Uncovering the relationship between structure (connectivity) and function (neuronal activity) is a fundamental question across many areas of biology. However, investigating this directly in animal brains is challenging because of the immense complexity of their neural connections and the invasive surgeries that are typically needed. Lab-grown neurons with artificially-controlled connections have the possibility of becoming a useful alternative to animal testing, particularly as we learn how to accurately characterize their behaviour. A research team at Tohoku University used microfluidic devices to reveal how directional connections shape the complex dynamics ...

Canine hookworms are becoming increasingly resistant to drugs across Australia, according to new research. Scientists at The University of Queensland and The University of Sydney have identified widespread resistance to benzimidazole-based dewormers which are commonly used to treat gastrointestinal parasites in dogs. Dr Swaid Abdullah from UQ’s School of Veterinary Science said almost 70 per cent of the hookworm samples studied showed genetic mutations that can cause drug resistance. “This is a big problem, as hookworm infections ...

A team of researchers led by UC Santa Cruz recently released a sophisticated new map that reveals, for the first time, the unique “geologic fingerprints” for most of the African continent.  The map will help archaeologists, conservation scientists, and forensics experts match artifacts and plant, animal, and human remains found at locations around the world back to their most likely region of origin within Africa, offering new insights on issues ranging from the history of the transatlantic slave trade to modern wildlife trafficking and human migration patterns.  The research team’s ...

People who care for both their children and older family members – also known as ‘sandwich carers’ – suffer from deterioration in both their mental and physical health over time, finds a new study by UCL researchers. The research, published in Public Health, analysed data from around 2,000 sandwich carers and 2,000 non-sandwich carers from the UK Household Longitudinal Study between 2009 and 2020. Sandwich carers juggle the responsibilities of caring for ageing parents or older relatives while raising dependent children ...

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- When a new species is introduced into an ecosystem, it may succeed in establishing itself, or it may fail to gain a foothold and die out. Physicists at MIT have now devised a formula that can predict which of those outcomes is most likely. The researchers created their formula based on analysis of hundreds of different scenarios that they modeled using populations of soil bacteria grown in their laboratory. They now plan to test their formula in larger-scale ecosystems, including forests. This approach could also be helpful in predicting whether probiotics or fecal microbiota treatments (FMT) would successfully combat infections of the human GI tract. “People ...

A change in the weather in the U.S. Corn Belt Intensive farming and shallow groundwater affect precipitation patterns The sweeping land use changes and irrigation of the U.S. Corn Belt, along with the influence of the area’s shallow groundwater, have significantly altered precipitation patterns in that vital agricultural region, new research shows. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, focuses on “precipitation recycling” — a process in which the moisture released to the atmosphere by plants, soils, lakes, and other features of the landscape returns to the same area in the form of rain. By using advanced ...

Common methods of communicating flood risk may create a false sense of security, leading to increased development in areas threatened by flooding. This phenomenon, called the “safe development paradox,” is described in a new paper from North Carolina State University. Lead author Georgina Sanchez, a research scholar in NC State’s Center for Geospatial Analytics, said this may be an unintended byproduct of how the Federal Emergency Management Agency classifies areas based on their probability of dangerous flooding. Known as flood mapping, this classification system describes areas in terms of their likelihood of being flooded each year. These ...

People with diabetes who were taking GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs such as tirzepatide and semaglutide had significantly lower rates of hospital readmission, wound re-opening and hematoma after surgery, according to a large study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and NewYork-Presbyterian. The study, published online in advance of print on Dec. 20 in the Annals of Surgery, analyzed de-identified hospital records covering 74,425 surgical procedures in 21,772 patients with diabetes over a three-and-a-half-year period ending in July 2023. The investigators found that patients taking GLP-1 receptor agonists, known informally ...

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Physicists have proposed a solution to a long-standing puzzle surrounding the GD-1 stellar stream, one of the most well-studied streams within the galactic halo of the Milky Way, known for its long, thin structure, and unusual spur and gap features.  The team of researchers, led by Hai-Bo Yu at the University of California, Riverside, proposed that a core-collapsing self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) “subhalo” — a smaller, satellite halo within the galactic halo — is responsible for the peculiar spur and gap features observed in the GD-1 stellar stream.  Study ...

Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 6 January 2025    @Annalsofim          Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on their own behalf, but also on behalf of the organization they represent.          ----------------------------       1. ...

    When children have a place to play outside, programs aimed at reducing their screen time use are more successful, according to a University of Michigan study.   The study also found that such programs are less successful in neighborhoods where children have less access to green spaces, which include areas such as forests, shrubland, open spaces and grassland, according to lead author Ian-Marshall Lang, a researcher at U-M's School of Kinesiology and first author of the study.    "Because prior studies have shown differences in the effectiveness of community ...

WASHINGTON (January 6, 2025) - A new study from the George Washington University found a significant increase in the number of U.S. young adults seeking permanent contraception, specifically tubal sterilization and vasectomy, following the Supreme Court's June 2022 decision which overturned Roe v. Wade.  “Our study shows that the Dobbs decision has had a profound effect on young adults’ reproductive choices, leading many to opt for permanent contraception in the months following the decision,” said Julia Strasser, director of the Jacobs Institute ...

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (1/06/2025) — Published in Annals of Family Medicine, a University of Minnesota Medical School research team found that implementing point-of-care ultrasounds (POCUS) to assess the viability and gestational age of pregnancies in the first trimester enhanced care for pregnant patients and cut emergency visits by 81% for non-miscarrying patients. Previously, early pregnancy care was provided through separate appointments for ultrasound, risk assessment and patient education. This new integrated approach allows patients who are under 14 weeks pregnant to receive comprehensive care ...

By Diana Setterberg, MSU News Service BOZEMAN – Montana State University scientists say the frozen remnants of an ancient forest discovered 600 feet above the modern tree line on the Beartooth Plateau may portend possible changes for the alpine ecosystem if the climate continues to warm. A paper about the discovery was published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It describes what scientists have learned by studying the remains of a mature whitebark pine forest ...

UTICA, N.Y. – Matthew Nystoriak, Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical research and translational medicine at Masonic Medical Research Institute (MMRI), has uncovered groundbreaking insights into heart health in a recent study titled, Myocardial Hyperemia via Cardiomyocyte Catabolism of β-Hydroxybutyrate. The research highlights how a ketone body called β-hydroxybutyrate (3-OHB) — a molecule produced by the liver when breaking down fat — can enhance blood flow to the heart. According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and ischemic heart disease, caused by insufficient blood and oxygen supply to the heart, as the number ...

SSA will be holding its annual meeting on 14-18 April 2025 at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland. The meeting attracts more than 800 scientists, engineers and policymakers for presentations and posters that cover the latest seismological research from around the globe. The meeting's topics are presented in 48 technical sessions, including topics such as earthquake forecasting, seismic hazard assessment, explosion forensics, exploring extraterrestrial ...

Doctors around the world may soon have access to a new tool that could better predict whether individual cancer patients will benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors — a type of immunotherapy — using only routine blood tests and clinical data. The artificial intelligence–based model, dubbed SCORPIO, was developed by a team of researchers from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and the Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai. The model is not only cheaper and more accessible, it’s significantly better at predicting outcomes than the two current biomarkers approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ...

1 in 4 U.S. veterans aged 60+ report having being diagnosed with cardiovascular disease at some point, with potential implications for their physical and mental health #### Article URL: https://journals.plos.org/mentalhealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmen.0000192 Article Title: Prevalence, correlates, and mental and physical health burden of cardiovascular disease in older U.S. military veterans Author Countries: United States Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work. END ...

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) earn their “forever chemical” moniker by persisting in water, soil and even the human brain.  This unique ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in brain tissue makes PFAS particularly concerning, but the underlying mechanism of their neurotoxicity needs to be studied further.  To that end, a new study by University at Buffalo researchers has identified 11 genes that may hold the key to understanding the brain's response to these pervasive chemicals commonly found in everyday items. These genes, some involved in processes vital for neuronal ...

The tiny particles that shed from clothing, packaging and other plastic products are winding up in the fish that people eat, according to a new study from Portland State researchers, highlighting a need for technologies and strategies to reduce microfiber pollution entering the environment. Building on previous research exploring the prevalence of microplastics in bivalves like Pacific oysters and razor clams, researchers in PSU’s Applied Coastal Ecology Lab — led by ...

Lead exposure is responsible for a range of human health impacts, with even relatively low levels impacting the cognitive development of children. DRI scientists have previously used atmospheric pollution records preserved in Arctic ice cores to identify periods of lead pollution throughout the Roman Empire, and now new research expands on this finding to identify how this pollution may have affected the European population. The study, published Jan. 6th in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), ...

A new archaeological study, conducted along the Jordan River banks south of northern Israel’s Hula Valley, offers a fresh perspective on the dietary habits of early humans, challenging conventional wisdom about prehistoric diets. The research reveals that ancient hunter-gatherers relied heavily on plant foods, particularly starchy plants, as a major energy source. The findings suggest that, contrary to popular belief, the diet of early hominids was not solely focused on animal protein, but rather, featured a diverse range of plant-based foods, including acorns, cereals, ...

NRG Oncology (NRG), a National Cancer Institute (NCI) National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) group focused on improving outcomes for adults with cancer through multi-center clinical research, recently announced the creation of a new Theranostics Subcommittee, as well as two leadership role updates within the organization’s current committees. NRG established the Theranostics Subcommittee under the Imaging Committee and Radiation Oncology Committee umbrellas within the organization as theranostics is a medical field that combines diagnostic imaging and therapeutic interventions. The Theranostics Subcommittee will be focused on the following goals: building a more robust theranostics ...

A new Perspective article published in the New England Journal of Medicine emphasizes the critical role of Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) in addressing the growing global burden of osteoporosis-related fractures, particularly hip fractures. The World Health Organization has identified osteoporosis as a major global health issue because it poses significant risks of disability and premature death. Osteoporosis-related fractures are a leading cause of disability and long-term care needs for older adults, with hip fractures being particularly devastating. The Perspective reports that within the first 12 months following a hip fracture, ...

Over 450 million years ago, plants began the epic transition from water to dry land. Among the first pioneers were the ancestors of humble hornworts, a group of small, unassuming plants that have persisted to this day. New research reveals insights into the genetic blueprints of hornworts, uncovering fascinating details about plant evolution and the early days of life on land. “We began by decoding the genomes of ten hornwort species, representing all known families within this unique plant group,” said Peter Schafran, a postdoctoral scientist at the Boyce Thompson Institute ...