A recent study suggests that targeting alpha-synuclein protein in Parkinson's disease may not be sufficient to cure most patients. Instead, resolving brain inflammation caused by dysfunctional interferon-beta receptor signaling may hold the key to developing more effective treatments.
Research found a significant increase in non-accidental child injuries during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, attributed to economic and emotional stress. The study analyzed data from nine pediatric trauma centers and found that the number of child abuse victims over age 5 tripled during the pandemic period.
A team of researchers at Penn State developed a new approach to personalize fitness tracker messages to improve motivation and physical activity. They used control systems engineering tools to tailor motivational messages based on individual user behavior, weather, and goals. The study aimed to establish the effectiveness of precision ...
Ancient Italian writings suggest that Genoese sailors were aware of North America 150 years before Columbus' famous voyage. The discovery, made by Professor Paolo Chiesa, refers to an area known as 'Markland'/ 'Marckalada', mentioned in Icelandic sources and identified as part of the Atlantic coast of North America.
New research shows that climate models are underestimating the warming effect of black carbon aerosols transported over the South-East Atlantic. The study, led by Dr Marc Mallet, found that biomass-burning aerosols can lead to an increase in absorbed sunlight, potentially warming the climate system.
A new study from UCLA finds that a social companion robot, Robin, provides comfort to young patients during hospital visits. Children and their parents reported significant improvements in positive affect and reductions in negative affect after interacting with Robin compared to tablet-based interactions.
A new study found that young adults feel responsible for protecting themselves and others against COVID-19, but face confusion due to inconsistent messaging. Researchers recommend positive framing, reflecting lived experiences, and accessible platforms to increase effectiveness.
Researchers discovered that volcanic aggregate and chemical interactions strengthen Caecilia Metella's tomb, exceeding male contemporaries' monuments. The study, published in the Journal of the American Ceramic Society, shows how leucite crystals dissolve over time to remodel concrete cohesion.
Researchers propose a new quantum circuit that mimics black hole behavior, allowing for the study of Hawking radiation. The proposed system uses a white hole and metamaterial to amplify Hawking radiation, potentially leading to breakthroughs in quantum communication.
A new smartphone-based app, iBehavior, will be tested to improve the accuracy of data in clinical trials involving individuals with intellectual disability. The app uses ecological momentary assessment to track symptoms related to executive function, often associated with ADHD.
Research shows that staff training programs and gun safety educational materials increase doctor/parent conversations about gun safety, leading to safer storage practices and reduced firearm injuries. Pediatricians who received training and support were more likely to counsel parents on gun safety, resulting in improved firearm screeni...
Farmers in East Africa better adapted to COVID-19 due to differences in arrival times of lockdown measures, access to technology, and cultural factors. In contrast, southern African countries faced significant disruptions in supply chains, leading to reduced access to inputs and markets.
A team of researchers has created a virtual fitting room system using AI and a bespoke robotic mannequin. The system can digitize garments in two hours and synthesize photorealistic images, allowing users to try on clothing in real-time.
A survey of healthcare providers found that technology changes during the pandemic may contribute to burnout, with negative perceptions of telehealth visits increasing the odds of reporting burnout. The study highlights the need for adequate institutional resources to promote provider well-being and combat burnout.
A more inclusive definition of infertility could help explain why current diagnostic tests frequently fail to find a reason for reproductive failure. This broader view may also open up novel opportunities for tailoring infertility treatments to each couple, considering the complex network of interacting male and female genes.
A study found that Amazonian and Afrotropical communities consuming wild meat may spare up to 71 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per year by replacing beef or poultry with wild meat. This could generate millions of dollars in carbon credit sales, but unsustainable hunting practices must be avoided.
A study by Portland State University found that household car ownership correlates with better self-reported health, while bus or paratransit use is associated with poorer health. The researchers also discovered that having fewer vehicles per individual in the household increases the likelihood of reporting poor physical health.
A team of ecologists and mathematicians found that ecosystems can evade tipping points by forming complex spatial patterns. These patterns allow ecosystems to adapt to climate change and avoid catastrophic shifts. The study challenges the concept of tipping points and suggests a more nuanced understanding of Earth's resilience.
Researchers reconstituted cyanobacterial circadian clock in a test tube, enabling real-time study of clock protein interactions and their role in gene expression. The study reveals mechanisms of circadian timekeeping and provides insights into the genetic origins of clock disruption.
The American Geriatrics Society will create a national self-directed learning curriculum to support researchers studying multiple chronic conditions, with a focus on resilience. The organization will also host a series of prestigious scientific conferences exploring emerging issues in aging research.
A new study published in Coral Reefs confirms that soft corals Plexaura kükenthali and Plexaura homomalla are two separate species. The research found significant differences in morphology, genetics, reproduction, and symbiotic relationships between the two species.
Researchers found that combining an Aurora Kinase A inhibitor with a KRAS inhibitor or WEE1 inhibitor showed efficacy against lung cancer cells resistant to KRAS inhibition. The study suggests that Aurora Kinase A activation contributes to intrinsic and acquired resistance to sotorasib in KRAS-mutated lung cancer cells.
Scientists have determined the age of the Chang'e-5 moon rocks to be approximately 1.97 billion years old, closing a 2-billion-year gap in lunar sample dating. This precision is crucial for calibrating chronology tools and studying the moon's volcanic history.
A study by TUM demonstrated the effectiveness of an ear sensor in monitoring COVID-19 risk patients remotely, providing timely hospitalization when necessary. The sensor enabled high-quality monitoring comparable to hospital care, with great patient satisfaction and improved safety outcomes.
A new study reveals that higher levels of education and income are associated with better health outcomes for older adults in Ireland, England, the US, and Canada. The study found that socio-economic disparities exist across countries, with those having higher education and income experiencing lower disease burdens.
Dr. Mohammad Al Hashmi's research focuses on reducing energy consumption in residential buildings in hot and arid climates using renewable energy systems such as solar and wind power. His framework combines building interventions and clean energy approaches to minimize environmental impact.
A USC study finds men and women equally bad at salary negotiation, but women tend to value stocks less than men. Participants who negotiated against a virtual agent secured $13,000 more on average.
The National Kidney Foundation has released a research roadmap to accelerate innovations in treatment and increase understanding of kidney disease. The report calls for increased funding in preclinical science, genetics, health equity, and implementation science to tackle the most vexing challenges in kidney disease.
Researchers found that asymptomatic patients may not produce significant IgG antibodies, but rather a different kind of antibody count that can indicate disease severity. The study suggests using the ratio of these two counts as a marker to determine if a person has had COVID-19.
Climate change literacy rates in Africa are lower than those in Europe and North America, with women facing a significant gap in awareness. The study found that education is the strongest predictor of climate literacy, but poverty and gender dynamics also play a role.
A new study found that self-identified picky eaters in college students ate significantly less fiber and vegetables compared to non-picky eaters. This behavior was also linked to higher levels of social phobia, overall distress, and lower quality of life.
The PHAse Space MApping experiment, a complex plasma physics research project at WVU, aims to study the motion of ions and electrons in plasmas. The facility can measure three-dimensional motion at very small scales and is capable of performing detailed measurements.
A new study examines the effect of corporate social responsibility on consumers' actual purchase behavior, finding that corrective and compensating CSR actions boost sales, while cultivating CSR initiatives lead to slight drops. The study also reveals that sincere motives play a crucial role in consumer perception of CSR.
A new study suggests that increased access to naloxone has not changed people's perception of the risks associated with heroin use. Researchers found that individuals who used heroin and those living in areas with easy or restricted access to naloxone both perceived heroin as a high-risk substance.
Researchers from UvA's Centre for Urban Mental Health propose a new conceptual framework to understand the dynamic interplay between urban factors and mental health. The framework identifies key factors influencing urban environments and their impact on mental well-being, including air pollution, noise, and social cohesion.
Researchers found that female yellow warblers who heard referential 'seet' calls the previous day would sit on their nest for a longer period and be less active, suggesting they recalled past events and engaged in mental time travel to boost vigilance. This behavior may indicate a heightened state of alert or cognitive processing.
A study by the American Psychological Association found that Black students are more likely to be suspended for minor infractions, harming their academic success. This bias in school discipline can damage students' perceptions of their school and lower their grades years later.
A new study by University of Pennsylvania researchers uses human gingiva-derived mesenchymal stem cells to guide nerve growth and regeneration, achieving similar results as traditional autograft procedures. The approach has potential for treating larger nerve gaps, including those resulting from oral cancer surgery.
A new deep-learning algorithm, ECNet, has been developed to accelerate protein engineering by predicting the fitness of all possible sequences. By incorporating evolutionary history, ECNet outperforms current methods on several datasets and identifies novel mutants with improved fitness.
Researchers from Shibaura Institute of Technology synthesized atropisomeric N-aryl quinazoline-4-thiones, showing unprecedented isotopic atropisomerism due to rotational restriction around an N-Ar bond. The findings support the formation of diastereomers and have potential applications in pharmaceuticals.
Purdue University researchers are exploring how cells defend themselves from chemical or mechanical attack and repair their damage with the help of biochemical and mechanical inputs and reactions. The goal is to develop new ways to address human health and longevity by using AI in biology.
Research published in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders found that autistic children with difficulties integrating narrative context with facial expressions, leading to inaccurate emotion recognition. This highlights the importance of contextual cues in social exchanges for effectively managing interactions.
Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have discovered that artificial sweeteners can significantly impair bacterial communication. Three out of six tested FDA-approved sweeteners were found to inhibit quorum sensing, a key process for bacteria to communicate with each other.
A new study suggests that natural infection can produce highly potent and broadly neutralizing memory B cells, which may provide longer-term protection against severe disease. In contrast, vaccines primarily stimulate circulating antibodies that fade over time.
Heat extremes have increased by 90-fold, with 3-sigma events affecting 9% of land area; record daily rainfall events also increased, with 1 in 4 records attributed to climate change. The small temperature increase has pushed up extreme weather substantially.
A new locally acting treatment aims to reduce the severity of post-transplant ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) without affecting the immune system. The treatment targets specific neoepitopes exposed on injured donor organs, reducing the risk of organ rejection and improving transplant outcomes.
An international study by Lund University found that offering a small reward of $24 increased COVID-19 vaccination rates among Swedes by 4 percentage points. The vaccination rate rose to 76 percent in the group offered payment, compared to 72 percent in those not receiving incentives.
A new report from the University of South Australia reveals that refugee children are more likely to succeed academically if their parents share their story and their school empowers them. Schools with bilingual staff also show promise in building strong parent-school relationships.
A UCL-led research team has identified an anti-viral gene that increases the risk of both Alzheimer's disease and severe Covid-19. The study found that a specific variant of the OAS1 gene amplifies inflammation in the brain, highlighting the importance of the immune system in both conditions.
Scientists developed a novel method to detect hormonally active substances in products, which can cause serious health problems. The new approach uses immobilized sulfotransferases and microparticles to quickly and easily detect low concentrations of these substances.
A recent study published in PLOS Biology found that science written in languages other than English may hold untapped information crucial to the conservation of global biodiversity. The research analyzed over 400,000 peer-reviewed papers and identified 1,234 studies providing scientific knowledge on saving species and ecosystems.
Research highlights the importance of normal insulin cycles for metabolic health, including better response to fed and fasted insulin inputs. It also uncovers mechanisms regulating robustness of insulin signaling, identifying potential novel regulatory components for therapeutic interventions.
A new study found that outdoor nature-based activities are effective for improving mental health in adults, including those with pre-existing mental health problems. Activities lasting 20-90 minutes sustained over 8-12 weeks led to improved mood and reduced anxiety.
A new study reveals hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been infecting humans for millennia, tracing its evolution from prehistory to the present. The research highlights HBV's dispersal routes and shifts in viral diversity mirroring human migrations and demographic events.
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have discovered that lactate can influence cells in the lung environment to support immune defenses against infection while limiting collateral damage. Lactate may hold therapeutic potential as a host-directed therapy for diseases like TB and COVID-19, which cause destruction of pulmonary tissue.
The Human Brain Project's Scientific Conference presents abundant scientific achievements in neuroscience, brain medicine, and technology. Renowned experts discuss past, present, and future of brain research, highlighting the role of HBP in driving innovation.
Researchers have found that a conventional model for predicting material microstructure does not apply to polycrystalline materials. They used near-field high energy diffraction microscopy (HEDM) to study grain boundaries, revealing that the model's predictions are inconsistent with experimental data.
The global coral reef crisis is characterized by widespread overfishing, pollution, disease, and climate change. The report highlights the need for swift action to address these issues and identifies management efforts such as reducing pollution and establishing marine protected areas.
Researchers found a chemical inhibitor of PDE9 stimulates cells to burn more fat in mice, reducing obesity and fatty liver. The study's findings suggest the experimental drug may be effective in treating severe obesity and improving heart function.
The Perseverance rover's first scientific analysis confirms Jezero crater was a calm lake for most of its existence, interrupted by flash floods that carried huge boulders downstream. The findings provide clues to Martian climate evolution and offer opportunities to search for signs of ancient life.