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Prevalence rates of opioid use disorder (OUD) have increased dramatically, accompanied by a surge of overdose deaths--nearly 50,000 in the U.S. in 2019. While opioid dependence has been extensively studied in preclinical models, an understanding of the biological alterations that occur in the brains of people who chronically use opioids and who are diagnosed with OUD remains limited.

Investing in more physical activity programming could mitigate the effects of stress and improve worker mental and emotional health.

White men who had a Black neighbor when they were growing up are more likely to be Democrats and less likely to be Republican, an influence that can last several decades later.

By shining laser light on semiconducting moiré superlattices formed by stacking two atomically thin materials -- monolayer tungsten diselenide (WSe2) and monolayer molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2) -- a team led by researchers at the University of California, Riverside, and Academia Sinica in Taiwan found a new class of electronic excited states called "moiré trions." The study opens up new opportunities to develop trion-based quantum optical emitters and offers new approaches to explore moiré physics.

Researchers report on how a diverse cohort of gynecologic cancer patients are affected by financial distress, also called "financial toxicity" in acknowledgment of the health hazards it can pose, in the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer.

In a new article, an economist proposes a scenario in which large lenders temporarily boost high-risk activity at the end of a boom. According to her model, lenders with many outstanding mortgages have incentives to extend risky credit to prop up housing prices, which lessens the losses on their outstanding portfolio of mortgages.

In fighting COVID-19, it's not just the vaccines that require complicated cold supply chains and refrigerated storage. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests also have enzymes and reagents that need to be frozen. Northwestern University researchers have discovered that commercially available PCR tests can withstand the freeze-drying process, making them shelf-stable for up to 30 days and 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), without sacrificing sensitivity and accuracy. The new strategy could help ease logistical challenges, making tests more available.

People are more likely to cooperate with those they see as 'good.' Using a mathematical model, University of Pennsylvania researchers found it's possible to design systems that assess and broadcast participants' reputations, leading to high levels of cooperation and adherence.

A study led by University of Minnesota researchers uncovered a property of magnetic materials that will allow engineers to develop more efficient spintronic devices in the future, which could lead to faster and more efficient computing and data storage.

Many invasive plants are expanding their growing range in response to climate change, making early detection and rapid response more critical than ever. Limited resources, though, can make it impossible to track and manage every range-shifting species.

A new high-performance plastic foam developed from whey proteins can withstand extreme heat better than many common thermoplastics made from petroleum. A research team in Sweden reports that the material, which may be used for example in catalysts for cars, fuel filters or packaging foam, actually improves its mechanical performance after days of exposure to high temperatures.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines applied in national vaccination programs protect against most cancers associated with oncogenic, high-risk (hr) HPV types. Two recent studies demonstrate the impact of gender-neutral HPV vaccination in the overall protection against hrHPV infections already with low vaccination coverage.

North Carolina State University researchers tracking the evolution of different strains of the plant pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine in the 1840s show that the historic lineage called FAM-1 was found in nearly three-fourths of the 140 historic and modern samples tested and was found on all six continents.

Quantum critical points are often observed in antiferromagnetic materials, but until recently they were thought to not occur in ferromagnets. CeRh6Ge4 is a recent exception to this paradigm, sparking the search for the origin of this phenomenon. The team from Zhejiang University characterized the electronic structure of CeRh6Ge4 using different techniques, and their findings of localized Ce 4f-electrons, with highly anisotropic hybridization, provide important clues for resolving this conundrum.

The cosmic mass monsters clear the way for the formation of new suns in satellite galaxies

To gain a better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks involving care homes with fully vaccinated residents, Charité researchers used an outbreak at a Berlin-based facility to analyze virus-related data and the immune responses of elderly residents following vaccination. The data confirm vaccine effectiveness in the elderly, but also indicate a delayed and slightly reduced immune response. The researchers emphasize the need to vaccinate both caregivers and close contacts in order to better protect this high-risk group.

Researchers from the University of Tsukuba have designed a cell culture medium that supports the growth and genetic manipulation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells without requiring expensive lab equipment. This technique also eliminates the need to irradiate mice prior to transplantation of these cells, making it less toxic to the animals and improving data generation. This method will be extremely useful for studying how the immune system functions in health and disease.

A new infectious disease model that accounts for people's 'level of caution' or 'sense of safety' accurately captures surges and declines in COVID-19 cases since March 2020 -- and could help predict how the pandemic will eventually end.

The higher parents' education level, the more likely it is that their children will survive the first five years of life. Over three million births have been examined.

If the agricultural sector fails to adapt better to climate change, food production is set to fall - 10% by mid-century and 25% by 2100 - affecting the supply of a growing world population. Adaptation strategies exist and are available, but they need to be applied: the study by an international team of researchers from Boston University, Ca' Foscari University of Venice and the CMCC Foundation - Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change.