchers. The findings also may pave the way to help scientists better measure the connection between labeling credibility, AI performance, and trust, the team added. In a study, the researchers found that high-quality labeling of images led people to perceive that the training data was credible and they trusted the AI system more. ...

25 April 2023 The Geological Society of America Release no. 23-20 Contact: Justin Samuel +1-303-357-1026 jsamuel@geosociety.org For Immediate Release A Meeting in the Mitten: Water, Rock, Wonderland Boulder, Colo., USA: The 2023 Geological Society of America North-Central Section Meeting will be held on 4–5 May in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. We are pleased to announce a wide-ranging set of theme sessions, field trips, and short courses aligned with our meeting theme: A Meeting in the Mitten: Water, Rock, Wonderland. ...

Mothers with the long term autoimmune disorder, systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE for short, run more than double the risk of giving birth to a premature or growth restricted baby, finds a 10-year nationwide audit of hospital admissions records in the US and published online in the open access journal RMD Open. And these mothers are nearly 4 times as likely to need a blood transfusion and 15 times as likely to develop kidney failure during delivery as mothers without the condition, the audit shows. Rates of death and serious illness among new mothers are increasing in the USA, likely due to rising rates of obesity, underlying conditions, and older age ...

Climate changes are conjuring a whirlwind ride that seems to present some creatures opportunities to thrive. Scientists scripting supercharged scenarios caution the difference between seasonal coping and long-term adaption is vast – and tricky to predict. Michigan State University biologists have studied damselflies – which resemble dragonflies and are abundant as both predator and prey in wetlands – to understand what happens throughout their lifecycle from nymph to winged insect, along with what they eat when summers grow warmer and longer. Their work in this week’s Proceedings of the Royal Society B has a twist – ...

Press release: Under Embargo until Wednesday 26th April 2023, 12:05am BST Higher rates of HIV diagnoses found amongst mental health service users New National Institute for Health and Care Research Maudsley BRC supported research has found HIV is 2.5 times more frequent in people who use mental health services than the general population in South London. The paper was published today in BMJ Open. HIV is 2.5 times more common in people who use mental health services than the general population in South London. The researchers, at King’s College London, found that 2.5% of people who have had contact with mental health services had a recorded diagnosis of ...

Even mild concussion can cause long-lasting effects to the brain, according to researchers at the University of Cambridge. Using data from a Europe-wide study, the team has shown that for almost a half of all people who receive a knock to the head, there are changes in how regions of the brain communicate with each other, potentially causing long term symptoms such as fatigue and cognitive impairment. Mild traumatic brain injury – concussion – results from a blow or jolt to the head. It can occur as a result of a fall, a sports injury or from a cycling accident or car crash, ...

**Strictly embargoed until 01:01 (BST) Wednesday 26 April 2023** Astronomers solve the 60-year mystery of quasars – the most powerful objects in the Universe First discovered 60 years ago, quasars can shine as brightly as a trillion stars packed into a volume the size of our Solar System, but until now it has remained a mystery what could trigger such powerful activity By observing 48 galaxies that host quasars and comparing them to over 100 non-quasar galaxies, scientists discovered that the phenomenon is ignited by galaxies colliding When two galaxies collide, gravitational forces ...

Social media is fuelling eating disorders among female athletes who feel they must achieve the ‘ideal’ body, according to experts. Dr Kathryn Vidlock and Catherine Liggett, who have both competed in collegiate athletics, and dietician Andrew Dole warn that nutrition ‘myths’ posted by fitness influencers, exercise-related ‘fitspiration’ images on Instagram, and photoshopping are having a direct impact on sportswomen. Their new book Spring Forward: Balanced Eating, Exercise, and Body Image in ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — People may appreciate online apps that provide advice on health and fitness, but they seem to draw the line when those apps use their social media networks for data, according to researchers. In a study, users showed a strong preference for fitness recommendations that were personalized for them based on their self-reported preferences. They also liked systems that allowed users to choose among different recommendation approaches, which made them feel more in control. “As big data gives people new opportunities to personalize their health and fitness routines, it also calls into question how ...

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — One in five adults in California, or an estimated 6.5 million people, are concerned that someone they know, usually a friend or family member, is at risk of harming themselves or others, according to new research published in Preventive Medicine. Alcohol and substance misuse, a history of violence, and firearm access were common reasons for concerns about potential violence. Of the people perceived to be at risk for harming others, an estimated 19% were said to have access to firearms. For those perceived to be at risk of harming themselves, that number was approximately 11%. Amanda J. Aubel, a research data analyst at the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research ...

At least half of all autistic children experience some form of aggression, such as hitting, kicking or name-calling, while their parents are tasked with helping them cope and integrate socially. Yet the prevalence and characterization of aggressive behaviors across autistic development are poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, researchers in the Family and Community Intervention Lab at the University of Arkansas compared autistic children to non-autistic children on different types of aggressive behaviors over three ...