New research published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry indicates that childhood lead exposure, which peaked from 1960 through 1990 in most industrialized countries due to the use of lead in gasoline, has negatively impacted mental health and likely caused many cases of mental illness and altered personality. For the study, investigators combined blood–lead level data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys with historic leaded gasoline data. (Leaded gas was phased out in United States by 1996.) They estimated US childhood blood–lead levels from 1940 to 2015 and assessed ...

Though African Americans have higher death rates before their 80s, after about age 85, their age-specific death rate falls below that of the white population, a phenomenon known as the "Black-White mortality crossover." New research published in the Journal of Internal Medicine reveals that this lower mortality among African Americans persists to age 100+ years. The study relied on data adjusted for potential misreporting of age, race, and ethnicity from the US National Center for Health Statistics to obtain life expectancy ...

New research reveals that certain soil microbes can help plants grow bigger flowers, therefore attracting more bees. The findings, which are published in New Phytologist, suggest that studying roots’ relationships with microbes can help scientists predict floral trait variations and plant-pollinator interactions. The research focused on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), which form a symbiotic relationship with plant roots, providing the plant with nutrients and water in exchange for carbon. AMF associations with plants’ roots enhanced flower size, resulting in more visitations ...

Gender gaps are known to persist in social and economic outcomes in most countries, but less well known is how women and men perceive their economic security and their benefits from social programs. New research published in the International Social Security Review investigated this topic through surveys completed by individuals in 27 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an intergovernmental organization that was founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade. Survey responses indicated that, compared with men, women are more concerned about economic security and less confident that their country’s social protection ...

Clinicians lack methods for early detection of sepsis, a dysregulated response to infection that can result in life-threatening organ failure if treatment is delayed. New research published in The FASEB Journal reveals the potential of a non-invasive strategy that assesses blood flow through skeletal muscle. The strategy involves imaging methods—called hyperspectral near-infrared spectroscopy and diffuse correlation spectroscopy—commonly used at the bedside to monitor tissue conditions. In experiments conducted in rodents, use of these methods together detected signs of sepsis in the skeletal muscle ...

The Pacific walrus, a critically important resource for Alaska and Chukotka Native communities, is subject to rapid habitat loss associated with climate change and increasing human activity in the Arctic. New research published in the Journal of Wildlife Management assessed the sustainability of varying degrees of Pacific walrus harvest to the end of the 21st century under different climate and human disturbance scenarios. These scenarios ranged from optimistic to pessimistic, based largely on sea ice projections from ...

For people with an injured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the knee, surgical ACL reconstruction (ACLR) is an effective treatment for restoring joint stability, however, many treated patients still develop additional long-term knee problems, such as knee osteoarthritis. New research published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research reveals that individuals exhibit an altered gait after ACLR, which can contribute to these problems. For the study, investigators compared gait biomechanics between ...

The prevalence of MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease) is exploding in most regions of the world, boosted by increased obesity and sedentary lifestyles. MASLD (formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) is already the most common liver disorder: it affects 30% of adults and between 7% and 14% of children and adolescents, and this prevalence is predicted to rise to more than 55% of adults by 2040. People with MASLD run a heightened risk of diabetes, hepatocellular carcinoma, non-liver cancers, chronic kidney disease, age-related muscle loss, and cardiovascular ...

A new study by the Harvard GenderSci Lab in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reveals systematic biases in a key metric used in estimates of sex disparities in ACL injury rates in sports. The article argues that gendered factors (e.g. availability and quality of resources, compensation structures, ability to train amidst competing responsibilities outside of sports) may undermine the comparability of injury rates between women and men. As a result, recent headlines claiming much higher rates of ACL injury among women and girls may be misleading. Sports scientists calculate ...

PHILADELPHIA, PA and SINGAPORE – The Monell Chemical Senses Center, a global leader in advancing the scientific understanding of taste, smell, and related senses, and A*STAR Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (A*STAR SIFBI), a translational research institute for health and well-being focused on Asian phenotype have entered into a five-year research and education alliance. Today, Dr Benjamin P.C. Smith, Monell Executive Director & President, met with Dr Sze Tan, A*STAR SIFBI Executive Director, to sign a Memorandum ...

A paper summarizing the results of this research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on November 8. Fusion energy is being researched and developed as a new source of electric power that will contribute to the realization of a carbon-neutral society. At the National Institute for Fusion Science, research on magnetically confined plasma is being conducted using the Large Helical Device*2 (LHD). The major difference between plasma and other gases is its low density. The density of magnetically confined plasma is only about one millionth that of the atmosphere, and collisions between constituent particles occur only rarely. As a result, the histogram ...

People who use both vapes and cigarettes are less likely to quit compared to people who only smoke or only vape, according to a study published today (Wednesday) in ERJ Open Research [1].   Instead, the research suggests that over time, most of these ‘dual users’ tend to revert to only smoking cigarettes.   The researchers say their findings suggest that taking up vaping while continuing to smoke will probably not help people to stop smoking.   The study, by researchers from Germany, the USA and Denmark, was ...

Plastic pollution occurs in every ecosystem on the planet and lingers for decades. Could insects be part of the solution? Previous research found that insects can ingest and absorb pure, unrefined microplastics—but only under unrealistic, food-scarce situations. In a new Biology Letters paper, UBC zoologist Dr. Michelle Tseng and alumna Shim Gicole tested mealworms in a more realistic scenario, feeding them ground-up face masks—a common plastic product—mixed with bran, a tastier option. Reality bites Mealworms are Nature’s scavengers and decomposers, ...

UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 00.05 GMT WEDNESDAY 4 DECEMBER / 19:05 ET TUESDAY 3 DECEMBER 2024 Ocean density identified as a key driver of carbon capture by marine plankton New findings, published today in Royal Society Open Science, have revealed that changes in ocean density have a significant impact on the rate at which marine plankton incorporate carbon into their shells. This has profound implications for carbon cycling and the ocean’s ability to absorb atmospheric CO2 in response to climate change. Up to now, researchers have focused on how ...

Niigata, Japan - A team led by Specially Appointed Associate Professor Tomohiko Ishihara and Professor Osamu Onodera at Niigata University, along with Professor Yoshitaka Nagai at Kindai University, conducted a randomized, double-blind trial on the efficacy and safety of L-arginine in treating Spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6).  I. Background of the Study Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting the cerebellum, a part of the brain responsible for coordinating movement. Symptoms include difficulties with balance, coordination, and speech (ataxia ...

Short bursts of incidental vigorous physical exertion, lasting less than a minute each, may almost halve the risk of a major cardiovascular event, such as heart attack or heart failure among women who don’t exercise regularly, finds research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Just 1.5-4 daily minutes of high intensity routine activities, such as brisk stair climbing or carrying heavy shopping, may help to stave off cardiovascular disease among those either unwilling or unable to take part in structured exercise or sport, conclude the international team ...

The health and financial implications of the emerging threat of mosquito-borne chikungunya viral infection have most likely been significantly underestimated, with total costs probably approaching US$ 50 billion in 2011-20 alone, suggests a comprehensive data analysis, published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health. In the short term, symptoms include fever, severe joint pain, rash and fatigue. While these often clear up, those affected can be left with long term, debilitating aftereffects, including chronic arthritic-type joint pain, fatigue, and depression, point out the researchers. The ...

An average of four minutes of incidental vigorous physical activity a day could almost halve the risk of major cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks, for middle-aged women who do not engage in structured exercise, according to new research from the University of Sydney, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.  “We found that a minimum of 1.5 minutes to an average of 4 minutes of daily vigorous physical activity, completed in short bursts lasting up to 1 minute, were ...

Today, women with oestrogen-sensitive breast cancer receive anti-hormonal therapy. Researchers now show that postmenopausal women with low-risk tumours have a long-term benefit for at least 20 years, while the benefit was more short-term for younger women with similar tumour characteristics who had not yet gone through the menopause. The results are reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI). In Sweden, 9 000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, with hormone-sensitive breast cancer accounting for about 75 percent of women diagnosed with the disease. In patients with hormone-sensitive breast cancer tumour growth is mainly driven by oestrogen and ...

In five states over nearly a decade, hospitals have increased how frequently they document patients as needing the highest intensity care, which has led to hospitals receiving billions in extra payments from health plans and government programs, according to a new RAND study.   Among thousands of cases involving hospitals stays for 239 conditions, researchers examined how often hospitals upcoded patients to the sickest end of the care spectrum, where hospitals charge payers at the highest rate.   The study found that from ...

New research reveals the unique human ability to conceptualize numbers may be rooted deep within the brain. Further, the results of the study by Oregon Health & Science University involving neurosurgery patients suggests new possibilities for tapping into those areas to improve learning among people bedeviled by math. “This work lays the foundation to deeper understanding of number, math and symbol cognition — something that is uniquely human,” said senior author Ahmed Raslan, ...

(MEMPHIS, Tenn. – December 3, 2024) Early disease detection is beneficial for securing the best possible outcomes for patients. But finding noninvasive, effective ways to predict disease risk is a tremendous challenge. Findings from scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are showing promise for assessing cardiomyopathy risk in childhood cancer survivors. Heart disease is a well-established late effect for pediatric cancer survivors treated with anthracycline chemotherapy. The researchers identified a panel ...

COLCHESTER, VT – Researchers from Saint Michael’s College and the University of Vermont have made a groundbreaking new discovery that provides a better understanding of how Alzheimer’s disease develops in the human brain.  Guided by previous research of spider brains, the scientists uncovered evidence of a “waste canal system” in the human brain that internalizes waste from healthy neurons. They discovered that this system can undergo catastrophic swelling, which leads to the degeneration of brain tissue, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.  With over 50 million affected people worldwide, Alzheimer’s ...

Key study findings: The rate of pharmacy store closures in recent years has more than doubled, affecting about 1 in 3 pharmacies between 2010 and 2021 and contributing to an unprecedented decline in the availability of pharmacies in the U.S   About one-third of counties experienced an overall decline in pharmacies, and the risk of closure was higher in predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods. Independent pharmacies, often excluded from networks by pharmacy benefit managers, were more than twice as likely to face closure compared to chain pharmacies.   Policymakers should consider several ...

The University of Alaska Fairbanks released a new report this week highlighting environmental changes and extremes that impact Alaskans and their livelihoods. “Alaska’s Changing Environment” provides people with timely, reliable and understandable information on topics ranging from temperature and precipitation changes to salmon and polar bears. The report was led by the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy at the UAF International Arctic Research Center, with contributions from more ...