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Medicine13 Feb 2025

New journal Safety Emergency Science launches on the SciOpen platform: A leap forward for global safety and emergency research

In a significant endeavour to fortify international collaboration and drive innovation within the safety and emergency domain, Safety Emergency Science, a pioneering international academic journal, has been officially launched on the SciOpen platform. Jointly established by the China Association of Work Safety and Tsinghua University, this journal ushers in a new era in the global pursuit of excellence in safety and emergency research. The journal made its debut at the 2nd Safety Technology Innovation Conference of the China Association of Work Safety, ...

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Science13 Feb 2025

Next translucent glass-ceramics: Amorphous alumina boosts strength and toughness

Zirconia-based ceramics, particularly 3Y-TZP, have transformed dental restorations, enabling the development of durable all-ceramic crowns and fixed prostheses. However, their inherent opacity necessitates the application of a porcelain layer, which is prone to chipping and debonding. To address this, translucent glass ceramics (GCs) have been developed and commercialized, including mica-based, leucite-based, and lithium disilicate GCs. These materials offer excellent aesthetics and bondability due to their controlled crystallization process, ...

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Medicine13 Feb 2025

Postpartum depression discovery opens door to blood test, earlier treatment

New postpartum depression research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine and Weill Cornell Medicine could lead to a blood test to identify women at risk and possibly even to a preventive treatment. The research suggests that pregnant women may have characteristic levels of certain molecules in their blood that can warn that they are at risk of developing postpartum depression (PPD). These molecules, called neuroactive steroids, are derived from progesterone, a hormone that plays critical roles in pregnancy and menstruation. Measuring those molecules ...

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Science13 Feb 2025

Project Cure CRC ignites innovation in 2025 with $10.5 million in research, K-SPY debut & renewed RFP

The leading nonprofit Colorectal Cancer Alliance (Alliance) is making bold strides in its mission to put an end to the disease. Its Project Cure CRC research initiative awarded new grants, convened top scientists to spark breakthrough advancements at its Cure CRC Summit, and unveiled K-SPY, a groundbreaking multi-center platform trial for high-risk colorectal cancer cases. Since its launch, Project Cure CRC has received 275 proposals, of which 22 have been approved totaling $10.5 million in awards. The latest awards reflect $2.8 million ...

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Medicine13 Feb 2025

Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital invest $1.8 million in childhood cancer research

New York, New York, and Memphis, Tennessee, February 13, 2025 The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have announced their newest class of pediatric cancer research fellows, each of whom will receive funding for four years ($300,000 total) to support an innovative research project with the potential to significantly impact the diagnosis or treatment of one or more pediatric cancers. Launched in 2024, the Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship aims to address a funding gap that drives top talent to seek more prevalent opportunities in adult cancer research or the pharmaceutical sector. Fellows are selected by a distinguished ...

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Science13 Feb 2025

New ACS study finds menthol flavored cigarette smoking increases mortality risk vs. non-menthol cigarettes

In a large, nationwide study led by the American Cancer Society (ACS), researchers found mortality risks for smoking menthol cigarettes were higher than non-menthol cigarettes for death from any cause and cardiovascular diseases, especially heart diseases. Higher risks were evident in individuals who had quit smoking and at high smoking intensities. Black participants currently smoking menthol brands had high increases for some heart diseases with an 88% elevated mortality risk compared to non-menthol cigarettes. ...

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Science13 Feb 2025

Discussing barriers, concerns key for getting older adults vaccinated

A clear endorsement from their healthcare provider and being supplied information about recommended vaccines before their clinic visit spurred more older Americans to get vaccinated, a new University of Virginia School of Medicine study found. Because immune systems age like the rest of the body, older adults are at higher risk for poor outcomes from infections. But only 15% of Americans ages 50 and older and 25% of Americans ages 65 and older are up to date on all recommended vaccines, including flu, RSV, tetanus and pneumococcal disease. In the study, six primary care clinics across America piloted a new approach to boosting vaccination rates. This included ...

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Medicine13 Feb 2025

Regular access to therapy dogs boosts first-year students’ mental health

PULLMAN, Wash. — College students who spent a little bit of free time each week interacting with therapy dogs on campus during their first semester experienced fewer signs of stress and depression than those who did not. That’s according to the PAWs4US study, a new paper published in Pets that examined how regular, long-term access to an animal-assisted drop-in program at Washington State University influenced first-year students’ mental health. The study found that students who engaged with therapy dogs in repeated, unstructured sessions over several months not only ...

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Science13 Feb 2025

The complicated question of how we determine who has an accent

COLUMBUS, Ohio – How do you tell if someone has a particular accent? It might seem obvious: You hear someone pronounce words in a way that is different from “normal” and connect it to other people from a specific place. But a new study suggests that might not be the case. “People probably don’t learn who has an accent from hearing someone talk and thinking, ‘huh, they sound funny’ – even though sometimes it feels like that’s how we do it,” said Kathryn Campbell-Kibler, author of the study and associate professor of linguistics at The Ohio State University. Accents may be ...

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Medicine13 Feb 2025

NITech researchers shed light on the mechanisms of bacterial flagellar motors

When speaking of motors, most people think of those powering vehicles and human machinery. However, biological motors have existed for millions of years in microorganisms. Among these, many bacterial species have tail-like structures—called flagella—that spin around to propel themselves in fluids. These movements employ protein complexes known as the “flagellar motor.” This flagellar motor consists of two main components: the rotor and the stators. The rotor is a large rotating structure, anchored to the cell membrane, that turns the flagellum. On the other hand, the stators are smaller ...

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Medicine13 Feb 2025

Study maps new brain regions behind intended speech

Broca’s aphasia is caused by damage to the frontal lobe, leaves patients unable to say what they intend to say First study to identify regions outside the frontal lobe that encode the intent to speak Critical for technology to avoid decoding a patient’s thoughts that are not intended to be spoken aloud CHICAGO --- Imagine seeing a furry, four-legged animal that meows. Mentally, you know what it is, but the word “cat” is stuck on the tip of your tongue. This phenomenon, known as Broca’s aphasia or expressive aphasia, is a language disorder that affects a person’s ability to speak or ...

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Medicine13 Feb 2025

Next-gen Alzheimer’s drugs extend independent living by months

In the past two years, the Food and Drug Administration has approved two novel Alzheimer’s therapies, based on data from clinical trials showing that both drugs slowed the progression of the disease. But while the approvals of lecanemab and donanemab, both antibody therapies that clear plaque-causing amyloid proteins from the brain, were greeted with enthusiasm by some Alzheimer’s researchers, the response of patients has been muted. According to physicians who care for people with Alzheimer’s, many patients found it difficult to understand what the clinical trials results — presented as “percent decrease in ...

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Space13 Feb 2025

Jumping workouts could help astronauts on the moon and Mars, study in mice suggests

Jumping workouts could help astronauts prevent the type of cartilage damage they are likely to endure during lengthy missions to Mars and the Moon, a new Johns Hopkins University study suggests. The research adds to ongoing efforts by space agencies to protect astronauts against deconditioning/getting out of shape due to low gravity, a crucial aspect of their ability to perform spacewalks, handle equipment and repairs, and carry out other physically demanding tasks. The study, which shows knee cartilage in mice grew healthier following jumping exercises, appears ...

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Medicine13 Feb 2025

Guardian molecule keeps cells on track – new perspectives for the treatment of liver cancer

A guardian molecule ensures that liver cells do not lose their identity. This has been discovered by researchers from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the Hector Institute für Translational Brain Research (HITBR), and from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL). The discovery is of great interest for cancer medicine because a change of identity of cells has come into focus as a fundamental principle of carcinogenesis for several years. The Heidelberg researchers were able to show ...

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Technology13 Feb 2025

Solar-powered device captures carbon dioxide from air to make sustainable fuel

Researchers have developed a reactor that pulls carbon dioxide directly from the air and converts it into sustainable fuel, using sunlight as the power source. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, say their solar-powered reactor could be used to make fuel to power cars and planes, or the many chemicals and pharmaceuticals products we rely on. It could also be used to generate fuel in remote or off-grid locations. Unlike most carbon capture technologies, the reactor developed by the Cambridge researchers does not require fossil-fuel-based power, or the transport and storage of carbon dioxide, but instead converts atmospheric CO2 into something useful using sunlight. ...

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Medicine13 Feb 2025

Bacteria evolved to help neighboring cells after death, new research reveals

Darwin’s theory of natural selection provides an explanation for why organisms develop traits that help them survive and reproduce. Because of this, death is often seen as a failure rather than a process shaped by evolution. When organisms die, their molecules need to be broken down for reuse by other living things. Such recycling of nutrients is necessary for new life to grow. Now a study led by Professor Martin Cann of ...

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Science13 Feb 2025

Lack of discussion drives traditional gender roles in parenthood

Conversations about parental duties continue to be led by mothers, even if both parents earn the same amount of money, finds a new study by a UCL researcher. A new study by Dr Clare Stovell (IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education & Society), published in the Journal of Family Studies, highlights how a lack of discussion between parents about important choices such as parental leave, work and childcare is perpetuating traditional gender roles. The study found that women usually lead the conversations and there is little discussion about the man’s work schedule, even in cases where the woman earns as much or more than her partner. Dr Stovell said: “These interviews ...

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Science13 Feb 2025

Scientists discover mechanism driving molecular network formation

Covalent bonding is a widely understood phenomenon that joins the atoms of a molecule by a shared electron pair. But in nature, patterns of molecules can also be connected through weaker, more dynamic forces that give rise to supramolecular networks. These can self-assemble from an initial molecular cluster, or crystal, and grow into large, stable architectures. Supramolecular networks are essential for maintaining the structure and function of biological systems. For example, to ‘eat’, cells rely ...

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Environment13 Feb 2025

Comprehensive global study shows pesticides are major contributor to biodiversity crisis

Pesticides are causing overwhelming negative effects on hundreds of species of microbes, fungi, plants, insects, fish, birds and mammals that they are not intended to harm – and globally their use is a major contributor to the biodiversity crisis. That is the finding of the first study assessing the impacts of pesticides across all types of species in land and water habitats, carried out by an international research team that included the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and the University of Sussex. Multiple negative impacts The scientists analysed over 1,700 existing lab and field studies of the impacts of 471 different ...

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Medicine13 Feb 2025

A simple supplement improves survival in patients with a new type of heart disease

Osaka, Japan – Heart transplant is a scary and serious surgery with high cost, but for patients with heart failure it can be the only option for cure. Now, however, a multi-institutional research team led by Osaka University has found that simply taking a supplement might be all that is needed for certain patients with heart failure to recover – no surgery needed. In a study published in Nature Cardiovascular Research, the research team found that tricaprin, a natural supplement, can improve long-term survival and recovery from heart failure in patients with triglyceride deposit cardiomyovasculopathy ...

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Medicine13 Feb 2025

Uncovering novel transcriptional enhancers in neuronal development and neuropsychiatric disorders

Neuropsychiatric disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent. Given their complex and multifactorial pathogenesis, there is an urgent need for effective and targeted therapies that can improve patients’ quality of life. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified various genetic alterations that contribute to the development and progression of neuropsychiatric disorders, ranging from mild dyslexia to more severe conditions such as schizophrenia. While thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)—changes in a single nucleotide position in the DNA—have been associated with neurological ...

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Medicine13 Feb 2025

IR Sant Pau study reveals immune system’s crucial role in ALS at cellular level

A team of researchers from the Sant Pau Research Institute (IR Sant Pau) has published a study in the Journal of Neuroinflammation that, for the first time, examines in depth the role of the peripheral immune system in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the single-cell level. Their findings suggest that immune system cells—particularly two subpopulations of Natural Killer (NK) cells—may play a crucial part in the development and progression of this neurodegenerative disease. ALS is a condition that causes the progressive degeneration of motor neurones, leading to a loss of muscle function and, eventually, affecting ...

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Medicine13 Feb 2025

Brain rhythms can predict seizure risk of Alzheimer’s disease patients, study finds

A UCLA Health research team has identified changes in brain rhythms that indicate seizure activity in Alzheimer’s patients. The findings, published in Brain Communications, build on UCLA neurologist and senior author Dr. Keith Vossel’s pioneering work that first linked silent epileptic activity to cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease. Vossel’s previous studies showed that silent seizures, detected through overnight electroencephalography (EEG) and one-hour magnetoencephalography (MEG), occur in more than 40% of Alzheimer’s patients—beyond the 20% who experience overt seizures. His research has demonstrated ...

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Medicine13 Feb 2025

Scientists develop innovative DNA hydrogels for sustained drug release

Hydrogels are polymeric materials with three-dimensional network structures containing large amounts of water. They serve as sustained-release drug delivery systems as they can encapsulate various bioactive substances, including drugs, antigens, and even cells. Hydrogels are better drug delivery alternatives than conventional systems, as they are more biocompatible, biodegradable, and easily administered as an injectable scaffold. DNA has gained significant attention as a promising hydrogel material thanks to its customizable physicochemical properties, leading to the development of various DNA ...

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Medicine13 Feb 2025

Paramedics facing challenging end-of-life care demands

Paramedics in England are experiencing wide-ranging challenges in responding to the increasing number of end-of-life care patients they are being called out to, according to a study from the University of Southampton. The study published in BMC Palliative Care highlights the issues paramedics face when responding to patients at end-of-life, including a lack of patient information, barriers to administering medication, and insufficient training. It was funded by Marie Curie and supported by National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied ...

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