Workshop Targets High-Tech Ways to Assess Endangered Whale Health - NOAA Fisheries (.gov)

BackgroundGlobally, an estimated 11.5 million people are held in prisons, and in most countries the prison population is increasing [1]. People in prison experience multiple disadvantages such as prior experience of homelessness, substance use, mental ill-health, and higher exposure to trauma and abuse [2,3,4]. They face significantly poorer mental and physical health compared with the general population [5]. Whilst these inequalities are partly due to higher health needs on entering prison, the prison system itself can contribute to poor health due to structural and environmental barriers [6]. These challenges persist for individuals released from prison, who often face difficulties navigating community healthcare and experience interruptions in care [7]. The health inequalities people in prison face extend to oral health, they have a higher prevalence of untreated dental decay and periodontal disease, and the prevalence of dental infections is five times greater than in the general population [8,9,10]. People in prison are also more likely to suffer from substance use disorders, which is associated with poor oral health [11, 12].

Normal iPS cells are diploid, and cardiomyocytes derived from these diploid iPS cells mostly remain diploid. Consequently, they cannot replicate the tetraploidization of cardiomyocytes that occurs during maturation in the human body. To address this issue, this study generated cardiomyocytes with doubled chromosomes by first tetraploidizing the iPS cells themselves via cell fusion, and then differentiating them into cardiomyocytes. As expected, the tetraploid iPS cell–derived cardiomyocytes exhibited more mature characteristics. Credit: Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science The Regenerative Medicine Project at our institute is advancing therapeutic strategies for various diseases by introducing a range of modifications to human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.

A pivotal trial of vaccines against the strain of Ebola that is driving a deadly outbreak across parts of Africa has begun in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the epidemic originated and the vast majority of cases and deaths have occurred. The first participant was vaccinated on Friday in Bunia, eastern Congo, with Merck & Co.’s Ervebo shot, which has been approved to guard against a different Ebola species. An experimental alternative developed specifically against Bundibugyo by Moderna...

A new analysis from Monash University suggests that low-dose aspirin may be linked to a dramatically lower risk of dementia in older adults with certain genetic characteristics. Researchers found that people with a specific genetic profile who took aspirin had a 70 percent lower relative risk of developing dementia, raising the possibility that genetic testing could eventually help identify people who might benefit from preventive treatments. The findings, published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, were based on genetic data from more than 13,500 participants in the landmark ASPREE Trial (Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly). Scientists examined whether differences in participants' genes could help explain why aspirin might affect dementia risk differently from one person to another.