An Amsterdam UMC-led study has found that migrants, this case from West Africa to Europe, experience a ‘clear change’ in their microbiome composition as compared to their non-migrant peers in West Africa, which expose them to an increase of cardiovascular disease. These peer-reviewed findings are published today in the journal Gut Microbes demonstrating that participants who lost specific groups of microbes or acquired specific new groups of microbes had higher rates of cardiovascular ...

The viability of hospital-based emergency care in the U.S. is at risk, threatened by issues such as patients with increasingly complex needs and falling payments for physicians, according to a new RAND report. Many of the problems facing emergency medicine are expanding in scale, including long emergency department wait times, boarding patients in emergency department beds and a high amount of uncompensated care.  The issues are in focus as the use of hospital emergency departments return to levels seen before restrictions prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic limited use of emergency departments, according to researchers. “Urgent action is needed to sustain hospital emergency ...

Long-term exposure to high levels of air pollution may harm the brain health of older adults in England, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The research, published in The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, found that exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is linked to lower scores in key cognitive abilities, particularly language skills. NO₂ mainly enters the atmosphere through fuel combustion, originating from emissions of vehicles like cars, trucks, and buses, as well as power plants and off-road machinery. PM2.5 pollution in outdoor air often originates from the ...

UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 23.30 UK TIME ON SUNDAY 6TH APRIL 2025 New study investigates effects of ADHD medications on the heart  A new study led by the University of Southampton has found that medications for ADHD have overall small effects on blood pressure and heart rate after weeks or a few months of use. There have been concerns about the side effects of ADHD medications but the new findings, coupled with other studies, suggest that the benefits of taking these medications outweigh the risks, while highlighting the need for careful monitoring. The study, published in ...

A scientific initiative to combat harmful Prymnesium algal blooms in the Broads is gaining fresh momentum, thanks to a renewed collaboration between the University of East Anglia (UEA), the Environment Agency, the Broads Authority, and the Norfolk pike angling community. Prymnesium algal blooms can occur on the Broads and produce toxins that threaten fish stocks, local biodiversity, and East Anglia’s thriving angling industry, which contributes more than £100 million annually to the local economy. The golden algae Prymnesium parvum is therefore of significant research interest to ...

Australia’s exposure to extreme heat continues to grow while the country has emerged as a global hotspot for climate change litigation, according to the latest MJA–Lancet Countdown report. Released today, the report reveals Australia has experienced a 37 per cent increase in excess heat factor over the past 20 years. Lead author and Director of the Lancet Countdown Centre in Oceania, Professor Paul Beggs from Macquarie University, says these findings underscore the importance of long-term tracking of climate hazards and exposures in Australia. “The frequency of health-damaging heat has increased substantially since the 1970s," says Professor Beggs. The ...

EMBAROGED UNTIL SUNDAY 6TH APRIL AT 08:00 CEST  YOUNG FEMALES MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE HIGHER SOCIAL ANXIETY DUE TO EXCESSIVE SMARATPHONE USE THAN OTHER GENDERS  Sunday 6th April 08:00 CEST - A new study presented today at the European Psychiatric Association Congress 2025 reveals that gender plays a significant role in excessive and problematic (psychological or behavioural dependence)1 smartphone use, with young females more likely to experience higher social anxiety than other genders. In the study, it was also found that gender was significantly linked to the amount of time spent using smartphones ...

Whooping cough, or pertussis, was once a leading cause of death for children in the U.S. and worldwide before the introduction of vaccines in the 1940s. In the decades since, the bacterial disease was nearly eradicated in the U.S., with fatalities falling to double digits each year. But the disease has made a troubling comeback in recent years as vaccine coverage declined after the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, several outbreaks left public health officials and hospitals scrambling to accommodate a sudden influx of patients, primarily infants, who are often too young to be vaccinated and suffer the most severe symptoms. Now, new research from The University of Texas at Austin could aid ...

MADISON — Fast-charging lithium-ion batteries are ubiquitous, powering everything from cellphones and laptops to electric vehicles. They’re also notorious for overheating or catching fire. Now, with an innovative computational model, a University of Wisconsin–Madison mechanical engineer has gained new understanding of a phenomenon that causes lithium-ion batteries to fail. Developed by Weiyu Li, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at UW–Madison, the model explains lithium plating, in which fast charging triggers metallic lithium to build up on the surface of a battery’s anode, causing the battery to ...

It's no coincidence that our bodies feel a little creakier as we age. The trillions of cells that make up our skeleton age too, and some change in ways that weaken the very structure of our bones. Scientists and researchers around the globe are investigating a series of mysteries about what happens to our bones over time. In a new study, a team led by The University of Texas at Austin, in collaboration with Mayo Clinic and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center just made a major break in the case. New research found that osteocytes undergo dramatic structural and functional changes ...

University of New Mexico researchers studying the health risks posed by gadolinium, a toxic rare earth metal used in MRI scans, have found that oxalic acid, a molecule found in many foods, can generate nanoparticles of the metal in human tissues. In a new paper published in the journal Magnetic Resonance Imaging, a team led by Brent Wagner, MD, professor in the Department of Internal Medicine in the UNM School of Medicine, sought to explain the formation of the nanoparticles, which have been associated with serious health problems in the kidneys and other organs. “The worst disease caused by MRI contrast agents is nephrogenic systemic ...

A new study from the University of Maine’s Aquaculture Research Institute (ARI) and Darling Marine Center is helping to refine best practices for growing Atlantic sea scallops (Placopecten magellanicus), a species of increasing interest to Maine’s aquaculture sector. Published in the academic journal Aquaculture, the research compares two scallop farming methods, ear-hanging and lantern net culture, over a complete grow-out cycle to determine which approach yields the best results for commercial growers. The study, led by UMaine ...

A new pilot study from UBC Okanagan and Thompson Rivers University examined how medically supervised cannabis use in a residential recovery home may support people in treatment for substance use challenges.  Participants reported that cannabis helped them manage pain, anxiety, depression and sleep issues—key symptoms that can complicate recovery.  "Our findings suggest medical cannabis could play a meaningful role in reducing cravings and improving retention in recovery programs," says ...

The erosion of democracy in the U.S. has been a topic of concern in recent years, especially after protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an attempt to block the certification of Joe Biden's election as president. Most of the academic studies on democratic backsliding, however, have focused on public opinion within the U.S. and have not looked at global public opinion. How favorably others view the U.S. is part of the country's "soft power"—a term coined by Joseph Nye at Harvard University in the 1980s. It refers to a country's ability to influence other countries’ policy ...

DALLAS and MINNEAPOLIS, April 4, 2025 — The American Academy of Neurology and the American Heart Association have awarded the 2025 Ralph L. Sacco Scholarships for Brain Health to two researchers, Hortense Triniac, Ph.D., of Milwaukee and Katy Walsh, Ph.D., of Boston. Each will receive a $150,000 two-year scholarship to support continuing scientific research in brain health. This is the second year this scholarship has been awarded. The Ralph L. Sacco Scholarships in Brain Health, also known as the Sacco Scholars program, are made possible by a generous bequest to the American Academy of Neurology, the world’s largest association of neurologists ...

CORVALLIS, Ore. – A chemical reaction that’s vital to a range of commercial and industrial goods may soon be initiated more effectively and less expensively thanks to a collaboration that included Oregon State University College of Engineering researchers. The study, published in Nature, involves hydrogenation – adding the diatomic hydrogen molecule, H2, to other compounds. “Hydrogenation is a critical and diverse reaction used to create food products, fuels, commodity chemicals and pharmaceuticals,” ...

Summary: Texas Tech University’s Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering has secured a $6 million U.S. Department of Defense grant to develop advanced semiconductor materials and devices, particularly for high-power electronics and optoelectronics. The project aims to enhance the performance of wide and ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors, leading to more reliable, high-performance electronics for military applications. Why This Matters: Technology Advancement: The research will improve the development of high-performance, high-power electronic devices critical for modern technologies. Military/Defense Applications: The project targets key military systems, ...

RESEARCH SUMMARY Novel genomic screening tool enables precision reverse-engineering of genetic programming in cells Study Title: Transcription factor networks disproportionately enrich for heritability of blood cell phenotypes Publication: Science Corresponding Dana-Farber Cancer Institute authors: Alexis Caulier, MD, PhD, Vijay Sankaran, MD, PhD Summary: Collaborative research led by investigators at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center defines a ...

Quantum states can only be prepared and observed under highly controlled conditions. A research team from Innsbruck, Austria, has now succeeded in creating so-called hot Schrödinger cat states in a superconducting microwave resonator. The study, recently published in Science Advances, shows that quantum phenomena can also be observed and used in less perfect, warmer conditions. Schrödinger cat states are a fascinating phenomenon in quantum physics in which a quantum object exists simultaneously in two different states. In Erwin Schrödinger's thought experiment, it is a cat that is alive ...

Damage to the genetic material of mitochondria – the mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA for short – can lead to diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. Such damage also speeds up the ageing process. However, the cells are normally capable of identifying such damage and reacting. Scientists from University Hospital Düsseldorf and HHU have – in collaboration with the University of Cologne and the Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC) – discovered a mechanism, which protects and repairs the mitochondria. The research ...

Rivers, streams, lakes, and reservoirs aren’t just scenic parts of our landscape—they’re also vital engines for life on Earth. These inland waters ‘breathe’ oxygen, just like we do. But a new study led by Utrecht University researchers shows that we’ve been suffocating them during the last century, an era also known as the Anthropocene. The research, published today in Science Advances, reveals that the way oxygen is produced and used in inland waters has dramatically changed since 1900. ...

NEW ORLEANS April 4, 2025 – The American College of Physicians (ACP) has issued Best Practice Advice for clinicians whose patients are considering or using cannabis or cannabinoids for management of chronic, noncancer pain. Cannabis or Cannabinoids for the Management of Chronic Noncancer Pain: Best Practice Advice From the American College of Physicians, was published today in Annals of Internal Medicine.    ACP’s Best Practice Advice paper is intended to inform clinicians about the evidence regarding the benefits and harms of cannabis or cannabinoids in the management of chronic noncancer pain and to provide advice for clinicians counseling patients seeking ...

A groundbreaking study published in Science Advances has revealed promising strategies to significantly improve crop yields by addressing photorespiration, a metabolic process that can reduce productivity by up to 36% in some crops. Researchers from the University of Groningen and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, working as part of the GAIN4CROPS project (gain4crops.eu), have evaluated several alternative pathways that could help overcome this major agricultural bottleneck. Photorespiration occurs when the enzyme RuBisCO, essential for photosynthesis, reacts with oxygen instead of carbon dioxide, resulting ...

New research shows how small shifts in the molecular makeup of a virus can profoundly alter its fate. These shifts could turn a deadly pathogen into a harmless bug or supercharge a relatively benign virus, influencing its ability to infect humans and cause dangerous outbreaks. This is the latest finding in a series of studies led by Jonathan Abraham, associate professor of microbiology in the Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, and his team that aim to understand the risk of western equine encephalitis virus and related viruses. The work, which was supported ...

Key points: Short-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) from a wildfire may increase the risk of emergency department visits for mental health conditions, especially for women, youth, racial minorities, and Medicaid enrollees. The study is among the first to examine the relationship between wildfire-specific PM2.5 and mental health. According to the researchers, the findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to prevent and address increased mental health distress during wildfire seasons, especially ...