(Press-News.org) Egg cells are among the largest cells in the animal kingdom. If moved only by the random jostlings of water molecules, a protein could take hours or even days to drift from one side of a forming egg cell to the other. Luckily, nature has developed a faster way: cell-spanning whirlpools in the immature egg cells of animals such as mice, zebrafish and fruit flies. These vortices enable cross-cell commutes that take just a fraction of the time. But until now, scientists didn't know how these crucial flows formed.
Using mathematical modeling, researchers now have an answer. The gyres result from the collective behavior of rodlike molecular tubes called microtubules that extend inward from the cells' membranes, the END
Mathematics explains how giant whirlpools form in developing egg cells
The swirling currents occur when the rodlike structures that extend inward from the cells' membranes bend together like wheat stalks caught in a strong breeze, report researchers at the Flatiron Institute and the University of Cambridge in a new study
2021-01-13
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Superheroes, foods and apps bring a modern twist to the periodic table
2021-01-13
Many students, especially non-science majors, dread chemistry. The first lesson in an introductory chemistry course typically deals with how to interpret the periodic table of elements, but its complexity can be overwhelming to students with little or no previous exposure. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Journal of Chemical Education introduce an innovative way to make learning about the elements much more approachable -- by using "pseudo" periodic tables filled with superheroes, foods and apps.
One of the fundamental topics taught in first-year undergraduate chemistry courses is ...
Raman spectroscopy shows promise for diagnosing oral cancer
2021-01-13
WASHINGTON -- In a new study, researchers show that a light-based analytical technique known as Raman spectroscopy could aid in early detection of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).
OSCC is the most prevalent type of oral cancer and ranks among the most common cancers diagnosed worldwide. Although effective treatments are available, the cancer is often not detected until a late stage, resulting in overall poor prognosis.
"Raman spectroscopy is not only label-free and non-invasive, but it can potentially be used in ambient light conditions," says research team leader Levi Matthies from University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany. "This makes it promising for use as a potential screening tool ...
CVIA publishes selected abstracts from the 31st GW-ICC Conference
2021-01-13
Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications, publishes selected abstracts from the 31st Great Wall International Cardiology (GW-ICC) Conference, October 19 - 25, 2020
Beijing, January 13, 2021: Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications (CVIA), in its role as the official journal of the Great Wall International Cardiology Conference (GW-ICC), has published selected abstracts from the 31st GW-ICC. Abstracts are now online at https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cscript/cvia/2020/00000005/a00101s1/art00001
Co-Editors-in-Chief of CVIA Dr. C. Richard Conti, past president of the American College of Cardiology, and Dr Jianzeng Dong, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China commented that CVIA is delighted to be ...
Inferring human genomes at a fraction of the cost promises to boost biomedical research
2021-01-13
Thousands of genetic markers have already been robustly associated with complex human traits, such as Alzheimer's disease, cancer, obesity, or height. To discover these associations, researchers need to compare the genomes of many individuals at millions of genetic locations or markers, and therefore require cost-effective genotyping technologies. A new statistical method, developed by Olivier Delaneau's group at the SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics and the University of Lausanne (UNIL), offers game-changing possibilities. For less than $1 in computational cost, GLIMPSE is able to statistically infer a complete human genome from a very small amount of data. The method offers ...
Researchers at Brazil's space institute discover why lightning branches and flickers
2021-01-13
Researchers at Brazil's National Space Research Institute (INPE), in partnership with colleagues in the United States, United Kingdom and South Africa, have recorded for the first time the formation and branching of luminous structures by lightning strikes.
Analyzing images captured by a super slow motion camera, they discovered why lightning strikes bifurcate and sometimes then form luminous structures interpreted by the human eye as flickers.
The study was supported by São Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP. An article outlining its results is published in Scientific Reports.
"We managed to obtain the first optical observation of these phenomena and find a possible explanation for branching and flickering," Marcelo Magalhães Fares Saba, ...
Evolution: Speciation in the presence of gene flow
2021-01-13
Spatial isolation is known to promote speciation - but researchers at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich have now shown that, at least in yeast, the opposite is also true. New ecological variants can also evolve within thoroughly mixed populations.
The idea that speciation is based on the selection of variants that are better adapted to the local environmental conditions is at the heart of Charles Darwin's theory of the origin of species - and it is now known to be a central component of biological evolution, and thus of biodiversity. Geographic isolation of populations is often regarded as a necessary condition for ecotypes to diverge ...
New research in JNCCN highlights dangerous disparities for life-saving cancer screening
2021-01-13
PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA [January 13, 2021] -- New research in the January 2021 issue of JNCCN--Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network finds more than a third of eligible people miss timely screening tests for colorectal cancer and at least a quarter appear to miss timely screening tests for breast and cervical cancers. The study comes from the University of Alberta, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry in Alberta, Canada, with findings based on self-reported results from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) from 2007-2016. According to the author, the results also ...
NIH scientists study salmonella swimming behavior as clues to infection
2021-01-13
WHAT:
Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium bacteria (S. Typhimurium) commonly cause human gastroenteritis, inflammation of the lining of the intestines. The bacteria live inside the gut and can infect the epithelial cells that line its surface. Many studies have shown that Salmonella use a "run-and-tumble" method of short swimming periods (runs) punctuated by tumbles when they randomly change direction, but how they move within the gut is not well understood.
National Institutes of Health scientists and their colleagues believe they have identified a S. Typhimurium protein, McpC ...
Getting romantic at home wearing an EEG cap
2021-01-13
Research into the neuronal basis of emotion processing has so far mostly taken place in the laboratory, i.e. in unrealistic conditions. Bochum-based biopsychologists have now studied couples in more natural conditions. Using electroencephalography (EEG), they recorded the brain activity of romantic couples at home while they cuddled, kissed or talked about happy memories together. The results confirmed the theory that positive emotions are mainly processed in the left half of the brain.
A group led by Dr. Julian Packheiser, Gesa Berretz, Celine Bahr, Lynn Schockenhoff and Professor Sebastian Ocklenburg from the Department of Biopsychology at Ruhr-Universität Bochum ...
BU researchers uncover viral small RNAs in mosquito cells
2021-01-13
(Boston)--Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) provide a new genomics resource that details the small RNA transcriptomes (gene expression) of four bio-medically important mosquito species.
This is the first study to provide a platform for biologists to compare the characteristics of these small RNAs between these four mosquitoes as well as the most widely used insects for genetic experiments, the fruit fly, Drosophila. Although previous studies looked at each of the individual mosquito species separately, this study is the first to allow comparisons between all four species.
"Although ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Post-traumatic vasospasm: An overlooked threat after brain injury
Scientists smash record in stacking semiconductor transistors for large-area electronics
Large language models prioritize helpfulness over accuracy in medical contexts
In a surprising discovery, scientists find tiny loops in the genomes of dividing cells
Printing technique could vastly improve the environmental impact of digital displays
‘Skinny fat’ linked to silent artery damage, McMaster study reveals
Sulfated yeast rises to the challenge facing rare earth metals
Global analysis reveals how biochar supercharges composting and cuts greenhouse gases
Blocking a cellular switch could prevent lung-scarring disease
Planet formation depends on when it happens: UNLV model shows why
Deep sleep supports memory via brain fluid and neural rhythms
Biochar and iron additives show promise for reviving degraded peatlands and locking away carbon
Cancer cells reactivate embryo-like gene editors to fuel growth
AI analysis of world’s largest heart attack datasets opens way to new treatment strategies
Decoding dangers of Arctic sea ice with seismic, radar method
Counting bites with AI might one day help prevent childhood obesity
Utah chemists discover enzyme that could help build next-generation GLP-1 drugs
Surprising bacteria discovery links Hawaiʻi’s groundwater to the ocean
New grants for schools offer CPR training and resources to make campuses safer
30 NFL players urge fans to join Nation of Lifesavers, learn lifesaving CPR
Study finds humans outweigh climate in depleting Arizona's water supply
Old-school material could power quantum computing, cut data center energy use
Vanderbilt scientist tackles key roadblock for AI in drug discovery
Overheating bat boxes place bats in mortal danger during heatwaves
Study shows medical-legal partnerships aid recovery for patients with violent injuries
Learning the language of lasso peptides to improve peptide engineering
Social conflict among strongest predictors of teen mental health concerns
New framework can improve the planning stage of surgical quality improvement projects
Research shows anger, not fear, shifts political beliefs
Gale and Ira Drukier Prize in Children’s Health Research awarded to pediatric rheumatologist at Boston Children’s Hospital
[Press-News.org] Mathematics explains how giant whirlpools form in developing egg cellsThe swirling currents occur when the rodlike structures that extend inward from the cells' membranes bend together like wheat stalks caught in a strong breeze, report researchers at the Flatiron Institute and the University of Cambridge in a new study