A clinical trial found that nivolumab can be administered safely with radiation therapy and chemotherapy for patients with newly diagnosed local-regionally advanced head and neck cancers. Most patients completed curative-intent radiation therapy and were able to tolerate continuing immunotherapy for up to a year.
Patients in low-income nations have higher rates of surgical infections and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Infection complications can prolong recovery times and be fatal, highlighting an urgent need for global healthcare action.
Research at The University of Tokyo's Institute of Industrial Science reveals that water and silica diverge when cooled due to differences in atomic arrangement. Water's strong orientational order leads to easy crystallization, whereas silica's weak ordering results in supercooling and glass formation.
Researchers at Brown University have developed a new titanium-based material for making lead-free, inorganic perovskite solar cells. The material has favorable properties for solar applications and can be tuned to improve efficiency.
Lassina Zerbo received the 2018 AAAS Award for Science Diplomacy for his efforts to strengthen nuclear test-ban verification. He has led international diplomacy efforts, negotiated data-sharing agreements, and promoted universalization of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
A study by Cornell University researchers found that most coaches prefer to tie games over risking a potential win to avoid sudden defeat. This phenomenon, known as sudden-death aversion (SDA), reflects a common bias in decision-making that can lead to suboptimal choices.
A new systematic review of eleven clinical trials involving nearly 500 participants found that cupping therapy has a high risk of bias and inconsistent results. The authors concluded that no conclusive recommendations for or against the use of cupping in sports performance can be made until further trials are carried out.
A study found that patients and caregivers seek information on their own after receiving inadequate pre-examination information from providers. RadiologyInfo.org is an online resource providing detailed information on medical imaging procedures and preparation.
The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends against screening for ovarian cancer in women without symptoms and at low risk. The task force found that the harms of screening, including unnecessary surgery, outweigh its benefits.
Researchers at University at Buffalo have developed a promising compound that can transform the energy storage landscape for large electrical grids. By modifying a metal-oxide cluster, they were able to nearly double its electrochemical energy storage in redox flow batteries, making it an ideal candidate material.
Researchers have identified risk factors for sleep apnea during pregnancy, including frequent snoring and older maternal age. A calculator tool has been developed to help obstetric providers identify women at risk for the condition, enabling early referral for definitive testing.
The APSOS facility in Tibet provides range-resolved profiles of atmospheric variables and constituents, including temperature, wind, water vapor, and greenhouse gases. Long-term measurements are being taken to establish the first whole-atmosphere measurement database over the Tibetan Plateau.
Researchers from CNRS and Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage have uncovered life-sized dromedary sculptures in northwest Saudi Arabia, dating back to the first centuries BC or AD. The discovery provides significant insights into the evolution of rock art in the Arabian Peninsula.
The Kodiak system has been officially baselined for NASA's Restore-L project, demonstrating an autonomous satellite-servicing capability. The system will provide real-time images and distance-ranging information to extend a satellite's lifespan.
A new themed issue of the Royal Society journal explores human evolution through an interdisciplinary lens, combining biological, anthropological and cultural perspectives. Researchers found that English speakers' regional dialects influenced Sranan creole's development, shedding light on events in human history with few other traces.
The Southeast US has experienced colder winters despite global warming, according to a Dartmouth-led study. The polar vortex allows arctic air to plunge into the region, resulting in persistently cooler temperatures. This phenomenon, known as the U.S. warming hole, is linked to natural climate cycles and potentially to climate change.
Researchers developed a new device measuring blink reflex parameters to help diagnose concussions. The Blink Reflexometer TM assesses blink reflex data, providing an objective measure of primitive reflex changes, allowing for accurate diagnoses and decision-making in sports settings.
A new study based on 25 years of NASA and European satellite data reveals that global sea level rise is accelerating, driven mainly by increased melting in Greenland and Antarctica. The rate of ocean rise could double the projected sea level rise by 2100 if current trends continue.
Researchers have created a stable thin film made from iron, cobalt, and manganese that boasts an average atomic moment potentially 50% greater than the Slater-Pauling limit. The new alloy features a magnetization density of 3.25 Bohr magnetons per atom, besting the previously considered maximum of 2.45.
Researchers from the University of Sheffield have identified key drivers of herbicide resistance in crops, including higher volumes of herbicide use. The study found that farms using more herbicides had greater resistance, highlighting the need for diversifying management techniques to reduce evolution of resistance.
Researchers have detected snapping shrimp off the Oregon coast and believe their loud clicking noise may attract eastern Pacific gray whales. The crustaceans are typically found in warm waters but were previously unknown to inhabit the cooler coastal areas.
Researchers used functional MRI scans to measure brain entropy in 892 participants and found a strong link between higher entropy and intelligence, as measured by standard IQ tests. This suggests that brain imaging could one day help assess problems in brain function for conditions like depression and autism.
A study by researchers at the University of Exeter found that dominant male pheasants were better at remembering which tunnel was clear. This suggests a link between social dominance and cognitive performance, with top-ranking males performing 40% better than their less dominant peers.
A Mayo Clinic study found a steady increase in kidney stone formers, particularly among women aged 18-39. Improved imaging technology allowed for better diagnosis and classification of stones, leading to more symptomatic cases being detected.
Research reveals that clonal ants show diversity in their attraction to sweetness, with some preferring diet soda-like solutions and others requiring regular soda concentrations. The study suggests epigenetic modifications are involved, leading to changes in gene functions and potentially affecting colony survival.
New research reveals that Lake Tahoe's shoreline has shifted due to volcanic activity, with three raised shorelines formed by subaerial lava flows and dammed lake outlets. The lake's level rose nearly 200m after each of these events, raising questions about future volcanic eruptions and their hazards.
A team of researchers at Kaunas University of Technology has created a new generation indoor air cleaning device using advanced methods for breaking down pollutants. The eco-friendly technology will clean the air from nanoparticles and gas pollution, improving human health.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have developed a multi-legged robot that replicates the locomotion patterns of cockroaches, allowing it to traverse large gaps and bumps with increased efficiency. By studying the movement principles of these insects, the team aims to create robots that can navigate complex, cluttered terrain.
Researchers from GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel identified a stratification of the seafloor as responsible for at least one landslide in the region. The discovery was made by combining drilling and seismic data, which revealed a layer of clay overlying ooze composed of fossil planktonic organisms.
In a Penn-led trial, cabozantinib significantly shrunk tumors in 34 out of 35 patients with metastatic, radioactive iodine-resistant thyroid cancer. The median time on the study was 35 weeks, and 54% of patients achieved a partial response.
A new review highlights the need for a proper definition and regulations to ensure the safety of nutraceuticals. The authors propose a regulatory system similar to that used for drugs, with standardized guidelines for manufacturers to provide data supporting health claims.
A recent study published in Open Medicine found a significant link between insomnia and depression among Japanese hospital workers. The survey revealed that chronic insomnia can lead to depression, with alarming rates of insomnia reported among medical professionals.
A new clinical trial aims to determine if low procalcitonin levels indicate a viral lower respiratory tract infection that won't improve with antibiotic treatment. The study will enroll patients with suspected LRTIs and low PCT blood levels, and test whether they respond differently to azithromycin or placebo.
A newly discovered gene called MeXis has been found to act within clogged arteries to remove excess cholesterol from blood vessels. This study suggests that long non-coding RNAs play a crucial role in the development of heart disease and may lead to new insights into treating cardiovascular disease.
Researchers used a fluid model of plasma turbulence to study heating plasma in a tokamak, revealing impacts of its turbulent behavior, density and temperature gradients. The findings showed that heating electrons caused changes in density gradients within the plasma.
The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study has released a comprehensive dataset of over 4,500 youth, providing insights into brain development, substance use, and mental health. The data will inform future prevention and treatment efforts and policy decisions.
Researchers analyzed data from over 30 years of cardiopulmonary exercise testing and found that peak systolic blood pressure increases with age until 60, after which it plateaus. The study suggests lowering the threshold for exercise hypertension to identify younger adults at risk.
New research reveals an extreme lack of genetic diversity in domestic chickpeas, threatening their adaptability to climate change. However, the study also identified wild relatives with promising traits such as drought-resistance and resistance to insect pests.
A recent study published in Epidemiology found that high intake of sugary drinks is associated with lower fertility rates. The researchers analyzed data from 3,828 women and their male partners, finding that consuming at least one soda per day reduced female fecundability by 25% and male fecundability by 33%.
Early members of the bony fish group had advanced electroreception systems, suggesting a key role in niche specialization. The study uses CT scans to analyze fossils and provides new insights into the evolution of this unique sensory system.
Patients in low income nations are more likely to develop surgical infections and are infected with bacteria resistant to medicines. The study found a significant link between antibiotic use and infection, highlighting an urgent need to tackle surgical infection globally.
A new scanning technology could almost halve the number of liver biopsies carried out on people with fatty liver disease. The study used digital image scanning to diagnose liver disease and found it to be superior to other tests in grading disease severity and excluding patients at increased risk.
A team of researchers has discovered a chemical compound that converts patient-derived stem cells into blood vessels, offering new hope for treating achromatopsia and cone-rod dystrophy. The compound, AA147, successfully directed the stem cells to develop primarily into endothelial cells that can form blood vessels.
Computer simulations led by the University of Leeds uncover that the Rosetta Nebula's central cavity is smaller than expected due to a thin disc-like structure of the cloud, focusing stellar winds away from its center. The findings provide new understanding of individual stars' roles in the nebula.
Researchers found that estrogens from treated wastewater persist in vernal pools for weeks, transforming into more potent compounds and impacting sensitive aquatic habitats. The study suggests inadequate water treatment practices may be contributing to this issue.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School have unraveled the immune cascade driving complications and tissue damage in chlamydia infections. The study reveals two distinct immune pathways: one clearing bacteria and another fueling inflammation, offering a roadmap for vaccine development and precision-targeted treatments.
Researchers at Tohoku University successfully recreated conditions similar to those in space without an electric field-trapping boundary. The study shows the electron gas expands adiabatically when electric fields are removed, demonstrating the extension of classical thermodynamics to out-of-equilibrium systems.
Researchers at University of Warwick and Monash University have developed a platinum-based chemotherapy drug candidate that kills cancer cells in targeted areas without harming healthy tissue. The treatment is activated by light, reducing toxic side effects.
Carnegie Mellon University's Rob Kass and Byron Yu will present on using statistical methods to understand brain function, including the development of brain-computer interfaces. The panel aims to explore the application of cutting-edge statistics in neuroscience.
A University of Adelaide study found that monitoring wildlife using drones is more accurate than traditional counting approaches. The #EpicDuckChallenge used fake bird colonies to test the technology, with citizen scientists tallying the number of birds in drone photos, resulting in a higher accuracy rate.
A phase II trial found cabozantinib to be an active agent in treating metastatic, radioactive iodine-resistant differentiated thyroid cancer, with 34 of 35 patients experiencing tumor shrinkage. The treatment also showed a high response rate and was well-tolerated despite common side effects.
Researchers found that VND1, VND2, and VND3 are essential for xylem development in cotyledons grown in the dark, but have little effect when grown in light. The study sheds light on how environmental factors influence gene expression in plants.
A team of researchers has made a breakthrough in understanding how transcription is terminated, revealing key components and mechanisms involved. The study used gene editing approaches to identify the molecular torpedo that stops RNA polymerase, shedding new light on this fundamental biological process.
Researchers at UT Austin developed a cost-effective method to produce triacetic acid lactone, a biorenewable platform chemical, by engineering yeast Y. lipolytica to increase TAL production tenfold. This breakthrough enables mass production of polyketides for various industrial applications.
A study by Rice University found that 80% of black and Latino Americans believe in the healing power of religious faith, while Korean-Americans see it as primarily supportive. The research aimed to understand the role of church in health promotion and explored how racial representation shapes distrust of medicine.
Researchers have created a composite material with the best piezoelectric properties today, overcoming lead content and weight limitations. The material's polymer component offers advantages in manufacturing and application, making it suitable for high-pressure sensing applications.
A new study shows that a plant-based diet improves beta-cell function and insulin sensitivity in overweight adults without a history of diabetes. Participants who followed a low-fat vegan diet experienced increased meal-stimulated insulin secretion and decreased blood sugar levels.
Researchers use a transportable optical atomic clock to measure gravitation for the first time, with potential applications in monitoring continental height changes and improving national height systems. The technique has the potential to resolve height differences as small as 1 cm across the Earth's surface.
A 25-year study found a higher risk of fatal traffic crashes after 4:20 p.m. on April 20 compared to the same time period on other days. The study analyzed data from 1.3 million drivers involved in 882,483 crashes between 1992 and 2016.
Research finds obese male patients treated with targeted or immune therapies live significantly longer than those with a normal BMI. The 'Obesity Paradox' suggests that obesity may improve survival in men with metastatic melanoma, contradicting prior assumptions about the impact of weight on cancer outcomes.