Gene therapy offers hope for giant axonal neuropathy patients

A gene therapy developed by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center for a rare disease called giant axonal neuropathy (GAN) was well tolerated in pediatric patients and showed clear benefits, a new study reports. Findings from the phase one clinical trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, could offer hope for patients with this rare condition and a host of other neurological diseases.

FSMB, Intealth, ACGME Establish Advisory Commission to Guide Alternate Pathways for State Licensure of International Medical Graduates

The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), Intealth™, and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) announced today they have established a new “Advisory Commission on Alternate Licensing Models” to provide guidance on alternative pathways for state licensure of physicians who have completed training and/or practiced outside of the United States. The majority of these physicians are international medical graduates (IMGs), encompassing both foreign nationals and U.S. citizens who completed their medical education and training outside the United States and Canada.

“It’s our job to make the necessary changes to keep this from happening again,” said Virginia Tech structural engineer Roberto Leon.

Bridge infrastructure and safety: Roberto Leon Questions are being raised concerning U.S. infrastructure in the aftermath of the bridge collapse in Baltimore. Virginia Tech structural engineering expert Roberto Leon said that, given the ship’s weight, it struck the bridge’s support…

Babies attend to clues of meaning as they take in complex visual world

Findings from a National Eye Institute-supported study show for the first time that when babies look at photos of unfamiliar everyday scenes, such as an office or a lab, they tend to fixate on the same regions where adults find meaning. This inclination to home in on what’s interesting or meaningful grows more pronounced as babies age. The findings, published in Infancy, provide a more nuanced understanding of visual development, which may lead to earlier detection of brain-based causes of vision problems, such as cerebral/cortical visual impairment.

Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Advocate Health and Vysnova Partners Awarded $3.4 Million Contract by CDC to Lead Large-Scale Sexually Transmitted Infection Research Project

Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Advocate Health and Vysnova Partners have been awarded a $3.4 million, four-year contract to study HIV, Mpox and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Exploring the Impact of Pancreatic Enzyme Therapy in Pediatric Pancreatitis: A Leap Toward Personalized Medicine

A research study recently published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology explains the role of pancreatic enzyme therapy (PERT) in reducing the frequency of acute pancreatitis (AP) in children suffering from acute recurrent pancreatitis (ARP) or chronic pancreatitis (CP).

United Kingdom Invests in DOE’s Electron-Ion Collider Project to Understand Matter at the Smallest Scale

The UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), through the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Infrastructure Fund, has announced its commitment to support UK personnel involved in research, development, and major equipment contributions towards the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC).

Expert: Bridge Collapse Poses Significant Supply Chain Disruptions

The collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge will significantly impact national and local supply chains, says Shaya Sheikh, Ph.D., associate professor at New York Institute of Technology’s School of Management.  Sheikh, who teaches courses in supply chain operations and analytics,…

United Kingdom Invests in DOE’s Electron-Ion Collider Project to Understand Matter at the Smallest Scale

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), a unique international particle collider being constructed to explore the building blocks of matter at the smallest scale, will get a significant boost from colleagues in the United Kingdom (UK).

Neuropeptide in Blood to Help Diagnose Chronic Itch

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) plays a key role in chronic itch severity and can help to identify certain types of itch with a simple blood test, according to a new study led by Gil Yosipovitch, M.D., director of the Miami Itch Center, and Santosh Mishra, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and associate professor at the North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine.

Astronomers Unveil Strong Magnetic Fields Spiraling at the Edge of Milky Way’s Central Black Hole

A new image from the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration— which includes scientists from the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA)— has uncovered strong and organized magnetic fields spiraling from the edge of the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*). Seen in polarized light for the first time, this new view of the monster lurking at the heart of the Milky Way Galaxy has revealed a magnetic field structure strikingly similar to that of the black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy, suggesting that strong magnetic fields may be common to all black holes. This similarity also hints toward a hidden jet in Sgr A*.

“I am able.” Asian Congress for People with Special Needs Conference Organized by Chula Faculty of Education and People Go Network Forum

The Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University, in collaboration with People Go Network Forum, organized the “I am able” Asian Congress for People with Special Needs Conference from February 22 to 25, 2024, at Umpai Sucharitkul meeting room, Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University.

Media Availability: Expert Comments on Structural Collapse of Baltimore Bridge

In the aftermath of the collapse of Baltimore’s Frances Scott Key Bridge, authorities are trying to figure out what went wrong and how the collision of the heavily traveled structure with a container cargo ship brought it crumbling down into the Patapsco River. Video shows the massive bridge buckling and tumbling into the water in a matter of seconds. Erin Bell, chair and professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of New Hampshire, is an expert on bridge construction and points to the structure of the bridge as a possible weakness. She can provide insight into how such a large span could come down so easily—sharing details on how bridges are made, what needs to happen to cause such a devastating collapse and if this could happen with other major bridges.

Despite dwindling resources, many older adult Israelis exhibited impressive resilience during the initial period of the Israel-Hamas war, Bar-Ilan University study finds

Following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, Bar-Ilan University Prof. Amit Shrira led a study measuring acute stress and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among Israelis between November-December 2023, shedding light on the impact of the conflict on mental health across generations.