CLEVELAND—A groundbreaking study by researchers at Case Western Reserve University suggests a class of medications used to treat type 2 diabetes may also reduce the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). The findings, published today (Dec. 7) in the journal JAMA Oncology, support the need for clinical trials to determine whether these medications could prevent one of the deadliest types of cancers. Eventually, the medications may also show promise in warding off other types of cancer associated with obesity and diabetes. “Our results clearly demonstrate ...

Rising global temperatures could lead to an increase in the nesting range of green turtles in the Mediterranean Sea, according to a modelling study published in Scientific Reports. Under the worst-case climate scenario, the nesting range could increase by over 60 percentage points, spreading west from the current area to include much of the North African, Italian, and Greek coastlines. Human-caused climate change has caused sea surface temperatures to increase globally, with severe impacts on some marine life. Sea turtles are potentially particularly susceptible, as the sex of their offspring is dependent on incubation temperature. Although previous research ...

About The Study: Clinical trial enrollment was lower among certain minoritized racial and ethnic groups in this study of 562,000 women with endometrial, ovarian, or cervical cancer. Continued efforts are needed to address disparate clinical trial enrollment among underrepresented groups.  Authors: Ashley S. Felix, Ph.D., of Ohio State University in Columbus, is the corresponding author.  To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/  (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.46494) Editor’s ...

About The Study: This study found that during 2016 to 2022, the rate and size of opioid prescriptions from U.S. surgeons declined, but these declines were slower after mid-2020 compared with before 2020. During the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid dispensing rate declined, potentially owing to decreased surgical volume, while opioid prescription size increased, potentially because surgeons wrote larger discharge prescriptions owing to barriers to obtaining refills. However, these changes were transient.  Authors: Kao-Ping ...

While regular screenings may decrease the chance of diagnosis of advanced breast cancer in some women and lead to a 20% reduction in breast cancer mortality, other women will be diagnosed with advanced breast cancer despite screening at regular intervals. The chances of being diagnosed with advanced breast cancer are higher among women who are Black or Hispanic/Latinx as well as women who are overweight and obese. In a study publishing December 7, 2023 in JAMA Oncology, UC San Francisco researchers found that regular screening is not always sufficient to prevent an advanced breast cancer diagnosis. To reduce the number of advanced cancer diagnoses, ...

Post-surgery pain relief has shifted away from opioid-containing medications over the past seven years, but the downward trend has slowed since 2020, a new study shows. Overall, the rate of surgery-related opioid prescriptions dropped by 36% from 2016 to the end of 2022, and the average amount of opioids in those prescriptions dropped by 46%, the study of pharmacy data finds. That combination of declines means that the total amount of opioids dispensed to surgical patients in late 2022 was 66% lower compared with early 2016, according to the findings published in JAMA Network Open by a team from the University of Michigan. But the rate of decline was much faster before the pandemic, ...

In June, temperatures in North China hit record breaking heights, with temperatures in Beijing reaching or exceeding 40℃ for three consecutive days. The intensity of such events has increased by at least 1.0℃ due to human-induced climate change.  Heatwaves like these will occur twice as likely even under proposed carbon neutral targets and will be 0.5℃ more intense.  Current emissions scenario will increase the probability of reoccurrence to over five times this century with a 2.9℃ rise in intensity.  A record-breaking heatwave occurred in North China in June, marking the ...

(Boston)—Depression and anxiety among people living with a cancer diagnosis is a growing clinical and research priority. However, the prevalence of mood disorders in those living with cancer varies due to a multitude of variables such as stage and type of cancer, treatment, age, race and ethnicity.   A new study by researchers at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine has found that Spanish-speaking patients undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer experienced higher distress levels at baseline compared to English-speakers and that this distress increased over ...

SPOKANE, Wash. – Families that participated in the WIC program—also known as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children—were much less likely to use potentially unsafe infant feeding practices during the 2022 U.S. infant formula shortage than income-eligible families that did not participate. Both WIC participants and non-participants reported being affected by the shortage at similar rates, according to a Washington State University study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and ...

Research reveals that around 20 per cent of all cases of the most severe form of breast cancer may arise from the small group of normal tissue cells carrying an epimutation of a specific gene.Research reveals that around 20 per cent of all cases of the most severe form of breast cancer may arise from the small group of normal tissue cells carrying an epimutation of a specific gene. Cancer is a major health challenge worldwide, affecting many lives. Despite progress in understanding its causes, most cancer forms, including breast cancer, continues to increase in ...

In a groundbreaking review titled "The Mechanism of Ferroptosis and its Related Diseases," Feng and his colleagues from the Department of Urology and the Institute of Urology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, and Cancer Center at West China Hospital, Sichuan University, have undertaken a comprehensive investigation of ferroptosis and its intricate relationships with various diseases. This review not only discusses the mechanisms of ferroptosis and its associations with diseases but also underscores the pivotal role of compounds in targeting this regulated cell death process for therapeutic applications. Ferroptosis, initially identified by Dr. Brent R. Stockwell in 2012, gained ...

WASHINGTON — Researchers have developed an X-ray imaging technique that can produce detailed images of living organisms with a much lower X-ray dose than previously possible. The advance enables small organisms or other sensitive samples to be studied at high resolution over much longer periods, which could reveal new insights into a variety of dynamic processes. The approach is based on phase contrast imaging, which relies not only on the absorption of X-rays in a sample, but also on the wave properties ...

SAN ANTONIO – Among patients with metastatic breast cancer, those who took part in a nine-month structured exercise program reported less fatigue and an improved quality of life compared to those who did not undergo the exercise program, according to results from the PREFERABLE-EFFECT trial presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held December 5-9, 2023. Breast cancer and its treatments can cause side effects, such as fatigue, nausea, pain, and shortness of breath, which can decrease a patient’s health-related quality of life (HR-QoL). For patients with metastatic ...

Using fertility preservation and/or assisted reproductive technologies (ART) did not adversely impact three-year cancer recurrence rates among patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer who paused endocrine therapy to become pregnant, according to results from the POSITIVE trial presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held December 5-9, 2023. “With the increasing age of childbearing, it is becoming more likely that women will be diagnosed with breast cancer before starting or completing their families,” said Hatem A. Azim Jr., MD, ...

SAN ANTONIO – Almost all postmenopausal patients aged 50-69 years with stage I hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer and low scores on a common genetic test who opted out of adjuvant radiotherapy were disease free five years after surgery, according to results from the IDEA clinical trial presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held December 5-9, 2023. Results were simultaneously published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Patients who are diagnosed with stage I HR-positive breast cancer typically undergo breast-conserving surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy and endocrine therapy to reduce ...

Researchers have developed an adaptable algorithm that could improve road safety by predicting when drivers are able to safely interact with in-vehicle systems or receive messages, such as traffic alerts, incoming calls or driving directions. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, working in partnership with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) used a combination of on-road experiments and machine learning as well as Bayesian filtering techniques to reliably and continuously measure driver ‘workload’. Driving in an unfamiliar area may translate ...

Washington, D.C.— A new study demonstrates that the human gut microbiome may be a factor in breast health. Lifestyle and diet have long been known to affect human health. In the study, flaxseed components called lignans were shown to influence the relationship between gut microorganisms and the expression of mammary gland microRNAs (miRNAs). A subset of these miRNAs regulates the genes involved in breast cancer, including genes that control cell proliferation and migration. The study was published in Microbiology Spectrum, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology. “The ...

KINGSTON, R.I. —Dec. 7, 2023—A new report that grades all the countries of the world on their respect for human rights paints a grim picture of human rights practices in the 21st century. Produced by the Global RIghts Project (GRIP), a research team based in the University of Rhode Island’s Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies, the report draws on a vast quantitative human rights dataset to grade each country’s human rights practices on a 100-point scale. The report found that 60% of the world’s countries get an ‘F’ (a ...

Multiple sclerosis (MS), an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, affects more than 1 million people in Europe and an estimated 2.8 million worldwide. MS is characterized by an inflammation-related loss and damage of the myelin layer in the brain and spinal cord, which insulates the nerves – potentially leading to serious consequences such as paralysis or severe visual impairment.   The cause of this damage is not known. Viral infections, particularly with the Epstein-Barr virus, have been suspected for years. However, ...

Designing new compounds or alloys whose surfaces can be used as catalysts in chemical reactions can be a complex process relying heavily on the intuition of experienced chemists. A team of researchers at MIT has devised a new approach using machine learning, that removes the need for intuition and provides more detailed information than conventional methods can practically achieve. For example, applying the new system to a material that has already been studied for 30 years by conventional means, the team found the compound’s surface could form two new atomic configurations that had not previously been identified, and that one other configuration ...

SYDNEY, Dec. 7, 2023 – Song mashups are a staple of many DJs, who mix the vocals and instrumentals from two or more tracks into a seamless blend, creating a new and exciting final product. While the result is fun to listen to, the creation process can often be challenging, requiring knowledge and expertise to select the right tracks and mash them together perfectly. Xinyang Wu from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology took a different approach, designing a computer algorithm to intelligently create mashups using the drum tracks from one song and the vocals and instrumentals from another. He will present his work Dec. 7 at 4:20 p.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Time, ...

Trees planted in urban areas can provide shade and contribute to a lower air temperature. For these services to be optimal, it is important to let asphalt give way to trees, according to research from the University of Gothenburg. The role of trees in the urban climate is an issue that has grown in importance in the wake of climate change, where average temperatures are expected to rise. Trees provide shade and lower the air temperature. To get most benefits from your trees, you need to give them the right conditions. “Our research shows that an important ...

Sleep is critical for daytime and neurocognitive functioning, as well as physical and mental health. When people work shifts – in 2015, 21% of workers in the European Union did – their circadian sleep-wake rhythms are commonly disrupted. Now, researchers in the Netherlands have investigated the relationship between different shift working patterns, sociodemographic factors, and sleep disorders. “We showed that compared to working regular shifts during daytime hours, working other shift types is associated with a ...

It sounds like something from a science fiction film. Assessing the best treatment for a patient with a cerebral infarction or cerebral haemorrhage by performing the procedure on their digital twin. If it's up to researchers at Amsterdam UMC, this will be reality in six years. They've received a Horizon grant worth 10 million euros from the European Commission to to lead 19 partners in making this a reality.  For years, researchers have been using computers to simulate card designs and airplane flights. Max Verstappen steps into a simulator before he enters his real Formula 1 car and Henk Marquering, Professor of Translational Artificial ...

Investments in Africa’s infrastructure can make people and communities far more resilient to the threats posed by climate change, a new report says. Traditionally, financiers and developers have focused on risks to infrastructure such as transport, water and energy systems when considering climate resilience (being able to cope with threats such as extreme heat and storms). However, a new report launched today at COP28 – produced by the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) and the University of Exeter – calls for an expanded focus.   Specifically, ...