Research Highlights: In a randomized clinical trial in China, giving the clot-busting medication alteplase up to 24 hours after stroke symptoms first appeared increased the odds of better recovery by 50% compared to those who received standard antiplatelet treatment. The results might extend the time window for patient treatment worldwide, particularly in regions that lack access to advanced medical procedures. Note: The study featured in this news release is a research abstract. Abstracts presented at the American Heart ...

Five years removed from the COVID-19 outbreak, scientists around the world are still studying its effects and, more importantly, ways those effects can be mitigated in the future. An international team of researchers may have just found a critical clue in the quest, and a laboratory at Texas Tech University played a key role. The Ray Laboratory, led by Department of Biological Sciences Professor and Associate Chair David Ray, as part of a study on bat genomes published by the scientific journal Nature, helped identify the components of a genome in a specific species of bats that have shown more genetic adaptations in their immune systems than other animals. The study revealed that a gene ...

  A new publication from Opto-Electronic Advances; DOI  10.29026/oea.2025.240152, discusses how multi-photon bionic skin realizes high-precision haptic visualization for reconstructive perception.   Human palm skin contains more than 20,000 tactile vesicles, depending on the tactile vesicles in the skin depth, activation threshold, trigger mode and other tactile signal pickup differences, as well as cross-synergistic mechanism between them, so that the skin can obtain different types of tactile signals. And then through the brain nerve center on the tactile signal “calculation” ...

Mitochondria are essential for generating energy that fuels cells and helps them function. Mitochondrial defects, however, are associated with the development of diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Patients who suffer from this disorder are unable to produce enough insulin or use the insulin produced by their pancreas to keep their blood sugar at normal levels. Several studies have shown that insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells of patients with diabetes have abnormal mitochondria and are unable to generate energy. Yet, these studies were unable to explain why the cells behaved this way. In a study published in Science, ...

UCLA Health is set to begin a multi-site pilot study to explore whether a ketogenic diet, when combined with mood stabilizing medications, helps stabilize mood symptoms in teenagers and young adults who have bipolar disorder. Preliminary research on the effects of a ketogenic diet in people with bipolar disorder have shown improvements in mood and in overall executive function, but these open trials have been limited to adults. This will be the first study conducted on the diet’s effects among youth and young adults with bipolar disorder. Set ...

Our biceps and our brain cells may have more in common than previously thought. New research led by the Lippincott-Schwartz Lab shows that a network of subcellular structures similar to those responsible for propagating molecular signals that make muscles contract are also responsible for transmitting signals in the brain that may facilitate learning and memory. “Einstein said that when he uses his brain, it is like he is using a muscle, and in that respect, there is some parallel here,” says Janelia Senior Group Leader Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz. “The same machinery is operating in both cases ...

Washington, D.C. – A new study, “Identifying Allosteric Hotspots in Mycobacterium tuberculosis cAMP Receptor Protein” published in Biochemistry, provides key insights into how bacterial cAMP receptor proteins (CRPs) respond differently to the ubiquitous signaling molecule, cyclic AMP (cAMP). By comparing the allosteric regulation of Escherichia coli CRP (CRPEcoli) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis CRP (CRPMTB), researchers challenge the assumption that structural similarity predicts functional behavior in allosteric proteins.   This ...

A type of aggressive, treatment-resistant brain tumor has a distinct population of immune cells that support its growth, according to new research led by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Searching for subtypes of immune cells seen only in the most serious, grade 4 brain tumors, called glioblastomas, and using a recently developed technology called spatial genomics, ...

"The Epidemic of Loneliness: A Nine-Year Longitudinal Study of the Impact of Passive and Active Social Media Use on Loneliness" investigated how social media use impacts loneliness over time.  This eye-opening research suggests that the very platforms designed to bring us together contribute to an "epidemic of loneliness." The findings showed that both passive (PSMU) and active (ASMU) social media use were associated with increased feelings of loneliness over time. While passive social media use—like browsing without ...

Researchers at the University of Liège (Belgium) have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that regulates the immune response against parasites. During a parasitic infection, specific immune cells, known as virtual memory T cells (TVM), become activated and express a surface molecule called CD22, which prevents an excessive immune reaction. This discovery could help in better-controlling inflammation and improving immune responses to infections. Nearly a quarter of the world's population ...

Dinoflagellates play crucial roles in aquatic ecosystems, particularly as major contributors to harmful algal blooms. They can enter a dormant stage, known as the resting cyst stage, that allows them to survive for extended periods—up to 150 years—in marine sediments. This dormancy is essential for their annual population dynamics, blooming cycles, and geographic expansion. Despite the ecological importance of resting cysts, the molecular mechanisms governing their dormancy, viability maintenance, and germination in natural sediments remain largely unexplored. To better understand this process, researchers from the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences ...

One of the eight key aims of the EU Mission Soil is to enhance soil literacy in society. As part of this effort, the PREPSOIL project is working to inspire teachers across Europe to integrate soil topics into their teaching. By identifying and promoting innovative examples of soil education, PREPSOIL aims to empower educators to engage students in exploring the vital role of soil in natural, urban, and agricultural environments. In 2023 and 2024, teachers were invited to submit their best practices in soil education targeting primary, secondary, and vocational students. The initiative received over 50 submissions, showcasing a variety of creative and interdisciplinary ...

East Hanover, NJ – February 7, 2024 – The latest National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) report revealed a record-breaking Labor Force Participation Rate for people with disabilities, marking an all-time high. These gains build upon a steady upward trend, which exceeded those seen among people without disabilities. nTIDE is issued by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability (UNH-IOD). Month-to-Month nTIDE Numbers (comparing December 2024 to January 2025) Based on data from the ...

Most of the information we have about planets beyond our solar system (exoplanets) comes from looking at dips in starlight as these planets pass in front of their host star. This technique can give clues about the planet’s size (by looking at how much starlight is blocked) and what its atmosphere is made of (by looking at how the planet changes the pattern of starlight that passes through it). But a new study, published in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, concluded that fluctuations in ...

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science is pleased to announce that the Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program is now accepting applications for the 2025 solicitation 1 cycle. Applications are due on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. ET.   SCGSR application assistance workshops will be held on March 6, 2025, 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. ET and April 10, 2025, 2:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m. ET. The first workshop ...

While the restoration of natural areas is high on political agendas, a comprehensive new study from the University of Copenhagen shows that – after more than two decades – biodiversity growth has stalled in restored Danish wetlands. The results also suggest that time alone will not heal things because the areas are too small and dry, and nitrogen inputs from agriculture continue. According to the researchers, we need to learn from the past. The benefits are clear: natural areas with high biodiversity absorb ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Embedded counseling services are becoming increasingly common in veterinary medical programs, but their effectiveness has not historically been measured. A new study by University of Missouri researchers revealed that these programs may not only enhance access to mental health care but also lead to significant reductions in psychological distress among veterinary trainees. “It’s the first study, as far as we know, to evaluate the effectiveness of mental health counseling for veterinary trainees,” said Kerry Karaffa, PhD, a licensed psychologist at the ...

Collagen, the body’s most abundant protein, has long been viewed as a predictable structural component of tissues. However, a new study led by Rice University’s Jeffrey Hartgerink and Tracy Yu, in collaboration with Mark Kreutzberger and Edward Egelman at the University of Virginia (UVA), challenges that notion, revealing an unexpected confirmation in collagen structure that could reshape biomedical research.   The researchers used advanced cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to determine the atomic structure of a packed collagen assembly that deviates from the traditionally accepted right-handed superhelical twist. ...

About The Study: In this cohort study, over the time period including the COVID-19 pandemic, primary care practices reported a decline in access to care, while average practice capabilities improved. Integrated practice ownership and accountable care organization participation were both associated with better access and capability scores, suggesting that value-based payment and integrated care delivery support the development of higher-quality primary care. Variations across practices point to large opportunities for improvement overall and underscore the importance of incentives and structures as levers to improve primary care delivery. Corresponding Author: To contact the ...

About The Study: In this study of older individuals, decline in body mass index, waist circumference, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) occurred up to a decade before dementia diagnosis. These findings provide insights into cardiometabolic changes preceding dementia and the potential for early monitoring and intervention. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Zimu Wu, PhD, email zimu.wu1@monash.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.58591) Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, ...

Background and objectives Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory arthritis characterized by chronic joint inflammation, cartilage degradation, and bone erosion. ELK3 is a transcriptional repressor that can affect cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and other cellular processes. The study aimed to clarify the effect of ELK3 in the biological activity and ferroptosis phenotype of RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS), and to reveal its molecular mechanism in regulating ferroptosis in RA FLS. Methods We investigated the impact of ELK3 on the biological activity and ferroptosis phenotype of RA FLS using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, ...

Professor Woo Young Jang (Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Korea University Anam Hospital) recently won the best paper award at the 2024 fall academic conference of the Korean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society held in November 22th, 2024. This award recognizes the outstanding results and academic value of the research led by Professor Jang.   Professor Woo Young Jang, in collaboration with Professor Jun Seok Lee from the Department of Pharmacology and Dr. Jang Sun Hwang from the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Korea University College of Medicine, conducted the research ‘Disaggregation-Activated ...

Los Angeles, CA –  February 7, 2025 - The Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Engineering (TIBI) is pleased to announce their selection of Dr. Liangfang Zhang - Irwin Jacobs Chancellor’s Endowed Chair Professor at the University of California San Diego, and Dr. Aydogan Ozcan – Chancellor’s Professor, UCLA & Professor, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), as the recipients of the inaugural  Keith Terasaki Mid-Career Innovation Award. These awards will be presented at the 3rd Annual Terasaki Innovation Summit, to be held March ...

Background and Aims End-stage liver disease is associated with disruptions in gut microbiota composition and function, which may facilitate gut-to-liver bacterial translocation, impacting liver graft integrity and clinical outcomes following liver transplantation. This study aimed to assess the impact of two liver graft preservation methods on fecal microbiota and changes in fecal and breath organic acids following liver transplantation. Methods This single-center, non-randomized prospective pilot study enrolled liver transplant patients whose grafts were preserved using either static cold storage or ex situ normothermic machine perfusion (NMP). Fresh stool ...

DALLAS, Feb. 7, 2025 — The American Heart Association’s 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistical Update  reports that while progress has been made in reducing cardiovascular and cerebral health disparities, Black communities in the United States still  face disproportionately higher risk of heart disease, stroke and hypertension. These gaps subsequently contribute to equally disproportionate high death rates, underscoring the urgent need for lifesaving intervention. As part of its nationwide Heart Month and Black History Month activations, the ...