By Mimicking Cicada Wings, Scientists Are Investigating New Ways to Keep Patients Safe

Cicada’s cries ring out in the hot air and their discarded exoskeletons decorate tree branches in the southeast and midwest United States at the height of summer. While their ability to emerge in huge numbers is astounding, they have other surprising features too. In fact, their wings kill bacteria on contact and are self-cleaning. Researchers using the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory user facilities investigated this bizarre phenomenon. They learned how structures in the cells are able to pull off such a feat and how it could be used in medical applications.

Broken Bone? An Orthopedic Trauma Surgeon’s Best Advice for a Good Medical Outcome

Nicholas Sama, MD, director of Orthopedic Trauma at HSS Florida, the West Palm Beach location of Hospital for Special Surgery, offers advice to give patients the best chance for proper treatment, healthy healing and a good medical outcome following a bone fracture.

Scientists Gain New Molecular-Level Insights into Breaking Down Plant Material for Biofuels

To produce biofuels from nonedible plants, researchers can use cellulase to break down plant cellulose into glucose, which can be fermented to generate bioethanol. Researchers have now used a specialized optical microscope to visualize single cellulase enzymes interacting with different forms of cellulose. This allowed them to investigate enzyme function in the presence of the product of the reaction and other components of plant biomass.

ACSM to release 18th annual ranking of the 100 fittest cities in America

 WHAT The American College of Sports Medicine® (ACSM) will release its 18th annual ranking of the 100 fittest cities in America. Based on 33 evidence-based indicators, this year’s ranking will assess how individuals and communities are working together to facilitate…

What Was Behind the 2021-2022 Energy Crisis Within Europe?

A team of researchers had already been working with electricity price data for years before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, exploring statistics and developing forecasting methods. Now they zero in on how prices in different countries relate and how countries were affected by the energy crisis and address the interdependencies of different markets.

Mercy Medical Center First in Mid-Atlantic Region to Offer Orthopedic Patients New Mixed Reality Technology Platform for Shoulder Surgery

Nationally recognized for orthopedic surgery, Mercy Medical Center is now the first in the mid-Atlantic region to offer shoulder arthroplasty using a new mixed reality technology platform known as Blueprint Mixed Reality (MR) Guidance, developed by Stryker, one of the world’s leading medical technology companies.

Machine learning could aid efforts to answer long-standing astrophysical questions

PPPL physicists have developed a computer program incorporating machine learning that could help identify blobs of plasma in outer space known as plasmoids. In a novel twist, the program has been trained using simulated data.

KIER Develops ‘Viologen Redox Flow Battery’ to Replace Vanadium.’

Dr. Seunghae Hwang’s research team from the Energy Storage Research Department at the Korea Institute of Energy Research has successfully enhanced the performance and cycle life of redox flow batteries, a prominent large-capacity energy storage device, by introducing functional groups that replace the active materials and improve solubility and stability

American Indian/Alaska Native patients less likely to undergo breast reconstruction

American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) women with breast cancer have consistently lower rates of breast reconstruction after mastectomy compared to non-Hispanic White women, reports a paper in the July issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

Two Researchers to Receive First-Ever Ralph L. Sacco Scholarships for Brain Health

The American Academy of Neurology and the American Heart Association have awarded the first-ever Ralph L. Sacco Scholarships for Brain Health to two researchers, Patrick Devlin, Ph.D., of Houston, Texas, and Cyprien Rivier, M.D., M.Sc., of New Haven, Connecticut. Each will receive a $150,000 two-year scholarship to support continuing scientific research in brain health. Devlin and Rivier also receive the honor of being named the inaugural “Sacco Scholars.”

ACA Invites Media to Structural Science Meeting in Denver, July 7-12

The 74th ACA Meeting will take place July 7-12 at the Denver Marriott Tech Center. From developing new drugs, to engineering novel materials for electronics, to guiding unprecedented vaccines and biological insights, ACA2024 will highlight the golden future for structural science and bring together a diverse community of experts from around the world to share scientific discoveries and advancements that impact economies, health care, and everyday understanding of the natural world.

New method cracked for high-capacity, secure quantum communication

Scientists are developing a method for transmitting quantum information over long distances using particles of light called qudits. These special qudits encode information in a way that makes them resistant to errors and allows for faster data transfer. The technique uses two properties of light – spatial mode and polarization – to create four-dimensional qudits that can be manipulated with high precision. This paves the way for a robust and powerful quantum internet.

Soybean seed hardness demystified: key genes and networks uncovered

Soybean seed hardness, a key factor in consumer acceptance and vegetable soybean quality, has been elucidated through a comprehensive study. Researchers identified the genetic and molecular mechanisms influencing this trait, focusing on differential gene expression during seed development. The discovery of the GmSWEET2 gene as a significant regulator of hardness offers a pathway to enhance soybean texture, potentially revolutionizing the market with customized varieties to suit diverse consumer preferences.

Large variations in composition and toxicity of ambient particles found in 31 major cities in China

In an effort looking for optimized air pollution control, scientists from Peking University have detected large variations in the composition and toxicity of ambient particles collected from 31 major Chinese cities located across varying latitudes. The results imply an urgent need to rethink the suitability of current air quality standard adopted, i.e., sole use of PM mass concentration.

Unlocking iron homeostasis: apple plants reveal key mechanism

A pivotal study has uncovered the intricate dance between calcium signaling and iron regulation in apple plants. The research reveals how the calmodulin-like protein MdCML15 and the BTB domain protein MdBT2 interact to control iron homeostasis, offering new strategies for improving crop nutrition and yields. This discovery could transform agricultural practices by addressing the widespread issue of iron deficiency in crops, which significantly impacts both plant health and food production.

Drugs that kill “zombie” cells may benefit some older women, but not all, Mayo Clinic study finds

Drugs that selectively kill senescent cells may benefit otherwise healthy older women but are not a “one-size-fits-all” remedy, Mayo Clinic researchers have found. Specifically, these drugs may only benefit people with a high number of senescent cells, according to findings publishing July 2 in Nature Medicine.

Will the Paris 2024 Olympics be a platform for activist protests amid global tensions?

Ahead of the Paris Olympics kicking off this month and amidst the current UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) European Football Championship (Euro 2024), researchers are asking – should sport be a platform for promoting social justice issues?

Three Argonne postdocs invited to prestigious meeting of Nobel laureates

Three Argonne postdoc scientists have been invited to the prestigious Nobel Laureate Meetings in Lindau, Germany, where they will meet with past Nobel Prize winners in their fields.

Either ACEi or ARB therapy protect against kidney failure in those with advanced CKD

A systematic review and retrospective individual participant-level meta-analysis of 18 trials comprised of more than 1,700 participants found that initiating treatment with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) or angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB) protects against kidney failure in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Study Suggests States Could Cut Healthcare Costs by Delivering Patient Tailored Meals

According to new research looking at every U.S. state, programs that deliver medically tailored meals (MTMs) to people with diet-sensitive conditions such as diabetes and heart disease along with limitations in the ability to perform daily activities could lead to substantial savings in healthcare costs.

Mount Sinai Expands Center for Post-COVID Care to Serve Patients in East Harlem and South Bronx

$5 million grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality will enhance long COVID care for underserved minority groups, community outreach, and research

Announcing Stephen Jameson, Ph.D., as 2024-2025 President of the American Association of Immunologists

The American Association of Immunologists (AAI)
proudly announces Stephen Jameson, Ph.D., as its 2024-2025 president following his election to the office this past spring. Jameson, a distinguished immunologist, has been a member of the AAI Council since 2019 and will assume his new role on July 1, 2024.