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Science25 Sep 2024

Dogs trained to detect explosives may perform worse in extreme temperature and humidity, taking longer to identify substances and with lower sensitivity

Dogs trained to detect explosives may perform worse in extreme temperature and humidity, taking longer to identify substances and with lower sensitivity ### Article URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0306817 Article Title: Environmental effects on explosive detection threshold of domestic dogs Author Countries: USA Funding: This research was made possible through funding provided by the DoD Army Research Office under Contract No. W911NF2120124. https://www.arl.army.mil/who-we-are/aro/. SAK’s work was supported by the National Science Foundation ...

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Technology25 Sep 2024

Digital biomarkers shedding light on seasonality in mood disorders

Wrist-based activity sensors worn by individuals with depression and those without over the course of two weeks provided evidence for the relationship between daily sunlight exposure and physical activity, according to a study published September 25, 2024, in the open-access journal PLOS Mental Health by Oleg Kovtun and Sandra Rosenthal from Vanderbilt University, U.S. Mood disorders are the leading cause of ‘disability’ worldwide. Up to 30 percent of individuals with major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder display a seasonal pattern of symptoms. This phenomenon is now recognized in official diagnostic manuals. Yet very little ...

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Environment25 Sep 2024

US politicians support climate action when linked to certain other issues

The US House of Representatives is more likely to vote on climate action when it is linked with certain other environmental issues, according to a study published September 25, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS Climate by Kayla Morton of the University of Washington, Seattle and colleagues. Climate change is a very polarizing issue in US politics. While Congress has not passed many climate-related bills over the past two decades, the House of Representatives has voted on many bills and resolutions related to climate issues, thus providing an opportunity to examine the factors that motivate ...

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Space25 Sep 2024

Mars’ missing atmosphere could be hiding in plain sight

Mars wasn’t always the cold desert we see today. There’s increasing evidence that water once flowed on the Red Planet’s surface, billions of years ago. And if there was water, there must also have been a thick atmosphere to keep that water from freezing. But sometime around 3.5 billion years ago, the water dried up, and the air, once heavy with carbon dioxide, dramatically thinned, leaving only the wisp of an atmosphere that clings to the planet today. Where exactly did Mars’ ...

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Medicine25 Sep 2024

Pitt study identifies potential new treatment for liver fibrosis

New research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy sheds light on the processes that lead to liver fibrosis and suggests a novel treatment approach for this common and serious condition. Led by senior author Wen Xie, M.D., Ph.D., professor and Joseph Koslow endowed chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and co-first authors Hung-Chun Tung, graduate student, and Jong-Won Kim, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, the study published today in Science Translational Medicine. In this Q&A, Xie elaborates ...

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Science25 Sep 2024

Hardest hit by heat

Each passing year, climate change drives summer temperatures to new extremes, with heat records being shattered one after another. In a new study, scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) have examined how extreme temperatures in the US affect the mortality of people from different racial groups. Risto Conte Keivabu, Ugofilippo Basellini, and Emilio Zagheni (director of MPIDR) analyzed data from 1993 to 2005 and examined racial differences in temperature-related deaths. The study found that both extreme cold (temperatures in the coldest 5%) and extreme heat (temperatures in the hottest 5%) increase mortality rates, with heat disproportionate impacting ...

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Science25 Sep 2024

Pigs may be transmission route of rat hepatitis E to humans

COLUMBUS, Ohio – New research suggests that pigs may function as a transmission vehicle for a strain of the hepatitis E virus (HEV) common in rats that has recently been found to infect humans. The Rocahepevirus ratti strain is called “rat HEV” because rats are the primary reservoir of the virus. Since the first human case was reported in a person with a suppressed immune system in Hong Kong in 2018, at least 20 total human cases have been reported – including in people with normal immune function. People infected with rat HEV did not report exposure to rats, leaving the cause of infection undefined. ...

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Science25 Sep 2024

The Foundation of Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (FCMSC) receives $100,000 gift for the June Halper MS Nursing Scholarship Fund

(Hackensack, NJ, September 2024) The Foundation of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (FCMSC) recently received a generous donation of $100,000 from EMD Serono Inc., in honor of June Halper, MSN, APN-C, FAAN, MSCN. Ms. Halper a longtime pioneer in the comprehensive care movement for multiple sclerosis (MS), and leading nurse practitioner and MS advocate, passed away on July 24, 2024, at the age of 86, working until her final days as CEO of the CMSC, FCMSC and IOMSN (International Organization of MS Nurses). Since 1978, Ms. ...

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Science25 Sep 2024

Effects of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt on renal and pulmonary function in hepatic decompensation with and without hepatorenal and hepatopulmonary syndromes

Cirrhosis is one of the leading causes of mortality from non-communicable diseases, with complications arising as liver function deteriorates. HRS and HPS represent the most severe outcomes of cirrhosis, associated with systemic vasodilation driven by elevated levels of vasodilators like nitric oxide (NO). These complications significantly impair renal and pulmonary functions, leading to high mortality rates. TIPS, by shunting blood from the portal to systemic circulation, can potentially improve renal function by increasing systemic blood volume. However, the diversion of NO through TIPS could exacerbate systemic hypotension, posing a risk to renal ...

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Medicine25 Sep 2024

Encoding human experience: Study reveals how brain cells compute the flow of time

A landmark study led by UCLA Health has begun to unravel one of the fundamental mysteries in neuroscience – how the human brain encodes and makes sense of the flow of time and experiences. The study, published in the journal Nature, directly recorded the activity of individual neurons in humans and found specific types of brain cells fired in a way that mostly mirrored the order and structure of a person’s experience. They found the brain retains these unique firing patterns after the experience is concluded and can rapidly replay them while at rest. Furthermore, the brain is also able to utilize these learned patterns to ready itself for future stimuli following that experience. ...

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Science25 Sep 2024

New study: Deep-sea discovery shines light on life in the twilight zone

TAMPA, Fla. (Sept. 23, 2024) – The ocean’s twilight zone is deep, dark, and — according to new research — iron deficient. No sunlight reaches this region 200 to 1,000 meters below the sea surface, where levels of iron, a key micronutrient, are so low that the growth of bacteria is restricted. To compensate, these bacteria produce molecules called siderophores, which help the bacteria scavenge trace amounts of iron from the surrounding seawater. The paper detailing these unexpected findings from the Pacific Ocean will publish on Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 11 a.m. ET (4 p.m. London Time) in Nature, and will be viewable at that time at this link. The ...

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Environment25 Sep 2024

Brazilian fossils reveal jaw-dropping discovery in mammal evolution

These fossils, belonging to the mammal-precursor species Brasilodon quadrangularis and Riograndia guaibensis, offer critical insights into the development of the mammalian jaw and middle ear, revealing evolutionary experiments that occurred millions of years earlier than previously thought. Mammals stand out among vertebrates for their distinct jaw structure and the presence of three middle ear bones. This transition from earlier vertebrates, which had a single middle ear bone, has long fascinated scientists. The new study explores how mammal ancestors, known as cynodonts, evolved these features ...

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Science25 Sep 2024

Now we know why children with Down’s syndrome have higher risk of Leukemia

People with Down’s syndrome face a higher risk of developing Leukemia. Now researchers from the University of Copenhagen and Stanford University explain why, by identifying specific changes in blood cells of people with Down’s syndrome. In the world, one out of 700 children are born with Down’s syndrome. A syndrome, where the child has an extra copy of chromosome 21, resulting in 47 chromosomes instead of 46. This typically results in characteristic physical features and some level of learning disability. But newborns with Downs syndrome also tend to have an elevated number of red blood ...

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Medicine25 Sep 2024

Emerging SARS-CoV-2 resistance after antiviral treatment

About The Study: Treatment-emergent nirmatrelvir resistance mutations were commonly detected, especially in individuals who were immunosuppressed in this cohort study of 156 participants. However, these mutations were generally present at low frequencies and were transient in nature, suggesting a low risk for the spread of nirmatrelvir resistance in the community with the current variants and drug usage patterns. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Jonathan Z. Li, MD, MMsc, email jli@bwh.harvard.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit ...

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Medicine25 Sep 2024

Semaglutide and opioid overdose risk in patients with type 2 diabetes and opioid use disorder

About The Study: In this study, semaglutide was associated with reduced opioid overdose risk in patients with comorbid type 2 diabetes and opioid use disorder, suggesting its potential therapeutic value for preventing overdoses. The results need validation from other data resources and study populations. Further research is warranted to investigate the underlying mechanisms and randomized clinical trials are necessary to corroborate the clinical effects on opioid use disorder. Corresponding Authors: To contact the corresponding authors, email Rong Xu, PhD, (rxx@case.edu) ...

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Medicine25 Sep 2024

Bronze age lactobacillus genomes clarify kefir history

Food fermentation is the oldest production practice using microorganisms in human history. Milk fermentation, for example, can be traced back to 6000–4000 BC in India, and Mediterranean populations produced and consumed cheese as early as 7000 before present (BP). Despite the long history of human consumption of fermented products, though, little has been known about the history of the use of fermentative microorganisms and the history of related cultural transmission. In particular, the evolutionary trajectories, especially functional adaptation, of these ...

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Medicine25 Sep 2024

Higher doses of buprenorphine may improve treatment outcomes for people with opioid use disorder

Adults with opioid use disorder who receive a higher daily dose of the opioid addiction treatment medication buprenorphine may have a lower risk of subsequent emergency department visits or use of inpatient services related to behavioral health (such as for mental health and substance use disorders) than adults receiving the recommended dose, according to an analysis funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These findings suggest that higher buprenorphine doses could be more effective in managing opioid use disorder, which may be particularly relevant for improving treatment for those who use fentanyl, a major ...

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Science25 Sep 2024

One in two El Niño events could be extreme by mid-century

With the climate pattern known as El Niño in full force from mid-2023 to mid-2024, global temperatures broke records for 12 months in a row. As one of the strongest El Niño events on record, it was likely the main culprit of unprecedented heat, floods and droughts worldwide. In a new study published Sep. 25 in the journal Nature, a University of Colorado Boulder climate scientist and collaborators reveal that the planet could see more frequent extreme El Niño events by 2050 if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase. “It’s ...

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Medicine25 Sep 2024

Bacterial ‘flipping’ allows genes to assume different forms

Imagine being one cartwheel away from changing your appearance. One flip, and your brunette locks are platinum blond. That’s not too far from what happens in some prokaryotes, or single-cell organisms, such as bacteria, that undergo something called inversions. A study led by scientists at Stanford Medicine has shown that inversions, which cause a physical flip of a segment of DNA and change an organism’s genetic identity, can occur within a single gene, challenging a central dogma of biology — that one gene can code ...

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Medicine25 Sep 2024

Gladstone presents inaugural Sobrato prize in neuroscience to Yadong Huang, a pioneer of Alzheimer’s research

Gladstone Institutes has established a new scientific award, the Sobrato Prize in Neuroscience, to advance breakthroughs in brain research with high potential for patient impact—and announced it will present the inaugural prize to Yadong Huang, MD, PhD, a trailblazer in Alzheimer’s research. In his nearly three decades at Gladstone, Huang has led a series of pioneering studies on the genetic underpinnings of Alzheimer’s disease, with discoveries that have opened multiple new avenues for drug development. He ...

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Energy25 Sep 2024

Manganese cathodes could boost lithium-ion batteries

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are growing in adoption, used in devices like smartphones and laptops, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems. But supplies of nickel and cobalt commonly used in the cathodes of these batteries are limited. New research led by the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) opens up a potential low-cost, safe alternative in manganese, the fifth most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust. Researchers showed that manganese can be effectively used in emerging cathode materials called disordered rock salts, or DRX. Previous research suggested that to perform well, DRX materials had to be ground down to nanosized ...

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Science25 Sep 2024

To make fluid flow in one direction down a pipe, it helps to be a shark

Link to Google Drive folder containing images: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ZTBXkIFqwl_OyIMrUA1se_iv7hqEm_52?usp=sharing Link to release: https://www.washington.edu/news/2024/09/25/tesla-coil-shark-intestines/ FROM: James Urton University of Washington 206-543-2580 jurton@uw.edu (Note: researcher contact information at the end) For immediate release Sept. 25, 2024 To make fluid flow in one direction down a pipe, it helps to be a shark Flaps perform essential jobs. From pumping hearts to revving engines, flaps help fluid flow in one direction. ...

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Medicine25 Sep 2024

Growing divide: Rural men are living shorter, less healthy lives than their urban counterparts

Rural men are dying earlier than their urban counterparts, and they’re spending fewer of their later years in good health, according to new research from the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics. Higher rates of smoking, obesity and cardiovascular conditions among rural men are helping fuel a rural-urban divide in illness, and this gap has grown over time, according to the study published this week in the Journal of Rural Health. The findings suggest that by the time rural men reach age 60, there are limited opportunities to fully address this disparity, and earlier interventions may be needed to prevent it from widening ...

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Medicine25 Sep 2024

During NY Climate Week, Alex Zhavoronkov PhD, Founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine, talks about Gen AI applications in drug discovery, longevity and climate change solutions at AWS Climate Tech & AI F

Held annually, NY Climate Week is a pivotal event in the global climate change calendar. Bringing together notable leaders, celebrities, climate professionals, and innovators from around the world, the event serves as a critical platform for discussing and advancing climate action. This year’s theme, "It’s Time," underscores the urgency for immediate and ambitious efforts to tackle climate change, and the process could be accelerated with Generative AI and other cutting-edge technologies. Insilico Medicine ...

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Medicine25 Sep 2024

First genome-wide comparison of vapers and smokers finds similar DNA changes linked to disease risk

Young adults who vape show chemical changes in their DNA similar to those found in young adults who smoke — changes known to be linked to the development of cancer — according to a new study just published in the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology. A team of researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC measured DNA methylation, a chemical modification of DNA that can effectively turn genes “on” or “off, in the oral cells of young adult vapers, smokers and non-users. DNA methylation is vital to normal cellular ...

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