The press release
archive.

Medicine13 Nov 2024

Potential single-dose smallpox and mpox vaccine moves forward

Highlights: An FDA-approved vaccine for smallpox and mpox is effective but causes side effects. The other requires multiple doses. An experimental single-dose vaccine uses the horsepox virus to harness the benefits of both strategies. Previous studies suggest that inoculation with horsepox elicits an antibody response to mpox and provides 100% protection in animal models. New data show that the horsepox virus is significantly more attenuated, or weakened, compared to the virus used in the FDA-approved live virus vaccine. Washington, D.C.—Vaccines that prevent smallpox and mpox come in 2 varieties. One uses a single shot of a live virus but ...

Read the release

Medicine13 Nov 2024

Mass General Brigham Gene and Cell Therapy Institute names Spark Grant recipients

The Mass General Brigham Gene and Cell Therapy Institute, a hub of innovation dedicated to accelerating groundbreaking research, conducting clinical trials and developing FDA-approved treatments, today announced four winning project groups, consisting of seven individuals, of its second annual Spark Grant program. The program was created to fund gene and cell therapy projects by Mass General Brigham investigators that demonstrate tangible advancements towards clinical applications and commercialization outcomes, including licensing, partnerships, or new company creation. A total of $1,150,000 ...

Read the release

Medicine13 Nov 2024

New discovery may lead to more effective treatment for cardiovascular disease

CLEVELAND—Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have identified a new target to treat atherosclerosis, a condition where plaque clogs arteries and causes major cardiac issues, including stroke and heart attack. In a new study, published in the journal Cell Reports, they identified an inflammation-reducing molecule—called itaconate (ITA)—that could be the foundation of a new approach to treat such a common and deadly disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for ...

Read the release

Technology13 Nov 2024

Developing advanced recycling technology to restore spent battery cathode materials

A research team led by Dr. Jung-Je Woo at the Gwangju Clean Energy Research Center of the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) has successfully developed a cost-effective and eco-friendly technology for recycling cathode materials* from spent lithium-ion batteries. *Cathode Materials: Materials that play a crucial role in generating electricity by storing and releasing lithium ions during battery charging and discharging. With the recent rise in electric vehicles and mobile devices, managing spent batteries has become a critical global challenge. By 2040, the number of decommissioned electric vehicles is expected to exceed 40 million*, leading ...

Read the release

Medicine13 Nov 2024

An advance toward inhalable mRNA medications, vaccines

Most people don’t enjoy getting shots for treatments or vaccines. So, researchers are working to create more medicines, such as those made from messenger RNA (mRNA), that can be sprayed and inhaled. A study in the Journal of the American Chemical Society reports steps toward making inhalable mRNA medicines a possibility. Researchers outline their improved lipid-polymer nanoparticle for holding mRNA that is stable when nebulized and successfully delivers aerosols (liquid droplets) in mice’s lungs. mRNA ...

Read the release

Technology13 Nov 2024

A step toward safer X-rays with new detector technology

X-rays are a common component of diagnostic testing and industrial monitoring, used for everything from monitoring your teeth to scanning your suitcase at the airport. But the high-energy rays also produce ionizing radiation, which can be dangerous after prolonged or excessive exposures. Now, researchers publishing in ACS Central Science have taken a step toward safer X-rays by creating a highly sensitive and foldable detector that produces good quality images with smaller dosages of the rays. “This advancement reduces detection limits and paves the way for safer and more energy-efficient medical imaging and industrial monitoring,” says Omar F. Mohammed, ...

Read the release

Medicine13 Nov 2024

On the origin of life: How the first cell membranes came to exist

Few questions have captivated humankind more than the origin of life on Earth. How did the first living cells come to exist? How did these early protocells develop the structural membranes necessary for cells to thrive and assemble into complex organisms? New research from the lab of University of California San Diego Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Neal Devaraj has uncovered a plausible explanation involving the reaction between two simple molecules. This work appears in Nature Chemistry. Life on Earth ...

Read the release

Science13 Nov 2024

New evidence-based information from NCCN offers tangible and moral support for people trying to quit smoking

PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA [November 13, 2024] — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®)—an alliance of leading cancer centers—today announced the publication of a new patient guideline designed to provide critical support and guidance for individuals with cancer who are seeking to quit smoking. Continued smoking elevates the risk of developing additional cancers, reduces the effectiveness of treatment, exacerbates treatment side effects, and is associated with shorter survival. The new NCCN Guidelines for Patients®: Quitting Smoking explains how to best use the tools that exist to help anyone quit ...

Read the release

Technology13 Nov 2024

Solving complex problems faster: Innovations in Ising machine technology

Computers are essential for solving complex problems in fields, like scheduling, logistics, and route planning, but traditional computers struggle with large-scale combinatorial optimization, as they can’t efficiently process vast numbers of possibilities. To address this, researchers have explored specialized systems. One such system is the Hopfield network, a significant artificial intelligence breakthrough from 1982, proven in 1985 to solve combinatorial optimization by representing solutions as energy levels and naturally finding the lowest energy, or optimal, solution. ...

Read the release

Medicine13 Nov 2024

Grief-specific cognitive behavioral therapy vs present-centered therapy

About The Study: This randomized clinical trial demonstrates that cognitive behavioral therapy for prolonged grief was superior to present-centered therapy after treatment and at follow-up with regard to comorbid symptoms. Both treatments were shown to be effective and acceptable, showing the potential for dissemination and increasing patient choice. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Rita Rosner, PhD, email rita.rosner@ku.de. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website ...

Read the release

Medicine13 Nov 2024

New species discovered with refined DNA technology

Sometimes plants are so similar to each other that the methods developed by 18th century scientist Carl Linnaeus for identifying species are not enough. In a thesis from the University of Gothenburg, completely new species of daisies have been discovered when analysed using modern DNA technology. There are currently estimated to be around 8.7 million different species on Earth, of which around 2.2 million are found in the oceans. Many species can be identified in the classical way, by their physical characteristics, the morphology. For over a decade, botanists and zoologists have also been using DNA sequencing to more accurately identify species. ...

Read the release

Medicine13 Nov 2024

C-PATH announces Gender Equitable Medicines for Parkinson's Disease (GEM-PD) initiative

INFORMATION EMBARGOED UNTIL WEDNESDAY, NOV. 13, 2024, 7 a.m. ET C-Path Announces Gender Equitable Medicines for Parkinson's Disease (GEM-PD) Initiative C-Path expands its worldwide leadership in accelerating drug development in neurology; seeks additional collaborators to broaden impact. TUCSON, Ariz., November 13, 2024 — Critical Path Institute (C-Path) today announced a landmark initiative, Gender Equitable Medicines for Parkinson's Disease (GEM-PD), dedicated to globally ...

Read the release

Environment13 Nov 2024

Faster flowing glaciers could help predict nearby volcanic activity

Glaciers that are within three miles of a volcano move nearly 50% quicker than average, a new study has found, which could help create early warning of future eruptions. In a new article published in Communications Earth & Environment today, researchers from the University of Aberdeen, University of Birmingham and Manchester Metropolitan University analysed velocity data from 85% of the world’s approximately 217,000 glaciers. After controlling for factors such as climate, ice thickness and surface slope, the team found that glaciers near active volcanoes typically flowed 46% faster than other glaciers. Glaciers ...

Read the release

Engineering13 Nov 2024

MIT engineers make converting CO2 into useful products more practical

As the world struggles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, researchers are seeking practical, economical ways to capture carbon dioxide and convert it into useful products, such as transportation fuels, chemical feedstocks, or even building materials. But so far, such attempts have struggled to reach economic viability. New research by engineers at MIT could lead to rapid improvements in a variety of electrochemical systems that are under development to convert carbon dioxide into a valuable commodity. ...

Read the release

Medicine13 Nov 2024

Primary care professionals key to helping people achieve & maintain heart health

Statement Highlights: A new scientific statement outlines the role of primary care professionals in helping their patients achieve Life’s Essential 8, the key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health defined by the American Heart Association. The new statement highlights how primary care clinicians can help patients follow and maintain the Association’s Life’s Essential 8 health metrics for optimal cardiovascular health, which includes four health behaviors (diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure and sleep) and four health ...

Read the release

Medicine13 Nov 2024

Early detection, intensive treatment critical for high-risk patients with Kawasaki Disease

Embargoed until 4:00 a.m. CT/5:00 a.m. ET Wed., Nov. 13, 2024 DALLAS, Nov. 13, 2024 — Advances in cardiac imaging techniques and risk categorization have led to improvements in diagnosis, initial treatment and long-term management of patients with Kawasaki Disease, according to a new scientific statement published today in the American Heart Association’s flagship, peer-reviewed journal Circulation. The new statement, “Update on Diagnosis and Management of Kawasaki Disease,” summarizes the data published since the 2017 American Heart Association Scientific Statement ...

Read the release

Engineering13 Nov 2024

A phase-transformable membrane for efficient gas separation could revolutionize industrial applications

Industrial gas separation, essential for clean energy and environmental protection, demands efficiency and adaptability. Current materials, however, lack the flexibility to selectively separate gases like carbon dioxide (CO₂) and hydrogen (H₂) while remaining energy-efficient. Researchers at the Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (WPI-iCeMS) at Kyoto University and the Department of Chemical Engineering at National Taiwan University have developed a phase-transformable membrane that could meet these needs. This innovative membrane design relies on a unique combination of metal-organic polyhedra (MOP) with polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains. “Traditional ...

Read the release

Medicine13 Nov 2024

From camera to lab: Dr. Etienne Sibille transforms brain aging and depression research

Toronto, Canada, November 13, 2024 - In science, the most fascinating breakthroughs often come from unexpected places. For Dr. Etienne Sibille, professor at the University of Toronto, and director of the Neurobiology of Depression and Aging program at CAMH, and co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Damona Pharmaceuticals, the path to revolutionizing mental health treatment began not in a laboratory, but through a camera lens in New York City. "I grew up in France and went to medical school, but it was not for me. I was too restless and moved to ...

Read the release

Social Science13 Nov 2024

Depression rates in LGBTQIA+ students are three times higher than their peers, new research suggests

The findings, which were published in the Journal of American College Health, uncover an alarming rise in depression rates among all higher education students in the United States, but especially among sexual and gender minorities. This population includes those who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual (LGBTQIA+), non-binary or gender non-conforming, and other identities. “This study highlights the critical need for targeted interventions to support the mental health and well-being ...

Read the release

Science13 Nov 2024

Most parents don’t ask about firearms in the homes their kids visit

Over 60 percent of Illinois parents had never asked another parent about an unlocked firearm in their home before allowing their child to visit for a playdate, according to a survey from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago published in Pediatrics. Many parents reported they had not asked about firearms because it never occurred to them to do so, which highlights a critical need to raise awareness of this important safety concern. Among children 0-14 years old, almost 20 percent of unintentional firearm-related deaths occur at a friend’s home. ...

Read the release

Medicine13 Nov 2024

Beer-only drinkers’ diets are worse than wine drinkers

SAN DIEGO, California (Nov. 13, 2024) — Beer drinkers have lower-quality diets, are less active, and are more likely to smoke cigarettes than people who drink wine, liquor, or a combination, according to a study scheduled for presentation at The Liver Meeting, held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. “Alcohol overuse is the leading cause of cirrhosis in the U.S., and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is rapidly increasing,” said Madeline Novack, chief resident at Tulane School of Medicine’s internal medicine residency program and lead author of the study. “Both ...

Read the release

Medicine13 Nov 2024

Eco-friendly biomass pretreatment method yields efficient biofuels and adsorbents

As global demand for sustainable energy solutions increases, bioethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass is gaining traction. However, traditional methods face limitations due to high processing costs and waste issues. A recent study led by Xinchuan Yuan, published in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, presents an innovative biomass pretreatment method that not only improves bioethanol production efficiency but also utilizes biomass residues as bio-adsorbents for wastewater treatment, potentially transforming the industry. Producing ...

Read the release

Science13 Nov 2024

How graph convolutions amplify popularity bias for recommendation?

Graph convolutional networks (GCNs) have become prevalent in recommender system (RS) due to their superiority in modeling collaborative patterns. Although improving the overall accuracy, GCNs unfortunately amplify popularity bias --- tail items are less likely to be recommended. This effect prevents the GCN-based RS from making precise and fair recommendations, decreasing the effectiveness of recommender systems in the long run. Performance change of LightGCN with different graph convolution layers on Gowalla. Recall@20 and TR@20 ...

Read the release

Medicine13 Nov 2024

New lignin-based hydrogel breakthrough for wound healing and controlled drug release

As the demand for advanced wound healing and drug delivery materials grows, scientists are turning to sustainable, bioactive materials for innovative solutions. A recent study by Bowei Wang et al., published in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, presents a breakthrough in lignin-based hydrogels designed to combine mechanical strength with bioactivity. This research reveals a controlled-release polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and chitosan (CS) hydrogel, augmented with sulfonated lignin, which could revolutionize the treatment of complex wounds and enable sustained drug ...

Read the release

Engineering13 Nov 2024

Enhancing compatibility and biodegradability of PLA/biomass composites via forest residue torrefaction

With an increasing focus on environmental sustainability, researchers are seeking ways to improve the biodegradability and mechanical properties of bioplastics, particularly polylactic acid (PLA). A recent study by June-Ho Choi and colleagues, published in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, presents a promising approach that enhances the compatibility and decomposition of PLA when combined with biomass through a process called torrefaction. This innovation offers practical improvements for sustainable material applications, positioning PLA as a viable, eco-friendly alternative in various industries. PLA, ...

Read the release