COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Embedded counseling services are becoming increasingly common in veterinary medical programs, but their effectiveness has not historically been measured. A new study by University of Missouri researchers revealed that these programs may not only enhance access to mental health care but also lead to significant reductions in psychological distress among veterinary trainees. “It’s the first study, as far as we know, to evaluate the effectiveness of mental health counseling for veterinary trainees,” said Kerry Karaffa, PhD, a licensed psychologist at the ...

Collagen, the body’s most abundant protein, has long been viewed as a predictable structural component of tissues. However, a new study led by Rice University’s Jeffrey Hartgerink and Tracy Yu, in collaboration with Mark Kreutzberger and Edward Egelman at the University of Virginia (UVA), challenges that notion, revealing an unexpected confirmation in collagen structure that could reshape biomedical research.   The researchers used advanced cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to determine the atomic structure of a packed collagen assembly that deviates from the traditionally accepted right-handed superhelical twist. ...

About The Study: In this cohort study, over the time period including the COVID-19 pandemic, primary care practices reported a decline in access to care, while average practice capabilities improved. Integrated practice ownership and accountable care organization participation were both associated with better access and capability scores, suggesting that value-based payment and integrated care delivery support the development of higher-quality primary care. Variations across practices point to large opportunities for improvement overall and underscore the importance of incentives and structures as levers to improve primary care delivery. Corresponding Author: To contact the ...

About The Study: In this study of older individuals, decline in body mass index, waist circumference, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) occurred up to a decade before dementia diagnosis. These findings provide insights into cardiometabolic changes preceding dementia and the potential for early monitoring and intervention. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Zimu Wu, PhD, email zimu.wu1@monash.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.58591) Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, ...

Background and objectives Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory arthritis characterized by chronic joint inflammation, cartilage degradation, and bone erosion. ELK3 is a transcriptional repressor that can affect cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and other cellular processes. The study aimed to clarify the effect of ELK3 in the biological activity and ferroptosis phenotype of RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS), and to reveal its molecular mechanism in regulating ferroptosis in RA FLS. Methods We investigated the impact of ELK3 on the biological activity and ferroptosis phenotype of RA FLS using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, ...

Professor Woo Young Jang (Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Korea University Anam Hospital) recently won the best paper award at the 2024 fall academic conference of the Korean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society held in November 22th, 2024. This award recognizes the outstanding results and academic value of the research led by Professor Jang.   Professor Woo Young Jang, in collaboration with Professor Jun Seok Lee from the Department of Pharmacology and Dr. Jang Sun Hwang from the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Korea University College of Medicine, conducted the research ‘Disaggregation-Activated ...

Los Angeles, CA –  February 7, 2025 - The Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Engineering (TIBI) is pleased to announce their selection of Dr. Liangfang Zhang - Irwin Jacobs Chancellor’s Endowed Chair Professor at the University of California San Diego, and Dr. Aydogan Ozcan – Chancellor’s Professor, UCLA & Professor, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), as the recipients of the inaugural  Keith Terasaki Mid-Career Innovation Award. These awards will be presented at the 3rd Annual Terasaki Innovation Summit, to be held March ...

Background and Aims End-stage liver disease is associated with disruptions in gut microbiota composition and function, which may facilitate gut-to-liver bacterial translocation, impacting liver graft integrity and clinical outcomes following liver transplantation. This study aimed to assess the impact of two liver graft preservation methods on fecal microbiota and changes in fecal and breath organic acids following liver transplantation. Methods This single-center, non-randomized prospective pilot study enrolled liver transplant patients whose grafts were preserved using either static cold storage or ex situ normothermic machine perfusion (NMP). Fresh stool ...

DALLAS, Feb. 7, 2025 — The American Heart Association’s 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistical Update  reports that while progress has been made in reducing cardiovascular and cerebral health disparities, Black communities in the United States still  face disproportionately higher risk of heart disease, stroke and hypertension. These gaps subsequently contribute to equally disproportionate high death rates, underscoring the urgent need for lifesaving intervention. As part of its nationwide Heart Month and Black History Month activations, the ...

Living in a disadvantaged community may decrease the length of time a person can survive with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, by over 30%, a Michigan Medicine-led study suggests. ALS is a progressive, incurable condition that causes muscle wasting and loss of muscle control. While most people survive with ALS around two to four years, some people can live significantly longer. In the study of more than 1,000 patients with ALS seen between 2012 and mid-2024, people from the most disadvantaged neighborhoods had up to a 37% ...

In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers from Nagoya University in Japan and the Slovak Academy of Sciences have unveiled new insights into the interplay between quantum theory and thermodynamics. The team demonstrated that while quantum theory does not inherently forbid violations of the second law of thermodynamics, quantum processes may be implemented without actually breaching the law. This discovery, published in npj Quantum Information, highlights a harmonious coexistence between the two fields, ...

Plants droop and shed their leaves when parched, but with a splash of water, their stems regain strength and their leaves unfurl. This dramatic transformation is a clear signal for us to reach for the watering can – and it demonstrates a delicate balance at the cellular level, which lies at the heart of plant’s rigidity.   The structural support of a plant depends on the unique balance between two elements: The strong, flexible cell wall provides structural support, while the vacuole, a large cellular compartment filled with water, acts like a water balloon, pressing against the cell wall. The delicate pressure balance between the inside and the ...

CHAPEL Hill, N.C.—People with metastatic cancer who regularly report their symptoms via a home-based electronic monitoring system experienced improved quality of life, clinical outcomes and well-being, as well as fewer emergency department visits than those who didn’t file reports. Both groups had similar overall survival rates, according to University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers and their colleagues. The results from the national multicenter study appeared in Nature Medicine on Feb. 7. “Doctors and nurses are often ...

New CABI-led research using publicly-shared DNA barcodes and citizen science images have provided new evidence on the establishment and spread of a biological control agent used for the control of the major invasive shrub Lantana camara. Lantana camara was introduced as a garden and ornamental plant throughout the tropics and subtropics but is now pervasive throughout the Old World, invading woodlands, forestry, orchards, grasslands, and disturbed areas, where is displaces useful and indigenous plants. Dr Matthew Cock, CABI Emeritus Fellow, and colleagues took DNA barcodes from the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD) and citizen ...

Women who have experienced pregnancy complications have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Now, a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the European Heart Journal shows that sisters of women with complicated pregnancies are also at higher risk, even if they had uncomplicated pregnancies. The findings suggest that genes and shared environmental factors may influence the association between pregnancy complications and cardiovascular disease risk. It is well known that complications during pregnancy, such as high blood pressure and premature labour, increase the risk of cardiovascular disease later in life. However, it is unknown whether ...

Pancreatic cancer patients may benefit from future precision treatments as a new study shows how some tumours may potentially be more susceptible to macrophage-based therapies.   The study which is published in Nature Communications was led by Associate Professor Shivan Sivakumar from the University of Birmingham and Associate Professor Rachael Bashford-Rogers at the University of Oxford and provides the most detailed immune map for pancreatic cancer. The findings suggest that some tumour cells ...

Housing rents usually correlate with factors such as the building’s age, facilities, and location. Yet not all rentals with similar physical factors charge the same rent. Psychological factors such as the subjective perceptions of the neighborhood matter as well. Considering these perception variables, an Osaka Metropolitan University team has developed a method with almost 75% accuracy in explaining housing prices in Osaka City. The team led by Graduate School of Human Life and Ecology student Xiaorui Wang and Professor Daisuke Matsushita used existing Osaka City property datasets and incorporated additional information on the physical factors (sky, vegetation, and buildings) of ...

About 40% of households in the United States report firearm access and the majority of firearm owners report typically storing at least one of their firearms unsecured. The most common reason individuals provide for when asked why they store firearms unsecured is defense, with many reporting that firearms are unrelated to suicide risk despite robust data to the contrary. A new study by the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center clarified the extent to which U.S. adults exhibit skewed perceptions of risk and safety by collecting a nationally representative sample of 8,009 adults in May and asking participants about the extent to which they believe ...

Air pollution is a growing health issue worldwide, and its impacts are often underestimated in aging societies like Japan. A new study led by researchers from the University of Tokyo highlights how fine particulate pollution, or PM2.5, not only worsens health outcomes, but also creates significant socioeconomic challenges in regions with aging populations and limited medical resources. The researchers hope these findings motivate policymakers to tackle the interrelated issues behind this problem. PM2.5 refers to microscopic particles of pollution small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, leading to severe respiratory and cardiovascular ...

Ibogaine — a psychoactive plant derivative — has attracted attention for its anti-addictive and anti-depressant properties. But ibogaine is a finite resource, extracted from plants native to Africa like the iboga shrub (Tabernanthe iboga) and the small-fruited voacanga tree (Voacanga africana). Further, its use can lead to irregular heartbeats, introducing safety risks and an overall need to better understand how its molecular structure leads to its biological effects.  In a study appearing in Nature Chemistry, researchers at the University ...

Modifying the physical characteristics of microscopic biomaterials to interact seamlessly with the body’s tissues could unlock safer and more effective cancer treatments, according to Virginia Tech researchers at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC. In an online review slated for the Feb. 10 issue of the Journal of Controlled Release, a research team led by DaeYong Lee, an assistant professor with the institute’s Cancer Research Center in Roanoke, highlighted how slight changes in therapeutic ...

Research Highlights: Neither a placebo procedure nor two different doses of transcranial brain stimulation, which send electrical signals through the skull, improved mobility recovery in stroke survivors receiving movement therapy. Motor function was similar among survivors who received electrical brain stimulation combined with movement therapy or a placebo combined with movement therapy. Note: The study featured in this news release is a research abstract. Abstracts presented at the American Heart Association’s ...

Killer whales are the only natural predator of baleen whales — those that have “baleen” in their mouths to sieve their plankton diet from the water. More solitary than toothed whales, baleen whales face predatory attacks from killer whales, especially mother and calf pairs. When attacked, some species fight back, while others choose flight. But whale species also produce loud underwater songs. What stops killer whales from homing in on their calls and attacking them? New research from the University of Washington finds some baleen whale species call at such deep frequencies that they’re completely undetectable ...

For many patients, getting ready to have surgery means getting their blood drawn, their heart rhythm checked, or having other tests in the weeks leading up to their operation. But not all patients need all those tests -- especially if the results won’t change how their surgical team treats them or how well they do afterward.   Now, a new study shows how hospitals can focus the use of such tests on the patients who truly need them, while safely reducing unnecessary testing in others. The result: less wasted money and resources for each test, and less wasted time for patients and clinical staff. The study, published in JAMA ...

University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute researchers with the Calgary Stroke Program at Foothills Medical Centre revolutionized treatment for stroke with the ESCAPE Trial, proving that a clot retrieval procedure known as endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) can dramatically improve patient outcomes after an acute ischemic stroke caused by a blockage in a large-sized blood vessel. Building on that knowledge, the team launched the ESCAPE-MeVO clinical trial to assess whether ischemic stroke patients with blockages in smaller medium-sized vessels could also benefit from EVT. Ischemic strokes are the most common form of stroke. The study, published ...