From the persistent droughts of southern Africa and Central America in the early part of the year to the more recent devastating extreme rainfall in Spain and the deadly Hurricane Helene along America’s east coast, 2024 has been a year of climate events that affected the lives of billions of people.   In a recent paper published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, an international team of scientists led by Dr Wenxia Zhang at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, provide an overview of the characteristics and impacts of the most notable extreme events of the year, including rainfall and flooding, ...

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have created nanostructured alumina surfaces which are strongly antibacterial but can be used to culture cells. They found that anodic porous alumina (APA) surfaces prepared using electrochemistry in concentrated sulfuric acid had unprecedented resistance to bacterial growth, but did not hamper cell cultures. The team’s technology promises to have a big impact on regenerative medicine, where high quality cell cultures without bacterial contamination may be produced without ...

A new tablet combining albendazole and ivermectin is safe and more effective than albendazole alone in treating Trichuris trichiura and other soil-transmitted helminths (STH), according to a clinical trial conducted by the STOP consortium and led by the Barcelona Institute of Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by “la Caixa” Foundation. The findings, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, open opportunities to improve the control of these neglected tropical infections, which affect around ...

In an effort to close the gap in neurological outcomes for underserved populations, a UTHealth Houston project funded with $2.9 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will engage community partners to improve the design of clinical trials. Neurologic conditions including stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and vascular cognitive impairment and dementia contribute to the leading causes of death and disability in the U.S. The goal of the project is to build an infrastructure for community-engaged research interventions for those three neurologic conditions affecting brain health. “Historically, clinical trials for neurological conditions haven’t ...

Depression can affect anyone. It is common, and in many cases severe. These days, there are good treatments available, typically involving a combination of psychotherapy and medication. However, finding the right treatment can take some time. Not everyone responds equally well to every medication. Researchers at six European university medical centers, led by Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, teamed up to accelerate the process of arriving at solid findings relating to both new and known treatments. The key will be a joint study design, supported over the ...

Researchers from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, alongside mainland collaborators, have uncovered an unexpected phenomenon: severe wintertime ozone (O₃) pollution in Lanzhou, China, driven primarily by alkene emissions from local petrochemical industries. Traditionally associated with warm weather and strong solar radiation, hourly O₃ levels exceeding 100 ppbv were recorded during cold January days in 2018, peaking at an alarming 121 ppbv.   Using an advanced photochemical box model, the study identified alkene ozonolysis as ...

East Hanover, NJ – January 10, 2025 – The employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities has remained stable over the past 15 months amid historically high levels, with recent data suggesting a modest but encouraging upward trend, according to today’s January 2025 National Trends in Disability Employment monthly update (nTIDE) issued by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability (UNH-IOD). Month-to-Month nTIDE Numbers (comparing November 2024 to December 2024) Based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) ...

A recent commentary article by researchers from Northwestern University, Harvard University, and The University of Texas at San Antonio highlights the significant but overlooked environmental and social impacts of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). Published in Environmental Science and Ecotechnology, the research underscores the urgent need for sustainable practices and ethical governance as GenAI technologies proliferate.   The study reveals the environmental toll of GenAI development, with hardware production such as GPUs and data centers consuming ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  January 10, 2025  Contact: Jillian McKoy, jpmckoy@bu.edu Michael Saunders, msaunder@bu.edu ## Lower Access to Air Conditioning May Increase Need for Emergency Care for Wildfire Smoke Exposure As Los Angeles County battles the most destructive wildfires in its history, a new study suggest that US policies should prioritize equity and education regarding the measures people can take to protect themselves from the harmful pollutants in wildfire smoke.  People who have limited access to air ...

If your teeth have ever felt fuzzy after skipping a brushing, you’ve encountered biofilm—a slimy bacterial layer that clings to surfaces. In medical settings, biofilms make infections harder to treat when they form protective shields for bacteria on devices like catheters and implants.  UC Riverside scientists have now discovered a chemical that plants produce when they're stressed prevents biofilm from forming. The breakthrough offers potential advances in healthcare as well as preventing equipment corrosion in industrial settings.  “In simple terms, biofilms are communities ...

Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research investigators at Hebrew SeniorLife have launched a large clinical food trial to test whether a combination of probiotics and prebiotics (BondiaÒ or SBD111) developed by Solarea Bio will help manage bone health in women aged 60 years and above. The first participants have joined the study and the Institute seeks additional women for the 18-month effort.   “I am very happy to be involved in this important research to help with bone health in women,” says study participant Kathy ...

From mapping ore to predicting slope behavior and reclaiming land, mining is a rapidly evolving technological industry. Yet planning and operations have not necessarily kept up with the advancements.  With $1.25 million from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, or NIOSH, mining and geological engineering researchers in the University of Arizona College of Engineering are boosting their efforts to better align technology and planning for improved safety and productivity. The award from the institute, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will fund the research ...

PHILADELPHIA— Across the United States, no hospital is the same. Equipment, staffing, technical capabilities, and patient populations can all differ. So, while the profiles developed for people with common conditions may seem universal, the reality is that there are nuances that require individual attention, both in the make-up of the patients being seen and the situations of the hospitals providing their care. New research shows that artificial intelligence can potentially help improve care overall by combing through ...

TUCSON, Arizona — A researcher at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson received a $1.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue his research into uncovering the mysteries of copper – specifically, how it can be harnessed to kill harmful bacteria and other microorganisms.   “We started using copper tens of thousands of years ago to cut down on bacterial infections,” said Michael D.L. Johnson, PhD, an associate professor ...

Embargoed until Friday 10-Jan-2025 14:00 ET (10-Jan-2025 19:00 GMT/UTC)  An international team of scientists has uncovered a fascinating piece of the evolutionary puzzle: how the ventral nerve cord, a key component of the central nervous system, evolved in ecdysozoan animals, a group that includes insects, nematodes, and priapulid worms. Their findings, published in Science Advances, provide valuable insights into the origins of these structures in the basal Cambrian period.  The research team, comprising Dr Deng Wang (Northwest University), Dr Jean Vannier (Université ...

HOUSTON – (Jan. 10, 2025) – A study published in Science Advances shares new insights into how two of the most common types of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells kill cancer. Investigators from Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Cancer Center and the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy at Baylor, Houston Methodist Hospital and Texas Children’s Hospital examined how molecular dynamics at the immune synapse – where CAR T cells bind to cancer cells – affect anticancer activity.  In this study, researchers aimed to understand how CAR T cells with different signaling domains work at the molecular and cellular levels to lay the ...

Scientists have discovered how plants adapt their root systems in drought conditions to grow steeper into the soil to access deeper water reserves. Plant scientists from the University of Nottingham, in collaboration with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, have identified how abscisic acid (ABA), a plant hormone known for its role in drought response, influences root growth angles in cereal crops such as rice and maize. The results have been published in Current Biology. The study highlights how ABA and auxin, another key hormone, work together to shape root growth ...

A new study examining the use of high-cost drugs among patients with colorectal cancer and non-small cell lung cancer found those insured through Medicare Advantage received less expensive cancer drugs compared to others on Traditional Medicare. The findings were published today in JAMA Health Forum. "Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and colorectal cancer ranks third. Gaining a better understanding of treatment options and their costs under different insurance plans is important for assessing the overall healthcare landscape and how insurances manage patient costs,” said the study’s first author Cathy Bradley, PhD, Dean ...

A whitish, grey patch that sometimes appears in the night sky alongside the northern lights has been explained for the first time by researchers at the University of Calgary. The article, which was published on Dec. 30 in the journal Nature Communications, explores a “structured continuum emission” that’s associated with aurora borealis. “You’d see this dynamic green aurora, you’d see some of the red aurora in the background and, all of a sudden, you’d see this structured – almost like a patch – grey-toned or white toned-emission connected to the aurora,” says Dr. Emma Spanswick, ...

How many children use Tik Tok against the rules? Most, study finds  As the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether Congress can ban Tik Tok, new research highlights the health risks that top social media platforms pose to children.  Most 11- and 12-year-olds use Tik Tok and other social media despite the platforms’ age restrictions, and many show signs of addiction to social media, a new UC San Francisco study found. Tik Tok, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat require users to be at least 13 years old to have an account. But the study found that a majority of 11- and 12-years olds across the country have accounts on the platforms, ...

An international team of researchers, including scientists from the HSE Centre for Language and Brain, has identified the causes of impairments in expressing grammatical tense in people with aphasia. They discovered that individuals with speech disorders struggle with both forming the concept of time and selecting the correct verb tense. However, which of these processes proves more challenging depends on the speaker's language. The findings have been published in the journal Aphasiology. Aphasia is a severe speech disorder, often resulting ...

Consumers of content about serial killers watch and read it to experience intense emotions that are often lacking in everyday life and to understand the reasons that drive people to commit crimes. However, such content does not contribute to increased aggression. These conclusions were drawn by sociologists from HSE University. The results of their study have been published in Crime, Media, Culture: An International Journal. Research on the modern media market shows that content about serial killers is popular worldwide, spanning films, true crime series, short videos, and written materials detailing crimes, investigations, ...

A cutting-edge article is paving the way for a transformation in cervical cancer screening, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance detection accuracy and efficiency. This pioneering research explores the application of AI in medical image interpretation, marking a significant leap in cervical cancer management and prevention. With the aid of deep learning algorithms, the study seeks to address the critical need for more effective screening tests, especially in low- and middle-income countries where traditional methods often fall short. This innovative approach promises to alleviate the global burden of cervical cancer by improving ...

Cordierite, a remarkable mineral familiar to many as the material behind heat-resistant pizza stones, exhibits an unusual ability to resist changes in size despite significant temperature fluctuations. While widely used in diverse applications from automotive catalytic converters to high-temperature industrial processes, the fundamental reasons behind this anomalous thermal behaviour have remained largely unexplained. A new study, led by researchers at Queen Mary University of London and published in Matter, now provides the first comprehensive explanation, with profound implications for the design and development of advanced materials.  "Modern society demands materials that ...

About The Study: Nearly one-third of survey participants indicated sociopolitical issues influenced their vasectomy decision, despite the fact these policies have targeted female reproductive policy. These patient-reported motivations are consistent with recent research using administrative data that found a rise in vasectomy procedure volume after the Dobbs decision.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Kathleen Hwang, MD, email kathleen.hwang@pennmedicine.upenn.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.54430) Editor’s ...