East Hanover, NJ – March 7, 2024 – The employment rate for people with disabilities saw a slight dip in February but continued to fluctuate around a steady plateau of approximately 37.5%. While these dips can trigger speculation about broader policy implications, nTIDE experts cautioned that it is premature to attribute changes to recent shifts in federal employment policies. The employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities remained stable. nTIDE is issued by Kessler Foundation and the ...

Researchers in the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Brisbane, Australia, and collaborating institutions report a groundbreaking discovery in cardiac regeneration that offers new hope for the treatment of ischemic heart failure. Published in npj Regenerative Medicine, the study reveals a novel approach to promoting cardiomyocyte proliferation. “When the heart cannot replace injured cardiomyocytes with healthy ones, it becomes progressively ...

Elevated concentrations of fluoride can occur in well water, and in some countries, it is added to drinking water to counteract caries in the population. A study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden now supports a few previous studies indicating that exposure to fluoride during the fetal stage or early childhood may impair cognition in children. The study is published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Fluoride occurs naturally as fluoride ions in drinking water, but the concentrations are generally low in ...

A recent study published in Engineering presents a significant advancement in improving the toughness of polypropylene (PP), a widely used thermoplastic material. The research, led by Zhiyi Zhang and Qiang Zheng from Taiyuan University of Technology and Zhejiang University, focuses on developing a novel core–shell structured composite to enhance PP’s performance at low temperatures. PP has many advantages, such as high thermal and chemical resistance, but its low-temperature toughness is a limiting ...

A new report looking at adults’ views on education topics shows more partisan agreement about how to educate students for citizenship than many might think, yet sharp partisan divide around issues of diversity, equity and inclusion policies on college campuses and free speech.  The report, published by the USC Center for Applied Research in Education, a center housed within USC Dornsife’s Center for Economic and Social Research, in partnership with the USC EdPolicy Hub, is based on a nationally representative, probability-based ...

Researchers from the University of Electro-Communications (Akira Sumiyoshi and Jun Nakamura) and Tohoku University (Kohei Yamasue and Yasuo Cho) have made a significant advancement in visualizing the local dipole moments at the semiconductor surface. This study offers unprecedented insights into the atomic-scale charge distribution and dipole configuration using a combination of the scanning nonlinear dielectric microscope (SNDM) and advanced density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The ...

A new study published in Engineering introduces LearningEMS, a unified framework and open-source benchmark designed to revolutionize the development and assessment of energy management strategies (EMS) for electric vehicles (EVs). The automotive industry has recently undergone a transformative shift fueled by the growing global emphasis on sustainability and environmental conservation. EVs have become a crucial part of the future of transportation. However, effectively managing the energy in EVs, especially those with complex power ...

A new analysis from researchers at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History reveals that nearly half of the genus Heliconia, a group of tropical plants popular for their bright, beak-shaped flowers, are threatened with extinction. The findings, published today, March 7, in the journal Plants, People, Planet, reveal that many of these imperiled plants are not found within protected areas or botanical gardens, making additional conservation action crucial to saving these charismatic, horticulturally important and ecologically significant floras. The new work places Heliconia among a select group of plants to undergo a detailed, comprehensive ...

New research from the University of Oxford has provided fresh insights into how bird songs evolve over time, revealing a significant role for population dynamics in shaping song diversity and change. The findings – based on an analysis of over 100,000 bird songs – have been published today (7 March) in the journal Current Biology.  The researchers spent three years collecting over twenty thousand hours of sound recordings from a wild population of great tits (Parus major) in Oxfordshire, which has been studied for the past 77 years as part of the Wytham Great Tit study. ...

About 7% of U.S. adults have been present at the scene of a mass shooting in their lifetime, and more than 2% have been injured during one, according to new University of Colorado Boulder research. The study, published March 7 in the journal JAMA Network Open, also found that younger generations were significantly more likely to have been exposed than their parents or grandparents were. Generation Z— adults born after 1996—were at greatest risk. “This study confirms that mass shootings are not isolated tragedies, but ...

About The Study: In this systematic review and meta-analysis of depression and anxiety among individuals with chronic pain, approximately 40% of adults had clinically significant depression and anxiety. Women, younger people, and people with nociplastic pain were most likely to have depression and anxiety. The co-occurrence of chronic pain with depression and anxiety is a significant public health concern necessitating routine screening in clinical settings, equitable access to specialty care, and innovative treatment development. Corresponding Author: To contact ...

About The Study: The findings from this survey study of U.S. adults underscore the extensive and often overlooked regular exposure to mass shootings in this country. The demographic disparities in exposure highlight the need for targeted interventions and support for the most affected groups, particularly younger generations and males. Understanding these patterns is essential for addressing the broader impacts of gun violence on public health and community well-being. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, David C. Pyrooz, PhD, email david.pyrooz@colorado.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website ...

HOUSTON – (March 7, 2025) – A new study published in Cell Reports reveals a breakthrough discovery linking genetic variants in the gene ITSN1 to a significantly elevated risk of Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative condition that affects nearly 2% of adults older than 65 years. This work, led by an international team of researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, AstraZeneca and the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, could pave the way for new treatments aimed at slowing or preventing Parkinson’s disease progression. “Parkinson’s disease, the ...

“Forests are among the most important ecosystems in nature, constantly evolving, yet their monitoring is often delayed,” says Rytis Maskeliūnas, a professor at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU). Climate change, pests, and human activity are transforming forests faster than we can track them – some changes become apparent only when the damage is already irreversible. KTU researchers are proposing innovative technological solutions: an innovative forest regeneration model and a sound analysis system that can predict forest conditions and detect environmental changes in real time. Forest ...

Background and objectives Recent studies have highlighted a link between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and gut microbiota. This prospective study aimed to evaluate the effects of electroacupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine on gut microbiota and metabolomics in ALS patients. Methods Ten ALS patients were randomly assigned to either a treatment group (electroacupuncture with Chinese herbal medicine, n = 6) or a control group (waiting treatment, n = 4). Healthy controls (age- and sex-matched, n = 10) were also included. Data were collected after 12 sessions of electroacupuncture and follow-ups at three and six months. ALS ...

A new study has uncovered how the brain seamlessly transforms sounds, speech patterns, and words into the flow of everyday conversations. Using advanced technology to analyze over 100 hours of brain activity during real-life discussions, researchers revealed the intricate pathways that allow us to effortlessly speak and understand. These insights not only deepen our understanding of human connection but also pave the way for transformative advancements in speech technology and communication tools. [Hebrew University of Jerusalem]– A new study led by Dr. Ariel Goldstein, from the Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences and the Business School at ...

Researchers create gel that can self-heal like human skin The hydrogel has a unique structure, making it the first to combine strength and flexibility with self-healing capabilities. We all encounter gels in daily life – from the soft, sticky substances you put in your hair, to the jelly-like components in various foodstuffs. While human skin shares gel-like characteristics, it has unique qualities that are very hard to replicate. It combines high stiffness with flexibility, and it has remarkable self-healing capabilities, often healing completely within 24 hours after injury.  Until now, artificial gels ...

SAN ANTONIO, March 7, 2025 – A drug developed at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) has been shown to extend survival for patients with glioblastoma, the most common primary brain tumor in adults.                             Results of a trial led by the university revealed that a unique investigational drug formulation called Rhenium Obisbemeda (186RNL) more than doubled median survival and progression-free time, compared with standard median survival and progression rates, and ...

Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington, Joy Division’s Ian Curtis, country music singer Mindy McCready, Keith Flint of The Prodigy, Electronic Dance Music (EDM) DJ Avicii, K Pop stars Goo Hara, Sulli and Moonbin, and many more. This long and heartbreakingly incomplete list of musicians that have died by suicide represents not only tragedies, but cultural reminders of a devastating apparent connection between artists, mental health challenges, and early mortality.   New data published today in Frontiers in Public ...

Hyperspectral imaging is a technology that detects slight differences in color to pinpoint the characteristics and conditions of an object. While a normal camera creates images using red, green, and blue, a hyperspectral camera can obtain over 100 images in the visible to near-infrared light range in a single shot. As a result, hyperspectral imaging can obtain information that the human eye cannot see. Specially Appointed Associate Professor Takashi Suzuki at the Osaka Metropolitan University Center for Health Science Innovation captured images of palms of human hands using a hyperspectral camera and AI-based region of interest. Hemoglobin contained in red blood cells absorbs light, ...

A collaborative research team from Toho University, the Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Nihon University, the Global Environmental Forum, and the Museum Park Ibaraki Nature Museum has revealed that a newly introduced parasite is infecting native fish in the Tone River system. Their study also confirms that the golden mussel, an invasive species, acts as the infection source, while non-native fish such as bluegill and channel catfish help sustain the parasite’s life cycle. This study was published in the Journal of Helminthology on January ...

The Science White Paper for the Einstein Probe (EP) mission has been published in Science China: Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy. This mission, spearheaded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), and the French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES), is poised to advance the field of time-domain and X-ray astronomy significantly. EP's sophisticated observational instruments aim to probe X-ray transient sources and explosive astrophysical phenomena, thereby contributing to significant advancements in astronomical research. The ...

A new Cochrane review has found evidence that music-based therapy may benefit people living with dementia, particularly by improving symptoms of depression. Dementia is a collective term for progressive degenerative brain syndromes that affect memory, thinking, behaviour and emotion. Alzheimer’s Disease International reported that there were 55 million people with dementia worldwide in 2019, a figure predicted to increase to 139 million by 2050. While some medicines are available, the therapeutic use of music is considered a relatively simple ...

Researchers say they can find no convincing evidence that physician associates add value in UK primary care or that anaesthetic associates add value in anaesthetics, and some evidence suggested that they do not. In a special paper published by The BMJ today, Professors Trisha Greenhalgh and Martin McKee say the absence of safety incidents in a handful of small studies “should not be taken as evidence that deployment of physician associates and anaesthetic associates is safe.” New research is urgently needed “to explore staff concerns, examine safety incidents, and inform a national scope of practice for these relatively new and contested ...

UCL Press Release Under embargo until Friday 07 March 2025, 00:01 UK time Peer-reviewed | Observational Study | People   At-home brain speed tests bridge cognitive data gaps Online tests of women’s reaction times offer insights into cognitive function and could help fill data gaps on early cognitive problems, potentially shedding light on dementia development later in life, finds a new study led by researchers at UCL and other universities. The new paper, published in BMJ Open, finds that online tests can be an easy and effective way for women in their 40s and older to volunteer for dementia ...