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Environment27 Mar 2023

The Greenland Ice Sheet is close to a melting point of no return

American Geophysical Union Press Release 23-11 27 March 2023 For Immediate Release This press release is available online at: https://news.agu.org/press-release/the-greenland-ice-sheet-is-close-to-a-melting-point-of-no-return/ AGU press contact: Rebecca Dzombak, +1 (202) 777-7492, news@agu.org (UTC-4 hours) Contact information for the researchers: Dennis Höning, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, dennis.hoening@pik-potsdam.de (UTC+1 hour) WASHINGTON — The Greenland Ice Sheet covers 1.7 million ...

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Environment27 Mar 2023

Chicago pollution varies by neighborhood

New simulation combines emissions with weather and chemistry in an air-quality model First neighborhood-scale simulation of its kind focused on Chicago tracks air quality hour by hour across areas as small as 1.3 kilometers-sized blocks Simulation can show how pollutants move across space and time throughout the city and surrounding areas Air pollution along highways is consistently worse than other areas, regardless of season or time of day EVANSTON, Ill. — If you live along one of the major interstate highways running through Chicago or directly next to Lake Michigan, you are regularly exposed to more air pollution than ...

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Medicine27 Mar 2023

Moffitt researchers discover two-pronged approach to stimulate STING antitumor activity

TAMPA, Fla. – Immunotherapies have greatly improved the outcomes of many patients with melanoma. But there is still a need for new approaches for the subset of patients who do not respond well to this type of therapy. Moffitt Cancer Center researchers are looking at new targets to help inhibit tumor development and promote antitumor immunity, one being the STING signaling pathway. In a new article published in Nature Communications, a team of Moffitt and University of Miami Miller School of Medicine investigators demonstrate that targeting the STING pathway with a combination strategy ...

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Science27 Mar 2023

Making immunizations more effective

In addition to an antigen, many vaccines also contain substances, called adjuvants, which stimulate the immune system. By using computer-aided molecular design and machine learning, a Chinese research team has now developed two novel broad-spectrum adjuvants that can significantly amplify the immune response to vaccines. As reported in the journal Angewandte Chemie, they were able to enhance the effectiveness of immunization against certain forms of cancer in animal models. Adjuvants amplify and prolong the effect of vaccine immunizations. Aluminum salts have been successfully used ...

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Space27 Mar 2023

JWST confirms giant planet atmospheres vary widely

ITHACA, N.Y. – An international team of astronomers has found the atmospheric compositions of giant planets out in the galaxy do not fit our own solar system trend. Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the researchers discovered that the atmosphere of exoplanet HD149026b, a ‘hot Jupiter’ orbiting a star comparable to our sun, is super-abundant in the heavier elements carbon and oxygen – far above what scientists would expect for a planet of its mass. These findings, published in “High atmospheric metal enrichment for a Saturn-mass ...

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Medicine27 Mar 2023

Breakthrough Brain Imaging: Experts use new microscope, AI algorithm, and voltage indicators to image electrical activity deep in the brain

When studying the brain, researchers are just beginning to use a method known as voltage imaging to track neural activity in the living animal. While this approach is a promising way to better understand neuron firing, behavior, and cognition, there are limitations and risk factors. The practice requires putting a lot of light into the brain (which can lead to overheating) and only has the capacity to image ten neurons at a time. New research from Jerry Chen, a Boston University College of Arts & Sciences assistant professor of biology, and collaborators aims to address these challenges. Published today in Nature Methods, ...

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Environment27 Mar 2023

RIT researcher receives funding to improve infrastructure safety for nuclear waste disposal

Researchers at Rochester Institute of Technology are investigating the combined physical effects of heat, chemical reactions, and seismic activity on concrete lining structures used to dispose of nuclear waste. Results from the work could improve nuclear waste infrastructure designs, better long-term safety management, and refine strategies to meet climate change targets. Lu Sun, a professor in RIT’s College of Engineering Technology (CET), received a grant of nearly $500,000 from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for “High temperature and seismic response of concrete lining structures and clay in nuclear waste disposal.” ...

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Space27 Mar 2023

NASA’s Webb measures the temperature of a rocky exoplanet

An international team of researchers has used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to measure the temperature of the rocky exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 b. The measurement is based on the planet’s thermal emission: heat energy given off in the form of infrared light detected by Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). The result indicates that the planet’s dayside has a temperature of about 500 kelvins (roughly 450 degrees Fahrenheit) and suggests that it has no significant atmosphere. This is the first detection of any form of light emitted by an exoplanet as small and as cool as the rocky planets in our own solar system. The result ...

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Medicine27 Mar 2023

Benefiting from orphan drug and rare pediatric disease designations for gene therapy

Providing an overview of the submissions process and examples of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) applications for Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) and Rare Pediatric Disease Designation (RPDD), a new article can help developers of gene therapies for rare genetic diseases. The article is published in the peer-reviewed journal Human Gene Therapy. Click here to read the article now. Anne Pariser and Elizabeth Ottinger, from the National Center for Advances in Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health, and coauthors, describe the ODD and RPDD programs, which provide financial incentives for the development of ...

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Science27 Mar 2023

Study paves way to more efficient production of 2G ethanol using specially modified yeast strain

A Brazilian study paves the way to increased efficiency of second-generation (2G) ethanol production based on the discovery of novel targets for metabolic engineering in a more robust strain of industrial yeast. An article on the study is published in the journal Scientific Reports. The databases compiled by the authors are at the disposal of the scientific community in the repository of the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), which is a member of the Dataverse Project, an international collaborative initiative supported by FAPESP. First-generation (1G) ethanol is produced from sources rich in carbohydrates ...

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Medicine27 Mar 2023

UC Davis Health collaborates with Propeller Health to improve clinical outcomes of COPD patients

UC Davis Health and Propeller Health have announced a new collaboration that will offer personalized treatment for high-risk patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) aiming to improve their health outcomes. As part of the collaboration, UC Davis Health will provide the Propeller program – including sensors, mobile app, web portal, and personalized support – to eligible patients, with eventual expansion to patients in other UC locations and UC affiliates. The sensors attach to a patient’s inhaler to capture unique signals that record events, such as ...

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Science27 Mar 2023

Largest study to date of minipuberty identifies two new patterns of the reproductive hormone, AMH, in infant girls

Minipuberty is a stage of reproductive development during infancy in both sexes when reproductive hormones change and reproductive organs develop. The importance of minipuberty is not well understood but could represent an opportunity for the early identification of future reproductive conditions and enable prompt treatment. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is one of the hormones that changes during minipuberty, and it plays a key role in the development of reproductive organs in boys. However, the role of AMH in infant girls is less clear. In ...

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Science27 Mar 2023

Bomb-sniffing rodents undergo ‘unusual’ reproductive transformations

ITHACA, N.Y. – Female giant African pouched rats, used for sniffing out landmines and detecting tuberculosis, can undergo astounding reproductive organ transformations, according to a new study. The paper, “Extreme plasticity of reproductive state in a female rodent,” which published March 27 in Current Biology, explores how traits once considered “fixed” in adult animals may become variable under specific pressures. Though these rodents could have important military, biodetection and humanitarian uses, breeding them at high rates has been a challenge. ...

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Medicine27 Mar 2023

ENGOT-EN6-NSGO/GOG-3031/RUBY trial results: The new standard of care in advanced/recurrent endometrial cancer

EMBARGO DATE: Monday, March 27, 2023, 12:30 pm ET PRESS RELEASE ENGOT-EN6-NSGO/GOG-3031/RUBY trial results: The new standard of care in advanced/recurrent endometrial cancer ENGOT, NSGO-CTU & GOG-Foundation proudly announce the ground-breaking results of ENGOT-EN6-NSGO/GOG-3031/RUBY trial. The results reveal improvement in overall survival at 24 months in whole study population from 56% (CP+placebo) to 71.3% (CP+dostarlimab). “although these are interim data, we believe they are robust and will be confirmed with longer follow-up.”, said Mansoor R Mirza. The trial is presented on 27th of March 2023 through ESMO’s ...

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Science27 Mar 2023

Human body a breeding ground for antimicrobial resistance genes

The community of microbes living in and on our bodies may be acting as a reservoir for antibiotic resistance, according to new research from the Earlham Institute and Quadram Institute in Norwich. The use of antibiotics leads to ‘collateral damage’ to the microbiome, ramping0 up the number of resistance genes being passed back and forth between strains in the microbiome. The findings also suggest these genes spread so easily through a population that, regardless of your own health and habits, the number of resistance genes in your gut is heavily influenced by national trends in antibiotic consumption. The rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among human pathogens is widely seen ...

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Medicine27 Mar 2023

U of I study gives a thumbs up to carefully formulated vegan diets for dogs

URBANA, Ill. – In today’s pet food market, there are products to match nearly every lifestyle, value system, and price point pet owners demand, including vegan formulations. New University of Illinois research shows at least two human-grade, lightly cooked vegan diets provide adequate nutrition for dogs. “The trends of vegan foods and human grade foods are increasing for dogs. Because people are feeding these diets to their pets, it’s important they be tested like all other foods to make sure they're safe and ‘complete and balanced,’” ...

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Medicine27 Mar 2023

Epstein-Barr virus associated tumors and drug repurposing

A new study published in the peer-reviewed OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology identified differentially expressed host and viral microRNAs (miRNAs) in six Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) associated tumors. The study reports several drug candidates for repurposing and targeting EBV latent infection: Glyburide, Levodopa, Nateglinide, and Stiripentol, among others. Click here to read the article now. The authors, Anamika Thakur and Manoj Kumar, PhD, from the Institute of Microbial Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Chandigarh, India, note: “This is the first integrative analysis, to the best of our knowledge, in regard to the potential ...

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Technology27 Mar 2023

Researchers identify 6 challenges humans face with artificial intelligence

ORLANDO, March 27, 2023 - A University of Central Florida professor and 26 other researchers have published a study identifying the challenges humans must overcome to ensure that artificial intelligence is reliable, safe, trustworthy and compatible with human values. The study, “Six Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Grand Challenges,” was published in the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction. Ozlem Garibay ’01MS ’08PhD, an assistant professor in UCF’s Department ...

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Medicine27 Mar 2023

Mea6 deficiency in oligodendrocytes affects white matter formation in the brain

More than half amount in adult human brain is made up of white matter. Lipid-rich myelin is a special structure formed by oligodendrocytes wrapping neuronal axons to form the major components of white matter. Abnormal myelin sheath is associated with many neurological diseases. Mea6/ cTAGE5C is essential for vesicle trafficking from ER to Golgi. However, its biological function in oligodendrocyte and white matter development remains unclear. Scientists from Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of Chinese Academy of Sciences generated mice with conditional knockout (cKO) of Mea6 in oligodendrocytes. Using ...

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Science27 Mar 2023

Massively effective filter for topology optimization based on the splitting of tensor product structure

Recently, a research group lead by Prof. Shuting Wang from topology optimization of Huazhong University of Science and Technology has put forward a massively efficient filter utilizing the splitting of the tensor product structure. This study can be found in the journal Frontiers of Mechanical Engineering on 10 January, 2023. With the aid of spitting technique, the traditional weight matrices of both B-splines and non-uniform rational B-splines implicit filters are equivalently decomposed into two or three submatrices, by which the sensitivity analysis is reformulated for the nodal design variables without altering ...

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Medicine27 Mar 2023

Routine preoperative medical consultations don’t improve surgery outcomes

A large observational study published in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that most patients do not medically benefit from consultation with a medical specialist before their surgery. In Canada, surgeons refer more than 40,000 patients each year for consultation with a medical specialist (such as a general internist, cardiologist, endocrinologist, geriatrician, or nephrologist) before surgery. Between 10 and 40% of elective surgery patients will have a preoperative medical consultation. These preoperative medical consultations are meant to address health issues that could lead to complications during surgery, but the evidence to support them has been limited ...

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Science27 Mar 2023

CU Anschutz experts call attention to unsupervised youth gun access in Colorado

Public health experts at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus released a new research letter today in JAMA Pediatrics that examines how quickly Colorado’s children and teenagers can access a loaded gun and call attention to the critical importance of reducing access to guns when an adolescent is in crisis. “There’s a high rate of firearm suicides in our youth and we know that for a large portion of those who attempt suicide, that ideation to action can happen under 10 minutes,” said principal investigator Ashley Brooks-Russell, ...

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Medicine27 Mar 2023

Study: Average privately insured family spends $1,300 for child’s hospitalization

After a child’s hospital stay, many families covered by private insurance may experience sticker shock – on average spending $1,300 out of pocket – a new study in JAMA Pediatrics suggests. For one in seven families, the price tag is even higher, exceeding $3,000. “Bills for a child’s hospitalization can be astonishingly high for some families depending on how their insurance plan is structured,” said lead author Erin Carlton, M.D., a pediatric intensivist at University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's ...

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Medicine27 Mar 2023

Expectations, prior experiences associated with adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccination

About The Study: In this study of 1,678 participants, expectations of low benefit and high adverse effects, the tendency to catastrophize instead of normalize benign bodily sensations, and prior negative experiences were associated with COVID-19 vaccination adverse effects. Clinician-patient interactions and public vaccine campaigns may both benefit from these insights by optimizing and contextualizing information provided about COVID-19 vaccines. Authors: Ingmar Schafer, Ph.D., of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf ...

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Space27 Mar 2023

Researchers find new water reservoir on Moon

Lunar surface water has attracted much attention due to its potential for in-situ resource utilization by future lunar exploration missions and other space missions Now, a research group led by Prof. HU Sen from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics (IGG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has found that impact glass beads in Chang'e-5 (CE5) lunar soils contain some water. Detailed studies show that these glass beads are likely a new water reservoir on the Moon, recording the dynamic ingress and egress of solar wind-derived water and acting ...

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