Lifeboat Foundation

Just 37% of kids have gotten flu shots this year, according to new CDC data. That’s down seven percentage points, from 44% of kids getting shots by this same time last year.

The data concerns health officials, especially since a record number of children died of flu-related causes last year.

Ultimately, 55% of kids got vaccinated against the flu during the 2023–24 flu season, which was the lowest rate in 12 years, a CDC official told NBC News. Vaccination rates have fallen for a variety of childhood vaccines in recent years. The trend has been blamed on vaccine fatigue after the pandemic as well as misinformation about the safety of childhood shots.

A cutting-edge X-ray method reveals the 3D orientation of nanoscale material structures, offering fresh insights into their functionality.

Researchers at the Swiss Light Source (SLS) have developed a groundbreaking technique called X-ray linear dichroic orientation tomography (XL-DOT). This method reveals the three-dimensional arrangement of a material’s structural building blocks at the nanoscale. Its first application focused on a polycrystalline catalyst, enabling scientists to visualize crystal grains, grain boundaries, and defects—critical features that influence catalyst performance. Beyond catalysis, XL-DOT offers unprecedented insights into the structure of various functional materials used in information technology, energy storage, and biomedical applications.

Research from Washington University shows that glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, has its own internal clock that synchronizes with the host’s circadian rhythms to optimize its growth by responding to daily hormone releases like cortisol.

Targeting these circadian signals in treatment slowed tumor growth significantly in both lab and animal studies. This synchronization could explain the mixed effects of dexamethasone, a common treatment, depending on the timing of its administration. The study highlights the potential of chronotherapy, aligning treatment with the body’s natural rhythms, to improve cancer outcomes.

Circadian Rhythms and Human Biology.

Air pollution is associated with increased risk of venous thromboembolism: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis https://ashpublications.org/blood/article/doi/10.1182/blood.…ed-risk-of

A comprehensive longitudinal study has shown a clear link between long-term exposure to air pollution and an increased risk of developing blood clots in deep veins, known as venous thromboembolism.

The study, which followed over 6,000 U.S. adults across major cities, revealed that exposure to particulate matter, oxides of nitrogen, and nitrogen dioxide significantly heightened the risk, with those in the highest quartile of exposure facing the most severe risks.

Continue reading “New Study Finds Alarming Link Between Air Pollution and Dangerous Blood Clots” »

Regarding oral HSV-1 infections, the global prevalence in 2020 among individuals aged 0–49 years was 58.6% (95% UI: 53.5–62.1%), equating to approximately 3.4 billion people. The African region exhibited the highest oral HSV-1 prevalence, while the Western Pacific had the largest number of infected individuals.

Conclusions

To summarize, in 2020, 26 million individuals aged 15–49 acquired new HSV-2 infections, with 520 million living with HSV-2 and 188 million experiencing HSV-2-related GUD. Similarly, 17 million acquired new genital HSV-1 infections, with 376 million living with genital HSV-1 and 17 million experiencing HSV-1-related GUD.

Resting and activated T cell states are established by context-specific regulators and dynamic gene circuits.

A specialized technology can restore and preserve microcirculation and cellular functions hours post-mortem in an isolated pig brain.

New research looking at the stem cells of ‘superagers’ — people aged 100 or more — could make it possible for more people to live a longer and healthier life.

The Call is still open on senescence in brain aging and Alzheimers disease!

Submit your paper today! 📩

Understanding Senescence in Brain Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease

Guest Editors Drs. Julie Andersen and Darren Baker, Associate Editor Dr. Anna Csiszar and Editor-in-Chief Dr. Zoltan Ungvari, and the editorial team of GeroScience (Journal of the American Aging Association; 2018 Impact Factor: 6.44) invite submission of original research articles, opinion papers and review articles related to research focused on understanding the role of senescence in brain aging and in Alzheimer’s disease. Senescent cells accumulate in aging and pathological conditions associated with accelerated aging. While earlier investigations focused on cellular senescence in tissues and cells outside of the brain (e.g. adipose tissue, dermal fibroblasts, cells of the cardiovascular system), more recent studies started to explore the role of senescent cells in age-related decline of brain function and the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disease and vascular cognitive impairment. This call-for-papers is aimed at providing a platform for the dissemination of critical novel ideas related to the functional and physiological consequences of senescence in diverse brain cell types (e.g., oligodendrocytes, pericytes, astrocytes, endothelial cells, microglia, neural stem cells), with the ultimate goal to identify novel targets for treatment and prevention Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and vascular cognitive impairment. We welcome manuscripts focusing on senescent-cell-targeting mouse models, the role of paracrine senescence, senescence pathways in terminally differentiated neurons, the pleiotropic effects of systemic senescence, the role of senescence in neuroinflammation and the protective effects of senolytic therapies. We are especially interested in manuscripts exploring the causal role of molecular mechanisms of aging in induction of cellular senescence as well as links between lifestyle (e.g., diet, exercise, smoking), medical treatments (e.g. cancer treatments), exposure environmental toxicants and cellular senescence in the brain. We encourage submission of manuscripts on developing innovative strategies to identify and target senescent cells for prevention/treatment of age-related diseases of the brain. Authors are also encouraged to submit manuscripts focusing on translational aspects of senescence research.

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