Scientists at EPFL and IBM have developed a new type of laser that could have a significant impact on optical ranging technology. The laser is based on a material called lithium niobate, often used in the field of optical modulators, which controls the frequency or intensity of light that is transmitted through a device. Lithium niobate is particularly useful because it can handle a lot of optical power and has a high “Pockels coefficient”, which means that it can change its optical properties when an electric field is applied to it. The researchers achieved their breakthrough by combining ...

A single cell contains 2-3 meters of DNA, meaning that the only way to store it is to package it into tight coils. The solution is chromatin: a complex of DNA wrapped around proteins called histones. In the 3D space, this complex is progressively folded into a multi-layered organization composed of loops, domains, and compartments, which makes up what we know as chromosomes. The organization of chromatin is closely linked to gene expression and the cell’s proper function, so any problems in chromatin structure can have detrimental effects, including the development of cancer. A common event in around 30% of all human cancers is “whole genome doubling” ...

NEW YORK – For a functioning brain to develop from its embryonic beginnings, so much has to happen and go exactly right with exquisite precision, according to a just-so sequence in space and time. It’s like starting with a brick that somehow replicates and differentiates into a hundred types of building materials that also replicate, while simultaneously self-assembling into a handsome skyscraper replete with functioning thermal, plumbing, security and electrical systems. The accompanying microscope image, from ...

A team of chemical engineering researchers has developed a self-driven lab that is capable of identifying and optimizing new complex multistep reaction routes for the synthesis of advanced functional materials and molecules. In a proof-of-concept demonstration, the system found a more efficient way to produce high-quality semiconductor nanocrystals that are used in optical and photonic devices. “Progress in materials and molecular discovery is slow, because conventional techniques for discovering new chemistries rely on varying ...

National and global plans to combat climate change include increasing the electrification of vehicles and the percentage of electricity generated from renewable sources. But some projections show that these trends might require costly new power plants to meet peak loads in the evening when cars are plugged in after the workday. What’s more, overproduction of power from solar farms during the daytime can waste valuable electricity-generation capacity. In a new study, MIT researchers have found that it’s possible to mitigate or eliminate both these problems without the need for ...

About The Study: In this case-control study of COVID-19 vaccines and illness, vaccine effectiveness associated with protection against medically attended COVID-19 illness was lower with increasing time since last dose; estimated vaccine effectiveness was higher after receipt of one or two booster doses compared with a primary series alone.  Authors: Ruth Link-Gelles, Ph.D., M.P.H., of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Response Team in Atlanta, is the corresponding ...

About The Study: Results of this secondary analysis of a randomized trial involving 100 healthy children ages 8 to 12 indicated that even 39 minutes less of sleep per night for one week significantly reduced several facets of health-related quality of life in children. This finding shows that ensuring children receive sufficient good-quality sleep is an important child health issue.  Authors: Rachael W. Taylor, Ph.D., of the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, is the corresponding ...

Key Takeaways New definitions surpass conventional definitions: The new study developed and validated better surgical, specialty-specific, multimorbidity definitions based on distinct characteristics of older inpatient general, orthopedic, and vascular surgery patients. Mortality risk is higher for some patients: For some types of surgery, patients with certain combinations of comorbidities face significantly higher 30-day mortality risk than patients who are lower risk. Helping assess overall risk: Researchers anticipate that the new multimorbidity definitions will help surgeons better explain the risks associated with any given procedure to ...

New research from the University of Missouri School of Medicine has established a link between western diets high in fat and sugar and the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, the leading cause of chronic liver disease. The research, based in the Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health Building at MU, has identified the western diet-induced microbial and metabolic contributors to liver disease, advancing our understanding of the gut-liver axis, and in turn the development of dietary and microbial interventions for this global ...

Researchers from Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) shed new light on the characteristics of the niche in which neural stem cells reside in the developing brain   Tokyo, Japan – When it comes to cell types, stem cells have unlimited potential – literally. These self-renewing cells, which are capable of giving rise to any cell type in the body, reside in specialized microenvironments known as niches. Now, researchers in Japan have shed new insight into the dynamics of the neural stem cell niche, the ...

Washington, DC – Acute gastroenteritis afflicts adults of all ages, causing significant suffering and inflicting significant costs on the American healthcare system. A new study encompassing nearly 40,000 hospital visits from a geographically diverse healthcare database shows that sampling a single stool, using multiple polymerase chain reaction (PCR) panels, can identify more pathogens, notably diarrhea-causing E. coli and enteric viruses, and do so more rapidly than a conventional workup. The research is published in Journal of Clinical Microbiology, a publication of the American Society for Microbiology.   Using ...

Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute has received $2.8 million to establish a queen conch hatchery in Grand Bahama. This support expands FAU Harbor Branch’s extensive aquaculture and food security program focused on replenishing queen conch populations throughout the Caribbean. It also enables development of a conceptual master plan for a 25-acre innovation hub on Grand Bahama for researchers working to solve issues of island sustainability. The project is built on a network of collaborations to secure local support and participation. FAU Harbor Branch will partner with the Bahamian community of Grand Bahama on a pilot-scale queen conch ...

Celestial phenomena that change with time such as exploding stars, mysterious objects that suddenly brighten and variable stars are a new frontier in astronomical research, with telescopes that can rapidly survey the sky revealing thousands of these objects. The largest data release of relatively nearby supernovae (colossal explosions of stars), containing three years of data from the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy’s (IfA) Pan-STARRS telescope atop Haleakalā on Maui, is publicly available via the Young Supernova Experiment (YSE). The project, which began in 2019, surveyed ...

Each year, the ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine grants its Next Generation fellowship awards to promising early career professionals in a range of medical genetics and genomics specialties including Biochemical Genetics and Laboratory Genetics and Genomics. Support for this year’s class of Fellows was generously provided by Bionano Genomics, and Sanofi. The ACMG Foundation depends on corporate donations to support these and many other critical programs and thanks all the members of our Corporate Partners Program. “I am ...

The ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine is proud to present the ACMG Foundation/David L. Rimoin Inspiring Excellence Award to Isabelle B. Cooperstein, BS for her featured platform presentation at the 2023 ACMG Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting, “Discovery and therapeutic implications of pathogenic retroelements in neurodegenerative diseases.” Isabelle B. Cooperstein, BS, is a third-year PhD candidate in the Department of Human Genetics at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology ...

AMES, IA – Since 1970, the number of people living outside their countries of birth has tripled. Most migrants are looking for work or better economic opportunities. But millions seek to escape violence, persecution or natural disasters. Their integration into a new society often depends on non-governmental organizations that provide services and advocate on their behalf. A recently published study highlights how the specific political and cultural context of a country affects the NGOs’ communication with the public. Co-author and Iowa State Professor Daniela Dimitrova specializes in international journalism and global media coverage. ...

Nara Lygia de Macena Sobreira, MD, PhD is the recipient of the ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine’s 2023 Dr. Michael S. Watson Genetic and Genomic Medicine Innovation Award—the “Watson Award”—named for the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics first and longstanding executive director, Michael S. Watson, MS, PhD, FACMG. “I am honored and grateful for receiving the 2023 Dr. Michael S. Watson Genetic and Genomic Medicine Innovation Award. Since the beginning of my medical genetics residency in Brazil, I have been blessed to work with amazing mentors and colleagues in innovative ...

March 15, 2023 – In response to an article published in the February issue of The Hearing Journal, the audiology and hearing solutions company ReSound donated nearly 120 rechargeable hearing aids to address the hearing health care crisis among Ukrainian refugees in Poland. The Hearing Journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer. The hearing aids were given to the Heart of Hearing team, which is led by King Chung, PhD, CCC-A, professor of audiology at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL and the director of the audiology ...

SPOKANE, Wash.—People living in the United States must travel significantly farther to access methadone treatment for opioid addiction than Canadians, suggests a new study led by Washington State University researchers. Published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, the researchers’ analysis showed that the average driving distance to the closest methadone clinic accepting new patients was more than three times greater in the U.S. compared to Canada. When limiting their analysis to clinics that could provide treatment within 48 hours the difference was even larger, with those in the U.S. having to travel more than five times farther than their ...

Researchers from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and University of Amsterdam published a new Journal of Marketing study that examines how sugar reduction strategies affect new product sales. The study, forthcoming in the Journal of Marketing, is titled “A War on Sugar? Effects of Reduced Sugar Content and Package Size in The Soda Category” and is authored by Kristopher O. Keller and Jonne Y. Guyt. The United States has a sugar problem. Excessive ...

Alexander M. Holtz, MD, PhD is the recipient of the 2023 Richard King Trainee Award. This award was instituted by the ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine to encourage American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ABMGG), international equivalents, or genetic counseling trainees in their careers and to foster the publication of the highest quality research in Genetics in Medicine (GIM), an official journal of the ACMG. Each year the editorial board reviews all articles published in GIM by eligible trainees ...

Sarah Jurgensmeyer, MS, CGC is the recipient of the 2023 ACMG Foundation Carolyn Mills Lovell Genetic Counselor Award. Ms. Jurgensmeyer received the Lovell award for her platform presentation at the 2023 ACMG Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting, “Genetic Counselor-Led Exome Sequencing Clinic Pilot Program to Increase Access to Pediatric Genetic Services.” ACMG Foundation President Bruce R. Korf, MD, PhD, FACMG said, “Congratulations to Sarah Jurgensmeyer, recipient of this year’s ACMG ...

WHAT:                ATS 2023 Conference Program is Live! Register Now WHO:                  Scientific Sessions in Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine WHERE:              Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC WHEN:                May 21-24*   The ATS 2023 International Conference Program is now live! Get ready for a series of dynamic scientific ...

COVID-19 has caused significant global panic after its rapid emergence more than 3 years ago. Although we now have highly effective vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, scientists continue to study emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants in order to safeguard public health and devise global preventive strategies against emerging variants. A team led by Japanese researchers has recently discovered that the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron XBB.1.5 variant, prevalent in the Western hemisphere, has high transmissibility and infectivity.   Severe acute respiratory ...

Immunotherapy is an effective form of therapy for different types of cancer. However, for pancreatic cancer, its effect is limited and differs between men and women. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have now found a possible explanation for this sex difference. The study, which is published in Cancer Research, reveals the presence of an immune cell in women with pancreatic cancer that obstructs the body’s immune response. The results can pave the way for a more sex-specific treatment. “More and more evidence is coming in that male and female hormones affect ...