Feature Channels: All Journal News

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A study led by UNC’s Sylvia Becker-Dreps, MD, MPH, reviewed more than 675,000 pregnancies in the U.S. to determine if the Tdap vaccine given to a mother will reduce the chances of her child developing pertussis during the first 18 months of life. The results show a decrease in overall cases of pertussis, and most notably, in pertussis hospitalization in infants whose mothers were immunized during pregnancy.

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Parents ranked cancer prevention as the most compelling reason health care providers can give for recommending the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, according to a survey led by University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers.

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A team of USC Viterbi engineers might aid in future CTE prevention and treat other sports injuries with 3-D printed body armor like helmets, other protective devices and prosthetics – all by learning from nature’s toughest structures.

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A new study co-led by University of Iowa researchers helps clarify how ammonia is present in Earth’s upper atmosphere. Using computer modeling, the researchers found ammonia molecules trapped in liquid cloud droplets are released during convection where these particles freeze and subsequently collide in the upper atmosphere.

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People with type 2 diabetes may have an increased risk of having a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease later in life, according to a large study published in the June 13, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. In addition, the risk may be higher for younger people and those with complications from the disease.

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A new nationwide study of obituaries has found that people with religious affiliations lived nearly four years longer than those with no ties to religion.

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Las bacterias genéticamente manipuladas se muestran esperanzadoras como nuevo tratamiento contra el estreñimiento, descubrieron los investigadores del Centro para Medicina Personalizada de Mayo Clinic en un estudio realizado en ratones.

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NEW YORK (June 13, 2018)— An age-old challenge of determining the right amount of fish to harvest from the sea has finally been overcome with the creation of a new biomass-yield model that captures all the necessary factors for accuracy, according to a new WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) study.

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Loss of ice in Antarctica has caused global sea levels to rise by 7.6 millimeters since 1992, with 40 percent of the increase happening in just the past five years, according to a team of 84 scientists, including discipline-leading experts from the University of California, Irvine.

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A weakened version of the bacteria that causes cholera provides quick protection to rabbits. The vaccine may one day stop outbreaks of the deadly intestinal disease.

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For many, summer means the sweet sounds of live concerts, fireworks, lawnmowers and splashing water. To optimize the fun summer sounds, here are some preventative measures to protect your hearing during these outdoor activities.

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An experimental campaign conducted at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) – the world’s largest and most energetic laser – has achieved a total fusion neutron yield of 1.9e16 (1.9x1016) and 54 KJ of fusion energy output – double the previous record. The experiments utilized a diamond capsule – a layer of ultra-thin high-density carbon containing the deuterium-tritium (DT) fusion fuel. In addition to increased yield, the experiments achieved unprecedented pressures, exceeding those found at the center of the Sun.

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Genetically engineered bacteria are showing promise as a new treatment for constipation, researchers at the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine have discovered in a mouse study. The finding is significant in part because there are few approved constipation remedies on the market. The research is published in Cell Host & Microbe.

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Obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer often begin with early, subtle changes in cell metabolism. Now researchers at Tufts University have developed a non-invasive optical imaging technique that detects these changes, providing an early window of opportunity for new research and potential therapeutic development.

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Researchers at Houston Methodist Research Institute and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have found a prescription drug, Calcitriol, approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of calcium deficiency and kidney diseases, may increase the likelihood of surviving ovarian cancer. Their preclinical research was reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

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For the first time, scientists have visualized the interaction between two critical components of the body’s vast cellular communication network, a discovery that could lead to more effective medications with fewer side effects for conditions ranging from migraine to cancer.

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Researchers at QuTech in Delft have succeeded in generating quantum entanglement between two quantum chips faster than the entanglement is lost. Entanglement - once referred to by Einstein as "spooky action" - forms the link that will provide a future quantum internet its power and fundamental security. This opens the door to connect multiple quantum nodes and create the very first quantum network in the world.

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Storm-driven ocean swells have triggered the catastrophic disintegration of Antarctic ice shelves in recent decades, according to new research published in Nature today.

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Stem cells that make blood cells in fish flourish in the shade provided by a newly discovered cellular “umbrella” that keeps them safe from UV damage.

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El Niño was long considered a reliable tool for predicting future precipitation in the southwestern United States, but its forecasting power has diminished in recent cycles, possibly due to global climate change. In a study published today in Nature Communications, scientists and engineers at the University of California, Irvine demonstrate a new method for projecting wet or dry weather in the winter ahead.

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Recent articles in the Journal of Lipid Research investigate how brown fat whitening causes inflammation, how cells in the liver fill lipid droplets, and how ketogenic and restricted-calorie diets affect metabolites in a mouse.

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A study is the first to use gold-standard methods to test the hypothesis that antipsychotic treatment in youths adversely increases body fat and decreases insulin sensitivity. All three antipsychotics tested – oral aripiprazole, olanzapine, and risperidone, which are common first line use medications for children with nonpsychotic behavior disorders – increased not only total body fat, but also visceral and subcutaneous abdominal fat, associated with long-term risk for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

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Two independent teams of astronomers have uncovered convincing evidence that three young planets are in orbit around an infant star known as HD 163296. Using a new planet-finding strategy, the astronomers identified three discrete disturbances in a young star’s gas-filled disk: the strongest evidence yet that newly formed planets are in orbit there.

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In a randomized controlled trial, patients with sickle cell disease being treated in University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center’s Acute Care Clinic were assigned to one of three 20-minute conditions: a session with a music therapist, an iPod to listen to pre-selected music themselves, or no music at all. While passively listening to music improved mood, music therapy had a significantly stronger impact on aiding in pain management for patients actively engaged with a music therapist.

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In sub-Saharan Africa, 20 to 80% of corn yields may be lost because of a semi-parasitic plant, Striga. In areas infested with Striga, farmers may even lose their entire crops. In a new study, researchers from southern Africa identified several varieties of corn resistant or tolerant to Striga. Importantly, these varieties also have improved nutritional content, particularly protein.

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First study of its kind shows how detrimental nuclear attack would be for the aggressor nation.

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A team of Penn State researchers has developed a biomimetic nanosystem to deliver therapeutic proteins to selectively target cancerous tumors.

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For patients who live in rural areas, driving to see a specialist in a large city or at a university hospital can be challenging, if not impossible. But providing their physicians with virtual access to specialists can be lifesaving to liver disease patients.

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In a small study of ambulatory surgical centers across the country, Johns Hopkins quality care researchers found that publicly listing the prices of common operations, such as uncomplicated labor and delivery and tonsillectomies, generally increased business, revenue and patient satisfaction.

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A chance conversation between researchers at Queen’s University Belfast led to their combined expertise in developing a ground-breaking approach for the treatment of pneumonia.

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Systems biology was used to identify previously unknown protein targets of plant pathogens in Arabidopsis thaliana, employing some of the same methods used to analyze social networks. This theoretical framework could help analyze other interactions between species to reveal pathogen contact points.

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Patient age correlates with response to immunotherapy in melanoma and depleting regulatory T cells in young patients may have a therapeutic potential to enhance response in younger patients, according to research from The Wistar Institute.

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Rutgers researchers have created an automated blood drawing and testing device that provides rapid results, potentially improving the workflow in hospitals and other health-related institutions to allow health care practitioners to spend more time treating patients. A study describing the fully automated device is published online in the journal TECHNOLOGY.

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a team led by researchers at UC San Diego’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC), has used machine learning techniques to develop models for simulations of water with “unprecedented accuracy.”

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Researchers at UC Davis have confirmed that autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant improves survival for people suffering from multiple myeloma, yet many potentially eligible patients never undergo the procedure.

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One of the iconic ingredients of the Mediterranean diet, which often has been associated with beneficial effects in the prevention of cancer as well as several other disorders, is extra-virgin olive oil. For thousands of years, olive trees were planted on Mediterranean coasts, initially by ancient Greek colonists, followed by several other civilizations and cultures, one generation after the other.

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When first learning to drive, young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have more difficulty with basic driving skills compared to those with typical development (TD), reports a study in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, the official journal of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

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The unique composition of a mother’s breastmilk may help to reduce food sensitization in her infant, report researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine with colleagues in Canada.

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Building on what nature has provided, researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have improved the efficiency of a leaf and branch compost cutinase that breaks down polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the plastic used in clear and colored plastic water bottles and many other products.

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In a collaborative, multi-institution effort to map the genetic and genomic changes in cancer, researchers led by UNC Lineberger's Katherine Hoadley, PhD, analyzed 137 testicular germ cell tumors for potential mutations and other molecular changes. They identified molecular features of testicular germ cell cancers that could inform future efforts to improve treatment decisions, and help monitor patients to see if their cancer has come back. Their findings were published in Cell Reports.

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A new study from University of Illinois at Chicago researchers suggests that more than one-third of U.S. adults may be using prescription medications that have the potential to cause depression or increase the risk of suicide.

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Heart defects are the most common type of birth defect, and can be caused by mutations in the gene CHD4. Researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine have now revealed key molecular details of how CHD4 mutations lead to heart defects.

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Midgut neuroendocrine tumors are a rare type of cancer that develops in the small intestine and colon. Roughly 12,000 people are diagnosed with this disease each year. In January, the United Stated Food and Drug Administration approved Lutathera, a first-of-its-kind peptide receptor radionuclide therapy. The injection consists of a somatostatin analog combined with a radioactive isotope that directly targets neuroendocrine tumor cells.

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Millions of years ago, powerful volcanoes pumped Earth's atmosphere full of carbon dioxide, draining the oceans of oxygen and driving widespread extinction of marine organisms. Could something similar be happening today?

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A team of physicists at the University of Vermont have discovered a fundamentally new way surfaces can get wet. Their study may allow scientists to create the thinnest films of liquid ever made—and engineer a new class of surface coatings and lubricants just a few atoms thick.

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Children who attend school with many kids from violent neighborhoods can earn significantly lower test scores than peers with classmates from safer areas.

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Multilingual students, who speak a language or more than one language other than English at home, have improved in reading and math achievement substantially since 2003, finds a new study published in Educational Researcher by Michael J. Kieffer, associate professor of literacy education at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development. This new research debunks a common myth that multilingual students and English Learners have made little progress in academic achievement in recent years, and that U.S. schools continue to fail these students.

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Childhood deaths from two leading bacterial causes of pneumonia and meningitis, pneumococcus and Hib, declined sharply during the period 2000 to 2015, especially as vaccines against these pathogens were introduced in high-burden countries, according to new estimates from a team led by scientists at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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A breast cancer patient dealing with anxiety, depression or mood swings could soon be encouraged by her oncologist to learn meditation techniques, join a yoga class or put music to therapeutic use. Today, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), published its endorsement of integrative therapy guidelines recently established by the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO).

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In a randomized, Phase II trial led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, adding the PARP inhibitor veliparib to a standard chemotherapy agent improved overall response rates (ORR) in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Researchers also identified a select group of patients – those whose tumors expressed SLFN11— who also saw a progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) benefit, suggesting a promising biomarker for the PARP-inhibitor sensitivity in SCLC.