Earth
PHILADELPHIA -- Kidneys from donors who were infected with the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) function just as well as uninfected kidneys throughout the first year following transplantation, according to a new Penn Medicine study. The analysis of kidney transplant recipients across the United States, published today in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, also revealed a threefold increase in the number of transplant centers using HCV-infected kidneys and a major change in how the organs are allocated.
AMHERST, Mass. - Scientists expect that in the future, electronically active garments containing unobtrusive, portable devices for monitoring heart rate and respiratory rhythm during sleep, for example, will prove clinically useful in health care. Now researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed physiological-sensing textiles that can be woven or stitched into sleep garments they have dubbed "phyjamas."
A study involving military veterans with PTSD and cirrhosis of the liver points to an abnormal mix of bacteria in the intestines as a possible driver of poor cognitive performance--and as a potential target for therapy.
The study appeared Aug. 28, 2019, in the American Journal of Physiology.
Lead author Dr. Jasmohan Bajaj says the findings add to the substantial evidence linking gut health and brain function. He says they offer particular hope for people with PTSD and cirrhosis--a common combination in the VA patient population.
New research at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) shows how the world's most widely used insecticides could be partly responsible for a dramatic decline in songbird populations.
A study published in the journal Science on Sept. 13 is the first experiment to track the effects of a neonicotinoid pesticide on birds in the wild.
Alexander von Humboldt was born 250 years ago this month, and while he spent much of his life studying Earth's mountainous regions, his vision of how science is intertwined with the broader human experience has helped to lay the groundwork for aspects of modern science more broadly. In this special issue of Science, an Editorial, a Perspective, four Reviews and a Policy Forum highlight von Humboldt's lasting legacy on issues related to the ecology and environment of mountains, in particular.
LAWRENCE -- Throughout August and early September 2019, media around the world have reported on the extensive forest fires ravaging Brazil's Amazon rainforest. Much of the concern stems from the Amazon's significance to regulating the world's climate. According to the Associated Press, the Amazon absorbs 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide every year -- about 5% of global emissions. Thus, fires in the region eat away at this carbon-absorbing capacity while at the same time adding carbon to the air through burning.
DALLAS - Sept. 12, 2019 - A potential treatment for polycystic kidney disease - a genetic disorder that causes the kidneys to swell with multiple cysts and can eventually lead to organ failure - has shown promising results in animal testing.
A team of food scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has developed a groundbreaking, user-friendly mathematical model for NASA to help ensure that astronauts' food remains rich in nutrients during extended missions in space.
The new research, published in the journal Food Chemistry, gives NASA a time-saving shortcut to predict the degradation of vitamins in spaceflight food over time and more accurately and efficiently schedule resupplying trips. The investigation was funded with a $982,685 grant from NASA.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 12, 2019) - Researchers at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center have made a breakthrough discovery that solves a mystery long forgotten by science and have identified a potentially novel avenue in pre-clinical models to treat non-small cell lung cancers.
Smoke from a summer wildfire is more than just an eye-stinging plume of nuisance. It's a poison to the lungs and hearts of the people who breathe it in and a dense blanket that hampers firefighting operations.
Both rodents and humans release a bone-derived hormone called osteocalcin in response to acute stress, researchers report on September 12th in the journal Cell Metabolism. This fight-or-flight pathway is distinct from others mediated by hormones released by the adrenal glands, such as cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine. The findings help to explain why patients and animals lacking cortisol and additional molecules produced by the adrenal glands can still mount the acute stress response.
DALLAS (SMU) - It was a puzzle about birds.
Migratory birds are known to rely on Earth's magnetic field to help them navigate the globe. And it was suspected that a protein called cryptochrome, which is sensitive to blue light, was making it possible for birds to do this.
Yet many of these animals are also known to migrate at night when there isn't much light available. So it wasn't clear how cryptochrome would function under these conditions in birds.
PHILADELPHIA - A standardized medical school exam, often used as a criterion for medical residency programs, may reduce the diversity of applicants in radiation oncology. The discovery represents a call to action for medical societies to reduce the barriers and biases in competitive medical fields.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, sulphur production by tiny marine algae decreased during glacial periods, and is more closely linked to climate than previously thought, according to latest research by scientists in Japan. A clearer understanding of the link between the climate and marine phytoplankton, the microscopic single-celled algae that live in the surface waters of the ocean, can help scientists incorporate these impacts in future climate models.
Their findings were published on July 19, 2019 in Nature Communications.
MINNEAPOLIS - Even before a dementia diagnosis, people with mild cognitive impairment may have different changes in the brain depending on what type of dementia they have, according to a study published in the September 11, 2019, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.