Eurekalert

When it comes to climate change, policymakers may fail to see the trees for the forest. Turns out that the trees may be the answer after all, according to a study published by authors from more than seven countries on June 3 in Nature Climate Change.

A multidisciplinary team led by researchers from the Spanish Research Council (CSIC) identifies the genomic cellular map associated with hippocampal sclerosis, a major histopathological condition of temporal lobe epilepsy. The study, published in Cell Reports, identifies cell-type specific transcriptional signatures of hyper-excitability and neurodegeneration, providing grounds for improved diagnosis.

Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital, working in collaboration with Pfizer, now report a high-throughput target and drug discovery platform using motor neurons made from ALS patients. Using the platform, they confirmed two known targets and identified an existing class of drugs -- agonists to the dopamine D2 receptor -- as potential novel treatments.

Researchers find that age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) declined in both rural and urban populations, but that the gap between the death rates dramatically widened as white individuals aged 25 to 64 in rural areas faced increasing AAMRs.

Decisions made now will determine whether economies win or lose money as the coal industry changes over the next couple of decades.

The benefits of routine primary care doctor visits include chronic illness detection, cancer screenings and therefore should continue, despite some calls from healthcare leaders saying they're a waste of time. For at-risk populations, the check-ups are still vital, and all patients on Medicare and many insured patients pay $0 copay for annual wellness checks.

Researchers found differences in sociodemographic and clinical characteristics by entry location for SARS-CoV-2 testing within a safety-net health system. White and English-speaking individuals disproportionately initiated testing via telehealth visits, while black, Native American and non-English-speaking patients disproportionately initiated testing through the emergency department. 

This study tracked COVID-19 outcomes for 543 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who were receiving support services from an organization providing residential services in the five boroughs of New York.

What The Study Did: The findings of this observational study of the association of race/ethnicity with COVID-19 infection rates and the interaction of pre-COVID experiences of food insecurity suggest that the association varied over time and across racial/ethnic groups.

A better understanding of the impacts of face masks and shields on acoustic transmission in classrooms could help optimize educational settings. During the 180th ASA Meeting, Laura and Rich Ruhala from Kennesaw State University will talk about how various types of face coverings may affect students' understanding of their teacher. Their presentation, "Acoustical transmission of face coverings used to reduce coronavirus transmission in a classroom environment," will take place Tuesday, June 8, 2021.

Neural replay during waking rest may contribute to memory consolidation of action sequences in humans, according to a study published June 8 in the journal Cell Reports. Brain imaging results revealed fast, repeated reactivation of a neural network representing a behavioral sequence that people were learning -- approximately 20 times the speed of the new memory -- especially while they were taking breaks from practice.

Immune cells in the brain, microglia, increase in number when encountering amyloid -- proteins which cause Alzheimer's disease. This increase in number turns some microglia 'senescent,' meaning they cannot carry out their immune functions correctly.Senescent microglia in turn accelerate the accumulation of amyloid, the opposite of what they intend to do.Preventing the proliferation of immune cells impairs senescence.Preventing senescence can then reduce build-up of amyloid and cell damage in the brain.

The promotion and marketing of unproven stem cell therapies is a global problem that needs a global solution, say experts in a perspective published June 8 in the journal Stem Cell Reports. The authors of the paper call for the World Health Organization (WHO) to establish an advisory committee on regenerative medicine to tackle this issue and provide guidance for countries around the world.

Astrophysicists from the University of Bath in the UK have developed a new method for pinpointing the whereabouts of extremely rare extragalactic objects. They hope their technique for finding 'changing-look quasars' will take scientists one step closer to unravelling one of greatest mysteries of the universe - how supermassive black holes grow. Quasars are believed to be responsible for regulating the growth of supermassive black holes and their host galaxies.

Researchers have reviewed all clinical trials of targeted drugs used in the treatment of vasculitis. With this, they propose a completely mechanistic categorisation of these diseases, which may in time provide better treatment.

Men who suffer sensory loss, particularly hearing loss, are more likely to be physically inactive and obese than women, according to a new study published in the European Journal of Public Health.

Drone footage shows that porpoises may be more social and cooperative than previously thought.

An algorithm based on 20,000 nights of sleep that can improve the diagnosis, treatment and our overall understanding of sleep disorders has been developed at the University of Copenhagen.

The Late Triassic Tianqiaoling flora is well-known in China, and its discovery has changed our understanding of Chinese Late Triassic phytogeographical divisions. However, the accurate dating has still not been achieved. In this study, rhyolite samples were collected from the bottom of the Tianqiaoling Formation, which is conformally contacted the Tianqiaoling flora-bearing beds. The results of new dating were 212.8±2.5 Ma, indicating the Tianqiaoling flora in development occurred in the late Norian (~227-208.5 Ma).

Weakened electrical signals in the brain may be an early warning sign of age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.