news 2024

Bioengineers at Caltech have developed a new imaging technology that could offer surgeons a fast and cost-effective way to image tissue samples in the operating room to determine whether the entirety of a tumor has been removed or if additional cuts are needed. The researchers describe the new technique, which they call parallel ultraviolet photoacoustic microscopy (PUV-PAM), in a paper in the December 11 issue of the journal Science Advances .

Caltech researchers have developed a new method to map the positions of hundreds of DNA-associated proteins within cell nuclei all'at the same time. The method, called ChIP-DIP (Chromatin ImmunoPrecipitation Done In Parallel), is a versatile tool for understanding the inner workings of the nucleus during different contexts, such as disease or development.

U-M research finds connections between mood and circadian rhythm disruptions in new study using Fitbit data from hundreds of medical interns Study: The real-world association between digital markers of circadian disruption and mental health risks (DOI: 10.1038/s41746-024-01348-6) Sleep schedules are often one of the first things that people choose to compromise in order to check everything off their to-do lists, especially with the end of the year approaching.

An international team of archaeologists, including researchers from the VUB, has analyzed more than 3,000 human bones and bone fragments from the Charterhouse Warren site in England, a location dated to the Early Bronze Age. The site represents the first evidence from the Bronze Age of a human massacre carried out by another hostile group, with indications of cannibalism.

Disney princesses seem to lead the perfect fairytale life, but UT researchers Sanne van Dijk, Michael Bui and Anouk Eijkelboom shed a different light on their health in a humorous article . In an opinion piece in the Christmas edition of the medical journal The BMJ , the researchers argue that eight well-known Disney princesses do not live as 'happily ever after' as the movies make it seem.

Artificial intelligence (AI) may be a weapon of mass disinformation, but a recent report has demonstrated that its impact thus far has been limited Voters in nearly 100 countries - including Taiwan, the US and Senegal - went to the polls this year, and AI was often used during the election campaigns.

Diffuse hemispheric glioma (DHG) is a brain tumor in children, adolescents and young adults with an average survival prognosis of less than two years and limited treatment options. A research team from MedUni Vienna and University Hospital Vienna has identified increased stress through targeted DNA breaks with simultaneous inhibition of DNA repair in the tumor cell as a promising therapeutic approach.

SFU study sheds new light on what causes long-term disability after a stroke and offers new path toward possible treatment A recent study from Simon Fraser researchers has revealed how an overlooked type of indirect brain damage contributes to ongoing disability after a stroke.

A team of scientists has discovered that an ancient medicinal clay known as Lemnian Earth (LE) could inspire new understanding of how to support present-day gut health. The team also think that that LE was probably the prototype for the modern medicinal pill as far back as the 1st millennium, before the Common Era (BCE), since it was shaped into a small pellet, stamped with a seal and taken with liquids such as wine.

As 2024 draws to a close, we look back at some of the Caltech-led discoveries and innovations from throughout the past year. This research extends our understanding of the natural world, enhances researchers ability to probe ever further the mysteries of the universe, and advances new technologies and approaches aimed at diagnosing and treating diseases, building a more sustainable world, and harnessing technologies to benefit society.

A team from the universities of Basel and Geneva has assessed which policy measures provide the best incentives for green technologies. How can we ensure that as many Swiss households as possible install solar panels, their own battery to store solar energy, a heat pump or adopt an electric car? Scientists from the universities of Basel and Geneva have been looking into this question.

New observations with the James Webb Space Telescope no longer rule out the presence of an atmosphere around the Earth-sized rocky planet. However, a geologically active planet also explains the data. Recent measurements with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) cast doubt on the current understanding of the exoplanet Trappist-1 b-s nature.

Endocannabinoids in the brain play a key role in food intake and energy use. Modulating the action of these molecules could help fight obesity, say researchers at the CRCHUM. For years, Université de Montréal medical professor Stephanie Fulton and her team have been unravelling the mechanisms in the human nervous system that control people's need to eat and to engage in physical activity, and how their metabolism affects their mood.

By studying sulphur in magmatic fluids at extreme pressures and temperatures, a team from the University of Geneva is revolutionising our understanding of gold transport and ore deposit formation. When one tectonic plate sinks beneath another, it generates magmas rich in volatiles such as water, sulphur and chlorine.

Scientists have identified strains of one of the world's most dangerous fungal pathogens, already resistant to our most effective antifungal drugs, which are also 5-times more likely to acquire resistance to desperately needed new treatments in development. The study - led by two University of Manchester researchers and published in Nature Communications - significantly advances our understanding of how Aspergillus fumigatus rapidly develops drug resistance.

A comprehensive study by economists Prof. Olivier Marie (Erasmus School of Economics) and Prof. Paolo Pinotti (Bocconi University) reveals that fears about rising crime due to immigration are largely unfounded. The study , published in the Journal of Economic Perspectives, combines an extensive review of the existing literature with new evidence to examine the relationship between immigration and criminal activity across multiple countries.

The transition to low-emission technologies such as electric vehicles and photovoltaic systems is central to climate protection and also brings major benefits for public health, e.g. through less air pollution. However, these technological solutions use materials such as so-called technologically critical elements (TCEs), some of which are potentially harmful to the environment and human health.

Sustainable, renewable and good for the climate: Wood is the material of the future. But how much of it do we actually have and how do we make best use of it? Researchers from Empa and WSL have now analyzed the material flows of wood in Switzerland in detail - and discovered untapped opportunities. Switzerland has set itself a goal that is as ambitious as it is necessary: net zero by 2050.

There are still many unknowns about the causes leading to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) shift - a critical climate phenomenon in the Northern Hemisphere - to the east and west of Iceland. To date, some hypotheses suggested that this process known to the international scientific community might be related to the impact of greenhouse gases on the planet.

A team from the universities of Basel and Geneva has assessed which policy measures provide the best incentives for green technologies. How can we ensure that as many Swiss households as possible install solar panels, their own battery to store solar energy, a heat pump or adopt an electric car? Scientists from the universities of Basel and Geneva have been looking into this question.