UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Predicting the trajectory of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders like autism or schizophrenia is difficult because they can be influenced by many different genetic and environmental factors. A new study, led by Penn State researchers, demonstrates that evaluating parents for their manifestation of traits of these disorders — and related diseases like depression and anxiety — may provide a more accurate method of predicting the prevalence, and potentially severity, of the disorders in affected children than screening for genetic variants alone. This is likely due, at least in part, to genetic variants the parents transmit to the ...

Birmingham, AL (February 7, 2024) – Today, a team of scientists is pleased to announce the discovery of a new fossil shark species from Alabama, USA. The team is led by Jun Ebersole, Director of Collections, McWane Science Center, Birmingham, AL, David Cicimurri, Curator of Natural History, South Carolina State Museum in Columbia, and T. Lynn Harrell, Jr., Paleontologist and Fossil Collections Curator at the Geological Survey of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The shark is a new species of Palaeohypotodus (pronounced pale-ee-oh-hype-oh-toe-duss), which means “ancient small-eared tooth,” in reference to the small needle-like fangs present on the sides of the teeth. It has ...

About The Study: In patients presenting at thrombectomy-capable stroke centers, the benefit associated with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) plus thrombectomy versus thrombectomy alone was time dependent and statistically significant only if the time from symptom onset to expected administration of IVT was short in this individual participant data meta-analysis (n = 2,313) of six randomized clinical trials.  Authors: Johannes Kaesmacher, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Bern in Bern, Switzerland, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 7, 2024 Contact: Jillian McKoy, jpmckoy@bu.edu Michael Saunders, msaunder@bu.edu ## Many Hookah Manufacturers Have Not Complied with FDA-Mandated Nicotine Warning Labels Only half of the hookah packages assessed in a new study included the required nicotine warnings, two years after this federal regulation was implemented to alert consumers about the health risks of nicotine addiction. Since August 2018, the US Food & Drug Administration has mandated that all hookah (also known as waterpipe tobacco or shisha) manufacturers include a nicotine warning ...

About The Study: In this exploratory analysis of a randomized clinical trial of 336 patients with extensive ischemic stroke, endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) improved clinical outcomes across a wide spectrum of infarct volumes, although enrollment of patients with minimal penumbra volume was low. In EVT-treated patients, clinical outcomes worsened as presenting ischemic injury estimates increased.  Authors: Amrou Sarraj, M.D., of University Hospital Cleveland Medical Center—Case Western ...

About The Study: In patients with cryptogenic stroke and evidence of atrial cardiopathy without atrial fibrillation, oral anticoagulant therapy with apixaban did not significantly reduce recurrent stroke risk compared with aspirin in this randomized clinical trial that included 1,015 participants.  Authors: Hooman Kamel, M.D., of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, 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/jama.2023.27188) Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions ...

HOUSTON ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights showcases the latest breakthroughs in cancer care, research and prevention. These advances are made possible through seamless collaboration between MD Anderson’s world-leading clinicians and scientists, bringing discoveries from the lab to the clinic and back. Recent developments at MD Anderson include a combination treatment for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the discovery of a molecular driver in metastatic breast cancer, an oral combination therapy for high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), a novel method to mechanically destroy ...

Smart accessories are increasingly common. Rings and watches track vitals, while Ray-Bans now come with cameras and microphones. Wearable tech has even broached brooches. Yet certain accessories have yet to get the smart touch. University of Washington researchers introduced the Thermal Earring, a wireless wearable that continuously monitors a user’s earlobe temperature. In a study of six users, the earring outperformed a smartwatch at sensing skin temperature during periods of rest. It also showed promise for monitoring signs of stress, eating, exercise and ovulation. The smart earring prototype is about ...

A research team led by Professors PAN Jianwei, YAO Xingcan, and CHEN Yu'ao from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have for the first time observed and quantitatively characterized the many-body pairing pseudogap in unitary Fermi gases. This achievement, pursued by the ultracold atomic community for nearly two decades, resolves longstanding debates regarding the existence of a pairing pseudogap in these gases. It also supports ...

New gene mapping technique reveals how genetic alterations in cells lining blood vessels contribute to coronary artery disease, with implications for diagnostic and treatment strategies. KEY TAKEAWAYS Researchers from the Brigham, the Broad Institute, and Stanford Medicine studied how "deleting" individual genes associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) impacted the expression of all the other genes in a cell to better understand underlying biology of CAD. The study focused on endothelial cells, which line blood vessels and are increasingly understood to influence CAD risk. The researchers highlighted a previously unrecognized role for the TLNRD1 gene ...

Next-generation electric vehicles could run on lithium metal batteries that go 500 to 700 miles on a single charge, twice the range of conventional lithium-ion batteries in EVs today. But lithium metal technology has serious drawbacks: The battery rapidly loses its capacity to store energy after relatively few cycles of charging and discharging – highly impractical for drivers who expect rechargeable electric cars to operate for years. Scientists have been testing a variety of new materials and techniques to improve the battery’s cycle life. Now, Stanford University researchers have discovered a low-cost solution: simply drain the battery and let it rest for several hours. ...

About The Study: The findings of this study including 22,000 surgical cases suggest that machine learning models can inform about individual prognosis and aid in surgical decision-making to ultimately reduce ineffective and costly spine care. Authors: Bjørnar Berg, Ph.D., of Oslo Metropolitan University in Oslo, 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.2023.55024) Editor’s ...

Current immunotherapies work only against cancers of the blood and bone marrow T cells engineered by Northwestern and UCSF were able to kill tumors derived from skin, lung and stomach in mice Cell therapies can provide long-term immunity against cancer CHICAGO --- Scientists at the UC San Francisco (UCSF) and Northwestern Medicine may have found a way around the limitations of engineered T cells by borrowing a few tricks from cancer itself.  By studying mutations in malignant T cells that cause lymphoma, they zeroed in on one that imparted ...

About The Study: In this study of more than 1 million patients with stroke, the Target: Stroke quality initiative was associated with improvement in thrombolysis frequency, timeliness, and outcomes for all racial and ethnic groups. However, disparities persisted, indicating a need for further interventions. Authors: Gregg C. Fonarow, M.D., of the University of California, Los Angeles, is the corresponding author.  To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link ...

In a recent study of the brain’s waste drainage system, researchers from Washington University in St. Louis, collaborating with investigators at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a part of the National Institute of Health (NIH), discovered a direct connection between the brain and its tough protective covering, the dura mater. These links may allow waste fluid to leave the brain while also exposing the brain to immune cells and other signals coming from the dura. This challenges the conventional wisdom which has suggested that the brain is cut off from its ...

Chronic stress has far-reaching consequences for our bodies. For example, many stress-related psychiatric illnesses such as depression are associated with changes in the immune system. However, the underlying mechanisms of how these changes affect the brain are still largely unknown. Enzyme from immune cells in the blood affects nerves in the brain An international research team led by the University of Zurich (UZH), and the University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich (PUK) and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, has now uncovered a novel mechanism. “We were able to show that ...

Hidden beneath the heavily cratered surface of Mimas, one of Saturn's smallest moons, lies a secret: a global ocean of liquid water. This astonishing discovery, led by Dr. Valéry Lainey of the Observatoire de Paris-PSL and published in the journal Nature, reveals a "young" ocean formed just 5 to 15 million years ago, making Mimas a prime target for studying the origins of life in our Solar System.  “Mimas is a small moon, only about 400 kilometers in diameter, and its heavily cratered surface gave no hint of the hidden ocean beneath," says Dr Nick Cooper, ...

An international research group has discovered a new state of matter characterized by the existence of a quantum phenomenon called chiral current. These currents are generated on an atomic scale by a cooperative movement of electrons, unlike conventional magnetic materials whose properties originate from the quantum characteristic of an electron known as spin and their ordering in the crystal. Chirality is a property of extreme importance in science, for example, it is fundamental also to understand DNA. ...

In a new study, Tokyo Medical and Dental University researchers shed light on partial endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition in the tumor microenvironment Tokyo, Japan - Endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT, also termed as EndMT), a biological process resulting in the formation of mesenchymal (or lineage-committed) phenotypes from endothelial cells (lining blood vessels), plays a crucial role in tumor progression. Despite the important role of EndoMT, the underlying mechanism and characteristics of cells in intermediate/partial EndoMT remain largely unexplored. Now, researchers from Japan have developed a system to study these EndoMT stages.  In ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – After serving decades in prison, Rwandans convicted of crimes of genocide returned to their communities articulating a “narrative of redemption,” saying they were good people, despite their past crimes.   And they were hopeful about their prospects for reintegrating into their communities.   Many of these former prisoners had been convicted of murder, often of their own neighbors, connected to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. But they said they had changed – even while minimizing their role in the killings.   In ...

Fukuoka, Japan—Researchers at Kyushu University have found that Japan's current policy of stopping the sale of gas vehicles by 2035 and transitioning only to hybrids and electric vehicles may be insufficient to reduce the country's CO2 emissions and prevent it from reaching its decarbonization target goals. In fact, emissions may temporarily increase. The team's analysis showed that along with the policy, the Japanese government must simultaneously work to increase production of clean ...

The European project entitled “Bone, Brain, Breast and Axillary Medical Microwave Imaging Twinning (3BAtwin)” has been awarded with €1.5M to reinforce our training on Medical Microwave Imaging (MMWI). The project is led by the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (Ciências ULisboa) (Portugal), in collaboration with University of Galway (Ireland) and Turin Polytechnic University (Italy). The goal of this twinning project is to accelerate the transition of Medical Microwave Imaging “from the research bench ...

PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA [February 7, 2024] — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®)—an alliance of leading cancer centers—today published its first ever set of treatment recommendations pertaining to neuroblastoma. Neuroblastoma is a type of solid tumor cancer that typically occurs in early childhood, with the majority diagnosed before age five.[1] Neuroblastoma is the most common type of solid tumor (outside of brain tumors) in children, with more than 700 cases diagnosed in the United States every year.[2] Research innovations ...

Highlights: Alterations in gut microbiota may influence immune system changes during pregnancy. However, the connection isn’t well known. Researchers in China analyzed gut microbiota, metabolites and cytokines in healthy pregnant and non-pregnant young women. The new study identifies numerous pathways by which the gut microbiome may change the immune system. Washington, D.C.—During pregnancy, a woman’s immune system changes dramatically but researchers don’t yet understand all the underlying mechanisms. A new study shows how the gut microbiota may play a role. In a paper published this week in mSystems, researchers in China report that during pregnancy, ...

Highlights: Wastewater, even when treated, can deliver antimicrobial resistance genes to rivers. Further research is needed on if rivers function as a protective barrier. Researchers subjected biofilms from pristine rivers to wastewater. Antibiotic resistant bacteria from wastewater successfully integrated at first, but in the warmest water were edged out by naturally occurring microbes. The study suggests that temperature can influence the microbial competition in rivers. Washington, D.C.—Antimicrobial resistant genes (ARGs) from wastewater can end up in natural biofilms in rivers, but they may not stick around very long. This week in mSphere, ...