Alcohol-related deaths in the U.S. nearly doubled from 1999 to 2020. The sharpest spike occurred among 25–34-year-olds (nearly fourfold), while individuals aged 55–64 had the highest rates. Men consistently had higher rates but women saw the largest proportional rise, with deaths increasing 2.5 times. Asian and Pacific Islander communities experienced the steepest ethnic increase, while the Midwest saw the greatest regional rise (2.5 times), followed by the Northeast, West, and South.

BUFFALO, NY - November 18, 2024 – A new editorial was published in Oncotarget's Volume 15 on November 12, 2024, entitled, “Mitigating bias in radiology: The promise of topological data analysis and simplicial complexes.”

Hydrogels created using carbon dioxide (CO₂) offer a safer alternative to those formed with acidic agents. While most research has focused on pre-gelation conditions affecting hydrogel properties, this study by researchers from Tokyo University of Science explores the impact of CO₂ release after gelation. The team prepared alginate-based hydrogels and found that faster CO₂ release decreases crosslinking, while slower release results in stiffer hydrogels. These findings could lead to improved hydrogels for medical applications.

Southeast Asia’s tropical forests are renowned for their biodiversity, but at the same time face significant threats from the expansion of oil palm plantations. With global demand for palm oil rising, the urgency for effective restoration strategies in these landscapes has become critical. A long-running experiment led by Göttingen University, Germany, and including the IPB University, Bogor and Jambi University in Indonesia, has investigated how ecological restoration promotes biodiversity recovery in oil palm plantations in Sumatra. Their findings reveal that establishing islands of trees within large oil palm monocultures can promote the recovery of native tree diversity through natural regeneration. The results were published in Science.