Plant physiology will be major contributor to future river flooding, UCI study finds

Irvine, Calif., Oct. 21, 2019 – The next time a river overflows its banks, don’t just blame the rain clouds. Earth system scientists from the University of California, Irvine have identified another culprit: leafy plants. In a study published today in Nature Climate Change, the UCI researchers describe the emerging role of ecophysiology in riparian flooding.

Jefferson Lab Establishes New Fellowships in Nuclear Physics and Accelerator Science

The Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility is fostering innovation and growth in nuclear and accelerator physics by expanding its prestigious fellowship program for early career physicists. The lab is doubling the number of Nathan Isgur fellowships and is establishing a new fellowship in honor of Jefferson Lab’s first director, Hermann A. Grunder.

UK Partners With Bourbon Industry Leaders to Map White Oak Genome

Bourbon isn’t bourbon without the mighty white oak. Distillers have been aging bourbon in oak barrels as far back as the Roman Empire. Oak barrels give bourbon its unique caramel, vanilla, nutty and toasted flavors. Kentucky distillers rely especially on the white oak. But what if disease hits the species? How would industry professionals protect it? The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is partnering with Maker’s Mark Distillery Inc. in Loretto, Kentucky, and Independent Stave Company to research the DNA of the white oak.

New Research Could Change Clinical Practice for Cases of Unmanaged Heartburn

A study published today in The New England Journal of Medicine found that in patients seen for heartburn unresponsive to treatment with Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs), an extensive, systematic workup revealed truly PPI-refractory and reflux-related heartburn in only a minority of cases. In other words, most patients with heartburn unrelieved by PPIs did not have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) causing the symptom. Furthermore, for the selected subgroup identified as having reflux-related, PPI-refractory heartburn, surgery that corrects reflux was significantly superior (67% success rate) to continued medical therapy (28% success rate).

Society is Rejecting Facts; Medical Researchers Can Help

Anecdotes, fake news and social media have created a skeptical and misinformed public who is rejecting the facts. A commentary says that medical researchers must help the public understand the rigorous process of science and help them to discern an anecdote from peer-reviewed scientific results. The best way to do this? By continuing to ensure integrity, rigor, reproducibility and replication of their science and to earn the public’s trust by being morally responsible and completely free of any influences.

Rutgers Shellfish Expert Available to Discuss East Coast Oyster Breeding Project

New Brunswick, N.J. (Oct. 15, 2019) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick shellfish geneticist Ximing Guo is available to comment on a five-year Rutgers-led consortium project to breed better, more disease-resistant East Coast oysters. Improved oyster broodstock will then be made available…

UCI scientists reveal mechanism of electron charge exchange in molecules

Irvine, Calif., Oct. 14, 2019 – Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have developed a new scanning transmission electron microscopy method that enables visualization of the electric charge density of materials at sub-angstrom resolution. With this technique, the UCI scientists were able to observe electron distribution between atoms and molecules and uncover clues to the origins of ferroelectricity, the capacity of certain crystals to possess spontaneous electric polarization that can be switched by the application of an electric field.

Rutgers study examines smoking status, health conditions in older Chinese American men

The findings of the study by the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research underscore the need for culturally targeted interventions to prevent and reduce tobacco use, manage chronic disease and screen for lung cancer.

Harvard University to Launch Center for Autism Research

New center for autism research will explore the basic biology of autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders
Scientists to study how genetic and environmental factors intersect to give rise to a family of dauntingly complex conditions affecting one in 59 children in the United States
Scientists will tackle current gaps in knowledge in the neurobiology of the condition
Center enabled by $20 million gift from philanthropists whose contributions to autism-related research total nearly $70 million to date

Albert Einstein College of Medicine and CUNY School of Public Health Collaborate to Offer Medical Students M.D./M.P.H. Program

Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH) announced an agreement today to offer Einstein medical students an opportunity to complete a five-year program resulting in a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from Einstein and a Master’s Degree in Public Health (M.P.H.) degree from CUNY SPH.

Data Breaches Threaten Healthcare Records, Texas State University Experts Available to Comment

Cybersecurity: Keeping Information Safe Newswise — Just read the daily headlines to find them — cybersecurity breaches of healthcare organizations both large and small. Even the popular medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy” turned to ransomware when choosing a storyline plucked from…

Rutgers Experts Can Discuss Red Meat Controversy

New Brunswick, N.J. (Oct. 1, 2019) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick professors Daniel J. Hoffman and Donald W. Schaffner are available to comment on research in the Annals of Internal Medicine about the health risks of eating red and processed meats.…

Wrist-Worn Step Trackers are as Accurate in Predicting Patient Health as Standardized Clinical Walking Tests, Researchers Find

In a new study, researchers at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City found that steps measured through a step tracker worn on the wrist can be used to estimate exercise capacity and determine the health status of patients, rather than the standardized six-minute walk distance test, which is usually conducted in a clinical setting.

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Flame Experiments on International Space Station

New Brunswick, N.J. (Sept. 19, 2019) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Engineering Professor Stephen D. Tse can comment on flame experiments this month on the International Space Station. The NASA project on symmetrical flames, called s-Flame, is aimed at studying combustion,…

UCI-led team creates first high-resolution global map of surface ocean phosphate

Irvine, Calif., Aug. 28, 2019 – An international team of Earth system scientists and oceanographers has created the first high-resolution global map of surface ocean phosphate, a key mineral supporting the aquatic food chain. In doing so, the University of California

Online brain games can extend in-game ‘cognitive youth’ into old age, UCI-led study finds

A University of California, Irvine-led study has found that online brain game exercises can enable people in their 70s and even 80s to multitask cognitively as well as individuals 50 years their junior. This is an increasingly valuable skill, given today’s daily information onslaught, which can divide attention and be particularly taxing for older adults.

University of Michigan Expert Available: Study Cautions Against Catch-All Assumptions about LVADs and Mitral Regurgitation

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Mitral valve procedures are often not performed because of the standing belief that LVAD support resolves mitral regurgitation, due to better left heart performance. A new study in The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery found when…

Moderate to Heavy Drinking During Pregnancy Alters Genes in Newborns, Mothers

Mothers who drink moderate to high levels of alcohol during pregnancy may be changing their babies’ DNA, according to a Rutgers-led study.

In first-of-its-kind study, UCI researchers highlight hookah health hazards

Irvine, Calif., Aug. 12, 2019 – Hookah waterpipe use has grown in popularity in recent years – 1 in 5 college students in the U.S. and Europe have tried it – but the practice could be more dangerous than other forms of smoking, according to a first-of-its-kind study by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, published recently in Aerosol Science and Technology.

Research to Prevent Blindness and Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology Announce 2019 Recipient of RPB David F. Weeks Award for Outstanding AMD Research

Christine Curcio, PhD, has been selected as the 2019 RPB David F. Weeks Award for Outstanding AMD Research (Weeks Award). The Weeks Award, funded through the generosity of Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB), an anonymous donor, and the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO), annually recognizes and celebrates an excellent researcher focused on age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Drugs commonly taken to improve cognition only boost short-term focus – at high cost

Irvine, Calif., Aug. 8, 2019 –The use of prescription stimulants by those without medically diagnosed conditions marks a growing trend among young adults – particularly college students seeking a brain boost. But according to a study led by the University of California, Irvine, taking a nonprescribed psychostimulant may slightly improve a person’s short-term focus but impede sleep and mental functions that rely on it – such as working memory.

GW Researchers Identify Barriers to Fungal Infection Diagnosis

A new survey from the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, identifies several barriers that prevent the consistent use of fungal diagnostic preparations to correctly identify cutaneous fungal infections.