In a recent essay, pediatrician-scientist Peter Hotez proposes a focus on local data, improved benefit-risk communications, actively countering health disinformation, and state-level action to address antivaccine sentiment in the U.S. Anti-vaccine sentiment isn’t going away any time soon. In a new opinion article published January 8 in the open-access journal PLOS Global Public Health, Prof. Peter Hotez from Baylor College of Medicine, outlines key actions to stem the momentum of anti-vaccine advocates in the U.S. over the next five years. Anti-vaccine activities in the U.S. transformed to become a politically charged movement ...

Electrical stimulation of the spinal cord is a promising strategy for reestablishing walking after spinal cord injury, recent studies show. But for patients suffering from muscle spasms, the stimulation protocols have a limited effect due to the unpredictable behaviour of involuntary muscle stiffness related to spasticity. Muscle spasticity affects almost 70% of spinal cord injured patients Now, scientists at EPFL, Università San Raffaele and Scuola Sant’Anna have found a promising way to address and reduce muscle spasticity in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury. ...

A new study published in Science Advances reveals evidence of electrical signaling and coordinated behavior in choanoflagellates, the closest living relatives of animals. This elaborate example of cell communication offers key insights into the early evolution of animal multicellularity and nervous systems. Researchers from the Burkhardt group at the Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, uncovered a remarkable diversity of behaviors within the rosette-shaped colonies of the choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta - and the small organisms held even more surprises. “We found communication among the cells of the colonies, which regulates shape and ciliary beating across the rosette,” ...

Ion-adsorption rare earth deposits (IADs) are primary sources of heavy rare earth elements (HREE), supplying over 90% of the global demand for HREE. However, the current ammonium-salt-based in-situ mining technique has led to severe environmental impacts. To facilitate sustainable REE mining, Professors ZHU Jianxi and HE Hongping’s team from the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has developed a green and efficient electrokinetic mining (EKM) technology. Their work was published in Nature Sustainability on Jan. 6, 2025. To address the challenges of sustainable and efficient REE extraction, ...

In an unprecedented new study in the journal Cell Reports, researchers have shown neurotransmitters in the human brain are released during the processing of the emotional content of language, providing new insights into how people interpret the significance of words. The work, conducted by an international team led by Virginia Tech scientists, offers deeper understanding into how language influences human choices and mental health. Spearheaded by computational neuroscientist Read Montague, a professor of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and ...

A recent study published in Health Data Science, led by Dr. Fengyu Wen from the Institute of Medical Technology at Peking University Health Science Center and Professor Luxia Zhang from the National Institute of Health Data Science at Peking University, reveals significant survival disparities among cancer patients depending on their mobility patterns for medical care.   The study analyzed data from over 20,000 cancer patients in Shandong Province, China, to assess the impact of intra-city, local center, and national center mobility patterns on survival rates. Patients who traveled to local or national healthcare centers had higher five-year survival ...

Getting a good night’s sleep is a critical part of our daily biological cycle and is associated with improved brain function, a stronger immune system, and a healthier heart. Conversely, sleep disorders like insomnia and sleep apnea can significantly impact health and quality of life. Poor sleep often precedes the onset of neurodegenerative diseases and is a predictor of early dementia. New research appearing in the journal Cell describes for the first time the tightly synchronized oscillations in the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, ...

LA JOLLA (January 8, 2025)—Human bodies defend themselves using a diverse population of immune cells that circulate from one organ to another, responding to everything from cuts to colds to cancer. But plants don’t have this luxury. Because plant cells are immobile, each individual cell is forced to manage its own immunity in addition to its many other responsibilities, like turning sunlight into energy or using that energy to grow. How these multitasking cells accomplish it all—detecting threats, communicating those threats, and ...

January 8, 2025—Marked variation in the prevalence of depression was found in a multisite sample of community-dwelling older adults in the United States reports a study by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Until now, few studies, have examined the frequency of depression in community-dwelling older adults in the U.S. The study is published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society. Of the 2,900 participants studied, 6.2 percent had depression. Older adults who had a negative history of depression or had annual household incomes of $50,000 or greater were at significantly decreased ...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Amid the many mysteries of quantum physics, subatomic particles don’t always follow the rules of the physical world. They can exist in two places at once, pass through solid barriers and even communicate across vast distances instantaneously. These behaviors may seem impossible, but in the quantum realm, scientists are exploring an array properties once thought impossible. In a new study, physicists at Brown University have now observed a novel class of quantum particles called fractional excitons, which behave in unexpected ways and could significantly ...

About The Study: The results of this economic evaluation suggest that cardiovascular polypill treatment (single pill containing a statin and 3 half-standard dose antihypertensives) could be a high value intervention for a low-income, majority Black population with limited access to health care services. It could additionally reduce health disparities. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Ciaran N. Kohli-Lynch, PhD, email ciaran.kohli-lynch@northwestern.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media ...

About The Study: In this prognostic study, with the use of a statistical modeling approach, the Florey Dementia Index was developed and validated to predict the onset age of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer dementia. This tool may be useful in organizing health care for older adults with cognitive decline or dementia and in the future may help prioritize patients for the use of disease-modifying monoclonal antibody drugs. Corresponding Authors: To contact the corresponding authors, email Yijun Pan, PhD (yijun.pan@unimelb.edu.au) ...

NEW YORK, NY (Jan. 8, 2025)--Using a new artificial intelligence method, researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons can accurately predict the activity of genes within any human cell, essentially revealing the cell’s inner mechanisms. The system, described in the current issue of Nature, could transform the way scientists work to understand everything from cancer to genetic diseases. “Predictive generalizable computational models allow to uncover biological ...

Nitrogen is an essential component in the production of amino acids and nucleic acids — both necessary for cell growth and function. Although the atmosphere is composed of nearly 80% nitrogen, this nitrogen is in the form of dinitrogen (N2), which cannot be processed by most organisms. Atmospheric nitrogen must first be converted, or “fixed,” into a form that can be used by plants, often as ammonia. There are only two ways of fixing nitrogen, one industrial and one biological. To better understand a key component of the biological process, University of California San Diego Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Akif Tezcan and Assistant Professor of Chemistry ...

A new study has unravelled the hidden mechanics of how earthquakes ignite, shedding light on the mysterious transition from quiet, creeping motion to the violent ruptures that shake the Earth. Using cutting-edge experiments and innovative models, the research reveals that slow, silent stress release is a prelude and a necessary trigger for seismic activity. By incorporating the overlooked role of fault geometry, the study challenges long-held beliefs and offers a fresh perspective on how and when earthquakes begin. These findings not only deepen our understanding of nature’s ...

BUSHLAND, Texas, Jan. 8, 2025 –A new study from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Iowa State University (ISU) reveals that generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help expedite the search for solutions to reduce enteric methane emissions caused by cows in animal agriculture, which accounts for about 33 percent of U.S. agriculture and 3 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.   "Developing solutions to address methane emissions from animal agriculture is a critical priority. Our scientists continue to use innovative and data-driven strategies to help ...

A collaborative effort between Mount Sinai and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center has shed valuable light on how monoamine neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and now histamine help regulate brain physiology and behavior through chemical bonding of these monoamines to histone proteins, the core DNA-packaging proteins of our cells. By uncovering how these histone modifications influence the brain, the team has identified a novel mechanism for controlling circadian gene expression and behavioral rhythms. ...

Researchers have unearthed two fossils, named Punk and Emo, revealing that ancient molluscs were more complex and adaptable than previously known. Molluscs are one of life’s most diverse animal groups and analysis of the rare 430 million year old fossils is challenging long-held views on their early origins. The fossils dating from the Silurian period were retrieved from Herefordshire and shed light on the molluscs’ complex evolutionary history and how they moved. The discovery challenges the longstanding ...

People who live close to airports and are exposed to high aircraft noise levels could be at greater risk of poor heart function, increasing the likelihood of heart attacks, life-threatening heart rhythms and strokes, according to a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers. The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), looked at detailed heart imaging data from 3,635 people who lived close to four major airports in England. Within this group, the research team compared the hearts of those who lived in areas with higher aircraft noise with those who lived in lower aircraft noise areas. They found that those who lived in ...

Deans of the University of Nottingham Visited Korea University's College of Medicine   Korea University's College of Medicine Dean, Sung Bom Pyun, and Deans of the University of Nottingham; successfully held a researcher meeting program for 2 days from November 11th to 12th.   Fuve representative deans visited the University of Korea: Professor Claire Stewart, the Dean and Head of the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham; Professor Nigel Mongan, Professor Alan McIntyre, Professor Srinivasan Madhusudan, and Professor Victoria James. They joined the program to conduct a tour and meeting with Korea University's researchers.   On ...

Standing dead trees in Yellowstone National Park are growing wildfire hazards, especially near park infrastructure. A new study published in Forest Ecosystems explores how these dead trees contribute to fire risk and threaten roads, buildings, and trails. Dead trees, particularly those that remain standing, are a significant fire hazard. These trees—often caused by pests, diseases, and climate change—create a large amount of dry, combustible material. As temperatures rise and droughts intensify, the risk of wildfires increases, making it essential to understand how dead trees contribute to fire danger. The team used a random forest classification model, a powerful ...

The widely used nickel-based superalloys for turbine engine materials showed a limited-service temperature of only 1200℃, and did not exceed 1500℃ even when coated with thermal barrier coatings, which is urgent to develop the advanced thermal protection system for turbine engines with higher thrust-weight ratios. Niobium alloy coated with silicide coating is undoubtedly considered the most efficient method to reach long-term service, since it can form a dense SiO2 layer with self-healing ability at high temperatures. However, the single silicide coating has a strong tendency to crack vertically ...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has selected University of California San Diego as one of three partner institutions to establish a groundbreaking pandemic preparedness initiative, the Community and Household Acute Respiratory Illness Monitoring (CHARM) Network. The new five-year cooperative agreement will help generate information on how respiratory viruses spread and provide insights into factors impacting susceptibility to respiratory illnesses. At UC San Diego, the cooperative agreement supports the $5.7 million project, “PREVENT: Preparedness through Respiratory Virus Epidemiology and Community Engagement” led by Louise Laurent, M.D., Ph.D., ...

The core message of the article is that researchers have developed an innovative technology in plasma spraying-physical vapor deposition known as alternating vapor/liquid phase deposition. By adjusting the arc current, researchers can finely control the evaporation and deposition of SiO2, and through a heat treatment process, achieve in-situ reactions that optimize the composition, structure, and nanoscale dimensions of the coating, creating an orderly arranged multi-layered teak-like biomimetic structure within it. They have conducted an in-depth analysis of the complex deposition mechanisms involved in this process. This new teak-like biomimetic structure coating is expected ...

Researchers have found a low-power, inexpensive way for large numbers of devices, such as machines in factories and equipment in labs, to share information by efficiently using signals at untapped high frequencies. The technology could immediately enable low-cost, efficient real-time monitoring in industrial settings, such as tracking the condition of manufacturing robots or detecting gas leaks in refineries, by eliminating the need for power-hungry signal transmitters. The researchers said that with some engineering improvements, the technology ...