A study led by UMass Chan Medical School viral immunologists Liisa Selin, MD, PhD, and Anna Gil, PhD, discovered similarities in immune system dysfunction as a potential biomarker among people living with long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The research also introduced a novel treatment and a method to track effective treatment interventions. The research was published online in Brain, Behavior & Immunity.   Dr. Selin, professor of pathology, ...

Research Highlights: Black women who develop high blood pressure before age 35 may have triple the odds of having a stroke, and those who develop high blood pressure before age 45 may have twice the risk of suffering a subsequent stroke. The findings, from a study of 59,000 Black women in the U.S., are important for expanding high blood pressure screening and treatment in this high-risk population. Researchers say health care professionals should be vigilant in high blood pressure screening and ...

Research Highlights: One month after hospital evaluation for stroke-like symptoms, people whose symptoms were attributed to another condition were 3 times more likely to have increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than people diagnosed with a confirmed stroke. Knowing that the experience of being evaluated for stroke can itself be traumatic may help health care professionals recognize PTSD symptoms and connect people quickly to the appropriate resources. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024 DALLAS, Feb. 1, 2024 — People with so-called stroke mimics may be even more likely to develop post-traumatic stress ...

Research Highlights: Lifetime exposure to different types of traumatic events or stress appears to reduce the chances for optimal recovery after a stroke. A review of health records for U.S. stroke survivors found that sexual assault was consistently linked to worse physical functioning and poorer cognitive recovery measurements one year after a stroke. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024 DALLAS, Feb. 1, 2024 — Stressors and traumatic events experienced over the course of a lifetime may negatively impact subsequent stroke recovery; specifically, stroke survivors exposed to sexual assault at any point in their life had  poorer physical functioning ...

Research Highlights: In a large population study conducted in Canada, the risk of dementia was nearly 3 times higher in the first year after a stroke, then fell to a 1.5-times increased risk by the 5-year mark and remained elevated 20 years later. Having a stroke increased the risk of dementia by 80%, even after accounting for other dementia risk factors, such as high blood pressure, Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024 DALLAS, Feb. 1, 2024 — Having a stroke may significantly increase the risk of developing dementia. ...

Research Highlights: Stimulating a nerve that runs between various organs and the brain with intense physical rehabilitation improved arm and hand function in people with stroke. The improved motor function remained at the end of the one-year follow-up. Vagus nerve stimulation uses an implantable device to stimulate the nerve with electrical impulses that help create new pathways in the brain to assist movement in impaired limbs. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024 DALLAS, Feb. 1, 2024 — Combining brain ...

Research Highlights: Stroke survivors living in areas with high levels of unemployment, low income, low education levels and poor housing quality had twice the risk of poor recovery after a stroke compared to those living in areas with better conditions. The researchers say this study may help promote awareness of how social determinants of health are as important as clinical variables and health information when trying to identify stroke survivors who are at particularly high risk for poor long-term outcomes. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024 DALLAS, Feb. 1, 2024 — Stroke survivors living in areas with ...

Research Highlights: Compared with the standard medication alteplase, the newer clot-busting medication tenecteplase may offer a safe, effective and simpler way to treat clot-caused stroke in special ambulances called mobile stroke units. Tenecteplase is given in a simpler, single injection into the bloodstream, while alteplase requires an hour-long infusion after an initial injection. The study reviewed the real-world experiences of a single mobile stroke unit in Phoenix between February 2021 and April 2023. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, Thursday, ...

Research Highlights: The risk of a heart attack among adults after a clot-caused stroke or a stroke plus a tear in the wall of a neck artery (carotid or vertebral artery dissection) was almost double within the first year compared to the heart attack risk for people who did not have a stroke but were hospitalized with medical events. The medical events included some overlapping symptoms, such as “warning stroke,” migraine or transient global amnesia. However, people with a carotid artery or vertebral artery dissection but no stroke were not significantly more likely to have a heart attack than those with a warning stroke, migraine or amnesia. Embargoed until ...

Research Highlights: Among most ischemic (clot-caused) stroke survivors including those taking anticoagulant medications, use of antidepressants in the SSRI or SNRI class did not increase the risk of hemorrhagic (bleeds) stroke or other serious bleeding events. However, patients taking anti-depressants in combination with dual anti-platelet therapy or DAPT had an increased risk of bleeding. In addition, antidepressants from other classes increased the risk of serious bleeding events by 15% in comparison to antidepressants in the SSRI or SNRI classes. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, ...

Research Highlights: In a study conducted in China, adults treated with 14 days of intravenous injections of ginkgo diterpene lactone meglumine (GDLM) — a combination of biologically active components of ginkgo biloba — after an ischemic (clot-caused) stroke had better cognitive recovery at 14 days and 90 days. IV preparations of ginkgo biloba’s active ingredients are widely used in China as a complementary treatment for ischemic stroke. While oral ginkgo biloba supplements are widely available and marketed in the U.S., gingko biloba is not approved for medicinal use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Embargoed ...

Research Highlights: Living in neighborhoods with more recreational and fitness centers may influence people’s engagement in physical activity during the first year after a stroke. A small study found that people in New York City who survived a mild stroke were more likely to maintain the same level of physical activity as they did prior to the stroke, or even increase that activity, if they lived in areas with more recreational centers and fitness resources nearby. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024 DALLAS, Feb. 1, 2024 — Stroke survivors ...

Plants are continuously evolving new immune receptors to ever-changing pathogens. Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) have traced the origin and evolutionary trajectory of plant immune receptors. Their discovery will make it easier to identify immune receptor genes from genomic information and could help in the development of pathogen-resistant crops. This study was published in the scientific journal Nature Communications on February 1.   As in animals, plants have immune responses that help them defend against pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, and oomycetes. Before invaders can be stopped, they must first be detected, and this is accomplished ...

The renowned virologist from the University of Zurich receives the major award from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for an innovative project on HIV vaccines. The grant will fund vaccine studies in well-studied groups of people living with HIV in Switzerland and South Africa to guide the design of a preventative HIV vaccine. Alexandra Trkola, Professor of Medical Virology at the University of Zurich, has been awarded a 3-year grant (INV-061559) from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the project “RENEW clinical studies in people with HIV”. Together with her co-principal investigators Huldrych Günthard (University Hospital Zurich and UZH), Penny Moore (University ...

Our energy systems are undergoing rapid change. Many households are generating electricity with solar panels, and there are new sources of demand and storage, such as charging electric vehicles and home batteries. Local prosumers (energy consumers who also generate and store energy) are taking control of their own energy supply. This development is prompting the creation of energy communities and micro-grids, such as the SchoonSchip community in the north of Amsterdam. Energy communities allow consumers ...

Mangroves and saltmarshes sequester large amounts of carbon, mitigating the greenhouse effect. New research from the University of Gothenburg shows that these environments are perhaps twice as effective as previously thought. Natural habitats flooded by the tide form ecosystems that captures large amounts of carbon, which can help to mitigate climate change. Carbon dioxide is stored in the biomass and in the muddy soils. Therefore, several governments have launched blue carbon market initiatives to encourage landowners to restore and preserve mangrove and saltmarsh ecosystems, similar to the rainforest. Large ...

Nestling songbirds relocated as part of conservation programmes successfully learn the song repertoires they need to communicate – and ultimately survive – in the wild, a new study has found. The research, published in the journal Conservation Science and Practice, is the first to follow translocated songbird chicks over time to assess their song development. It focused on populations of cirl buntings (Emberiza cirlus), taken from a number of sites in Devon before being hand-reared and then reintroduced in Cornwall as part of a major programme co-ordinated ...

Unexplained rapid weight loss in older people could be a sign of underlying disease and can be linked with increased risk of falls and fractures, as well as a poorer long-term prognosis.    The understanding of factors that could contribute to rapid weight loss remains poor, with current treatments including correcting suboptimal dietary and physical activity behaviors.    New research by Edith Cowan University (ECU) Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr Cassandra Smith noted that abdominal aortic calcification (AAC), a marker of advanced blood vessel disease, was linked to higher risk of rapid weight ...

Osaka, Japan – From coffee-shop customers who connect their laptop to the local Wi-Fi network to remote weather monitoring stations in the Antarctic, wireless communication is an essential part of modern life. Researchers worldwide are currently working on the next evolution of communication networks, called “beyond 5G” or 6G networks. To enable the near-instantaneous communication needed for applications like augmented reality or the remote control of surgical robots, ultra-high data speeds will be needed on ...

Synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) are emerging as powerful allies in the battle against weeds. These carefully crafted assemblies of microorganisms, such as compatible Pseudomonas strains, are designed to target specific weeds while promoting crop growth. The application of herbicides with SynComs will be essential to understand their synergistic effects for controlling weed and promoting wheat growth, so that provides a sustainable and eco-friendly weed control strategy. By harnessing the collective strength of Pseudomonas SynComs, this research brings us ...

Supercapacitors, also known as ultracapacitors or electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), are advanced energy storage devices with unique characteristics. Unlike traditional batteries, supercapacitors store energy through the electrostatic separation of charges at the interface between an electrolyte and a high-surface-area electrode. This mechanism allows for rapid energy storage and release, enabling supercapacitors to deliver high power bursts and exhibit exceptional cycle life.   Supercapacitors play a pivotal role in the realm of renewable energy and environmental conservation. In the context of renewable energy, supercapacitors serve as crucial components ...

Most approved gene therapies today, including those involving CRISPR-Cas9, work their magic on cells removed from the body, after which the edited cells are returned to the patient. This technique is ideal for targeting blood cells and is currently the method employed in newly approved CRISPR gene therapies for blood diseases like sickle cell anemia, in which edited blood cells are reinfused in patients after their bone marrow has been destroyed by chemotherapy. A new, precision-targeted delivery method for CRISPR-Cas9, published Jan. 11 in the journal Nature Biotechnology, enables gene editing on very specific subsets of cells while still in the body — ...

Study of 1.5 million people over the age of 16 in England, including nearly 8,000 transgender people, finds a higher proportion of transgender adults report having a long-term mental health condition than cisgender adults. Additionally, those with a gender identity other than cisgender male or cisgender female were more likely to report their mental health needs were unmet at their last general practice appointment.       Authors call for the NHS to become more gender-inclusive, including by introducing better training for health-care professionals to improve their ability ...

A University of Tennessee Extension specialist has been selected to help lead a new national effort to connect resources and individuals in the quickly evolving food and agriculture career sector.   Clint Cummings, Extension specialist in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, will serve as the National Network Lead and Regional Network Coordinator for the Southern Region for the new AgriProspects Workforce Development Network project. This project is being conducted through the Extension Foundation in collaboration with the ECOP (Extension Committee on Organization and Policy) Economic & Workforce Development Program Action Team and NECIW (National Extension ...

Pacific Island governments are increasingly imposing taxes on unhealthy foods as they battle a non-communicable disease crisis, a New Zealand study shows. The research, led by the University of Otago, Wellington, found that since 2000, a quarter of the 22 Pacific Island countries and territories studied had introduced taxes targeting unhealthy foods, a strategy in line with recommendations from the World Health Organization. The study of food taxation policies over the 20 years to 2020 is published in the international journal Public Health Nutrition. Senior Research Fellow, ...