COLUMBUS, Ohio – An international team of researchers has made new observations of an unusual supernova, finding the most metal-poor stellar explosion ever observed.  This rare supernova, called 2023ufx, originated from the core collapse of a red supergiant star, exploded on the outskirts of a nearby dwarf galaxy. Results of the study showed that observations of both this supernova and the galaxy it was discovered in are of low metallicity, meaning they lack an abundance of elements heavier than hydrogen or helium. Since the metals produced within supernovae ...

About The Study: The findings of this study suggest that women who experience severe maternal morbidity in their first birth are less likely to have a subsequent birth. Adequate reproductive counseling and enhancing antenatal care are crucial for women with a history of severe maternal morbidity. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Eleni Tsamantioti, MD, MMedSc, email eleni.tsamantioti@ki.se. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jama.2024.20957) Editor’s ...

Armenians, a population in Western Asia historically inhabiting the Armenian highlands, were long believed to be descendants of Phrygian settlers from the Balkans. This theory originated largely from the accounts of the Greek historian Herodotus, who observed that Armenians were armed in Phrygian fashion when serving in the Persian army. Linguists further supported this theory, suggesting that the Armenian language shares ties with the Thraco-Phrygian subgroup of Indo-European languages. But the first whole-genome study is challenging this long-held belief, revealing no significant genetic link between ...

Women who suffer severe complications during their first pregnancy or delivery are less inclined to have more babies, a study published in JAMA by researchers at Karolinska Institutet reports. Given the recent steady decline in birth rate in Sweden, the researchers propose monitoring in antenatal care to address the problem. “The clinical monitoring of these women is essential, and they need individualised advice on possible future pregnancies,” says the study’s first author Eleni Tsamantioti, doctoral student at the Department of Medicine in Solna, Karolinska Institutet. Birth rates and fertility have both been in steady decline ...

CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina—Colorectal cancer screening is an effective tool for catching the disease early when it's most treatable, yet it is underutilized in patient populations who receive primary care at federally qualified health centers (FQHC). A new study by researchers at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center demonstrated that a targeted intervention can substantially increase screening rates in patients who are not current with recommended screening.  The researchers report in JAMA Network Open that mailing at-home ...

About The Study: No unexpected reactions were identified in this analysis of reactions to COVID-19 vaccines among children. Similar to this study, data from clinical trials and V-safe found that irritability was the most common systemic reaction among children ages 6 months to younger than 2 years, followed by fever and fatigue or sleepiness. In contrast to other studies observing a higher prevalence of reactions after the second COVID-19 vaccine dose, this study observed a higher prevalence after the first dose. This difference may reflect maternal vaccination; the ...

About The Study: This study estimates that approximately one-third of U.S. adults without diabetes who were eligible for weight loss treatment with glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GLP-1/GIP) were excluded from clinical trials supporting these medications’ safety and effectiveness. Until there is evidence from high-quality postmarketing studies, the FDA should consider updating labeling to advise caution on generalizing the safety and effectiveness of GLP-1 and GLP-1/GIP to populations excluded from pivotal trials. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Timothy S. Anderson, MD, MAS, email tsander@pitt.edu. To ...

About The Study: In this cohort study, after adjusting for measured confounders, long-term exposure to wildfire and non-wildfire fine particulate matter (PM2.5) over a 3-year period was associated with dementia diagnoses. As the climate changes, interventions focused on reducing wildfire PM2.5 exposure may reduce dementia diagnoses and related inequities. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Joan A. Casey, PhD, email jacasey@uw.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For ...

Researchers from the National Institute of Health Data Science at Peking University have conducted a comprehensive review of the health impacts of China's carbon mitigation strategies. Published in Health Data Science, this review emphasizes the significant health co-benefits of environmental policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in China, the world's largest carbon emitter. These benefits include reducing deaths and diseases related to air pollution, particularly from PM2.5 and ozone (O3), as well as mitigating climate-related ...

A team from the Champalimaud Foundation (CF) has pinpointed a critical neural circuit for sexual rejection, identifying a set of brain cells that play a crucial role in determining whether a female accepts or rejects mating attempts based on her reproductive cycle. Their findings, published today in Neuron, deepen our understanding of how the brain regulates social and reproductive behaviours. Female mammals, such as rodents, accept mating attempts only during their fertile phase, and actively reject males outside this period. While the brain areas controlling sexual receptivity are well-studied, the mechanisms behind active rejection ...

A wearable electrical nerve stimulation device can provide relief to people experiencing the persistent pain and fatigue linked to long COVID, a study co-led by UCLA and Baylor College of Medicine researchers suggests. Long-COVID, a complex and lingering condition following COVID-19 recovery, affects approximately 1 in 13 adults in the U.S. Symptoms such as widespread pain, fatigue, and muscle weakness often continue to disrupt daily activities, including walking and basic tasks. The study, published in the peer-reviewed Nature Scientific Reports, focused on a wearable Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation ...

ARLINGTON, Va., November 25, 2024 — The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) issued today an updated clinical guideline for physicians who use radiation therapy to treat patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. This update incorporates new data on patient selection and best practices from several practice-changing clinical trials published since the prior guideline was issued in 2020. The updated ASTRO guideline is published in Practical Radiation Oncology. Colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths for Americans aged 20 to 49 and the second most common cause of cancer-related death overall. In the U.S., the incidence of early ...

See accompanying video here:  https://youtu.be/o-opCV6oe3o New York, NY [November 25, 2024]—Today, the Mount Sinai Health System, one of New York City’s largest academic medical systems, announced the opening of the Hamilton and Amabel James Center for Artificial Intelligence and Human Health, which is dedicated to enhancing health care delivery through the research, development, and application of innovative artificial intelligence (AI) tools and technologies. The state-of-the-art research center solidifies ...

East Hanover, NJ – November 25, 2024 – Kessler Foundation researchers have developed robust measures of neighborhood economic factors to study how social determinants influence health outcomes after spinal cord injury (SCI). The study reveals that individuals in disadvantaged neighborhoods face higher risks of poor health, emphasizing the need for public policy to address environmental inequities. Research scientists developed and validated two composite measures – neighborhood socioeconomic ...

CLEVELAND—Bacterial vaginosis (BV), the most prevalent condition affecting the female reproductive system in women aged 15 to 44, is linked to such serious health risks as preterm birth, gynecological malignancies and sexually transmitted diseases. But effective long-term treatments for BV are limited: More than half experience a recurrence within six months, according to several studies. With a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine will study the dynamics of BV in hopes of identifying a more effective approach. “We hope to gain insights into promoting ...

In a sense, each of us begins life ready for action. Many animals perform amazing feats soon after they’re born. Spiders spin webs. Whales swim. But where do these innate abilities come from? Obviously, the brain plays a key role as it contains the trillions of neural connections needed to control complex behaviors. However, the genome has space for only a small fraction of that information. This paradox has stumped scientists for decades. Now, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Professors Anthony Zador and Alexei Koulakov have devised a potential solution using artificial intelligence. When Zador first encounters this problem, he puts a ...

Not all plastics are equal — some types and colors are easier to recycle than others. For instance, black foam and black coffee lids, which are often made of polystyrene, usually end up in landfills because color additives lead to ineffective sorting. Now, researchers report in ACS Central Science the ability to leverage one additive in black plastics, with the help of sunlight or white LEDs, to convert black and colored polystyrene waste into reusable starting materials. “Simple, visible light irradiation holds the potential to ...

Researchers explored protective coatings on advanced to resist corrosion in fusion reactors. They tested α-Al2O3 oxide layers on ODS alloys in a high-temperature, flowing lithium-lead environment. Even bare ODS alloys formed a durable γ-LiAlO2 layer in situ, which suppressed further corrosion. The layers exhibited strong adhesion under mechanical stress, making these findings crucial for improving material durability in fusion reactors and high-temperature energy systems. Fusion reactors, a promising source of sustainable energy, require advanced materials that can withstand extreme temperatures and corrosive environments ...

Mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome (MTDPS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by a marked decrease in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). This condition can cause symptoms including muscle weakness, fatigue, and neurological issues, particularly affecting the liver and brain in cases of hepatocerebral MTDPS. Mitochondrial diseases, which represent some of the most common types of metabolic disorders, can result in the failure of multiple organ systems. Currently, over 400 genes linked to these diseases have been identified. Notably, many of these genes are associated with the mitochondrial contact site and cristae ...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly useful for the prediction of emergency events such as heart attacks, natural disasters, and pipeline failures. This requires state-of-the-art technologies that can rapidly process data. In this regard, reservoir computing, specially designed for time-series data processing with low power consumption, is a promising option. It can be implemented in various frameworks, among which physical reservoir computing (PRC) is the most popular. PRC with optoelectronic artificial synapses (junction structures that permit a nerve cell to transmit an electrical or chemical signal to another cell) that mimic human ...

When bats can’t hear, new research finds that these hearing-dependent animals employ a remarkable compensation strategy. They adapt immediately and robustly, suggesting for the first time that bats’ brains are hard-wired with an ability to launch a Plan B in times of diminished hearing. The Johns Hopkins University work, newly published in Current Biology, raises questions about whether other animals and even humans might be capable of such deft accommodations. “Bats have this amazing flexible adaptive behavior that they can employ anytime,” said senior author ...

CHICAGO – Levothyroxine, the second most commonly prescribed medication among older adults in the U.S., may be associated with bone loss, according to a study being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Levothyroxine, marketed under multiple brand names including Synthroid, is a synthetic version of a hormone called thyroxine and is commonly prescribed to treat the condition hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid. In people with hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroxine on its own, often resulting in fatigue, weight gain, hair loss and other symptoms. If left untreated, hypothyroidism ...

CHICAGO – Researchers have identified acute effects of cigarette and e-cigarette smoking on vascular function, even without nicotine. The results of the ongoing research are being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). E-cigarettes, also known as vapes, are battery-operated devices that heat a liquid to produce an aerosol, which is then inhaled into the lungs. Vapes contain significantly fewer chemicals and toxins than are found in tobacco smoke. As a result, e-cigarettes are believed by many to be less harmful than cigarette smoking. Vapes also come in various flavors, making them popular among young people. “E-cigarettes ...

Researchers at the University of Lausanne have identified a novel role for the brain’s ‘locus coeruleus’ in sleep and its disruptions. This brain region facilitates the transition between NREM and REM sleep states while maintaining an unconscious vigilance toward the external world. Stress disrupts its functions and negatively impacts on sleep quality. Sleep disorders affect an increasing number of people, with potentially serious consequences for their health. Mammalian sleep consists of cycles between two states: non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and rapid eye ...

New York, NY [November 25, 2024]—Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have developed an innovative approach—demonstrated in mouse models and isolated human brain tissue—to safely and effectively deliver therapeutics into the brain, providing new possibilities for treating a wide range of neurological and psychiatric diseases. Published in the November 25 online issue of Nature Biotechnology [https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-024-02487-7], the study introduces a first-of-its-kind blood-brain barrier-crossing conjugate (BCC) system, designed to overcome the protective barrier that typically blocks large biomolecules from ...