Epigenetic processes allow different cell types to emerge from a single genome. Throughout development, cells differentiate and acquire distinct characteristics by expressing the same genome in different ways. However, a less-known aspect of this process is how cells maintain their unique identities over time. A study led by the Transcriptional and Epigenetic Mechanisms of Neuronal Plasticity laboratory, headed by Angel Barco at the Institute for Neurosciences, a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Miguel Hernández University (UMH) of Elche, has determined that the protein Kdm1a plays ...

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has awarded a prestigious fellowship aimed at encouraging women to study nuclear-related subjects to a University of Texas at Arlington graduate student researching isotope hydrology. Suprina Shrestha, a master’s student in earth and environmental sciences, received a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship (MSCF) from the IAEA. She studies tracer hydrology, which is the use of natural and artificial tracers to examine hydrological processes, under the mentorship of Ricardo Sanchez-Murillo, associate professor of ...

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are taking cleaner transportation to the skies by creating and evaluating new batteries for airborne electric vehicles that take off and land vertically. These aircraft, commonly called eVTOLs, range from delivery drones to urban air taxis. They are designed to rise into the air like a helicopter and fly using wing-borne lift like an airplane. Compared with helicopters, eVTOLs generally use more rotors spinning at a lower speed, making them both safer and quieter. The ...

Announced today, a new Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) has been funded by a grant of over £9 million from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to help train the next, diverse generation of research leaders in data visualization. A collaboration between City, University of London and the University of Warwick, the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Diversity in Data Visualization (DIVERSE CDT) will train 60 PhD students, in cohorts of 12 students, beginning in October 2025. The set-up phase will begin in July 2024. The funding announcement is part of a wider UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) announcement of ...

WHAT: Studies of interactions between two lab-generated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and an essential Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) protein have uncovered targets that could be exploited in designing treatments and vaccines for this extremely common virus. The research was led by Jeffrey I. Cohen, M.D., and colleagues from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. Study findings were published in the journal Immunity. Approximately 95% of the world’s population is infected with EBV, which remains in the body permanently, typically ...

DURHAM, N.C. -- It might look like a roll of chicken wire, but this tiny cylinder of carbon atoms -- too small to see with the naked eye -- could one day be used for making electronic devices ranging from night vision goggles and motion detectors to more efficient solar cells, thanks to techniques developed by researchers at Duke University. First discovered in the early 1990s, carbon nanotubes are made from single sheets of carbon atoms rolled up like a straw. Carbon isn’t exactly a newfangled material. All life on Earth is based on carbon. ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Poor sleep habits are strongly associated with long-term chronic health conditions, according to decades of research. To better understand this relationship, a team led by researchers in Penn State’s College of Health and Human Development identified four distinct patterns that characterize how most people sleep. These patterns are also predictive of long-term health, the researchers said. Soomi Lee, associate professor of human development and family studies at Penn State, ...

This year, City of Hope doctors and scientists will also present data during AACR’s Press Program and a clinical trials plenary session: Monday, April 8, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. Research by Ajay Goel, Ph.D., M.S., City of Hope professor and chair, Department of Molecular Diagnostics and Experimental Therapeutics, and Caiming Xu, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in Goel’s lab, will be presented at an AACR press conference. The abstract is titled “An exosome-based liquid biopsy for non-invasive, early detection of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: A multicenter ...

Extracytoplasmic function sigma factors (ECFs) have been successfully used for constructing predictable artificial gene circuits bacteria like Escherichia coli, but their transferability between species within the same phylum remained unknown. Now, a recent study by a group of researchers from Germany and Australia explored the bacteria Sinorhizobium meliloti and identified ECF switches with cross-species functionality, constructed genetic circuits, and provided a toolbox for universal synthetic biology applications. In the field of synthetic biology, creating artificial gene circuits with predictable outcomes is both a challenge and a necessity. Extracytoplasmic function sigma factors ...

Background and objectives Cannabis is a commonly used recreational and therapeutic substance in our society. There are a variety of established physical, social, and mental health impacts associated with cannabis use. However, there is no overview of the impact cannabis use has on the genitourinary system. Thus, this scoping review aims to present data on the impact of cannabis on the genitourinary system.   Methods A scoping review search was undertaken on Embase, Medline, and Web of Science. There were no date restrictions ...

SAN ANTONIO — March 12, 2024 — Southwest Research Institute has developed off-road autonomous driving tools with a focus on stealth for the military and agility for space and agriculture clients. The vision-based system pairs stereo cameras with novel algorithms, eliminating the need for lidar and active sensors. “We reflected on the toughest machine vision challenges and then focused on achieving dense, robust modeling for off-road navigation,” said Abe Garza, a research engineer in SwRI’s Intelligent Systems Division. Through internal research, SwRI engineers developed a suite of tools known as the Vision for Off-road Autonomy (VORA). The passive ...

Key Takeaways   A collaborative study between bariatric and transplant teams has created a viable pathway for patients with obesity who also have end-stage renal disease to become eligible for kidney transplants through weight loss surgery.   Postoperative outcomes indicate significant improvements in BMI, hypertension, and diabetes management, enhancing patients’ overall health and transplant viability.  High drop-off rates emphasize the need for enhanced patient ...

WASHINGTON, March 12, 2024 – Sometimes, seeing clearly requires complete black. For astronomy and precision optics, coating devices in black paint can cut down on stray light, enhancing images and boosting performance. For the most advanced telescopes and optical systems, every little bit matters, so their manufacturers seek out the blackest blacks to coat them. In the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A, by AIP Publishing, researchers from the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed an ultrablack thin-film coating for aerospace-grade magnesium alloys. Their coating absorbs 99.3% of light while being ...

About The Study: The results of a nationally representative 2023 survey indicate that Δ8- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) use prevalence is appreciable among adolescents and is higher in states without marijuana legalization or existing Δ8-THC regulations. Prioritizing surveillance, policy, and public health efforts addressing adolescent Δ8-THC use may be warranted.  Authors: Adam M. Leventhal, Ph.D., of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jama.2024.0865) Editor’s Note: Please see the ...

About The Study: In this observational, target trial emulation analysis that included 148,000 individuals diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Sweden, initial dispensation of ADHD medication was significantly associated with lower all-cause and unnatural-cause mortality, whereas the association with natural-cause mortality was not significant.  Authors: Zheng Chang, Ph.D., and Lin Li, Ph.D., of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, are the corresponding authors. To ...

About The Study: In this study of 3,813 hospitals, patient outcomes for time-sensitive conditions (acute myocardial infarction, hip fracture, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, pneumonia, sepsis, and stroke) were worse during the COVID-19 pandemic than before, with different magnitudes of change at urban versus rural hospitals. Mobilizing strategies tailored to the different needs of urban and rural hospitals may help reduce the likelihood of excess deaths during future public health crises.  Authors: H. Joanna Jiang, Ph.D., of the Agency ...

About The Study: This systematic review and meta-analysis yielded substantive evidence that alcohol use disorder was associated with suicide mortality and that the association was similar across the sexes. The findings underscore the importance of identifying and treating alcohol use disorder as part of a comprehensive suicide prevention strategy.  Authors: Shannon Lange, M.P.H., Ph.D., of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, is the corresponding author.  To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.1941) Editor’s Note: Please see the article ...

Approximately 11% of 12th-grade students across the United States reported past-year use of delta-8- tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8-THC, or delta-8 for short), according to an analysis of data from the 2023 Monitoring the Future survey, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Delta-8 is a psychoactive substance that is typically derived from hemp, a variety of the Cannabis sativa plant. Delta-8 has intoxicating effects similar to delta-9-THC (delta-9), the primary THC component responsible for the “high” people may experience from using ...

A new study suggests that delta-8-THC, an intoxicating substance typically made from hemp, is being used by a substantial number of young people across the United States and could potentially pose a significant public health risk. Delta-8-THC products, which include gummies and vapes, look like marijuana products and have similar mood-altering effects. Delta-8 is often manufactured out of cannabidiol from hemp rather than marijuana, and there is no federal minimum age requirement to purchase delta-8 products. In various states, delta-8-THC is widely sold at gas stations or online, but rates of use among American youth have been unknown. Now, researchers from ...

The pandemic put a spotlight on the challenges that health systems face when deciding how to allocate scarce resources during a time of crisis. To better understand differing opinions on this issue, researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and UC Health conducted a survey of laypeople and healthcare professionals, and found that while both groups have  similar priorities for allocating medical resources, they are less aligned on how these priorities should be achieved. “We did this study in response to concerns in the pandemic that we could run out of critical resources, such as mechanical ventilators, and that health systems ...

WASHINGTON, DC – The Editorial Board of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) has selected six papers published by PNAS in 2023 to receive the Cozzarelli Prize, an award that recognizes outstanding contributions to the scientific disciplines represented by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Papers were chosen from more than 3,000 research articles that appeared in the journal last year and represent the six broadly defined classes under which the NAS is organized. Additionally, the Editorial Board has recognized ...

Washington, D.C. (March 12, 2024) — The Association for Psychological Science, the leading global organization dedicated to advancing scientific psychology for the benefit of science and society, is revamping its roster of regularly scheduled events to better foster global scientific collaboration and environmental sustainability. Starting in 2025, APS will merge its Annual Convention and the biennial International Convention of Psychological Science (ICPS). The new APS Annual Convention will rotate outside of North America ...

Watch the video announcement here. New York, NY (March 12, 2024) – The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, fulfilling its commitment to connecting medical care with public health, today established a new Department of Public Health under the visionary leadership of Rosalind J. Wright, MD, MPH, the Horace W. Goldsmith Professor in Children’s Health Research at Icahn Mount Sinai. The Department of Public Health will bridge the school’s existing excellence in environmental medicine, population health, global health, infectious disease, climate science, digital health, data science and artificial intelligence, community engagement, ...

A new study co-authored by a University of Massachusetts Amherst economist reveals the value of government vaccine recommendations to drugmakers, as well as potential benefits of advertising pharmaceuticals directly to consumers — a practice that is banned in every country apart from the United States and New Zealand. The research is the most comprehensive investigation to date of manufacturer marketing and consumer response to adult vaccine recommendations. After the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended in 2014 that people aged 65 and over receive the pneumococcal vaccine Prevnar 13, Medicare and private ...

  A team of Medical University of South Carolina researchers, led by Onder Albayram, Ph.D., reports in PNAS Nexus that they have discovered a novel protective response by which the brain naturally repairs itself after traumatic brain injury. Findings could lead to drug treatments that improve the brain’s ability to recover after concussions and prevent long-term brain disease. “Brain recovery mechanisms are very, very powerful,” said Albayram. “We don’t always have to develop new treatment approaches. We can also just give the brain a chance to heal itself properly.” Repetitive mild ...