UPTON, N.Y. — Chemists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a new theoretical framework for more accurately predicting the behavior of catalysts. These collections of atoms lower the energy needed for countless chemical reactions. The study reveals how conditions such as temperature and pressure can change a catalyst’s structure, efficiency, and even the products it makes. The findings are published in the journal Chem Catalysis. “Our results highlight the significant impact ...

When X (formerly Twitter) changed its verification system in 2022, many foresaw its potential to impact the spread of political opinions on the platform. In a modeling study publishing October 22 in the Cell Press journal iScience, researchers show that having verified users whose posts are prioritized by the platform’s algorithms can result in increased polarization and trigger the formation of echo chambers. Because X’s new verification system allows almost anybody to become verified, this side effect could be taken advantage of by users wishing to manipulate others’ opinions, the researchers say. “Our findings confirm ...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2024 – Disc golf is a sport growing in popularity, but there hasn’t been much research into the best techniques – until now. Researcher Zachary Lindsey and his team studied professional and amateur disc golf players in Georgia to analyze the effect of thumb grip on disc-throwing. “Participants were eager and excited to engage in the study, as there is clearly a thirst for scientific evidence and data to drive progress in the sport so that disc golf enthusiasts can improve their game in recreational and competitive contexts,” ...

About The Study: In this population-based cohort study including 392,000 mothers and 649,000 offspring, offspring from mothers with an eating disorder history or pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) outside normal weight were at higher risk of psychiatric disorders. The results differed somewhat between the 2 exposures with regard to which offspring diagnoses had associations, and effect sizes were typically larger for maternal eating disorders vs BMI. These findings suggest a need to consider these 2 exposures clinically to help prevent offspring mental illness. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Ida A. K. Nilsson, PhD, email ida.nilsson@ki.se. To ...

The noses of many mammals, such as dogs, ferrets and cows, feature grooves forming a multitude of polygons.  A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has analyzed in detail how these patterns form in the embryo using 3D imaging techniques and computer simulations. The researchers discovered that differential growth of the skin tissue layers leads to the formation of domes, which are mechanically supported by the underlying blood vessels. This work describes for the first time this morphogenetic process, which could help explain the formation of other biological structures ...

New Haven, Conn. — Whether we’re staring at our phones, the page of a book, or the person across the table, the objects of our focus never stand in isolation; there are always other objects or people in our field of vision. How that visual “clutter” affects visual processing in the brain, however, is not well understood. In a new study published Oct. 22 in the journal Neuron, Yale researchers show that this clutter alters how information flows in the brain, as does the precise location of that clutter within the wider field of vision. The findings ...

A difficult-to-describe nanoscale object called the magnetic skyrmion might one day yield new microelectronic devices that can do much more — for example, massive data storage — all while consuming much less power.  But researchers need a more detailed understanding of skyrmions if they are ever to be used reliably in computational devices, including quantum computers. Peter Fischer, a senior researcher at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley ...

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can spare many patients with rectal cancer from invasive surgery that can carry lifelong side effects, new research indicates. The findings, from UVA Cancer Center’s Arun Krishnaraj, MD, MPH, and collaborators, indicate that MRI can predict patient outcomes and the risk of the tumor reccurring or spreading for patients who have undergone chemotherapy and radiation.  That information could be extremely useful in determining the best course of treatment and deciding whether a patient can ...

New Rochelle, NY, October 18, 2024—An invited Guest Editorial entitled “Give Cas a Chance,” by Fyodor Urnov, PhD, Director of Technology & Translation at the Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI), anchors the October 2024 special issue of The CRISPR Journal on “CRISPR Trials.”   As guest editor of the special issue, Dr. Urnov has penned an extraordinary editorial that emphatically defines the magnitude of the crisis in the genome editing arena and offers a path forward. The inherently programmable nature of CRISPR gene editing that makes it ...

WASHINGTON—Adults with type 2 diabetes on a low-carbohydrate diet may see benefits to their beta-cell function allowing them to better manage their disease and possibly discontinue medication, according to new research published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Beta-cells are endocrine cells in the pancreas that produce and release insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels. More than 38 million Americans have diabetes, and over 90% of them have ...

Exposure to higher levels of air pollution as a baby is linked to having a peanut allergy throughout childhood, according to a new study. And policies aimed at tackling poor air quality could potentially reduce the prevalence and persistence of peanut allergies, it stated. The research, led by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and the University of Melbourne, found being exposed to higher levels of air pollution from infancy was associated with increased odds of developing a peanut allergy and having the allergy persist across the first 10 years of life. However, the same association was not seen for egg allergy or eczema. Published ...

The metaverse, a space where the lines between physical and digital realities blur, is rising among younger populations. As of March, 33% of teens own a virtual reality (VR) device and 13% use it weekly. With the metaverse offering richer emotional experiences, youth may be particularly vulnerable to significant harm in these immersive spaces, underscoring the need to explore potential risks. Unfortunately, research of online victimization in the metaverse is sorely lacking. A new study by Florida Atlantic University, in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, is one of the first to examine the ...

The Energy Transition Vulnerability Index (ETVI) quantifies the vulnerability of nations to adverse impacts of transitioning away from fossil fuels. The COP28 agreement has called for all countries to wind down use of fossil fuels to combat climate change—but the agreement stipulates that these transitions should not disproportionately harm historically marginalized and vulnerable stakeholders. Xunpeng Shi and colleagues create a method of quantifying energy transition vulnerability for 135 countries from 2010 to 2020. The indicator focuses on exposure—which captures the magnitude of the changes required—, ...

Mental fatigue may make rewards more desirable, according to a study in rats and humans. Exerting cognitive effort has been linked with making unhealthy choices. In the past, the link has been explained via a weaking of inhibitory control or will power. Marcello Solinas and colleagues explore the possibility that cognitive effort may also make unhealthy choices more tempting by increasing the perceived reward. Rats who completed a cognitively demanding task self-administered more cocaine than rats who did not complete a cognitive demanding task—or rats who were allowed ...

A significant step forwards in changing research practices towards sustainability has been taken with the publication of the Heidelberg Agreement on Environmental Sustainability in Research Funding. The agreement provides a framework for research funders to play an active role and incentivize sustainable practices in research. It outlines principles for transitioning to a more sustainable research system and practical recommendations on how to implement sustainability in funding schemes. A key focus of the Heidelberg Agreement is to ensure that research funders take a proactive approach to promoting sustainability in scientific ...

A model of human behavior finds that people will share information if enough—but not too many—of their contacts do so. Humans are social creatures, and many behaviors and beliefs can spread from person to person. Understanding the dynamics of behavioral diffusion can help encourage healthy or sustainable behaviors or stop the spread of misinformation. Linear threshold models assume that people will adopt a behavior when the number of their social contacts that have done so passes a threshold. Pouria Ramazi and colleagues propose an addition to the model, ...

Using plastic sheets for weed control, even under current best management practices, pollutes soil with macro- and micro-plastics and negatively affect critical soil functions, according to a study. The United Nations considers soil plastic contamination an environmental health and food security threat. Around the world, over 25 million acres of farmland is seasonally covered with opaque plastic films used as “mulch” to prevent weeds, retain moisture, and warm soil—a practice known ...

In the world of agriculture, rice is a staple food for more than half of the global population, making its cultivation crucial for food security. However, the rice blast fungus Pyricularia oryzae (syn. Magnaporthe oryzae) poses a significant threat to rice crops, causing extensive damage and leading to substantial yield losses. Traditional methods of controlling this pathogen often rely on chemical fungicides, which can have detrimental environmental impacts and contribute to the development of resistant strains. Therefore, researchers are increasingly exploring alternative strategies that leverage natural ...

The Japanese population is known for its longest life expectancy (LE) at birth. Extensive studies have been conducted on the physical health of the Japanese population, mainly on mortality outcomes. However, research on mental health is limited due to the social stigma against mental illnesses. This is alarming since mental health problems such as anxiety, substance use disorders, and suicide rates have largely increased over the years.   Additionally, previous studies have examined the physical and mental health of the Japanese population separately, which makes it harder to understand the relationship between them.   Against this backdrop, Associate Professor Yuka Minagawa ...

A team of scientists has discovered surprising connections among gene activity, genome packing, and genome-wide motions, revealing aspects of the genome’s organization that directly affect gene regulation and expression. The findings, reported in the journal Nature Communications, bolster our understanding of the mechanics behind transcription-dependent motions of single genes—the dysfunction of which may lead to neurological and cardiovascular disorders as well as to cancer. “The genome is ‘stirred’ by transcription-driven ...

For some proteins, a single mutation, or change in its DNA instructions, is all it takes to tip the balance between functioning normally and causing cancer. But despite causing major disease, these slightly mutated proteins can resemble their normal versions so closely that treatments designed to target mutants could also harm healthy cells. Led by researchers at NYU Langone Health and its Perlmutter Cancer Center, a new study describes the development of a biologic, a drug derived from natural biological systems, that targets a mutant cancer protein called HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) without attacking ...

A team of researchers says it has developed the first wearable camera system that, with the help of artificial intelligence, detects potential errors in medication delivery. In a test whose results were published today, the video system recognized and identified, with high proficiency, which medications were being drawn in busy clinical settings. The AI achieved 99.6% sensitivity and 98.8% specificity at detecting vial-swap errors. The findings are reported Oct. 22 in npj Digital Medicine. The system could ...

Researchers have discovered a new group of bacterial toxins that can kill harmful bacteria and fungi, opening the door to potential new treatments for infections. These toxins, found in over 100,000 microbial genomes, can destroy the cells of bacteria and fungi without harming other organisms. The study revealed how some bacteria use these toxins to compete with other microbes, and the findings could lead to new ways to fight infections, especially as antibiotic resistance becomes a growing concern. A new ...

Eye care specialists could see artificial intelligence help in diagnosing infectious keratitis (IK), a leading cause of corneal blindness worldwide, as a new study finds that deep learning models showed similar levels of accuracy in identifying infection.   In a meta-analysis study published in eClinicalMedicine, Dr Darren Ting from the University of Birmingham conducted a review with a global team of researchers analysing 35 studies that utilised Deep Learning (DL) models to diagnose infectious keratitis.   AI models ...

The Mediterranean Sea is a paradise. Pristine waters and an incredible coastline spanning multiple continents that are renowned the world over. Below those picturesque, and sometimes crowded, waters swim a legendary creature facing a treacherous and uncertain future: the white shark. Francesco Ferretti, an assistant professor in the College of Natural Resources and Environment, is working to save one of the most endangered white shark populations on the planet. The research team located signs of the remaining white sharks ...