Connecting Research and Experts with Journalists

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Thin, stretchy skin — like that of a pig or human — lessens the underlying damage that occurs when it’s punctured. Pig skin even outperforms synthetic materials designed to mimic skin, a study led by the University of Illinois finds. Its qualities, in particular its ability to dissipate the energy of a puncturing object, greatly reduce the damage to deeper tissues.

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Plastic pollution, particularly the presence of microplastics in living organisms, poses a growing threat to ecosystems and human health. This groundbreaking study introduces mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) as a cutting-edge method for detecting and quantifying microplastics in biological samples, offering critical insights into their distribution and potential impacts.

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Researchers publishing in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry have created a prototype cultured pork using a new material: kafirin proteins isolated from red sorghum grain.

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National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) presents preliminary data from a study demonstrating the usability of the Health Equity Report Card (HERC) tool during the American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting and Expo.

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Researchers from Osaka University show that the improvements in signal strength during surface-enhanced fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy can extend even through a nanoscale protective layer. This research may lead to significant improvements in the sensitivity of biosensors and the development of novel point-of-care diagnostics.

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A recent University of Georgia review suggests new temperature measuring technologies could make that process much simpler, amid growing agricultural challenges fueled by fluctuating climates.

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Among 88,183 U.S. high school students, marijuana use declined from 23.1% in 2011 to 15.8% in 2021, with first-time use before age 13 dropping from 8.1% to 4.9%. In 2021, use was highest among 12th graders (22.4%) and 11th graders (18.7%). Notably, girls (17.8%) surpassed boys (13.6%) in reported use in 2021, reversing past trends. While Asian, Hispanic, and white adolescents saw declines, Black adolescents had a higher usage rate of 20.5% in 2021, indicating ongoing racial disparities.

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A new international trial is investigating the efficacy and safety of gene therapy in patients with Hurler syndrome and will compare results of gene therapy against BMT which is the current standard of care. UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals are among three sites in the U.S. and seven in the world now enrolling patients for the clinical trial.

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PNNL researchers are developing a new approach to explore the higher-dimensional shape of cyber systems to identify signatures of adversarial attacks.

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Researchers at UCLA Health have found that a person's risk of developing psychotic-like experiences may be influenced by both childhood attention problems and their genetic makeup.