Miami (March 6, 2025) – Mental health disorders in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are underdiagnosed and undertreated, leading to worsened symptoms and decreased quality of life, according to a new study. The study is published in the January 2025 issue of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal. COPD is an inflammatory lung disease, comprising several conditions, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and ...

We commonly consider spiritual practices sources of peace and inspiration. A recent study led by researchers of the University of Vienna shows that they can also be experienced differently: Many persons feel bored during these practices – and this can have far-reaching consequences. The results recently published in the academic journal Communications Psychology open up an entirely new field of research and provide fascinating insights into a phenomenon that has received only scant attention so far. Even though boredom is a heavily researched subject at the moment, spiritual boredom has so far been largely neglected in research. Psychologists at the University of ...

The intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) do not attain a stable secondary or tertiary structure and rapidly change their conformation, making structure prediction particularly challenging. These proteins although exhibit chaotic and ‘disordered’ structures, they still perform essential functions. The IDPs comprise approximately 30% of the human proteome and play important functional roles in transcription, translation, and signalling. Many mutations linked to neurological diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), are located in intrinsically disordered protein regions (IDRs). Powerful machine-learning algorithms, including ...

A new study by researchers including those at the University of Tokyo revealed that atmospheric gravity waves play a crucial role in driving latitudinal air currents on Mars, particularly at high altitudes. The findings, based on long-term atmospheric data, offer a fresh perspective on the behaviors of Mars' middle atmosphere, highlighting fundamental differences from Earth’s. The study applied methods developed to explore Earth’s atmosphere to quantitatively estimate the influence of gravity waves on Mars’ planetary circulation. Despite it being a very cold planet, Mars is quite a hot topic these days. With human visitation seemingly ...

A team of scientists from University College Cork (UCC) , the University of Connecticut, and the Natural History Museum of Vienna have uncovered how plants responded to catastrophic climate changes 250 million years ago. Their findings, published in GSA Bulletin, reveal the long, drawn-out process of ecosystem recovery following one of the most extreme periods of warming in Earth’s history: the ‘End-Permian Event’. With more than 80% of ocean species wiped out, the end-Permian event was the worst mass extinction of all time. But the impacts of this event for life on land have been elusive. By examining fossil plants and ...

ANN ARBOR, Mich. –  A new clinical trial will allow researchers to study 3D-printed bioresorbable devices aimed at treating children with rare and life-threatening airway condition tracheobronchomalacia. The trial, launched by Michigan Medicine and Materialise, marks a crucial step towards full Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the innovative devices designed to support the airways of infants with the severest forms of the disease. Tracheobronchomalacia causes the airway to collapse, making breathing difficult and, in severe cases, can be fatal. Currently, infants with this ...

Background and objectives Sepsis involves a complex cascade of inflammatory reactions and immune system dysregulation. Neutrophils play a crucial role in modulating the anti-inflammatory response, which is vital for managing sepsis. Impaired chemotaxis of granulocytes can significantly impact the outcome of sepsis. Shenfu Decoction, by tonifying Qi and warming Yang, enhances the propelling function of Qi for promoting the chemotactic function of neutrophils. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Shenfu Decoction on the chemotactic function of neutrophils in septic mice and the underlying ...

Various full and partial scholarships will be available for three premier programs of ESMT: Bringing Technology to Market, the General Management Seminar, and the Executive Transition Program.  By offering financial support and access to distinguished executive education, ESMT is committed to fostering greater diversity in senior leadership. The initiative empowers professionals from various backgrounds to make a lasting impact in their industries and beyond.  The scholarships are aimed at senior leaders preparing for top executive positions, particularly transitioning from leading corporate divisions into board level as well as accomplished managers holding global responsibilities ...

PULLMAN, Wash. — When a product is hard to buy, more people want it. A new Washington State University study reveals that wineries producing “cult wines” can boost long-term profits by keeping their prices low, creating excess demand that fuels their brand’s prestige and future revenue. Economists in WSU’s School of Economic Sciences (SES) analyzed data on cult wines: rare, luxury bottles only available to consumers who secure a spot on a winery’s allocation list or purchase the product via the secondary market. The study, published in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, focused solely on Washington, ...

Researchers have discovered how antibodies help to protect against contagious bacterial infections caused by Strep A, including strep throat. And the findings are already contributing to efforts to accelerate the development of a Strep A vaccine. The research, led by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), Monash University and the University of Auckland, using the world’s only human challenge model for Strep A, has uncovered how antibodies respond to strep throat infections.   MCRI Dr ...

Carbohydrate chains, or glycans, are complex sugar-like compounds that play important roles in various biological processes and structures in our bodies. Galactosides are a type of glycan found in plants, animals, and microorganisms. For example, galactosides are present in plant cell walls and in certain types of beneficial sugars known as prebiotic oligosaccharides, which support gut health. Many glycans containing galactose are also added to processed foods like juice and powdered milk due to their potential health ...

A new study published in the journal Human-Animal Interactions has revealed that exposure to wildlife and forest walks can help ease the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in US war veterans. Researchers from UMass Chan Medical School studied 19 veterans with PTSD or PTSD symptoms and found that walking in the forest, assisting with wildlife care in a rehabilitation centre, seeing wildlife in a sanctuary, and bird watching improved psychological symptoms, especially reducing anxiety. Those that took part in the near four-month study in Massachusetts ...

[Vienna, 06.02.2025]—"In this study, we use the spatial social connections of people within the 50 largest cities in the US to test whether the built environment—in this case, urban highways— is indeed a barrier to social ties, as has long been assumed in urban studies. For the first time, we are also finding quantitatively that this is the case,” explains co-author Sándor Juhász. During his postdoctoral fellowship at the Complexity Science Hub (CSH), Juhász participated in the study.  This ...

MEDIA CONTACT: Kristin Samuelson at 847-769-6596 or ksamuelson@northwestern.edu EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 5 a.m. (ET), Thursday, March 6, 2025 Alzheimer’s treatment may lie in the brain’s own cleanup crew Brain’s immune cells cleared plaques, restored a healthier brain environment in immunized patient brains Current FDA-approved Alzheimer’s drugs remain controversial, with modest benefits, high cost First time cutting-edge technique spatial transcriptomics was used on human clinical-trial brains with Alzheimer’s disease Findings could reshape the future of Alzheimer’s ...

Climate change is rapidly reducing the ability of banana producers to supply one of our favourite fruits.  New research from the University of Exeter, published in Nature Food, has found it will be economically unsustainable by 2080 for many areas across Latin America and the Caribbean to continue growing bananas for export, because of rising temperatures caused by climate change. Bananas are a key export crop worth $11 billion (£8.9 billion) annually and are crucial for the economies of many countries. Yet in just over half a century, 60 per cent of the regions currently producing bananas will ...

Curtin University researchers have discovered the world’s oldest known meteorite impact crater, which could significantly redefine our understanding of the origins of life and how our planet was shaped.   The team from Curtin’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences investigated rock layers in the North Pole Dome — an area of the Pilbara region of Western Australia — and found evidence of a major meteorite impact 3.5 billion years ago.   Study co-lead Professor Tim Johnson, from Curtin University, said the discovery significantly ...

A voluntary pledge made by UK shooting organisations in 2020 to replace lead shot with non-toxic alternatives by 2025 has failed, analysis by Cambridge researchers finds. The pledge, made in February 2020 by the UK’s nine leading game shooting and rural organisations, aimed to benefit wildlife and the environment and ensure a market for the healthiest game meat food products.  But a Cambridge team, working with the University of the Highlands and Islands, has consistently shown that lead shot was not being phased out quickly enough to achieve ...

A study led by Dr. Rodrigo Quian Quiroga, group leader of the Neural Mechanisms of Perception and Memory Research Group at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, has allowed scientists to observe for the first time how neurons in the human brain store memories independent of context in which they are acquired. Published in Cell Reports, the study confirms that neurons can distinguish objects or people regardless of their context, enabling the formation of higher and more abstract relationships, ...

A new paper in the Journal of Breast Imaging, published by Oxford University Press, indicates that breast cancer mortality rates have stopped declining in women older than age 74, and reconfirms that breast cancer mortality rates have stopped falling in women younger than age 40. This finding for older women is new. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American women, with over 42,000 women dying of the disease in 2024. Before 1990, female breast cancer rates had been rising, and breast cancer mortality rates had been flat or increasing. Since 1990 there has been a steady decline ...

Plastics, which are polymeric materials composed of long chains of small molecules called monomers, are widely used in everyday life and industry due to their lightweight, good strength and flexibility. However, with approximately 52 million tons of plastic waste generated annually, plastic pollution has become a major environmental concern. To address this issue, research efforts have focused on developing sustainable polymeric materials. Unfortunately, most materials developed so far suffer from complex synthesis processes or difficulties in separating them from other polymers during waste disposal. To overcome these limitations, a research team led by Dr. Tae Ann Kim of the Convergence ...

A type of Artificial Intelligence that mimics the functioning of the human brain could represent a powerful solution in automatically detecting wildfires, plummeting the time needed to mitigate their devastating effects, a new study finds. The new technology uses an ‘Artificial Neural Networks’ model that combines satellite imaging technology with deep learning (a subset of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning). Findings, published in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Remote Sensing, report a 93% success rate when training the model via a dataset ...

Recently, a collaborative research team led by Professor WANG Hui and Professor ZHANG Xin from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, successfully developed a novel carbon-coated nickel ferrite (NFN@C) nanocatalyst with significant potential in cancer therapy.  The results have been published in Advanced Functional Materials. Cancer therapy has always struggled with targeting tumor cells effectively while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. Traditional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation often have limited precision and serious side effects. This has led to increased ...

New research by Curtin University has achieved a breakthrough in eco-friendly display technology, creating highly efficient and stable blue quantum dot LEDs (QLEDs) that could power the next generation of televisions, smartphones, VR headsets and energy-efficient lighting - without using toxic heavy metals.   Study author Associate Professor Guohua Jia from Curtin’s School of Molecular and Life Sciences said QLEDs are a futuristic display technology known for their superior brightness, colour accuracy, lifetime and energy efficiency compared to traditional LEDs. However, creating stable and efficient blue QLEDs without toxic materials ...

Using first-principles calculations, a research group led by Prof. WANG Xianlong from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, found that phosphorus doping is an effective way to achieve high-energy polymeric nitrogen with black-phosphorus structure (BP-N) stable at ambient pressure. The research results were published in Matter and Radiation at Extremes. Cubic gauche nitrogen with diamond-like structure and BP-N with black phosphorus structure, represented by polymeric all-nitrogen materials, are a class of high-energy density materials composed entirely of N-N single bonds, but their samples ...

Children exposed to their mother’s cannabis use during pregnancy and after birth are three times more likely to develop behavioural problems, new Curtin University research has found. Published in Psychiatry Research, the study analysed data from more than 222,600 Australian mothers and children, revealing maternal cannabis use disorder (CUD) during pregnancy and the postnatal period significantly increased the risk of childhood disruptive behavioural disorders. Lead researcher Abay Tadesse, from Curtin’s School of Population ...