Mosquitoes are increasingly becoming resistant to current insecticides, leading to a pressing need for new methods to prevent mosquito bites — and the potential transmission of disease. New research by an international team, including researchers at the University of Washington, reveals that Aedes aegypti mosquitoes use a specific sensory receptor to detect and avoid borneol (pronounced "bor-nee-ohl"), an organic compound found in several aromatic plants, including camphor trees, rosemary and other aromatic herbs.

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have developed a water-rich, Jell-O-like material that mimics how real tissues move, stretch and relax, and which could one day help scientists better understand how stem cells grow and mature into other cell types.

A study reveals that a rare pediatric liver cancer arises from multiple liver cancer cells that independently undergo tumor-type transitions into other tumor types.

Deciding if and when to pursue deep brain stimulation (DBS) can be overwhelming for people with Parkinson’s disease. While DBS is one of the most effective interventions for movement symptoms, it’s also among the most complex. DBS uses a surgically implanted, battery‑powered device to send electrical signals to areas of the brain that control movement.

To make this decision easier, experts at the University of Colorado Anschutz created the first evidence-based decision tool for patients designed to improve patients’ understanding of DBS and boost their confidence as they weigh treatment options. Their results, published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, show that the majority of patients reported it was helpful in their decision-making process, they were satisfied with the tool and would recommend it to others.

“We designed this to support real shared decision‑making between patients and doctors, not just information‑sharing. What we found is that patients at every stage of the DBS journey found it useful,” said the study’s first author Michelle Fullard, MD, MSCE, Director of Clinical Research at the CU Anschutz Movement Disorders Center. “We see this as a tool that patients can use on their own so they’re coming to the table with knowledge about the surgery while talking to their doctors.”

About The Study: This systematic review and meta-analysis of 42 studies observed a relative increase in the annual rate of self-injury visits to health care and self-reported self-injury among children and youth, with variability in baseline rates across studies in 12 high-income countries. Effective, contextually informed, large-scale prevention initiatives are urgently needed to curb the rise in self-injury within high-income countries, particularly among female individuals.