Arlington, Va. — December 7, 2023 — A new study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC), based on a survey of healthcare professionals conducted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggests that new efforts may be needed to strengthen infection prevention precautions and protect staff members at the highest risk of exposure to dangerous pathogens. This is believed to be the first study of pandemic-era infection precautions to include a broad variety of healthcare jobs. Researchers found that workers who ...

Researchers at St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research (SVI) in Melbourne have shown that a commonly prescribed rheumatoid arthritis drug can suppress the progression of type 1 diabetes.   The world-first human trial, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine and led by SVI’s Professor Thomas Kay, showed that a drug called baricitinib can safely and effectively preserve the body’s own insulin production and suppress the progression of type 1 diabetes in people who initiated treatment within 100 days of diagnosis.     “When type 1 diabetes is first diagnosed there is a substantial ...

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), manufactured chemicals used in products such as food packaging and cosmetics, can lead to reproductive problems, increased cancer risk and other health issues. A growing body of research has also linked the chemicals to lower bone mineral density, which can lead to osteoporosis and other bone diseases. But most of those studies have focused on older, non-Hispanic white participants and only collected data at a single point in time. Now, researchers from the Keck School of Medicine ...

Baboons were raised in captivity before being mummified in Ancient Egyptian sites, according to a study published December 6, 2023 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Wim Van Neer of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Belgium and colleagues. For over a millennium, from the 9th Century BC to the 4th Century AD, ancient Egyptians venerated and mummified various animal species for religious purposes. Included among these animals were baboons, notably species not native to ancient Egypt, and not much is ...

Light therapy leads to significant improvements in sleep and psycho-behavioral symptoms for patients with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study published this week in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Qinghui Meng of Weifang Medical University, China, and colleagues. The cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease is often accompanied by sleep disturbances and psycho-behavioral symptoms including apathetic and depressive behavior, agitation and aggression. Photobiomodulation is a non-pharmacological therapy that uses light energy to stimulate the suprachiasmic nucleus (SCN), a sleep modulator in the brain. ...

In a new study of more than 50,000 Korean adolescents, those who used a smartphone for more than 4 hours per day had higher rates of adverse mental health and substance use. Jin-Hwa Moon and Jong Ho Cha of Hanyang University Medical Center, Korea, and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on December 6, 2023. Prior research has shown that smartphone use among adolescents has increased in recent years, and that this usage may be associated with higher risk of adverse health—such as psychiatric disorders, sleep issues, eye-related problems, and musculoskeletal disorders. However, growing evidence suggests that at least some daily internet usage ...

While Eurasian jays and New Caledonian crows can practice delayed gratification by waiting for access to higher-quality food, jays adjust this self-control behavior depending on the social context. The study by Dr. Rachael Miller at Anglia Ruskin University, UK, James Davies at the University of Cambridge, UK, and colleagues is publishing December 6 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE. Self-control helps animals to plan and achieve long-term goals. For example, the ability to resist a small, immediate reward and ...

A Southeast Asian sea cucumber species features bioactive compounds, including terpenoid glycosides and saponins which have reported anti-cancer benefits ### Article URL:  https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0294535 Article Title: Comprehensive metabolomics of Philippine Stichopus cf. horrens reveals diverse classes of valuable small molecules for biomedical applications Author Countries: Philippines Funding: ETY received funding for the study from the Department ...

Meat-free burgers could be made tastier, juicier and more digestible by protein-glutaminase treatment ### Article URL:  https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0294637 Article Title: Protein-glutaminase improves water-/oil-holding capacity and beany off-flavor profiles of plant-based meat analogs Author Countries: Japan Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work. END ...

Fear of falls is associated with less physical activity for people in their nineties, who averaged around 3,000 daily steps per activity tracker data ### Article URL:  https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0294817 Article Title: Accelerometer-measured physical activity and sedentary behavior in nonagenarians: Associations with self-reported physical activity, anthropometric, sociodemographic, health and cognitive characteristics Author Countries: Finland Funding: The NONAGINTA – Memory and Health in 90-year-olds – study was supported by the ...

A woman with hopes to conceive was diagnosed with severe vasospastic angina (VSA); however, she was able to carry a healthy baby to full term without angina attacks after starting treatment of a calcium channel blocker, according to a case published in a special Cardio-Obstetrics issue of JACC: Case Reports. Vasospastic angina is an abnormality of the coronary artery. It presents as chest pain that is caused by coronary artery spasm. It can result in recurrent episodes of angina, including at rest, and can progress into coronary microvascular ...

New research has found that two similar species of birds – both capable of displaying self-control through delayed gratification – behave very differently around their favourite food when they have company. Published in the journal PLOS ONE, the study was led by researchers from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in Cambridge, UK, and the University of Cambridge, who compared the behaviour of two species of corvids: Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius) and New Caledonian crows (Corvus moneduloides). Although both are highly intelligent birds ...

New research could one day pave the way for the treatment of vaginal yeast infections,  by shedding new light on how microbes in the body absorb zinc. Around three quarters of women develop vaginal yeast infections at least once in their lifetime, and approximately 140 million women globally suffer from recurrent infections. Recurrent yeast infections can have an enormous impact of quality of life. Existing anti-fungal treatments are not always effective and resistance against these treatments is developing. Thrush is caused by a yeast called Candida. There are a number of species of Candida, but the one that causes most ...

A protein in the immune system programmed to protect the body from fungal infections is also responsible for exacerbating the severity of certain autoimmune diseases such as irritable bowel disease (IBS), type 1 diabetes, eczema and other chronic disorders, new research from The Australian National University (ANU) has found.  The discovery could pave the way for new and more effective drugs, without the nasty side effects of existing treatments. In addition to helping to manage severe autoimmune conditions, the breakthrough could also help treat all types of cancer.   The scientists have discovered ...

December 6, 2023   UMass Amherst Researchers Develop Grassroots Framework for Managing Environmental Commons New tool relies on a foundation of local traditional ecological and social knowledge for more      just, sustainable and resilient conservation strategy AMHERST, Mass. – A team of sustainability scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently announced in the journal PLOS ONE that they have developed a community-based framework, founded on extensive local and traditional knowledge, to help assess and respond to the kinds of ecological threats ...

The ocean's capacity to store atmospheric carbon dioxide is some 20% greater than the estimates contained in the latest IPCC report1. These are the findings of a study to be published in the journal Nature on December 6, 2023, led by an international team including a biologist from the CNRS2. The scientists looked at the role played by plankton in the natural transport of carbon from surface waters down to the seabed. Plankton gobble up carbon dioxide and, as they grow, convert it into organic tissue via photosynthesis. When they die, part of ...

Researchers have discovered that misreading of therapeutic mRNAs by the cell’s decoding machinery can cause an unintended immune response in the body. They have identified the sequence within the mRNA that causes this to occur and found a way to prevent ‘off-target’ immune responses to enable the safer design of future mRNA therapeutics. mRNA - or ‘messenger ribonucleic acid’ - is the genetic material that tells cells in the body how to make a specific protein. Researchers from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Toxicology Unit have discovered that the cellular ...

Most neurodegenerative diseases, including dementias, involve proteins aggregating into filaments called amyloids. In most of these diseases, researchers have identified the proteins that aggregate, allowing them to target these proteins for diagnostic tests and treatments. But, in around 10% of cases of frontotemporal dementia, scientists had yet to identify the rogue protein. Now, scientists have pinpointed aggregated structures of the protein TAF15 in these cases. Frontotemporal dementia results from the degeneration of the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, which control emotions, personality and behaviour, as well speech and understanding of words. ...

Galactic winds enable the exchange of matter between galaxies and their surroundings. In this way, they limit the growth of galaxies, that is, their star formation rate. Although this had already been observed in the local universe, an international research team led by a CNRS scientist1 has just revealed—using MUSE,2 an instrument integrated into the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Very Large Telescope—the existence of the phenomenon in galaxies which are more than 7 billion years old and actively forming stars, the category to which most galaxies belong. The team’s ...

Brigham researchers found that individuals with darker skin tones and more severe acne were likely to face greater stigma  Researchers note the importance of treating acne as a medical problem and ensuring access to treatment    A new study highlights how stigmatizing attitudes about individuals with acne may influence social and professional perceptions. Led by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, the study ...

New York, NY (December 6, 2023)—Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified an allergy pathway that, when blocked, unleashes antitumor immunity in mouse models of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).   And in an early parallel study in humans, combining immunotherapy with dupilumab—an Interleukin-4 (IL-4) receptor-blocking antibody widely used for treating allergies and asthma—boosted patients' immune systems, with one out of the six experiencing significant tumor reduction.   The findings were ...

About The Study: In this cross-sectional analysis of the U.S. adult population, 63% of adults had adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The economic burden of ACE-related health conditions was substantial. The findings suggest that measuring the economic burden of ACEs can support decision-making about investing in strategies to improve population health.  Authors: Cora Peterson, Ph.D., of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, 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.2023.46323) Editor’s Note: Please ...

About The Study: This survey study with 1,357 respondents demonstrates that stigmatizing attitudes toward patients with acne existed across a variety of social and professional scenarios, with severe acne and acne in darker skin tone being associated with a greater degree of stigma. These findings highlight the need to identify approaches to reduce stigmatizing attitudes in the community and for adequate access to care, which might prevent negative downstream effects related to these stigmatizing attitudes. Authors: John ...

About The Study: This randomized clinical trial found that a single health care worker-collected throat specimen had higher sensitivity for rapid antigen testing for SARS-CoV-2 than a nasal specimen. In contrast, the self-collected nasal specimens had higher sensitivity than throat specimens for symptomatic participants. Adding a throat specimen to the standard practice of collecting a single nasal specimen could improve sensitivity for rapid antigen testing in health care and home-based settings.  Authors: Tobias Todsen, M.D., Ph.D., of Copenhagen University Hospital in ...

Human fingers and toes do not grow outward; instead, they form from within a larger foundational bud, as intervening cells recede to reveal the digits beneath. This is among many processes captured for the first time as scientists unveil a spatial cell atlas of the entire developing human limb, resolved in space and time. Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Sun Yat-sen University, EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute and collaborators applied cutting-edge single-cell and spatial technologies to create an atlas characterising the cellular landscape of the early human limb, pinpointing the exact ...