A team of researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and collaborating institutions has identified and located a population of stem-like cells that initiates and maintains Group 3 medulloblastoma (Gr3-MB) in the developing brain. Gr3-MB is one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer in children and is associated with metastatic spread and poor survival. The researchers showed that eliminating the small population of stem-like ...

A study from the University of Michigan has identified a potential new treatment for food allergies in inulin, a naturally occurring plant fiber commonly used as a supplement, a prebiotic in soda, a replacement for sweeteners and for other products and purposes.   In what appears to be a major advancement that offers the promise of relief to food allergy sufferers around the world, the paper published in Nature Materials describes inulin gel-based oral immunotherapy's success in stopping allergic reactions in mice by, in part, targeting bacteria in the gut. The gel prevented severe allergic reactions ...

Researchers from Emlyon Business School and HEC Montreal published a new Journal of Marketing study that examines the new breed of volunteers who often show a weaker sense of affiliation with organizations and how best to engage them for mutual benefit. The study, forthcoming in the Journal of Marketing, is titled “Managing Brand Relationship Plurality: Insights from the Nonprofit Sector” and is authored by Verena Gruber and Jonathan Deschênes. Volunteers stand as vital pillars in the operation and survival of nonprofit organizations. Across ...

Gendered Social Innovation: Social Change and Female Entrepreneurship in Tourism  Gendered social innovation is a crucial process that intertwines social change with female entrepreneurship, empowerment, and the evolution of work among women in the tourism industry.  Questioning Common Perceptions  Why question the usual perceptions about the role and status of women entrepreneurs in a globalized and capitalist industry? Where does power, creativity, and innovation truly reside in tourism development?  Often, discussions about gender equality in tourism revolve around a vision that confines women to the role of service providers, perpetuating stereotypes ...

FAIRFAX, Va. (July 9, 2024)— Among women who have personally been diagnosed with uterine fibroids, more than half (53%) were presented with a hysterectomy, while fewer than 1 in 5 (20%) were presented with other less invasive options such as over-the-counter NSAIDs (19%), uterine fibroid embolization (17%), oral contraceptives (17%), and endometrial ablation (17%), according to new survey data by The Harris Poll on behalf of the Society of Interventional Radiology. Moreover, some women (17%) mistakenly ...

About The Study: In this cohort study of individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D), the increase in spending upon reaching age 65 (when most people enroll in Medicare) was associated with patient coinsurance in the coverage gap and catastrophic coverage phases of Medicare Part D. The increased patient cost burden at age 65 and a modest reduction in overall T2D drug utilization suggest that as people with T2D age into Medicare, there is potentially an increase in nonadherence and diabetes complications.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Douglas ...

About The Study: In this large cohort study of singleton full term births in Canada, prenatal ambient PM2.5 exposure was associated with an increased risk of cerebral palsy in offspring. Further studies are needed to explore this association and its potential biological pathways, which could advance the identification of environmental risk factors of cerebral palsy in early life.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Carmen Messerlian, Ph.D., email cmesser@hsph.harvard.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website ...

A string of whale strandings on the East Australian Coastline and questions around the appropriate disposal methods for the remains has prompted a new study that highlights a sustainable, cultural and ecosystem beneficial offshore removal or decomposition.  Dr Olaf Meynecke, from Griffith University’s Whales and Climate Research Program, led the case study, in which a 14m female humpback whale was found floating deceased – likely to due to ship strike – in the coastal waters off Queensland’s Noosa Heads in July 2023.  The remains were intercepted before washing up on the shoreline, then repositioned 30km offshore ...

Rachel L. Wasserman, PharmD, of the Department of General Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is the lead author and David W. Bates, MD, medical director of Clinical and Quality Analysis for Mass General Brigham and Co-Director of the Center for Artificial Intelligence and BioInformatics for Mass General Brigham, is the senior author of a new study published in BMJ Quality & Safety, “Frequency and preventability of adverse drug events in the outpatient setting.” How would you summarize your study for a lay audience? Many studies have analyzed ...

The HortGenome Search Engine (HSE) introduces a groundbreaking tool that transforms the exploration of horticultural crops' genetics. Enabling swift access and analysis of data from over 500 plant species, HSE enhances our ability to decode complex genetic networks. This launch marks a pivotal advancement in horticultural studies, offering detailed insights into crop genetics critical for human nutrition and health. As genomics profoundly reshapes our understanding of horticultural crops, researchers often grapple with dispersed and complex genomic data. This fragmentation significantly hinders effective analysis ...

This pivotal study explores the genetic orchestration of bud dormancy in woody perennials, a survival strategy crucial for enduring harsh climates. It focuses on the PmDAM6 gene, revealing its regulatory effects on lipid metabolism and phytohormone dynamics within dormant meristems, which dictate the plant's seasonal transition from rest to growth. Plant dormancy's genetic mechanisms are vital for enhancing agricultural resilience and productivity. The interaction between lipid metabolism and hormone regulation significantly influences ...

A recent study has identified a crucial regulatory mechanism in Chinese kale, potentially revolutionizing its nutritional profile. By manipulating the BoaBZR1.1 transcription factor, researchers significantly enhanced carotenoid levels, crucial antioxidants for human health. This advancement opens pathways for improving vegetable nutrition through genetic engineering. Carotenoids, vital antioxidants in plants, are integral for human health, enhancing immunity and preventing diseases. However, many vegetables, including Chinese kale, naturally exhibit low carotenoid levels. To address this nutritional gap, scientists are exploring genetic ...

PITTSBURGH - As part of a larger commitment to developing equitable technology, Carnegie Mellon University and Meta announce a collaborative project to make computer-based tasks accessible to more people. This project focuses on using wearable sensing technology to enable people with different motor abilities to perform everyday tasks and enjoy gaming in digital and mixed reality environments. Meta’s research in electromyography uses sensors placed on the skin to measure the electrical signals the user generates through muscles in their wrist, which are translated into input signals for various devices. While Meta has already ...

Silicon computer chips have served us well for more than half a century. The tiniest features on chips currently sold are approximately 3 nanometers — a startlingly small size given that a human hair is roughly 80,000 nanometers wide. Reducing the size of features on chips will help us meet our endless need for more memory and processing power in the palm of our hand. But the limit of what can be achieved with standard materials and processes is near. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) are applying their expertise in ...

Ice in nature is surrounded by liquid most of the time, and therefore it is key to understand how ice and liquid interact. A Kobe University and Institute for Molecular Science study could now for the first time directly observe the precise shape of ice at the interface between ice and liquid – by using antifreeze and a refrigerated microscope. When we slide on ice, when snowflakes form, when we lick ice cream, the surface of the ice is always covered with liquid water, and understanding the interaction between the ...

The United States has lost its only stand of the massive Key Largo tree cactus in what researchers believe is the first local extinction of a species caused by sea level rise in the country. The Key Largo tree cactus (Pilosocereus millspaughii) still grows on a few scattered islands in the Caribbean, including northern Cuba and parts of the Bahamas. In the United States, it was restricted to a single population in the Florida Keys, first discovered in 1992 and monitored intermittently since.  Salt water intrusion from rising seas, soil depletion from hurricanes and high tides, and herbivory by mammals had put significant pressure ...

A peer-reviewed study published today in Health Care for Women International found that the Transcendental Meditation® (TM®) technique can empower the lives of female youth living under conditions of poverty in the city slums of Kampala, Uganda. Outcomes include increased self-esteem, self-efficacy, and gratitude; and decreased tiredness, worry, and excessive alcohol use. TM helped these young women improve their mental and physical health, as well as their relations with family and community members. “The ...

The National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) proudly announces the promotion of Brian Wachtel to Chief Development Officer. Brian will continue his responsibilities as the Executive Director, and his expanded role will further enhance his leadership within the organization. Brian joined the National Foundation for Cancer Research in September 2016 as the Director of Corporate Partnerships & Special Events. In that capacity, he was in charge of organizing and expanding NFCR’s community outreach events. One of his important ...

Adolescents worldwide have embraced social media and online platforms for self-expression and to explore their identity. This freedom, however, can lead to risky behaviors, especially with limited adult supervision. For example, digital self-harm is a recent, emerging trend where individuals anonymously post or share hurtful content about themselves online. This behavior can be mistaken for mistreatment by others, yet the perpetrator and victim are the same person. First identified in 2010, digital self-harm has not received the same amount of scholarly scrutiny as other forms of self-directed abuse and has not been widely addressed by adults ...

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) has joined one of two newly established university consortia committed to nuclear security and nonproliferation. The consortia were awarded $50 million in cooperative agreements by the Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation in the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE NNSA). “The pressing challenges of nuclear security and nonproliferation require a concerted effort from experts across the country,” said JoAnn Browning, UTSA interim vice president for research. ...

A new study from orthopaedic researchers at The University of Toledo has found lumbar spinal fusion procedures are far more likely to fail in individuals with diabetes. “We’ve known for a long time that diabetic patients are at high risk of infection from any surgery, including spinal fusion,” said Dr. Hossein Elgafy, a professor of orthopaedics in the College of Medicine and Life Sciences and chief of spine surgery at UTMC. “More recently, however, physicians have taken a closer look at the high ...

A personalized brain-computer interface therapy, RehabSwift, significantly enhances hand mobility for stroke survivors. Strokes often lead to impaired hand function, presenting substantial challenges in daily activities. Sam Darvishi and colleagues developed and tested a brain-computer interface therapy that translates imagined hand movements into real actions using a personalized algorithm and bionic hands. The study involved twelve chronic stroke survivors from South Australia who had limited use of their arms but retained clear thinking abilities. Throughout 18 sessions, participants used the RehabSwift system, which included a special cap that ...

MILL VALLEY, Calif. – July 9, 2024 – SynGAP Research Fund (SRF), a 501(c)(3) public charity whose mission is to improve the quality of life for patients suffering from SYNGAP1-Related Disorders (SRD) through the research and development of treatments, therapies, and support systems, has awarded a $130,000 grant to the University of Southern California’s Quadrato Lab to inspect and stratify the effects of specific SYNGAP1 variants on their patient-derived neuronal model system, furthering the world’s understanding ...

New research highlights the challenge of balancing the risks of overdiagnosing and underdiagnosing prostate cancer early enough to intervene and minimize risk of death. Recently, some experts have called for the lowest grade of prostate cancer—biopsy Gleason Grade Group (GGG) 1—to be reclassified as ‘benign.’ But a new study led by a researcher from Mass General Brigham has found that many patients with a biopsy GGG1 may have a more aggressive cancer than their biopsy alone suggests. By looking at data from more than 10,000 patients at a university in Germany, researchers found that at least 8 percent of patients with this ...

The Royal Spanish Society of Chemistry (RSEQ) and Lilly have announced the winning theses of the 22nd Research Awards for Doctoral Students, which acknowledge outstanding work in the fields of Organic, Pharmaceutical, and Analytical Chemistry. Marcos Vilela, currently pursuing his PhD at the Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS) at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), was awarded alongside Andrea Palone from the University of Girona (UdG) and the University of Rome "Tor Vergata," and Beatriz Arévalo from the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). Marcos' thesis, supervised by CiQUS Principal ...