A proof-of-concept study promises the speedy diagnosis of lower respiratory tract infections through analysis of human breath. Lower respiratory tract infections, such as bronchitis, pneumonia, and bronchiolitis, are currently diagnosed by culturing bacteria from respiratory specimens, but the procedure is invasive, laborious, and time intensive. Molecular sequencing techniques cannot differentiate between clinical infection and mere colonization, in which bacteria are benignly present in the respiratory tract. Dapeng Chen and colleagues have designed a medical device that measures the protease activity ...

In a Perspective, Holly C. White and colleagues argue that student well-being should be a goal of pedagogy, along with traditional metrics such as GPA and student retention. Despite evidence linking certain academic experiences with well-being outcomes, few students report having had such experiences. Well-being is defined as a sense of belonging, agency, purpose, identity, civic engagement, and financial well-being. The authors summarize data-backed teaching practices that support elements of student well-being, including supportive mentorships and experiential or authentic learning opportunities. Six exceptional initiatives are described, which can act as models ...

It’s almost time to dust off the Halloween decorations and adorn the house with all manner of spooky things, including the classic polyester spider webs. Scientists reporting in ACS Nano have made their own version of fake spider silk, but this one consists of proteins and heals wounds instead of haunting hallways. The artificial silk is strong enough to be woven into bandages that helped treat joint injuries and skin lesions in mice. Spider silk is one of the strongest materials on Earth, technically stronger than steel for a material of ...

Hydrogen gas, owing to its high energy density and carbon-free nature, is gaining much attention as the energy source for a green and sustainable future. Despite being the most abundant element in the universe, hydrogen is mostly found in a bound state as chemical compounds such as ammonia, metal hydrides, and other hydrogenated compounds. Among all the hydrogen carriers, ammonia stands out as a promising candidate owing to its wide availability, high hydrogen content with hydrogen making up 17.6% of its mass, and ease of liquefaction as well as transportation. A major drawback that hinders its exploitation as an ...

Despite a substantial Nepalese community in Japan many Nepalese women face significant challenges in accessing essential sexual and reproductive health services (SRHSs) due to language barriers and differences in healthcare laws and services between Nepal and Japan. In Nepal, women have free access to a wide range of contraceptive and abortion services, while Japan places more restrictions on certain contraceptives and does not provide free abortion services. These limited options make women more reliant on their male partner to use contraceptives for birth control. These challenges in accessing contraceptives, especially female-oriented contraceptives, lead them to acquire contraceptives ...

Parkinson’s disease (PD), also known simply as Parkinson’s, is a disorder of the nervous system that affects millions of people worldwide. The nerve cell damage associated with Parkinson’s can cause tremors, slowed movements, problems with balance, and many other symptoms which worsen gradually over time. Although there is no cure, there are medications available that can treat PD symptoms. Some of these medications, however, have previously unexplained side effects – including impaired decision-making that leads to potentially harmful behaviors such as pathological gambling, binge eating and compulsive shopping. Now, in ...

A new species of flatworm has been discovered and has already invaded several states in the southern United States. The particularity of the new species is that it looks a lot like Obama nungara, a species that has invaded much of Europe. The new species has been named Amaga pseudobama in reference to this resemblance. An international team reports the discovery of a new species of flatworm. The team includes researchers from National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France, Drexel University and North Carolina State ...

Scientists at CERN have discovered an ultra-rare particle decay process, opening a new path to find physics beyond our understanding of how the building blocks of matter interact.  Today the NA62 collaboration presented at a CERN EP seminar the first experimental observation of the ultra-rare decay of the charged kaon into a charged pion and a neutrino-antineutrino pair (K+ → π p+νν).   This is an ultra-rare occurrence - the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics, which explains how particles ...

To make sure everyone eats well in our crowded world, we need to innovate. Vertical farming systems, which grow plants intensively in an indoor setting, could be part of the answer – but to use them on a large scale we need to overcome key problems, especially the management of the energy-intensive, expensive light the plants need to grow. Now scientists show how manipulating light according to the needs of specific crops could make them grow stronger and healthier while minimizing energy use. “The biggest benefit of vertical farming systems is that healthy food can be grown ...

A Brigham led study suggests using neurostimulation therapies on a specific brain circuit could treat post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)  KEY TAKEAWAYS Brigham researchers analyzed 193 patients from the Vietnam Head Injury Study with penetrating traumatic brain injury to determine if the location of shrapnel damage to their brains influenced risk of developing PTSD. Damage to areas connected to the amygdala was associated with a lower chance of developing PTSD. The study suggests lesions that could protect against PTSD map to a specific brain circuit connected to the amygdala and the medial prefrontal ...

SINGAPORE, 24 September 2024 – A landmark study led by Duke-NUS Medical School revealed that despite the recent pandemic, outbreak detection efforts remain under-resourced in South and Southeast Asia, with only about half the countries reviewed having integrated pathogen genomic surveillance initiatives in their national plans. Published in Nature Microbiology today, the study also identifies key priorities to enhance the preparedness of the region against future pandemics. The study, conducted over 12 months between 2022 and 2023, analyses responses on genomic sequencing capacity for pathogen detection from 13 out of 19 countries that make up South and Southeast Asia. The ...

Distinguishing between words is one of the most difficult tasks in decoding spoken language. Yet humans do it effortlessly - even when languages do not seem to clearly mark where one word ends and the next begins. The acoustic cues that aid this process are poorly understood and understudied for the vast majority of the world's languages. Now, for the first time, comparative linguists have observed a pattern of acoustic effects that may serve as a distinct marker across diverse languages: the systematic lengthening of consonants at the beginning ...

Astronomers from the University of Arizona, along with an international group of researchers, observed the atmosphere of a hot and uniquely inflated exoplanet using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. The exoplanet, which is the size of Jupiter but only a tenth of its mass, is found to have east-west asymmetry in its atmosphere, meaning that there is a significant difference between the two edges of its atmosphere.  The findings are published in the journal Nature Astronomy.  "This is the first time the east-west asymmetry of any exoplanet has ...

The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), part of City of Hope, today announced that is has received Certified Service Provider status from PacBio, a leading developer of high-quality, highly accurate sequencing solutions. The certification follows the addition of the Revio and Onso platforms to TGen’s Collaborative Sequencing Service Center, which provides investigators with access to best-in-class short and long read sequencing instrumentation to support all analysis needs including ...

Genetically modified (GM) crops are widely used around the world, but their effects on the environment need to be explored more. New research, published in Science on August 30, 2024, takes a look at common genetic modifications in four crops: soybean, corn, cotton, and canola. Although GM crops can produce more yield and profits, it can lead to changes in agricultural practices that could inadvertently impact the environment. For example, farmers may increase pesticide use as crops become more resistant to herbicides ...

With strong bactericidal properties, graphene has the potential to become a game changer in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. So far there have been no efficient ways to control these properties – and thus no way to make use of graphene’s potential in healthcare. Now researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden, have solved the problem by using the same technology found in an ordinary fridge magnet. The result of which, is an ultra-thin acupuncture-like surface that can act as a coating on catheters and implants – killing 99.9 percent of all bacteria on a surface. Healthcare-associated infections are a widespread problem around ...

Figshare, a leading provider of institutional repository infrastructure that supports open research, is pleased to announce that Queen’s University Belfast has chosen Figshare as its new repository platform to store, showcase and manage its research data and theses outputs. Queen’s – a prestigious Russell Group UK university and ranked in the top 250 universities in the world – chose Figshare as its new repository platform owing to a selection of core features and functionality that will support the team in creating proficient ...

A new paper in the British Journal of Surgery, published by Oxford University Press, shows that nursing shortages result in longer hospital stays and worse patient outcomes, including higher mortality. Doctors perform over 300 million surgeries each year worldwide. Observers have expressed concern about the quality of care for adult patients undergoing surgery and the rising cost of avoidable complications, extended hospitalizations, and readmissions. Some 55% of surgical site infections are preventable. Until now ...

For the over 1 million Americans who survive severe traumatic brain injuries each year, the road to recovery is often long and challenging. Disruption of the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary functions like heart rate, is a common yet poorly understood consequence of TBI. While heart rate variability (HRV) is a widely used measure of autonomic function, the standard 5-minute recording can be cumbersome for patients with cognitive and physical impairments. Now, a team led by researchers at Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina has found ...

New York, NY - Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a debilitating mental illness characterized by an obsessive preoccupation with perceived flaws in one's physical appearance. Patients with BDD often have distorted self-image, intrusive thoughts, and compulsive behaviors that significantly impair daily functioning and quality of life. Current therapies have limited efficacy, leaving many sufferers without relief. A new study led by researchers at Columbia University and published in Psychedelics (Genomic Press, New York, USA) provides hope by revealing how the psychedelic drug ...

In a groundbreaking study published in Brain Medicine (Genomic Press), UCI researchers have uncovered a striking correlation between internet searches for ADHD medications and actual prescription rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. This finding opens up new possibilities for using online search data to predict and prevent prescription drug shortages. The study, led by Dr. Steven Grieco from the University of California, Irvine, analyzed Google Trends data spanning 20 years, with a particular focus on the period following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in January 2020. The researchers found a significant surge in searches for ADHD medications during ...

In a significant advance for multiple sclerosis (MS) research, a new study has uncovered a potential link between certain initial symptoms and long-term disability outcomes. The research, published in the latest issue of Brain Medicine (Genomic Press, New York), could have far-reaching implications for early intervention strategies and treatment decisions in MS care. Led by Dr. João Pedro F. Gonçalves from the Federal University of Bahia, Brazil, the study analyzed data from 195 MS patients, focusing ...

Achieving carbon neutrality requires the effective use of renewable biomass. In the production of biodiesel, for instance, glycerol is generated as a major byproduct. Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University have developed a new catalyst that efficiently converts a derivative of glycerol into bio-based propylene, contributing to sustainable chemical production. Propylene is typically produced from petroleum and is widely used in the manufacture of plastics, such as automobile bumpers and food containers. The research team, led by Associate Professor Shin Takemoto and Professor Hiroyuki Matsuzaka from the Graduate School of Science, developed a catalyst that ...

About this study: Research identifies nearly 200 potential breast carcinogens in food contact materials, including plastics and paper, highlighting widespread exposure despite existing regulation. The findings underscore an urgent need for stronger preventative measures to reduce these chemicals in everyday products.   Researchers from the Food Packaging Forum identify and discuss nearly 200 potential breast carcinogens that have been detected in food contact materials (FCMs) on the market. ...

Osaka, Japan – An international research team led by Osaka University has identified a new mechanism crucial for the initiation of autophagy, a self-degradation process cells use to eliminate unneeded or damaged components. In recent years, autophagy has also been recognized for its roles in aging and lifespan regulation. During autophagy, intracellular molecules and structures are sequestered within a membrane-bound structure known as an autophagosome, which is subsequently degraded in lysosomes. It is well-established that the formation of autophagosomes ...