LA JOLLA (November 20, 2024)—More than 3 billion years ago, on an Earth entirely covered with water, photosynthesis first evolved in little ancient bacteria. In the following many millions of years, those bacteria evolved into plants, optimizing themselves along the way for various environmental changes. This evolution was punctuated around 30 million years ago with the emergence of a newer, better way to photosynthesize. While plants like rice continued using an old form of photosynthesis known as C3, others like corn and sorghum developed a newer and more efficient version called C4. There are now more than 8,000 different C4 plant ...

By creating the first spatial atlas of the developing human thymus, a vital organ that trains immune cells to protect against infections and cancer, scientists have discovered that the foundation for lifelong immunity is established earlier than previously thought. Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and their collaborators at Ghent University, Belgium, the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and others, uncovered key differences in the development of immune cells. This understanding could help scientists ...

University of Birmingham Press Release STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL: 16.00pm Wednesday 20th November UK time/11.00am Wednesday 20th November EST. R sounds are rough, and L sounds are smooth, according to cross-cultural study People around the world associate a trilled R sound with a rough texture and a jagged shape, and an L sound with smooth texture and a flat shape, according to the findings of a new study. Researchers believe this association may be more universal than the famous bouba/kiki effect. New research from the University of Birmingham (UK), ...

HOUSTON ― A new study from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center finds that, in healthy women, some breast cells that otherwise appear normal may contain chromosome abnormalities typically associated with invasive breast cancer. The findings question conventional thinking on the genetic origins of breast cancer, which could influence early cancer detection methods. The study, published today in Nature, discovered that at least 3% of normal cells from breast tissue in ...

Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC), BC Cancer, Harvard Medical School and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) have pinpointed what could be the early genetic origins of breast cancer—cancer-like mutations appearing in the cells of healthy women. In a new study, the international collaborators analyzed the genomes of more than 48,000 individual breast cells from women without cancer, using novel techniques for decoding the genes of single cells. While the vast majority of cells appeared normal, nearly all of the women harboured a small number of breast cells—about 3 per cent—that carried ...

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Nov. 20, 2024 – According to a new study from researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, being born preterm is associated with an increased risk of death from birth until the third and fourth decades of life. The study appears online today in JAMA Network Open. About 10% of all births worldwide are classified as preterm, which occurs when a baby is born before 37 weeks gestation. Globally, preterm birth is the leading cause of infant mortality and the second leading cause of death for children under the age of 5. “Understanding the long-term effects of preterm birth ...

Genome Research publishes a Special Issue on Long-read DNA and RNA Sequencing Applications in Biology and Medicine November 20, 2024 – Genome Research (https://genome.org) publishes a special issue highlighting advances in long-read sequencing applications in biology and medicine. In this first of two Special Issues guest-edited by Dr. Ana Conesa, Dr. Alexander Hoischen, and Dr. Fritz Sedlazeck, Genome Research publishes a diverse collection of research and review articles highlighting novel applications and developments in long-read sequencing (LRS). Papers in this issue focus on original research offering novel biological and clinical ...

INDIANAPOLIS – A new study by researchers from Regenstrief Institute, Indiana University and Purdue University presents their low cost, scalable methodology for the early identification of individuals at risk of developing dementia. While the condition remains incurable, there are a number of common risk factors that, if targeted and addressed, can potentially reduce the odds of developing dementia or slow the pace of cognitive decline. “Detection of dementia risk is important for appropriate care management and planning,” said study senior author Malaz Boustani, M.D., MPH., of Regenstrief ...

Children’s Hospital Colorado (Children’s Colorado) has been named a Cardiomyopathy Center of Care by the Children’s Cardiomyopathy Foundation (CCF), a national nonprofit committed to improving health outcomes and quality of life for children with cardiomyopathy. Children’s Colorado – the only hospital in Colorado and our 7-state region to make the list – received this recognition for consistently providing high-quality cardiac care and specialized disease management for children with all forms of cardiomyopathy. “We are honored to receive this recognition ...

KEY TAKEAWAYS Researchers from Mass Eye and Ear conducted a clinical trial of sodium oxybate, an oral medication used to treat narcolepsy, for the treatment of laryngeal dystonia, an often-debilitating neurological condition that impacts speech. Trial was borne out of patient reports of symptom improvements after consuming alcohol.  A single dose of sodium oxybate significantly improved symptoms for alcohol-responsive patients, with effects lasting up to 5 hours.  The trial involved participants from across the U.S., U.K., and Canada and brings hope to the laryngeal dystonia community, who currently lack effective oral ...

Highlights: Cigarette smoke exposure is associated with many different respiratory diseases. A new study shows that cigarette smoke alters the microbial community in the gut and the oropharynx. The study shows that the cigarette-smoke induced changes to the microbiota resulted in increased severity of disease in mice infected with influenza A virus. Washington, D.C.—New research has shown that cigarette smoke can induce disordered oropharyngeal microbiota that aggravates the severity of influenza A ...

Embargoed until Wednesday, Nov. 20 @ 9AM ET   New York, NY - November 20, 2024 - A groundbreaking study published today in Gastroenterology provides the most comprehensive assessment to date of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) prevalence in the United States. Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the research, led by investigators from the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the University of Pennsylvania, estimates that more than 100,000 American youth under the age of 20 live with IBD. The study illustrates ...

Four closely related civets, a small nocturnal animal found in Africa and Asia, have made the same geographical area in the rainforests of Borneo home. Typically, closely related animal species have difficulty coexisting because they are competing for the same or similar resources. Despite eating the same figs, binturong, small-toothed palm, masked palm, and common palm civets do coexist together. To understand how they coexist, researchers used a compound-specific nitrogen isotope analysis to understand the degree of faunivory (eating animals). The results ...

Mental illness significantly increases the risk of arrest during police encounters, with 25% of those with mental health conditions reporting arrest histories. Studies reveal frequent use of excessive force and 25% of fatal police encounters involve individuals with mental illness. Traditional police training offers limited opportunities for officers to practice handling complex civilian interactions, especially with individuals experiencing mental health crises. This lack of hands-on experience leaves officers ill-prepared to navigate these situations with the necessary empathy and de-escalation ...

Recycled pacemakers can function as well as new devices, a University of Michigan-led study suggests.  These used and reconditioned devices have the potential to increase access to pacemaker therapy in low- and middle-income countries, where many patients cannot afford the treatment. Researchers from the U-M Health Frankel Cardiovascular Center reported the findings as a late-breaking abstract at the 2024 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. The international clinical trial involved nearly 300 people across seven ...

Fiber is something that most of us get far too little of. To change that, we need to actually enjoy eating it. Food researchers from the University of Copenhagen have now invented a "disguise" that solves the problem of the dry and gritty mouth feel of fibers. Think of how it would be to drink a juice with wheat bran in it – you may imagine an unpleasant gritty sensation which would make you less prone to enjoy it. Unfortunately, this feeling is often associated with insoluble dietary fibers. ...

Antibacterial drugs are important for treating infections. But increasingly, bacterial resistance to current drugs — so they don’t work well, or even at all — means new ones are urgently needed. Building on previous work, researchers in ACS Infectious Diseases have demonstrated a potential antibacterial treatment from a modified darobactin, a compound originally from a bacterium. The team reports proof-of-concept animal trials on infections caused by bacteria, including E. coli, that are known to develop drug resistance. This study was published during the World Health Organization’s World Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness ...

Residential garden produce grown near the Fayetteville Works fluorochemical plant can expose those who consume it to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), according to a new study conducted by researchers from North Carolina State University, East Carolina University and the Colorado School of Mines. “It is often assumed that contaminated drinking water is the main pathway through which we are exposed to PFAS,” says Detlef Knappe, professor of civil, construction, and environmental engineering at NC State and a lead investigator of the study. “An important goal of our study was to determine whether people ...

Carnegie Mellon University Africa announced today that it will expand its digital public infrastructure initiative across the continent. Called the Upanzi Network, this Africa-based collaboration of engineering research labs will work toward a secure and resilient digital transformation by focusing on innovation across the entire pipeline of open standard technologies for the public good. The initiative was launched in 2021 with the creation of a research laboratory at CMU-Africa in Kigali, Rwanda. Since its launch, the laboratory has made progress in capacity building, knowledge transfer, and digital public infrastructure governance and deployment. It performs research in ...

With most donated clothes exported or thrown away, experts are calling for a shakeup of how we deal with the growing fashion waste issue. A first of its kind study, published in Nature Cities, analysed what happens to clothes and other textiles after consumers no longer want them in Amsterdam, Austin, Berlin, Geneva, Luxembourg, Manchester, Melbourne, Oslo and Toronto. Across most western cities from Melbourne to Manchester it found the same pattern of textile waste being exported, going to landfill or being dumped in the environment. Global textiles waste each year weighs 92 million tonnes and this could double by 2030. Charity shops handle a large amount of used clothes, but the study ...

The human skin is home to a wide variety of bacteria. The composition of the community of bacteria—called the “skin microbiota”—has serious implications for skin health. A healthy balance between different species of bacteria on the skin often translates to healthy skin. The loss of this balanced skin microbiota can lead to diseases such as atopic dermatitis, acne, and psoriasis. Since the skin microbiota can vary based on various factors such as age, sex, climate, and an individual’s ...

As populations age, the prevalence of sarcopenia—a progressive loss of muscle mass and function—has become an increasingly urgent public health concern. Sarcopenia increases the risk of falls and frailty, reduces the quality of life for older adults, and heightens the likelihood of requiring long-term care. Preventing sarcopenia is, therefore, crucial for alleviating this healthcare burden.   A pioneering study conducted by researchers from Juntendo University in Japan sheds light ...

An enzyme called EZH2 has an unexpected role in driving aggressive tumor growth in treatment-resistant prostate cancers, according to a new study by scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine. The results could potentially lead to new therapies for patients with limited options and add to the significant progress the teams have made in understanding how advanced prostate cancer develops resistance to treatments that target androgen receptors. Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death in men, claiming over 30,000 lives annually in the United States. While most prostate cancers initially respond ...

CHICAGO – Nov. 20, 2024 – Northwestern Medicine, West Health, and the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute have announced a new collaboration that will make accessing care to evidence-based mental health services faster and easier for primary care patients across Northwestern Medicine. This $8.6 million multi-year initiative from West Health will establish the Northwestern Medicine West Health Accelerator, which will provide access to comprehensive psychiatric services for primary care practices throughout Northwestern Medicine, expanding access to mental health ...

This research introduces a novel method for inferring DNA methylation patterns in non-skeletal tissues from ancient specimens, providing new insights into human evolution. As DNA methylation is a key marker of gene expression, this work allows scientists to explore changes in gene activity in the brain and other tissues that are typically absent from the fossil record. The team applied their method to the brain, offering a deeper understanding of the evolutionary processes that shaped human brain and neural functions. The findings ...