Members of the vertebrate group including anglerfishes are unique in possessing a characteristic known as sexual parasitism, in which males temporarily attach or permanently fuse with females to mate. Now, researchers reporting in the journal Current Biology on May 23 show that sexual parasitism arose during a time of major global warming and rapid transition for anglerfishes from the ocean floor to the deep, open sea. The findings have implications for understanding evolution and the effects that global warming may have in the deep sea, according to the researchers. “Our results show how the ...

Neanderthal children (who lived between 400,000 and 40,000 years ago) and modern human children living during the Upper Palaeolithic era (between 50,000 and 12,000 years ago) may have faced similar levels of childhood stress but at different developmental stages, according to a study published in Scientific Reports. The authors suggest that these findings could reflect differences in childcare and other behavioural strategies between the two species. Laura Limmer, Sireen El Zaatari and colleagues analysed the dental enamel of 423 Neanderthal teeth (from 74 Homo neanderthalensis individuals) and 444 Upper Palaeolithic humans (from 102 Homo sapiens ...

The Colorado River makes life possible in many Western cities and supports agriculture that sustains people throughout the country. Most of the river’s water begins as snowmelt from the mountainous watersheds of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, and a warming climate will drastically reduce these streamflows, new research finds. Researchers from Desert Research Institute (DRI), USGS, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory teamed up for the new study, published May 23 in Nature Water. By applying warming to historical conditions for the East River in Colorado and using computer simulations to observe the impact on streamflow and groundwater ...

About The Study: The findings of this cohort study suggest that prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemical mixtures may be associated with adverse metabolic health in children. Given the pervasive nature of endocrine-disrupting chemicals and the increase in metabolic syndrome, these findings hold substantial public health implications.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Martine Vrijheid, Ph.D., email martine.vrijheid@isglobal.org. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media ...

About The Study: In this cluster randomized trial, within the context of the late COVID-19 pandemic period and limited school and general practitioner participation, at-school human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination significantly increased vaccination coverage. The trial did not show a significant effect for training general practitioners and education and motivation, although it may be observed after more time has elapsed after the intervention.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Morgane Michel, Ph.D., email morgane.michel@aphp.fr. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.11938) Editor’s ...

The term ‘metabolic syndrome’ (MetS) encompasses a group of factors, such as abdominal obesity, hypertension and insulin resistance, that together increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. A new study suggests that prenatal exposure to a combination of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is associated with a poorer metabolic health in childhood, which in turn may contribute to an increased risk of metabolic syndrome in adulthood. The research, led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation, has been published in JAMA Network Open. EDCs ...

New Haven, Conn. – As the planet’s most expansive ecosystem, the deep sea can be a tough place to find a mate. Though, scientists say, some deep-sea anglerfishes evolved a unique method of reproduction that ensures that once they land a partner in the vast open waters, they remain latched for life. These anglerfishes, called ceratioids, reproduce through sexual parasitism, in which the tiny males attach to their much larger female counterparts to mate. In some species, the males bite the females ...

In a study published in Cell Host & Microbe, a research team led by Prof. PAN Wen from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with research teams led by Prof. ZHU Shu and Prof. SONG Xinyang, demonstrated the causal link between microbial factors and dysfunction of intestinal stem cells (ISCs) in colitis. On the basis of this mechanism, they proposed a possible approach to restore ISC function in colitis.  Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disease characterized by the microbial ...

While thousands of planets have been discovered around other stars, relatively little is known about them. A NASA catalog featuring 126 exotic, newly discovered worlds includes detailed measurements that allow for comparisons with our own solar system. The catalog details a fascinating mix of planet types beyond our solar system, from rare worlds with extreme environments to ones that could possibly support life.  The planets were analyzed by a large, international team of scientists using NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) in collaboration with the W.M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea, Hawai’i. They are described in today’s edition of The Astrophysical ...

Oak Brook, IL – Volume 29, Issue 2 of SLAS Discovery features two review articles, six original research articles covering phenotypic screening perspectives, medulloblastoma therapies and interventions for neurodegenerative diseases. Reviews Perspectives on phenotypic screening−Screen Design and Assay Technology Special Interest Group The SLAS Screen Design and Assay Special Interest Group articulate the group’s discussion held at the SLAS2023 International Conference. Collectively, the group members’ perspectives highlight various challenges, progress and proposed solutions to ...

Oak Brook, IL – Volume 29, Issue 2 of SLAS Technology, includes three original research articles covering skin cutaneous melanoma, glycan-bead coupling and acoustic ejection mass spectrometry, and eight articles from the Advances in Synthetic Biology Special Issue. Original Research Validating core therapeutic targets for osteoporosis treatment based on integrating network pharmacology and informatics This study recognizes metabolism-related lncRNAs associated with osteoporosis (OP) and constructed a prediction model for OP progression using these lncRNAs. The authors identify central therapeutic targets including CBFB, GLO1, NFKB2 ...

One-sided relationships with YouTubers are more emotionally fulfilling than talking to casual friends, a new study suggests. The University of Essex research discovered people feel watching online stars like Zoella, KSI and PewDiePie can cheer them up more than weak-tie acquaintances – like neighbours or co-workers. Dr Veronica Lamarche, from the Department of Psychology, also found people feel liked, respected and understood by fictional characters. The study suggests watching online celebrities offer positive reinforcement - despite them not being able to respond. Dr ...

East Hanover, NJ – May 22, 2024 – A team of experts in multiple sclerosis (MS) research recommends a structured approach to the study of mechanisms of exercise training for improving outcomes for multiple sclerosis (MS). In a review article, “Focusing on neural mechanisms of exercise training benefits in multiple sclerosis,” (doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2024.105633) published in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders on April 16, 2024, they emphasize the value of adopting an experimental medicine framework to optimize ...

WASHINGTON — Researchers have combined various x-ray imaging technologies to create multi-contrast images that can be used to detect threatening materials such as explosives in thousands of complicated scenarios. The new approach, which also leverages readily available machine learning procedures for materials classification, could be useful for security screening as well as applications in the life and physical sciences. “This method is particularly well suited to discriminating objects with very ...

About The Study: In this cohort study of living kidney donors and nondonors with the same follow-up schedule, the risks of hypertension and albuminuria were not significantly different. After the initial drop in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) from nephrectomy, donors had a slower mean rate of eGFR decline than nondonors but were more likely to have an eGFR between 30 and 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 at least once in follow-up.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Amit X. Garg, M.D., Ph.D., email amit.garg@lhsc.on.ca. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website ...

About The Study: Compared with receiving a kidney from a deceased donor who did not undergo dialysis, receiving a kidney from a deceased donor who underwent dialysis prior to kidney donation was associated with a significantly higher incidence of delayed graft function, but no significant difference in graft failure or death at follow-up.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Chirag R. Parikh, M.D., Ph.D., email chirag.parikh@jhmi.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jama.2024.8469) Editor’s Note: Please see ...

Potentially habitable 'exo-Venus' with Earth-like temperature discovered Royal Astronomical Society press release RAS PR 24/12 Embargoed until 15:00 BST on Thursday 23 May 2024   Astronomers have made the rare and tantalising discovery of an Earth-like exoplanet 40 light-years away that may be just a little warmer than our own world. The potentially-habitable planet, named Gliese 12 b, orbits its host star every 12.8 days, is comparable in size to Venus - so slightly smaller than ...

The discovery of a planet similar to Venus around a star in the neighborhood of the Solar System raises hopes that astronomers may someday unlock the secret to why life appeared on Earth. The study of life in the Universe is difficult because we have only one example of a planet where life has been confirmed: Earth. It is difficult to say which characteristics of Earth are required for life to appear, and which are irrelevant. Until we find an “Earth twin” where the conditions for life also appeared, the best astronomers ...

Lupus is a lifelong, often painful and occasionally lethal autoimmune disease. Few treatments exist today beyond powerful steroids to knock down a patient's immune system — a therapy that has its own serious risks. The good news is that new and promising treatments are in clinical trials. But the term lupus belies the fact that the disease has a variety of causes, which means that treatments will have to be highly personalized to guarantee that each patient is given the drug that targets the specific genetic mutation ...

Both literally and figuratively, light pervades the world. It banishes darkness, conveys telecommunications signals between continents and makes visible the invisible, from faraway galaxies to the smallest bacterium. Light can also help heat the plasma within ring-shaped devices known as tokamaks as scientists worldwide strive to harness the fusion process to generate green electricity. Now, scientists have made discoveries about light particles known as photons that could aid the quest for fusion ...

When we think about drones, we tend to think about Amazon. But their potential is much greater, and arguably far more important, than dropping off a box of laundry pods by lunchtime (an idea that’s struggled to take off since Jeff Bezos floated it more than a decade ago).  Aerial robots could be a huge asset, saving time, money, and workers’ well-being, in industries like construction where humans often have to heft materials up multiple floors, says David Saldaña, an assistant professor of computer science and engineering. They could also deliver ...

Dr. Ifana Mahbub, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at The University of Texas at Dallas, has been awarded the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Director’s Fellowship to continue her research to develop wireless technology to recharge unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in flight. DARPA awards the fellowships to its Young Faculty Award recipients who demonstrate exceptional performance. Mahbub received a Young Faculty Award, which provided $500,000 over ...

Background and Aims Oncology patients undergoing cancer treatment and experiencing episodes of fever are known to be at increased risk for invasive bacterial infection, including bloodstream infection. This study aimed to identify the incidence of bacteremia along with the bloodstream isolates for immunocompromised oncology patients referred to the emergency department (ED) due to fever.   Methods Oncology patients with fever were referred to the ED according to a protocol previously reported. Virtually ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Economic difficulty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic led to a cascade of connected problems for some parents – resulting in mental health problems for their children, a new study suggests.   Researchers found that economic insecurity was linked to higher levels of depressive symptoms for parents, which was then associated with poorer relationship quality for the couples.  That was linked with more harsh parenting and then to increased internalizing behaviors for their children.   “Pandemic-induced ...

Summer is coming and that means more boats in the sea. Danish coastal waters are especially cluttered with small boats in the summertime. Locals water skiing, going fishing or just riding around the beautiful bays and fjords. In general people relax and have a good time on the water, but that is unfortunately not the case for the harbor porpoise. The more motor boats speeding noisily around, the more they are disturbed. And that can be a big problem for the animals.  Because the harbor porpoise is a relatively large animal that feeds on small fish it needs to spend a lot of time hunting. New research shows that it spends around 60 percent of its time on the hunt, but ...