Irvine, Calif., May 21, 2024 — In a study published in Nature Materials, scientists from the University of California, Irvine describe a new method to make very thin crystals of the element bismuth – a process that may aid the manufacturing of cheap flexible electronics an everyday reality.    “Bismuth has fascinated scientists for over a hundred years due to its low melting point and unique electronic properties,” said Javier Sanchez-Yamagishi, assistant professor of physics & astronomy at UC Irvine and a co-author of the study. “We developed a new method to make very thin crystals ...

CLEVELAND - When it comes to skin cancer, most people think of warnings about sunburn and tanning beds. Thoughts of “cancer genes” or inherited risks are reserved for diseases like breast cancer or colon cancer. A new study challenges this status quo by showing that genetics play a larger role in melanoma risk than recognized.   Physicians rarely order genetic screens to assess risk factors for patients with a family history of melanoma because, according to the previous, limited studies, only 2-2.5% of all cases are genetic. For the same reason, insurance companies rarely cover these tests outside of the most extreme ...

Two Promising UCF Researchers Earn 2024 NSF CAREER Awards Early-career professors Fan Yao and Li Fang are receiving significant research funding to continue catalyzing their work as part of an annual NSF grant program. By Eddy Duryea ’13 ORLANDO, May 21, 2024 – UCF assistant professors Li Fang and Fan Yao have been named 2024 U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development program (CAREER) award winners. The recipients were awarded funding through five years for their submitted projects. Fang, who is an assistant professor in UCF’s Department of Physics within the College of Sciences, is using the ...

Giving high-risk patients access to an obesity specialist through their regular primary care clinic increased their chances of receiving at least one evidence-based weight-management treatment, and led to more weight lost in just a year, a new University of Michigan study finds.  Primary care clinicians commonly struggle to help patients develop an individualized weight-management treatment plan during short clinic visits. Previous U-M research showed that most primary care patients with ...

[BOSTON, MAY 21, 2024] – Stuart Orkin, MD, a researcher at the Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and David G. Nathan Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, has been honored with The Shaw Prize in Life Science & Medicine for his pioneering work discovering the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying the switch from fetal to adult hemoglobin. Dr. Orkin shares the prize with Swee Lay Thein, PhD, Senior Investigator and Chief of the Sickle Cell Branch of National Heart, ...

LA JOLLA, CA—Currently available flu medications only target the virus after it has already established an infection, but what if a drug could prevent infection in the first place? Now, scientists at Scripps Research and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine have designed drug-like molecules to do just that, by thwarting the first stage of influenza infection. The drug-like inhibitors block the virus from entering the body’s respiratory cells—specifically, they target hemagglutinin, a protein on the surface of type A influenza viruses. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ...

In a new review paper, Carlo Maley and Arizona State University colleagues describe cell-in-cell phenomena in which one cell engulfs and sometimes consumes another. The study shows that cases of this behavior, including cell cannibalism, are widespread across the tree of life.  The findings challenge the common perception that cell-in-cell events are largely restricted to cancer cells. Rather, these events appear to be common across diverse organisms, from single-celled amoebas to complex multicellular animals. The widespread occurrence of such interactions in non-cancer cells suggests that these events are not inherently "selfish" or "cancerous" ...

“Despite the potential advantages of utilizing UV-C radiation for deactivating pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2, the prevailing conclusion remains that UV-C radiation poses concurrent risks to human health.” BUFFALO, NY- May 21, 2024 – A new research paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) Volume 16, Issue 9, entitled, “Germicidal lamps using UV-C radiation may pose health safety issues: a biomolecular analysis of their effects on apoptosis and senescence.” The battle against the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred a heightened state of vigilance in global healthcare, ...

“Our research findings suggest that miR-377 could potentially serve as a valuable therapeutic strategy for the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa).” BUFFALO, NY- May 21, 2024 – A new research paper was published in Genes & Cancer on May 16, 2024, entitled, “Inhibitory effect of miR-377 on the proliferative and invasive behaviors of prostate cancer cells through the modulation of MYC mRNA via its interaction with BCL-2/Bax, PTEN, and CDK4.” The MYC gene is a regulatory and proto-oncogenic gene that is overexpressed in the majority of prostate cancers (PCa). Numerous studies have indicated that aberrant expression of microRNAs is involved in the ...

In a groundbreaking study, scientists have explored a novel approach to detect electrothermal ureteral injuries, a common complication during pelvic surgery. The ureters, delicate tubes that transport urine from the kidneys to the bladder, are particularly vulnerable due to their proximity to other anatomical structures. Unfortunately, current detection methods often fall short in promptly identifying subtle thermal injuries, which can take days or even weeks to manifest. Enter optical coherence tomography ...

To achieve global biodiversity targets, conservationists and governments must prioritize the establishment and effective management of large, interconnected protected areas with high ecological integrity, John G. Robinson from the Wildlife Conservation Society, US, and colleagues argue in an essay publishing May 21st in the open-access journal PLOS Biology. The Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), signed at the 2022 Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in Montreal, recognized the importance of protecting large areas of natural habitat to maintain the resilience and integrity of ecosystems.  To halt biodiversity ...

A new laboratory study suggests that human body lice are more efficient at transmitting Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague, than previously thought, supporting the possibility that they may have contributed to past pandemics. David Bland and colleagues at the United States’ National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS Biology on May 21st. Y. pestis has been the culprit behind numerous pandemics, including the Black Death of the Middle Ages that ...

Roughly 60 percent of all Black Americans are exposed to some form of gun violence, and such exposures predict elevated rates of disability, according to Rutgers Health research. Survey data from 3,015 Black Americans linked specific disabilities ranging from trouble concentrating to difficulty dressing or bathing with exposure to various types of gun violence: being shot, being threatened with a firearm, knowing a shooting victim, and witnessing a shooting or hearing of one nearby. “Traditionally, the majority of efforts related to gun violence have focused on reducing homicides, but this study indicates that we need ...

NEWPORT, Ore. – A recent boom in the purple sea urchin population off the southern Oregon Coast appears to have had an indirect and negative impact on the gray whales that usually forage in the region, a new study shows. When urchin numbers rise, the spiky marine invertebrates can devour kelp forests that are a critical habitat for zooplankton, the tiny aquatic organisms that are the primary prey of many marine animals. Damaged kelp forests lead to reductions in zooplankton, and with fewer zooplankton to feed on, gray whales spend less time foraging there, researchers with Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute found. “This study shows the cascading ...

DETROIT – Wayne State University researchers are reporting new findings that demonstrate a link between exposure to per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in males and health issues in their offspring. The study, “Mixtures of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) alter sperm methylation and long-term reprogramming of offspring liver and fat transcriptome,” published recently in Environment International, assessed the effect of PFAS mixtures on the sperm methylome and transcriptional changes in offspring metabolic tissues such as in the ...

Researchers at the University of Bern have for the first time been able to pin down a prehistoric settlement of early farmers in northern Greece dating back more than 7,000 years to the year. For this they combined annual growth ring measurements on wooden building elements with the sudden spike of cosmogenic radiocarbon in 5259 BC. This provides a reliable chronological reference point for many other archaeological sites in Southeast Europe. Dating finds plays a key role in archaeology. It is always essential to find out how old a tomb, settlement or single object is. Determining the age of finds from prehistoric times has only ...

NEW ORLEANS – Ochsner Health will host The Black Men’s Health Event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 25 at Zulu headquarters on 732 N. Broad St. This marks the third consecutive year for this free event, which emphasizes community health and wellness. Presented by the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson, along with community partner The Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, The Black Men’s Health Event advances a core mission to improve healthcare access, health equity and health outcomes. Attendees can take advantage of several free medical screenings: Blood Pressure Glucose Cholesterol Lung ...

EMBARGOED UNTIL:  9:39 a.m. PT, May 21, 2024   Session:  C17 – Pediatric Impact of COVID-19 and Other Respiratory Infections Clinical Prediction Tool for Prioritizing Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prevention Products for High-Risk Infants During Current Limited Availability of Nirsevimab in the United States Date and Time: Tuesday, May 21, 2024, 9:39 a.m. PT Location:  San Diego Convention Center, Room 6D (Upper Level)   ATS 2024, San Diego – On the heels of a shortage of nirsevimab for infant respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) prevention, a new tool ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE A novel therapy that reprograms immune cells to promote antitumor activity helped shrink hard-to-treat prostate and bladder cancers in mice, according to research from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery. The study was published online May 3 in the journal Cancer Immunology Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Immunotherapies that help the immune system recognize and fight tumors have revolutionized care for many types of cancer. However, ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Urban planners increasingly are interested in green infrastructure projects for the health and climate benefits they bring to cities. But without attention to historical development patterns and existing power structures, such projects may not benefit all residents equally and may exacerbate social and racial inequalities, says a group of researchers and practitioners of nature-based solutions for urban areas. The researchers outlined their recommendations for a justice-oriented approach to urban greening projects in a paper published in the journal ...

BOSTON—Researchers will delve into emerging research in diabetes, obesity, reproductive health and other aspects of hormone health during the Endocrine Society’s ENDO 2024 news conferences June 1-4. The Society also will share its vitamin D Clinical Practice Guideline publicly for the first time during a news conference on Monday, June 3. Reporters will have an opportunity to hear directly from members of the guideline development panel. Other press conferences will feature select abstracts that are being presented at ENDO 2024, the Endocrine Society’s ...

WASHINGTON — Researchers have built a prototype fiber optic gyroscope for high resolution, real-time monitoring of ground rotations caused by earthquakes in the active volcanic area of Campi Flegrei in Naples, Italy. A better understanding of the seismic activity in this highly populated area could improve risk assessment and might lead to improved early warning systems. “When seismic activity occurs, the Earth’s surface experiences both linear and rotational movements,” said research team leader Saverio Avino from the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (CNR-INO) ...

As part of an ongoing national research effort to better understand how physical activity improves health and prevents disease, seven University of Colorado Department of Medicine faculty members contributed to an article recently published in Nature, an international journal of science.  The paper, “Temporal dynamics of the multi-omic response to endurance exercise training,” discusses how eight weeks of endurance exercise training affected male and female young adult rats. The researchers found that all bodily tissues that were tested ...

Amsterdam, May 21, 2024 – The number of people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is expected to reach 100 million by 2050, but there is still no effective therapy. Leading researchers from around the world assess how oxidative stress (OS) may trigger AD and consider potential therapeutic targets and neuroprotective drugs to manage the disease in a collection of articles in a special supplement to the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, published by IOS Press. AD is the most common type of dementia and involves areas of ...

WASHINGTON — Sudden, severe dry spells known as flash droughts are rising in intensity around the world, with a notable exception in mountainous Central Asia, where flash drought extent is shrinking, according to new research. Heat and changes to precipitation patterns caused by a warming climate are driving these trends, the study found. Flash droughts arrive suddenly, within weeks, hitting communities that are often not prepared and causing lasting impact. They are an emerging concern for water and food security. The new study is the first to apply a systematic, quantitative approach to the global incidence of flash drought, mapping hotspots and ...