A team of astronomers has found that Venus has never been habitable, despite decades of speculation that our closest planetary neighbour was once much more like Earth than it is today. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, studied the chemical composition of the Venusian atmosphere and inferred that its interior is too dry today for there ever to have been enough water for oceans to exist at its surface. Instead, the planet has likely been a scorching, inhospitable world for its entire history. The results, reported in the journal Nature Astronomy, have implications for understanding Earth’s uniqueness, and for the search for life on planets outside ...

The deep neural network models that power today’s most demanding machine-learning applications have grown so large and complex that they are pushing the limits of traditional electronic computing hardware. Photonic hardware, which can perform machine-learning computations with light, offers a faster and more energy-efficient alternative. However, there are some types of neural network computations that a photonic device can’t perform, requiring the use of off-chip electronics or other techniques that hamper speed and efficiency. Building on a decade of research, scientists from ...

Researchers from the Organoid group (previously Clevers group) at the Hubrecht Institute have developed a new organoid that mimics the human fetal pancreas, offering a clearer view of its early development. The researchers were able to recreate a complete structure that includes the three key cell types in the pancreas, which previous organoids couldn’t fully mimic. Notably, the team identified a new stem cell that develops into the three cell types. These findings, published in Cell ...

Researchers at EPFL and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), led by professors Grégoire Courtine and Jocelyne Bloch, have achieved a major milestone in the treatment of spinal cord injuries (SCI). By applying deep brain stimulation (DBS) to an unexpected region in the brain—the lateral hypothalamus (LH)—the team has improved the recovery of lower limb movements in two individuals with partial SCI, greatly improving their autonomy and well-being. Wolfgang Jäger, a 54-year-old from Kappel, Austria, has been in a wheelchair ...

Source: Beijing Institute of Technology Press   Lithium-ion batteries are celebrated for their high specific energy, long service life, and low self-discharge rates. However, ensuring their reliability and safety under various operating conditions is critical for their continued success in industrial applications. Digital twin technology, which creates a virtual replica of a physical entity, offers a promising solution by enabling real-time monitoring and optimization of battery performance. This technology facilitates interactive feedback, data fusion, and iterative ...

Analyzing capacity degradation characteristics and accurately predicting the knee point of capacity are crucial for the safety management of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). A recent breakthrough study presented by researchers from Shandong University introduces a knee point prediction method based on neural network. This advanced method can help us clarify the degradation mechanism and predict the knee point. The study focuses on battery life, which is the result of multiple coupling aging mechanisms affected by multiple factors. It is significantly necessary to clarify the mechanism for the capacity degradation at each stage and possess the ability to detect the knee point. It can not only ...

A cancer therapy that prompts the body’s immune defenses against viruses and bacteria to attack tumors can make patients more vulnerable to heart attack and stroke. A possible explanation for this side effect is that the treatment interferes with immune regulation in the heart’s largest blood vessels, a new study suggests. Led by researchers at NYU Langone Health and its Perlmutter Cancer Center, the new work focused on a potent class of cancer-fighting drugs called immune checkpoint inhibitors. These medications ...

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have demonstrated that large language models (LLMs), such as GPT-4, could help automate functional genomics research, which seeks to determine what genes do and how they interact. The most frequently-used approach in functional genomics, called gene set enrichment, aims to determine the function of experimentally-identified gene sets by comparing them to existing genomics databases. However, more interesting and novel biology is often beyond the scope of established databases. Using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze gene ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Alcohol’s ability to increase people’s pain threshold is one reason that drinking also leads to more aggressive behavior, a new study suggests.   Researchers found that the less pain that study participants felt after drinking an alcoholic beverage, the more pain they were willing to inflict on someone else.   “We’ve all heard the idiom ‘I feel your pain,’” said study co-author Brad Bushman, professor of communication at The Ohio State University.   “But if intoxicated people can’t feel their own pain, they might be less likely to feel ...

It’s a big year for microRNAs. The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine went to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, who discovered the first microRNA in 1993. Today, we know that humans make more than 1,000 different microRNAS. These molecules are critical for building and maintaining healthy bodies, so it’s crucial that they’re made the right way. Errors in microRNA manufacture can put us at risk for developmental disorders, cancer, or neurodegenerative disease. To learn how cells accurately generate a mind-boggling array of microRNAs, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Professor and HHMI Investigator Leemor ...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — As record-breaking droughts are becoming a new normal around the globe, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) launch the most comprehensive global publication on drought risks and solutions as an urgent wake-up call for world leaders and citizens. The landmark new World Drought Atlas depicts the systemic nature of drought risks through dozens of maps, infographics, and case studies. It illustrates how drought risks are interconnected across sectors like energy, agriculture, river transport, and international trade and how they can trigger cascading effects, fueling inequalities and ...

DURHAM, N.C. -- Since the first fiber optic cables rolled out in the 1970s, they’ve become a major part of everything from medical devices to high-speed internet and cable TV. But as it turns out, one group of marine mollusks was way ahead of us. A new study reveals that clams called heart cockles -– so-named because of their heart-shaped shells -- have unique structures in their shells that act like fiber optic cables to convey specific wavelengths of light into the bivalves’ tissues. Researchers from Duke University and Stanford University used electron and laser microscopy and computer simulations ...

**EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL MONDAY, DEC. 2, AT 5 A.M.** Biology textbooks may need a revision, say Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists, who present new evidence that an armlike structure of mammalian brain cells may be a different shape than scientists have assumed for more than a century.  Their study on mouse brain cells shows that the cells’ axons — the armlike structures that reach out and exchange information with other brain cells — are not the cylindrical tubes often pictured in books and on websites ...

CHICAGO – Researchers have linked a specific type of body fat to the abnormal proteins in the brain that are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease up to 20 years before the earliest symptoms of dementia  appear, according to a study being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The researchers emphasized that lifestyle modifications targeted at reducing this fat could influence the development of Alzheimer’s disease. “This crucial result was discovered because we investigated Alzheimer’s disease pathology as ...

CHICAGO – Durable and attractive, engineered stone countertops are a popular feature in modern American kitchens, but the workers who build them are risking their health. A growing number of these countertop workers are developing silicosis, a serious and long-term lung disease, according to a study being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). “This is a new and emerging epidemic, and we must increase awareness of this disease process so we can avoid delays in diagnosis and treatment for our patients,” ...

Embargoed for release: Monday, December 2, 4:00 AM ET Key points: In a 30-year study of American adults’ diets, those who consumed the highest ratio of plant-based protein to animal-based protein had a 19% lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and a 27% lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) compared to those who consumed the lowest ratio.  According to the researchers, the findings suggest that a 1:2 ratio of plant to animal protein is effective in preventing CVD—and that an even higher ratio (1:1.3) may be needed to protect against CHD.  While global dietary guidelines recommend higher intake of plant ...

Lung cancer screening with low-dose chest computed tomography (CT) may detect more than just lung cancer. As new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.231602 shows, these CTs can identify coronary artery calcium, a strong risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD), in patients without cardiac symptoms. “Lung cancer screening, although primarily geared towards reducing deaths from lung cancer, also has an opportunity to help tackle the second ...

Consumers are likely to continue making poor fashion choices unless eco-friendly choices become more accessible, according to a leading psychologist. Carolyn Mair says brands must do more to promote sustainable clothing by making it more accessible to all, and by doing more to educate the public about mindful consumption. Meaningful reforms to the current model of fashion production, in which garments are made from raw materials then discarded, have lagged, says Dr Mair who is also a fashion business consultant. Making sustainable choices In Dr Mair’s new book The Psychology of Fashion, she says eco-labels on garments are an important influence ...

About The Article: This narrative review from the International Antiviral Society–USA provides updated 2024 recommendations for HIV treatment and clinical management and HIV prevention. New approaches for treating and preventing HIV offer additional tools to help end the HIV epidemic, but achieving this goal depends on addressing disparities and inequities in access to care.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Rajesh T. Gandhi, MD email RGANDHI@mgh.harvard.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jama.2024.24543) Editor’s ...

Mill Valley, CA – December 1, 2024 – SynGAP Research Fund 501(c)(3), the leading patient advocacy group working to improve the lives of SYNGAP1-Related Disorders (SRD) patients, announces the appointment of Virginie McNamar as President and Chief Operating Officer, effective December 1, 2024. “Virginie was a respected leader in the global SYNGAP1 community before SRF was founded.  Her support and guidance in the early years was critical. Almost six years later, the SRF organization has grown to the point where a full time leader ...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – A major new scientific report charts an urgent course correction for how the world grows food and uses land in order to avoid irretrievably compromising Earth’s capacity to support human and environmental wellbeing.    Produced under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Johan Rockström at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in collaboration with the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the report is launched as nearly 200 UNCCD member states kick off their COP 16 summit ...

A seminal cradle-to-grave analysis of hospital-based radiology services by the Department of Radiology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Royal Philips found the energy consumption from imaging equipment accounted for more than 50% of the department’s greenhouse gas emissions and shed light on areas to focus future evidence-based strategies to decarbonize.   The life cycle assessment (LCA) results, which have been peer-reviewed and published in Radiology, found diagnostic services generate the equivalent of nearly 1,100 gas-powered cars annually, or an estimated 4.6kt carbon dioxide equivalent.   Researchers ...

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have used measurements of skin conductance over time to tell emotions apart. Volunteers were shown videos depicting fearful scenes, family bonding, and humor, while their skin conductance trace was recorded. The team’s analysis showed that traces could be used to make good guesses of which emotions were being felt. Advances like this help break down an over-reliance on facial data, bringing emotionally aware technologies closer to home.   A new frontier is being pioneered in consumer electronics: one day, digital devices might be able to offer services depending on your emotional ...

Images/videos of capuchin monkeys ANN ARBOR—The immune performance of wild capuchin monkeys declines when the animals experience higher temperatures, and younger monkeys seem to be particularly vulnerable to heat, according to a University of Michigan study. U-M anthropology doctoral student Jordan Lucore examined how the immune systems of wild monkeys in Costa Rica were impacted by temperature. Lucore and a team of researchers found that when monkeys experienced about two weeks of warmer temperatures—86 degrees Fahrenheit—their generalized immune system performance declined. This is the part of the immune system that ...

Embargoed for release: Friday, November 29, 2:00 PM ET Key points: Exposure to PM2.5 was associated with higher levels of inflammation among pregnant women, potentially leading to adverse birth outcomes. Study examined PM2.5 and maternal and fetal health on a single-cell level, using an innovative technology to detect how pollution modified the DNA within individual cells. Findings provide new understanding of the biological pathways through which air pollution affects pregnancy and birth outcomes, ...