Scientific evidence shows how the cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is caused by the buildup of amyloid beta proteins, which promote synaptic malfunction. One of the neuropathological features in the brains of patients with AD is the degeneration of the basal forebrain cholinergic neurons, leading to a decrease in the number of cholinergic projections to the hippocampus. As a symptomatic treatment of AD, cholinergic neurotransmission is enhanced by the use of certain drugs, known as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. For better prevention and treatment of cognitive disorders like AD and schizophrenia, it is necessary to understand how acetylcholine regulates synaptic transmissions.   Higher ...

When a speedy campus scooter nearly collided with Murtuza Jadliwala, he had an epiphany. The micro-mobility form of transportation could be a vehicle for change. Scooters carry people as well as sensors—sensors that can collect a wealth of data. This data is key to improving the quality of life. With that in mind, Jadliwala, an associate professor in the UTSA Department of Computer Science, created the ScooterLab, which has received a $1.7M grant from the National Science Foundation. “This funding is critical for ScooterLab as it enables us to take this community research infrastructure from vision to reality,” Jadliwala said. “We are hoping that our new research ...

Europe’s coastlines are environments rich in biodiversity that also represent important sites of  industry, culture, and heritage. Forty per cent of Europe’s population live within a coastal region, and many European societies have been, and still are, defined by their relationships with the sea.   Our seas and coasts represent key ecosystems that host an extremely rich diversity of life and play critical roles in the stability and sustainability of wider ecosystems. However, anthropogenic interferences such as pollution, farming, and building ...

New research in Contemporary Economic Policy reveals that school shootings may worsen mental health in surrounding communities and increase health system costs. For the study, investigators compared the number of stress-related emergency department visits by California residents in zip-codes within 5 miles of school shootings and by California residents in zip-codes 10–15 miles from school shootings, both before and after these violent events. Compared with before school shootings, exposure to school shootings and to fatal school shootings was associated with increases of 0.7 and 1.5 ...

A strong root system allows crops to absorb water and nutrients from the soil, but scientists have little information about the genes that control root development. Recent research published in New Phytologist reveals that blocking a negative regulator gene of root development leads to enhanced root growth in plants. The gene, called RRS1 (Robust Root System 1), encodes an R2R3-type MYB family transcription factor that activates the expression of another gene (OsIAA3) that inhibits root growth. Knocking out RRS1 in plants led to longer root length, longer lateral root length, and larger lateral root density. Also, a natural variant of RRS1 ...

In a large study of diverse adults in California, individuals with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation, or an irregular heart rhythm, had a modestly elevated risk of developing dementia. The Journal of the American Heart Association study found that this risk was higher in younger adults and those without chronic kidney disease, but did not substantially vary across sex, race, or ethnicity. In the study of nearly 200,000 adults, incidence rates for dementia over a median follow-up of 3.3 years were 2.79 versus 2.04 per ...

Results from a trial published in the International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics support the benefit of 3D virtual reality lessons to improve medical students’ knowledge and understanding of complex topics in obstetrics and gynecology. For the study, 21 students took part in a 15-minute virtual reality learning environment (VRLE) experience on the stages of fetal development, and 20 students received a PowerPoint tutorial on the same topic. Knowledge increased after both learning experiences, but it was only retained in the VRLE group at one-week follow up. Questionnaires completed by participants reflected a high ...

In research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, investigators developed and validated models that can predict the risk of fall-related injuries in nursing home residents based on routinely collected clinical data. The prediction models achieved good discrimination and excellent calibration for accurately estimating individuals’ six-month and two-year risk of fall-related injuries. One short model that performed well included only five predictors: Activities of Daily Living Score, recent fall, hospitalization in the previous year, ability to walk in room, and history of non-hip fractures. “These models ...

A study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research has identified a bone matrix protein called Secreted phosphoprotein 24 kD (Spp24) that may help to treat osteosarcoma, the most common type of bone cancer. In experiments conducted in cells and mice, investigators found that Spp24 inhibits the proliferation and invasiveness of osteosarcoma tumor cells and promotes their apoptosis, or death. Mechanistically, Spp24 binds to and neutralizes a protein called bone morphogenetic protein 2, which has tumor enhancing properties. “Spp24 and ...

Peer-reviewed / Observational study / People Study of 3,589 people over 73 years suggests that children who had a lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), such as bronchitis or pneumonia, by the age of two were almost twice as likely to die prematurely in adulthood from respiratory diseases, independent of socioeconomic factors and smoking status. After adjusting for cofounders, analysis suggests a 2.1% rate of premature adult death from respiratory disease among those who had a LRTI in early childhood, compared to 1.1% among those who did not report a LRTI before the age of ...

Contracting a lower respiratory tract infection in early childhood is associated with a higher risk of dying from respiratory disease as an adult, according to new research. A study, led by researchers from Imperial College London and published in The Lancet, has found that children who had a lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), such as bronchitis or pneumonia, by the age of two were almost twice as likely to die prematurely in adulthood from respiratory diseases. The research showed the rate ...

Short-distance migration, which accounts for the vast majority of migratory movements in the world, is crucial for climate change adaptation, according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA).  Contrary to common assumptions, most migratory movements are people moving short distances, largely due to economic, social and environmental factors, such as climate change.    A study of people living in the drylands of India and parts of Africa was carried out by UEA researchers in the School of International Development.   The paper, ‘Everyday mobility and changing livelihood trajectories: implications for vulnerability ...

Cameras that can scan an entire body in a fraction of a second can give spinal surgeons an accurate assessment of how much range of motion youth with scoliosis have in their torso – a critical piece of information for guiding management of people with the condition, researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City have found. Spine specialists at HSS have been using a 30-camera array, called 3dMD, in the lab for several years, but the new study shows that the system produces clinically meaningful information. Because 3dMD does not rely on ionizing radiation, the technology may help adolescents with scoliosis avoid many of ...

From birth, animals can use their spontaneous preferences (predispositions that are not learned) to decide which stimuli to attend and approach. Previous research has shown how infants and newborn chicks, with no previous experience with animals, are spontaneously attracted by the movement of living organisms. These new findings demonstrate how the movement against gravity can be particularly good in attracting our attention, since only living beings can consistently move upward against gravity. This research is an important contribution to our understanding of inner cognitive models of behaviour and activity in early stages of life.   Dr ...

The benefits of skin-to-skin contact for both parents and infants are already recognised, but other behaviours common in hunter-gatherer societies may also benefit families in economically developed countries Parents and children may benefit from a larger network of people being involved in care-giving, as seen in hunter-gatherer societies Increasing staff-to-child ratios in nurseries to bring them closer to highly attentive hunter-gatherer ratios could support learning and wellbeing More peer-to-peer, ...

Peer reviewed – experimental study – human cells and mice Researchers at the University of East Anglia have developed a new drug that works against all of the main types of primary bone cancer. Cancer that starts in the bones, rather than cancer that has spread to the bones, predominantly affects children. Current treatment is gruelling, with outdated chemotherapy cocktails and limb amputation. Despite all of this, the five-year survival rate is poor at just 42 per cent – largely because of how rapidly bone cancer spreads to the lungs. But a new study published today shows how a new drug called ‘CADD522’ blocks ...

Sophia Antipolis, 8 March 2023:  Treatments for peripheral artery disease (PAD) were largely developed in men and are less effective in women, according to a review published today in European Heart Journal – Quality of Care and Clinical Outcomes, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).1 The paper highlights the biological, clinical and societal reasons why the condition may be missed in women, who respond less well to treatment and have worse clinical outcomes.   “Greater understanding is needed about why we are failing to address the health outcome gap between genders,” said author Mary Kavurma, an associate professor at the Heart Research Institute, ...

Poor sleep could lead to between two and seven years worth of heightened heart disease risk and even premature death, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Sydney in collaboration with Southern Denmark University. The study analysed data from over 300,000 middle-aged adults from the UK Biobank and found that different disturbances to sleep are associated with different durations of compromised  cardiovascular health later in life compared to healthy sleepers. In particular, men with clinical ...

Gender diversity experts at the University of South Australia are urging governments to rethink their approach to gender targets as new research shows that they do not lead to expected improvements in gender equity for women in leadership.   Examining the effects of gender targets in the Australian public service, researchers found that when gender targets were imposed, they didn’t always achieve their intended outcomes.   In Australia, women make up only 19 per cent of CEOs, and less than a third of key management positions (32 per cent). In the Australian public sector, women represent 60 per cent of the workforce, yet ...

Philadelphia, March 8, 2023 – Researchers from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) found opioids were responsible for more than half of all fatal poisonings in children ages 5 and younger, more than double the proportion of fatal poisonings caused by opioids in 2005. Additionally, over-the-counter drugs still contribute to fatal poisonings in this age group despite increased regulation. The findings, published today in the journal Pediatrics, underscore the need for improved intervention to prevent further fatal poisonings. More than half of all reported poisonings affect children ages 5 and younger and have the ...

A new study has shown that bumblebees pick up new “trends” in their behaviour by watching and learning from other bees, and that one form of a behaviour can spread rapidly through a colony even when a different version gets discovered. The research, led by Queen Mary University of London and published in PLOS Biology, provides strong evidence that social learning drives the spread of bumblebee behaviour – in this case, precisely how they forage for food. A variety of experiments were set up to establish this. The researchers designed a two-option puzzle box that could be opened either by pushing a red tab ...

A study published in Immunity by physician-scientist Read Pukkila-Worley, MD, and MD/PhD students Nicholas D. Peterson and Samantha Y. Tse describes a new manner of detecting microbial infection that intercepts pathogen-derived signals of growth to assess the relative threat of virulent bacteria. A nuclear hormone receptor in the nematode C. elegans senses a toxic metabolite produced by the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa to activate innate immunity. These data reveal an ancient strategy that informs the origins ...

Blood test identifies acute myeloid leukemia patients at greater risk for relapse after bone marrow transplant  A small portion of adults in remission from a deadly blood cancer had persisting mutations that were detected, which predicted their risk of death from having the cancer return    Researchers at the National Institutes of Health show the benefits of screening adult patients in remission from acute myeloid leukemia (AML) for residual disease before receiving a bone marrow transplant. The findings, published in JAMA, support ongoing research aimed ...

The whistleblowers who once trusted journalism are losing faith in the institution. A new study from the University of Georgia found that many whistleblowers who reached out to journalists in the past no longer believe media has the same ability to motivate change, and they feel let down by a system they once trusted. “If you don’t believe that an outlet or journalist can carry you across the finish line—meaning can affect change, attract enough attention and attract the attention of the right people—then you’re losing faith,” said Karin Assmann, study lead and assistant professor in UGA’s Grady College of Journalism ...

SAN ANTONIO — March 7, 2023 —The Supercritical Transformational Electric Power (STEP) Demo pilot plant, a $155 million, 10-megawatt supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) test facility at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio, developed in partnership with GTI Energy and GE Research and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, has successfully achieved its first operation with CO2 at supercritical fluid conditions in its compressor section. This accomplishment represents significant progress toward ...