In a project commissioned by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), researchers at Nagoya University in Japan have developed poly(styrenesulfonic acid)-based PEMs with a high density of sulfonic acid groups.     One of the key components of environmentally friendly polymer electrolyte fuel cells is a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM). It generates electrical energy through a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen gases. Examples of practical fuel cells include fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) and fuel cell combined heat and power (CHP) systems.     The best-known PEM is a membrane based on a ...

An artificial pancreas developed at the University of Virginia Center for Diabetes Technology improves blood sugar control for people ages 2 to 72 with type 1 diabetes, according to a new combined analysis of three clinical trials. Across the three trials, participants using the artificial pancreas spent an average of 2.8 more hours per dayin their target blood sugar range compared with participants in control groups who used standard methods for managing their blood sugar. Manufactured by Tandem Diabetes Care and sold as the Control-IQ system, the artificial pancreas is ...

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a promising solution to the contemporary problem of the impending global energy crisis. SOFCs show high efficiency, lower emissions, and have low operating costs, making them an ideal power source for a fossil fuel-free society. Conventional SOFCs with yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolytes have high operating temperatures (700–1000°C), and their widespread adoption has been limited by their degradation issues and high cost. Therefore, there is a need ...

A team of UCR electrical engineers and material scientists demonstrated a research breakthrough that may result in wide-ranging advancements in electrical, optical, and computer technologies. The Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering research group, led by distinguished professor Alexander Balandin, has shown in the laboratory the unique and practical function of newly created materials, which they called quantum composites. These composites consist of small crystals of called “charge density wave quantum materials” incorporated within a polymer (large molecules with repeating structures) matrix. Upon heating or light exposure, charge density wave material ...

A Michigan Medicine study finds that Black and socioeconomically disadvantaged patients with a common vascular disease have more severe symptoms before bypass surgery – and are at greater risk for amputation and other complications after the procedure. The analysis zeroed in on more than 7,000 patients with peripheral arterial disease, when the vessels carrying blood from the heart to the legs are blocked by plaque, who underwent lower extremity bypass to improve circulation. The data was available through the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium database. Investigators found ...

Research Highlights: A study of more than 100,000 people in the U.S. has found an association between individuals’ psychological well-being during pregnancy and their risk of developing cardiovascular disease within two years of delivery. The most significant association was between depression and ischemic heart disease, with individuals with depression having an 83% higher risk of developing the condition than those without a depression diagnosis. The increased risk of cardiovascular disease was found even among individuals without high blood pressure ...

Kyoto, Japan -- Development of neural networks or AI tools for data analysis is increasing exponentially. However, networks existing in natural ecosystems, such as webs of interspecies relationships, have information processing potential that has largely remained untapped. Now, a study conducted at Kyoto University has demonstrated the computational power of ecosystems, providing a new direction for rapidly developing AI technologies. Simulations have confirmed that ecological networks, such as prey-predator interactions, can efficiently process information and be utilized as a computational resource. "We have named this approach ecological reservoir computing," ...

Tallinn - APRIL 19TH, 2023 - Haut.AI, a SaaS company specializing in artificial intelligence for skin, hair, and wellness analytics, has just announced its new generative AI tech for modeling skin conditions - SkinGPT. This breakthrough in the beauty industry uses AI to create synthetic images and apply skin conditions to input image data. SkinGPT enables users to upload their photos and apply AI to simulate how their skin will change over time when using certain skincare products.  SkinGPT enables the ...

A preconception and early-pregnancy diet that contains lots of fruit, vegetables, seafood, dairy, eggs and grain may be associated with reducing risk of miscarriage, a new review of research suggests. Researchers at the University of Birmingham, funded by Tommy’s, analysed 20 studies which explored women and birthing people’s eating habits in the months before and shortly after conceiving a baby to see whether these studies showed evidence of association with a lower or higher chance of miscarriage. Writing in the journal Fertility and Sterility the Tommy’s National Centre for Miscarriage Research team conclude that there is evidence to ...

Sleeve gastrectomy (SG), where about 80% of the stomach is removed, is effective for treating obesity and its complications, but it has been associated with bone loss in adolescents. In a prospective study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, imaging tests revealed that SG decreases strength and bone mineral density of the lumbar spine in adolescents and young adults. In the 12-month prospective nonrandomized study, 29 adolescents/young adults with obesity underwent SG and 30 were followed without surgery. At baseline and 12 months, participants underwent computed tomography of ...

In a study of older adults, higher educational attainment seemed to protect adults from cognitive decline, but this protective effect differed by race and ethnicity. Higher-educated White adults received a greater benefit than higher-educated Black or Latinx adults. The study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society involved telephone assessments of cognitive function among 20,311 Black, Latinx, and White US adults aged 51–100 years. On average, Black and Latinx adults scored lower compared with White adults, regardless of educational attainment. Irrespective of race and ...

Results from a new study published in the Journal of Applied Ecology indicate that dim light pollution may have detrimental effects on insect populations and may explain part of the ongoing, large-scale insect declines around the world. During the study, investigators raised the offspring of moths from urban and rural populations from North- and Mid-European countries and treated them with and without dim light at night. The researchers assessed the induction of diapause, a dormant state that is critical for survival through the winter. Light treatment affected diapause overall, but more so in Mid- than in North-European populations. ...

A study published in BJU International found that adhering to healthy diets seems to have no effect on prostate cancer risk, but following an unhealthy diet might increase the risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer. The study assessed the diets of 15,296 men recruited in Spain in from 1992–1996. Among these men, 609 prostate cancer cases were identified during a median follow-up of 17 years. Diets were categorized as Western, Prudent, or Mediterranean. The Western dietary pattern consisted of a high intake of high-fat dairy products, processed meat, refined ...

New research published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica has revealed a link between the use of traditional Chinese medicine during pregnancy and congenital malformations, including heart defects, in children. In the prospective study, 16,751 women who received obstetrics care from hospitals in China completed a survey on their use of traditional Chinese medicine before and during pregnancy. Among fetuses, there were 273 congenital malformations. Fetuses exposed to traditional Chinese medicine had 2.1-times higher odds of developing congenital malformations compared with those without exposure. There were significant associations with congenital malformations in women ...

In research published in The FASEB Journal, scientists have discovered that a molecule called Yes-associated protein (YAP) plays a key role in the development of liver scarring, or fibrosis, by influencing the behavior of premature cells called liver progenitor cells. By manipulating YAP expression in these cells, the investigators were able to improve the cells' ability to regenerate and repair liver tissue. “Collectively, our findings indicate that liver progenitor cells’ expansion and differentiation during liver fibrosis could be modulated by YAP, further suggesting the possibility of manipulating YAP expression in these cells as a potential ...

There are an estimated 6.9 million wild pigs in the United States, and the population has been rising in recent decades. In research published in Wildlife Society Bulletin, investigators used drones to capture images of the agricultural damage caused by these animals. Drones took pictures of corn fields at different growth stages during 36 missions over an agricultural region in Delta County, Texas in 2019–2020. Most damage occurred in later growth stages, when corn ears were maturing, seed was most nutritious, and producers had already invested in the majority ...

Honolulu, HI | April 19, 2023—Findings from a Scientific Online Poster presented during the 2023 ARRS Annual Meeting at the Hawaiian Convention Center suggest there is institutional variability in both projection order and image acquisition timing for contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) protocol, with a previous systematic review revealing at least 7 different combinations in projection order. “Our study demonstrates that earlier-obtained recombined imaging is significantly preferred in cancer lesion characterization, with a few instances demonstrating that biopsy-proven lesions may appear more conspicuously on earlier-obtained imaging (e.g., mass versus non-mass ...

Eating walnuts on a regular basis could benefit the cognitive development of adolescents and contribute to their psychological maturation. These are some of the conclusions reached by a study led by the Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), in which ISGlobal (a centre promoted by "la Caixa" Foundation) and the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM) have collaborated. This is unprecedented research; while there have been previous studies on ...

Young teen smokers who also vape may be at heightened risk of persistent and heavier smoking in their late teens, reveal the combined findings of two nationally representative UK and US studies, published online in the journal Tobacco Control. Despite national differences in e-cigarette regulation and marketing between the two countries, the findings suggest that e-cigarettes may deepen early patterns of smoking, known as the ‘entrenchment hypothesis,’ conclude the researchers. The prevalence of smoking among teens has fallen sharply over the past several decades. But it’s not clear what role ...

Cancer survivors may be at long term heightened risk of subsequent cardiovascular disease, irrespective of traditional underlying risk factors, suggest the findings of a large UK Biobank study, published online in the journal Heart. Those with previous breast or blood cancers may be at greatest risk, the findings indicate. Shared vascular risk factors as well as the treatments and biological processes related to the cancer itself are all associated with a heightened risk of incident cardiovascular ...

The 2018 implementation of menu calorie labels is already helping American adults make healthier choices at restaurants and fast-food operations, with analyses showing a net decrease in caloric intake by 20 to 60 calories per meal out. While this may sound minor, a modelling study led by Tufts University researchers, published April 18 in the journal BMJ Open, estimates this is enough to prevent at least 28,000 obesity-associated cancer cases and 16,700 cancer deaths over a lifetime, saving a combined $2.8 billion in net healthcare and societal costs. Based on available national nutritional survey data gathered from U.S. adults aged 20+, in the years 2015-2016, and integrated ...

Specifying the number of calories for each item on restaurant menus is likely linked to lower rates of cancers associated with obesity and attendant healthcare costs in the US, suggests a modelling study, published in the open access journal BMJ Open. Thousands of cancer cases and deaths could potentially be averted and billions of dollars saved as a result of the policy, the figures indicate, prompting the researchers to suggest that additional food industry product reformulation could substantially boost its impact. One in three Americans is obese, and obesity is ...

New research from University of East Anglia reveals why some children may be slower to learn words than others. A study published today investigates where toddlers look when they learn new words. It finds that children with larger vocabularies looked quickly towards objects when learning new words. Meanwhile, children who knew fewer words looked back and forth between objects and took more time. The research team say that their findings could help identify children with delays in language development at an ...

Sophia Antipolis, 19 April 2023:  Effective management of depression through psychological therapy is associated with a lower likelihood of heart disease and stroke, according to research published today in European Heart Journal, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).1   “Our study suggests that improving mental health could also help physical health, especially in those aged under 60,” said study author Ms. Céline El Baou, a PhD student at University ...

Using talking therapies to effectively treat depression in adults over the age of 45 may be linked with reduced rates of future cardiovascular disease, finds a new analysis of health data led by UCL researchers. In the first-of-its-kind study, published in the European Health Journal, researchers assessed whether evidence-based psychological therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), used to treat depression could play a role in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease later in life. Cardiovascular diseases, such as stroke and heart disease, are the leading cause of death worldwide. They represent 32% of ...