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A vital intermediate in normal cell metabolism is also, in the right context, a trigger for cell death, according to a new study from Wanli Liu and Yonghui Zhang of Tsinghua University, and Yong Zhang of Peking University in Beijing, publishing 26th April 2021 in the open access journal PLOS biology. The discovery may contribute to a better understanding of the damage caused by stroke, and may offer a new drug target to reduce that damage.

Children's Hospital Los Angeles study reveals a surge of patients presenting with diabetic ketoacidosis, a severe complication of type 2 diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A new guideline for reporting research results has been developed to improve reproducibility, replication, and transparency in life sciences. The new Research Materials, Design, Analysis and Reporting (MDAR) Framework will harmonise the recording of outcomes across several major journals, its developers say.

The brain encodes information about our relationships and the relationships between our friends using areas involved in spatial processing, according to new research published in JNeurosci.

New research suggests a simple step could help millions of people reduce their risk of heart disease: make sure to get enough vitamin D. Elucidating linkages between skin pigmentation, vitamin D and indicators of cardiovascular health, the new study, combined with evidence from previous research, suggests vitamin D deficiency could contribute to the high rate of heart disease among African Americans.

Thousands of livers donated for transplantation are discarded or turned down every year due to concerns about organ quality and function. New insights into why these organs are considered unusable and how they function during external perfusion could help save lives by greatly increasing the number of livers that are transplantable.

Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaurs chomped through bone by keeping a joint in their lower jaw steady like an alligator, rather than flexible like a snake, according to a study being presented at the American Association for Anatomy annual meeting during the Experimental Biology (EB) 2021 meeting, held virtually April 27-30.

During infection, SARS-CoV-2 binds to a cellular receptor known as angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) before entering a cell and replicating. Because it is not well established whether common blood pressure medications can increase the levels of ACE2, there has been some concern that patients taking these medications might be more susceptible to COVID-19.

A new study performed in human lung airway cells is one of the first to show a potential link between exposure to organophosphate pesticides and increased susceptibility to COVID-19 infection. The findings could have implications for veterans, many of whom were exposed to organophosphate pesticides during wartime.

Wild blueberry fields in Down East Maine are warming faster than the state as a whole, according to a new University of Maine study on the effects of climate change on the barrens over the past 40 years. The difference in rising temperature rates suggests the need to develop specific wild blueberry management strategies, such as irrigation and fertilizer use, to mitigate the effects of climate change on Down East fields, rather than using tactics devised from statewide climate patterns.

A new study from University of Kentucky Markey Cancer researchers shows that Artemisia annua, a plant that has been traditionally used for its anti-malaria components, shows promise in treating ovarian cancer.

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for up to 15% of lung cancer cases. SCLC initially responds well to chemotherapy, but it often recurs in a poorly understood treatment-resistant form that is usually fatal. This study identified molecular changes in four subtypes of advanced SCLC. The findings could lead to the development of new targeted therapies for advanced SCLC.

A new study from Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers finds that new mothers who receive opioids after uncomplicated vaginal births face an increased risk of serious opioid-related events regardless of the opioid dosage, a finding that could significantly impact care delivery.

A team of researchers searched for pieces of an asteroid tracked in space and then observed to impact Botswana on June 2018. Guided by SETI Institute astronomer Peter Jenniskens, they found 23 meteorites deep inside the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and have published their findings in the journal Meteoritics and Planetary Science. "Combining observations of the small asteroid in space with information gleaned from the meteorites shows it likely came from Vesta," said Jenniskens.

Researchers at the University of Delaware's Center for Plastics Innovation (CPI) have done developed a new method to convert single-use plastic waste into ready-to-use molecules for jet fuels, diesel and lubricants. It requires 50% less energy than other technologies and doesn't add carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. And their process can treat a variety of plastics, even when they are mixed together.

A small study from Mayo Clinic researchers raises the concern that some transplant patients may have a limited immune response after being vaccinated for COVID-19 with an mRNA vaccine. Their findings are published as a letter to the editor in the American Journal of Transplantation.

In the workplace, whether or not we believe that a supervisor has treated us fairly depends on a number of factors, including motive, according to new research from the University of Notre Dame.

With climate change looming, what must people hear to convince them to change their ways to stop harming the environment? A new Johns Hopkins University study finds stories to be significantly more motivating than scientific facts-- at least for some people.

A new paper co-authored by MGH Institute of Health Professions Brain Recovery Lab Director Dr. Teresa Kimberley, published in the The Lancet, details how patients who incorporated vagus nerve simulation during physical or occupational therapy showed 2-3 times the improvement in arm and hand function compared to those who received only intense rehabilitation and sham stimulation.

Analysis of sales data and flood risk data over two decades indicates that housing markets fail to fully account for information about flood risk. The findings suggest that policies to improve risk communication could influence market outcomes. (WATCH VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n18s5kcE0So)