Curated News: Top Clipped Stories

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A new study suggests that athletes who recover more slowly from concussion may be able to return to play with an additional month of recovery beyond the typical recovery time, according to a new study published in the January 18, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Slow recovery was defined as taking more than 14 days for symptoms to resolve or taking more than 24 days to return to play, both of which are considered the typical recovery times for about 80% of athletes with concussion.

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Seasonal temperature, moisture loss from plants and wind speed are what primarily drive fires that sweep across the same landscape multiple times, a new study reveals. These findings and others could help land managers plan more effective treatments in areas susceptible to fire, particularly in the fire-ravaged wildland-urban interfaces of California.

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If pharmaceutical companies shared their intellectual property rights to vaccines with the global community, millions of lives could be saved in future pandemics, according to a new paper co-authored by faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York.

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Researchers have been looking to replace silicon in electronics with materials that provide a higher performance and lower power consumption while also having scalability. An international team is addressing that need by developing a promising process to develop high-quality 2D materials that could power next-generation electronics.

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A research report by academics at Queen’s University Belfast in collaboration with the University of Glasgow, has found that Education departments in the UK higher education (HE) sector have more inequality than other discipline areas.

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Recent research shows that magnetic fields can spontaneously emerge in a plasma if the plasma has a temperature anisotropy. This mechanism is known as the Weibel instability. This new research is the first to unambiguously observe the Weibel instability in the laboratory. It offers a possible solution to the problem of the origin of the microgauss-level magnetic fields that permeate the galaxies.

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Tropical forests are crucial for sucking up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. But they’re also subject to intense storms that can cause “windthrow” – the uprooting or breaking of trees. A new study finds that more extreme thunderstorms from climate change will likely cause a greater number of large windthrow events in the Amazon, which could impact the rainforest's ability to serve as a carbon sink.

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In Physics of Fluids, researchers simulate an atomic bomb explosion from a typical intercontinental ballistic missile and the resulting blast wave to see how it would affect people sheltering indoors.

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Shifting climates are causing utility companies to take a closer look at the current and future power needs of their customers. Northern Illinois’ ComEd and Argonne National Laboratory used science to glimpse the future.

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Astronomers using Hubble have recorded a star getting swallowed by a giant black hole. Hubble didn't observe the mayhem directly, but captured spectral fingerprints that provide clues as to how a star gets shredded as it is devoured.

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The Notre Dame study looks at performance based on the impact the CEO has on the firm within the context of the performance they inherited and the time period in which they ran the firm.

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Vision impairment disproportionately impacts older adults

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Gut bacteria can influence brain health, according to a study of mice genetically predisposed to develop Alzheimer’s-like brain damage. The study, by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, indicates that gut bacteria produce compounds that influence the behavior of immune cells, including ones in the brain that can cause neurodegeneration. The findings suggest a new approach to treating Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

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Something is amiss in the Butterfly Nebula. When astronomers compared images from 2009 & 2020, they saw dramatic changes in its "wings." Powerful winds are driving complex alterations of nebular material. It's unknown how such activity is possible in what should be a “largely moribund star with no remaining fuel.”

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Research suggests that findings about human risk preferences also apply to risk-taking in chimpanzees, our closest evolutionary ancestor in the animal kingdom, and that individual chimps’ risk preference is stable and trait-like across situations.

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A team of researchers led by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has developed a novel delivery system for messenger RNA (mRNA) using extracellular vesicles (EVs). The new technique has the potential to overcome many of the delivery hurdles faced by other promising mRNA therapies.

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For men who undergo radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer, the precise targeting capabilities of MRI guidance resulted in fewer toxicities and better quality of life according to new research from UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

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Review of over 300 studies sifts out relationships between metabolites and health worth a further look.

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Findings from a newly published study provide further evidence suggesting that the breast milk of those vaccinated against COVID-19 may help protect babies from the illness

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Among people with epilepsy, Black, Latino and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander people are less likely to be prescribed newer drugs than white people, which can be a marker of the quality of care, according to a study published in the January 11, 2023, online issue of Neurology® Clinical Practice, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Scientists have discovered something unexpected about the Triangulum galaxy: In this satellite galaxy, a close companion of the much larger Andromeda galaxy, old and new stars occur in separate parts of the its structure, something not seen in galaxies like our own and so far not reporter for other satellite galaxies.

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The opportunistic bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii rarely sickens healthy people but causes serious infections in hospitalized patients. A study, in mice, from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that Acinetobacter can hide undetected in bladder cells and then reactivate when stimulated by medical intervention. The findings suggest that patients may bring Acinetobacter into hospitals and that screening patients could supplement current infection-control efforts.

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By peering into a well-known star cluster within the Small Magellanic Cloud, Webb’s NIRCam instrument has revealed many new pockets of star formation that have never been seen. Further, new structures appear in this image that provide a window into the stars feeding within.

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A new paper by a team at Los Alamos National Laboratory is giving researchers new insight into how countries respond to systemic shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Astronomers discovered that the star Gaia17bpp gradually brightened over a 2 1/2-year period. But follow-up analyses revealed that the star itself wasn’t changing. Instead, it's likely part of a rare type of binary system. Its apparent brightening was the end of a years-long eclipse by an unusual, "dusty" stellar companion.

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Early retirement can accelerate cognitive decline among the elderly, according to research conducted by faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York.

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Save the ... parasites? Analyzing 140 years of parasite abundance in fish shows dramatic declines, especially in parasites that rely on three or more host species. The decline is linked to warming ocean temperatures. Parasitic species might be in real danger, researchers warn -- and that means not just fewer worms, but losses for the entire ecosystem.

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UC San Diego School of Medicine study shows cannabis-related emergency department visits among older adults are on the rise with high risk for adverse effects of cannabis use for ages 65 and older.

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Investigators at Cedars-Sinai have created a unique and detailed molecular profile of endometriosis to help improve therapeutic options for the millions of women suffering from the disease.

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Two newly published articles by researchers at the University at Albany and Northwestern University show the extent to which civilians working to intervene in and de-escalate street violence face job-related violence themselves, as well as secondary trauma from that violence.

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A team of researchers led by Young-Shin Jun at the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis found that nanoplastics facilitate formation of manganese oxide on polystyrene nanoparticles.

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New experiments that show that eukaryotic cells can robustly control average fluctuations in organelle size. By demonstrating that organelle sizes obey a universal scaling relationship that the scientists predict theoretically, their new framework suggests that organelles grow in random bursts from a limiting pool of building blocks.

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According to a new study published in JAMA Network Open, almost a third of patients with chronic pain reported using cannabis to manage it.

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Meet Adrien Florio, a postdoctoral research associate and fellow in Brookhaven Lab’s Nuclear Theory Group that is contributing his unique perspective and experience to the Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage's theory and applications subthrust.

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Scientists are working to transform carbon dioxide into chemical solar fuels. To advance this process, researchers have identified a new hybrid material that consists of a light-absorbing semiconductor and a cobalt catalyst. The research extends scientific efforts to identify new ways to store energy and to efforts to understand how light-absorbing hybrid systems can drive the catalytic production of chemical fuels using solar energy.

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The medical emergency suffered by Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills underscores the importance of speed when responding to cardiac arrest. Two Penn State Health physicians offer guidance.

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There are so many unknowns about long COVID. Why is the range of symptoms so vast? How do pre-existing conditions play a role? Scientists have developed a machine learning tool to accelerate discoveries using actual patient data.

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Following a modified Atkins diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates plus taking medication may reduce seizures in people with tough-to-treat epilepsy, according to a study published in the January 4, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Retinal cells grown from stem cells can reach out and connect with neighbors, according to a new study, completing a “handshake” that may show the cells are ready for trials in humans with degenerative eye disorders.Over a decade ago, researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison developed a way to grow organized clusters of cells, called organoids, that resemble the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.

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Nuclear physicists have found a new way to use the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC)—a particle collider at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory—to see the shape and details inside atomic nuclei. The method relies on particles of light that surround gold ions as they speed around the collider and a new type of quantum entanglement that’s never been seen before.

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These are Hubble Space Telescope images of two massive clusters of galaxies. The artificially added blue color is translated from Hubble data that captured a phenomenon called intracluster light. This extremely faint glow traces a smooth distribution of light from wandering stars scattered across the cluster. Billions of years ago, the stars were shed from their parent galaxies and now drift through intergalactic space alone.

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Physicians across the nation are describing an increase in requests from women for permanent contraception. The anecdotal reports by clinicians come in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, the constitutional right to abortion.

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Researchers at Berkeley Lab have developed a new kind of heating and cooling method that they have named the ionocaloric refrigeration cycle. They hope the technique will someday help phase out refrigerants that contribute to global warming and provide safe, efficient cooling and heating for homes.

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New PNNL research makes it easier to differentiate between chemical and nuclear explosions.

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A tool developed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center to address disrespectful workplace behaviors through trained peer-to-peer messaging can be successfully implemented in the nursing workforce with the appropriate support, according to a new study published in the January 2023 issue of . The first author of the article, “Implementation of Peer Messengers to Deliver Feedback: An Observational Study to Promote Professionalism in Nursing,” is Cindy Baldwin, MS, RN, CPHRM, senior associate for the Department of Pediatrics and School of Nursing at the Vanderbilt Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy.

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Patients under the care of specialists who trained with the patients’ primary care physicians (PCPs) reported being treated with a more concerned manner, receiving clearer explanations, and experiencing greater engagement in shared decision-making, among other benefits, the study found.

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A University of Minnesota Twin Cities-led team has developed a new method for making nano-membranes of “smart” materials, which will allow scientists to harness their unique properties for use in devices such as sensors and flexible electronics.

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Studying mice, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that proteins made by stem cells to help regenerate the cornea may become new targets for treating and preventing injuries to the cornea related to dry eye disease. When eyes are dry, the cornea is more susceptible to injury.

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Historically plastic surgery has been considered one of most competitive and highly sought after residency programs. While this remains true recent appearing wrinkles may be of concern, according to an article in the January issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

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Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered a novel immunotherapy combination, targeting checkpoints in both T cells and myeloid suppressor cells, that successfully reprogrammed the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and significantly improved anti-tumor responses in preclinical models of pancreatic cancer.