Culture
When a plant or animal species is introduced to a new environment with few natural predators, it can spread uncontrollably, transforming the ecosystem and crowding out existing populations. One well-known example is the cane toad, which was introduced into Australia in 1935 and whose population is now well into the millions.
Surprising new data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope suggests the smooth, settled "brim" of the Sombrero galaxy's disk may be concealing a turbulent past. Hubble's sharpness and sensitivity resolves tens of thousands of individual stars in the Sombrero's vast, extended halo, the region beyond a galaxy's central portion, typically made of older stars.
PITTSBURGH, Feb. 20, 2020 - Researchers at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh surveyed patients in a local clinic providing gender-affirming care to transgender youth and found that a surprisingly high number of them intentionally avoided disclosing their gender identity to doctors outside the clinic.
The paper was published today in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
(JACKSON, Wyo.- Feb. 20, 2020) - A naturally occurring amino acid is gaining increased attention from scientists as a possible treatment for ALS following a new study published today in the Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology. The study showed that the amino acid, L-serine, successfully reduced ALS-like changes in an animal model of ALS.
A real-world study of over 600,000 adult participants without a history of depression has found that the stop-smoking medication varenicline (marketed as Chantix in the US and Champix elsewhere in the world) does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular or neuropsychiatric hospitalization compared with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). These findings, published in the scientific journal Addiction, confirm those of earlier clinical trials, providing further evidence of the safety of varenicline as an aid to stop smoking.
Boston, MA -- Patients with type 2 diabetes who have high levels of blood sugar are at greater risk of serious complications such as chronic kidney disease, heart disease and blindness. While lifestyle changes and medications can help some patients better control their blood sugar levels, type 2 diabetes tends to progress, and patients typically need more intense treatment to continue to maintain blood sugar control. Insulin offers the most robust way to control blood glucose, but insulin therapy is often delayed, sometimes by several years.
Complaints from patients and their family members could signal future violence against nurses and should not be ignored, suggests new research from the University of British Columbia.
By tracking and addressing such complaints, hospitals and other health care organizations can help curb aggressive behaviour towards their employees.
PORTLAND, Ore. - Gene-infused nanoparticles used for combating disease work better when they include plant-based relatives of cholesterol because their shape and structure help the genes get where they need to be inside cells.
The findings by Oregon State University researchers, published today in Nature Communications, are important because many illnesses that can't be treated effectively with conventional drugs can be treated genetically - delivering nucleic acids to diseased cells so they can make the correct proteins needed for health.
Historical wood panel paintings with developed craquelure patterns - networks of fine cracks in the paint- are significantly less vulnerable to environmental variations than previously assumed, according to a study in the open access journal Heritage Science. The findings offer a potential explanation as to why heavily cracked historical paintings remain stable in environments far from 'ideal' museum conditions.
Bioengineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a control system that could make CAR T-cell therapy safer and more powerful when treating cancer. By programming CAR T cells to switch on when exposed to blue light, the researchers controlled the cells to destroy skin tumors in mice without harming healthy tissue.
People aged 65 years and over are less likely to be readmitted to hospital if they are given help with their medication for three months after discharge, new research from the University of Bradford (UK) has found.
The palaeontologists found the remains of the ancient amphibian at the Berezovsky quarry, a fossil locality in the Krasnoyarsk Krai near the town of Sharypovo. Fossils of ancient fish, various reptiles, mammals, herbivorous and predatory dinosaurs have been previously found there. The research materials were collected on field expeditions in the mid-2010s.
The study, a collection of molecular data from bird species found across 41 oceanic archipelagos, reveals how the area and isolation of islands are key to determining the diversity of species they contain.
Bottom Line: Researchers compared long-term quality of life and patient satisfaction among those patients who were treated with antibiotics or who had their appendix removed for uncomplicated acute appendicitis. Evidence in recent years has indicated antibiotic treatment is a safe and efficient alternative to appendectomy. This study was a seven-year follow-up of a randomized clinical trial in Finland of patients with uncomplicated acute appendicitis who underwent appendectomy or who received antibiotics.
What The Study Did: Researchers compared treatment and survival rates between African American and white women following early detection with mammography of triple-negative breast cancer. African American women have a higher rate of death from breast cancer compared with white women, a disparity partly explained by a higher rate of this aggressive breast cancer.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/