CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina — New insights into the biology of kidney cancer, including those informed by scientific discoveries that earned a Nobel Prize, have led to advances in treatment and increased survival rates, according to a review by UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center’s William Kim, MD, and Tracy Rose, MD, MPH. Their observations, drawn from a meta-analysis of 89 studies published between January 2013 and January 2024, were published in JAMA Aug. 28. “The Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology in 2019 was awarded ...

NEW YORK/TORONTO – August 28, 2024 – As part of its ongoing exploration of vocal biomarkers and the role they can play in enhancing health outcomes, Klick Labs published a new study in Scientific Reports today – confirming the link between blood glucose levels and voice pitch and opening the door to future advancements in non-invasive glucose monitoring for people living with Type 2 diabetes. In “Linear Effects of Glucose Levels on Voice Fundamental Frequency in Type 2 diabetes and Individuals with Normoglycemia,” researchers ...

A research paper by scientists at Beijing Jiaotong University proposed an electrophysiological analysis-based brain network method for the augmented recognition of different types of distractions during driving. The new research paper, published on Jul. 04 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems, designed and conducted a simulated experiment comprising 4 distracted driving subtasks. Three connectivity indices, including both linear and nonlinear synchronization measures, were chosen to construct the brain network. By computing connectivity strengths and topological features, we explored the potential relationship between brain network configurations and states ...

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in eLife on deciphering the actin structure-dependent preferential cooperative binding of cofilin. The actin filament is a double-stranded helical structure formed by intertwining two long-pitch helices, with the distance between crossover points, known as the half helical pitch (HHP), being about 36 nm. A canonical half helix consists of 13 actin protomers, or 6.5 protomer pairs, resulting in a mean axial distance (MAD) of 5.5 nm between two adjacent protomers ...

A team of scientists studying cell division developed a special light microscopy system and used it to analyze the molecular density of cellular environments. Their results provide a novel insight into mitotic chromosome condensation in living human cells. Their work is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)　on August 27, 2024. DOI：https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2403153121 To carry out their study, the team developed an orientation-independent-differential interference contrast (OI-DIC) microscopy system combined with a confocal ...

East Hanover, NJ – August 28, 2024 – Young people with disabilities aged 16 to 24 had high school enrollment rates nearly identical to their non-disabled peers, but significantly fewer held jobs during this time. Meanwhile, college students with disabilities were less likely to be enrolled but were slightly more likely to be employed, possibly benefiting from the rise of remote work opportunities in the post-COVID era, according to data shared during the according to last Friday’s National Trends in Disability ...

Female sea turtles lay their eggs, cover the nest with sand and then return to the ocean, leaving them to develop and hatch on their own. From nest predators to rising temperatures, odds of survival are bleak. Once hatched and in the ocean, about one in 1,000 make it to adulthood. Hatchling size matters. Larger hatchlings, which move faster, are more likely to survive because they spend less time on risky beach sands. Research shows that both air and sand temperatures crucially impact sea turtle hatchlings. Cooler temperatures produce larger, heavier hatchlings with more males, while warmer temperatures ...

Cancer cells have voracious appetites. And there are certain nutrients they can’t live without. Scientists have long hoped they might stop tumors in their tracks by cutting off an essential part of cancer cells’ diet. But these cells are crafty and often find a new way to get what they need. How? By reprogramming their metabolism and switching to backup food supplies. Now, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Assistant Professor Michael Lukey has found a way to deprive cancer cells of both a vital nutrient and their backup supply. In lab experiments with breast cancer cells, patient-derived tissue models, and mice, ...

Access to education is recognized as one of the pillars of sustainability; it is certainly a necessary foundation if we are to build a better world for ourselves and future generations. However, education needs to be not only accessible, but also inclusive. That is, it should extend to people with all kinds of disabilities and suit their particular needs.   According to a recent report by the World Health Organization, it is estimated that a striking 16% of the world’s population lives with some form of disability. Considering there are about 1.5 billion English language teachers (ELTs) worldwide, there is a great need for adequately trained ELTs that can teach students with ...

Healthcare is undoubtedly crucial for everyone. As individuals age, the risk for health issues and related expenses increases. Consequently, many countries have universal healthcare systems, primarily funded through tax and insurance, to ensure access to essential healthcare services. However, this system is under a heavy fiscal burden since the aging population has increased manyfold, owing to decreasing fertility rates and increasing life span. To sustain the system, governments must face the herculean task of persuading citizens to contribute more to health insurance. In a recent study, a research team consisting of Associate ...

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS — One master’s program. Two universities. Two countries. Two degrees. Students from UTSA and Tecnológico de Monterrey (Tec de Monterrey) in Mexico are swapping campuses, as the two universities jointly launch a unique new degree program this fall. The collaborative program offers students the distinctive opportunity to take high-quality courses at both institutions and earn two degrees: a Master of Science in Information Technology with a concentration in cybersecurity from UTSA and a Master in Cybersecurity from Tec de Monterrey. The program will enable students to advance their cybersecurity ...

Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes are associated with accelerated brain ageing, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden published in the journal Diabetes Care. The good news is that this may be counteracted by a healthy lifestyle. Type 2 diabetes is a known risk factor for dementia, but it is unclear how diabetes and its early stages, known as prediabetes, affect brain ageing in people without dementia. Now, a comprehensive brain imaging study shows that both diabetes and prediabetes can be linked to accelerated brain ageing. The study included more than 31,000 people between 40 and ...

New research suggests that epigenetic markers in the blood could be useful for  understanding dementia risk. Two linked papers from the University of Exeter and Maastricht University have together progressed research to show the potential for DNA methylation, an epigenetic marker, in understanding how genetics and lifestyle factors influence dementia risk. DNA methylation is a chemical tag added to DNA, which can turn genes on and off. Genetic and lifestyle factors can alter the levels of the DNA methylation tag on genes, with some of these factors already known to increase the risk of developing dementia. By assessing DNA methylation this can help scientists ...

EMBARGO UNTIL 6 A.M. EST, WEDNESDAY AUG. 28, 2024.   In-person contact helps lead to lower levels of loneliness in older people, but other ways of staying in touch, such as phoning, emailing or texting, are not as effective in lowering loneliness, a team of researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Michigan have found. The findings, out today in the The Journals of Gerontology: Series B Psychological Science, have implications for the health and well-being of many older people. “We were interested to see how older adults react ...

The renewable raw material wood is climate-neutral and at the same time light and strong, making it fundamentally attractive for use in vehicle manufacturing. One challenge to date has been joining the wood and the other materials in the vehicle, such as metals and polymer composites, in a robust way. The research team led by Sergio Amancio from the Institute of Materials Science, Joining and Forming of Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) - Gean Marcatto, Awais Awan, Willian Carvalho and Stefan Herbst - has now successfully tested two techniques by which extremely strong joints can be achieved without using adhesives or screws. ...

London, United Kingdom – 28 August 2024: New research presented at this year’s ESC Congress 2024 in London, UK (30 Aug – 2 Sept) shows that performing echocardiograms remotely using a 5G cellular network has similar accuracy to those performed in person by cardiologists.   “Comprehensive echocardiographic exam with a 5G cellular network and robotic arm-based remote system is feasible with relatively good diagnostic accuracy,” said study author Dr Yu Liu, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, China.   Echocardiography is the test-of-choice for the ...

London, United Kingdom – 28 August 2024: New research presented at this year’s ESC Congress 2024 in London, UK (30 Aug – 2 Sept) shows that, among patients admitted to the intensive cardiac care unit (ICCU), those with a recent history of recreational drug use are three times more likely than those with no history to experience a repeat serious cardiovascular event within one year.   “Among patients admitted to the intensive cardiac care unit (ICCU), systematic screening for recreational drugs evidenced a significant prevalence ...

KANSAS CITY, MO—August 28, 2024—Humans must regulate blood sugar concentrations to stay healthy and to fuel our cells. Too little or too much can cause serious health complications, and high blood sugar is a hallmark of the metabolic condition, diabetes. New research from the Stowers Institute for Medical Research may enable potential solutions to metabolic disease by turning to evolution and to bats. Recently published in Nature Ecology and Evolution on August 28, 2024, the study led by co-first authors Postdoctoral Research Associate Jasmin Camacho, Ph.D., and former Stowers researcher Andrea Bernal-Rivera from the lab of Stowers ...

Organic redox-active molecules (ORAMs) are abundant and diverse, offering significant potential for cost-effective and sustainable energy storage, particularly in aqueous organic flow batteries (AOFBs). However, ensuring the stability of the ORAMs during the charge and discharge process is critical, as side reactions can deactivate them and eliminate their redox activity. Air stability remains a challenge for many ORAMs, complicating their practical use. Recently, a research group led by Prof. LI Xianfeng and Prof. ZHANG Changkun from ...

Imperial College London press release    Under strict embargo until:  Wednesday 28 August 2024  10am UK time/5am Eastern    Study finds limits to storing CO2 underground to combat climate change  Imperial research has found limits to how quickly we can scale up technology to store gigatonnes of carbon dioxide under the Earth’s surface.  Current international scenarios for limiting global warming to less than 1.5 degrees by the end of the century rely on technologies that remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the Earth’s atmosphere faster than humans release it. This means removing ...

Pain may be the most prevalent and severe symptom reported by individuals with long Covid, according to a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers. The study, published in JRSM Open, analysed data from over 1,000 people in England and Wales who logged their symptoms on an app between November 2020 and March 2022. Pain, including headache, joint pain and stomach pain, was the most common symptom, reported by 26.5% of participants. The other most common symptoms were neuropsychological ...

[Vienna, August 26 2024] – Since the end of the last Ice Age, growth of human population was far from uniform, marked instead by periods of rapid expansion followed by sharp declines. The reasons behind these fluctuations remain only partially understood. Previous research by CSH scientists Peter Turchin, Daniel Kondor, and an international team of collaborators, demonstrated that social conflicts, rather than – or in addition to – environmental factors, could have significantly impacted these patterns. Now, they add another piece to the puzzle. Wars and conflicts not only cause direct casualties but also create an atmosphere of distress ...

A new paper in the Journal of Public Health, published by Oxford University Press, finds that highlighting the harms of not getting vaccinated is a more effective message than emphasizing the benefits of vaccination for individual patients or the benefits to public health. Vaccination remains the most economical and effective public health strategy for reducing morbidity and mortality. But some vaccines, such as those for flu, pneumonia and HPV, are given voluntarily. Often due to misinformation or ignorance many people are reluctant to get vaccinated for various diseases (or to vaccinate their children). For years researchers have been investigating various strategies ...

Periodontal disease is an inflammatory disease caused by a periodontal pathogenic bacteria infection that affects oral and internal health. Good oral care is essential for prevention, but most over-the-counter oral hygiene products are disinfectants that can be highly irritating. This makes them unsuitable for use by young children and the elderly, who are susceptible to periodontal disease. To find an antibacterial that is easy to use and effective in preventing periodontal disease at all ages, Professor Shigeki Kamitani of Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate School of Human Life and Ecology led a research team in verifying the antibacterial effect of seven ...

Since their release, AI tools like ChatGPT have had a huge impact on content creation. In schools and universities, a debate about whether these tools should be allowed or prohibited is ongoing. Now, researchers in Sweden have investigated the relationship between adolescents’ EF and their use and perceived usefulness of generative AI chatbots for schoolwork. They published their results in Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence. “Students with more EF challenges found these tools particularly useful, especially for completing assignments,” said Johan Klarin, a school psychologist and research assistant at the Department of Psychology ...