Feature Channels: All Journal News

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What stops a species adapting to an ever-wider range of conditions, continuously expanding its geographic range? The biomathematician Jitka Polechová, an Elise Richter Fellow at the University of Vienna, has published a paper in PLoS Biology which explains the formation of species’ range margins. The theory shows that just two compound parameters, important for both ecology and evolution of species, are fundamental to the stability of their range: the environmental heterogeneity and the size of the local population.

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Results Do Not Support Routine Use of This Expensive Drug

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Scientists have captured the most information yet about proteins within a single human cell, giving scientists one of their clearest looks yet at the molecular happenings inside a human cell. The team detected on average more than 650 proteins in each cell – many times more than conventional techniques capture from single cells.

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Researchers investigated risk factors for the development of opioid dependence in patients undergoing surgery for degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS). They found that, overall, patients were more likely to have a dependency on opioid medications before surgery than afterward.

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Covers the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. The authors “review the eyewitness reports of the mechanism of injury, the care rendered for 3 hours prior to the emergency craniotomy, the clinical course, and, ultimately, the autopsy.” The discussion of autopsy findings is supplemented by an artist’s depiction of the extent of Senator Kennedy’s head injury.

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Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai found an elevated risk of major congenital malformations in fetuses after first-trimester exposure to lithium, in the largest study ever to examine the risk of birth defects in lithium-exposed babies.

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A graduate student at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego and colleagues from NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries have discovered the world’s first known manta ray nursery.

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A group of national leaders in quality and safety, led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), has developed a consensus statement – a document developed by an independent panel of experts about a particular issue – intended to embrace an expanded definition of patient harm that includes non-physical harm, with the goal of improving the practice of respect across the continuum of care.

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Diagnosing type 2 diabetes in clinical practice may require only a single blood sample, according to a study led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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Research by Shima Baughman, a professor at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, provides a historical analysis of use of bail in misdemeanor cases as the nation continues to grapple with how to address overcrowded jails.

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A JAMA Pediatrics study shows that since 2003, the use of alternative medicines among children has doubled. Increased use of Omega-3 fatty acids and melatonin among adolescents ages 13 to 18 drives the change.

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Using a family of photosynthetic bacteria that commonly live in lakes and seas, researchers at the Technion have developed a technology to generate electricity and hydrogen energy. The researchers believe their technology can serve as a promising source of clean, environment-friendly energy that will not emit pollutants during production or use (hydrogen fuel).

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Treatment for the most common mental health problems could be ineffective or even detrimental to about 50 percent of the population, according to a radical new model of emotion in the brain.

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A research team at Massachusetts Eye and Ear has shown that microglia, the primary immune cells of the brain and retina, play a protective role in response to retinal detachment.

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Billions of people worldwide, particularly those in developing countries, face challenges saving money. They may already hold a device that can assist them in the palms of their hands: their cellphone.In collaboration with a mobile network provider in Afghanistan called Roshan Telecommunications, three researchers, including Tarek Ghani, assistant professor of strategy at Olin Business School at Washington University St.

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A pair of recent studies performed by researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania represents a significant step forward in understanding the role of the brain’s “reward circuit” and certain hallmarks of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), namely difficulty interpreting or engaging in typical social behavior and restricted or repetitive interests or behaviors.

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Men in the United States tend to have more privilege, wealth and career success than women, yet they lead shorter and unhealthier lives. This reality is compounded for men of color and sexual minority men, who are among the unhealthiest people in America, partly due to systemic oppression and discrimination, according to a report released by the American Psychological Association.

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Researchers at Los Alamos and partners in France and Germany are exploring the enhanced potential of carbon nanotubes as single-photon emitters for quantum information processing. Their analysis of progress in the field is published in this week’s edition of the journal Nature Materials.

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Tracking of two great white sharks reveals for the first time that in the open ocean they spend more time deep inside warm-water eddies.

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A new measurement using a beam of aluminum-26 prepared in a metastable state allows researchers to better understand the creation of the elements in our galaxy.

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Plants can be genetically rewired to resist the devastating effects of disease – significantly reducing crop waste worldwide – according to new research into synthetic biology by the University of Warwick.Led by Professor Declan Bates from the Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre (WISB) and Professor Katherine Denby from the University of York, who is also an Associate member of WISB, researchers have developed a genetic control system that would enable plants to strengthen their defence response against deadly pathogens – so they could remain healthy and productive.

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Scripps Research scientists have solved a major problem in chemistry and drug development by using droplet-sized ‘miniecosystems’ to quickly see if a molecule can function as a potential therapeutic.

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Neutron facilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are aiding scientists in research to boost the power and efficiency of thermoelectric materials. These performance increases could enable more cost-effective and practical uses for thermoelectrics, with wider industry adoption, to improve fuel economy in vehicles, make power plants more efficient, and advance body heat–powered technologies for watches and smartphones.

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Argonne material scientists have discovered a reaction that helps explain the behavior of a key electrolyte additive used to boost battery performance.

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Scientists have been able to prove the existence of small black holes and those that are super-massive but the existence of an elusive type of black hole, known as intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) is hotly debated. New research coming out of the Space Science Center at the University of New Hampshire shows the strongest evidence to date that this middle-of-the-road black hole exists, by serendipitously capturing one in action devouring an encountering star.

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"This new method should allow us to explore a large ‘chemical space’ that had been essentially off-limits."

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Research published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that tamsulosin does not significantly effect patient-reported passage or capture of kidney stones.

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Scientists report finding a potentially promising treatment target for aggressive and deadly high-grade brain cancers like glioblastoma. Publishing online June 18 in Nature Cell Biology, the study also reports the current lack of a drug that hits the molecular target keeps it from being advanced for testing as a therapeutic strategy for patients with few treatment options.

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Researchers have found a way to convert nanoparticle-coated microscopic beads into lasers smaller than red blood cells. These microlasers, which convert infrared light into light at higher frequencies, are among the smallest continuously emitting lasers of their kind ever reported and can constantly and stably emit light for hours at a time, even when submerged in biological fluids such as blood serum.

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New preclinical research shows a gene already linked to a subset of people with autism spectrum disorder is critical to healthy neuronal connections in the developing brain, and its loss can harm those connections to help fuel the complex developmental condition. Scientists report in Developmental Cell their data clarify the biological role of the gene CHD8 and its protein CHD8 in developing oligodendrocytes, cells that form a protective insulation around nerves.

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Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) based at Berkeley Lab have pioneered a new way to synthesize DNA sequences through a creative use of enzymes that promises to be faster, cheaper, and more accurate. DNA synthesis is a fundamental tool in the rapidly growing field of synthetic biology, in which organisms can be engineered to do things like decompose plastic and manufacture biofuels and medicines. This discovery could dramatically accelerate the pace of scientific discovery.

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A new study from researchers at Michigan Medicine explores links between chronic joint inflammation and cognitive impairment.

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A team of chemical engineers has developed a more sustainable way of making tape by using plants. The new process allows for the manufacturing of tape adhesive using a substance paper manufacturers throw away. Their invention performs just as well as at least two major brands.

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A new study shows that daily fasting is an effective tool to reduce weight and lower blood pressure. The study is the first to examine the effect of time-restricted eating — a form of fasting that limits food consumption to select hours each day — on weight loss in obese individuals.

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BIDMC researchers led a retrospective analysis of four randomized clinical trials focused on the effects of DAA therapies in patients with HCV-associated liver failure and developed a new means of predicting improvement in liver function in response to DAA treatment.

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The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Yale University have created a plan to preserve one of the last intact forest strongholds for the jaguar and other iconic species in Central America: the Moskitia Forest Corridor.

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“Pregaming” is defined as drinking alone or with other people before going to an event or get-together where alcohol may be present. Pregaming often involves rapid drinking, which can quickly produce high blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) that meet or exceed the legal limit for intoxication. It is a common, high-risk drinking activity among college students that remains largely unaffected by efforts to reduce its occurrence. This study sought to identify profiles of pregamers to characterize the specific risks associated with the behavior, and to develop more effective prevention strategies on college campuses.

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Solar energy is clean and abundant, but when the sun isn't shining, you must store the energy in batteries or through a process called photocatalysis. In photocatalytic water splitting, sunlight separates water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen and oxygen can then be recombined in a fuel cell to release energy. Now, a new class of materials -- halide double perovskites -- may have just the right properties to split water, according to a newly published paper in Applied Physics Letters.

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One of the joys of shopping for many people is the opportunity to brag about their purchases to friends and others.But new research found one common situation in which people would rather not discuss what they just bought: when they’re feeling like money is a little tight.

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WASHINGTON -- It’s natural for parents to do whatever they can to keep their children safe and healthy, but children need space to learn and grow on their own, without Mom or Dad hovering over them, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association. The study, published in the journal Developmental Psychology, found that overcontrolling parenting can negatively affect a child’s ability to manage his or her emotions and behavior.

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Almost anyone can relate to being afraid of needles and injections. A pilot study is the first to use a 3D virtual reality headset to test this tool as a distraction method in a pediatric setting. Children were given the choice of a roller coaster ride, helicopter ride or a hot-air balloon ride. Results show that anticipated versus actual pain and fear were reduced in 94.1 percent of the pediatric study subjects.

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A new study by Scripps Research, published today in Nature Communications, suggests scientists could build better drugs by learning from bacteria-derived molecules called thiocarboxylic acids.

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A diverse mix of species improves the stability and fuel-oil yield of algal biofuel systems, as well as their resistance to invasion by outsiders, according to the findings of a federally funded outdoor study by University of Michigan researchers.

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Evidence shows that people with existing heart problems or who are at risk of developing them, are ignoring medical advice and not taking enough exercise. New medical treatments have helped people to live longer despite these health problems, but this is causing an escalating burden on public health systems worldwide.

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SLAC and Stanford scientists have discovered how some archaea thrive where other organisms would starve: Their crystalline shells not only protect them from the environment, but they also draw in nutrients through nanosized pores. Those nutrients concentrate in the space between the shell and the microbial cell, so what looks like a famine turns into a feast.

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A new study from the Keck School of Medicine of USC shows that African-Americans and Latinos who are diagnosed with diabetes after age 50 have a more than threefold risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

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Like everyone, people with type 2 diabetes and obesity suffer from depression and anxiety, but even more so. Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center now have demonstrated a surprising potential contributor to these negative feelings – and that is the bacteria in the gut or gut microbiome, as it is known.

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The 41st annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) will take place in San Diego June 17-20. RSA 2018 provides a meeting place for scientists and clinicians from across the country, and around the world, to interact. The meeting also gives members and non-members the chance to present their latest findings in alcohol research through abstract and symposia submissions. Below are seven programming highlights. Full press releases available upon request.

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Benjamin A.Garcia, PhD, an expert in quantitative proteomics has been awarded the Biemann Medal by the American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS). The early-career award recognizes significant achievement in basic or applied mass spectrometry. Garcia’s lab has develop

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For decades, biologists have believed a key enzyme in plants had one function—produce amino acids, which are vital to plant survival and also essential to human diets. But for Wellington Muchero, Meng Xie and their colleagues, this enzyme does more than advertised. They had run a series of experiments on poplar plants that consistently revealed mutations in a structure of the life-sustaining enzyme that was not previously known to exist.