Culture

CORVALLIS, Ore. - Genetic research at Oregon State University has shed new light on how isolated populations of the same species evolve toward reproductive incompatibility and thus become separate species.

Scientists sequenced the entire genome of a Pacific tidepool crustacean, Tigriopus californicus, a model species for differentiation based on geographic separation - an early stage of one species becoming multiple species.

A trade deal between the UK and USA could risk increasing drug prices in the UK, which could diminish the affordability and accessibility of the NHS, according to a Viewpoint published in The Lancet.

The opinion piece outlines how the USA's targeting of so-called 'foreign free-riding' in trade deals could lead to a poor deal on pharmaceuticals for the UK post-Brexit. The authors raise concerns that the USA could pressure the UK to change the way it regulates pharmaceuticals in trade deals.

Examples of cooperation abound in nature, from honeybee hives to human families. Yet it's also easy enough to find examples of selfishness and conflict. Studying the conditions that give rise to cooperation has occupied researchers for generations, with implications for understanding the forces that drive workplace dynamics, charitable giving, animal behavior, even international relations.

BIDMC Research Briefs showcase groundbreaking scientific advances that are transforming medical care.

A major goal of hospitals is to prevent unplanned readmissions of patients after they are discharged. A new study reveals that the preventability of readmissions changes over time: readmissions within the first week after discharge are often preventable by the hospital, whereas readmissions later are often related to patients' difficultly accessing outpatient clinics.

Thirteen patients with OXA-48-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae ST392 have been reported by Sweden and Norway between January and April 2018 - all returning travellers with prior hospital admission in Gran Canaria, Spain. Whole genome sequencing showed tight clustering between the bacterial isolates from the cases.

According to ECDC's risk assessment published today, the risk for individual travellers to acquire OXA-48-producing K. pneumoniae ST392 of the Gran Canaria cluster without healthcare contact is very low.

Cold Spring Harbor, NY - In cancer cells, genetic errors wreak havoc. Misspelled genes, as well as structural variations -- larger-scale rearrangements of DNA that can encompass large chunks of chromosomes -- disturb carefully balanced mechanisms that have evolved to regulate cell growth. Genes that are normally silent are massively activated and mutant proteins are formed. These and other disruptions cause a plethora of problems that cause cells to grow without restraint, cancer's most infamous hallmark.

INDIANAPOLIS - Athletes who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be at greater risk for experiencing persistent anxiety and depression after a concussion than people who do not have ADHD, according to a preliminary study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's Sports Concussion Conference in Indianapolis, July 20 to 22, 2018. ADHD is a brain disorder that affects attention and behavior.

After Halloween, people tend to forget about bats. But, for farmers, residents of Kenya, and scientists, bats are a part of everyday life. While North America has 44 species, Kenya, a country the size of Texas, has 110 bat species. Many of these species also contain subspecies and further divisions that can make the bat family tree look like a tangled mess. Researchers set out to cut the clutter by sorting the lineages of yellow house bats and in the process found two new species.

Sophia Antipolis, 12 July 2018: The more you smoke, the greater your risk of a heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation. That's the finding of a study published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a European Society of Cardiology (ESC) journal.(1)

The study found a 14% increase in the risk of atrial fibrillation for every ten cigarettes smoked per day. There was a linear dose-response relationship, meaning that the risk increased with each additional cigarette smoked.

Psychological therapy delivered by a virtual reality coach can help people with a clinically diagnosed fear of heights overcome their fear, according to a randomised controlled trial of 100 people published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal.

Members of the public in the UK and US have far greater trust in scientific experts than the government, according to a new study by Queen Mary University of London.

In three large scale experiments, participants were asked to make several judgments about nudges -behavioural interventions designed to improve decisions in our day-to-day lives.

In three large scale experiments, participants were asked to make several judgments about nudges -behavioural interventions designed to improve decisions in our day-to-day lives.

People who eat a healthy diet experience fewer asthma symptoms and better control of their condition, according to a new study published in the European Respiratory Journal [1].

Diets with better asthma outcomes are characterised by being healthier, with greater consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grain cereals. Unhealthy diets, with high consumption of meat, salt and sugar, have the poorest outcomes.

This image shows the star cluster RCW 38, as captured by the HAWK-I infrared imager mounted on ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile. By gazing into infrared wavelengths, HAWK-I can examine dust-shrouded star clusters like RCW 38, providing an unparalleled view of the stars forming within.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is known as a major cause of diarrhea in travelers and people living in developing countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), ETEC is responsible for 300,000 ~ 500,000 deaths a year, constituting a serious problem.

Effective vaccines for ETEC have not been developed, so patients infected with ETEC are treated with antibiotics and supporting measures. However, the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria has become a social issue, so the development of new treatment methods is sought after.

Japan -- Scientists report that a large, extinct seabird called the spectacled cormorant, Phalacrocorax perspicillatus -- originally thought to be restricted to Bering Island, far to the north -- also resided in Japan nearly 120,000 years ago.

Writing in The Auk Ornithological Advances, the team indicates that the species under-went a drastic range contraction or shift, and that specimens found on Bering Island are 'relicts' -- remnants of a species that was once more widespread.