UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL: Jan. 31, 2025, 10:15 a.m. MST  Media Contact: Karen Addis, APR, karen@addispr.com, +1 (301) 787-2394 One of the Largest Studies on Preterm Birth Finds a Maternal Biomarker Test Significantly Reduces Neonatal Morbidities and Improves Neonatal Outcomes Denver, Colo. ― Preterm birth ― defined as delivery before the 37th week of pregnancy — is one of the leading causes of infant deaths in the United States. Babies born prematurely are also at an increased risk of ...

Denver, Colo. ― Anemia during pregnancy is a common occurrence and often due to iron deficiency. It is a global public health problem, affecting an estimated 37 percent of pregnant individuals, according to the World Health Organization. Iron deficiency anemia is associated with increased rates of pregnancy-related problems, such as going into labor prematurely, hemorrhaging and, in some cases, even death. For the infant, maternal iron deficiency also can have long-term implications on their overall health and development. Current obstetric guidelines recommend ...

CLEVELAND—Psoriasis, a painful and uncomfortable inflammatory skin condition that affects millions worldwide, flares up from the activity of disease- and infection-protecting immune cells. In a new study, researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have determined that a protein called NF-kB c-Rel can intensify the condition’s symptoms when activated by signals from the body’s immune system. Understanding how “c-Rel” affects skin inflammation could lead to new treatments, they said. The study, published recently in eBioMedicine, examined how ...

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (01/31/2025) — Portable MRI (pMRI) technologies are rapidly transforming the landscape of neuroscience research, allowing neuroscientists to acquire brain data in community settings outside the hospital for the first time. But as neuroscientists increase access to MRI technology and move their research from a lab environment to broad community settings, they face novel ethical, legal, and societal issues (ELSI). To prepare neuroscientists to address these challenges, an interdisciplinary team of scientists, ethicists, and legal experts, supported by an NIH BRAIN Initiative grant, analyzed the issues. The team released the first-ever checklist ...

  Leipzig. Over the next few years, climate researchers from Germany aim to achieve a breakthrough in the radiative properties of clouds by describing the corresponding processes not just one-dimensionally, as has been the case up to now, but three-dimensionally in future. Capturing clouds and radiation in 3D is seen as an important step towards undistorted remote sensing of the atmosphere and improved modelling of climate and weather. The new research group of the German Research Foundation (DFG) brings together experts in atmospheric radiation, high-resolution ...

It is well known that consuming sugary drinks increases the risk of diabetes, but the mechanism behind this relationship is unclear. Now, in a paper publishing January 31 in the Cell Press journal Cell Metabolism, researchers show that metabolites produced by gut microbes might play a role. In a long-term cohort of US Hispanic/Latino adults, the researchers identified differences in the gut microbiota and blood metabolites of individuals with a high intake of sugar-sweetened beverages. The altered metabolite profile ...

Researchers from the Tanenbaum group at the Hubrecht Institute have developed a new microscopy technique to observe how ribosomes function in cells. With this method, they can monitor individual ribosomes as they convert mRNA into proteins. The researchers discovered that ribosomes help each other when encountering difficulties, a process they refer to as ‘ribosome cooperativity’. This technique and the findings, published in Cell, provide insights into how proteins are made and offer other researchers a tool to better study mRNA translation. Our DNA contains genetic information essential for ...

About The Study: This cross-sectional study found that compared with trends from the early 2000s, early adult (ages 25-44) mortality in the U.S. has risen substantially in 2 stages: 2011 to 2019 and 2020 to 2023. Although mortality rates decreased after the core pandemic years, excess mortality remained higher than expected based on pre-pandemic levels. The largest portion of 2023 excess mortality was driven by drug poisoning, but many other external and natural causes exceeded what prior trends would have projected. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, PhD, email ewf@umn.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our ...

About The Study: In this cohort study, most patients with overweight or obesity discontinued glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) therapy within 1 year, but those without type 2 diabetes had higher discontinuation rates and lower reinitiation rates. Inequities in access and adherence to effective treatments have the potential to exacerbate disparities in obesity.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, PhD, email zemanuel@upenn.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.57349) Editor’s ...

About The Study: High ultraprocessed food consumption during early childhood was associated with obesity development, primarily in males in this cohort study of Canadian children. These findings can inform targeted public health initiatives for early childhood centers and caregiver education programs to reduce ultraprocessed food intake and prevent obesity.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Kozeta Miliku, MD, PhD, email kozeta.miliku@utoronto.ca. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.57341) Editor’s Note: Please see the ...

A group of 211 international experts from 79 countries has today published a new framework to facilitate the design, development and implementation of digital health curricula in medical education worldwide. Published in JAMA Network Open, the Digital Health Competencies in Medical Education (DECODE) framework is designed to help medical institutions better equip future physicians for the ongoing digital transformation in healthcare. The framework is already beginning to be adopted across the globe, including in the UK where it has influenced ...

Researchers at the University of Toronto are sounding the alarm about the high consumption of ultra-processed foods among preschool-aged children in Canada and its association with obesity development. “We saw that ultra-processed foods contributed to almost half of a child’s total daily energy intake,” says Kozeta Miliku, assistant professor of nutritional sciences at U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine. The findings, published today in JAMA Network Open, are the first to describe sex-driven differences in the effects of ultra-processed food on obesity risk among Canadian children, with stronger ...

LOS ANGELES — A team of international researchers led by scientists at City of Hope, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, with its National Medical Center in Los Angeles ranked among the nation’s top 5 cancer centers by U.S. News & World Report, have demonstrated a way to boost thymic function after damage in preclinical studies. The team’s study results, published today in the journal Immunity, outline their discovery of a specific type ...

Predicting and mitigating the effects of climate change while preserving biodiversity is a top priority for both scientists and policymakers. As climate change intensifies, leading to more frequent and severe droughts, understanding the impact on natural ecosystems has become increasingly important. One of the main challenges is forecasting changes in species richness due to shifts in precipitation patterns. While it’s established that, on a broad geographic scale, regions with more water generally support greater plant diversity, results vary at ...

A recent study published in PeerJ Life and Environment unveils refined techniques for in vitro fertilization (IVF) in four key Caribbean coral species, offering a crucial advancement in coral reef restoration efforts. Researchers from SECORE International, the CARMABI Foundation, and the University of Amsterdam have developed new insights into the optimal conditions for coral breeding, which could significantly enhance larval production and bolster declining coral populations. Study Focus The study examined four broadcast-spawning ...

While many studies have reported a link between a mother’s health condition during pregnancy and her child’s risk of autism, a new study shows that nearly all of these “associations” can otherwise be explained by factors such as genetics, exposure to pollution, and access to healthcare. Led by researchers at NYU Langone Health, the study revealed that, of the few conditions truly associated with autism, all were actually complications with the fetus — leading the authors to believe ...

A microbe found in the lower part of the gut that is associated with good health has been comprehensively analysed and found to have a focused diet breaking down sugars locked away in mucus..   The new study, published in Nature Microbiology today (Friday 31 January) is a complete systematic analysis of how the human colonic beneficial microbe, Akkermansia muciniphila (AM) feeds on types of sugar found in the mucus secreted in the digestive system. The study focused on 66 enzymes that the AM microbe uses to break down mucus that is an essential part of the mucus layer that lines the human ...

A 240-year-old drug called digoxin could save the National Health Service (NHS) at least £100 million each year when treating older patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure.  This was compared to usual treatment with a beta-blocker according to a new study from the University of Birmingham, the city where digoxin was first used in 1785.   In a paper published in the journal Heart, researchers conducted an economic analysis on a clinical trial called RATE-AF to look at the differences between two widely used drugs for older patients with a common heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation (AF) and symptoms ...

Between September and December 2024, four countries in the EU/EEA (Finland, Germany, Poland, Spain) and the United Kingdom reported detections of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in sewage samples. This is the first time cVDPV2 has been detected in EU/EEA countries from environmental surveillance. To date, no human polio cases have been reported and the EU/EEA continues to be polio-free, but such findings call for increased vigilance. Laboratory analyses likely indicate that the virus has been repeatedly introduced from an unknown area where that specific form of the virus is still in circulation. These recent importations may pose a threat to public ...

Polar bear fur’s natural ability to resist ice formation could pave the way for safer, more sustainable solutions to prevent ice buildup across industries such as aviation and renewable energy, according to researchers at the University of Surrey.  An international study published in Science Advances has explored the anti-icing properties of polar bear fur in extreme Arctic conditions, revealing a unique mix of lipids in the fur’s sebum – an oily substance produced by the skin - that drastically reduces ice adhesion. ...

If you can wiggle your ears, you can use muscles that helped our distant ancestors listen closely. These auricular muscles helped change the shape of the pinna, or the shell of the ear, funneling sound to the eardrums. Millions of years ago, our ancestors stopped using them, so humans’ auricular muscles are only vestigial. But now scientists examining the function of these muscles have discovered that they activate when we’re trying to listen to competing sounds.  “There are three large muscles which connect the auricle to the skull and scalp and are important for ear ...

Researchers have long known that patients who leave emergency departments before medically advised use more emergency care services, are more likely to be readmitted to the hospital and face higher costs of care—as well as increased mortality rates. Until now, however, little has been known about national, multi-year trends, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on this phenomenon. “In addition, most studies have focused on specific subgroups of patients, such as those with stroke or those with appendicitis who leave after surgery,” said Elena Andreyeva, PhD, a faculty member with the Texas A&M University School of Public ...

As grasslands get abandoned, controlled burning is discussed as a labor-saving method of keeping forests at bay. A Kobe University research team found that this method results in higher biodiversity and a higher prevalence of endangered plant species in some grasslands compared to others, depending on what soils they grow on. Humans have been keeping grasslands since millennia by grazing, mowing and controlled burning, all of these are means to keep forests from overgrowing the grasslands. Grazing and mowing are, however, labor intensive and as rural areas become increasingly depopulated, grasslands have been disappearing worldwide. One consequence ...

Increased use of ventilation and air cleaners, designed to mitigate the spread of viral infections in hospitals, is likely to have unpredictable effects and may cause viral particles to move around more, according to a new study from researchers at UCL and UCLH. In the study, published in Aerosol Science & Technology, researchers investigated the effect of using built-in mechanical ventilation and portable air cleaners (PACs)1 upon the spread of airborne particles, which are similar to those breathed ...

UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL: Jan. 30, 2025, 3:30 p.m. MST Media Contact: Karen Addis, APR, karen@addispr.com, +1 (301) 787-2394 Denver, Colo. ― Microplastics, which are less than 5 millimeters, and nanoplastics, which are invisible to the naked eye, are widespread throughout our environment. Research has shown that exposure to plastics in general is harmful to both the environment and humans. Now, in a new study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s (SMFM) annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting™, researchers will unveil findings that suggest that microplastics and nanoplastics have been found ...