Demonstrating its commitment to excellence as a member of the Association of American Universities and number one in the state for National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, the University of Miami has pledged to invest more than $30 million to bolster basic science research that will target neuroscience and aging, some of the most complex conditions confronting the United States population, including in South Florida.  The investment over the next five years will create a new program in ...

When trying to understand how genetic influences factor into youth behavior, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have taken the “big trawl” approach, casting their net wide to pull in all the measured traits, behaviors and environments that make up who we are and examine associations with the genetic building blocks comprising risk for mental health problems. This cutting-edge methodology has turned up valuable new insights into factors related to psychopathological genetic risk, ...

“Of note, participants with high serum levels of FGF21 more frequently had metabolic complications, such as hypertension, obesity, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertriglyceridemia.” BUFFALO, NY- October 17, 2024 – A new research paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science), Volume 16, Issue 19 on September 18, 2024, entitled, “Fibroblast growth factor 21 inversely correlates with survival in elderly population – the results of the Polsenior2 study.” As ...

Many plankton journey from the cold, dark depths of our oceans to the surface, only to eventually drift down again into the darkness in a perpetual rhythm. Yet, how single-celled phytoplankton, most of which have no appendages to help them swim, make this pilgrimage has remained a mystery. In a paper publishing October 17 in the Cell Press journal Current Biology, researchers describe a species of bioluminescent phytoplankton, called Pyrocystis noctiluca, that balloons to six times their original size of a few hundred microns. This massive inflation allows the plankton to journey up to 200 meters toward the ocean’s surface to capture sunlight, then ...

Glioblastomas are aggressive brain tumors with a median survival time of less than 22 months despite standard therapy including surgery, irradiation, and chemotherapy. It has become clear in recent years that not all cells within the brain tumor have an equal potential to divide and drive tumor growth. As such, a fraction of tumor cells called brain tumor stem cells (BTSCs) are thought to be the primary origin of tumor re-growth after surgery in addition to being resistant to standard treatments including chemotherapy and irradiation. Therefore, targeting BTSCs may be a way to effectively treat glioblastomas.  In an effort to rapidly identify ...

It may soon be possible to determine which patients with a type of liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma would benefit from immunotherapy, according to a preclinical study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The study, published Oct. 17 in Molecular Cell, provides new insights into a pair of proteins, called p62 and NBR1, and their opposing functions in regulating the interferon response in hepatic stellate cells, a critical immune component in the liver’s fight against tumors. The study demonstrates that high levels of the immune-suppressing NBR1 in these specialized cells may identify patients who are unlikely to respond ...

About The Study: This meta-analysis found that an estimated 2.56% of people 40 years or older have glaucoma, slightly more than estimated by previous studies. Black individuals are disproportionately affected. Prevalence estimates at the state and county level can help guide public health planning.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Joshua R. Ehrlich, MD, MPH, email joshre@umich.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2024.3884) Editor’s ...

About The Study: Electric fan use did not lower peak core temperature in older adults exposed to extreme indoor heat. Reductions in end-exposure core temperature and heart rate were observed, but they were small and of questionable clinical importance. Neither exceeded previous suggestions for clinical significance. Consistent with recent modeling, these data do not support fans as an efficacious standalone cooling intervention for older adults in hot indoor environments (>33-35 °C). Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Glen P. Kenny, PhD, email gkenny@uottawa.ca. To ...

About The Study: Individuals receiving methadone had a lower risk of treatment discontinuation compared with those who received buprenorphine/naloxone. The risk of mortality while receiving treatment was similar between medications. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Bohdan Nosyk, PhD, email bnosyk@sfu.ca. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jama.2024.16954) Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including ...

Dusty ice exposed at the surface of Mars could provide the conditions necessary for the presence of photosynthetic life, according to a modelling study. The findings, published in Communications Earth & Environment, suggest that ice deposits located in the planet’s mid-latitudes should be a key location in any search for life on Mars. High levels of harmful ultraviolet radiation from the Sun make current life on the surface of Mars almost certainly impossible. However, a sufficiently thick layer of ice can absorb this radiation and could protect cells living below its surface. Any life in these conditions ...

The Dream Chemistry Award (DCA) is a one-of-a-kind competition dedicated to recognizing young scientists who dream of tackling fundamental problems in chemistry and related disciplines with visionary ideas. Established in 2013 by the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IChF), the award aims to support emerging talents in realizing their scientific dreams. Since 2017, it has been organized jointly with the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IOCB Prague), with the finals alternating between Prague and Warsaw. The Dream Chemistry Award empowers those pursuing ...

In the high-stakes world of aviation, a pilot's ability to perform under stress can mean the difference between a safe flight and disaster. Comprehensive and precise training is crucial to equip pilots with the skills needed to handle these challenging situations. Pilot trainers rely on augmented reality (AR) systems for teaching, by guiding pilots through various scenarios so they learn appropriate actions. But those systems work best when they are tailored to the mental states of the individual subject. Enter HuBar, a novel visual analytics tool designed to summarize and compare task performance ...

Recently, a Chinese research team reported the discovery of abiotic organic compounds in the oceanic crust of the Southwest Indian Ridge and proposed a molecular mechanism for organic condensation. This breakthrough followed the team’s discovery of nanoscale abiotic organic matter in mantle rocks from the Yap Trench in 2021. It represents a significant advance in research on deep-sea carbon cycling and the origin of life, shedding light on key pathways for abiotic organic synthesis in nature. The scientists published their findings in the Proceedings ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — By combining visible light and electrochemistry, researchers have enhanced the conversion of carbon dioxide into valuable products and stumbled upon a surprising discovery. The team found that visible light significantly improved an important chemical attribute called selectivity, opening new avenues not only for CO2 conversion but also for many other chemical reactions used in catalysis research and chemical manufacturing. One way that chemists recycle CO2 into valuable products is through a process called electrochemical reduction, where a stream of CO2 gas moves through an electrolysis cell that breaks the CO2 and water ...

The first randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating the impact of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies on the risk of developing long COVID was led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine. The study, published Sept. 1 in eClinicalMedicine, details an international, multicenter phase 2/3 clinical trial that found a combination of amubarvimab and romlusevimab did not reduce the occurrence of long COVID symptoms. Lasting weeks or even months after SARS-CoV-2 infection, long COVID is characterized by a variety of symptoms that affect each person differently. These include extreme fatigue, difficulty concentrating, ...

(Toronto, October 17, 2024) JMIR Publications invites submissions to a new theme issue titled “The Emergence of Medical Futures Studies” in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, the leading peer-reviewed journal for digital medicine and health and health care in the Internet age, indexed in PubMed, PMC, MEDLINE, SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ. The rapid progress of technology in health care, combined with significant cultural shifts toward digital health and the urgent need for preparedness, highlighted by events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, have brought about an increased emphasis ...

Super-spy James Bond is a prime example of ‘regressive nostalgia’ highlighting how certain consumer groups cling to idealised past versions of brands and resist attempts to move with the times, a new study reveals.  Researchers examined the James Bond movie franchise - a cultural icon for over 70 years - and discovered that some ‘super-consumers’ react negatively to modern portrayals of the fictional British secret agent that reflect contemporary societal values.   Whilst loyal to the brand, these consumers prefer traditional, more exclusionary, versions of Bond which most closely follow author Ian Fleming’s original 1950s and 1960s vision – ...

A self-proclaimed Brazil-Italy collaboration enthusiast, researcher Laura Bolognesi created the B2AlzD2 Joint Lab at the Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology of the Università di Bologna (UNIBO), the first Brazil-Bologna joint laboratory dedicated to the development of new drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The partners include scientists from four Brazilian universities: the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), the University of Brasília (UnB), the University of São Paulo (USP Ribeirão Preto) and the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). One of the laboratory’s ongoing ...

(Boston)—Researchers from the Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM) at Boston University and Boston Medical Center (BMC) have announced a new collaboration with the global biopharma company GSK to advance innovative research focused on developing cutting-edge models to study and treat lung diseases like pulmonary fibrosis. Pulmonary fibrosis, including its most common form, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), is a progressive and life-threatening condition that results in scarring of the lungs, making it increasingly difficult for patients to breathe. ...

Biofilms — slimy communities of bacteria — grow on all sorts of surfaces: from glaciers and hot springs to plant roots, your bathtub and fridge, wounds, and medical devices such as catheters. Most biofilms are composed of multiple bacterial species, but how these species manage to live together is unclear. A new study by Dartmouth scientists in Current Biology uses experiments and modeling to delve into how three species of biofilm bacteria coexist — and when they move out on their own. One species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a verstaile pathogen known to be antibiotic resistant, dominated ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The microbes that cycle nutrients in the ocean don’t do the work on their own – the viruses that infect them also influence the process. It’s a vital job for the rest of the planet, enabling oceans to absorb half of the human-generated carbon in the atmosphere and produce half of the oxygen we breathe. A new study gets scientists closer to more fully understanding where viruses fit into the global ocean picture of cycling nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous and, of particular interest, carbon. The research broadly expands on a 20-year-old finding that genes can be exchanged between viruses and the photosynthetic ...

WASHINGTON (Oct. 17, 2024) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), have awarded $27.5 million to the Center for Global Health Practice and Impact (CGHPI) at Georgetown University Medical Center to expand its ongoing work in Haiti to address HIV/AIDS. For the 150,000 people in Haiti living with HIV, losing access to basic life-saving therapy can lead to unnecessary suffering, risk of transmission to others, and ...

The Earth is an almost unimaginably diverse planet in terms of species. Researchers have identified between two and three million species, but there are many more that we know nothing about. The unknown species are called ‘biological dark matter’, borrowing a term from astrophysics.  “We want to demonstrate how we can gain a better overview of biological dark matter by using DNA barcoding,” said Associate Professor Emily Hartop. DNA barcoding, in this case so-called ‘megabarcoding’, might sound mysterious, but it isn’t really. We will come back to that later. First, let us take a look at why ...

WASHINGTON — Americans believe volunteering to help strangers contributes more to society than providing care for family or friends, even though they contribute billions of dollars’ worth of labor in unpaid caregiving every year, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. This perception could lead Americans of lower socioeconomic status to feel like they have less to contribute than people of higher socioeconomic status, because they often do not have the same amount of time or resources to devote to people outside of their communities. “Over ...

Researchers at the University of Zurich (UZH) have used artificial intelligence (AI) to help identify antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The team led by Adrian Egli, UZH professor at the Institute of Medical Microbiology, is the first to investigate how GPT-4, a powerful AI model developed by OpenAI, can be used to analyze antibiotic resistance. The researchers used AI to interpret a common laboratory test known as the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion test, which helps doctors to determine which antibiotics can or can’t fight a particular bacterial infection. Based on GPT-4, the scientists created the “EUCAST-GPT-expert”, which follows strict EUCAST ...