Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of vision loss in people over 50. Up to 12 percent of those over 80 have the chronic disease. An estimated 16.4 million adults are affected by retinal vein occlusion (RVO) worldwide, a condition caused by a thrombosis of a retinal vein. It is the second most common cause of blindness from retinal vascular disease after diabetic retinopathy (DR). DR in turn is the leading cause of blindness in developed countries and affects up to 80 percent of people with more than 20 years of diabetes. It can lead ...

A defining characteristic of all life is its ability to evolve. However, the fact that biologically engineered systems will evolve when used has, to date, mostly been ignored. This has resulted in biotechnologies with a limited functional shelf-life that fail to make use of the powerful evolutionary capabilities inherent to all biology. Sim Castle, first author of the research, published in Nature Communications, and a PhD student in the School of Biological Sciences at Bristol, explained the motivation for the work: "The thing that has always fascinated me about biology is that it changes, it is chaotic, it adapts, it evolves. Bioengineers therefore do not just design static artefacts - they design living populations that ...

The presence of amino acids on the prebiotic Earth is widely accepted, either coming from endogenous chemical processes or being delivered by extraterrestrial material. On the other hand, plausibly prebiotic pathways to peptides often rely on different aqueous approaches where condensation of amino acids is thermodynamically unfavorable. Now, chemists from the Ruđer Bošković Institute (RBI), in collaboration with colleagues from Xellia Pharmaceuticals, have shown that solid-state mechanochemical activation of glycine and alanine in combination with mineral surfaces leads to the formation of peptides. ...

A team of astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has completed the first census of molecular clouds in the nearby Universe, revealing that contrary to previous scientific opinion, these stellar nurseries do not all look and act the same. In fact, they're as diverse as the people, homes, neighborhoods, and regions that make up our own world. Stars are formed out of clouds of dust and gas called molecular clouds, or stellar nurseries. Each stellar nursery in the Universe can form thousands or even tens of thousands of new stars during its lifetime. Between 2013 and 2019, astronomers on the PHANGS-- Physics at High Angular Resolution in Nearby GalaxieS-- project conducted the first systematic survey of 100,000 stellar nurseries ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Astronomers have taken a big step forward in understanding the dark and violent places where stars are born. Over the past five years, an international team of researchers has conducted the first systematic survey of "stellar nurseries" across our part of the universe, charting the more than 100,000 of these nurseries across more than 90 nearby galaxies and providing new insights into the origins of stars. "Every star in the sky, including our own sun, was born in one of these stellar nurseries," said Adam Leroy, associate professor of astronomy at The Ohio State University and one of ...

Researchers from the University of Arizona will present findings from radio-astronomical observations of organic molecules at the 238th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, or AAS, during a press conference titled "Molecules in Strange Places" at the 238th AAS Meeting on Tuesday, June 8, at 12:15 p.m. EDT. A team led by Lucy Ziurys at the University of Arizona reports observations of organic molecules in planetary nebulae in unprecedented detail and spatial resolution. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, or ALMA, Ziurys and her team observed radio emissions from hydrogen cyanide (HCN), formyl ion (HCO+) and carbon monoxide (CO) in five planetary nebulae: M2-48, M1-7, M3-28, K3-45 and K3-58. The ...

Researchers have developed a 'library of properties' to help identify the environmental impact of nanomaterials faster and more cost effectively. Whilst nanomaterials have benefited a wide range of industries and revolutionised everyday life, there are concerns over potential adverse effects - including toxic effects following accumulation in different organs and indirect effects from transport of co-pollutants. The European Union H2020-funded NanoSolveIT project is developing a ground-breaking computer-based Integrated Approach to Testing and Assessment (IATA) for the environmental health and safety of nanomaterials. Over ...

A new global analysis says that greenhouse-gas emissions from food systems have long been systematically underestimated--and points to major opportunities to cut them. The authors estimate that activities connected to food production and consumption produced the equivalent of 16 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2018--one third of the human-produced total, and an 8 percent increase since 1990. A companion policy paper highlights the need to integrate research with efforts to reduce emissions. The papers, developed jointly by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, NASA, New York University and experts at Columbia University, are part of a special issue of Environmental Research Letters on sustainable food systems. The Center on Global Energy ...

Stereotypes are knowledge structures integrated in our world representation, which have an influence on our decisions and which are hard to change. A team from the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), in collaboration with the Èpica Foundation - La Fura dels Baus analysed how a performing experience could have a positive impact in reducing the population's bias against physical illnesses. This performing experience is a pioneer one for it combines scientific training and theatre performance in the same working platform. The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, shows that the participation ...

After looking for just one-twentieth of a second, experts in camouflage breaking can accurately detect not only that something is hidden in a scene, but precisely identify the camouflaged target, a skill set that can mean the difference between life and death in warfare and the wild, investigators report. They can actually identify a camouflaged target as fast and as well as individuals identifying far more obvious "pop-out" targets, similar to the concept used at a shooting range, but in this case using easy-to-spot scenarios like a black O-shaped target among a crowd of black C shapes. In fact, the relatively rapid method for training civilian novices to become expert camouflage breakers developed by Medical College of Georgia neuroscientist ...

Medics training to be GPs reported positive improvement in burnout and resilience after completing a mindfulness course specially designed for doctors The participants in the study by Warwick Medical School also saw improvements in their wellbeing and stress By improving the mental wellbeing of trainees the researchers hope to better prepare them for the challenges of general practice and the impact of Covid-19 on the profession Supports the wider adoption of mindfulness in medical training and the need for larger studies Medics training to become general practitioners reported a significant positive improvement in their mental wellbeing after participating in a specially-designed mindfulness programme, a study from University of Warwick researchers ...

HOUSTON - (June 8, 2021) - A simple chemical process developed at Rice University creates light and highly absorbent aerogels that can take a beating. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), crystal structures with strong molecular bonds, can form a porous aerogel for use as a custom membrane in batteries or other devices or as an absorbent to remove pollutants from the environment. Conventional COFs are usually powders. Chemical and biomolecular engineer Rafael Verduzco, lead authors and Rice graduate students Dongyang Zhu and Yifan Zhu and their colleagues at Rice's Brown School of Engineering discovered a way to synthesize COF aerogels that can be made in any form ...

Listed by the World Health Organization among the ten leading causes of medical disability worldwide, the severity of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is at a level on par with cancer. This prevalent disorder is characterized by highly distressing intrusive thoughts and repeated compulsive behaviours such as washing or checking. "Inadequately treated OCD can rapidly deteriorate to disability for many persons and can negatively impact every sphere of life including school or work, basic self-care and care of children, and psychosocial functioning," says clinical psychologist and internationally renowned expert in OCD and related disorders Dr. Debbie Sookman, who is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry ...

The promotion and marketing of unproven stem cell therapies is a global problem that needs a global solution, say experts in a perspective published June 8 in the journal Stem Cell Reports. The authors of the paper call for the World Health Organization (WHO) to establish an advisory committee on regenerative medicine to tackle this issue and provide guidance for countries around the world. "The field of regenerative medicine, which entails the manipulation of cells and tissues to obtain therapeutic properties, has been hailed as the most promising research field in modern medicine," says senior author Mohamed Abou-el-Enein, the executive director of the joint University of Southern California/Children's Hospital of Los Angeles Cell Therapy Program. ...

A new study has pinpointed a small group of cells in the brain which could be crucial to understanding how Alzheimer's disease begins and how to slow its progression. This discovery could help research into treatment for the disease by focusing on this key group of cells in the brain. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting between 50 and 75 per cent of those diagnosed. There are currently around 850,000 people with dementia in the UK. This is projected to rise to 1.6 million by 2040. "Alzheimer's disease evolves over decades but we currently lack an understanding of the events that take place in the early stages," explained Dr Diego Gomez-Nicola of the University of Southampton ...

MELVILLE, N.Y., June 8, 2021 -- Variations in children's speech has traditionally been attributed to developmental delays. Recent work suggests the reasons for variability are not so clear, and an immediate call for treatment may need to be reconsidered. During the 180th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, which will be held virtually June 8-10, Margaret Cychosz, from the University of Maryland, will discuss the need to better understand these variations. Her presentation, "Reconsidering variability in child speech production," will take place ...

Neural replay during waking rest may contribute to memory consolidation of action sequences in humans, according to a study published June 8 in the journal Cell Reports. Brain imaging results revealed fast, repeated reactivation of a neural network representing a behavioral sequence that people were learning--approximately 20 times the speed of the new memory--especially while they were taking breaks from practice. "This is the first demonstration of wakeful neural replay of a newly learned skill elicited by practice in humans," says senior study author Leonardo G. Cohen (@LeonardoGCohen) ...

What The Study Did: The findings of this observational study of the association of race/ethnicity with COVID-19 infection rates and the interaction of pre-COVID experiences of food insecurity suggest that the association varied over time and across racial/ethnic groups. Authors: Mare Sarr, Ph.D., of  Pennsylvania State University in University Park, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.12852) Editor's Note: The article includes funding/support disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support. INFORMATION: Media ...

What The Study Did: This study tracked COVID-19 outcomes for 543 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who were receiving support services from an organization providing residential services in the five boroughs of New York. Authors: Scott D. Landes, Ph.D., of Syracuse University in New York, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.12862) Editor's Note: The article includes funding/support disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author ...

What The Study Did: Researchers found differences in sociodemographic and clinical characteristics by entry location for SARS-CoV-2 testing within a safety-net health system. White and English-speaking individuals disproportionately initiated testing via telehealth visits, while Black, Native American and non-English-speaking patients disproportionately initiated testing through the emergency department.  Authors: Rohan Khazanchi, B.A,. Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute in Minneapolis, is the  corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.12857) Editor's ...

CHICAGO --- Some leaders in health care have called for an end to annual health check visits, saying they're a waste of time for patients and overworked primary care physicians and don't reduce the risk of death. A new Northwestern Medicine study found while there is no clear proof that regular check-ups help adults live longer or prevent cardiovascular events like heart attacks or strokes, they still have many health benefits - especially for at-risk populations - and should continue. Routine check-up visits (they don't have to necessarily be done annually) ...

Decisions made now will determine whether economies win or lose money as the coal industry changes over the next couple of decades. Countries including Australia and Indonesia could lose billions of dollars if they continue to invest in new coal mines and exports as the world moves away from fossil fuels. These are the conclusions of a new analysis led by a team from Imperial College London and including researchers from Queen Mary University of London and Deloitte, which is published today in the journal Joule. The team combined data on coal resources and demand in an economic model of trade and prices. ...

BOSTON -- Death rates from chronic conditions like lung disease and cardiovascular disease and so-called "diseases of despair" such as opioid overdoses are known to be higher in rural areas than in large cities, with differing economic, social and political circumstances influencing people's access to care. To examine disparities in mortality rates for all causes of death, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital used a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) database to analyze all deaths occurring in the U.S. between 1999 and 2019. They found that age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) declined in both rural and urban populations, but that the gap between the death rates dramatically widened as white individuals aged 25 to ...

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a severe, fatal neurodegenerative disorder causing loss of motor neurons and voluntary muscle action. While mouse studies have identified potential treatments, these drugs have typically done very poorly in human trials. Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital, working in collaboration with Pfizer, now report a high-throughput target and drug discovery platform using motor neurons made from ALS patients. Using the platform, they confirmed two known targets and identified an existing class of drugs -- agonists to the dopamine D2 receptor -- as potential novel treatments. The researchers, led by Clifford Woolf, MD, PhD, director of the F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center at Boston Children's, and first authors Xuan Huang, PhD, and Kasper Roet, PhD, ...

A multidisciplinary team led by researchers from the Spanish Research Council (CSIC) identifies the genomic cellular map associated with hippocampal sclerosis, a major histopathological condition of temporal lobe epilepsy. The study, published in Cell Reports, identifies cell-type specific transcriptional signatures of hyper-excitability and neurodegeneration, providing grounds for improved diagnosis. While the presence of sclerosis is essential for identifying temporal lobe epilepsy (the most common form of drug-resistant epilepsy), it is also detected in some cases of dementia associated ...