As people age or become ill, their immune systems can become exhausted and less capable of fighting off viruses such as the flu or COVID-19. In a new mouse study funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and published in Science Advances, researchers from the USC Stem Cell lab of Rong Lu describe how specific gene activity could potentially enhance immune cell production. “Hematopoietic stem cells, or HSCs, produce blood and immune cells, but not all HSCs are equally productive,” said the study’s corresponding author Rong Lu, PhD, ...

They are among the most productive and biodiverse areas of the world's oceans: coastal upwelling regions along the eastern boundaries of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. There, equatorward winds cause near-surface water to move away from the coast. This brings cold, nutrient-rich water from the depths to the surface, inducing the growth of phytoplankton and providing the basis for a rich marine ecosystem in these regions. In some tropical regions, however, productivity is high even when the upwelling favourable winds are ...

JANUARY 23, 2024, NEW YORK – A Ludwig Cancer Research study has found that the circadian clock—which synchronizes physiological and cellular activities with the day-night cycle and is generally thought to be tumor suppressive—in fact has a contextually variable role in cancer. “A lot of evidence suggests that the biological clock is broken in cancer cells, so we expected its disruption would fuel tumor growth in mouse models of melanoma,” said Chi Van Dang, scientific director of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, who led the study with Research Associate Xue Zhang. “But, contrary to our expectations, ...

An assistant professor and consumer economics specialist with University of Tennessee Extension has been recognized by the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education (AFCPE) as the organization’s Educator of the Year for 2023. Christopher Sneed was among ten individuals, organizations, special projects and initiatives expanding access to personal finance resources and education across the country recognized as part of the 2023 AFCPE Awards late last year. The AFCPE’s Mary Ellen Edmondson Educator of the Year Award honors ...

Boston, MA – A new review of available evidence led by researchers at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute suggests that female reproductive characteristics may be overlooked as risk factors that contribute to later metabolic dysfunction. The review, “Reproductive risk factors across the female lifecourse and later metabolic health,” was published in the January 26 edition of Cell Metabolism. Metabolic health is characterized by optimal blood glucose, lipids, blood pressure, and body fat. Alterations in these characteristics may lead to the development of type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease. “Our ...

In the retinas of human eyes, the cones are photoreceptor cells responsible for color vision, daylight vision, and the perception of small details. As vision scientists from the Division of Experimental Retinal Therapies at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Gustavo D. Aguirre and William A. Beltran have been working for decades to identify the basis of inherited retinal diseases. They previously showed they could recover missing cone function by reintroducing a copy of the normal gene in photoreceptor cells. Both ...

WINSTON-SALEM, NC, January 26, 2024 – The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) is the recipient of an inaugural U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Engines Program award. The NSF Engines: Piedmont Triad Regenerative Medicine Engine is a regional project that provides an innovation ecosystem to stimulate workforce development, job creation, and economic growth through the development of technologies that benefit the emerging industry. The Piedmont Triad Regenerative Medicine Engine team is led by WFIRM, and includes Forsyth Technical Community College (FTCC), North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T), the RegenMed Development ...

Lithium-ion batteries stand out as one of the most prevalent rechargeable battery technologies in the present era. Within these batteries, lithium-cobalt oxides (LiCoO2) are widely used as the materials for positive electrodes or cathodes (the conductors through which electric current either enters or exits a substance). The cathode plays a pivotal role in lithium-ion batteries and influences their capacity, performance over many charge-discharge cycles, and ability to manage heat.   One major issue leading to the deterioration of these batteries is the creation of hydrogen through the splitting of water. Therefore, gaining insights into how hydrogen builds ...

Compared to robots, human bodies are flexible, capable of fine movements, and can convert energy efficiently into movement. Drawing inspiration from human gait, researchers from Japan crafted a two-legged biohybrid robot by combining muscle tissues and artificial materials. Publishing on January 26 in the journal Matter, this method allows the robot to walk and pivot. “Research on biohybrid robots, which are a fusion of biology and mechanics, is recently attracting attention as a new field of robotics featuring biological function,” says corresponding author Shoji Takeuchi of the University of Tokyo, Japan. “Using muscle ...

Researchers in the RIKEN Center for Brain Science (CBS) examined the genetics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by analyzing mutations in the genomes of individuals and their families. They discovered that a special kind of genetic mutation works differently from typical mutations in how it contributes to the condition. In essence, because of the three-dimensional structure of the genome, mutations are able to affect neighboring genes that are linked to ASD, thus explaining why ASD can occur even without direct mutations to ASD-related genes. This study appeared in the scientific journal Cell Genomics on January 26. ASD is a group of conditions characterized in part ...

Cellular agriculture – the production of meat from cells grown in bioreactors rather than harvested from farm animals – is taking leaps in technology that are making it a more viable option for the food industry. One such leap has now been made at the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture (TUCCA), led by David Kaplan, Stern Family Professor of Engineering, in which researchers have created bovine (beef) muscle cells that produce their own growth factors, a step that can significantly cut costs of production. Growth factors, whether ...

Tisch Cancer Institute researchers discovered that a certain type of chemotherapy improves the immune system’s ability to fight off bladder cancer, particularly when combined with immunotherapy, according to a study published in Cell Reports Medicine in January. These findings may explain why the approach, cisplatin chemotherapy, can lead to cure in a small subset of patients with metastatic, or advanced, bladder cancer. Researchers also believe that their findings could explain why clinical trials combining another type of chemotherapy, carboplatin-based chemo, with immunotherapy have not been ...

Following federal approval for over the counter emergency contraception in 2006, emergency departments across the U.S. saw dramatic decreases in related visits and medical charges, a new study suggests. Emergency room visits related to emergency contraception fell by 96 %, from 17,019 to 659, while total related hospital expenses decreased by $7.2 million – from $7.6 million to $385,946 – between 2006 and 2020. The most notable decrease was between 2006-2007 for people primarily seen for emergency contraception. The Michigan Medicine led findings appear in JAMA Network ...

About The Study: The results of this study of approximately 18 million health care industry employees suggest a substantial and persistent increase in health care workforce turnover after the pandemic, which may have long-lasting implications for workers’ willingness to remain in health care jobs. Policymakers and health care organizations may need to act to prevent further losses of experienced staff.  Authors: Karen Shen, Ph.D., of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, is the corresponding ...

About The Study: In this study of 824 N95s used by 412 emergency department health care workers practicing N95 reuse, fit failure occurred in 38.7% of masks after one shift. Trifold N95s had higher incidence of fit failure compared with dome N95s. These results may inform pandemic preparedness, specifically policies related to N95 selection and reuse practices. Authors: Ralph C. Wang, M.D., M.A.S., of the University of California, San Francisco, 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.2023.53631) Editor’s ...

About The Study: In this study of patients enrolled in Medicare in 2022, those at the highest risk for severe COVID-19 infection received COVID-19 therapy less often than those with the least risk. Disparities in therapy access were found by patient age, race and ethnicity, Medicaid eligibility, and nursing home residence.  Authors: Michael L. Barnett, M.D., of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, 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/jamahealthforum.2023.5044) Editor’s ...

In a groundbreaking study published in Nature, South Korean researchers led by Director KOH Gou Young of the Center for Vascular Research within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) have uncovered a distinctive network of lymphatic vessels at the back of the nose that plays a critical role in draining cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the brain. The study, sheds light on a previously unknown route for CSF outflow, potentially unlocking new avenues for understanding and treating neurodegenerative conditions. In our brains, ...

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and ischemic stroke are major public health concerns and leading causes of death and disability worldwide. A research team led by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) neuroscientists recently discovered that low-dose ionizing radiation (LDIR), such as X-ray irradiation, can reduce lesion size and reverse motor deficits in TBI and ischemic stroke mice, demonstrating that LDIR may be a promising therapeutic strategy for TBI and stroke patients.  Nearly half of TBI and stroke survivors experience lifelong motor impairment and disability. “Usually, secondary brain damage worsens over time after primary ...

Patients with muscle-invasive urothelial cancer and a high risk of recurrence after surgery may have a new treatment option. The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology today announced positive results from the phase III AMBASSADOR (A031501) trial for the adjuvant treatment of patients with localized muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma (MIUC) and locally advanced urothelial carcinoma. Late-breaking data from the trial are being presented during an oral abstract session at the 2024 American Society of Clinical ...

Waltham — January 25, 2024 — A newly developed neural network is highly accurate in identifying key landmarks important in breast surgery – opening the potential for objective assessment of breast symmetry, suggests a study in the February issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.  "Neural networks and machine learning have the potential to improve evaluation of breast symmetry in reconstructive ...

This study is led by Prof. Yuliang Cao and Prof. Yongjin Fang (College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University). The experiments were performed by using ammonia etching on highly crystalline Na2NiFe(CN)6 (denoted as NaNiHCF) to activate the sodium storage sites and accelerate the Na+ transport. Fe(CN)6 vacancies and the water molecules in the lattice, which are concomitant during the synthesis, however, lead to poor electrochemical performance. Hence, optimizing the crystal structures of PBAs to boost their electrochemical performance is currently a hot spot in the research ...

This study is led by Prof. Xianqun Fan (Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Ninth People’s Hospital). Gene editing ushers in a new era of disease treatment since many genetic diseases are caused by base-pair mutations in genomic DNA. With the rapid development of genome editing technology, novel editing tools such as base editing and prime editing have attracted public attention, heralding a great leap forward in this field. Prime editing (PE) was proposed by David Liu’s team in 2019, which is characterized ...

In the realm of clean energy, metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have emerged as a groundbreaking focus, capturing significant attention for their extraordinary advancements. In just over a decade, their certified power conversion efficiency (PCE) has skyrocketed to 26.1%, approaching the upper limits seen in traditional crystalline silicon cells. What sets PSCs apart is their potential to surpass the 30% PCE threshold [1]. The key to optimizing solar devices lies in the deposition of high-quality perovskite films. Achieving minimal defect density and exceptional homogeneity becomes crucial for enhancing device performance. One commonly employed strategy involves introducing ...

This study, led by Prof. Jiuhui Qu, Dr. Qinghua Ji, and Dr. Wei Zhang from Tsinghua University, focuses on addressing water scarcity by exploring atmospheric water harvesting. The water in the air originates from both natural and forced evaporation, with condensation being the final and crucial step in water harvesting. Condensation involves nucleation, growth, and shedding of water droplets, which are then collected. However, uncontrollable growth of condensed droplets leading to surface flooding is a pressing challenge due to insufficient driving forces, posing a threat to sustainable condensation. To expedite this process and achieve orderly ...

To improve the care coordination competency of nurses involved in the management of critically ill patients on life support, an electronic app—NCCCS—was developed by Associate Professor　Chie Takiguchi of Toho University and Professor Tomoko Inoue of International University of Health and Welfare. The NCCCS app utilizes the scoring system referred to as the Nurses' Care Coordinate Competency Scale (NCCCS), developed by Dr. Takiguchi et al. in 2017, and it is currently being translated into Chinese, Italian, Polish, and Persian. This app offers immediate feedback to nurses caring for critically ill patients on life ...