These Bats Deter Predators By Buzzing Like Hornets

In Batesian mimicry, a harmless species imitates a more dangerous one in an evolutionary “ruse” that affords the mimic protection from would-be predators. Now, researchers reporting in Current Biology on May 9, 2022, have discovered the first case of acoustic Batesian mimicry in mammals and one of very few documented in any species: greater mouse-eared bats imitate the buzzing sound of a stinging insect to discourage predatory owls from eating them.

Loyalty Program Members, Regular Customers Respond Differently to Social Media Marketing

A new study finds the social media messages that resonate best with loyalty program members differ from the posts that work best with other customers. The finding could inform how best to craft social media campaigns aimed at either segment of a company’s customer base.

Drugs showing promise in cancer trials reduce scarring for scleroderma, study shows

Epigenetic drugs that have shown promise in cancer trials significantly reduce scarring in the cells of patients with scleroderma, a new study shows. Results reveal that drugs that inhibit BRD4, known to play a role in cancer, also affect fibrosis in scleroderma. Researchers tested BRD4 inhibitors on the skin fibroblasts of scleroderma patients and in mouse models of skin fibrosis, finding that the treatment stopped scarring in both human-derived cells and in animals.

Consensus approach proposed to protect human health from intentional and wild forest fires

Climate change and decades of fire suppression that have increased fuels are contributing to larger and more intense wildfires and, in order to improve forest health and reduce these explosive fires, prescribed and managed fire is necessary.

Retinal cell map could advance precise therapies for blinding diseases

Researchers have identified distinct differences among the cells comprising a tissue in the retina that is vital to human visual perception. The scientists from the National Eye Institute (NEI) discovered five subpopulations of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)—a layer of tissue that nourishes and supports the retina’s light-sensing photoreceptors. Using artificial intelligence, the researchers analyzed images of RPE at single-cell resolution to create a reference map that locates each subpopulation within the eye.

Emissions tied to the international trade of agricultural goods are rising

Irvine, Calif., May 6, 2022 – Earth system scientists at the University of California, Irvine and other institutions have drawn the clearest line yet connecting consumers of agricultural produce in wealthier countries in Asia, Europe and North America with a growth in greenhouse gas emissions in less-developed nations, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere.

FSU faculty available to comment for 2022 hurricane season

By: Bill Wellock | Published: May 2, 2022 | 4:03 pm | SHARE: Florida State University faculty are leaders in the study of hurricanes and the effects of these destructive storms.Their scholarship has led to research on infrastructure challenges, evacuation routes, sustainable tools and mental health challenges for those affected by hurricanes.

CHOP Researchers Develop New Computational Tool to Interpret Clinical Significance of Cancer Mutations

Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have developed a new tool to help researchers interpret the clinical significance of somatic mutations in cancer. The tool, known as CancerVar, incorporates machine learning frameworks to go beyond merely identifying somatic cancer mutations and interpret the potential significance of those mutations in terms of cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and targetability. A paper describing CancerVar was published today in Science Advances.

Targeting Molecular Pathway that Causes Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

UC San Diego researchers describe the underlying signaling pathway that results in pulmonary arterial hypertension and a novel monoclonal antibody therapy that blocks the abnormal blood vessel formation characterizing the disease.

Cedars-Sinai Offers Program to Catch Older Adults Before They Fall

Falls and broken bones are common among older adults, but they’re not a natural part of aging. That’s why Cedars-Sinai geriatricians created a bone health and falls risk consultation program to catch at-risk people before they break a bone or help them avoid another fracture in the future.

B-Roll from Louisiana-Based PPE Factory

Facility footage from SafeSource Direct in Broussard, La., where personal protection equipment (PPE) is manufactured. It’s been one year since Ochsner Health, Louisiana’s leading healthcare system, partnered with Trax Development on a joint venture to create SafeSource Direct, making it the only U.S. provider-owned PPE manufacturer with U.S. provider-owned quality control.

Texas threat to revisit SCOTUS case could be ‘catastrophic’

In the aftermath of the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade, Texas Governor Greg Abbott discussed revisiting the 1982 Supreme Court ruling Plyler v. Doe requiring states to provide education to undocumented children.  Jaclyn Kelley-Widmer,…

Revealing the individual immune cells inside the plaque that causes life-threatening heart attacks

Through single-cell RNA sequencing, a research group has successfully illuminated the characteristics of Myeloid immune cells in coronary plaque, which causes acute coronary syndrome (this term includes conditions such as unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction (heart attack)). Based on this data, they hope to develop a treatment method that can stabilize coronary plaque.

FOLLOWING WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCEMENT, ACADEMY OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS TO ADVOCATE FOR NUTRITION SECURITY, HEALTH EQUITY, PREVENTION OF DIET-RELATED CHRONIC DISEASES

The White House’s May 4 announcement that it will host a conference on hunger, nutrition and health in September is an imperative investment in addressing national issues that the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics strongly supports: nutrition security, health equity and prevention of diet-related chronic diseases.

Prescription Drug Spending per Covered Member Grew Much Faster in Individual Health Plans than Large Group Plans

Prescription drug spending per member covered—both before and after manufacturer rebates—grew much faster for those enrolled in individual health insurance plans compared to those enrolled in large group plans, according to new research.