PHILADELPHIA—Standardizing an assessment process currently used by doctors during care discussions with veterans at risk for suicide in other context could shed more light on the risks related to firearms and opioids.   The findings from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania were reported today in JAMA Network Open. They found that fewer veterans reported having access to firearms than expected—either because some didn't mention it to their doctor, it wasn't ...

Fukuoka, Japan—It goes without saying that the tourism industry in Japan is booming. Walk around any major city and you’ll see people from all around the world enjoying the country’s food, culture, and hospitality. Naturally, the revenue generated by the industry has had a positive economic impact throughout Japan. However, between 2020 and 2022, the tourism industry was hit particularly hard due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent travel restrictions. While the government implemented policies ...

A new study has taken a closer look at how healthcare quality is measured in three major countries—Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom—uncovering striking similarities and critical gaps. The research delved into Israel’s Quality Indicators in Community Healthcare (QICH), the US’s Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS), and the UK’s Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF). While all three systems prioritize family medicine and process-focused metrics, the study highlights a lack of attention to structural and outcome-based ...

Antarctica, often regarded as the planet’s last true wilderness, harbours unique ecosystems that support extraordinary biodiversity and contribute to global diversity and environmental stability. These ecosystems, which occupy permanently ice-free land covering less than 0.5% of the continent, are now under growing threat from human activity and climate change. Now, a team led by researchers at UNSW Sydney’s Centre for Ecosystem Science has developed a high-resolution map and hierarchical classification system of Antarctica’s ice-free lands, which can be seen in full in Scientific Data. This new inventory categorizes Antarctica’s ecosystems ...

When given the power to distribute resources, a person’s nationality, gender, and ideology can help predict how likely that person is to exclude others to maximize their own profit, according to a study. The results suggest that the identities and cultural backgrounds of decision-makers affect how equitably resources are divided. Andrzej Baranski and Nicholas Haas placed study participants into groups of three to play a negotiation game. All interactions were via computer and no information about the other ...

Cold Spring Harbor, NY – Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (CSHL Press) has announced the appointment of new editorial leadership at its renowned journal, Genes & Development. Professor Andrew Dillin has been named Editor-in-Chief, and Dr. Eric Sawey becomes Executive Editor. These changes are associated with an intentional expansion of the journal’s scope into new and exciting aspects of life science research. While the journal remains committed to its traditional areas of coverage, it will also actively foster additional dynamic fields including physiology, metabolism, aging, gene and environmental interactions, and molecular neuroscience. Genes & ...

Pancreas cells may produce a protein that can protect the brain from Alzheimer's disease. In individuals with Alzheimer's disease, a peptide known as amyloid-β accumulates and forms tangled plaques. People with diabetes have a higher probability of  developing Alzheimer's disease, raising the possibility of a link between the cells that are disordered in diabetes—pancreatic β cells—and the onset of Alzheimer's disease. However, insulin supplementation may not halt the development of Alzheimer's disease. Toru Hosoi and colleagues ...

PULLMAN, Wash. — An environmentally-friendly preparation of plant material from pine could serve as a substitute for petroleum-based chemicals in polyurethane foams. The innovation could lead to more environmentally friendly versions of foams used ubiquitously in products such as kitchen sponges, foam cushions, coatings, adhesives, packaging and insulation. The global market for polyurethane totaled more than $75 billion in 2022. A Washington State University-led research team used an environmentally-friendly preparation of lignin as a substitute for 20% of the fossil fuel-based chemicals in the foam. The bio-based foam ...

As we burn fossil fuels, the amount of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere is gradually rising, and with it, the planet’s average temperature. How fast the level of atmospheric carbon dioxide — and with it, the temperature — goes up matters for the ability of humans and ecosystems to adjust. A slower increase gives humans time to move away from low-lying coasts and animals time to move to new habitats. It turns out the rate of that increase matters for non-living systems, too. A recent University of Washington study looked at how a major current in the Atlantic Ocean that includes the Gulf Stream will respond ...

The microbial ecosystems within our mouths may affect our cognitive function as we age, according to a study. Interventions such as prebiotics, including dietary nitrate, have potential for delaying cognitive decline. About 15% of older adults have mild cognitive impairment, which is the largest risk factor for the development of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. There is a known association between periodontitis—gum disease—and worsened cognitive function. Researchers have identified two possible links between the mouth and the mind: pathogenic ...

Adopting paywalls subtly shapes newspaper coverage, according to a study. Online journalism is increasingly found behind paywalls, as outlets pivot from funding their operations by selling ads to relying on subscriptions for revenue. This shift has raised questions about how newspapers might adjust their coverage to cater to paid subscribers' desires for popular news and soft news—entertainment, lifestyle, sports, and human-interest stories—at the expense of providing local news and maintaining democratic accountability. Paramveer S. Dhillon ...

Every time a shuttle docks with the International Space Station (ISS), a delicate dance unfolds between the shuttle's docking system and its counterpart on the station. Thanks to international standards, these mechanisms are universally compatible, ensuring astronauts and cargo can safely and seamlessly enter the station. A similar challenge arises at the microscopic level when lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) — the revolutionary drug delivery vehicles behind the COVID-19 vaccines — attempt to deliver mRNA to cells. Optimizing the design and delivery of LNPs can greatly enhance their ability to deliver mRNA successfully, ...

SEATTLE — Jan. 28, 2025 — A new study shows that oral fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a feasible and safe addition to preventing graft-versus-host disease in patients undergoing stem cell transplantation for blood cancers. The study, published Jan. 25 in Nature Communications, is part of a phase 2 clinical trial led by clinicians at Fred Hutch Cancer Center. The study builds on earlier research of the role of the gut microbiome in helping patients recover after stem cell transplantation. “The gut microbiome is an organ in itself, and it is connected to the immune system,” said lead author Armin ...

Ever wondered about the brilliant blue hues of peacock feathers or the shimmering metallic chitin on beetles? These natural wonders are examples of structural colors—a phenomenon in which microscopic structures create vibrant, lasting hues. Inspired by these marvels, a research team from Japan has been exploring structural colors. Their earlier work realized that the preparation of structural color materials from melanin particles mimics the coloration mechanism of peacock feathers. Building on this foundation, the team set out to develop a coating material that captures ...

A team of international scientists, led by researchers from the University of Otago, has introduced a groundbreaking method to improve the accuracy of prey size estimation using footage captured by animal-borne cameras. This innovative approach, published in PeerJ Life and Environment, enhances our understanding of predator-prey interactions in natural habitats by refining a critical tool for ecological research. Animal-borne cameras, such as the "PenguCams" used in this study, allow ...

Osteoporosis is a disease in which bone resorbs faster than it is formed, gradually weakening its structure over time and leading to fractures. Although the condition is well recognized, Dominique Pioletti, head of the Laboratory of Biomechanical Orthopedics in EPFL’s School of Engineering, emphasizes that the economic and societal impacts of osteoporosis fractures are often underestimated. “In the absence of effective preventive measures, around 40% of women aged 50 will suffer at least one major osteoporotic fracture; in ...

Scholars from the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the University of Vienna and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem unveil a unique papyrus from the collections held by the Israel Antiquities Authority, offering rare insights into Roman legal proceedings and life in the Roman Near East. In a new publication in the international scholarly journal Tyche, the research team reveals how the Roman imperial state dealt with financial crimes – specifically, tax fraud involving slaves – in the Roman provinces of Iudaea and Arabia. The new papyrus furnishes a strikingly direct view of Roman jurisdiction and legal practice, as well as important new information ...

Thirty years after the discovery of the first exoplanet, we detected more than 7000 of them in our Galaxy. But there are still billions more to be discovered! At the same time, exoplanetologists have begun to take an interest in their characteristics, with the aim of finding life elsewhere in the Universe. This is the background to the discovery of super-Earth HD 20794 d by an international team including the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the NCCR PlanetS. The new planet lies in an eccentric orbit, so that it oscillates in and out of its ...

Researchers at the University of Basel are able to test in parallel the effects of over 1500 active substances on cell metabolism. Their analysis also led to the discovery of previously unknown mechanisms for known medications. This approach might help scientists to better predict side effects and find additional uses for commercially available pharmaceuticals. How do active substances alter metabolic processes in cells? Answering that question would provide valuable clues for the development of new medications. ...

As humankind imagines living off-planet — on the moon, Mars and beyond — the question of how to sustain life revolves around the physical necessities of oxygen, food and water. We know there is water on the moon, but how do we find it? Is it in the craters? The shadowed regions? The poles? Knowing where to look gives astronauts the best chance at successfully living on the moon, something that has, heretofore, remained the stuff of science fiction. Researchers from the University of California ...

The rate of ocean warming has more than quadrupled over the past four decades, a new study has shown.  Ocean temperatures were rising at about 0.06 degrees Celsius per decade in the late 1980s, but are now increasing at 0.27 degrees Celsius per decade.  Published today (Tuesday, 28 January 2025) in Environmental Research Letters, the study helps explain why 2023 and early 2024 saw unprecedented ocean temperatures.  Professor Chris Merchant, lead author at the University of Reading, said: “If the oceans were a bathtub of water, then in the 1980s, the hot tap was running slowly, warming up ...

A dietary supplement used to build muscle – or prevent muscle loss as a result of ageing or illness – is to be trialled as a potential treatment for chronic liver disease. Β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate, otherwise known as HMB, is used predominantly to build muscle bulk and function but previous studies have demonstrated it can have clinical applications. In a new study, scientists and clinicians will test its potential to benefit some of the 60,000 people in the UK who have been diagnosed with cirrhosis, a condition that results from scarring to the liver. In the UK, cirrhosis is most commonly caused by harmful alcohol use or fatty liver disease. In severe cases, those ...

Researchers at Linköping University have succeeded in creating a close connection between individual cells and organic electronics. The study, published in Science Advances, lays the foundation for future treatment of neurological and other diseases with very high precision. “We could target individual cells and explore how this affected their ability to stay healthy and functional,” says Chiara Musumeci, researcher at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics, LOE, at Linköping University. The brain is controlled by electrical signals that are converted into chemical substances in the communication between the brain ...

A groundbreaking study led by researchers from the University of Virginia has used satellite measurements to show the long-term persistence of air pollution inequalities tied to industrialized swine facilities in Eastern North Carolina. Using satellite data spanning a 15-year period from 2008–2023, the study quantifies disparities in ammonia (NH₃) — an air pollutant emitted by swine operations — for Black, Hispanic and Indigenous communities. These inequalities, exacerbated by hot and calm weather ...

Aging cells secrete substances known to promote the growth of cancer cells. The development of drugs that can selectively kill these cells or inhibit the secretion of substances is ongoing. The latest findings on the interaction between cell death and cellular senescence in cancer and their pathophysiological significance have been reviewed by a team from Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School. Lecturer Kouhei Shimizu and Professor Fuminori Tokunaga of OMU and Dr. Hiroyuki Inuzuka of Harvard Medical School outlined ...