Among the many devasting impacts in the aftermath of a hurricane are power outages, which can take days or even weeks to restore. Communities grappling with the loss of electricity may encounter obstacles in accessing vital services, including food, fuel and health care. In 2018, Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm, wreaked havoc in Florida as it made landfall in the United States. It was strongest recorded to hit the Florida Panhandle with winds of nearly 161 miles per hour and storm surge reaching heights ...

In 2017, the Minamata Convention on Mercury went into effect, designed to help curb mercury emissions and limit exposure across the globe. However, a new study of mercury levels in soil suggests that the treaty’s provisions might not be enough. The study published in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology estimates that soil stores substantially more mercury than previously thought, and it predicts that increases in plant growth due to climate change may add even more. Mercury is a persistent environmental pollutant, moving through air, water and soil, and accumulating within plants ...

Noble gases have a reputation for being unreactive, inert elements, but more than 60 years ago Neil Bartlett demonstrated the first way to bond xenon. He created XePtF6, an orange-yellow solid. Because it’s difficult to grow sufficiently large crystals that contain noble gases, some of their structures — and therefore functions — remain elusive. Now, researchers have successfully examined tiny crystallites of noble gas compounds. They report structures of multiple xenon compounds in ACS Central ...

Cancer is a complex disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth, significantly impacting global health. Head and neck cancers rank as the sixth most prevalent cancers worldwide, with a higher incidence in South-central Asia. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the predominant malignancy in this category, posing a significant health concern due to its high mortality and often late-stage diagnosis. The significance of early detection and appropriate screening measures cannot be overstated, as they play a pivotal role in improving survival rates and reducing the disease burden. Overview ...

In collaboration with the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is announcing the establishment of the Chen Institute and Science Prize for Al Accelerated Research. Submissions are now open for the first year of the prize, which will be awarded in 2025. The prize will recognize young researchers who apply techniques in artificial intelligence (AI) – such as machine learning, natural language processing, or computer vision – to help the life sciences research community solve important problems and accelerate their work. Successful applicants will have made a fundamental advance that would not have been ...

More efficient and longer-lasting fuel cells are essential for fuel cell-powered heavy-duty hydrogen vehicles to be an alternative to combustion fuelled counterparts. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have developed an innovative method to study and understand how parts of fuel cells degrade over time.  This is an important step towards the improved performance of fuel cells and them becoming commercially successful. Hydrogen is a fuel alternative that is becoming increasingly interesting for heavy-duty vehicles.  Hydrogen-powered vehicles only emit water vapour as exhaust, and if the hydrogen is produced using renewable energy, it is completely free ...

A new, air-powered computer sets off alarms when certain medical devices fail. The invention is a more reliable and lower-cost way to help prevent blood clots and strokes — all without electronic sensors. Described in a paper in the journal Device, the computer not only runs on air, but also uses air to issue warnings. It immediately blows a whistle when it detects a problem with the lifesaving compression machine it is designed to monitor. Intermittent pneumatic compression or IPC devices are leg sleeves that fill with air periodically and ...

PULLMAN, Wash. – Evaluators who want to avoid appearing prejudiced may overcorrect and give women inflated performance feedback, new research indicates, which is a practice that could ultimately hinder their ability to improve and advance. A Washington State University-led research team investigated the connection between overly positive performance reviews and “protective paternalism,” the belief that women need to be handled carefully and shielded from harm. While it may be well-intentioned, ...

A new study on dogs found that chromatin's spatial structure has a significant role in the evolution of social behavior. Chromatin, the compact form of DNA, not only packages genetic material but also plays a crucial role in gene regulation. This study demonstrates that both the linear sequence of DNA and its three-dimensional configuration are linked to friendly behavior shaped by dog domestication, providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying social traits. Behavioral traits such as sociability are influenced by numerous genes, their interactions, environmental factors, and individual life experiences. Because ...

Research Highlights: Adults in white-collar jobs in Canada with high job strain and for whom significant efforts are met with low rewards (such as low salary or recognition) may face a 97% increased risk for developing the irregular heart rhythm condition known as atrial fibrillation, or AFib or AF, compared to workers not exposed to these work stressors. Separately, high job strain alone was associated with an 83% higher risk of developing AFib, and effort-reward imbalance alone was associated with a 44% greater risk. Recognizing and addressing these stressors at work may be an effective strategy ...

If it’s ever felt like everything in your body is breaking down at once, that might not be your imagination. A new Stanford Medicine study shows that many of our molecules and microorganisms dramatically rise or fall in number during our 40s and 60s. Researchers assessed many thousands of different molecules in people from age 25 to 75, as well as their microbiomes — the bacteria, viruses and fungi that live inside us and on our skin — and found that the abundance of most molecules ...

The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown measures to prevent contagion resulted in extensive disruptions in children’s and adolescents’ everyday lives. A new study in Child Development from the Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, University of California, Riverside and University of California, Davis in the United States, investigated personal memories (i.e., memories for episodes experienced in one’s own life) about the first lockdown in Denmark in Spring 2020 among children and adolescents and how this may have impacted their psychological well-being over the following year.  For context, in ...

CLEVELAND, Ohio (August 14, 2024)—With more than 24 million people globally living with dementia without a cure in sight, there is a lot of focus on ways to prevent and delay cognitive impairment. A new study suggests that severe menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and depression can negatively affect cognitive function in postmenopausal women. Results of the study are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society. In conjunction with our aging population, dementia diagnoses are on the rise. It ...

The UK’s first large scale offshore mussel farm is allowing shellfish reefs to return to parts of the seabed off England’s south coast for the first time in up to 150 years, a new study has revealed. Researchers have spent the past decade examining the environmental impact of the farm, which was first established in Lyme Bay off the coast of South Devon in 2013. In that time, the seabed beneath the farm’s ropes has begun to undergo a transformation as mussels from the lines are ...

Imagine a coat that captures solar energy to keep you cozy on a chilly winter walk, or a shirt that can monitor your heart rate and temperature. Picture clothing athletes can wear to track their performance without the need for bulky battery packs.  University of Waterloo researchers have developed a smart fabric with these remarkable capabilities. The fabric has the potential for energy harvesting, health monitoring, and movement tracking applications.  The new fabric developed ...

This review offers an in-depth exploration of Nodular Lymphocyte Predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma (NLPHL), highlighting its distinct characteristics across various domains such as epidemiology, clinical presentation, histopathology, immunophenotype, genetic findings, and challenges in differential diagnosis. Epidemiology and Clinical Presentation NLPHL is a relatively rare subtype of Hodgkin lymphoma, comprising approximately 10% of all Hodgkin lymphoma cases. It predominantly affects males, with a higher incidence observed ...

More than a quarter of Australians over the age of 50 take cholesterol-lowering drugs to prevent heart disease and strokes, but our bodies also need cholesterol to survive. Now, scientists from The Australian National University (ANU) say its role as a basic building block of life holds the key to treating deadly diseases caused by parasites, including malaria.   The researchers have developed a trojan horse method that tricks malaria parasites into ingesting a fatal dose of drugs by exploiting the parasite’s need for cholesterol to survive. By attaching ...

Scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School and the Mechanobiology Institute (MBI) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have discovered a novel pathway to wake up dormant neural stem cells, offering potential new therapies for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, learning disabilities, and cerebral palsy. In the mammalian adult brain, most neural stem cells, which originate from the nervous system and can grow into various types of brain cells, stay dormant until they receive specific signals that activate them. Once woken up, they produce new neurons, aiding in brain repair and growth. Defects in neural stem cell activation ...

An unchartered area in the foothills of the Southern Pyrenees in Spain is providing insights into a poorly known period of Neanderthal history, offering clues that could help archaeologists uncover the mystery of their downfall, according to new research from The Australian National University (ANU).   Abric Pizarro is one of only a few sites worldwide dating from 100,000 to 65,000 years ago during a period called MIS 4. The researchers have gathered hundreds of thousands of artefacts, including stone tools, animal bones and other evidence, providing significant data about the Neanderthal way of life during that time -- largely unknown in human history until now. The findings ...

Quick decisions are more likely influenced by initial biases, resulting in faulty conclusions, while decisions that take time are more likely the result in better information, according to new research led by applied mathematicians at the University of Utah. A team that included Sean Lawley, an associate professor of mathematics, and three former or current Utah graduate students used the power of numbers to test a decision-making model long used in psychology. They developed a framework to study the decision-making processes in groups of people holding various levels of bias. “In large populations, what we see is that slow deciders are making more accurate ...

A new study led by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, found that an episode of shingles is associated with about a 20 percent higher long-term risk of subjective cognitive decline. The study’s findings provide additional support for getting the shingles vaccine to decrease risk of developing shingles, according to the researchers. Their results are published in Alzheimer's Research & Therapy. "Our findings show long-term implications of shingles and highlight the importance of public health efforts to prevent and promote uptake of the shingles vaccine," said ...

Australians outlive their peers in 5 high income English speaking countries, including the UK and the US, by between 1 to 4 years, finds an analysis of international longevity data, published in the open access journal BMJ Open. Most of this advantage accrues between the ages of 45 and 84, with death rates from drug and alcohol misuse, screenable/treatable cancers, and cardiovascular and respiratory diseases all lower, the analysis shows. While high income countries achieved good life expectancy gains during the 20th century, the trends have been much less favourable in the 21st century, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, note ...

Feeling that your life lacks purpose and that there are few opportunities for personal growth in older age may precede the development of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a frequent precursor of dementia, suggests research published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. These aspects of psychological wellbeing noticeably decline 2 to 6 years before MCI is diagnosed, even in the absence of evident signs, and irrespective of whether those affected go on to develop dementia, the findings ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Despite being home to some of the world’s most dangerous animals, Australia has led the English-speaking world in life expectancy for the last three decades. As for other high-income Anglophone countries, the Irish saw the largest gains in life expectancy, while Americans have finished dead last since the early 1990s, according to a team of social scientists led by a Penn State researcher.   The team published their findings today (August 13) in the journal BMJ Open.  “One lesson ...

SMC Labels – Peer reviewed observational study on humans  Childhood maltreatment is associated with greater cognitive difficulties than previously thought   New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London and City University of New York suggests that the cognitive difficulties associated with childhood maltreatment, and particularly neglect, have been grossly underestimated in previous studies.   The research, published in Lancet ...