Young scientists face career hurdles in interdisciplinary research
2024-07-29
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Scientists agree that solving some of society’s greatest challenges in biomedicine such as food sustainability, aging and disease treatment will need researchers from a variety of scientific fields working together.
But a new study finds that the young scientists who most embrace interdisciplinary research face “career impediments” not seen in their peers who focus their work only within their own disciplines.
The results are troublesome and pose a “grave challenge” to efforts to increase interdisciplinary ...
New progress in research into malignant catarrhal fever in cattle
2024-07-29
A research team led by University of Liège scientists has published a groundbreaking study on malignant catarrhal fever (MCF). This disease is caused by the alcelaphine gammaherpesvirus 1 (AlHV-1), which infects its natural host, the wildebeest. This study sheds light on the mechanisms by which this virus, which is asymptomatic and latent in the wildebeest, causes an oligoclonal expansion of CD8+ T lymphocytes in cattle, leading to the development of MCF.
In 2013, the research team had already demonstrated (1) that malignant catarrhal fever (MCF), which is fatal in cattle, only develops if the AlHV-1 virus can maintain a ...
Words like ‘this’ and ‘that’ act as attention tools across languages
2024-07-29
All languages have words like ‘this’ and ‘that’ to distinguish between referents that are ‘near’ and ‘far’. Languages like English or Hebrew have two of these ‘demonstratives’. Languages like Spanish or Japanese use a three-word system. For instance, in Spanish, ‘este’ signals something close to the speaker, ‘ese’ signals something far from the speaker but close to the listener, and ‘aquel’ signals something far from both.
“The reason why we were interested in demonstratives is because of their ...
Local food production saves costs and carbon
2024-07-29
Local foods are critical to the food security and health of Indigenous peoples around the world, but local "informal" economies are often invisible in official economic statistics. Consequently, these economies may be overlooked in the policies designed to combat climate change. For instance, Indigenous communities in the North American Arctic are characterized by mixed economies featuring hunting, fishing, gathering and trapping activities, alongside the formal wage economy. The region is also undergoing a rapid transformation due to social, economic and climatic changes. In Canada, the introduction ...
Bold moves needed for California agriculture to adapt to climate change
2024-07-29
California should take urgent and bold measures to adapt its $59 billion agriculture sector to climate change as the amount of water available for crops declines, according to a collaborative report by University of California faculty from four campuses.
Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the report provides a roadmap for more water capture, storage, and distribution systems that are in harmony with climate projections and ecosystems. It further considers how runoff and groundwater can be used repeatedly ...
To get drivers to put down their phones, make it a game
2024-07-29
If you’re trying to keep drivers from picking up their phones, make it a game, according to a new Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) study led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. When drivers could earn points for making reductions in handheld phone use and had the chance to compete in a weekly leaderboard of others like them, researchers saw as much as a 28 percent reduction in handheld phone use while driving, a habit that stuck once the intervention—and the games—ended.
“Distracted driving ...
Study identifies protein that affects health of gut microbiota and response to bacterial infection
2024-07-29
A study reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) shows how the presence of a specific protein called IL-22BP affects the composition of the gut microbiota and the body’s response to bacterial infection.
“We discovered that mice that don’t produce this protein are more protected against intestinal infections by bacteria like Clostridioides difficile and Citrobacter rodentium,” Marco Aurélio Ramirez Vinolo, a co-author of the article, told. He is a professor at the State University of Campinas’s Institute of Biology (IB-UNICAMP) in Brazil and head of its Immunoinflammation Laboratory.
IL-22BP ...
Fetal brain impacted when mom fights severe flu: New mouse study explains how
2024-07-29
URBANA, Ill. -- A bad case of the flu during pregnancy can increase the risk for fetal neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. But it’s not the virus itself doing the damage; it’s the mother’s immune response.
New University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign research using live mouse-adapted influenza virus improves upon previous mouse experiments to explain the process on a cellular and molecular level. It also indicates fetal brain changes are more likely once the severity of the mother’s infection meets a specific threshold.
“Our data provide really compelling evidence for an infection severity ...
A camera trap for the invisible
2024-07-29
DURHAM, N.C. -- It sounds fantastical, but it’s a reality for the scientists who work at the world’s largest particle collider:
In an underground tunnel some 350 feet beneath the France–Switzerland border, a huge device called the Large Hadron Collider sends beams of protons smashing into each other at nearly the speed of light, creating tiny eruptions that mimic the conditions that existed immediately after the Big Bang.
Scientists like Duke physicist Ashutosh Kotwal think the subatomic debris of these collisions could contain hints ...
Neurodivergent children are twice as likely to experience chronic disabling fatigue in adolescence
2024-07-29
The research, led by Dr Lisa Quadt, Research Fellow in Psychiatry at BSMS and Dr Jessica Eccles, Reader in Brain-Body Medicine at BSMS, highlights a significant link between neurodivergence and chronic fatigue. The study found that increased inflammation in childhood, often resulting from heightened stress levels, may be a contributing factor. This supports previous findings that suggest chronic fatigue can be rooted in inflammatory processes.
“These results show the importance of trans-diagnostic screening for children and the need for better support for neurodivergent children” says Dr Quadt. “Children with neurodivergent ...
Engineers use data to manage grid transformers, boosting reliability to homes, farms
2024-07-29
AMES, Iowa – Pay attention the next time you drive near your home, farm or business. You’ll notice small, green utility boxes all over the place. They’re distribution transformers. If they’re not working properly, electricity won’t flow to your lights and appliances.
Those boxes take kilovolts of electricity (that’s high voltage, measured in 1,000s of volts) from transmission lines and step it down to the safer, practical 120 or 240 volts that power our daily lives.
“Utilities have plenty of them,” said Zhaoyu Wang, an Iowa State University professor of electrical and computer engineering. “Most of them only ...
PSU awarded $1.9M NOAA grant to address microplastic pollution in coastal communities
2024-07-29
Portland State University (PSU) has been awarded $1,976,806 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Sea Grant Marine Debris Challenge Award Program to lead an innovative and collaborative three-year project to address microplastic pollution on the Oregon coast.
This grant is part of a $27 million project between the U.S. Department of Commerce and NOAA. Portland State will host one of 11 projects that received a total of $25 million in funding across Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas and Wisconsin. These projects ...
Association for Molecular Pathology announces 2024 award recipients
2024-07-29
ROCKVILLE, Md. – July 29, 2024 – The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), the premier global molecular diagnostic professional society, today announced the recipients of this year’s Excellence in Molecular Diagnostics, Jeffrey A. Kant Leadership, and Meritorious Service Awards. These prestigious accolades will be presented to the winners this November during AMP’s 2024 Annual Meeting & Expo in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Award for Excellence in Molecular Diagnostics
Atul Butte, MD, PhD
Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg Distinguished ...
Mutations in DNA damage repair genes associated with response to cisplatin in bladder cancer: Prospective validation from SWOG S1314 trial
2024-07-29
An analysis of pre-treatment tumor specimens from 105 patients with localized muscle-invasive bladder cancer found that the presence of a mutation in any one of three genes, all known to be involved in DNA damage repair, was associated with complete pathologic response to cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy as measured by pathological downstaging at the time of bladder surgery. Results are published in the journal European Urology.
“The SWOG S8710 randomized trial provided Level 1 evidence supporting ...
Timber plantations near urbanized areas support the movement of small and medium-sized terrestrial mammals between patches of natural forest
2024-07-29
In the fight to mitigate climate change and deforestation in the tropics, timber plantations have emerged as a promising strategy for reforesting degraded land and connecting patches of natural forest. Often, these are species with commercial value for landowners but are not native to the region. To evaluate how well non-native tree plantations support native wildlife in heavily human-impacted areas, researchers from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (MPI-AB), Wageningen University & Research, and the University of California – Davis surveyed over 200 hectares of timber plantations ...
Wang receives funding for Experiential Learning Program
2024-07-29
Wang Receives Funding For Experiential Learning Program
Zhengdao Wang, Professor, Cybersecurity Engineering, College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), received $14,000 from Old Dominion Research Foundation for: “CCI—2024 Experiential Learning Program/Water System Infrastructure - Innovative Experiential Learning.”
Wang intends to enhance awareness and understanding of cybersecurity risks associated with public water systems by developing an educational simulation game, "CyberShield H2O."
He will provide ...
Everyday activities aren’t enough to protect against stroke
2024-07-29
Research conducted at the University of Gothenburg shows that the physical activities we do as we go about our lives, at work or in the home, aren’t enough to protect us from having a stroke. However, exercising in our free time and using active modes of transport are associated with a decreased risk of stroke.
“Physical activity during leisure time and as transportation is becoming increasingly important now that many jobs and domestic activities are becoming more sedentary,” says lead ...
Deciphering the role of mitochondrial DNA targeted therapy in hepatic cell carcinoma
2024-07-29
Hepatic cell carcinoma (HCC), the fifth most prevalent malignancy worldwide and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality, poses significant therapeutic challenges. Despite advancements in medical research, late-stage HCC patients have a dismal five-year survival rate of less than 20%. The complexity of liver cancer development involves an intricate interplay of genetic and environmental factors. Among these, mitochondrial alterations and mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are increasingly recognized as critical contributors to cancer pathogenesis. These changes not only impair cellular bioenergetics ...
Projected changes in statin and antihypertensive therapy eligibility with the AHA PREVENT cardiovascular risk equations
2024-07-29
About The Study: By assigning lower atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk predictions, application of the Predicting Risk of cardiovascular disease EVENTs (PREVENT) equations to existing treatment thresholds could reduce eligibility for statin and antihypertensive therapy among 15.8 million U.S. adults.
Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Arjun K. Manrai, Ph.D., email Arjun_Manrai@hms.harvard.edu.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/
(doi:10.1001/jama.2024.12537)
Editor’s ...
Losing a loved one may speed up aging, study finds
2024-07-29
Losing someone close, like a family member, can make you age faster, says a new study from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Butler Columbia Aging Center. The study found that people who lost a parent, partner, sibling, or child, showed signs of older biological age compared to those who hadn’t experienced such losses. The research was published in JAMA Network Open.
Biological aging is the gradual decline in how well your cells, tissues, and organs function, leading to a higher risk of chronic diseases. Scientists measure this type of aging using DNA markers known as epigenetic clocks.
“Few studies ...
Maternal obesity and risk of sudden unexpected infant death
2024-07-29
About The Study: The findings of this study suggest that infants born to mothers with obesity are at increased risk of sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), with a dose-dependent association between increasing maternal body mass index and SUID risk. Maternal obesity should be added to the list of known risk factors for SUID. With maternal obesity rates increasing, research should identify potential causal mechanisms for this association.
Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Darren Tanner, Ph.D., email darren.tanner@microsoft.com.
To access the ...
Fecal microbiota transplantation for treatment of Parkinson disease
2024-07-29
About The Study: Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was safe but did not offer clinically meaningful improvements. Further studies—for example, through modified FMT approaches or bowel cleansing—are warranted regarding the specific impact of donor microbiota composition and dysbiosis conversion on motor and nonmotor outcomes as well as medication needs in Parkinson disease.
Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Filip Scheperjans, M.D., Ph.D., email filip.scheperjans@hus.fi.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/
(doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2024.2305)
Editor’s ...
Advancing health disparities science through social epigenomics research
2024-07-29
About The Article: The studies highlighted in this special issue of JAMA Network Open demonstrate important scientific progress in the complex integration of social determinants of health and health disparities with biological pathways and health outcomes to improve understanding of the mechanisms underlying health disparities among various underserved populations. Continued progress remains important in integrating different disciplines to transform the field of health disparities research.
Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Arielle S. Gillman, Ph.D., M.P.H., email arielle.gillman@nih.gov.
To ...
Advanced ‘Parkinson's in a dish’ model accelerates brain disease research
2024-07-29
Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, have developed a model that rapidly converts stem cells to brain cells with protein structures characteristic of Parkinson’s disease (PD), enabling the study of the condition’s unique and highly variable disease pathology in a petri dish. The study details how the model can one day be used to develop personalized diagnostic and treatment methods for Parkinson’s disease. Results are published in Neuron.
“We sought to assess how quickly we could ...
What will the new cardiovascular risk calculator mean for patients?
2024-07-29
A recently unveiled cardiovascular disease risk calculator that measures a patient’s risk for heart attack and stroke is better calibrated and more precise than its previous version, but if current treatment guidelines for cholesterol and blood pressure therapy remain unchanged, the new calculator may have unintended consequences, according to research from Harvard Medical School.
The analysis, published July 29 in JAMA, estimates that the new risk calculator would render nearly 16 million people newly ineligible under current treatment thresholds that guide clinical decisions about who should get cholesterol ...
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