Lactate mediates training of our innate defenses A link between metabolism and epigenetics forms the basis for trained immunity   The BCG vaccine protects against tuberculosis, but by inducing trained immunity it also protects against many more respiratory infections. International research led by the Radboudumc shows how this process works. Lactate, a product of scaled-up energy production, appears to play a leading role.   The immune system protects people in two ways. Innate immunity protects us from birth against many bacteria and viruses, while adaptive immunity ...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (May 2, 2025) – Researchers at Sutter Health, led by Cheryl Stults, Ph.D., found that an innovative ambient artificial intelligence platform showed promising results in easing the burden of clinical documentation for healthcare providers. The study, published today in JAMA Network Open, revealed significant reductions in documentation time and improved overall clinician satisfaction. It also highlights the technology’s potential to address long-standing challenges in the medical ...

Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous oceans are known for enormous and fierce predators like pliosaurids with 2-meter-long jaws, toothy thalattosuchia crocodyliforms, and fast, fish-like ichthyosaurians. Then, during the middle Cretaceous, the fossil record shows an abrupt change . Ichthyosaurs, thalattosuchians, and pliosaurids disappeared. Meanwhile, mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, and sharks diversified and expanded. What changed to cause species that had ruled the oceans for millions of years to suddenly die out and new species to ...

Embargoed until 02 May 2025 Researchers from the Institute for Environmental Sciences (IVM) at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam have unveiled DYNAMO-M, a groundbreaking global agent-based model that projects how farmers across the world’s coasts may respond to the growing threat of coastal flooding and salt intrusion due to sea level rise (SLR). The model, which will be presented at the EGU General Assembly 2025 in Vienna, offers new insights into the challenges faced by 13 million farming households globally. Using decision-making logic rooted in discounted expected ...

Laundry is a major source of microplastic pollution into the environment, and in-line washing machine filters are one potential solution for preventing fibers from entering waterways. But how likely would people be willing to pay for them?  Portland State researchers surveyed a sample of registered voters and environmental interest groups in Oregon to gauge respondents' general knowledge and concerns surrounding microplastics, as well as their willingness to pay for high-efficiency washing machine filters. ...

DALLAS, May 2, 2025 — About 6.7 million adults in the U.S. are living with heart failure, and that number is expected to increase to more than 8 million by 2030.[1] A new analysis published in Circulation: Heart Failure shows hospitals participating in the American Heart Association’s multiregional IMPLEMENT-HF™ initiative significantly improved adherence to guideline-directed medical therapy for patients hospitalized with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), the most common type of heart failure. The American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health for all, launched the three-year ...

Two studies at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) focused on advancing pain management have received President’s Choice Awards from the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA). The awards recognize innovative research with significant potential to improve patient care, highlighting HSS’s leadership in developing safer, more effective approaches to pain control. Study: Prevalence of cannabidiol use in patients undergoing sports medicine procedures on the knee, shoulder, or hip: A survey study Researchers set out to determine the ...

Washington, D.C. – May 1, 2025 – New technology shows promise for restoring blood flow and advancing care for patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) and carotid artery stenosis (CAS). The data were presented today at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2025 Scientific Sessions. Over the past 30 years, deaths from cardiovascular diseases have increased by 60%. There is a growing need for cardiovascular innovation with a focus on patient outcomes, whether that’s through advancements in technology, the use of digital therapeutics, or the research and development of revolutionary devices.  “Constant innovation ...

Washington, D.C. – May 2, 2025 – New analysis from the EARLY TAVR trial showed patients between the age of 65 and 70 years old derived the most benefits of a strategy of early intervention with transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) compared to other age groups, especially in regards to stroke risk, and in regards to the composite of death, stroke, and heart failure hospitalization. The late-breaking results were presented today at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2025 Scientific ...

Washington, D.C. – MAY 2, 2025 – New data from a large, international registry showed balloon-assisted anterior mitral leaflet modification (BATMAN) was safe, effective, and resulted in shorter procedure times among patients undergoing transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR). The data were presented today as late-breaking clinical research at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2025 Scientific Sessions. An estimated four million people in the U.S. have mitral valve regurgitation (the most common form of heart ...

Background and Aims Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) has an influential yet insufficiently investigated effect on Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), a histone deacetylase activated by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, which may impact the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-ß)/Smad3 pathway in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)-related liver fibrosis. This study aimed to elucidate the regulation of NAFLD-related liver fibrosis induced by HO-1 through the SIRT1/TGF-ß/Smad3 pathway. Methods HO-1 induction and inhibition were established in C57BL/6J mice fed a methionine- and choline-deficient (MCD) diet. Additionally, wild-type mice were fed either ...

Mitochondrial diseases affect approximately 1 in 5,000 people worldwide, causing debilitating symptoms ranging from muscle weakness to stroke-like episodes. Some of these conditions result from mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), the genetic material housed in these organelles. For patients with the common m.3243A>G mutation, which can cause MELAS syndrome (mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes) and diabetes mellitus, treatments remain limited. A fundamental challenge in mitochondrial disease research is that patients typically have a mix of both normal and mutated mtDNA within their cells. This ...

What is the secret to happiness? Does happiness come from within, or is it shaped by external influences such as our jobs, health, relationships and material circumstances? A new study published in Nature Human Behaviour shows that happiness can come from either within or from external influences, from both, or neither – and which is true differs across people. People have long contemplated the sources of happiness. In recent years, efforts such as the World Happiness Report seek to improve wellbeing across the world. “We have to understand the sources of happiness to build effective ...

Okazaki, Japan – The communication between the brain and bodily organs is fundamental to emotion regulation and overall mental health. The nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) in the brainstem is a critical hub structure mediating this interaction via the vagus nerve. Despite its importance, the NTS's deep location has historically posed challenges for observation in living animals. In a study recently published in Cell Reports Methods (April 4, 2025), the research team has developed the live NTS imaging method ...

For centuries, many cultures around the world embalmed their dead, often for religious reasons. Accordingly, embalming methods differ, but not all of them are studied equally well. In a first report of a previously undocumented embalming method, an international team of researchers has analyzed a mummy from a small Austrian village. Detailed analyses provided insights into little-known mummification techniques and allowed them to identify the body. “The unusually well-preserved mummy in the church crypt of St Thomas am Blasenstein is the corps of a local parish vicar, ...

Children and young adults with depression, schizophrenia, ADHD, asthma and epilepsy can get great relief from medications to control their symptoms, helping them stay in school or work and prepare for their futures.   But they should keep taking those medications regularly to get the best results; interruptions can cause flare-ups of these chronic health conditions.   Now, a new study suggests that such interruptions happened more often in states that had the biggest drops in Medicaid enrollment during the recent “unwinding” process.   That process, which brought to an end the special Medicaid eligibility rules made at the start ...

The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health: Monoclonal antibody nirsevimab provides strong real-world protection against severe RSV in infants, suggests meta-analysis Nirsevimab, a monoclonal antibody, is highly effective in real-world conditions at preventing severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in infants, suggests a meta-analysis published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal. RSV is a leading cause of serious respiratory illness in young children particularly in the first six months of life, responsible for millions of hospitalisations of children ...

Is your heart aging too fast? MRI technology reveals unhealthy lifestyles add decades Peer reviewed – observational study - humans Scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have developed a revolutionary new way of uncovering the ‘true age’ of your heart using MRI. Research published today shows how an MRI scan can reveal your heart’s functional age - and how unhealthy lifestyles can dramatically accelerate this figure. It is hoped that the findings could transform how heart disease is diagnosed - offering a lifeline to millions by catching problems before they become deadly. The team say their cutting-edge technique ...

Digital Planet, published by The Fletcher School at Tufts University has unveiled the Digital Evolution Index, charting the progress of 125 economies around the world have made in advancing their digital economies, developing artificial intelligence (AI), and integrating connectivity into the lives of billions. This latest edition of the index, developed in collaboration with Mastercard, illustrates global digital development, provides insights into the key factors driving change and momentum, and explores the implications for economies grappling with the aftermath of a global pandemic, ...

Rice University’s Scott Solomon, a biologist, science communicator and teaching professor in the Department of Biosciences, has been named a 2025 Piper Professor by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation, one of the most prestigious accolades awarded to educators in Texas. The award honors professors for exceptional teaching and service to students and is given annually to 10 faculty members from colleges and universities across the state. Each recipient receives a $5,000 honorarium and a place in the distinguished roster of Piper Professors, which has recognized outstanding educators since 1958. Solomon, who has taught at Rice for more than 15 years, ...

A new analysis provides evidence that reductions in access to Medicaid could increase deaths and cause financial hardship to people currently covered under an expansion of Medicaid that was implemented under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that provides health insurance to qualifying individuals who are unable to obtain it through their employer, private insurance companies, or Medicare, the public insurance program for seniors and people with disabilities. About two in five births in the United States ...

OKLAHOMA CITY – In a study published Wednesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), University of Oklahoma researchers detail their discoveries about why the brain tumor glioblastoma is so aggressive. Their findings center on ZIP4, a protein that transports zinc throughout the body and sets off a cascade of events that drive tumor growth. About half of all malignant brain tumors are glioblastomas, the deadliest form of brain cancer with a median survival rate of 14 months. “Surgery ...

Imagine trying to tell identical twins apart just by looking at their fingerprints. That’s how challenging it can be for scientists to distinguish the tiny powdery pollen grains produced by fir, spruce and pine trees. But a new artificial intelligence system developed by researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Nevada and Virginia Tech is making that task a lot easier—and potentially bringing big relief to allergy sufferers. “With more detailed data on which tree species are most allergenic and ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In the United States, syphilis cases rose by nearly 80% between 2018 and 2023, with 209,253 cases reported in the latest year of data. The infection, which can be transmitted sexually or passed from mother to infant during birth, is curable but only if diagnosed quickly. Left untreated, syphilis can progress from painless lesions to brain and cardiovascular damage. Despite the first recorded outbreak of syphilis occurring more than 500 years ago — with some researchers theorizing that it has plagued humans for thousands of years — there still isn’t a way to quickly and reliably test for active ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – After spending years tracing the origin and migration pattern of an unusual type of immune cell in mice, researchers have shown in a new study how activity of “good” microbes in the gut is linked to rheumatoid arthritis and, potentially, other autoimmune diseases. Scientists first reported in 2016 that specific gut microbes known as commensal bacteria, which cause no harm and often contribute to host health, set off production and release of a gut-originated T cell that drives up body-wide autoimmune disease in mice. Since then, the team has focused on explaining this unexpected twist in the typically harmonious ...