A team of biologists from the University of Delhi and Zoological Survey of India, Harvard University, and the University of Minnesota has discovered a unique breeding behavior in a species of frog endemic to the Andaman Islands of India. In a new study published in the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology’s journal Breviora, scientists describe a combination of traits that makes reproduction in this frog unique. The Andamanese Charles Darwin’s frog, Minervarya charlesdarwini, belongs to the family Dicroglossidae, a large radiation of Asian frogs that comprises over ...

PHILADELPHIA – With bird flu virus detected in cow’s milk, U.S. health authorities have warned the public against potential sources of exposure, including drinking raw or unpasteurized milk, and have reiterated a general warning that consuming uncooked or undercooked poultry or beef products can make you sick. Relatively few people say they drink raw milk. Only 3% of U.S. adults report having consumed raw milk in the past 12 months, while 4% were not sure whether they had, according to a new nationally representative Annenberg Public Policy Center health survey of nearly 1,500 empaneled U.S. adults conducted in July.* But many more people say they do ...

In a healthy human body, tissue growth and development are coordinated by many different mechanisms. Within our bodies, these mechanisms regulate the healthy growth of cells, limit their size and number, and control the timing of cell death through apoptosis. However, when these regulatory pathways are altered, or break down, cell growth and proliferation may increase beyond what is safe and this can lead to cancer. One critical cell growth regulatory mechanism is the Hippo signaling pathway. This pathway regulates the expression of several genes that control cell proliferation ...

Asbestos, a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals, has been historically used for its durability and resistance to heat. Despite its advantageous properties, asbestos is a well-documented carcinogen, linked to diseases such as lung cancer (LC) and malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). The controversy surrounding the degree of carcinogenicity of different asbestos types, especially chrysotile versus amphibole asbestos, continues to influence scientific and regulatory discussions. This review delves into the various aspects of asbestos-related research, focusing on historical context, risk assessment, environmental ...

NCSA Director Bill Gropp and two former Center directors were chosen for the first-ever HPCwire “35 Legends” list in celebration of the publication’s 35th anniversary. Thirty-five honorees will be announced each year, selected by HPCwire editors and advisors based on their contributions to the high-performance computing community over the past 35 years and celebrated for the different ways they’ve helped move HPC forward. Gropp, NCSA’s Founding Director Larry Smarr and Former Director Daniel Reed were among the first 17 honorees announced in July. The remaining HPCwire 35 Legends will be ...

A study led by the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) and Fundación SHE, supported by “la Caixa” Foundation, demonstrates that teaching healthy habits through classroom activities helps to prevent the accumulation of abdominal fat during the first school years. The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), is one of the largest contemporary school-based health promotion studies and has one of the most extensive participant follow-up schedules. The conclusions are clear: early intervention to promote healthy habits in elementary school children can be more ...

β-Thalassemia is a genetic disorder characterized by reduced or absent synthesis of the beta chains of hemoglobin, leading to ineffective erythropoiesis and severe anemia. Patients with transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia (TDT) require regular blood transfusions to maintain adequate hemoglobin levels. Non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia (NTDT) patients manage their anemia without regular transfusions but still experience significant health complications. Iron overload is a common and severe complication in both TDT and NTDT patients ...

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects learning capability and social behavior of people. Over the past few decades, awareness regarding ASD has increased, especially regarding its prevalence and effect on the lives of people diagnosed with ASD. However, several aspects related to ASD are not well understood, leaving much to be explored.   Although the exact causes of ASD are unclear, currently available evidence points to neuroinflammation as a major factor. Several studies in mouse models of ASD have hinted at the importance of polyunsaturated ...

Patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) having a compromised blood supply, are at greater risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). With an estimated incidence as high as 22% among these patients, current clinical guidelines recommend using implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) to help mitigate the risk of SCD. Although the application of ICDs in patients with CHF is backed by substantial evidence, these studies did not include people with chronic kidney disease (CKD), who are an important clinical population. In other ...

SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, is widespread among wildlife species, according to Virginia Tech research published Monday (July 29, 2024) in Nature Communications. The virus was detected in six common backyard species, and antibodies indicating prior exposure to the virus were found in five species, with rates of exposure ranging from 40 to 60 percent depending on the species. Genetic tracking in wild animals confirmed both the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and the existence of unique viral mutations with lineages closely matching variants circulating in humans at the time, further supporting human-to-animal transmission, the study found. The highest exposure to SARS ...

There are significant differences in how much people are exposed to air pollution, according to a new study co-authored by MIT scholars that takes daily mobility into account.  The study, based in the Bronx, New York, does not just estimate air pollution exposure based on where people live or work, but uses mobile data to examine where people go during a typical day, building a more thorough assessment of the environment’s impact on them. The research finds exposure to particulate matter 2.5 microns or bigger rises by about 2.4 percent when daily travel patterns are taken into account.  “One of the main strengths of the study is that we ...

A research team led by UC San Diego has, for the first time, shown that a wearable, non-invasive device can measure activity in human cervical nerves in clinical settings. The device records what the team calls Autonomic Neurography (ANG), neural activity from the human vagus and carotid sinus nerves as well as other autonomic nerves found in the skin and muscle of the neck. The vagus nerve is a “superhighway” of the involuntary nervous system, with tendrils extending from the base of the skull through the torso and abdomen to influence digestion, heart rate and the immune system. The vagus nerve ...

The vast majority of American voters think alike on what they find important in life, but both Republicans and Democrats fail to recognise their shared views and values, according to new research from the Universities of Bath and Essex. This finding is revealed today in the academic journal Social Psychological and Personality Science less than a month after the US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt when a gunman shot at him during a campaign rally. “There’s a general perception ...

A new generation of specialty optical fibres has been developed by physicists at the University of Bath in the UK to cope with the challenges of data transfer expected to arise in the future age of quantum computing. Quantum technologies promise to provide unparalleled computational power, allowing us to solve complex logical problems, develop new medicines and provide unbreakable cryptographic techniques for secure communications. However, the cable networks used today to transmit information across the globe are likely to be sub-optimal for quantum communications, due to the solid cores of their optical fibres. Unlike regular optical ...

Past studies have suggested that taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs may lower individuals’ risk of developing liver cancer. In a new study of non-statin cholesterol-lowering medications, one type was linked to lower risks of liver cancer. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. Cholesterol absorption inhibitors, bile acid sequestrants, fibrates, niacin, and omega-3 fatty acids are types of non-statin cholesterol-lowering medications prescribed to manage cholesterol and lipid levels. The different classes ...

When it comes to treating cardiac arrest, acting quickly can mean the difference between life and death. Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University have developed a new scoring model, using only prehospital resuscitation data, that accurately predicts neurological outcomes of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). This model potentially allows healthcare providers to make quick and accurate decisions upon the patient’s arrival at the hospital, ultimately improving patient care and resource allocation. Their findings were published in Resuscitation on May 31. Cardiac arrest can lead to death within minutes. OHCA is not uncommon and often results ...

In Canada, rates of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) have increased, but the good news is there has been a decline in some related health conditions, according to new research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.231547. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy include chronic hypertension (high blood pressure), gestational hypertension, and preeclampsia or eclampsia. These disorders affect 5%–10% of pregnancies worldwide, and cause more than 50 000 maternal deaths and 500 000 deaths in fetuses and infants ...

Free genetic testing, offered partially or fully subsidized by industry, may have trade-offs, and health systems in Canada must carefully weigh potential clinical, ethical, and legal considerations to protect patient data, authors argue in a CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) commentary https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.231588. “Near- and long-term expansion in no-cost testing and industry partnership in genetics, with patient data as the commodity, is likely,” writes Kirsten ...

Eating a vegan diet for eight weeks is associated with reductions in biological age estimations based on levels of DNA methylation — a type of chemical modification of DNA (known as an epigenetic modification) that alters gene expression but not DNA itself. Previous research has reported that increased DNA methylation levels are associated with ageing. The findings, which are based on a small randomised controlled trial of 21 pairs of adult identical twins, are published in BMC Medicine. Varun Dwaraka, Christopher ...

Researchers in Australia have found that when women are given accurate information about a test that indicates the number of eggs in their ovaries, they have less interest in taking the test compared to women who viewed information available online.   The researchers initiated the study, which is published today (Monday) in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals, because of the large amount of misleading and incorrect information promoted to women about the anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) test on websites, including fertility clinic websites, and via social media.   AMH ...

A decarbonised steel industry that includes carbon dioxide removal techniques in its net zero arsenal could use lower-grade iron ore, according to a new study.  Steel accounts for 5-8% of carbon dioxide emissions globally. Its total emissions have risen over the past decade, largely due to increased demand.  The International Energy Agency has stated that, without innovation, the scope to limit emissions is ‘limited’. Therefore, the commercialisation of new zero-emission production processes is critical.  Innovative ...

About The Study: The results of this cohort study suggest that combining plasma p-tau217 and Aβ42/40 levels could be useful for predicting development of Aβ pathology in people with early stages of subthreshold Aβ accumulation. These biomarkers might thus facilitate screening of participants for future primary prevention trials. Corresponding Authors: To contact the corresponding authors, email Oskar Hansson, M.D, Ph.D. (Oskar.Hansson@med.lu.se) and Shorena Janelidze, Ph.D. (shorena.janelidze@med.lu.se). To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2024.2619) Editor’s ...

About The Study: In this cohort study, seed amplification assays (SAA) α-syn+ was consistently associated with nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) atrophy already during asymptomatic stages. Further, in memory clinic cognitively impaired populations, SAA α-syn+ was associated with NBM atrophy, which partially mediated α-syn–induced attention/executive impairment.  Corresponding Authors: To contact the corresponding authors, email Laura E.M. Wisse, Ph.D. (laura.wisse@med.lu.se) and Oskar Hansson, M.D., Ph.D. (oskar.hansson@med.lu.se). To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2024.2713) Editor’s ...

About The Study: The amyloid probability score 2 (APS2) blood test and percentage of p-tau217 alone had high diagnostic accuracy for identifying Alzheimer disease among individuals with cognitive symptoms in primary and secondary care using predefined cutoff values. Future studies should evaluate how the use of blood tests for these biomarkers influences clinical care.  Corresponding Authors: To contact the corresponding authors, email Sebastian Palmqvist, M.D., Ph.D. (sebastian.palmqvist@med.lu.se) and Oskar Hansson, M.D., Ph.D. (oskar.hansson@med.lu.se). To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jama.2024.13855) Editor’s ...

About The Study: Plasma biomarkers of Alzheimer disease (AD) neuropathology, neuronal injury, and astrogliosis increase with age and are associated with known dementia risk factors. AD-specific biomarkers’ association with dementia starts in midlife whereas late-life measures of AD, neuronal injury, and astrogliosis biomarkers are all associated with dementia.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Priya Palta, Ph.D., M.H.S., email priya_palta@med.unc.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jama.2024.6619) Editor’s ...