Researchers develop a simple tool to identify patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in primary care settings using five questions and peak expiratory flow meters. The approach shows high sensitivity and specificity rates, and may improve COPD diagnosis, quality of life, and health outcomes.
A study published in JAMA analyzed data from the 2013 National Health Interview Survey to estimate the prevalence of self-reported immunosuppressed adults in the United States. The estimated US prevalence of immunosuppression is 2.7%, with higher rates among women, whites, and individuals aged 50-59 years.
Researchers develop atomic-scale manufacturing technology, creating ultra-efficient general-purpose computers and quantum computers that consume significantly less power. The discovery has the potential to revolutionize the digital economy and lead to a more sustainable future.
A new CBTI treatment program using trained 'sleep coaches' significantly improved sleep quality in older adults. Participants took less time to fall asleep, woke up fewer times, and reported better overall sleep quality.
The new guidelines provide recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of positional plagiocephaly in infants, emphasizing the importance of physical therapy with helmet therapy. The guidelines are based on a comprehensive review of research and aim to provide a safe and effective approach for managing this common disorder.
Researchers have developed novel light sources using 2-D materials, which can be used to transfer information securely. The light sources emit photons in pairs, making them ideal for quantum communication. Additionally, the novel lasers exhibit self-sustaining properties, opening up new possibilities for studying quantum effects.
A team of scientists from Michigan Technological University and other institutions has discovered a new mineral, merelaniite, with a complex structure composed of layers of molybdenum disulfide and lead sulfide. The discovery showcases the intricate microscopic beauty of exotic materials, which may have useful applications.
A new study found that positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy for sleep apnea significantly improves patient-reported outcomes in hypertensive patients, including reduced daytime sleepiness, depressive symptoms, and fatigue severity. The study also showed consistent improvement even in resistant hypertension cases.
A international research team has discovered a new biogeochemical process that explains the removal of dissolved iron from seawater in oxygen minimum zones. This process, which involves the reaction of iron with nitrate instead of oxygen, is essential for understanding nutrient availability and carbon fixation in the oceans.
Herbal and dietary supplements are linked to liver injury in the US, affecting 20% of cases. The study identifies performance-enhancing products as major contributors to this toxic effect.
A University of Huddersfield professor found that black and minority ethnic teachers need white endorsement to climb the career ladder. Despite being underrepresented, only 1% of head teachers are BME, highlighting the need for robust policy monitoring.
A team of paleontologists discovered a 40-million-year-old sirenian fossil in a Spanish paving stone, providing insights into the evolution of ancient marine mammals. The 'Girona Sea Cow' is believed to be one of the oldest sea cow fossils found in Europe.
A recent study published in Scientific Reports found that dispersal distances rank biological groups by genetic and community levels, supporting neutral theory predictions for marine biological connectivity. Dispersal limitation maintains species coexistence and promotes regional biodiversity.
The oldest and thickest Arctic sea ice is disappearing, weakening the 'bulwark' of ice that previously protected it. This has led to an increase in sea ice loss, especially during summer months, with multi-year ice decreasing from 20% to only 3% of total sea ice cover.
Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine have discovered a potential treatment option for ovarian cancer by combining calpeptin with epigenetic inhibitors. The therapy shows promise in killing cancer cells and preventing their growth, offering new hope for women affected by the disease.
Researchers at MIT's CSAIL have developed a new way to train neural networks that provide not only predictions and classifications but also rationales for their decisions. The system consists of two modules: one extracts segments of text from training data and scores them, while the other performs prediction or classification tasks.
A new study suggests that Mary Shelley's novel 'Frankenstein' is rooted in biology and warns of the consequences of unchecked population growth. Researchers found that a growing population of creatures could drive humans to extinction within 4,000 years.
Researchers warn that current ADHD screening tools may not work for children with autism spectrum disorders, leading to misdiagnosis and potentially ineffective treatments. The study recommends refining the tool and supplementing it with clinical interviews to better identify the correct disorder.
A study found that nearly half of cancer patients expect their tumors to shrink after participating in phase I clinical trials, despite the realistic response rate being much lower. The results highlight the need to improve patient information and consent forms.
A 110-million-year-old snake-like reptile fossil from Brazil, named Tetrapodophis, has been reexamined by researchers. The fossil lacks many key snake features, such as recurved teeth and a snake-like skull, instead displaying traits similar to water-dwelling reptiles.
NAFLD affects 64 million individuals worldwide, with annual direct medical costs of $103 billion in the US and €35 billion in Europe. The economic burden is even higher when including societal and indirect costs.
Researchers have created a 3D printed map of the cosmic microwave background, providing a new way to visualize the oldest light in the universe. This innovation uses 3D printing technology to represent temperature differences as bumps and dips on a spherical surface, allowing anyone to appreciate the structure of the early universe.
Leading ethics journals urge stricter protections for patients from doctors' personal values and conscientious objection. Bioethicists advocate prioritizing patient needs over clinicians' subjective moral opinions.
Researchers developed a new lab technique that may improve anti-cancer treatment success rates by predicting patient responses to modified drug-eluting beads. The method was tested in lab experiments and validated with in vivo data, enabling accurate predictions without risking patients.
Researchers link PIP to cell-mediated immunity, suggesting its potential as a new target for immunotherapeutic agents. PIP may help the immune system recognize and destroy foreign cells, including tumor cells, offering a protective effect against breast cancer.
A University of Pittsburgh-developed program successfully increases vaccination rates in adult patients seen at primary care offices. Practices participating in the 4 Pillars Practice Transformation Program had nearly three times the increase in Tdap vaccine uptake compared to non-participating offices.
A genuine fossilized brain from a 133 million-year-old dinosaur has been discovered in Sussex, England, revealing remarkable preservation of the fine network of blood vessels. The brain structure and meningeal arrangement show striking similarity to modern birds and crocodilians, suggesting functional parallels.
Researchers developed a method to infuse peanut skin extracts into maltodextrin powder, which was then incorporated into milk chocolate. The resulting product had antioxidant properties comparable to dark chocolate without affecting the taste. Consumer testing showed that the fortified chocolates were liked as well as untreated samples.
The Colorado River delta's annual carbon cycle has changed dramatically due to poor water management, with fossil clam shells revealing vast amounts of carbon being added to the atmosphere. The reduced carbon emissions at the delta are vastly outweighed by the carbon emissions from transporting water to cities and farms.
A study from the University at Buffalo found that venture capital-funded tech startups go public sooner and have more impactful innovation than those with angel investors. Venture capitalists provide a strong network to shape impact, while angel investors offer flexibility and longer-term experimentation.
The University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health recommends distributing naloxone to inmates upon release from jail and improving overdose data collection to combat the opioid epidemic. The policy focuses on vulnerable populations such as veterans, inmates, and school children.
A new high-frequency spinal cord stimulation technique, HF10, offers superior clinical outcomes for patients with severe, chronic back and leg pain. After a trial period, patients were randomly assigned to receive either HF10 or traditional low-frequency SCS, with lasting reductions in back and leg pain reported at two years' follow-up.
Researchers modelled the locomotion of early tetrapods using a living mudskipper and robot simulator. They found that tail use greatly improved terrestrial locomotor performance on soft substrates, especially on slopes and sandy surfaces.
Researchers at Lund University have made a significant breakthrough in producing high-quality dopamine neurons using stem cells. The study has identified key markers that correlate with successful transplantation and graft function, enabling a more accurate methods for producing dopamine cells for clinical use.
Researchers discovered that giant extinct salmon used their large spike-like teeth for fighting and display against each other during the breeding season. The findings indicate a significant change in tooth shape before migration, suggesting these fish underwent developmental changes prior to migrating upriver.
Researchers at Lehigh University found gallium nitride has a wear rate approaching that of diamonds, making it suitable for touch screens, space vehicles and RF MEMS. The material's tribological properties have been studied extensively but virtually no studies were done on its resistance to mechanical wear.
A new study examines outcomes in colorectal surgery patients, finding that patient factors such as race, income, and insurance status significantly impact readmission rates. Minority-serving hospitals face disproportionately harsh penalties for these outcomes, which may be unfairly influenced by their high patient populations.
A University at Buffalo sociologist found that celebrity news coverage contributed to changing family norms, making non-marital births more accepted. The study analyzed People magazine covers and showed a shift from presenting unmarried pregnancies as problems to happy, morally unproblematic events.
The Cell Press has partnered with The American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) to publish its four journals, including Molecular Therapy, starting January 2017. This partnership aims to improve the dissemination of research breakthroughs in gene and cell therapies.
A new study from the University of Delaware has found that people prefer to invest in conservation, such as protecting key areas of a watershed, over traditional water treatment plants. Participants in the field experiment were more willing to donate to conservation causes than drinking water utilities.
The post-tropical cyclone has lacked organized deep convection, resembling a wedge of clouds, and is expected to dissipate due to hostile environmental conditions. The storm's remnants are moving toward the north near 8 mph, with maximum sustained winds decreased to near 35 mph.
A study in Vietnam reveals that patients rely on charitable care outside the centralized healthcare system, leading to delayed treatment. The survey found that 83% of families had their surgery performed by a charitable organization, highlighting the need for improved access to surgical care in resource-poor countries.
Researchers are investigating DNA sequences from ancient viruses that become active in NF2 tumour cells, and found that certain drugs can block their action and slow down tumour growth. The goal is to develop a new non-invasive drug treatment for people with NF2.
A team of scientists used chemical composition of fossil eggs to determine if they were laid by different mothers, finding that oviraptorid dinosaurs exhibited communal nesting behavior. The study sheds light on the evolutionary history of this unique behavior.
A new study published in Neurology challenges a widely held African belief that spinal taps can cause death in cerebral malaria patients. Researchers found that children with severe brain swelling had no change in the likelihood of dying, whether or not they had a spinal tap.
A new study suggests that early tetrapod ancestors may have been seeing like land-based animals before they were moving like them. The research found that large eyes evolved in aquatic tetrapods millions of years before the animals were fully terrestrial, allowing for a greater visual range and diverse behavior.
Researchers found that running with heavier shoes, even just 3.5 ounces heavier, slows runners down by roughly 1 percent in a 3,000-meter race. The study used lead pellets to add weight to shoe pairs and measured oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production.
A new biochar model suggests using a bioenergy-biochar system to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, potentially becoming a viable option for climate change mitigation. This approach involves charring organic material and producing carbon-sequestering biochar that can be used as fertilizer and improve crop production.
Researchers at the University of Delaware are using the International Space Station's U.S. National Laboratory to study self-assembly in microgravity, with a focus on creating new types of colloidal materials that can be used in various applications such as phononic bandgap materials and ultra-low thermal conductivity coatings.
A study of 903 children with autism spectrum disorder found that they have more harmful mitochondrial DNA mutations than their unaffected siblings. These mutations can be inherited from the mother or result from spontaneous mutation during development, increasing the risk of neurological and developmental problems.
A new monoclonal antibody, ibalizumab, has shown promise in treating patients with multidrug-resistant HIV. Eighty-three percent of patients achieved a virologic response after treatment, making it a potential option for those resistant to all other medications.
Researchers at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center have identified serotonin type 3A receptors as a key molecular target for antidepressants, including bupropion. This breakthrough finding has the potential to bring new hope to millions of people suffering from depression.
Researchers discovered a non-virulent variant of Vibrio cholerae O1 strain in Haitian aquatic environments dating back to the 1500s, sparking concerns about its potential virulence through gene transfer with toxigenic strains. The study sheds light on the history of the pathogen and highlights the need for increased surveillance.
Researchers identified 17 cases of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) in California between 1998 and 2016, most developed symptoms after getting measles as infants before being vaccinated. Vaccinating everyone against measles can prevent SSPE, which is fatal and has no cure.
A systematic review of breast augmentation implant sizing systems found tissue-based planning to be superior in reporting low rates of repeat surgery and favorable clinical outcomes compared to other approaches.
PARP9 and PARP14 have been identified as regulators of macrophage activation, a key factor in the development of atherosclerosis. The study found that silencing these genes had opposite effects on macrophage activation, with PARP14 increasing and PARP9 decreasing activation.
A US survey finds that while 51% of Americans are interested in science, only 28% have a sufficient level of scientific understanding. The adult literacy rate is driven by completion of college-level science courses and baccalaureate degrees. NASA's educational programs aim to boost science literacy among learners of all ages.
Researchers at UCSB have developed a functional nanoscale computing device, operating on an unconventional type of logic that could be packed into a block no bigger than 50 nanometers. This technology has the potential to store and process data much faster, reducing energy consumption and increasing computing efficiency.
Researchers found that epigenetic enzyme Lsd1 maintains brown fat tissue's metabolic properties. Inhibiting Lsd1 leads to whitening of brown adipose tissue, storing energy instead of expending it.
Researchers found that distinct tau aggregate conformations cause different pathological patterns in the brain, affecting specific regions and progressing at varying rates. This discovery has implications for developing targeted therapies and diagnosing dementias.